Breaking the Ice (26 page)

‘
And I want to know about you, if you want me to. I kind of took advantage a minute ago didn’t I?’ Jimmy spoke, running his hand through his hair nervously.

‘
No, you didn’t,’ Samantha responded, surprised at the strength of her own voice and the fact that she had managed to say anything.

‘
No?’ Jimmy enquired.

‘
No, you didn’t take advantage. Cleo would probably have slapped me for getting hysterical, you kissed me - it was infinitely better,’ Samantha found herself speaking.

‘
I’m not out of the woods with the alcohol Sam, I want you to know that. That’s my baggage. Every day’s a minor battle, it’s getting better but it’s always going to be there,’ Jimmy told her honestly.

Samantha nodded, cleared her throat and took a deep breath, crossing her fingers behind her back.

‘
I do suffer from panic attacks and sometimes, well a lot of the time, I wish I was my sister,’ Samantha replied, not believing her own ability to get the words out.

‘
What a couple huh!’ Jimmy remarked with a smile.

‘
A couple,’ Samantha repeated not really meaning too.

‘
Yeah, if you want to see how it goes. If you’ll have me,’ Jimmy replied quietly, looking at Samantha.

‘
You and me,’ Samantha spoke, drowning in the Minstrel eyes as they looked at her.

‘
Yeah, you and me,’ Jimmy repeated, edging nearer to her.

He cupped Samantha’s face in his hands again and she felt the full lips for the second time, so soft on hers. This time it was like being kissed by the lightest, most sensual of feathers. Her head was spinning with excitement and arousal and she clung to him, holding his muscular shoulders, touching his hair with her fingers. She felt out of control, her deep emotion for him overriding any impulsive tendencies she might normally have had.

Jimmy kissed her mouth gently and then held her away from him to look at her. He smoothed her hair back behind her ears and held her hands.

‘
I’ve - I’ve never been kissed in the Civic Hall before,’ Samantha admitted and then she blushed at the stupidness of the remark.

‘
I’m glad. Besides, I had to kiss you here. It’s the only place we’ve ever really talked properly and the only place you really feel comfortable. My God we have to save it!’ Jimmy responded with a smile.

‘
I don’t know if I can change,’ Samantha admitted almost sadly.

‘
Change? I don’t want you to change,’ Jimmy insisted and he gently stroked her fingers.

‘
Not even the gasping for breath and coughing,’ Samantha replied.

‘
We can work on that,’ Jimmy responded with a smile.

Samantha smiled back at him and then she let out a gasp and put her hands to her mouth.

‘
The speech! You made me forget the speech! I don’t have a speech for tomorrow! It’s all just notes and ramblings and you hated it - even though you were too polite to say and I need to feed Gobby and…’ Samantha exclaimed in panic, looking for her notepad which was lying on the floor.

‘
Come on, let’s go feed Gobby and I’ll take you home. You can get a good night’s sleep and tomorrow morning we can look at it together,’ Jimmy told her, putting an arm around her shoulders.

‘
Together’. The word sounded so unfamiliar to her in the way he had spoken it, but it wasn’t frightening or unwelcome and the weight of his arm around her wasn’t worrying or repellant. It was comfortable and she liked it.

Eighteen

‘
Sam, are you OK? Are you sick?’

Samantha opened her eyes to see Cleo’s face extremely close to hers, so close she could smell -.

‘
Worcester sauce,’ Samantha said out loud.

‘
What?’ Cleo queried, retracting slightly.

‘
You’ve had Worcester sauce on toast again - I can smell it. You’ll need to clean your teeth again,’ Samantha spoke, yawning and sitting herself up in bed.

‘
It’s gone seven,’ Cleo stated, still eyeing her sister with suspicion.

‘
Oh is it?’ Samantha stated, checking her watch.

Then she smiled, remembering the previous night. Jimmy had driven her home, in the small car she had actually ended up wishing was smaller. Who would have thought it? And he kissed her again, right outside the house - for ages. And she hadn’t cared. Usually she would have worried about Mr Peterson at number twelve twitching his curtains but she hadn’t given him a second thought.

