Back at Russia House, he took the stairs two at a time, to his room on the second floor. There was time for a shower and breakfast before he met Anton and Ilya at the practice rink. He walked in, to find Ruslan awake and Gregor there, too.
“Where have you been?” Ruslan asked.
“Why?” He wouldn’t say he’d been with Tabitha right after he’d promised to keep their relationship quiet.
“The police were here, looking for you. They want to talk with you.”
Fear knotted in his stomach. “About what?”
“They wouldn’t say. But they asked three times where you were last night after the Opening Ceremony.”
“We told them we didn’t know,” Gregor said.
Before Daniil could say anything else, someone pounded on the door. The three exchanged glances, and Daniil went to answer. A Russian team official and a cop waited in the hall. The official looked grim. “Daniil Nikolaevich. Please come with us.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
ALONE IN HER ROOM, TABITHA rolled over in the soft bed that still smelled like Daniil. And sex. An intoxicating bouquet if there ever was one. She hugged the pillow he’d slept on, and though she wished he could have stayed, knowing they would be together again tonight—-and every night from now on— made her heart sing.
After all the sadness, separation and silence, they’d found their way back to one another. They loved and understood each other. He’d broken ties with his father and had found new direction in his life and his skating. They were both at the Games to win.
He was also willing to wait until she was ready before they made their relationship public. It gave her a chance to break the news to Brett, and the fewer distractions the better. But once the Games and skating were over, she and Daniil would be free to be together.
She went to the shower, enjoying a rare leisurely day. The only thing scheduled was an afternoon practice, and tonight’s team event short program. Her first event, the team ladies’ free skate wasn’t until tomorrow night. She had time to go watch the preliminary skiing, or maybe a hockey game.
Over room service breakfast she considered the possibilities. She was just finishing her fruit salad when someone knocked on her door. Could Daniil have finished with his practice early?
She pulled on a robe and went to answer. Brett and Sergei stood outside her door. Neither was smiling.
“We need to talk to you,” Brett said, as she let them in. His serious expression raised an inkling of fear. This had to be about Peter. Her thoughts swirled in a maelstrom of worst-case scenarios. “Daniil’s in trouble and we think he’s been arrested.”
“What?” She sank down onto the unmade bed. “Why?”
Brett pulled up a chair in front of her and rested his elbows on his knees. “Last night, Sergei and I went to a party in town, over near the university. The apartment is next to a bar and around midnight, some thugs on the street harassed guys at the bar and at the party. Our friend Roberto got into a fight with one of them and ended up in the hospital.”
Tabitha still wasn’t clear what this had to do with Daniil.
“The guy who attacked Roberto spoke Russian,” said Sergei. “And wore a black leather jacket.”
“But that could have been anyone! And it couldn’t have been Daniil!”
“Right, we know. Daniil’s cool, and he’d never do that,” Brett said. “But a guy at the party who works in the Village saw Daniil leave. He had on a black leather jacket, so he identified him to the cops.”
“Police came to Russia House this morning and took him away,” Sergei said. “People say he was gone all night, and no one knows where.”
Tabitha closed her eyes because she knew.
“But it’s okay Tabs. Sergei and I got a good look at the guy who beat up Roberto. We can say for sure that it wasn’t Daniil.” He looked at his boyfriend. Sergei took his hand.
“We have decided to tell what we saw,” Sergei said.
“We know it will raise questions about what we were doing there, but it’s not right to stand by and let Daniil take the blame for something he didn’t do. He deserves justice, and so does our friend,” Brett said. “My dad agreed.”
Tabitha blinked. “He knows?”
Brett nodded. “I called him early this morning and told him. I mean, I didn’t tell him everything, though I expect he and my mom have put two and two together. But he wants me to do the right thing.”
“Daniil is my teammate and friend,” Sergei added. “If I did nothing, I could not live with myself.”
Tabitha was humbled by what these two were willing to do. Concerns about avoiding controversy and protecting herself faded away when she thought about Brett and Sergei’s courage.
It was time for her to be fearless too.
“It means the world to me, what you’re willing to do. But I need to come forward first. Daniil was with me last night. Right here, in bed, and trust me, at midnight, he wasn’t wearing his leather jacket.”
While she dressed, Sergei called some friends at Russia House, and learned that Daniil was being questioned at the security offices in the Village. When they arrived, Anton and Ilya were there, and so was Yuri Bogdanov.
“I should not have allowed him to represent our country here, national champion, or not,” said Bogdanov. “He brings trouble wherever he goes.”
“You can’t make any assumption,” said Anton. “There’s no proof it was him.”
Bogdanov fumed. “There’s no proof it wasn’t.”
“He said he was with a friend,” Ilya offered.
“Then why hasn’t he said the name of this friend?”
The older coach looked thoughtful. “Perhaps he doesn’t want to involve a young lady in something that might embarrass her?”
She, Brett and Sergei looked at one another. Then Tabitha nodded.
“That’s exactly right.” Tabitha turned to the woman seated at the reception desk. “I have information about the attack last night near the university. Is there someone I can speak with?”
