Ten minutes later, I’m on the ice, clutching onto the side. I can just about skate, but this heavy Santa costume makes everything ten times more difficult. I’ve taken off the beard and my face is cold. Jamal walks over to the Candy Cabin, Max following, his reindeer antlers bobbing.
I’m too far away to hear what they’re saying, but Melody smiles when Jamal presents her with the skates. She then reads the note I’ve tucked under Max’s collar and looks up. It’s my cue to lumber out onto the center of the ice. I wobble awkwardly on my skates, the Santa suit hindering my movements. My arms flail about like a windmill, and I'm pretty sure I look ridiculous. I don’t fall over, but it’s close.
The wind blows as a few people with better skills skate around the outside of the rink. Some teenagers take advantage of Jamal’s absence to go straight onto the ice with their own skates and without paying the entrance fee. They whoop and holler, racing each other around the outside. There’s a tap on my arm.
“I don’t think the Santa suit is helping your mobility.” Melody’s voice is playful.
“I think you’re right.”
“That note made me laugh. ‘Santa in peril! Please help me!’ How could I resist?” She skates around me, ending with a little pirouette.
“I really need help. I’m not even sure if I can make it back to the edge again.”
“Sure you can.” Melody reaches for my hand. The contact makes my heart pound in my ears and my dick hard. I start laughing at the idea of having a hard-on while dressed as Santa Claus in the middle of an ice rink.
“What’s so funny?” Melody starts to skate very slowly and I try to keep up.
I shake my head. “I’m terrible at this.”
“Nonsense. You’re not bad at all. It’s mainly confidence.” Her small hand is warm in mine as we circle the outside. After a couple of laps, I’m used to the weight of the Santa suit and we speed up a little.
I’m warming up with the exercise and despite myself, I find myself humming along toAll I Want For Christmas Is You. Something about the song rings true to me. If I could unwrap Melody on Christmas Day, I think I’d die from sheer happiness.
“I hear you humming, grumpy. I thought you hated holiday songs the most?” Melody smirks.
“They’re growing on me.”
“Next you’ll be telling me that you’re coming to the Christmas Eve Eve party tomorrow night…” She spins around so she’s skating backward.
I open my mouth to tell her that if she’s going, I’ll be there too, but one of the teenagers catches my attention. He’s also skating backward, but way too quickly, and he’s going to crash into Melody. I grab her, pulling her out of his way before he touches her. I’m too clumsy to stop us from both sliding down onto the ice and I end up on top of her, propping myself up so I don’t crush her with my weight. My hand is behind her head, stopping it from hitting the ice. We’re both breathing heavily, our faces inches apart.
“Are you okay?” I ask. Her wavy blonde hair is spread out on the ice.
“Yes, I’m fine. I know how to fall. How about you?” She doesn’t move her head away.
“All the padding helped. Nothing’s broken. I’m not sure how I’m going to get up, though.”
She starts laughing. “We’ll be trapped here for the night. At least your fake belly will keep me warm.”
“How do you know it’s fake?”
That makes her laugh harder. I want to kiss her, to finally feel those soft lips under mine. She smells so good close up, like frosted vanilla, that I don’t want to move. There’s the sound of a throat clearing above us and I reluctantly look up.
Jamal is standing there. “Saw the accident. Good save. I’ve thrown those boys off but you can carry on if you like. Fifteen minutes left before I close for good.” He puts his hand out and hauls me to my feet. Melody performs some kind of graceful maneuver to get back on her feet. We skate over to the center of the rink as a light snow starts to fall.
We’re the only people left here now. I take Melody’s hands and we spin in a slow circle a couple of times asLet It Snowplays over the speakers. I can’t stop staring at her and she’s gazing back at me, as we slow the circle down, getting closer with each rotation. She giggles as I stop, catching her around the waist and pressing her into my body.
"Will you kiss me?" she whispers, her breath forming little clouds in the crisp air. I shouldn't do this, but the pull between us is too strong to resist.
"Melody, I..." My voice falters as I reach out and touch her cheek, the soft warmth of her skin contrasting with the icy chill on my fingertips.
"Keaton," she breathes again, her eyes searching mine as if looking for confirmation. Rhys would never approve, but right now, all I can focus on is this beautiful girl in front of me on the ice.
I lean in close as our lips finally meet. Her lips are soft under mine, as my tongue explores her mouth, both of us breathing fast, the world melting away around us. It’s better than I could ever have imagined, her curves pressed against me, out here in the middle of the ice.
Max barks and I stop kissing Melody in order to check where he is. He’s standing with his paws up on the side of the rink, his antlers falling off.
"Wow," Melody murmurs as we break apart, her cheeks flushed. "That was...unexpected."
