Built for Speed

by Declan Rhodes

  “Just find me a bed. I need that right now.”

  28

  Lucas

  I was psyched up for my race. It was the second in Milwaukee since I returned to the ice. I won my first, but my time was slow compared with what I posted when I was in peak condition back home in Amsterdam. I heard rumors that I had stronger competition for the second race even though it was still a year away from Olympic trials. I considered signing up for two or even three different distances, but in the end, I decided to put all of my energy into the 1,500-meter race. I wore a light jacket over my skin suit and my orange stocking cap while I skated with the crowd warming up on the long track oval.

  Sophie and Jerry joined me on the trip to Milwaukee. We rode in the train and shared a taxi ride to a hotel near the ice center. We planned to eat dinner together after the race, and then I was returning to Chicago early the next morning. Sophie and Jerry were staying in the city and moving to a hotel downtown to explore for an extra day. I was happy that my skating led to a much-needed weekend away from home for my favorite couple.

  I glanced around at the gathered crowd. I was slowly making a few friends among the other skaters. They respected my talent, and those who chose to specialize in long track always wanted to know why the Dutch were so successful. I gave the bulk of the credit to national and institutional support. Long track speed skating was barely a blip in the sports world of the United States, but in the Netherlands, it was our national sport. Then I cheekily added, “Or maybe it’s connected to the blonde gene.”

  Three different coaches approached me at my first race. I waved them off with a statement that I wasn’t sure yet whether I was planning to try and compete for national team status. If I was, I thought that I might wait until my Chicago job expired, and I could return to Amsterdam for focused training with homegrown coaches.

  On my final warmup lap, I decided to take it faster than the others. I did my best to avoid other skaters on the outside of the track and broke into full stride on the back straightaway of the oval. My muscles felt loose. I was ready for the race.

  As I glided toward a stop near the stands half-filled with spectators, I quickly scanned the crowd. I waved to Sophie and Jerry, and I continued to look around. Most of the crowd looked like families of the skaters. Mom, Dad, and a sibling or two gathered in small groups on the bleachers. My mouth dropped open when I saw someone familiar. James was walking up to the ice directly toward me. Even more shocking, he was carrying a duffel bag. I couldn’t think of a reason for him to have a bag other than he was expecting to race.

  My hands began to sweat when I saw him. It was a complete surprise. As he drew close, he offered a hug. My movements were tentative at first, but his embrace was so warm that I dropped my hesitation and hugged him back.

  I started to ask what he was doing, and James held a finger to my lips. He smiled and said, “Neither of us is supposed to be here, right?”

  I said, “I got over my petty pride.”

  James responded, “And I’m getting over my fear.”

  “You’re going to race?”

  “If they let me. I’m pretty late for registration, but I want to. I need to jump back on the horse and start riding again.”

  I hadn’t seen him at first, but Jordi stepped out from behind James like a proper shadow. He addressed James and said, “Now, wait a second, I have a question. You told me the duffel had extra gym clothes in case you decided that you wanted to go for a jog on the running track here or go for a swim later at the hotel. You’ve got skates in there, James?”

  I said, “Well, hello there, Jordi. I’m betting he has skates in there. Do I win the money, James?”

  James laughed softly. “You win the bet, Lucas. I didn’t mean to deceive you, Jordi, but I hadn’t decided if I was going to try to race when we first got into the car.”

  Jordi interrupted again and asked, “Does this mean hockey…”

  James held up a hand. “One little baby step at a time.”

  I said, “James, why don’t you go to the locker room and get dressed. Meanwhile, I’ll talk to Jordi and figure out what ’s going on.”

  James began to step away, and I grabbed his shoulder. I said, “By the way, you have to stick around after the race to meet my sister Sophie. Maybe we can all have dinner together.”

  My heart caught in my throat as I watched James walk away in the direction of the locker rooms. I didn’t know if his appearance meant we still had a chance together as a couple, but regardless of what happened in the future, I was happy to see him returning to the ice.

