“I bet I can get to the other wall before you,” Eddie said, already gearing up in a competitor’s stance, waiting for a starting gun.
Lauren gave him a wry smile. “Asa wasn’t wrong,” she said. “I don’t like to take bets I know I’ll lose.”
“Ready,” Eddie said, as if he hadn’t heard her, “set . . . go!”
And he was off, looking a little wobbly, reaching out for the wall once but otherwise skating away on his own two feet. Lauren gave a little laugh, watching him. “No way I could even come close.”
“Technically he never said you had to do it alone,” Asa said, coming behind her to grasp the sides of her waist. His hands were firm, his proximity instantly warming her body by at least ten degrees. “What do you say?”
She had the sudden urge to just lean back against him, let him take all her weight. “I’m not going to beat a child.”
“We gotta give him some competition, though. How else is he supposed to feel the sweet rush of victory?”
“I guess,” Lauren said, “if you—”
But Asa had already started skating, building up speed as he pushed her ahead. She gave a gurgle of shocked laughter, her hands flying to cover his at her waist, exhilarated by the feeling of the air stinging her face even as she was nervous that he’d let go and she’d fall. But his grip stayed strong and sure, and he got her to the wall only a split second after Eddie had already touched.
“I win!” he said. “And hey, that’s cheating.”
Asa had braced himself against the wall, his hands moving from her waist to grasp the boards so that he wouldn’t slam into her body as the momentum carried them forward. But still she felt the whole length of him against her, and it made her shiver even as she felt the color rising in her cheeks. What do you want? That was what he’d asked her that night in his room, and she was starting to see how wrong her answer had been, when what she should’ve just said was you.
His gaze was searching her face now, as though looking for any sign that the ride had frightened her, or upset her. But all she felt was a bubbly, giddy feeling that felt something like . . . happiness. She wanted to do it again.
“Not cheating,” Asa said now to Eddie. “Exploiting a loophole in the rules. Want to have a go?”
“I can skate by myself,” he said stubbornly.
“You should try it,” Lauren said. “It feels like flying.”
Asa held up his hands, palms out. “I’ll hold on to your shoulders. That okay? I promise I won’t let you get hurt.”
Eddie looked dubiously at Asa, but then he shrugged. “All right,” he said. “I’ll try.”
Over Eddie’s head, Asa shot a smile to Lauren that was so sweet she felt it somewhere deep in her stomach. He crouched down to grasp Eddie by the shoulders, starting up a little slower than he had with Lauren, then building up speed until they were sailing up the side of the rink. Lauren wished she could see Eddie’s face.
She tried to venture out on her own, shuffling her feet back and forth in tiny, timid movements. She had a feeling skating was one of those ubiquitous situations where confidence was key to success, and those had never come easily for her. But she managed to travel at least three feet before she had to grasp the wall for support, and another six before her skate slid too far back and she fell down to her knee.
Any delusion she’d had that she’d be skating smoothly by the time Asa and Eddie made a lap around the rink was quickly dashed, but at least she was trying. She was picking herself up off the ice for the third time when they arrived back next to her.
“How about that hot chocolate now?” she said, examining her scraped palms. “I don’t think I can take much more.”
“Okay,” Eddie said. “Then can we see the snow place?”
“Sure,” Lauren said, glancing up at Asa. “Would you want to join us? I owe you a hot chocolate.”
Maybe that was the wrong thing to say. It referenced back to that night at Cold World, and made it sound like she was getting all transactional on him again.
Or maybe he really just did need to get back to work, because he made a circle gesture with his finger in the air, as if indicating the rink. “Can’t,” he said. “But thanks. Eddie, good to meet you.”
He stuck out his hand to shake, and Eddie took it, giving a few solemn pumps.
“See you tomorrow night,” Asa said, then, at her confused expression: “The party?”