Page 49 of Grinch Girl

I almost wanted to call Brian, harangue him to see if his apparent connection with Mabel was a ploy to tempt back his ex or if he was actually starting to fall for her.

“Nicole and Jim got the biggest number of votes,” Sean concluded the roundup.

Not surprising. “People love a second-chance romance,” I said. They’d looked pretty cute bowling together, but could one good date could really alter the trajectory of a couple on the brink of divorce?

Later that night, the femaleSingle Bellsparticipants gathered in the staging area of the Christmas Village an hour before the ice-skating date was to begin. Carol fluttered around like an overanxious butterfly, reminding everyone to mention the New Year’s Eve party finale while they were on camera. Much to my chagrin, she refused to abandon the NYE idea even though I’d assured her the ad was not going to cause any more problems.

All of the women dutifully did our pre-date confessionals. More than any other date, they were key tonight because network reality TV shows could get cameras moving over ice, but we didn’t have that equipment or skill set, so we couldn’t capture much conversation. We weren’t quite insane enough to stick one of our camera dudes in skates either. That would be a lawsuit waiting to happen. They’d just have to set up at various points around the rink and capture our couples in movement.

I leered at the camera in my villainous persona and said a variety of suggestive phrases, ending with, “I sure hope Michael will keep me warm on the cold ice rink.”

“Do we really have to skate?” Bella wondered aloud, fidgeting with her makeup brush. As graceful as she was in most aspects of life, the ice rink wasnother happy place. “Can’t Nate and I just go get something to eat?”

“After you skate,” I said firmly. “We need interesting things to film, not just people sitting around.” We also still needed to lure tourists to the Christmas Village, and we hadn’t filmed there since the second date.

Turning toward the mirror, I examined my reflection. I wore all black again, leggings and a long-sleeved thermal shirt topped with a puffy vest. I pulled the tube of red lipstick from my pocket and stared at it. Should I make the effort of putting it on again? Nah. I’d probably just get it all over my teeth, and it’s not like Michael cared about anything I was wearing.

In the mirror, I caught a glimpse of Nate strolling along the Christmas Village path, presumably on his way to the ice rink.

Then again, maybe Ididneed a splash of color. I brought the lipstick to my mouth and carefully applied the red stain.

*

Single Bellshadthe rink privately reserved for ninety minutes, and I’d been kinda excited all week about the mostly empty skating space. Now that the lake didn’t freeze over enough to be skated on, rinks were the only option in the area, and they were always so full of people. I loved to skate, but only when I could skate fast and free—not when I was constrained in a sea of others.

Unfortunately, Michael did not appear to share my enthusiasm. Our date started quietly. We skated in a slow circle around the rink, not saying anything. Michael was concentrating hard on the ice, eyes on a fixed point ahead of him, hands splayed at his sides as if anticipating that they’d need to break a fall.

We passed the rental area where Bella and Nate sat together lacing up in front of one of the cameramen. As we watched, Nate said something out of the side of his mouth, and Bella burst into laughter, her blond hair spilling over one shoulder.

Beside me, Michael’s mouth turned down at the corners, and his hands went to fists. I pushed off hard to slide a few feet in front of him, then swiveled around to skate backward so we could look directly at one another. “They’re just coworkers,” I offered bluntly. “Friends. Nothin’ more going on there.”

He met my eyes, looking sheepish. “Am I so transparent?”

“Yes,” I said. He’d always been that way about Bella. Crazy about her to the point of distraction.

We did another torturously slow loop. I did a few spins to amuse myself, since Michael’s jaw was clenched and he didn’t seem to feel like talking. So it surprised me when he shook his head and offered a self-admonishing grimace. “You must think I’m an idiot, huh? To be feeling this way about her when I know she’s not here to stay.”

Yup.

But that was pretty hypocritical. Why had I put on the lipstick again? Right. Because I, too, was daydreaming about someone who would vanish in the new year.

“You’re not an idiot.” I waved my hands expansively, indicating the world and life outside of this pretty little ice rink. “This town isn’t the easiest place to live. I can get why you’d be excited about someone who brightens it up.” I let out a long, mopey sigh. “Even though it’s basically begging for your heart to get broken.”

He laughed then, a big rumbly laugh I’d always liked. “Did I ever tell you that I appreciate how you never sugarcoat things, Jane? People always know where they stand with you. It’s refreshing.”

I looked up at him, grinning. I liked that compliment a lot because it reminded me of Greta. “Thank you.”

Since we were passing a cameraman, I threw a wink into the lens and then slid my arm through Michael’s. He put a gloved hand over mine and arched an eyebrow while smiling down at me. “It would make much more sense if you and I were to date, wouldn’t it?”

A surprised giggle burbled in my chest. “Yup. I was thinking exactly that earlier this month.”

He nodded thoughtfully while steering us directly into the side wall. With great effort, I straightened our path. Good God, he was heavy. “So why haven’t we?”

He wasn’t being flirtatious. There was not a hint of romance or sexual tension in the air. He was simply asking. Intellectual curiosity only. “Couple of reasons,” I said slowly.

“No spark?” he asked, apologetically, as if I might take offense.

I didn’t. “No spark,” I agreed.

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