Page 8 of Curves of Steel

Michelle swipedYeson me too.

She’s my first match. For some reason that feels important, like we’re fated to be together.

Yeah, I know I’m getting ahead of myself.

Way ahead of myself.

But I let myself enjoy it. Since getting out of the Rangers, I haven’t been able to savor life the way I used to. So while my reaction to matching with a pretty stranger might be over-the-top, I’m going to let it be for now.

And, I think with a grin as I open up the messaging part of the app and begin typing out the first words I want to send to Michelle, I’m going to do everything I can to ensure we won’t be strangers for long.

Michelle

This is probably a terrible idea.

I’m going on a date with a man I barely know.

At night. In the dark.

And okay, sure, it’s a movie-under-the-stars event, so we won’t exactly be alone. And it’s dusk, not completely dark yet.

But it’s intimate.

I’m terrified.

I park my car near the event. It’s taking place at a school playground, and the movie will be projected on a white sheet hung from one of the building’s brick walls. I’m a few blocks away, but people are already filtering along the small town’s sidewalks toward the school.

Pulling out my phone, I text Bea, the glow of my device lighting up the interior of my sedan.

I don’t think I can do this, I type, then hitSend.

The text gets marked asReadright away. She fires back a reply.Don’t you dare, Michelle Sincero!!!

I frown.Don’t dare what, exactly?I return.

Back out of the first fun thing you’ve done inforever, she texts back.

I don’t need to go on dates to have fun, I type.

True, Bea volleys back.But do you?

Well, shit. She’s got me there.

I’m honestly not sure how to have fun anymore. I started ice skating for fun, but when I showed natural talent, it immediately turned into more than a hobby.

It turned into a job.

It turned into myeverything.

So yeah, Bea’s right. I’m not great at doing things just for fun.

In fact, the thing that I’m doing for fun right now — the thing that I wanted to talk about onRise ’n’ Shine, Colorado!? It’s a skating non-profit focused on bringing ice opportunities to under-resourced communities where kids might not have access to the facilities or the gear needed to participate in skating activities.

Is the non-profit awesome and valuable and really intriguing to run? For sure.

But it is straight-up casual fun? Not even a little.

Fine, I text at last.You got me.

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