Crossing the Ice (11 page)

She must’ve heard the I’m-not-messing-around tone in my voice because her face turned serious. “I won’t. They were talking during dinner about Josh working here, and I didn’t say anything.”

“What were they saying?”

“Just that it was weird you didn’t mention it. But they do think it’s good Josh has found something fun to do away from the rink.”

Mr. Mayer lifted his hand to catch my attention, and I nodded to let him know I was coming. “I have to get back to my customers.”

I stayed busy until closing time, and a few co-workers walked out to the parking lot with Josh and me, so we didn’t have a chance to do much chatting. He didn’t say anything about the photo, and I wondered if he hadn’t checked his phone or hadn’t found my message amusing. God, that was why I knew texting him was a bad idea. The obsessing had already begun.

I tried to put the text out of my mind, but when I was in my bedroom later undressing and my phone dinged, I dove across the bed, shirt half-unbuttoned, to read the message.

Josh:
LOL just saw your text.
Now I need to win over the 18-49 demographic. Will you be my first fan? ;)

I smiled and sat on the bed. As I reread the message, I chewed on my thumbnail.
How do I respond?

The first thing I had to do was wait a few minutes. I couldn’t look too eager.

What?
I smacked my hand against my forehead.
You’re not dating. Those rules don’t apply.

But his message sure felt like an invitation to flirt, especially with the winky face. As much as I knew I shouldn’t join the game, I’d never wanted to play anything so badly.

Me:
You keep playing
“Over the Rainbow”
every week, and I’ll be the president of your fan club :)

I put the phone on the comforter and stood to resume stripping off my uniform. While I pulled the bobby pins from my hair, I heard the magical ding.

Josh:
I’ll do whatever I have to do to make you happy.

My knees went weak, and I dropped onto the bed.
Dammit,
stop being so irresistible!
I groaned and sank face-down onto the comforter. Why did he have to be my competitor? And even if he wasn’t, he was moving all the way across the country in less than a year. I’d done a long-distance relationship, and it had been a total disaster.

Josh was so sweet, though, and I found it physically impossible to be anything other than receptive to him. That was the biggest problem. I lifted my head and stared at the phone, contemplating my response. In the end, my gut told me the safest bet would be to keep it simple.

Me:
:)

****

I wasn’t making any smiley faces the next afternoon at the rink. My triple Salchow had abandoned me for the day, and ice caked my butt after every run-through Mark and I did. Making my struggles harder to swallow was watching Stephanie and Josh nail the first full run-through of their long program. Their programs were finally complete, and every day I could see their jumps getting stronger. Sergei and Em’s strategy of going back to basics with the technique was slowly paying off.

When I watched Stephanie and Josh, conflicting emotions battled within me. My eyes were automatically drawn to Josh, inspiring fluttery feelings, but when I looked at Stephanie, competitive rage burned in my chest. I’d never wanted to beat anyone more in my entire skating life.

“Free-For-All Friday!” Em threw her hands in the air.

I let out a long breath and felt some of the tension drain from my shoulders. Skating for fun would be the perfect way to forget my rough day. Everyone cleared the ice, and Em stationed herself next to the stereo.

“Court and Josh,” she called.

I perked up even more. In the six weeks since Stephanie and Josh had been training with us, Josh and I hadn’t yet shared the ice for Free-For-All Friday. He let me go ahead of him through the ice door, and we took our places at opposite ends of the rink.

Em pressed a button, and “Love Is Blindness” by U2 began playing.
Really?
There were thousands of songs Em could’ve chosen, and she had to pick a sexy one? How was I supposed to concentrate on doing my own thing with Josh skating to this around me?

I took a few long strokes to match the music, gliding toward center ice, and Josh did the same, watching me the whole way. After we crossed paths and spun around, his eyes remained on me, and I couldn’t look away. I skated faster and carved deeper edges as the electric energy from him made me feel more in touch with myself and the ice.

The guitar riff in the song neared, and I built up additional speed. Josh and I flew toward each other, and I leapt into the air, extending both my legs on the split falling leaf. My breath caught in my throat as Josh did the exact same move at the same moment. I looked over at him, and he wore the expression I felt on my face — one that said,
Did that really just happen?

