Stephanie turned to me with raised eyebrows and an actual look of approval. I’d take any little bit of further progress between us.
“You know, you guys are only a few points out of fourth place. The rest of the competition was a disaster,” she said. “You can still get a medal.”
“You want us to win a medal?” Josh asked with grin.
“I’m in favor of anything that will irritate Mom. She’s been so obnoxious lately.”
I stifled a laugh. Lately?
“We’d love to be on the podium, but we just want to enjoy the long now that the pressure is off,” Josh said.
“Definitely,” I agreed. “At this point, a medal would just be a huge bonus.”
“Well, if you could try to make it happen that would be fabulous.” Stephanie put her hand on her chest. “I’d love nothing more than to go home and tell Mom I was pivotal in your success.”
I laughed to myself again. Stephanie was probably going to take credit for every achievement we had from then on.
But, hey, it’s much better than her spitting on our partnership.
While she and Josh chatted, I watched Josh laugh and smile, and a deep surge of happiness filled me. I couldn’t wait to get back on the ice with him and skate our long program. We’d worked so long and so hard to have that moment, and we wouldn’t have any more worries weighing us down. We could skate with our focus all on one thing — showing our love for each other.
Chapter Twelve
I looked up at Josh and pinched my hand to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I had skated our long program time and again in my head, yearning for the chance to perform it under the bright lights, in front of a cheering crowd. That moment had finally come.
We stood in the middle of the ice, me in a flowy, cream-colored dress and Josh in a matching shirt and beige pants. We looked like Lizzie and Mr. Darcy as we prepared to skate to music from the movie Pride and Prejudice. Josh wasn’t brooding like Mr. Darcy, though. He was gazing at me with an abundance of love. The happiness I felt combined with all the competition adrenaline had my pulse going haywire.
On the second joyful note of the music, we began our equally joyful steps. The positive energy flowing through both of us led us to complete our difficult opening elements easily. Josh pressed me into the air for the star lift, and he turned smoothly over the ice. His confidence had returned to the level he’d had at home.
He set me down, and we slowed as the music transitioned to my favorite piece on the soundtrack. Josh had used our love story as his inspiration when choreographing the program, and the bubbly first section represented our blossoming friendship. The second section, set to the slow and romantic “Your Hands Are Cold,” showed us falling in love.
Josh swept me into his arms, and we were so close our noses touched. His eyes dropped to my lips, and for a second I lost myself completely in him and the music. The passion burning between us overwhelmed me. I wanted nothing more than to bottle that moment because it was absolute perfection.
We had to break apart to move into our spirals, and some of my nervous energy resurfaced. Our double Axel sequence coming up was one of our iffiest elements. We skated side by side, each of us setting up for the jump’s forward entry. On the same beat, we launched ourselves into the air and spun two-and-a-half times. As soon as we landed, we repeated the jump. Josh landed the second one slightly after I did, but I still fist pumped inside. We would have plenty of time to work on our unison for the future.
Josh took my hand, and we hit our lasso lift right on the crescendo of the music. My heart soared as high as my position in the air. I flew above the ice with deafening applause all around me, and I had only one thought — Does the program have to end?
We sailed through the rest of the elements, and we came together hand in hand, eyes locked on one another, for the final soft notes. Josh enveloped me in an embrace, and I rested my head on his chest as the music ended. The crowd roared with cheers, but we didn’t move. I closed my eyes and pressed myself against him, soaking in his warmth and the surrounding mania we had inspired.
“I love you,” Josh said.
I lifted my head and kissed his lips. “I love you, too.”
I floated on a cloud through our bows, the kiss and cry, and the interviews backstage. We were in first place with the final group of four teams left to skate, so we had moved up at least one spot. We were headed upstairs when my phone rang, and I saw the caller was my former partner.
“Hey, Mark.”
“Hey, congratulations. You guys were great.”
I smiled at his enthusiasm. “Thanks. That means a lot to me.”
“Watching you almost made me want to get back out there, and then I remembered triple run-throughs and I was happy to be on my couch.”
I laughed. “I’m glad you’re enjoying your retirement.”
“I am. And I’m glad you’re still enjoying skating. You and Josh really do look great together. You do those romantic programs much better than you and I did.” He chuckled.
I spotted Mom coming toward Josh and me with her arms open for a hug, so I thanked Mark again for the call and dropped the phone into my bag. Both my parents and Mrs. Cassar showered us with congrats on the concourse while Stephanie kept a close eye on the competition. When the last pair took the ice, we carried our bags down the steps and sat with her in the top row.
“You’re in third right now!” She shook Josh’s arm. “You’re guaranteed a medal!”
“Are you serious?” My eyes shot up to the video board. Finishing fourth and winning the pewter medal would be beyond awesome after all we had gone through.
“If this team messes up, you can move up to bronze,” Stephanie said.
“Steph,” Josh chided her.
“What? Where’s your ambition?”
“We’re not going to cheer for someone else to screw up,” he said.
She rolled her eyes. “Always the Boy Scout.”
Josh shook his head but grinned at me. If Stephanie was going to be evil, at least she was on our side. I was still getting used to that.
