Page 102 of Chasing Gold, Catching Her

“Have you even seen your body? You’re a goddess.”

“You’re the goddess.”

“Yes—yes.”

They kept throwing compliments at each other like it was a game neither of them wanted to lose, laughing, bumping shoulders, drifting through the park until time itself seemed to stretch and blur, and somewhere along the way their conversation softened into something deeper, into family, into how different their lives had been shaped, and Alisa found herself thinking again and again about how much she wanted to meet Tora’s parents, if only to hug them for being the kind of people who could love someone like Tora so openly.

By the time they reached the restaurant, the shift in atmosphere was almost jarring; a waiter greeted them politely, taking the bouquet from Alisa’s hands and placing it into a vase with quiet care before leading them inside and handing them menus. The space was beautiful in a completely different way with high ceilings, crystal chandeliers glimmering above like something out of an opera hall, everything was elegant and almost theatrical, yet at the same time restrained, balanced in soft beige and brown tones that blended seamlessly together, luxurious without being overwhelming. Alisa couldn’t help but feel a little surprised that they had been let in at all.

The waiter poured them water, the glasses catching the light, and the girls nodded their thanks before lowering their attention to the menus, thank God, in English.

And then, completely out of nowhere, Tora said, “You know… I’d like you to meet my parents.”

“What?” Alisa nearly choked on her water, hastily setting the glass back down before she dropped it. “Are you serious?”

“Well… yeah! I was thinking maybe we could do a video call, but every time I imagine that, I end up remembering those… hot summer nights we shared together on video calls.” Tora bite her lower lip that made Alisa blush instantly, the memory hitting her all at once, and Tora couldn’t help but smile at the reaction.

“So then I thought it would be much better to meet in person. At the Olympics. They’ll come to support me, and we could just… you know, have dinner together. Properly.”

Alisa just stared at her, blinking, the menu completely forgotten in her hands.

“I don’t even know if I’ll be there yet,” she said finally with uncertainty.

“Of course you will. You took an important quota for your country today.”

“That doesn’t guarantee anything,” Alisa shook her head slightly. “We have a lot of strong skaters, like really strong.”

Tora set her menu aside and looked at her more seriously now. “They’ll choose you,” she said with confidence. “I know it.”

Alisa let out a small, crooked grin. “What are you now, a witch?”

“Yes,” Tora replied immediately. “I laid out tarot cards and saw that we’d be competing at the Olympics together.”

Alisa laughed, soft and bright, even if she knew it was a joke.

“But seriously,” Tora continued, “you have every chance of making it to there. And you should. You’ve come too far for it to end any other way.”

Alisa pursed her lips. “Maybe… but in the end, it won’t be up to me. It’ll be the judges back home and the Olympic committee who decide, not my coaches or anyone else… I don’t really have a voice in it.”

“That’s true,” Tora said softly, “but still… just try to believe in yourself, okay? Because I do.”

“You believe in me more than I believe in myself,” Alisa muttered, shaking her head as she lowered her gaze back to the menu, letting her eyes drift over the list of appetizers without really seeing them.

“That’s because I love you more than you love yourself.”

Alisa froze, as if the words had landed somewhere deep and sensitive, like a sudden touch she hadn’t expected. Damn… was that true? Why did Tora believe in her so easily, when she herself couldn’t even hold onto that feeling for more than a few seconds?

“Well, seems like you’re right,” she said quietly after a moment. “I should try to have more faith in myself.”

“That’s the spirit, babe” Tora smiled, lightening the mood just a little. “And now, let’s eat something actually good. We still have a night walk around Beijing ahead of us… and then a very fun rodeo back in my room.”

Alisa nearly choked on her own saliva and coughed, nodding quickly. “Yes, mamacita, we need to restore our strength first and then go conquer Beijing again with our beautiful, well-trained figure skater legs.”

“Well, you are so mine girl!”

“Yours, yours…” Alisa giggled, finally letting herself relax as she started choosing what she actually wanted to eat.

They ordered steaks with different side dishes, Tora chose potatoes and Alisa went with vegetables, the safer option. However, the smell of the fried potatoes on Tora’s plate was almost unbearable, warm, salty, and so inviting, and of course Tora noticed it immediately; she speared a piece with her fork and held it out toward Alisa without even asking.