Brushing the snow off her legs, she looked up to see a man in a black beanie entering the ice, awkwardly half walking and half sliding in a set of black running shoes. “Get off the ice! The rink is closed!”
Her chest tightened, and her pulse increased. “I . . . I was told it was okay,” she said in a small voice.
The man had reached her. He wore a pair of dark jeans and a black North Face fleece jacket with stains on the front. A wisp of curly tawny-brown hair stuck out from underneath the beanie. Although she was on skates, he was still a few inches taller than her. His cheeks were red, and forehead knitted with tension. His green eyes were like neon lightning bolts shooting out jolts of electricity. Unkempt scruff coated his face, making him appear almost wild.
“Who told you that you could skate right now?” he growled. “Don’t you have any common sense? It’s dangerous to be out on the ice alone. What if you fell and hit your head?”
Frankie swallowed hard. She understood the risks of skating as well as anyone. Didn’t the man see that she knew what she was doing? She’d lost count of how many waivers she had been asked to sign when she was hired. Wasn’t this session only for coaches?
“Well? Who was it?” He crossed his arms, glaring at her.
“Jack,” she sputtered.
“Jack?” He looked up and down at her.
“The manager.”
“I know who he is,” the man snapped.
“When he hired me, he said staff members could skate before the public session.”
He looked down his nose at her. “Are you even old enough to work here?”
Her nostrils flared. “Yes!” She placed her hands on her hips. “Look, I’m sorry. Clearly, I was given some wrong information. I’ll get off the ice now.”
The man removed his beanie and ran a hand through his hair. It stuck out like an untamed lion’s mane. Frankie could see some pieces appeared tangled. “See that you do. Don’t let me catch you out here alone again. Make arrangements for someone to be here if you’re planning to skate. I don’t have time to babysit you.”
Then, just as quickly as he’d yelled at her, he turned and started walking toward the exit.
There are so many things I want to say to you right now, like call you out for being rude, but I’m not that kind of person.
She clenched her fists together and gave the man a twenty-second head start. She refused to let him ruin her day. She had enough problems to worry about with her father.
CHAPTER 3
Frankie: Oh. Em. Gee. You will never believe what just happened.
Gemma: About time I heard from you. It’s been an entire week. Spill the tea! How’s the new job going? I’m stuck on a hot bus with a broken AC, and I need something to take my mind off it.
Frankie: Do you remember that grump I mentioned yelling at me on Monday?
Gemma: Did you see him again?
Frankie:Yes. We were already off to a bad start, but things have gone from bad to worse.
Gemma: That’s cryptic.
Frankie: *Flaming red face emoji*
She took a deep breath.
Frankie:This morning, I was trying to juggle my coffee, skate bag, and all my stuff for the day. I wasn’t exactly looking where I was going; I pulled open the complex door and . . .
Gemma: Did you knock into the grump?
Frankie: Worse. He stepped aside, but when I was shifting my skate bag to my shoulder, I accidentally hit his arm and the venti coffee he was holding.
Gemma: Ouch.
