He stops and pulls the torch between us. “In what world was that helpful?”
I gulp. “Sorry, I was just preparing you!”
“Consider me fucking prepared!”
“Don’t yell at me!”
“Don’t scare me!’
“Ughhhhh!” I stomp my foot. “Grab the torch, and let’s win this bitch!”
His eyes linger on my mouth before he pulls the torch away. What was that? Was he actually thinking about kissing me? Jack starts walking away from me, his torch lighting up the small hallway with its hieroglyphics on the walls. I notice that along that same wall is a trough. I stop in my tracks. “Jack, do you think that lights up?”
“Maybe?” He looks over at it. “I mean, it could oil?”
“Only one way to find out,” I say.
“Right, and get rid of our only torch blanketing us in darkness?”
I elbow him, “Why would they have running water through here?”
“Good point.” He grumbles. “But when will this hallway end, and how good is the other team even doing? Do they get a hallway? Does this lead to intern hell? Will there be a moat? These are the things I can’t get out of my head.”
I sigh and drop the torch into what I think is oil, not brave enough to taste it, and just like I suspected, it lights up the entire hallway.
“Whoaaa…” Jack does a small turn. “Short hallway turns into tall hallway, look.” He points up.
The hallway goes up at least fifteen feet, maybe more. And at the very end is a treasure and what looks like a swimming pool.
“Ready?” I hold out my hand. Jack grabs it.
It feels good.
It feels final.
He squeezes my hand back. “Another adventure? Hey, we’re already in Hell; let’s finish up before the sex.”
“Always about the sex.”
“Literally always.” He pulls me into his arms and kisses me hard against the mouth, only to pull away. “How could I possibly do this without you and not want you every second, even with being as scared as I am?”
“Because you’re focused on your dick?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “Because I’m focused on the girl.”
My heart melts a little. “Don’t say things like that; I might get the wrong idea.”
He kisses my forehead. “Good.”
And I really do melt as we walk hand in hand down to the end of the hallway. The pool is crystal blue and beautiful, something that belongs at a resort in Belize. And on the bottom of the pool are the rest of the medallions.
“I can’t swim,” he suddenly blurts.
I smack him. “Are you serious?”
His laugh makes me want to shove him into the pool. “No, but you should have seen your face.”
“Hilarious.” I cross my arms. “Okay, so how about you jump in, grab as many as you can, then I’ll go?”
He takes a deep breath. “I mean, as long as we don’t have predators—oh shit.”
“What?”
He points. “Sharks, there are actual sharks in the water.”
I’m petrified of sharks.
I think they all have killing on their minds.
I try to swallow. Why is my throat closing?
“Um,” I tuck my hair behind my ears. “Yeah, um, let’s rethink this.”
“No time.” Jack starts stripping out of his Silver Snake shirt. “I have to go in.”
“YOU COULD DIE!” I yell.
He pauses mid-strip and looks over at me, and so do his glorious abs. “I’m not going to die; sharks don’t just attack people.”
“Do you not have Nat-Geo?”
He finishes removing his shirt and pats me on the head. “You’ll be fine. I’ll be fine. Just stay here. You helped with Olmec. I’ll help here.”
“Are you sure?” My voice is shaky. I feel weak, and then I turn around and see the opposing team rushing toward us. “Shit, shit, jump!”
Jack has no time to waste as he propels into the water and starts swimming around the sharks grabbing random medallions.
“You go,” Jude yells. “I’ll go next!”
Stacey jumps back. “Those are sharks!’
“This is student loan forgiveness!” he yells even louder. “Get the fuck in!”
He shoves her into the water, and she crashes near the medallions as Jack swims around and keeps grabbing.
I try not to panic when she thrashes next to him, but it’s like the dude was on swim team as he gathers as many as he can and pulls them over his neck, then jumps back onto the side out of breath.
“Good job!” I yell.
I grab the necklace medallions and find the matches for both of the ones we have plus a third, then stare him down. “We have to sprint.”
“Stacey, hurry the fuck up!” Jude yells.
“I was in track once,” Jack teases.
I want to kiss him as we run back down the lit hallway and out of the secret room, and back into the main temple.
Now the hard part.
Putting them together in front of Olmec.
“You’re up.” Jack stumbles.
I quickly grab them from his neck and start forming them on the different pillars while Olmec starts shooting fire.