Page 15 of Hearts on Ice
“Like I said, it hasn’t been overdone, and it has a great staccato part that will be great for the twizzles. I can just picture you guys doing that and going into a lift, because the next part is so sweeping. I’ve listened to it about a hundred times this weekend, and I do have most of the moves worked out. I haven’t done the pattern yet, though, because I’m still missing one of the lifts. I haven’t figured out how to work that in.”
“We have to have that element to qualify,” Lexi said.
Colby leveled a look at the younger woman. “I’m aware. I said I’m still working on it. Can we work on the part that I do have?” She looked over at Declan. “Do you think we can put on the music?”
He looked around at the crowded rink. “I don’t usually put on music when I’m not the only lesson. Why don’t you just run us through what you have?”
She closed her eyes for a moment, nodded her head, and after a little bit, started to skate. Some of her hand movements looked a little awkward, and he realized that was because she was skating alone, but going through the motions of a pair. Instinct made him step forward, but logic stopped him. He didn’t know her routine, and touching her was the last thing he needed to be doing.
She opened her eyes to check her surroundings before she pushed herself into a double lutz, landing on her opposite leg, her arm stretched toward her invisible partner.
“You’d go into a lift here,” she said. “Josh’s hands on Lexi’s waist, before he rolls her down his shoulder and skates for—” She paused. “Twelve beats before lowering her in front of him, pushing her away.”
She gave herself just a burst of momentum, as if someone had pushed her, her right skate in front, on its toe in front of the other as she drew her hands up so gracefully, then hooked them around her invisible partner’s neck. She leaned back, just as if that person was there, pivoted to face him, skating backwards, one arm behind, one in front, then the twizzles, to the music she had in her head.
“Another lift here. Josh will hold Lexi over his head, she’ll arch her back, reaching toward the ceiling, then he’ll lower her, more slowly this time, and instead of pushing her away, he’ll bring her back up against him. She’ll touch his face and they’ll do three rotations like that, close, looking into each other’s eyes, come to a halt, and voila!” She stretched one hand out to the side, the other still around her invisible partner as she stopped in a spray of ice.
“Seems a bit mature,” Declan said.
“How can you know that without seeing them skate it?” she countered. “Let’s give it a shot, and if we need to adjust it, we can.”
“Okay, well, when do you think you’ll have the pattern we could look at, so we can practice those elements?”
“So far it’s all in my head.” She tapped her temple. “I hear the music and I see it.”
“We’re going to need the pattern, Colby. I can’t see what’s in your head.”
She placed her hands on her hips. “You used to be able to.”
“Yeah, well, I learned my lesson there, didn’t I? Give me a couple of combinations for us to work on, and then go home and work on the pattern and bring it in tomorrow. I’d prefer to work in the morning on this, if you think you can bring yourself to be here.”
Her jaw was clenched. “I will see what I can do.”
“Good. That’s what you’re getting paid for.”
He skated away from her and toward his students, closing his hands into fists so his palms would no longer itch to touch her.
CHAPTER7
Well, the notoriety from the barfing incident was about as bad as she had expected. Of course the whole event had been captured, and now she could see the distress on Tristan’s face as she spun him, just before he unloaded on her. The pang of sympathy she felt for the kid was unexpected. She should have been paying more attention to him than to what Declan would think of her.
Not only was the ice incident on social media, but also on the local news. Colby knew she shouldn’t have searched it out. And the fact that the anchors were laughing at the incident only made it more clear that no one sided with her in her treatment of Declan. Everyone loved him.
When she arrived at the rink in the morning, she was surprised to see new printed notes on all the glass doors leading inside.
NO RECORDING PERMITTED EXCEPT BY RINK STAFF AND COACHES.
ANY VIOLATOR WILL BE EXPELLED FROM THE PREMISES.
Her heart gavea tiny lift when she thought Declan might be looking out for her, but she realized he was probably more than likely looking out for his nephew.
The doors were still locked, so she gave a little rap and saw him step out of his office, backlit in the darkened lobby.
“When I said early, I didn’t mean this early,” he said, opening the door to let her in.
“Couldn’t sleep well,” she said. “Thought I might as well be working here as at the motel.”
“Come here, I have something for you.” He walked back toward the office, and handed her a neat shopping bag. “I picked these up from Meghan last night. I think she did a pretty good job.”