  I glanced up to the stands and saw Sophie waving both of her hands. I assumed that she was eager to find out who the guys were standing near me. I held up my hand, and Jerry pulled Sophie’s hands down. She would need to wait. I wanted to talk to Jordi on my own.

  Jordi followed me to the end of the stands, and we ducked out of the traffic patterns of skaters and coaches. I asked, “So what’s going on here? I’ve got all kinds of questions to ask, but maybe you can answer many of them by just telling me the basics of what’s going on.”

  Jordi launched into an explanation that began with James deciding to swim for exercise. I wound my hand in a circle and asked, “Can you speed it up a little, Jordi? I don’t need the extended version with all of the bonus content.”

  He laughed and said, “Well, I have a friend. No, I guess he’s more of an acquaintance who is a speed skater. He’s in high school, and his parents bring him down here to Milwaukee for races. He’s talented enough that he could make the U.S. Olympic squad someday.”

  “And this friend saw my race? That’s one step, but how does that lead to James?”

  Jordi nodded. “Yes, Eric saw your race, and then he found out there was a video on YouTube.”

  I scratched my head. “I didn’t know that.”

  Jordi said, “Yeah, and it’s clear enough that I could figure out for sure it was you. That’s where I stepped in.”

  “You stepped in?”

  “Well, I haven’t seen much of James since he quit playing hockey, but I heard that he took up swimming to try and keep in shape.”

  I whispered, “Like me in the off-season.”

  Jordi shrugged. “Anyway, I guess I sort of showed him the video of you with my cell phone.”

  I wound my hand in a circle again. “Let’s get over the kinda sortas and get to the point.”

  “It was crazy, Lucas. He watched you, and minutes later we were planning a late night drive down here. I had no idea that he packed his skates. I thought we were just coming to watch you. Now here we are, and you’re both back on the ice. That makes me happy.”

  29

  James

  I left the locker room dressed in my skin suit with the hard guards in place over my skates. Jordi and Lucas were waiting for me, and I shared the good news. “Guys, they let me in the race. They agreed since I’d raced here before, and this isn’t an event with sanctioned impact on rankings, there was no reason to keep me out. They cleared me. I’m a little nervous because of the leg, but it feels good. I don’t have to worry about the short track animals as Lucas calls them.”

  Jordi shoved a fist into the air. Lucas hugged me. The sensation of our bodies in skin suits rubbing against each other aroused me. I tried not to concentrate on the sensation. If I did, I knew that soon everyone around would see that my mind was on something, or someone, other than skating.

  Lucas said, “I’ve got one more thing to check with the officials.”

  I asked, “Is something wrong?” but he was gone before he heard my question. I asked Jordi, “Do you know what that’s about?”

  “I don’t. I’m curious, though. Do you think you can beat Lucas? He claims he’s still rusty, and you haven’t done much skating for a while. I would say you have similar disadvantages.”

  I shrugged. “When we first met, Lucas demolished me on figure skates, but that was almost a year ago now. A lot can change in a year. I think I’m still the u
nderdog, but I have a chance.”

  Lucas returned, and he had a smile on his face. He said, “I got what I wanted.”

  “Are you going to tell us what it is?” asked Jordi.

  Lucas said, “I asked about the pairings for the race, and I got to see where they listed James and me. I requested a little shuffling around.”

  I asked, “Shuffling around?”

  “We’re skating head to head in our own heat, James. It’s just like on the Chicago Skating Ribbon, but this time no one is in our way.”

  Jordi clapped his hands. “Oh, wow, that’s exciting. I don’t know who to cheer for.”

  I suggested, “Maybe your loyal hockey buddy?”

  “But you left the team,” said Jordi.

  Lucas laughed and said, “He’s got you over the barrel there, James.”

