Crossing the Ice

by Jennifer Comeaux

  We walked together out to the parking lot, and the cool mist from the thick fog dampened my face. I pulled my keys from my purse as we neared the few cars remaining in the lot.

  “You’ll have to let me know if you have any more song requests,” Josh said.

  “You said you can learn music by ear, right? So if I give you any song, you can learn how to play it just like that?” I snapped my fingers.

  “You name it, I’ll play it,” he said with a determined look in his eyes.

  I smiled. “I’ll start working on my list.”

  I turned toward my car, and Josh headed in the opposite direction for his. As I hit the unlock button, I heard Josh say, “Court.”

  I wheeled around. He’d never called me Court before. I liked it. A lot.

  He shoved his hands in his pockets and shuffled his feet. “Have a good Sunday.”

  “Thanks. You too.”

  I slowly walked backward to my car and climbed inside, wincing as I bent my knee. Turning the ignition, the only response I received was a sickly, sputtering whirr. I repeated the motion three times, but there was no sign of engine life in sight.

  “Come on, stupid car.” I slapped the steering wheel.

  Who knew how much repairs would cost, not to mention the hassle of being without a vehicle. I tried once more to start it and groaned when it failed on me yet again.

  A tapping sound on my window startled me, and I jumped. Josh stood next to my door.

  “Trouble starting?” he asked as I opened the door and stepped out.

  “I don’t think it’s the battery because it’s making a noise.” I pressed the lock button on my key fob. “I guess I’ll get it towed to the shop tomorrow.”

  “You know a mechanic who’s open on Sunday?”

  “Mark’s dad owns a shop. He won’t be open, but he’ll let me leave the car there so he can work on it Monday. I can’t be carless for too long.”

  “I can give you a ride home,” he said.

  “Oh, I don’t want to make you go out of your way. I’ll go ask Meredith if she can take me.”

  “I don’t mind at all.” He waved for me to follow him as he started toward his car.

  I hung back for a moment but then followed him. He opened the passenger door of the black sedan before walking around the front of the car to the driver’s side. I slid into the dark leather seat, and when we were both buckled in, I got that nervous feeling that I’d had when we’d danced. We weren’t nearly as close as we’d been then, but sitting in the small car in the dark with the fog all around us, it felt just as intimate.

  Josh turned the key, and music blared through the speakers at an ear-splitting level, just the way I liked it in my car, too.

  He quickly powered off the stereo. “Sorry.”

  “No, I listen the same way. Was that Muse? I didn’t recognize the song.”

  He didn’t directly answer as he drove us toward the exit. “Um… yeah.”

  I was confused by the hesitation in his reply, so I reached for the jewel case atop the stack of CDs under the stereo.

  “Wait.” His hand shot forward and grabbed mine.

  An electrifying sensation sped from my hand to every nerve ending in my body. The car had stopped moving. Everything had stopped moving. Except Josh’s thumb, which brushed lightly over my knuckles, creating a whole new and even more stirring sensation inside me. I couldn’t breathe.

  Josh pulled his hand away and gripped the wheel like he was on a roller coaster, holding on for dear life. “Sorry, I um… I’m just not supposed to show anyone the CD.”

  “Oh.” I took slow breaths, still trying to shake off the buzz of Josh’s touch.

  He resumed driving, deftly maneuvering the stick shift as we accelerated onto the main road. I saw him glance in my direction a couple of times.

  “If you promise not to tell anyone I have it…” he said.

  I shifted in my seat so I was angled toward him. “You can trust me.”

  We stopped at a red light, and he looked into my eyes. My attempt to breathe at a normal pace suffered a massive setback. When his gaze flickered momentarily down to my mouth, I became sure I was going to need CPR.

  A horn honked behind us, and Josh turned back to the road.

  Damn green light.

  “The CD is an advance copy of Muse’s new record,” he said. “It’s not being released until September, but my dad got it for me. I didn’t mean to get all weird. It’s just that if any of it gets leaked, he could get in a lot of trouble.”

