Jacob is an ambitious, talented, and distinctly stubborn acrobatic gymnast who has worked too damn hard for his team to quit on him and expect him to be okay with it. When his coach offers him a partnership with Andy, the sunny redhead from the gym who Jacob’s barely talked to, Jacob reluctantly agrees to try. But under the warmth of Andy’s ever-present smile, Jacob finds himself ready to let go of old pain — and ready to fall.
Hey, um. Jacob? Jacob Baptiste? I’m Andy.” He sticks out a hand, and all Jacob can think about is how big it is.
from “Catch Me if I Fall”
Jacob blinks, then comes to himself and takes Andy’s hand in his own. That hand could wrap nearly the entire way around his thigh, which Jacob guesses is kind of the point.
“Yeah, I know,” he answers. “I’ve known who you are for, like, the last six years?”
“Oh.” Andy looks genuinely surprised, and Jacob feels a flicker of amusement. How dumb does this guy think he is? They’ve traveled in the same large group at least twice a year for half a decade. They’re not friends, not anything like it, but it’s not like Jacob doesn’t know perfectly well who Andy is. “Well, nice to officially meet you, I guess?”
“We’ve met.” Jacob folds his arms as Andy looks blank. “Shawn’s party? Three years ago? You were Bozo the Clown?”
Andy flushes a deep pink, and it’s disarmingly sweet. “Oh. Right. And you were James Dean. Sorry. I, um. I didn’t think you’d remember.
Bright gym lights, world competitions, flashy gymnasts in leggings, death defying acrobatics …the setting for “Catch Me if I Fall” is all pressure. But hothead ‘top’ (wink) gymnast Jacob finds himself sweetly and literally grounded by his new lanky golden retriever ‘base’ Andy: the last person he wanted to pair with after being sidelined by his former teammates. The narrative really echoes the personality of the characters as the highs and lows of Jacob’s athlete life begins to even out the more he trusts that Andy won’t drop him. A genuinely delightful comfort read.
Laura Jones
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