Gemma accepted the flowers and sniffed them. “These are stunning. Thank you so much.” They were a bouquet of pink, red, and white roses. The smell reminded her of an expensive bottle of her favorite Jo Malone Red Roses perfume.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t see your text message until just now.”
“You just received it?”
He nodded.
“Then how did you know how badly I needed to see you?”
“I didn’t. It’s just a coincidence. I flew into Toledo this afternoon to surprise you.” Tim rubbed the back of his neck. “Watching you this afternoon was the first time I’ve ever seen you skate. What you can do on that tiny metal blade is just amazing! You were hands down the best skater on that ice. I’d planned to meet you at the stage door at the arena, but you never came out.”
“That’s on me.” Gemma’s cheeks warmed. “I had one final treatment with Mel, our PT. I was one of the last skaters to leave. I must’ve just missed you.”
“That’s what I figured when I ran into Fernando. That’s how I knew where to find you.”
Her face fell. “Well, I’m glad you were able to see today’s skate. It was my last.”
“Huh?”
“It’s kind of a long story.” She glanced over her outfit. “Um, tell you what, let me put these flowers in my room and change. I’ll meet you back down here in five minutes.”
“Okay.” Tim nodded. “What do you think about going for a walk? It looked like there were some charming festive lights on Main Street we can check out.”
“I’d like that.”
Rising up onto her toes, she kissed him, then left the room.
Chapter 24
It wasn’t cold enough to snow, but the air was still a brisk chill. Gemma pulled the zipper of her black puffer coat up higher. Despite being from Scotland, and a figure skater, she still would never be a fan of cold weather.
As she walked with Tim through Promenade Park, an area across the street from the hotel, the distant sounds of a brass band playing classic carols filled the air.
“The hotel concierge mentioned that the tree lighting is at nine,” Tim said. “If you can spare some the time, I thought maybe we could stroll past the market stalls, grab a bite to eat, then circle back here to watch it?”
“That sounds brilliant. I’m a free woman. I have all the time in the world.”
“Gemma?”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “Dreams on Ice terminated my contract this afternoon.”
He abruptly stopped walking. “What?”
She lowered her chin, staring at the sidewalk. The reality of the situation was beginning to take hold. “I’m a skater who is, in their words, ‘past their prime.’ They don’t have a use for a skater who ‘can’t meet the standards set by the company.’” Saying those words aloud left a bitter taste in her mouth.
“How is it that a person who is only twenty-eight can be past their prime? What cockamamie person told you that?”
“A caseworker from HR.” Gemma sighed. “In a way, she was right. Most skaters peak before they turn eighteen.”
Tim huffed. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. What about people like Frankie and Charlie? They’re not teens. They’re both mature skaters in their early thirties.”
Gemma’s gaze traveled to Tim’s face. The lines around his eyes and brow made him appear more distinguished.He’s kind of adorable when he’s angry on my behalf.
“They’re both an exception to the rule.”
“I don’t understand. You were under a contract with them through the end of the year. It’s the second week in December. How does it make any sense to let you go now? What about giving you notice?”
Gemma explained how the situation had been exacerbated by her visits to Dr. Zhang and how the date on her termination letter had been preset.
