Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 83355 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83355 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
A romantic song starts in the background, a little cheesy but I’m going with it. “Let’s skate first.”
We sit on the bench by the ice and lace up our skates. Willa looks at me, her eyes sparkling. “This is beyond charming, King. I’m not sure I believe that story you told me that you don’t have experience dating.”
Chuckling, I nudge her shoulder with mine. “I’m a creative guy. And anything worth doing is worth doing well. Now, let’s see what you can do out there.”
Willa laughs, shaking her head, and that long brown hair pours over her shoulders. “All right, but no judging.”
I grin. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
As we step onto the ice, the smooth surface reflects the colored lights spinning around us, creating an enchanting atmosphere. The lilting melody of “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran fills the air, setting a romantic backdrop for our evening. I don’t know if it’s over the top because again… not a lot of experience. But Willa’s smile as she takes it all in makes me think it was the right call.
I watch as she glides effortlessly across the ice, her movements fluid and light. Her long hair flows behind her, her arms held out gracefully, and she looks like she was born to be out here.
“Let me see something cool,” I call out, eager to witness her skills.
She grins at me. “All right… I’m going to start easy with a single axel. This is the foundation of many figure skating skills.”
Willa builds up speed, her blades crisply slicing the ice. Her eyes are focused ahead, and I can see the determination in her expression. She approaches the jump with a smooth, forward glide on one foot, her body perfectly balanced. As she reaches the takeoff point, she pushes off from the outside edge of her left skate, launching herself into the air. My breath catches as I watch her leap, her body twisting in midair. It’s so fast I can’t tell how many times she goes around, but I’m thinking one and a half because she lands facing me on the back outside edge of her right skate.
She says she doesn’t skate that often, but she looks like she never left the ice. The single axel might be a foundational jump, but in Willa’s execution, it’s nothing short of breathtaking. She makes it look so effortless, her movements smooth and precise. As she skates back toward me, a smile lighting up her face, I find myself in awe of her talent and beauty.
Breezing by me, Willa does a few elegant spins and another small jump near where I stand. As she lands, her skate catches in a groove in the ice, and she stumbles forward. I react quickly, catching her in my arms, the force of her nearly knocking us both over.
I hold her for a long moment, her body pressed against me. Those pretty blue-gray eyes meet mine, and for a moment I wonder if I should kiss her. The thought lingers, making my heart race, but instead, I smile and ask, “Can you show me how to skate with you?”
She grins, pulling back slightly but still holding my hand. “Sure. Let’s start with some basics. I’ll show you how we can dance together on the ice.”
Willa positions herself in front of me. “Hold my hands like this,” she instructs, and I grip onto her. “Now, follow my lead. We’ll start slow.”
We begin to move, her guiding me through simple steps, our skates gliding in unison. Despite being a hockey player, this is different, more intricate. She leads me into a basic hold, her hands directing me to place one hand on her waist and the other holding her free hand.
“Keep your knees slightly bent,” she says, her voice low and encouraging. “And match my rhythm.”
We skate around the rink, our movements syncing, and I start to get the hang of it. We pick up speed, laughing and joking as we go. Willa’s laughter is infectious, and I find myself grinning from ear to ear.
“You’re doing great,” she says, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Now, watch this.”
She turns around gracefully, skating backward while still holding my hands. “Just keep your eyes on me,” she says, guiding us around the rink. We continue to glide, our movements becoming more fluid and confident.
“This is amazing,” I say, marveling at how effortlessly she leads me. “You’re amazing.”
She blushes, her cheeks rosy from the cold and the compliment. “You’re not too bad yourself. Maybe if you want to ditch your hockey gig, we could try couples figure skating.”
Laughing, I shake my head. “I think I’ll keep my day job.”
We continue to skate and it feels like we’re the only two people in the world, lost in this perfect moment together. Because we’re both athletes and are at home on the ice, we become more adventurous with our movements. Willa spins around to face me again, joy shining across her face. But just as we’re about to make another turn, I lose my balance and immediately loosen my hold on her hands. She doesn’t let go though and as I start to fall, she comes with me. Instinctively, I twist to take the brunt and we crash down onto the ice.