  “I totally understand. I definitely won’t say anything.”

  He braked and made a careful left turn. “Are you pretty familiar with the band?”

  “Yeah, I know most of their songs, even the early stuff.”

  “You have to hear this song.” He flipped on the CD player and pressed the track button a few times. “It’s like nothing I’ve ever heard.”

  He set the volume loud but not where we wouldn’t be able to talk over it. The beat of the song did indeed sound very unique. While my ears were fully engaged with the music, my eyes were fully engaged with watching Josh drive. There was a graceful power in the way he handled the wheel and the stick shift, much like how he handled himself on skates.

  He pointed to the stereo. “This is the part I thought you’d really like.”

  The beat slowed, and the lead singer began crooning a familiar tune, one that brought up memories of being on the ice.

  “That’s from Samson and Delilah!” I said.

  Mark and I had skated our long program to the opera score three seasons ago, so I’d heard this melody every day for months at the rink. But I’d never heard it like this, woven into the middle of a rock song.

  “I love this so much,” I said.

  Josh smiled. “As soon as I heard it, I thought of you.”

  I turned my head fully toward him, but he wouldn’t look at me. His smile had faded, and he quietly cleared his throat.

  “You know, since you um… since you skated to it,” he stammered.

  Yeah, three years ago. And tons of other skaters had used the music over the years, including a lot more memorable names than Mark and me. But I was the first person who came to mind when he heard the song.

  There went my fluttery stomach again.

  The fog rolled in thicker as we rode beside one of the many ponds in the area. Josh leaned slightly forward and slowed the car while going through the sharp curves.

  “It’s the next left?” he asked.

  “Uhh… yeah.”

  I wouldn’t mind if he slowed down even more so I could be in the car longer, and not just because I wanted to listen to more of the CD. Em and Sergei’s house soon came into view, though, and Josh parked in front of the driveway.

  “You should hear the rest of this.” He ejected the disc and popped it into its case. “Keep it as long as you want.”

  He handed the CD to me, and I asked, “Are you sure it’s okay?”

  His mouth curled upward. “I trust you.”

  He treated me to another long look, my third of the night. Not that I was counting. That kind of look was just usually so rare from him that I felt something had changed between us. Or I could be totally overanalyzing everything.

  I opened the door and set one foot on the pavement. “Thanks so much for the ride. I really appreciate it.”

  “No problem.” He patted the stick shift. “Hey, let me give you my number in case you need a lift while your car’s in the shop.”

  He took his phone from the cup holder and pressed a few keys. “What’s your number? I’ll text you and then you’ll have mine.”

  I bit my lip to keep from smiling. If he was trying to be smooth, he’d pulled it off excellently. I recited my digits and heard my phone ding in my bag a few seconds later.

  I waved goodbye as I stepped out, and I put the CD in my purse before unlocking the front door of the house. Josh didn’t pull away until I was inside. I went through the foyer to the living r
oom, and Em and Sergei were cuddled together on the couch, watching TV.

  “Why didn’t you come through the garage?” Em asked.

  “My car wouldn’t start, so I got a ride home. I’ll get it towed tomorrow.” I loosened the knot on my uniform tie as I headed for the stairs. “Have a good night.”

  “‘Night,” they said in unison.

  Upstairs Liza’s bedroom door was closed, so I moved quietly past it to my room. I couldn’t wait to get showered and comfy in my pajamas so I could listen to the CD. As I lathered my strawberry-scented shampoo in my hair, I hummed the aria from Samson and Delilah, hitting all the high notes.

  Once I was dry and cozy under my comforter, I slid the CD into my laptop and plugged in my headphones. I flopped back against the pillows, blasted the music so loud Mom would tell me my eardrums would burst, and closed my eyes.

  The epic sound of the lead singer’s voice mixed with the unique and vibrant beat took me out of my bedroom and into a rocking concert hall. Every song was fabulous and surprising. Just when I didn’t think the record could give me any more surprises, the next song began with only a slow piano. The beautiful, emotional melody immediately made me think of skating.

