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“We can sit on the bench and talk,” Al offered, trying to hide his disappointment. He’d never been parasailing and had been excited to try it.

“What about a body double?” Diane asked.

Lindsey’s head snapped. “A what?”

“A body double. If this was a regular tv show, they’d do that for an actor, so we should be able to do the same for Jazz.”

Jazz gave Diane a wide smile.

“They were going to wear helmets anyway, so that makes it even better. The way the camera is rigged, the footage will be rocky. It shouldn’t be too much trouble for a special effects team to swap out Jazz’s face.”

Lindsey’s eyes narrowed as she thought. “Brilliant!” she shouted. “Diane, you have a knack for this.” She called over to Jeannie. “Come over here and sign this paper.”

“Good luck!” Jazz cackled as Jeannie walked away.

***

“Thanks for doing this.” Al grinned at Jeannie as he placed the helmet on her head. He took his time buckling the chin strap, allowing his fingers to brush along her cheeks. Her eyes flared, and he knew she was as affected by their closeness as he was. “For a second there, I thought I’d haveto go on another carriage ride and trust me when I say once was enough.”

Jeannie rolled her eyes, pulling away from his hands. “Surely the great and powerful Al has more stamina than that?”

Al chuckled. “Just wait until you see the footage. Then you’ll understand.”

“That’s a hard pass. I’ve seen enough already.”

Al shrugged. “Suit yourself. It’s good stuff though. Oh look! The boat is about to take off.”

Jeannie took a deep breath and nodded. “The things I do for my friends.”

“You’re the best, Jeannie-girl.”

The engine roared and the boat moved across the harbor, picking up speed as they moved away from the shore.

“Al!” Jeannie screamed as their parachute caught wind and slowly rose in the sky. “I changed my mind! Tell them to stop!”

“No way! This is amazing!”

“I’m too young to die!” she wailed, slamming her eyes shut.

Al laughed. “You will not die.” After a minute, the rope grew taut, and they maintained their height in the air. “Now open your eyes.”

“I can’t! Just tell me when it’s over. I don’t have to look. They’re going to put Jazz’s face over mine.”

“Nope. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Open your eyes and look.”

“It’s fine. I’m good.”

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes. More than anybody.”

“Then open your eyes. I promise you’ve never seen anything like this. It’s like a whole new world up here.”

Jeannie opened one eye, then gasped and opened the other. “Oh my God! Al! This is amazing! Like really fucking amazing! Look at those city lights, they’re like diamonds.”

The boat traveled down the harbor as they admired the cityscape, pointing out various landmarks as they passed.

“It’s so peaceful up here,” Al said. “No expectations. No one to tell us what we should or shouldn’t do.”