“I gave them honest feedback.”
“You can be honest and still be kind.”
Bash shook his head. “I will not coddle them.”
“I’m not coddling them. I’m being kind,” Robbie huffed.
“They will not get better that way.”
Robbie threw up his hands. “Well, we’ll have to see, won’t we?” He skated off, shaking his head in frustration.
Bash picked up the cones and then joined Robbie at the boards, where he was collapsing the tripod they had used for their phones.
“I’m sorry,” Bash said.
“I don’t think I heard you,” Robbie quipped.
Bash rolled his eyes. “You will not make me repeat it.”
Robbie tried and failed to hide a smile. “Okay. I forgive you. I’ll try to be more direct with my criticisms.”
“And I will try to be…nice,” Bash said.
“Don’t sound so excited about it.”
“I’m not excited about it.”
“It was sarcasm, Bash.”
Bash shrugged. “Okay. Look, it’s your girlfriend.”
Robbie dropped the tripod and almost fell on the ice while trying to pick it up. He popped up, red-faced. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”
Bash snickered. “Close enough. Look.” He nodded to where Clarisse was talking with a flock of other figure skaters. She glanced their way, saw Robbie, and offered a little wave.
Bash skated behind Robbie, quietly singing a Dutch love song and dodging dirty looks from his friend.
“Hi,” Robbie said when they reached the figure skaters. Clarisse’s friends giggled. Bash stopped behind Robbie and looked for Adonis in the group. He wasn’t there, and Bash felt a small bite of disappointment.
“Hi,” Clarisse said. Her dark hair was pulled into a bun, and she wore trim black workout clothes. Unlike Robbie, she didn’t look like she’d had a wild romp last night. “Did you guys destroy the ice for us?”
Robbie waved a hand at the ice. “How does it look?”
“Like it was mauled by hockey players.”
Bash tsked. “It’s not so bad.”
“Hi, Bash,” Clarisse said.
“Clarisse.”
“How’s your shoulder?”
He touched it. “Ready for bashing.”
“Wow,” Robbie said. “Was that a joke? What did you do with the Dutchman I know and love?”
“I make jokes,” Bash said, straight-faced. “I’m very funny.”