  With Josh.

  I saw us so clearly. I could even feel his hand around mine as it had been in the car for that brief moment. We were alone on a fresh sheet of ice, doing crossovers perfectly in sync. He pressed me up into a soaring star lift, carrying me swiftly across the rink, and then brought me down securely into his strong arms. We were so close his warm breath fanned over my lips. The music kept building around us, but we were both completely still as our momentum took us over the ice. When we finally glided to a halt, Josh leaned into me and his lips—

  Stop!

  My eyes flew open.

  This isn’t going to happen, so you need to stop daydreaming about it. You CANNOT fall for him.

  I drew in a deep breath and covered my face with my hands. Who was I kidding? I was already falling for him. So freaking hard.

  Chapter Seven

  I listened to the piano song over and over on Sunday and itched to text Josh my thoughts on the album. But all I did was stare at his number on my phone. Texting him would add another dimension to our friendship, and I was already thinking about him enough without constantly waiting for my phone to buzz.

  When Monday morning came I reluctantly packed the CD in my skate bag to return it to Josh. Even though he’d said to keep it as long as I wanted, I didn’t want to take advantage of his generosity. Too many people were around during our morning warm-up for me to give it to him, so when I went into the locker room later and saw his bag open on the floor, I quickly slipped the disc inside.

  “What are you doing?”

  I jumped back and spun to see Stephanie just inside the doorway. She stalked over to me and narrowed her steely blue eyes.

  “Were you taking something from Josh’s bag?” she asked.

  My first instinct was to laugh because Stephanie acted too ridiculous sometimes to be real. She was like a character in Mean Girls. I pressed my lips together to hold in the laughter, and I backed away from her.

  “Because I’m not rich you automatically assume I’m a thief?” I said. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I was returning something.”

  “What were you returning that you had to put in his bag instead of handing it to him?”

  “It’s just a CD he let me borrow.”

  Stephanie crossed her arms. “Josh doesn’t let anyone borrow his music. He’s a total freak about keeping it in perfect condition.”

  My heart ballooned with a big Aww that Josh had made an exception for me. Stephanie’s suspicious glare quickly snapped me out of happy-sappy land, though.

  “Well, he loaned one to me, so I guess that makes me special,” I said, knowing how much it would irritate her that Josh and I had become friends.

  “Didn’t I explain that you have no chance with him? You’re just going to embarrass yourself if you keep sniffing after him.”

  Sniffing after him? If anyone was doing any sniffing it was Josh, who kept showing up at my workplace. The words were on the edge of my tongue, but I clamped my mouth shut. Telling Stephanie about our time together at the restaurant would taint it somehow. Plus, I had the feeling Josh didn’t like his sister knowing all his business.

  “I really don’t give a crap what you think, but you’re way off base anyway,” I said.

  Josh walked into the room, carrying his skates, and he stopped when he saw Stephanie and me facing each other with scowls. “What’s going on?”

  Stephanie relaxed her posture and picked up her bag. “We were just chatting.”

  Josh glanced at me as if to corroborate Stephanie’s statement. I kept mum and sat on the bench.

  “I’m going to the spa,” Stephanie said as she passed Josh. “Don’t forget yoga is an hour later today.”

  I thought back to Josh telling me I should try it, and I smiled wickedly to myself at how much I’d piss off Stephanie if I did.

  “You know, I’ve been thinking about giving hot yoga a try since Em swears by it,” I said. “I might see you there tonight.”

  The tightness returned to Stephanie’s face. “It’s not really for everyone. You’d probably hate it.”

  “I think you’ll like it,” Josh said with a subtle smile.

  “Don’t you work nights?” Stephanie tapped her foot.

  “The restaurant is closed on Mondays.”

  She stared me down and let out a little huff. “I have to go.”

  She blew out of the room, and Josh looked back and forth from me to the door. “So, what did I miss before I came in?”