The pair on the ice, a team just up from juniors, began their program to The Phantom of the Opera, and Stephanie groaned.
“Ugh, I’m so over this music.”
Josh covered his mouth, and I couldn’t tell whether he was muffling a laugh or a comment for his sister. I put my attention back on the ice and watched the young team skate slowly through their elements. Their jumps, throws, and lifts were less difficult than what Josh and I had done, and they didn’t fill the rink with their skating. Everything looked small in comparison to the other teams, which was understandable for a new senior pair. I chewed on my thumbnail, wondering if our score just might beat theirs.
As we waited for the final standings, Josh held both my hands between his, saving my thumbnail from more abuse. The numbers popped up on the big screen, and Josh pumped my hands. We’d finished third!
I grabbed him for a hug. “I can’t believe we got bronze!”
“Two days ago I thought we might be last,” he said.
“I told you that you could get third,” Stephanie said. “You’re a million times better than those scrubs that just skated.”
Josh and I both sat open-mouthed, searching for the right response.
“Umm… thanks, I’m glad you think so,” I said.
We had to wait until much later that night to get our medals, so we filled the hours with a family dinner celebration and losing our voices cheering for Liza as she won her first national title. Josh didn’t receive so much as a text from his parents, and sadly I wasn’t surprised. He didn’t seem fazed, though, as he received more than enough love from my parents and Mrs. Cassar.
When we finally stood on the podium, I kissed my medal and beamed at Josh standing behind me. “It’s crazy how the same result can cause such different feelings. Last year bronze meant heartache and devastation, and this year I’m so ridiculously happy with it. This is now my favorite medal
I’ve ever won.”
He smiled and wrapped one arm around me. “This day is my favorite everything.”
I couldn’t wait to see the photos of the ceremony because Josh and I must have had the biggest, cheesiest smiles in all of them. We raced around the ice for the victory lap and exited to let the ice dance medalists take the stage. Our friends and family were sitting in the front row, and I presented my bouquet of blue flowers to Mrs. Cassar.
“None of this would’ve been possible without you,” I said. “I wish we could give you more.”
She reached down and touched my cheek and then Josh’s. “You gave me the greatest thrill today. Seeing you do all those hard tricks so beautifully and with so much passion for each other was the best gift you could give me.”
Quinn scooted forward on Em’s mom’s lap. “I wanna see your medal.”
I pulled the red, white, and blue ribbon from around my neck and handed it to her. She peered at it and ran her finger over the lettering.
“I gonna win one when I get older,” she said.
She had just started taking lessons, but I had no trouble believing she would be a winner someday. With Em and Sergei’s genes and her tenacity, she had the makings of a legendary superstar.
“No doubt you will, Miss Aquinnah,” I said.
“You two are all the talk on social media,” Stephanie said as she scrolled on her phone. “No one cares about the champions.”
“Everyone loves a good comeback story,” Mrs. Cassar said.
Mom leaned over the railing and patted Josh’s shoulder. “You both must be exhausted after the week you’ve had.”
“I actually feel better than I have in months,” Josh said.
“Me, too. I’m ready to dance.” I shimmied my hips.
“Are you going to the lame competitors’ party?” Stephanie asked.
“Yes, we are.” Josh hugged me to his side. “I’ve been waiting almost ten years to dance with this girl at the party.”
I stood on the toes of my skate guards and pecked his cheek. “I’m all yours.”
****
In the dark hotel ballroom, skaters of all ages busted out their best dance moves around us. A couple of novice kids almost crashed into me while doing The Dougie, and Josh shielded me with his body.
“It’s getting dangerous.” I laughed.
He locked me inside his arms. “You’re safe in here.”
I smiled and put my hands around his waist, and our hips moved together to the hip-hop rhythm. We’d been fused together on the dance floor since we’d arrived.
“You know, I remember seeing you at this party every year,” I said. “You were always off to the side with your friends… never dancing.”
“There was only one reason I came to the parties, and that was to watch you,” he said, coiling one of my curls around his finger.
“I don’t remember feeling like I was being watched.”
“That’s because I had the whole stealth admirer thing down cold.”
He treated me to one of his little shy grins, and I brought my hands up to his face.
“The fact that you were still enamored with me after witnessing my spastic dancing tells me you’re definitely a keeper,” I said.
“You were so damn cute. I wanted to ask you to dance so bad.”
“You should have. I would’ve said yes in a hot second. You were pretty damn cute, too.” I teased my fingers into his hair. “Still are.”
His body tightened against mine, and he bit his bottom lip. “Now that I’ve fulfilled my fantasy of being here with you, why don’t we continue the party in a more private place?”
I smiled. “Not so shy anymore, are you?”
We snaked through the crowd and entered the cool air of the lobby. As we passed one of the three bars in the hotel, Josh stopped and pointed inside.
“I need to get something real quick. I’ll be right back.”
I gave him a curious look, wondering what he would be getting in a bar. A few minutes later he came out, holding a bottle of champagne and two glasses.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“Champagne.”
“I know that, Silly, but what are you doing with it?”
