Cross Stroke

by Elizabeth Hartey

  When the graceful blonde with long, lean legs and hair pulled back in a perfect ponytail takes to the ice, I know immediately it must be Sabrina aka Bri. Everyone is skating around her and gushing their greetings. She takes a few warm-up rounds on the ice and I can tell already she’s a strong skater. I keep doing my thing, practicing my jumps, spins, and moves in the field. In my peripheral vision, I notice when Bri stops to watch me.

  I feel good when the session ends, more like my old confident self. The hockey players are beginning to make their way onto the ice when Bri skates over to me to introduce herself.

  “Hi. You must be Tracey. I saw your name on the roster and was looking forward to meeting you.” She extends her hand and gives me a tentative smile, one that doesn’t reach her eyes. It’s like she’s trying to decide what she thinks of me. “I’m Sabrina Davis. My friends call me Bri.”

  “Hey, Br…Sabrina.” Not being sure what qualifies as a friend, I figure I better stick to her full name. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you too. I’ve heard so much about you.” Her eyes narrow and her grip tightens when I shake her hand. “I mean I’ve heard about your incredible skating skills,” I clarify and her facial muscles and grip relax.

  “You’ve got some pretty good skills there yourself. You transferred from the UDel team, right?” Her tone is more amused than friendly.

  “Yup. I’m a graduate student. I did my undergraduate studies there.”

  “Uh huh. I know some people on that team. I’m familiar with your record.” She flips her ponytail back over her shoulder.

  Oh shit. Does she know all about my stupid past?

  “Oh. Yeah. Well then you know our team had outstanding results the last few seasons. But I’m sure the Bernard team will be able to take the championship away from them this year,” I’m quick to add, not wanting it to sound like I’m suggesting the UDel team is better than Bernard’s.

  “I’m sure,” she states in a flat tone, like it goes without saying. “Too bad you won’t be able to join us for the collegiate competitions.” She doesn’t sound like she thinks it’s too bad at all. “But there’s some club comps and shows you can participate in.”

  Wow. This girl is as cold as the ice she’s standing on. I hope I get to see the sweetness and light side Alex was referring to earlier.

  “About that. I understand I need to talk to you to sign up for the Winter Fest show.”

  “Uh huh. What were you planning on doing, a solo or pair routine?”

  As I begin to explain the solo routine I think would be perfect, I’m alarmed by a hand slipping around my waist and spinning me around. It’s weird, but just like on the steps of Carson Hall, when I see who the hand belongs to, my anxiety diminishes.

  “Hey, Bambi. Ready to rock some of our research work tonight?” Dak gives me a dreamy grin.

  Yes fine. You’re a cocky jackass, but after the dream I had I would love to do some research…of the Masters and Johnson type.

  “Hey, Dak,” Sabrina interrupts. Oh. There’s the sweetness and light Alex told me about. Her tone is dripping with sugary adoration. “You know our new teammate already?” she drawls and cocks her head to one side. It’s a question, but she’s smirking like she already knows the answer.

  “Oh. Hey, Bri.” He must qualify as a friend. Dak drops his hand from my waist and greets Sabrina like he just noticed she was standing there. “Sure. I know Bam…Trace. We’re old friends.” He winks at me and I can feel my tights moisten between my legs.

  Crap. What is it about this guy?

  At least he didn’t call me Bambi again.

  “Old friends? Really? I thought she was a new graduate student,” Sabrina sneers. “With other interests.”

  Uh oh. What the hell does that mean?

  She knows.

  I should have known gossip travels like wildfire in the skating community and I’m definitely sensing some over-the-top animosity. Is there history between her and Dak? My stomach clenches, but I’m not sure if it’s because of the possibility of her knowing about my UDel experience or the prospect of her having history with Dak.

  “What do you mean other interests? We’re lab partners in our graduate Marine Bio class. We’ll be doing all kinds of interesting research together.” Even though he’s talking to Sabrina, he never takes his eyes off me.

