Page 28 of Thrown for a Loop
Oh shit.“I’ll be there in ten.”
Chapter 10
Nine and a Half Years Ago
The pairs classes are taught by someone named Martina. She has ink-black hair and an Eastern European accent. But she’s not as chilly as Sister Walsh, which might account for how popular the pairs class is.
“Today we’ll cover side-by-side skating, and holds,” she says. “Zoe, can I count on you to demonstrate?”
“Sure.” Zoe glides forward to the front of the group, and once again, Chase feels all his attention zoom toward her, like a tractor beam. Today she’s wearing black tights and a short little skirt, which only makes her legs look longer. Her pink T-shirt readsI Can’t, I Have Ice Time. And her signature braid hangs over one shoulder.
“Who will partner Zoe?” Martina asks. And before she finishes the sentence, Chase’s hand shoots into the air.
Zoe colors. But this is perfect—he’s been trying to get her attention again for another pizza date. What he really needs is her phone number.
“All right, Coach Merritt,” Martina says. “Have you done any pairs skating before?”
“Not since before I had to shave,” Chase quips, making all the girls giggle. He skates over to stand beside Zoe.
Martina studies them both with serious dark eyes. “Then let’sreview the fundamentals. When you reach for your partner’s hand, your palm is always up, and hers is always down.”
“Roger,” he says, extending his hand, palm up.
Zoe offers her hand, and he grasps it.
And, okay, he’s touched girls before. A lot of girls. In a lot of places. But he’s never felt this sizzle of energy when her smoother palm meets his. He glances down at her, and their eyes meet—just for a second, but long enough for his pulse to quicken.
“We’ll start with some simple back crossovers,” Martina says. “Here you’ll get a feel for aligning your strides, your rhythm, your balance. The goal is complete synchronization. Strides should be even, arms should mirror each other. You must feel your partner’s timing, fall into the same rhythm.”
They share another quick glance as they both push off to one side—toward the open ice. By silent, mutual agreement, they turn their bodies by a quarter rotation at the same moment and begin their backward arc.
Martina is still speaking, her voice ringing out for the whole class. “When we do our crossovers, we focus on timing, yes? Chase is bigger, with longer legs, so he must soften his stride to match Zoe’s. And, Zoe, don’t hold back—your power comes from pushing on your edges, so use it.”
But they really don’t need this advice. At all. They’ve already fallen into sync, each stride in perfect time, the crisp scrape of steel against ice counting out their strokes.
Martina turns her body to follow their progression around the rink. “Look at their feet—this is about precision. Their shoulders are parallel—no one lagging behind or pulling ahead. Pairs skating always starts here—the smoother the crossovers, the smoother the jump.”
After an exhilarating thirty seconds, their complete rotation ofthe rink ends before Chase is ready. They glide to a stop, still holding hands.
“That was…” Martina’s mouth quirks into a curious frown. “Very interesting. You two blend so effortlessly. Let us see if you can keep in sync for a jump. Single axel, please. Normally you would let the music cue your jump. This time you will have to cue each other instead. Chase—you press Zoe’s hand when you are ready to release and jump.”
Better not fuck this up, he thinks as they push off again.
“When you come out of the final crossover, don’t hesitate!” Martina calls. “You push into the jump immediately, together.”
Chase tightens his grip on Zoe’s hand as they fly backward down the rink. They’re perfectly in sync again, as if they’ve been doing this for years, not minutes. The ice feels smooth under his blades, but his chest is tight with anticipation.
He glances at her just before the final crossover. Her expression is serene. He squeezes her hand—his silent cue. She responds immediately, no hesitation, and they let go, pushing off the ice in unison.
The jump feels effortless, with the kind of lift that makes gravity pause for a split second. His body rotates through the air, and he can feel Zoe’s presence beside him, their geometry almost freakishly perfect.
They land at the same moment, the scrape of blades against ice as smooth as breathing. No stumble, no hesitation. Just a smooth glide as they skate out of the jump and clasp hands again, still together.
Zoe probably does this all the time and twice on Tuesdays. But his heart pounds in his chest, not just from the physicality of the movement, but from triumph. Their jump was perfect, in a world where almost nothing is.
He can’t help but glance at Zoe again, and finds her staring backat him, wide-eyed, even as they finish their rotation toward Martina and the campers.
They glide to a stop in silence, still staring at each other. Still holding hands. Until somebody—probably Ethan—starts to clap. “Show-offs!” he hoots.
