“Keep an eye on my sister,” Parker tells me, his voice sharp and commanding. I make it a point not to look directly at Brittany, who I can already tell is the most beautiful woman in this entire city, I’m sure of it.
And it brings out my awkward side.
I playfully salute Parker. “Sir, yes, sir!”
He rolls his eyes at me, and then scoops Amy into his arms, like he doesn’t dislike being in the same space that she’s breathing. The man is clearly in denial about his feelings for her, but you won’t catch me pointing that out to him—not seriously, anyway.
I watch them disappear through the crowd to catch the Uber, and only then do I turn to Brittany, who causes my heart to flip-flop at a dangerous rate.
“So…” Her voice trails off as her blue eyes meet mine, filled with an air of both unfamiliarity and familiarity. It’s a strange combination, but intoxicating, nonetheless. “Weston. Long time no see. You look … different.”
“Good different, or bad different?” I ask, immediately wishing I could shove the words back in my mouth.
What am I, sixteen?
But she laughs, the sound light and genuine. “Good different. Definitely good. How have you been?”
“I’ve been fine, good, great,” I say stupidly, like I suddenly don’t know how to communicate like the thirty-year-old man I am. It’s embarrassing, but she doesn’t seem to notice. “You?”
“Oh, you know, just living with my brother because I’m newly single and homeless.” She sighs, pushing some of her pretty blonde hair behind her ear.
“I’msosorry, Brit,” I say, and I mean it. I don’t know how a man could ever kick this woman to the curb. I can’t even imagine being lucky enough tohavea woman like Brittany.
I sound crazy.
“It’s all right. I mean, it’s not, really, but … I guess there’s really only one way to go from here…” she says, letting out a breath that’s half-laugh, half-sigh.
“Up.” I grin.
“Exactly.”
For a moment, we just stand there, the world blurring around us. I realize I’m staring and quickly look away, not wanting to get caught gawking at the woman. She’s way too cute for her own good, but I can’t let anyone know I actually think that.
She’s more off-limits now than ever before.
“Wanna skate and forget about all our problems?” I finally blurt out.
She grins. “Let’s do it.”
My stomach does a weird little flip. “Great,” I say, trying to sound casual. “Though I should probably warn you that I haven’t gone ice skating since I was, like, twelve.”
She raises an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “Don’t worry. I’ll catch you if you fall.”
“I’m not sure you’d survive the impact,” I joke, gesturing to my frame compared to hers. “I’ve grown a bit since we last met.”
“I noticed,” she says, and then a slight blush colors her already pink cheeks. “I mean, you know, you’re taller.”
We make our way to the edge of the rink, and I watch as she steps confidently onto the ice, her movements fluid and practiced. I hesitate for a moment, trying to remember how this works. One foot, then the other. Simple physics.
Just don’t embarrass yourself in front of the girl you’ve had a secret crush on since the day you met her in college.
“Coming?” she asks, already a few feet away, turning to face me with an outstretched hand.
I take a deep breath and step onto the ice, immediately feeling my balance shift. But instead of the awkward wobbling I expected, my body seems to remember what to do. It’s like riding a bike—your muscles don’t forget.
“Hey, look at that,” Brittany says, seeming genuinely impressed. “You’re a natural.”
“Or I’m faking it really well,” I reply, finding my rhythm as we start to glide forward together. “Give me a few minutes before you judge.”
