Grayson rolled forward, then came to a stop exactly in front of me. “It’s really hot to watch you struggle on roller skates,” he said with a laugh.
At the same time, we both extended our elbows. Linking together, he started to roll forward, and with him to anchor me, I skated along slowly.
“You know,” I said, “most people never say anything about my business face.” I caught my breath, almost slipping as we rolled off the carpet and onto the large roller rink with its slick floor. Familiar dance hits were humming through the air, and people skated around at all levels of skill. “That’s what Marco and I call it,” I explained. “Business face.”
Grayson laughed. “I hadn’t really thought about it, but I guess dress code for you is nightlife clothing, instead of business wear.”
“I’m sure you know from running a small business. You end up meeting all the time with accountants and graphic designers and god knows who else, too.”
Grayson tightened his hold on my elbow, steadying me. A small group skated by, darting around us and spinning in patterns. Once they passed, he let go, and we both skated forward, my center of gravity holding.
“I get to do most of my business online,” Grayson said, “but I definitely agree. Managing it takes a lot more time than people would assume.”
“I wish I could have a style more like yours. You seem to hit a perfect combination of dapper and comfortable.” I glanced at the soft linen shirt he was wearing, a light blue with white piping and a collar that hung naturally open. “You look like yourself.”
Grayson grabbed my arm suddenly, then guided me to the side. It was only once we passed it that I noticed the water bottle, rolling on the shiny wooden floor.
“Like this,” Grayson said, pushing off with one leg, then the other. “Lean into the roll a little bit and pay attention to your core.”
I skated forward, gliding ahead of him a couple of feet. “I remember doing this in elementary school,” I said. “But all the kids were using rollerblades.”
“There are some rollerblades here,” he pointed out, gesturing. “But yeah, I like this space because it’s mainly people on skates. And you should see it on a busy night! Some of the regulars are basically professionals.”
I laughed, then concentrated to skate around the bend at the end of the track. The more we skated, the more the movements came back to me. “Suave on roller skates,” I joked. “I’ll aspire to it.”
Grayson skated a circle, holding his arms out as he spun slowly. When he was done, he skated by my side and matched my pace. “I’m glad you like my style,” he said. “It took me a while to figure out which men’s clothes I really liked to wear.”
“Hmmm,” I hummed, then skated a little closer to him. “I can picture you in all kinds of outfits.”
In a heartbeat, my legs flew out from under me, my hands flung backward, and I let out a surprised groan as I crashed to the ground. Grayson spun around, and I rubbed the sore spot on my elbow as he skated over.
“Oh no! Are you okay?” he asked, dropping to a knee.
“I’m fine,” I answered. “Just a little bruised pride.”
Grayson helped me to my feet, and I skated ahead, wobbly and unsteady until he held my elbow again. “Want to call it? Or keep going?” he asked.
I picked up my pace a little, then glanced at him over my shoulder. “Keep going, of course. You think it’s that easy to slow me down?”
Grayson laughed, then kicked his legs a few times to speed up and join me. “Wait, I just realized something.”
“What’s that?”
“If your dress code is nightclub wear, and you’ve had The Forty-Eight for a decade…”
I laughed. “It’s true. I have some truly embarrassing outfits from the start.” I leaned in and held his bicep to steady myself. I tried not to get distracted by the give of his firm muscles under my hand. “Imagine me in a pair of eggplant skinny jeans,” I confessed. “And with a blazer over my hoodie.”
Grayson chuckled, then linked his arm in mine and fell into pace. We skated a few more times around the rink, then found a spot off to the side where he could teach me how to spin, stretching one leg out and turning in a fast circle. It was easy to get swept up in his happiness, and I was grateful to know that he and I could relax together when it was just the two of us. After a while, my legs were burning, and my feet demanded a break, so we rolled off to the side to change back into shoes.
I leaned on Grayson to get my skates off. Heat came off both of our bodies, and I felt the urge to press myself close to him.
“There’s a little cafe around the corner,” he said. “The backup date plan. Maybe I could get you dinner, or at least a glass of wine?”
“I hope it’s not forward,” I answered, “but Marco and I had a talk about the expectations for these side dates. He and I have some boundaries in place for each other, but if you wanted to head home and get a little more privacy…”
Grayson took in a breath, and I felt his shoulders rise. He looked up to me. “Sure,” he said, his tongue flicking at the edge of his teeth. “I’d like that.”
“It’s okay to go to your place? Marco’s working on a project at home.”