Em cut the music a few seconds later, and Josh and I simultaneously arrived at the ice door, both of us breathing hard.

“Great minds,” he said with a smile.

I laughed and stepped carefully onto the mat. “That was really freaky.”

“Yeah, freaky,” Mark said from beside the boards. He didn’t sound as amused as Josh and I were.

I passed Stephanie on my way to the bleachers, and she looked at me like I was gum stuck under her designer shoe. When Josh sat beside me, she started to come join us, but Em called her to the ice with Mark.

“I wish Free-For-All Friday was also Monday through Thursday,” Josh said.

“I know, it’s so cathartic.” I took a sip of water. “There’s something so freeing about just floating with the music and not having to follow any rules.”

“Em and Sergei must be skating today.” He gestured to them stretching by the boards.

“Ooh, get ready for a show. They are
awesome
.”

“It has to be a pretty amazing feeling for them, skating together.”

Mrs. Cassar’s comment about pairs being romantic popped into my head. Em and Sergei were the definition of romance on the ice, and that’s why I loved watching them so much. When I’d seen the movie
The Cutting Edge
as a ten-year-old, I’d become enamored with pairs and had dreamt of skating with my one true love. I learned later that happened much more often in movies than in real life.

“I’ve always wondered what it would be like to skate with someone you’re dating,” I said. “If there would be just this crazy amount of energy.”

Josh turned to me and held my gaze. “I bet it would feel incredible.”

I tingled down to my bones, and I thought about the sparks I’d felt when we’d just shared the ice as two separate skaters. I couldn’t imagine how mind-blowing actually skating
with
him would be. The feels would be off the charts.

Stephanie and Mark sat below us to put on their skate guards, and I quickly turned back to the ice. I needed a water refill, so I went to the fountain near the entrance and stayed there to watch the next couple of pairs. The less I had to listen to Stephanie’s mouth, the better.

When Em and Sergei shed their guards I returned to my seat so I’d have a prime view of their performance. They only participated in Free-For-All Friday every few months because they didn’t have a lot of time to create programs and to practice, but what they put together was always special.

They stood at center ice with their arms around each other like they were getting ready to slow dance, and Kenny whistled loudly. A few more of us contributed some catcalls. Liza started the music, and I recognized it as “Remember When It Rained” by Josh Groban.

Sergei dipped Em backward to begin, and I sat totally mesmerized at each fluid movement they made. They were so connected, looking at each other every step of the way. And the way they looked at each other… the love between them gave me chills.

“This is a bit much,” Stephanie said, taking me away from my happy place.

“What’s wrong with it?” Mark asked.

“I don’t need to see them groping each other.”

I rolled my eyes. “They’re not groping each other. It’s a classy, romantic program.”

She pulled the ponytail holder from her hair and flipped her long brown locks over one shoulder. “I just don’t see why they need to skate at all.”

“Because they love doing it, and we can all learn something from watching them.”

“I’m not sure what I could learn because I’m certainly not going to skate like that with Josh.” She wrinkled her nose.

“You mean you don’t wanna get your sexy on with your brother?” Mark asked.

Josh appeared on the verge of gagging, and Stephanie gave Mark the same disgusted look she’d aimed at me earlier. She mercifully left us so I could enjoy the final moments of Em and Sergei’s skate in peace.

We all treated them to a standing ovation, and Sergei kissed Em’s forehead before they bowed to us with beaming smiles. We kept applauding until after they’d exited the ice.

“That was really beautiful,” Josh said.

“Right?” I said.

“You don’t think it’s a waste of time like your sister?” Mark asked.

Josh sat and leaned over to untie his boots. “Emily’s an Olympic gold medalist, and Sergei probably would’ve been one, too, if he’d had the chance. Just watching them skate in circles would be educational.”

Mark folded his arms. “It must’ve been your idea to come train here.”

“No, it was actually Steph’s.”

