Last night had been downright infuriating, and he had gone straight home after dropping off the ever-baffling Arisa Kirani. Today, Ardo headed to the gym to train his legs. Not Indra’s hotel gym—this one belonged to an acquaintance of his. Quieter, more exclusive, with a membership fee that was far pricier. Ardo avoided crowded gyms; after all, he was well aware that fifteen million people followed him on his online video channel.
As a mountain climber, he needed extraordinary leg strength, far beyond the average. Back in his younger days, he would often summit peaks with friends from the mountaineering community. But with age and busier schedules, he now mostly climbed with his own team. It was both recreation and material for his thirty-minute documentary-style vlogs.
Four sets of squats at fifteen reps, five sets of lunges at twenty per leg, and fifteen reps of Romanian deadlifts. Between sets, Ardo usually took forty-five seconds to a minute of rest, then one or two minutes before moving to the next exercise. If his mood was good, he might add calf raises. But not today. He was still sour from last night’s incident.
“She’s infuriatingly consistent,” Ardo muttered as he made his way toward the leg press.
The leg press was his favorite for leg day, a machine that hit all the major muscles in the lower body—quads, hamstrings, glutes. Absorbed in checking his messages, he almost missed colliding with a woman walking past.
Reflexively, Ardo steadied her so she wouldn’t fall, his eyes lingering a moment longer than necessary. She was strikingly pretty. “You need to keep up with leg day,” he quipped, throwing her a wink.
“Thank you. Uhm, you’re Ardo, the mountain influencer, right?” Her tone was saccharine, far too coy.
“Yeah, that’s me. Mountain Monkey.”
He let her go without another thought, dismissing the moment entirely. Ardo didn’t care if it came off rude; he knew a cheap trick when he saw one. Besides, if she’d had half a brain, she’d realize he’d just been teasing her weak legs.
“Strange. Don’t usually see flirty types here,” Ardo grumbled, still scrolling through the flood of incoming messages.
The problem with his garage was still under quiet investigation. Meanwhile, a few of his social media accounts were being handled by the IT people his team had hired. Some brands had already complained about why Ardo’s accounts weren’t back yet, but honestly, he was relieved—free, at least for now, from the grind of content-making.
Once his workout was done, Ardo showered and changed. His next stop: his mother’s art gallery. These days, Timeless Treasures Art Gallery was his most comfortable escape outside of home. Perhaps he should hold his own exhibition there, just to draw in more visitors for her.
Driving, the radio filled the car with news. Nothing fresh—mostly corruption scandals, with a sprinkle of celebrity gossip. His phone buzzed with an incoming call. Vera? Why was she calling? Vera, Arisa’s best friend, still kept in touch with him.
“Hey, what’s up?” Ardo answered.
“She’s rock climbing at Rama’s place, Do. But don’t tell her you heard it from me, okay?”
Ardo grinned. “What brand of diapers does your kid use, Ver? I’ll send over a big box.”
Vera chuckled. “Just one box? Come on, this is top-tier info.”
“How about a whole truckload, then?” he teased.
“Deal.”
***
In twenty-eight years of living, Ardo had rarely been drawn to women who were overly feminine, though he’d dated a few. To him, women fell into three categories: the kind who were nice to look at but didn’t need to be his, the kind who were nice to look at and had to be his immediately, and then the infuriating kind—like Arisa Kirani.
“Why am I the one stuck with the nickname Mountain Monkey, when it’s my ex who’s actually into rock climbing?” Ardo muttered, glancing up at Risa as she climbed, pausing now and then to reposition her hands and feet.
“Not joining in, Do?” asked Rama.
Ardo turned to his old college friend with a grin. They’d known each other well back when mountain climbing had filled their weekends. Now Rama worked as a distributor of sporting goods and ran a climbing gym of his own.
“Leg day. My legs are still trembling,” Ardo replied, amused.
“She was going to try bouldering at first, but decided it wasn’t challenging enough… so I suggested lead climbing instead. What’s going on between you two anyway? I thought you broke up ages ago?”
Lead climbing walls were shorter, usually around 4.5 meters, and didn’t require harnesses. The lead climbing area, on the other hand, was taller—around eighteen meters—with routes that twisted and curled, demanding more strategy. And then there was speed climbing, the crowd favorite, all adrenaline and spectacle. Ardo wasn’t a stranger to sports; he knew the basics of many.
“Her fiancé’s rarely around. Meanwhile, I can always be here for her,” Ardo said, eyes fixed on his ex.
Rama frowned. “It won’t be that easy, Do. I doubt it.”
“What, you don’t think I’d make a convincing villain in their story, Ram? The ruthless kind?”
Rama snorted. “Her fiancé’s already miles above the sky, Do. And you? You’re still right here. On the ground.”
“You’re a real asshole, Ram.” Ardo punched him lightly in the gut, laughing when Rama feigned pain. “Who’s the belayer? Don’t think I’ve seen her before.” He pointed at the tall woman in a cap, calmly calling out instructions from below.
The belayer—the one holding the ropes, ensuring safety. Ardo usually knew the staff at Rama’s place; this one was new to him. His life kept him outdoors and busy, but he still kept tabs on things like this. If he’d been stuck in an office job, freedom like this would’ve been impossible.
“Her name’s Agnes, former PON athlete. Retired a while back,” Rama explained. “I hired her so female visitors feel safer. She’s also great with Muslimah clients.”
“Ah, no wonder she’s got that aura.”
“Women in sports always carry that cool vibe,” Rama said approvingly.
“Agreed,” Ardo said, though his gaze was already back on Arisa.
What captivated him now was watching her descend, listening to the belayer’s calm instructions. She still hadn’t noticed him. Perfect. That gave Ardo a chance to brace himself for whatever jab she’d throw his way.
When Arisa Kirani finally touched down and reached for a drink, Ardo handed her a bottle of water and a small towel. She accepted them without a word, then sat down heavily in one of the chairs. Ardo joined her, watching her catch her breath.
“Where to after this?” he asked.
“How did you even know I was here?”
Ardo merely shrugged, smirking. “Sharp instincts. I’m usually the leader whenever we’re up on the mountain.”
Risa smirked back, mocking. “Mountain Monkey?”