Suddenly the fear is so strong I almost get back in the car. She does trust me. She’s trusted me with her body in more ways than I expected—letting me touch her, hold her, pin her down, control her. I’ve tried to remain true to that trust and never hurt her, never push her past her limits.
But right now, she’s not just trusting me with her body. She’s trusting me with her life. And for a moment I’m not sure I want that responsibility.
Then I’m flooded with satisfaction, like the verbal confirmation of her trust was something I desperately needed. I kiss her, my fear melting in the face of my excitement.
“You don’t have anything to worry about,” I say. “I’ve done this hundreds of times. We’ll do a tandem jump. That means we’ll be harnessed together and I’ll have control of the chute. I’ll keep you safe.”
She bites her lower lip and smiles. I lead her inside and talk to Sam, the owner. I already made the arrangements for our jump. Normally they only let their own instructors do tandem jumps, but I have more than enough experience and the necessary certifications to make it legal.
They take Selene through the customary training session. It’s not long—with a tandem jump, there’s a lot less for a beginner to learn. We both get suited up and head out to the airstrip. Selene grips my hand as we walk toward the twin engine aircraft. She’s dressed in a bright blue skydiving suit with the harness that will attach her to me. I feel the weight of the gear on my back and adjust the straps on my shoulders. My heart starts to pump as we get in the plane. A tandem jump seems tame after some of the things I’ve done over the last couple years, but sharing it with Selene brings a whole new element to the experience.
The plane takes off and Selene keeps a death grip on my arm. The jump coordinator goes over some last-minute instructions and helps us get the harness connected. We get up to jump altitude. He double-and triple-checks everything and then opens the door.
Selene twists her head around. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
I put my arms around her and plant a kiss on her cheek. “Yes, you can. I’ve got you.”
We move toward the open door, Selene strapped in front of me. I have to push her forward, but I’m not letting her change her mind now. The wind rushes past, almost deafening. I adjust my goggles and take a deep breath, feeling the adrenaline pumping through my veins. Fuck, I love this shit.
“Ready?” I yell above the noise. I put my hand on her forehead and tilt her head back against my shoulder so her neck doesn’t jerk when we hit the air. “Let’s do this.”
Then I grab the bar and hoist us out.
Suddenly we’re falling, plummeting through the air. We accelerate, and I deploy the drogue chute. It’s small, and doesn’t slow us down; it’s there to ensure proper deployment of the main canopy.
I hear Selene’s voice, flying past me on the wind. I spread my arms and legs wide, keeping Selene steady beneath me. We slice through the air and it feels thick, like water. My lungs burn a little, and the heady excitement sends a flood of euphoria through my mind. My entire body is teeming with vitality, tingling from my scalp to my toes.
The freefall is over too quickly, but I won’t take chances with Selene’s safety. I deploy the main canopy and there’s a jerk, as though we’re suddenly being pulled upward. Our descent slows as the chute billows out above us, and we go from horizontal to vertical, our legs dangling in the open air.
I pull the lead on one side and guide us toward the landing zone. Freefalling is my favorite part, but even the slower ride down is a rush. Everything looks tiny below us, but grows quickly as we get closer. The wind roars past, loud in my ears, and it feels like we’re floating. I tug on the lines to steer us in the right direction, reveling in the feel of flying through the air.
The descent is about five minutes, but it feels much longer. Time seems to slow, and the weight of the world is nothing while I’m out here in the chill air, gliding toward the ground. I reach around to give Selene a thumbs up. She throws her arms up in the air, leaning her head back against me, and shouts into the wind. Her enjoyment pulses through me and I wish we didn’t have an hour’s drive to get back to my place. I’m so fucking turned on.
The ground gets closer and I ready myself for the landing. “Pick up your legs,” I shout and adjust so we’re straight. My feet hit the ground and I take a quick step forward. Selene hollers again as we hit the dirt. The chute drops behind us, pulling us down, and we fall backward onto the ground.
The staff is there to help with the gear, and I unfasten Selene from the harness. We get to our feet and she turns to me, throwing her arms around my neck.
“Oh my god, I can’t believe I just did that,” she says, her voice trembling.
I slide my hand to the back of her neck and kiss her mouth. “What did you think?”
“That’s one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done,” she says.
I can’t keep the wide smile off my face. I feel so free, so alive. Selene’s eyes sparkle and she laughs, giddy as a little kid.