‘“
Oh is it?” Something’s happened hasn’t it? Something happened last night with Darren! Tell me!’ Cleo exclaimed, ruffling up Samantha’s duvet.

Samantha just carried on smiling, reliving in her mind what had happened between her and Jimmy. She had had her hands in the gorgeous hair, on the firm chest, and she had felt his lips on hers.

‘
Sam! You’re scaring me! What happened?!’ Cleo said almost screaming.

‘
We kissed!’ Samantha admitted proudly, still wearing a mile wide smile.

Cleo did scream this time and grabbed hold of Samantha, embracing her in a bear hug and breathing more Worcester sauce fumes in her face.

‘
Oh tell all! When? Where?’ Cleo interrogated.

‘
It was really romantic. I’d started to hyperventilate because I was worried about the council meeting and losing the Civic Hall and he just grabbed me and kissed me - right on row AA,’ Samantha spoke, starry eyed.

‘
In the Civic Hall, on row AA. I think I need to meet this Darren sooner rather than later if that’s his idea of romance,’ Cleo said with a tut.

‘
And he told me how he felt. He told me he really liked me,’ Samantha stated, feeling gleeful.

‘
Liked
you. Hmm, not exactly a fast mover is he? So did you - you know - go back to his place?’ Cleo wanted to know, winking at her sister.

‘
No! No, of course not! We only just kissed. I mean I couldn’t do that yet, I…’ Samantha started immediately feeling uncomfortable.

OK, Jimmy was the first guy she had ever really mentally undressed
, but that didn’t mean she was actually ready to undress him. Although, she had seen most of his body because he did tend to wear his trousers quite low on his hips. And when he had his top off there wasn’t much left to the imagination. Well, the important procreation part obviously, but she hadn’t thought about that. Well, only so far as thinking she hoped it wasn’t pierced.

‘
Now I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but losing your virginity is kind of sweet and
resemblant
of a fairytale when you’re sixteen - but at your age it’s just going to be a case of going with the flow and getting it over and done with,’ Cleo told her.

‘
Why?’ Samantha queried.

‘
Well, I think it’s highly commendable and all that, not that I pretend to understand it, but I don’t know any man who would relish the prospect of a virgin - not one of your age anyway. I think you should just do it ASAP and whatever you do, don’t tell him, or he’ll run for the hills,’ Cleo advised.

Samantha let out a laugh, drew back the duvet cover and got out of bed.

‘
What’s funny?’ Cleo wanted to know.

‘
You are Cleo. Who did you lose your virginity to? Michael Rudman wasn’t it? Michael “Spotty” Rudman who you only liked because his dad was rich and he did
motocross
. In fact, it was lucky he did a sport that needed a helmet because there were more craters on his face than on the motocross track. And where did he take you to lose your virginity? The cricket pavilion. The same cricket pavilion that everyone we knew from school had thrown up on or urinated against. You were sixteen and you did it behind a dirty, cricket pavilion on a pile of crash mats the playgroup used for gymnastics. How romantic - how fairytale,’ Samantha spoke as she got her Civic Hall uniform out of the cupboard.

‘
OK, Michael Rudman was a mistake but what I’m trying to say is…’ Cleo began her cheeks red with embarrassment.

‘
I know you’re doing the elder sister routine and trying to advise and protect me but I’m fine and I can make my own decisions - even about sex,’ Samantha assured her.

‘
Argh! Stop it! You know I hate it when you say that word,’ Cleo exclaimed, clamping her hands over her ears.

‘
Thanks for waking me though, hectic day ahead. You’ll have to make your own lunch, oh and don’t forget to clean your teeth again, unless you want Jeremy tasting your breakfast,’ Samantha spoke as she headed out of her bedroom towards the shower.

Cleo pulled a face at her sister but ran her tongue across her teeth to see if she was right.

