by Jenna Payne
“Your dad is the manager?”
“Yep. He’s also the owner. He’s kind of a jack of all trades.”
Vienna groaned inwardly. She should have put two and two together, but she never realized.
“I thought your last name was Hayes?”
“It is. But my dad bought this place for my mom when they got married. My mom is Sara Sparks, hence the name Sparks Family Skating.”
“I know your mom. She used to coach me when I was little.”
“I remember.”
“Wait. Are you the boy that used to bring us hot chocolate when we were done?”
“Yep. Bringing hot cocoa to a bunch of five year olds wasn’t really the most glamourous job a ten-year-old could have, but I earned money working here and helping out with the lessons so I can’t complain.”
Ethan reached out, tenderly running his thumb over her cheek. Vienna flinched.
“Maybe you should have that looked at.”
“Really, I’m fine.”
“In that case, have breakfast with me?”
“I ate at five.”
“How about an early lunch then?”
“I really shouldn’t.”
“Of course you shouldn’t, but you want to.”
He smiled at her and winked. His joy was contagious and Vienna couldn’t help but smile.
“Fine. I’ll have an early lunch, but I’m driving.”
“That’s good, because my buddy still has my car.”
“How did you get here?”
“I rode in with Dave.”
Vienna nodded. Now that she knew who he was, it was all starting to fall into place.
“Just because I’m going to lunch with you doesn’t mean I don’t still think you’re annoying.”
“Ah, but you like my camera, so I think you’ll keep me around.”
“Probably.”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll take any opportunity I get to video a beautiful woman like yourself.”
“Don’t push your luck.”
Chapter 4
Vienna sat across from Ethan in the tiny diner. Already finished with their meal, they talked quietly over coffee.
“So why did you decide to play hockey instead of following in your mom’s footsteps?” Vienna asked, sipping her coffee and watching him over the rim of her mug.
“I don’t know. My entire family is into figure skating or dance. I guess I just wanted to be different.”
“You can’t get much different than hockey.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” His tone was serious, but the sparkle in his eye said that he was just messing with her.
Vienna chuckled softly, smiling at Ethan across the table.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“That’s the first time that I’ve seen you smile like that. I want to know what I did right so I can always make you smile like that.”
“For starters, that right there.” She took a deep breath. “You’re nothing like I imagined a hockey player would be.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“Of course it is.”
When she didn’t say anything, he said, “Go on. I want to hear all about how I’m so much better than the other guys so I can rub it in their faces at practice tomorrow.”
“You’re a mess, Ethan.”
“And don’t forget humble,” he winked at her.
“I don’t think humble is the word that I would use to describe you. Funny maybe, but definitely not humble.”
“Well I’ll take funny over humble any day.”
“I bet you would.”
The waitress stopped at their table, asking them for the umpteenth time if they needed anything else before walking away briskly.
“I guess she’s ready for us to leave,” Ethan said.
Vienna looked down at her watch.
“Oh wow. We’ve been here for two hours.”
“Time flies when you’re having fun.”
“Do you ever stop?”
“Stop what?” he asked.
“Being so positive and charming.”
“I wake up like this. It’s a curse, but I manage.”
Vienna rolled her eyes dramatically.
“You’re something else.”
“That’s good. I’d hate to be like every other guy who tried to ask you out.”
“But you didn’t ask me out.”
“Doesn’t this count?”
“Not really.”
“Hmm. Okay, then I guess I need to fix that. Vienna, will you go out with me?”
“But I barely know you.”
“That’s not true. We’ve known each other since we were five.”
Vienna burst out laughing, clapping her hands over her mouth to quiet herself when a patron a few tables down glared at her.
“That doesn’t count and you know it,” she whispered.
She gathered up her things and they headed for the door. Ethan held the door for her. The space was narrow and she had to pass by him uncomfortably close to get through. For a brief moment, she was afraid he was going to steal a kiss. When he didn’t, she was a little shocked that she was disappointed.
“Like I was saying,” she said when they got into the car and headed back to the rink, “knowing me since five doesn’t count.”
“Sure it does. Compromise?”
“Okay what did you have in mind?”
“Come watch me practice after dinner?”
“Tonight?”
“Why not?”
“Well, I don’t know I mean-” Vienna trailed off, not quite sure of what to say.
“That makes sense,” Ethan winked at her again, sending little jolts of electricity throughout her body.
What was it about his smile and that wink that made her heart flutter like that?
“I just don’t know anything about hockey. It would be awkward.”
“It’s only awkward if you make it awkward. Please?”
“Fine,” she said, pulling into the parking lot of the rink.
There was a car she didn’t recognize in the lot. A silver BMW sedan.
“Whose car is that?” she asked.
“It’s mine. Pick you up at five?”
“It’s almost one. I thought practice was after dinner?”
“It is. But we need to eat dinner first.”
“Oh.”
“Did you think I wasn’t going to feed you first? Do you want me to pick you up here or at your place?”