The woman told her to take a seat. A few minutes later, two officers came out into the waiting room. Daniil was with them. Her heart soared, but instead of joy, his face registered hostility. He stared at her and then turned angrily to Bogdanov. “Why did you drag her into this?”
“He didn’t. I came on my own.” Tabitha came forward and took his hand. The tense set of his shoulders relaxed at her touch. “Brett and Sergei told me you were being questioned about an attack that happened last night around midnight. We both know you couldn’t have been involved.”
She turned to the officers and dug out her phone. “Daniil told you that he was with a friend last night, and it’s true, he was. He was with me in my room at the Grand Hotel, from about 10:00 last night until 6:30 this morning, when he went to meet his coach for practice.”
The older officer nodded. “And you are?”
“Tabitha Turner. I’m a figure skater representing the United States.”
“Did you speak to anyone, or did anyone come to your room, Mademoiselle?”
“No. But I have this.” She handed the officer her phone, which displayed the photo she’d taken of them in bed. The cop’s mouth twitched at the sight of her naked breasts. “If you’ll look at the time stamp at the bottom, it will show you where Daniil was last night, and what he was doing just past midnight.”
The older cop passed it to the younger one who took a look, then offered the phone to Bogdanov. The federation president, Anton and Ilya, politely declined.
“We also have information that might help you,” said Brett. “We were there, and can identify the attacker.”
“It definitely was not him,” Sergei said, nodding toward Daniil.
The cops spoke to one another, then signaled for Brett and Sergei to follow them into the rear office. Bogdanov looked embarrassed as he left. Anton and Ilya turned to Daniil. “We knew it wasn’t you,” Anton said, then turned to Tabitha. “We’re grateful to you for coming forwa
rd. If there’s anything we can do, just say the word.”
“Thank you, but knowing Daniil’s name is cleared is enough of a reward.”
“Even so.” Anton nodded. “Danya, we should get over to the practice rink. You still have a competition to prepare for.”
“Can you give us a minute alone?”
“Of course.”
Daniil took her hand, and they walked out of the building. Athletes and tourists streamed past. No one looked their way. At least for now. “You know that by the end of the day, that picture will be everywhere,” he said, quietly. “If its controversy you’re afraid of, I think you’re in for a storm of it.”
“I know. It’s a risk I’ll take. Sometimes, you have to brave a little heat for the sake of someone you love. You were willing to cover for me, but there was no way in hell I would stand by and not help you.”
“I’ve dealt with trouble. You haven’t, and I wanted to protect you as much as I could. They would have found the right person, eventually.”
“You don’t know that. And what if Bogdanov had barred you from competing?”
“And what if coming forward hurts you? Naked bedroom shots will get you in Playboy, but not in shampoo or breakfast cereal commercials.”
“It might be a problem,” she said. “But it also might not. I didn’t become U.S. ladies’ champion three times because I’m a squeaky-clean ice queen. I’m a champion because I’m one of the best figure skaters in the world. I’ve come to Grenoble to prove it. Having troubles doesn’t mean you’re irreparably broken, or that you don’t deserve love. It just means you’re human. And real. What we have is real.”
“That it is Angel.” Daniil kissed her, as the sun peeked over the mountain, bathing them in golden, morning light.
It was going to be a beautiful day.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
TABITHA’S GOLD MEDALS—-THE ONE FOR the Team event, and for the ladies’ event last night—-bumped against her jacket as she hurried to keep up with Daniil. They were half-way up the steps that led to the torch and the thin, cold mountain air were making the climb harder than she’d expected. That and the fact that she’d slept only a few hours, thanks to the adrenaline rush of becoming a Winter Games gold medallist.
The Grenoble podium had looked much like the one in Chicago. She, Machiko Furakawa and Katia Filipova had all claimed medals. Only this time, Machiko had won bronze, while Tabitha had taken gold. As the final victory of her skating career, on the world’s biggest stage, this win should have been her sweetest. In many ways, it was.
Yet in the light of day…
“Come on Angel, just a little further!” Daniil paused to wait for her to catch up. He was definitely energetic this morning, and excited about their hike to the torch for a photo, in their Grenoble hardware. They’d been planning it since both the Americans and Russians had medaled in the team event. Actually, they’d been planning it since Vancouver.
“If the babushka with the torch could make it up to the top, so can the world’s best figure skater!”
She laughed. “The torch lady didn’t start from the bottom of the hill, and she had that nice fake staircase leading up from the stadium.”
He reached for her hand and helped her make the last big step onto the landing where he stood. Together, they gazed out at the view. On one side was Grenoble, still quiet so early on a Sunday morning. The little bubble shaped cable cars that ran to the top of Fortress Mountain weren’t even running yet. On the other was the stadium where they’d gathered two weeks ago for the Opening Ceremony. Tonight they would come together again as the torch was extinguished and the Games officially came to a close.
She wished she were ready for this wonderful chapter to end.
Daniil slipped his hand into hers and brushed a kiss across her lips. “Life will sort itself out Angel. Even if you’re moving on from your skating career, the things that got you to the top aren’t going away. And neither am I.”
“I only wish I knew what was next,” she said quietly. “Saying goodbye to all this would be easier.”
