“Probably.” I smile. Interacting with Brody again so I can give his daughter skating lessons? There’s a plot twist I never saw coming. “Guess we’ll find out.”
Grant offersto drive me home, but I decide to walk. The late autumn air is nice, even when a breeze ripples past and I pull my jacket tighter around my body. At a red light, I fish my phone out of my pocket.
I find Brody’s messages buried under a dozen other notifications have come through the last two days and take a deep breath. I tap his number, reading through what he sent me one more time.
Unknown number
Hey. Grant gave me your number. I’m not sure if he mentioned it, but my daughter, Olivia, needs a figure skating coach. Are you interested? I’ll pay.
It’s Brody. Brody Saunders. The DC Stars coach.
Sorry. Let me try this one more time. Hi, Hannah. It’s Brody. Grant gave me your number, and I hope it’s okay I’m reaching out to you. My daughter needs a figure skating coach, and you come highly recommended. Let me know if that’s something you’d like to discuss further. I hope you’re doing well.
Brody Saunders. The DC Stars coach.
As if I don’t remember every detail about him—his fingers pushing inside me. The hot, wet press of his mouth on my neck and how hard he was. The way we almost fucked and his threat of putting me over his knee.
We were soclose.
Inches.
That’s all that separated us.
Heat inundates my body. I fan my face, begging my brain to not latch on to the rough husk of his voice when he asked if I could feel him.
It’s the hardest task of my life.
I swipe away from his message and pull up the internet instead, typing in his name and adding +daughterto the end of the search. Google loads, and I can’t find photos of her anywhere.
I’m not surprised. I bet he keeps her out of the public eye to protect their privacy. He’s not the most famous athlete in the world, but he’s still someone people know. And in a city that’s obsessed with hockey, I’m sure trying to keep your kids safe without leaving a digital footprint is harder than it sounds.
I hope she’s never had people offer to coach her for selfish reasons: they want access to her dad. A firsthand glimpse into a life of someone they could take to publications and sell for an exuberant amount of money. General creepiness.
Brody lit up when he talked about his daughter. His whole face changed, and it’s obvious she’s the best part of his life. Watching her end up with a coach who only cares about themselves and boosting their resume without having Olivia’s best interests at heart makes my chest hurt.
It happened to me years ago. One of my first coaches saw my potential. She saw Olympics and Championships and how my success could benefit her, so she pushed me to my limits then well past. My body ached. I was reprimanded in front of the other skaters at my rink when I didn’t place as high as she wanted. My spirit was crushed. I thought that was how intense every coach was… until I found the right one.
I want the same experience for Olivia.
Not for Brody’s sake, but in honor of the little girl I used to be who had big dreams and a big heart.
I can get past whatever brief relationship Brody and I had in favor of a young skater with the world out in front of her. I pull up his messages again, my thumbs typing out an answer I’ve already decided on.
Me
Thanks for your offer. Full disclosure, I don’t have any coaching experience, which is important for younger figure skaters so they’ll be trained correctly. Totally understand if you want to go a different route after learning that.
I push open the door to my apartment building, and his response comes seconds later. It’s like he’s been waiting for me to message him.
Unknown number
My daughter told me how good you are. I watched videos of you, and she’s right. You’re terrific. As someone who was also thrust into a coaching role somewhat unexpectedly, trust me when I say you learn as you go.
Me
Okay, yeah. I’d be open to talking more about a potential partnership.
Unknown number