By the time Samantha arrived at the Civic Hall the speech was coming along. She had written some after her shower, went through things mentally on her walk to work and now
she was furiously typing on the computer, trying to compile it all. Her head was strangely focussed and clear, she was smiling and happy and earlier she had made time to make coffee for Felicity and Jane. It had shocked them because she hated coffee herself and hated using the temperamental machine. She hadn’t even got annoyed with it when it started to make stupid noises and spat at her.

By
10.00am she couldn’t wait any longer to share the results of her hard efforts on the speech with Jimmy. She knew they had had early rehearsals that morning but she hoped he would be in his dressing room by now. She practically skipped up the corridor, excited about seeing him. She reached the door of his room, knocked and waited. There was no reply. Looking at her watch and, certain he wouldn’t be long, she opened the door, intending to wait for him.

Being the principal male skate
r Jimmy had his own dressing room, as did Dana. The other skaters had to share the other five rooms designated for performers. Samantha smiled as she stepped in and noticed one of Jimmy’s t-shirts draped over the arm of the sofa. She was just about to pick it up and put it to her nose to smell the scent of him when she was aware of someone else in the room.

‘
Goodness, sorry! I didn’t think anyone was in here,’ Samantha exclaimed as she was greeted by the sight of Dana stood by the dressing table.

The Canadian woman was dressed in full
Evita
costume, still wearing her skates. Her red hair was tied back from her face and her complexion was flawless. Samantha suspected this was due more to Maybelline than it was to youthful skin.

‘
No need to apologise honey, I was just leaving. Although, while you’re here, I did notice my room isn’t as clean as it has been. Could you organise a more thorough going over and perhaps have a word with the offending member of staff,’ Dana spoke, putting a plastic bottle back down on the dressing table and moving towards Samantha and the exit.

‘
Of course, I’ll speak to the cleaners,’ Samantha replied professionally.

‘
Great, I wouldn’t want to have to make up with an inch of dust on my dresser,’ Dana retorted and she smiled her Hollywood smile at Samantha before leaving the room.

It was only a few seconds before the door opened again and Jimmy walked in. He was sweating and looked hot from the practice, but he smiled as soon as he saw Samantha.

‘
Hey, I was just coming to see you,’ he announced.

‘
Well, here I am,’ Samantha replied her heart already racing just at the sight of him.

‘
No regrets?’

‘
Regrets?’ Samantha queried.

‘
You didn’t get home and think what a mistake you’d made kissing me?’

‘
No, oh, did you think it was…’ Samantha started her heart jumping into her mouth.

‘
No! Of course not! Don’t be crazy, come here.’

He kissed her tenderly and then he held her hands, smiling down at her.

‘
I have no regrets whatsoever,’ Jimmy insisted.

‘
Me neither,’ Samantha answered with a smile.

‘
So, how’s your day been? Has Gobby visited yet?’ he asked her.

‘
Not yet, but once he gets the whiff of macaroni cheese he’ll be here. Today’s been really, really good. Look, come and see this,’ Samantha encouraged and she let go of his hands and
beckoned
him over to the coffee table where she had placed her print out.

‘
Is this what I think it is?’ Jimmy enquired hopefully.

‘
It is. I’ve been working on it since last night really. I couldn’t sleep when I got in, so I wrote some then and, after that, there was no stopping me - ideas just kept coming,’ Samantha announced, handing him the pieces of paper.

‘
This is really good. I like the tone, authoritative yet not pushy, stating the facts and not embellishing things. I like the comparisons. Sam, this is great,’ Jimmy told her as he speed read the script.

‘
Really? I mean I’ve read it several times and I think it’s good but I wrote it. Do you honestly think it’s good? Good enough?’ Samantha enquired, looking to him for approval.

‘
I think it’s awesome and why shouldn’t it be? You’ve worked so hard on this,’ Jimmy reminded her.

‘
We’ve
worked so hard on it, I couldn’t have done any of this without you,’ Samantha spoke sincerely and she nervously took hold of his hand.