I chose to blame the jerk who’d not only interrupted my lovely afternoon but who’d also destroyed my flowers. Now I’d need to wait until the next payday to purchase more. Asshole. At least I could wrap all my anger and hatred around one man.
Even if he’d been a hot man.
Why, oh, why a single tear had formed, threatening to leak from my right eye I wasn’t certain, but whoever the asshole was on the Zamboni, I certainly wasn’t going to allow him to see that he’dupset me. When I was almost to the exit, the second track of the music I’d selected began to play.
What the hell?
There was no way the system had stopped and started again and certainly, the dude driving the ice-smoothing machine wasn’t controlling the sound system. I skated to a stop, sticking the tip of my blade into the ice while slowly looking over my shoulder.
The Zamboni was still idling.
Maybe I was making something out of nothing, but I could swear the person was challenging me. When he revved the engine, I was positive I was right. As a favorite part of the music inched closer, I half laughed, mostly to myself and wiped the useless tears from my eyes.
Well, why not be reckless for a change?
Since I was thirteen years old, I’d been told I couldn’t do anything stupid. I couldn’t go out with my friends. I couldn’t go to amusement parks. I couldn’t go dancing or to the prom. I couldn’t go to the beach or camping.
I couldn’t have fun.
I couldn’t breathe.
I couldn’t skate.
As far as I was concerned, I was due a little recklessness.
Fuck it. I began to skate. Within seconds not only did I feel the music, I could smell it in the air, the vibrancy of the deep bass, the tribal beat of the drums. Every gothic and haunting chord sent chills through me. My blades skimmed across the smooth ice, a light fog floating ever so silently toward the metal rafters.In refusing to allow the horrible person to interrupt my precious time, I was driven back into the beautiful moment of freedom.
With my arms out, I lifted my face toward the ceiling, daring to be that girl I’d always wanted to be.
Then another noise shattered my inner fantasy.
I’d be damned if the motherfucker wasn’t trying to destroy what little happiness I grabbed as my own once a week. Once a week. Was that asking for too much? The whir of the engine indicated the massive machine was closer. As hard as I tried to ignore that it seemed to be following me, after a full minute I couldn’t any longer.
Turning, I did something unthinkable in my mind, at least for me.
Even with the glove on, I offered the driver my middle finger.
While I couldn’t see the guy’s face, I was positive by his size he was a huge man, likely laughing at me. Hmmm… What did I usually do when some jerk was laughing at me? I didn’t back away. That was for certain. Why would I now? Skating backward by a few yards, I beckoned him with both hands.
“If you can handle the heat,” I yelled.
Now it was a little fun. This time when I skated away, I did so on the front points of my blades until the music hit a crescendo. Then I let go, half skating, half dancing to the powerful chorus. When I was in a zone, nothing could stop me.
Not even an asshole on a Zamboni.
While I’d been certain he was trying to be the big he-man, using his big balls to make me stop, I was surprised to find out I waswrong. When he moved the machine forward, I laughed softly and flew into a double lutz. The moment I came down, I twirled, both arms over my head and I looked toward the ceiling.
When I started to move again, I caught sight of the driver. It took me a few seconds to realize what the guy was doing, but when I did, a strange tickle shifted down my spine.
He was doing everything in his power to mimic my actions.
With a huge, powerful machine.
I shifted how I skated so I could watch what he was doing, even altering my moves to simpler ones that could be imitated.
And he did.
Moving back and forth almost gracefully.