“What better way to have my first drink than with celebratory champagne?” He grinned.
When we reached our room, I turned on the desk lamp and plugged my iPod into the alarm clock. I clicked on my RB playlist and danced over to Josh while slipping off my ballet flats.
“Let the party continue,” I said as he twirled me around.
He tore the paper from the top of the champagne bottle and aimed the cork away from us. With a loud pop, the cork went flying onto the bed and champagne spilled out.
“Whoa.” Josh swung the bottle over the desk so it wouldn’t drip onto the carpet. He filled our glasses and handed me one. “We have to do a toast, of course.”
“Do you have one in mind?”
“I do.” His eyes captured mine and lingered there. “I’ve wanted to say this to you since we skated this afternoon.”
My heart beat a little faster, and I shifted closer to Josh. He lifted his glass, never breaking his gaze on me.
“To my partner and my best friend.” He paused. “I imagined this day so many times, skating with you at nationals, giving everything we have to each other, and it was beyond anything I could’ve ever imagined.” He gently tucked my hair behind my ear. “You are beyond all my fantasies… and I’ve had some really great ones about you.”
He gave me a devilish smile, and every part of my body filled with heat. I was about to knock the champagne from his hand so I could get to his delicious lips first.
“Thank you for making all my dreams come true,” he said.
I melted inside from his words and from the way he was looking at me. His glass clinked against mine, and we took long sips. Josh hummed quietly in satisfaction.
“This is pretty tasty,” he said.
“You’re not going to become a lush on me?”
He laughed. “Nah, I’ll save it for special occasions.”
“Like when we win gold next year?” I smiled and ran my finger down his chest.
His face grew serious. “So you want to keep competing?”
My hand froze on his sweater. “Of course. Don’t you?”
“Yes, definitely. I just wasn’t sure how you felt since this season has been so rough. I didn’t know if you wanted to take the chance of more crazy things happening.”
I exhaled with relief. “All the injuries and setbacks in the world couldn’t stop me from skating with you. Even with the craziness, I still loved every single second of being your partner. Do you know how excited I get each morning knowing I’m going to skate with you?”
“If it’s as excited as I get every time I’m with you on and off the ice, I have a good idea.” His thumb brushed lightly across my cheek.
I leaned into his touch and raised my glass. “Then to our beautiful partnership.”
We tapped our glasses together and emptied them, and Josh lifted my chin. His lips caressed mine, giving me a much better buzz than the alcohol.
“Do you want more champagne?” I murmured.
He didn’t answer, but he took my glass and set it on the desk with his. He curled one hand around my hip and the other behind my neck. The fire in his eyes stole my breath.
“I want you,” he said.
He kissed me, and I wrapped my arms around him, joining us together and sealing the end of the perfect day.
Chapter Thirteen
Six Weeks Later
“What a gorgeous night.” I tilted my head back to gaze at the sky full of twinkling light. “There must be a million stars out.”
Josh unlocked his front door and took my hand. “I ordered them especially for your birthday.”
I smiled and followed him inside. “Thank you for the romantic candlelight dinner. I’ve always wanted to eat at the Chatham Bars Inn.”
We shed our coats
and tossed them over the kitchen chairs, and Josh grasped both my hands, leading me to the sofa.
“The dinner wasn’t your only gift.” He sat me on the couch while he remained standing in front of me. “I have a surprise for you.”
He unknotted his tie and slipped it from under his dress shirt collar, and I lifted my eyebrows. “Are you going to give me a show?”
His mouth stretched into a slow grin. “That’ll come later.”
He bent over me and placed the tie over my eyes, knotting it behind my head. His fingers combed through my hair and under my chin, and I shivered from anticipation.
“I don’t trust you not to peek,” he said, his breath tickling my lips.
“Curiosity is killing me.”
He eased me back against the cushions. “Sit back and relax. The wait is almost over.”
His warmth left me, and I listened hard for any clues of his surprise. He was so quiet I wondered if he had left the room. Finally, I heard some rustling, and a few moments later, a sound that was music to my ears both literally and figuratively.
The piano.
I gasped and ripped off the blindfold. Josh sat at his keyboard, playing “Exogenesis Symphony Part 3.” I couldn’t take my eyes off his beautiful hands dancing over the keys. I’d missed that sight so much. Tears tightened my throat, and I smiled as I noticed Josh had rolled up his sleeves to show off the bracelet I’d given him. It looked as amazing in action as I’d thought it would.
Josh wore a look of such peace as he played that my tears of joy couldn’t be contained. I wiped them from my face and went to stand beside the keyboard as Josh finished the final stanza.
He hit the last note and looked up at me with a brilliant smile. I dropped onto the bench and threw my arms around him.
“When did this happen?” I cried.
“The last couple of weeks it all started to get easier. Every time I heard a song on the radio, I could picture myself playing it. I used the sheet music first, and then I was able to play them from memory — all my favorite songs.”
His eyes shone as brilliantly as his smile, and I placed enthusiastic kisses all over his face and his mouth.
Losing the Ice (Ice Series #2) Page 11