  “She saw me putting the CD in your bag, and she was questioning me about it.”

  “You could’ve kept it longer.”

  “I didn’t want to hog it,” I said as I toyed with my maroon and gold bracelet. “I listened to it all day yesterday. I think I played ‘Exogenesis Symphony Part 3’ at least ten times.”

  Josh’s eyes lit up. “That’s one of my favorites, too.”

  We smiled at each other, and I quickly focused on examining my bracelet as if some of the threads were loose. They were all perfectly intact.

  Josh bent to pack his skates in his duffel. “Do you need a ride to the yoga studio?”

  “Um… I can probably borrow Em’s car. It’s on Route Twenty-Eight in Centerville?” I’d grown up in that area, so I was familiar with the strip mall where the studio was located.

  “Yep, that’s it.” He walked backward to the door. “Call me if you end up needing a lift.”

  He told Liza hello as they almost bumped into each other in the doorway. Liza bounced over to join me on the long bench, her long black ponytail swaying behind her.

  “I landed the double Axel-triple toe,” she said while doing a jig.

  “That’s awesome!”

  “My goal is to have it consistent by the time we leave for camp.”

  The U.S. Skating Federation held a camp in Colorado Springs every summer for its top athletes, and we had to perform our programs for feedback from the powers-that-be. It was a nerve-wracking experience because if they hated our programs, we’d have to scrap them and start all over.

  “That’s only a few weeks away,” I said.

  “I can do it,” she said with no hesitation.

  I smiled at her confidence. Liza might be only fifteen and in her first year as a senior-level skater, but she was a definite contender for the Olympic team. The girl could reel off triple-triples better than many longtime senior ladies.

  “You know how you should celebrate your accomplishment?” I said. “By going to hot yoga with me tonight.”

  “Huh?”

  “It’ll be a great energy release.” I did my best to cheerfully sell it.

  The confusion on Liza’s face said I hadn’t done a good enough job. “How many times has Em asked us to go with her and how many times have we said no way?”

  “I
know, but we’ve done regular yoga before and liked it. Stephanie and Josh were telling me about it, and I want to check it out.” I looped my arm across her shoulders. “And I need a buddy.”

  “Since when do you talk to Stephanie?” She lifted one eyebrow.

  Busted.

  “Okay, so maybe I want to go just to annoy her because she doesn’t want me there. But I still need a buddy.”

  I gave her a big hopeful grin, and she studied me as she slowly tapped her chin with her finger. “I do like the idea of annoying Stephanie.”

  I squeezed her into a hug. “That’s my girl.”

  ****

  “I think Em was offended that we’ve always turned her down and now we’re doing this on our own,” Liza said as we stored our bags in the yoga studio’s locker room.

  I picked up my mat and towels. “We can go with her another time.”

  The strap of my loose tank slipped down my shoulder, and I hiked it back into place before pulling open the practice room door. Sticky air hit my face and seeped into my lungs. The first thing I saw was a shirtless guy stretching and another one beside him. Interesting. There had never been any shirtless men in the few standard yoga classes I’d attended.

  I looked to the back of the room where Stephanie and Josh stood talking. I took two steps in their direction, and then Josh tugged his T-shirt over his head, halting all my motor skills.

  Holy Batman.

  The view was even better than I’d imagined, and I’d imagined it an embarrassing number of times lately. Josh’s chest and stomach were smooth and cut lean and hard, and his long shorts sat just low enough on his hips to give a peek of the V leading down…

  “This might not be so bad after all.” Liza giggled and looked around.

  I touched my face. I was already hot, and I hadn’t done any exercising yet. Yeah, hot and bothered.

  Josh noticed me and broke into a smile, and I unstuck my feet from the floor to go forward. Liza followed close at my side.

  “I’m glad you guys could make it,” Josh said.

  Stephanie rolled her eyes and walked away. Good riddance.

  “We’re super excited to try something new,” Liza said, still preoccupied with checking out our surroundings.