“I know. But you may have some answers sooner than you expect. Answers you will like.” His earlier exuberance dimmed, replaced by tentativeness that was as surprising as it was sweet. “At least I hope so.”
She rose on her toes and planted a kiss on his lips. If he thought her doubts about the future included him, he had nothing to worry about. “As long as you’re part of whatever’s next, I know it will be great.”
“You can count on that.” He kissed her again, longer this time. “Come on, we still have climbing to do.”
She grinned. “Race you.”
Though it was too steep for serious running, they jogged the rest of the way to the top. Daniil remained ahead, but she kept pace, which was especially impressive, as she wore two medals and he had just one, a silver medal from the team event. Neither he, Ruslan nor Viktor Domachev had medaled in the men’s individual event, which was dominated by the Japanese, with Tanzo Okuta taking gold. Far from being disappointed though, Daniil seemed happy that his victory had been shared with his teammates Ruslan, Yelena, Alexandra, and Gregor.
They reached the lookout point at the base of the torch and found they weren’t the only ones who’d come up here to watch the sunrise. Inevitably, someone recognized them as two of the leading players in one of the biggest stories to come out of the Grenoble Games.
Brett and Sergei’s willingness to come forward had helped the police find their friend Roberto’s attacker. The man turned out to be a local thug with no connection to the Games at all. Tabitha and Daniil’s suddenly public romance and accompanying naked selfie had proven to be both captivating and controversial.
Suffice to say, no one looked at the Ice Queen quite the same anymore.
“Woo-Hoo! Tabitha! Daniil! We loooove you!”
The group at the lookout was a family from Montreal. “We’re skiing and hockey fans, but this year I got kind of interested in figure skating,” the teenage son explained, as his gaze lingered on Tabitha’s chest.
She wondered if the blurry images of her bare breasts all over the internet had anything to do with it. She suspected it was why the breakfast cereal company had declined to offer her the lucrative endorsement contract it had offered to past figure skating gold medalists.
The father swigged his coffee. “What brings you up here so early?”
Daniil smiled and took Tabitha’s hand. “When we started our season, this beautiful lady, and I posed by the torch in Vancouver. Now we must have a picture with our medals by the torch in Grenoble to mark the end.”
End. The word tugged at Tabitha’s emotions.
For Daniil, this wasn’t the end. In a few days, he would return to Lake Shosha to train for the World Figure Skating Championship. The Russian Sports Federation had agreed to fund his training, and with Domachev retiring, Daniil was poised to become the next star of Russian men’s figure skating.
For Tabitha, there would be no World Championship, or next season. There would be a handful of TV appearances, and then a spring Champions on Ice tour of the United States. After that?
She’d thought about college, but less endorsement money meant there wouldn’t be much left after buying Fiona her farm, and helping Samara with tuition. She wouldn’t consider going back on those promises, even though her family insisted it wasn’t necessary. To Tabitha, it absolutely was.
Now that she was free from skating, she could do whatever she liked. But she still didn’t know what that would be. Lately, she was less sure of her decision to say goodbye to figure skating, especially after rediscovering her love for it. She could only hope that Daniil was right, and that soon, she’d have some answers she liked.
They posed in front of the golden torch, as gracefully curved as a swan’s neck. The Canadian mom took their picture, and then the family wished them luck and started down the steps, leaving Tabitha and Daniil alone. She turned to look at him as he gazed out over the mountains.
“It’s beautiful,” she said. “I’m glad you made me get up, even if I would have waited until after rehearsal for the Gala.”
There was a mysterious quality to his smile. “Who knew if there would be time? With so many people wanting to talk to the new ladies’ gold medalist...” He pressed his lips to hers. “I wanted to have you all to myself for just a few minutes, even if it meant getting up at the crack of dawn.”
“You have me,” she murmured, loving how his kiss felt full of promise, with the sun peeking over the mountains, and the city of Grenoble spread out below. This wasn’t just an ending, it was also a beginning.
“And now, I have a surprise.” He reached into his jacket pocket. She let out a little gasp as he pulled out a small black box. Her stomach fluttered as he took her hands and gazed into her eyes.
“Tabitha, I love you. I don’t know exactly what our lives will look like next week, next month and next year. But I know that whatever the future holds, I want to spend it with you. Will you marry me?”
She gazed into Daniil’s beautiful dark eyes. He was strong, but gentle. He wore his edgy look with pride, but made her feel safe. Those looks had drawn her in, but his loving heart made her stay.
In that moment, she knew that she didn’t have to fear the future. Whatever it held, she and the man she loved would triumph. They’d been doing it their entire lives, only now, they would do it together. “Yes! Oh, yes, Daniil. I’ll marry you! I love you so much.”
Her hands tingled as he slipped the ring onto her finger. At the center was a small, radiant diamond, but on either side were twisting vines of smaller stones. Daniil placed his hand over hers. “It’s golden and beautiful just like you. The stones on each side made me think of us, and the winding journey that brought us together from such different places.”
The journey hadn’t always been clear, but there was no question it had been the right one. She surrendered the last of her doubts to her love for Daniil and her hope for their future. “We don’t take the easy route that’s for sure.”
Shining Through Page 23