  “Umm…” I clear my throat and try to put a coherent thought together, “no. I don’t have time for research tonight.” Dak furrows his brow and I could swear the expression sweeping over his face is disappointment. “So, about the Winter Fest.” I turn back to Sabrina to finish our discussion. “I have two solo routines I think would—”

  “No.” In the harsh glare of the fluorescent lighting I think I see her facial muscles tighten and she may be gritting her teeth.

  “Excuse me?”

  “There aren’t any more solo spots open. We limit them due to time restraints. There’s only time for a pair routine, but since everyone who isn’t doing a solo is already paired with someone else you won’t be able to find a partner.”

  She stands there staring at me, blinking a little too fast. It’s the same expression I would give my parents when I was five years old and telling a fib. “Sorry,” she bites out as an afterthought a few seconds later. By the way her hands are clenching into fists at her sides, I don’t think she’s sorry at all.

  “I’ll do a pair routine with you.” I almost forgot he was standing there until Dak dropped that bombshell statement.

  Sabrina lets out a snort-like chuckle until she realizes Dak isn’t laughing. “Are you serious?”

  “As a coronary. I think it would be awesome to take part in the show. What do you think, Trace? You want to do a sweet pas de deux with me?”

  “I…I…” Pas de deux? He doesn’t strike me as the ballet type.

  “You can’t,” Sabrina cuts in. “You’re not on the skating team,” she states, placing her hand on her hip in a defiant stance.

  “Not on the figure skating team.” Dak smirks. “But I am on the hockey skating team. So if I want to participate in the Winter Fest I can.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Sabrina argues. “I’ve never even heard of a hockey player wanting to be in the Winter Fest.”

  “Well you have now.” This time when he shares his cocky half grin with Bri, I think I fall in love with the jackass a little bit. “What do you say, Trace?”

  I’m not sure how this is going to work. He may be the most skilled player on the hockey team, but it doesn’t mean he can figure skate, let alone pairs figure skate. It’s a whole different dynamic and even I haven’t done a pair routine since I was sixteen. But there’s no way I’m letting this bit…girl treat me the way the girls on my last team did after what I refer to as The Incident, either talking about me or snickering behind my back when they knew I could hear them, mistreating me on the ice, or completely ignoring me altogether when it came to team activities. I came here for a fresh start. I want things to be the way they were pre-Sean.

  Sure, it’s possible the best way to achieve the new start isn’t to get chummy with another smoking hot athlete. Not to mention it’s obvious Sabrina is pissed because Dak is showing me some attention.

  Huh. Could be my theory of only being attracted to gay men is the fantasy my therapist said it was after all, or maybe Dak swings both ways, like I assumed when I saw him flirting with Alex. He’s definitely hot enough for the whole world to want to get in his pants. Whatever he is, right now he’s my only alternative to being left out of the Winter Fest and I’m not about to let that happen.

  “Sure. I’d love to do a routine with you, Dak. It’ll be fun choreographing a pairs number. Haven’t done it in a while.” I quirk a brow at Sabrina, who’s starting to resemble a volcano getting ready to erupt. “I guess you can put me down for a pair’s routine.”

  “Whatever. It’s going to be your guys’ humiliating funeral,” she hisses and skates off to exit the ice.

  “Wow.” I blow out a bi
g breath. “She’s a sweet thing, isn’t she?”

  “She can be when she wants to be.” He arches a brow.

  Okay. He’s also into women. This guy is all kinds of sex on legs.

  “But what the hell?” His comment reminds me how annoying he is. “How are you going to do a figure skating routine? You know it’s nothing like hockey, right? And as charming as you are,” I add sarcastically, “it’s going to take more than a sexy smile to pull this off.”

  “First of all, Bambi, you’re welcome for getting you a spot in the show. Second of all, I use to do figure skating competitions and play hockey before I got into college on a hockey scholarship. Third of all, you finally admit you think I’m charming and you’re into my sexy smile. I knew it.”