“I guess my place,” Vienna said.
“What’s the address?”
“You mean you don’t know?” Vienna said, feigning shock.
“Of course I don’t.”
Vienna laughed and pulled out her phone, texting her address to him so he could save it and her number.
Ethan leaned down in the window, muscled arms flexing unconsciously as he did.
“I’ll see you in a few hours.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Neither can I.”
He smiled at her and walked away without so much as an attempt to kiss her. Vienna was surprised to find herself so disappointed once again. She watched him leave, her eyes drawn to his snug jeans cradling his ass as he went. How had she never noticed how sexy he was?
“What has gotten into you, Vienna?” she asked her reflection in the rearview mirror as she pulled away.
She drove the short distance to her house, parking her car in the garage and jogging up the steps. She checked the clock. She had just over four hours to get in a good nap, shower and get ready before Ethan showed up. But first, she had to figure out what she was going to wear.
Vienna flung the closet door open, taking in her stuffy suits and dour slacks. Her closet was a dismal collection of cheerless grays, browns and pinks that looked more tan colored than anything.
“Yuck,” she said to no one in particular, wrinkling her nose at the options before her.
Her life revolved around fig
ure skating and promotions for her sponsors. If they didn’t provide the attire for appearances, she was expected to look classy and subdued.
She had no idea why the clothes that had served her well her entire adult life were suddenly not good enough, but there was something about Ethan’s easygoing nature and fun attitude that required vibrant colors. His family had money, yet he looked comfortable in jeans and a nice t-shirt.
She couldn’t show up to dinner with him in any of these outfits. No. None of these would do.
Vienna grabbed her keys off the hook and jogged down the steps to her car. She had enough time to shop if she skipped her nap. She wanted to surprise Ethan with something a little less typical of her.
But more than that, she wanted to surprise herself. She didn’t know how he’d done it, but somehow, Ethan had chipped away at that little wall she’d put up between herself and others. And for the first time in years she was looking forward to getting out and letting loose.
Chapter 5
Vienna’s doorbell rang at five on the dot and she checked her reflection in the mirror one last time. She’d left her curly locks loose, running soft-touch mousse through her tresses while her hair was still wet. She’d settled on a gray knit dress with a wide black belt and black, fur-lined boots that stopped mid-calf.
Since it was chilly, she decided to add a pair of fun leggings. Bright blue, they featured multi-colored sparrows soaring through puffy white clouds. They took an otherwise typical, boring outfit and made it fun and flirty.
A chunky blue necklace pulled it all together. Vienna felt like a million bucks when she opened her door, and Ethan’s face said that she was right.
“Wow,” he said, taking her in. “You look-wow!”
“Is that all?” she teased.
“It just wasn’t what I was expecting. You look amazing.”
“What were you expecting?”
“I don’t know. I guess I thought you’d be wearing some boring trousers and a plain blouse or something. I like this side of you. It’s fun.”
“Boring blouses and plain trousers, me? No way. I like some color in my wardrobe.”
“It looks damn good on you.”
He handed her the bouquet of brightly colored daisies and planted a kiss on her cheek.
Vienna made a mental note to restock her closet with more colorful attire. She’d keep the mundane stuff for appearances, but she liked Ethan’s reaction. Maybe a little color in her life was exactly what she’d needed.
He held out his elbow to her and smiled.
“My Lady, shall we?”
Vienna couldn’t help but smile as she slipped her arm into his, throwing her jacket over her arm and pulling the door closed behind her.
Ethan opened the door for her, waiting until she buckled her seat belt before closing it again. He slid into the driver’s seat and put the car into gear. When he stopped at the intersection at the end of her street, he turned and looked at her.
“What?” she asked, feeling a little self-conscious.
“You’re just so beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
They chatted easily while Ethan drove through town, taking the scenic route and avoiding the highway. They pulled into the parking lot and Ethan parked near the front, killing the engine and turning to Vienna.
“Have you been to Jasper’s before?”
“No.”
“It’s great food, nice atmosphere. Quiet and cozy without being stuffy. I think you’ll like it.”
“I’m sure I will.”
He got out and ran around to open her door, grabbing her hand to help her out.
He was such a gentleman, she thought. It was something that she hadn’t seen much of in her life.
Not that she’d been on a date in the last year or so.
The host welcomed Ethan like an old friend, seating them in a private booth in a darker corner of the restaurant. When he left, Vienna leaned forward and whispered to Ethan across the table.
“Do you bring a lot of women here? He sure was smiling a lot.”
“I’ve never brought anyone here, that’s why he was smiling. I usually come alone or with a group of friends.”
“Oh,” Vienna said, sitting back and feeling a little embarrassed for assuming.
“I haven’t really dated much.”
“Too busy with hockey?”
“Not really. It’s just that most of the groupies expect a certain type of guy, and I’m not that guy. I like classical music and I’m interested in more than a casual hookup. Call me old fashioned, but I like my sex to be a little more romantic than a quick tryst in the locker room after the game.”
