If I knew what I was doing, this might look graceful, since I don't, I'm just happy I'm still standing up.
“You're doing great.” His other hand unclasps from mine and lands on my hip. He's fully behind me now, barely helping me as I glide across the ice.
“Now, I'm going to make some minor adjustments to your posture that will help you feel more confident on the ice. Are you okay with that?”
“Yes.” the word comes out shaky because I feel myself potentially falling. When my back straightens, Scotty reaches his hand around me and moves my center of gravity forward.
“Your torso needs to lean slightly forward for balance.” Still skating, I follow his instruction as his other hand moves down toward my tailbone. “You also need to push yourbutt out a little.”
I whimper and nod, preparing myself for the inevitable stroke of his hand across my ass, but it doesn't come.
“Beautiful,” he purrs.
I know he's talking about my skating, but since I can’t see him, it feels like he's talking about my ass.
Which…embarrassingly…my brain goes there.
For a split second, I imagine his hand on me. Those big, warm fingers spreading across the curve of my hip, sliding lower, guiding me the way he’s been guiding my feet on the ice. Firm and confident, like he’d know exactly how to touch me. Exactly how to hold me. Exactly how to—
Nope. Absolutely not.
I roll my eyes at myself, grateful he can’t see my face because I’m definitely blushing like an idiot.
“Now that your stance is corrected, do you think you can manage skating to the boards?”
It's only a few yards away, but the prospect still seems impossible.
“All you need to do is push your left foot forward, then your right. Keep this stance and you'll be golden.”
“O-okay.” I focus on the boards and wait for Scotty to remove his hands. When he does, I follow his instructions.
Left foot.
Right foot.
Left foot.
Right foot.
I move through the motion, surprised that I manage to reach the boards so quickly.
“Did I just do that?”
“You did it!” Scotty claps, sounding happier than I’ve ever heard him. “That was fantastic.”
I slowly turn against the boards, leaning my back against the boards and letting my head thump gently against the plexiglass. A smile spreads across my face before I can stop it.
“I did it,” I breathe out. “Ifuckingdid it.”
“Now,” he says, “I'm going to ask you to do it again. Can you skate back to me?”
I want to laugh; the prospect feels impossible. Before, I had Scotty to help push me off in the right direction. I doubt the boards have the same ability.
“Come on, Princess. I know you can do this.”
I nod, take a few deep breaths, and push off the boards.
My balance slips, so I hold my arms up.