  “Oh, for crying out loud. I’m not into…okay. Thanks for getting me a spot in the show if you think we can pull it off.”

  “On one condition, Bambi.”

  “Condition?”

  “Yup. I have a heavy schedule this semester: fulltime undergraduate classes, hockey, and this graduate class. I’ve got to keep my grades up or I’ll be put on probation and won’t be able to play hockey.”

  “Oh, poor baby and your first world problems. What’s it got to do with me?”

  “I know you must be pretty smart to get accepted into Bernard’s graduate program without being in their undergraduate program. They don’t bring in too many graduate students from other schools. And since you’re my research partner, it makes you the perfect person to help me out with extra study sessions for some of my science classes, especially Marine Bio. It all works.” He flutters his impossibly long lashes at me a few times.

  “Oh, it does, does it?”

  “Yup.” He pops the P. “You get me for a skating partner and I get you for a study partner. What do you say?”

  “My schedule is completely full too. There’s no extra time for—”

  “Uh, uh, uh, Bambi. I’m going to be taking time for this skating show too. We’ll need practice sessions, which means adding the sessions to my schedule. If I can do that, the least you can do is help me out with some extra study time.”

  “I don’t—”

  “I mean, if you really want to be in the Winter Fest.” He gives me a sly grin.

  I exhale and shrug. “Okay. I suppose I can work out some time for…”

  He doesn’t even wait for me to finish.

  As he skates away he calls back to me, “We’ll talk later and figure out a schedule for research, studying, and skating practice.”

  He’s so freaking irritating and frustrating and…hot.

  It’s apparent to me that instead of avoiding Dak Andersen, I’m going to be spending way too much time with him, while having to fight off my misplaced lust.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Tracey

  The words on my laptop screen are starting to blur. I didn’t realize how much work this degree involved. Even though it’s only four classes this semester, each class has a lab section as well as a classroom section. It’s like having eight classes worth of work. And right now, I need a break from the avalanche of work, especially from the paper I’m writing for my Marine Molecular Bio class and the confusing thoughts of Dak which keep blocking any scientific thoughts. I need food.

  The dining halls on campus are unbelievable. The Sea Star Café is on the top of the “best college food” list every year. Since the primary majors at the college focus on ecology and the environment, everything at the campus dining halls is made from scratch from organically and sustainably grown food. Sounds too good to be true, I know. What can I say? It’s Maine. Except, at the moment, since I’m unable to fulfill the real pleasure of comforting sex, I’m going to settle for the next best thing to fill my carnal yearnings—a Zeus burger. Sometimes a body needs grease to satisfy its other unfulfilled desires.

  I slip into a pair of jeans and one of my many Save the Ocean t-shirts. This one is black and has Save The Ocean, Save The World sprawled across the front. I’m not into advertising company logos or names on my clothes, but this type of message is something I’m willing to wear every day.

  The weather is beautiful and it’s still early. Since there are a couple of hours before the sun goes down, I ride my bike to the restaurant instead of drive. It’s only a five minute ride anyway. The unfortunate thing is, when I decided to take Alex up on meeting him and Nikki at the Thirsty Whale again for dinner, I didn’t know he had ulterior motives.

  ***

  The usual Thursday crowds of football fans are yelling at the screens of the various television sets. The Patriots are the lucky recipients of the loud instructions coming from around the room. I find Alex and Nikki at the same booth we sat at last time. Neither of them is showing any interest in the latest intercepted pass, which has incurred the wrath of the rest of the students in the bar.

  “Hey, girl. We have cooties or something? We thought you dropped off the face of the planet. Where you been? Haven’t even seen you at the Sea Star,” Alex reprimands me as I slide into the empty seat opposite them.

  “Sorry, my schedule is crazy. My research project needs to be submitted in two weeks, there’s a paper due tomorrow, and I took a part-time job giving kayak tours out of Bar Harbor.”