“Good to know.”
“I’m sorry, that was a little crass. I’m just over that kind of stuff. I just want to play hockey and leave that on the ice, you know?”
“I really do. I feel the same way about skating. My sponsors expect so much from me and I just want to skate and go home to my cat and read a book.”
“You have a cat?”
“I don’t. But if I wasn’t so busy with sponsors I might get one. Unfortunately, that’s how I pay my bills, so I have to do what they want.”
“That’s got to be tough. To be honest, though, I totally had you pegged as a goldfish person.”
Vienna laughed.
“A goldfish would probably be safer. I tried plants and I just kill those. Even the ones that are supposed to be easy die within a week. I should start with a goldfish.”
They both laughed, falling easily into the conversation as if they’d been good friends their entire lives.
Ethan stopped laughing, suddenly getting very serious.
“What?” Vienna asked.
“I like you.”
“I like you too.”
“I mean I really like you. You’re amazing and funny. You’re nothing like I imagined you would be when you kicked me off the ice and acted like a spoiled princess.”
“I wasn’t acting. I paid good money for that time and you knocked me out of a spin.”
“Fair enough. I just, I guess I expected you to be a little cold and unfriendly.”
“Everyone thinks that. I guess part of it is how I am on the ice. I’m focused. I don’t think about anything else when I’m in the zone. It probably comes off as a little cold.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it. I’m glad I got to know you.”
“I am too. You’re not at all what I expected either.”
“What, did you think I was a brute that was all brawn and no brains?”
“Is it awful that that’s exactly what I was thinking?”
“Not at all. You’ll see after dinner. If I was anyone else on the team, you would have been completely right.”
Their dinner arrived, cutting the conversation short. Vienna looked at the meal before them and her mouth started watering. It looked divine and smelled even better. Vienna took the first bite and moaned softly.
“Isn’t it delicious?”
“I think this might be the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth.”
“Just wait until dessert.”
Chapter 6
Vienna pulled the heavy wool blanket tighter around her as she watched the action on the ice. Her dress and thin leggings had been a poor choice for sitting in the stands, but Ethan had hunted down a blanket from the offices and brought it to her before practice started.
“Are you sure you’re alright up here by yourself?”
“I’m fine.”
“You could always go across the way and sit with the flavors of the week,” Ethan teased.
“I’ll pass. I’m a little tired. I think I just want to watch in peace.”
“Suit yourself,” he teased before he ran off to put on his skates and hit the ice.
Vienna leaned against the retaining wall behind her that held the handicap seating above. She was regretting skipping her nap this afternoon. It was already eight. By the time practice was ove
r it would probably be ten. She’d been up since four that morning.
Ethan glided across the ice, warming up with the rest of his teammates before someone blew a whistle. Everyone came to the center except the goalie. A puck was dropped on the ice and Vienna momentarily lost Ethan in the flurry of movement.
When he burst out of the pack seconds later, she was excited to see that he still had the puck. Vienna jumped up, cheering Ethan on as he raced towards the goal. He swung back the stick and slapped the puck hard, sending it flying at the net. The goalie missed and the buzzer sounded.
Ethan looked up and waved. Feeling a little silly, Vienna waved back before she sat down. This was nothing like figure skating. And she liked it.
She watched as Ethan scored goal after goal, moving easily across the ice with seemingly effortless movement. The coach blew the whistle again and the players closed ranks. Ethan skated over to the goal, taking the goalie’s pads and gloves and giving the man his stick.
Once Ethan was off the ice, Vienna struggled to follow the action. It was obvious that Ethan was the star of the team, and the others did so much showboating it was hard to watch. Vienna rolled her eyes more than once when she heard once of the women from the other side of the rink shout loudly.
“Kick his ass, baby. Don’t you take that shit from no one.”
Vienna cringed. She was embarrassed for the woman, who was wearing skin tight hot pants and a tight tank top in the chilly stadium seats. Vienna couldn’t imagine what would possess any woman to act like that at all, let alone in public.
There was a loud crack of a stick connecting with something solid, drawing her attention from the rowdy group of women and back onto the ice. One of the players had struck another with his hockey stick. Vienna wasn’t sure if it had been intentional or not, but the recipient of the blow was throwing his gear onto the ice and skating after the first man with balled up fists already flying.
Were they actually going to come to blows over something so stupid?
Ethan dropped his gloves and skated into the mix, grabbing one of the men and trying to break up the fight as fists started flying. Ethan had almost gotten one of the men swung around when a fist connected with his jaw, sending him sprawling onto the ice.
Vienna gasped and jumped up, about to run down the stairs and onto the ice when Ethan pulled himself up. He shook the cobwebs from his brain and grabbed the other man by his jersey. He pointed to the penalty box and the young man all but stomped to the penalty box as Ethan directed the other man to the other side.