That didn’t surprise me. She knew the best chance to top us would be to work with Em and Sergei, even with her snarking about them.

“Do you go along with everything she wants?” Mark asked.

Josh stopped and stared at him. His clear blue eyes didn’t blink. “We made a mutual decision after a long discussion.”

Mark continued the stare-down for a few more moments and then walked away. I climbed down the bleachers and caught up to him as quickly as I could while clomping in my skates.

“What’s with the attitude?” I asked.

“What’s with you jumping to his defense?”

“I’m not. It’s just… Stephanie already hates us enough. You don’t need to piss off Josh and give them even more reason to beat us.”

Mark slowed and glanced back at Josh. “Something about him bugs me. He doesn’t talk a lot, but he’s probably thinking to himself how he’s better than all of us.”

“He’s not like that. You don’t know him—” I cut myself off before I spilled how well-acquainted Josh and I had become. “I mean, I’ve talked to him here and he’s never been snotty like Stephanie.”

He peered down at me, and a trace of suspicion crossed his face. “Well, I don’t care if he’s the nicest guy on Earth. I don’t wanna be his friend. Once we make the Olympic team, then I’ll be glad to have a beer with him.”

He doesn’t drink
, I almost said out loud.

I didn’t want to be Josh’s friend either. I wanted a helluva lot more. And Mark would kick my ass if he had any idea I felt that way.

Chapter Nine

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have a full flight today. We ask that you stow your bags and step out of the aisle as quickly as possible so we can get on our way to Denver. Thank you.”

I shoved my backpack under the seat in front of me and slipped my laptop into the seat pocket. The four-hour flight would hopefully be enough time for me to complete the essay for my Boston College application. We only had a forty-minute connecting flight from Denver to Colorado Springs for camp at the Olympic Training Center, and that wouldn’t be long enough to even power up my computer.

I was buckling my seat belt when Josh stopped at my row of two seats and looked at the empty aisle one. “22B. That’s me.”

Say what the what?
The federation’s travel coordinator had made our arrangements, and when Mark had sat a few rows behind me, I’d assumed Team Cape Cod would be scattered throughout the plane. Somehow I’d won the seat lottery!

“You don’t know how relieved I am that you’re not someone holding a screaming baby,” I said.

He sat and pressed his palm to his chest. “I’m hurt that’s the only reason you’re happy to see me.”

I laughed, probably too nervously. “I didn’t mean for it to sound that way.”

“That’s a relief because if the president of my fan club isn’t excited about sitting next to me, then I’m doing something wrong.”

“Don’t worry. You’re keeping this fan very happy. I’m going to miss my Thursday ‘Over the Rainbow’ this week.”

“Think there’s a piano at the Olympic Training Center?”

I pretended to give it some thought. “Probably not.”

“Maybe I can just hum it for you tomorrow night.”

I broke into a huge smile. “That would be utterly amazing.”

Em and Sergei passed us on their way down the aisle, and Em gave us a long and interested look. I gave her a little wave in return.
Nothing to see here… keep moving.

Josh stored his bag under the seat and tapped my laptop. “Did you bring a movie to watch?”

“No, I need to work on my college essay.”

“Wow, you’re ahead of the game.”

“I’m applying for early acceptance, so applications are due November first. I know it’s only the end of July, but I want to get it all done before the season starts.”

“What’s your essay about?”

“How living with the twins has enhanced my interest in being a child psychologist.”

Josh nodded. “That’s really cool. It sounds interesting… and very early acceptance-worthy.”

I spun my bracelet around my wrist. “I hope so. My grades were good, but my SAT score wasn’t fabulous.”

“Are you applying to any other schools?”

I shook my head. “BC is the only place I’ve ever wanted to go. I grew up going to football games and hockey games there with my dad. I know the campus from front to back.”

A mom with three kids loaded down with bags squeezed through the aisle, and Josh leaned slightly toward me to avoid being hit.

“I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you.” He buckled his seat belt and cleared his throat. “If you um… if you decide you do want to look at other schools, UCLA has a great psych program, and I guarantee the weather would be better. And I could help you learn the campus front to back.”