  I looked over Lucas’ shoulder and saw a brawny, bearded man approach accompanied by a tall, thin blonde woman. As they neared us, the blonde woman called, “Lucas, did you forget we’re here?”

  Startled, Lucas turned to his left and exclaimed, “Sophie! Jerry! No, I didn’t forget that you were here. I had some business to sort out with the officials, but we’re all good now.”

  Sophie said, “How about introducing us to your friends.”

  Lucas dutifully pointed in my direction and said, “This is James who you’ve heard so much about.”

  Sophie exclaimed, “James!” She glanced at Lucas and then stared back at me. She started to ask, “How did you..?” and then she turned back to Lucas and said, “I think you have some information to share later.”

  Lucas chuckled as Sophie stepped forward and shook hands with me. I said, “It’s a slightly complicated story, but maybe we can all have dinner together after the races and share the details.”

  Jerry gave me a thumbs up, and Sophie said, “Perfect.” She turned toward Jordi and asked, “Who is this?”

  Lucas said, “This is Jordi. He’s the long-suffering friend who’s had to endure all the ups and downs of the last several months. He played on the same hockey team as James, and he played a key role in today’s lucky reunion.”

  Sophie shook Jordi’s hand and then gestured toward Lucas and me. “So this is the first time the two of you…”

  Her questioned faded as Lucas nodded.

  She continued, “The first time since…”

  Lucas nodded again. Sophie’s final comment was, “Life can be crazy. Stuff like this only happens in books and movies.”

  I said, “Sophie, there is one more item to know. Lucas and I will be racing head to head in our skating heat. We might not challenge for the top positions overall, but we’ll get to settle things between the two of us.”

  Jerry laughed out loud. It was a low, rumbling sound that generated a smile from anyone within hearing range. He said, “You guys are too much. Let’s hope you don’t claw each others’ eyes out when one of you wins this race.”

  I put my arm around Lucas’ shoulder and said, “That’s guaranteed not to happen. This is how gentlemen settle matters. We put it all out there on the ice, and one of us will be the champion, at least until we race again.”

  Sophie said, “Well, let us find our way back to our seats. It looks like the officials are getting things underway. I wish you both luck. Even though Lucas is my brother, I won’t play favorites. After all, James, you may be family someday.” Both Sophie and Jerry winked at me before they turned back to the stands.

  I asked Jordi, “Did you figure out your loyalty? Has my hockey insanity disqualified me?”

  Jordi rubbed his chin. He said, “If I used that to disqualify you, then I think I would need to give Lucas’ early speed skating retirement some weight as well.”

  Lucas smirked. “I knew you would find a weakness.”

  Jordi said, “I think I’ll stay in Sophie’s camp. I remain neutral. I’ll cheer for both of you.”

  I was worried Jordi would go on to say something about lane changes, but fortunately, he kept his mouth shut. In a high-stakes race, we would probably have coaches on the ice helping us remember to change lanes properly. For our head to head race, we were both on our own.

  Jordi gestured toward the edge of the ice and said, “They’re lining up, guys. I wish you both the best. We’ll have a fantastic dinner and all laugh about the race when it’s over, right?”

  He looked first to me and then to Lucas. We responded in unison, “Right!”

  30

  Lucas

  The 1,500 meter race is just under four laps long. I follow a simple strategy when I race. I come off the start digging as fast as I can sliding my skates out to the side and getting as much side to side sway from my arms as possible. After I navigate the first turn, I settle into my racing crouch and aim to pick up speed for the rest of the first half of the race. Finally, something has to give and the last two laps are the hardest. I push my body to stay as close to pace as possible, but I inevitably lose some speed before I cross the finish line.

  I didn’t know if James had a strategy for his race. Without a lot of experience, I expected his primary strategy might be keeping up with me. It wasn’t a bad approach. Drafting off the skater ahead could give you a slight burst of speed and also save the thigh muscles for bigger bursts late in the race.