  “Here. Have a drink. You need it.” Nikki slides a full glass of beer over to me. It’s not happy hour, but she always seems to keep a spare on hand. I suppose it’s her efficient way to be sure there’s not too long of a wait between pints. I think the girl must be part camel. She never shows the slightest indication of being drunk. Even with her petite size, I think she could outdrink most of the male athletes in here.

  I don’t protest her gift. The cold effervescent liquid is just what I need to calm my overworked brain for a few minutes.

  “You took a part-time job?” Alex grimaces. “I thought you had a grant or scholarship or something?”

  “I do. But it’s only partial and the rent on my house is killing me.”

  “You’ve got a whole house?” Nikki sits up straight from her usual slouched position.

  “Yeah. My mom insisted. She did some searching online and found this pretty little house and claimed it was where I had to live. I agreed because she never takes no for an answer and, in this case, she’s right. It’s quiet, no distractions, it’s easy for me to focus on my work. But it was on the condition they would let me pay my own rent. I don’t want to keep depending on them for everything. Except, now with the schoolwork load, I don’t know if I can do it. The tour season will be over in a few weeks anyway, which is good for extra time. But then there goes the extra income.” I shrug and take a deep breath. The thought of juggling my schedule and my finances is exhausting.

  Nikki gives a wide-eyed look at Alex and turns her palms up like someone placed a present in her hands and solved a problem for her. “Are there two bedrooms?” she asks tentatively. “In your house, I mean.”

  “Yeah. The second one is unoccupied. My mom wanted to furnish it, but I couldn’t take another pink, storybook cottage bedroom.” I shake my head at the thought of the ridiculous bed. “I put the bedroom furniture I brought with me from Delaware in there.”

  “Storybook cottage?” Nikki’s brow pinches in confusion.

  I sigh. “It’s a long story.”

  “Who cares about the furniture?” Alex jumps up and down in excitement. “Nikki wants to get out of the dorms. She has a roommate from Hell this semester. She’s looking for off-campus housing and you could use someone to share the rent. It couldn’t be more perfect!” He claps his hands like he’s figured out the meaning of life. The truth is it would be the perfect solution to my financial problem.

  “Chill, Alex. She didn’t even say she wants a roommate,” Nikki says, but it comes out more like a question than a statement. “I get it if you like your privacy.”

  “Oh, shut it, girl.” Alex rolls his eyes at Nikki. “You told me yourself it was going to be impossible to find somewhere off campus since the semester has alre
ady started. This is perfect. My two BFF’s in one house. Easy for me to come over and cry on both of your shoulders when my new hunky hockey player breaks my heart.”

  The waitress places our food and drinks on the table and asks if we need anything else right now.

  “We’re going to need another round of beers in about five minutes,” Nikki informs her and the waitress scurries off to fill the order.

  I drown my burger and fries in ketchup and stuff a few fries in my face. Damn. Nikki as a roommate is the perfect solution. But Alex hooking up with Dak when the super douche keeps invading my thoughts is not perfect at all. I should tell Alex his hunky boyfriend has obvious wandering desires. I wish someone had told me about Sean. Although, I don’t honestly know what’s going on with the two of them, so I don’t say anything to Alex.

  Nikki must misinterpret the confused expression on my face because she says, “Don’t feel like you need to say yes. No pressure. I just started looking. I’m sure I can find someplace.”

  “No.” I ignore the clenching in my stomach over the thought of Dak and Alex. “It would be great if you could move in with me, Nikki. Alex is right. It would be the perfect solution for both of us. Besides, I’d love you as a roommate. And at least you know I won’t be the roommate from Hell.”

  Wait till she gets a load of the décor.

  Hmm. Yeah. Nikki isn’t exactly Goth, but her tastes definitely don’t run in the Disney princess area either. She may decide my house is one of the nine circles of Hell after all.