  As James and I headed for the ice, I looked back at Sophie, Jerry and Jordi in the stands. Sophie was bubbling over with excitement, Jerry maintained a calm, composed appearance, and Jordi looked worried. I turned to James and asked, “How do you feel?”

  He said, “Excited.”

  “Who’s gonna win?”

  James smiled. “I’m putting everything into it, but I won’t be upset if it’s not enough. I’m just excited to be back on the ice.”

  “Not scared? Worried? Nervous?”

  James gazed back into my eyes. “No, not at all.”

  It was a sea change from the James I saw in the hospital. I was happy about what I saw, but I was wary that it might not last. I asked, “Is there a reason for the change?”

  James slipped the guards off his skates and said, “I will explain more about it later, but in one word, the reason for the change is you.”

  I beamed from ear to ear as I held out my hand. We shook, and I said, “May the best skater win.” We each pulled down our goggles and positioned ourselves at the starting line.

  Standing with my skates forming an angle on the ice while we waited for the starter, I thought back to when I first met James in Chicago. He was shy and a little awkward, but I was drawn to his disarming honesty and his athletic bearing. Less than a year later, we’d both been through a lot, but my attraction to him never faded. Some might call it an obsession, but my world was at its best when James was around.

  I stood dressed in orange, and James was dressed in blue. I took one last look up into the stands at Sophie before we lowered ourselves to a crouch ready for the starter’s pistol.

  At the sound of the shot, I stared forward as I pumped both my legs and arms to move from standing still to as fast as possible before hitting the first curve. On the curve itself, I caught a glimpse of James for the first time. He was skating on the inside, and I could see him out of the corner of my eye. I smiled to myself knowing that he kept up well since the first burst starting the race.

  Before the first lap was over, I took the clear lead. For me, it was the most difficult of positions, because I didn’t know how close or how far away James was. I resisted the temptation to look over my shoulder, because the simple move could wreak havoc with my wind resistance and balance. Long track speed skating is a race in which precision rules.

  To my surprise, halfway into the race, I noticed movement in my peripheral vision. It had to be James. From the sensations in my legs and arms, I was skating well, but he was keeping up. I worked to hold down any sense of panic and kept to my game plan of pushing my thighs to the edge and swinging my arm in as wide of an arc as possible.

  For the third lap, I experienced a sensation of ska
ting alone once more. Apparently, James fell back off the pace, or he was attempting to draft off my shoulder. I resisted any urges to let up and stop pushing. I could hear applause from the stands, but I didn’t detect any sudden changes like they were cheering on a surge from the skater in second place.

  For the fourth and final lap, I decided to put it all out on the ice. When I glided into the second-to-last turn, a flash of blue appeared in the corner of my eye once more. Was it possible James kept up the entire race? I stared directly ahead on the straightaway and dug into the ice. I put James out of my mind, and the blue disappeared once again from my vision. I heard the roar of the crowd start to surge, and it gave me more energy to blast my way forward toward the finish.

  After navigating the final turn, the finish line was in sight. Only a few more strides and victory was mine. It wasn’t just victory over James. More important, it was a victory over my own stubborn insistence that I shouldn’t race anymore. It was a return after almost three years away to the sport that was my first love.

  As I crossed the finish line I threw my hands into the air to the roar of the small crowd. Before I reached that first turn, a pair of arms surged up behind me and clamped around my body. “You did it, Lucas!” exclaimed James. He was breathless, but he managed to add, “And I almost kept up with you!”

  I let the skates carry me to the side of the rink against the boards and turned to embrace James as well. I pushed my goggles up on my head and gave him a quick kiss. “We’re both winners, James! You understand that, don’t you?”

  He smiled at me and took two deep breaths. Then he said, “You might have won the race, but I’m the biggest winner of all.”

  “Biggest winner? Are you sure?”

  He clapped his hands on my shoulders and said, “I’m absolutely certain. I’m the biggest winner of all because I have you!”