Page 125 of Chasing Gold, Catching Her

Alisa watched the rankings thoughtfully.

Sometimes she missed pair skating terribly.

Watching the pairs and ice dancers later tonight would probably hurt a little. Singles skating was beautiful, yes, but pair skating had always felt more alive to her — the throws, the lifts, the terrifying trust between two people balancing their bodies together over cold, deadly ice. Ice dance fascinated her too, though differently; ice dancers focused far more on storytelling and artistry than on dangerous technical tricks. Sometimes it looked less like sport and more like theater performed on blades.

And maybe that was why Alisa envied them a little now, because she no longer skated in pairs at all. And somewhere deep inside, it still hurt.

Eventually Alisa and Tora escaped the lounge for a while because, frankly, after watching nearly thirty men throw themselves across the ice, their asses were numb from sitting.

Tora grabbed Alisa gently by the elbow and pulled her toward the exit from the athletes’ section.

“Do you want to run away on a date tonight in Milan?” Tora asked casually.

Alisa looked back at the arena for a second, at the lights, the screens, the endless noise and pressure and Olympic anxiety suffocating her lungs, and suddenly realized that yes, she desperately wanted to escape. Even if only for a few hours.

“Yes… let’s go. Where do you want to go?”

“Let’s just go to the center and figure it out there,” Tora suggested with a smile, intertwining their hands again. “I want some fresh air.”

And honestly, Alisa needed it too.

As Tora pulled her out of the arena and into the evening city, Alisa finally let herself exhale fully for what felt like the first time in days.

They reached the Arco della Pace, and the arch looked enormous up close, glowing softly against the dark Milan evening.

“Let’s take a picture,” Tora suggested suddenly, pulling a small camera out of her handbag.

Alisa immediately raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Wow, where did you get that? Wait… does it print film instantly?”

There really was a slot at the top for instant photos.

“I bought it years ago,” Tora explained, biting her lip slightly as she adjusted the angle and checked the tiny mirror near the lens. “But I barely use it… only for really special moments.”

Something about that sentence made Alisa’s chest tighten warmly.

“So,” Tora murmured, lifting the camera higher, “I think the arch fits perfectly. Come closer.”

Alisa stepped beside her and wrapped an arm gently around Tora’s waist while Tora started counting dramatically.

“One… two… three—”

At the last second, Alisa turned and kissed her cheek instead.

Tora gasped loudly.

“Oh, you sneaky girl!” she burst into laughter.

She immediately flipped the camera around to inspect the frozen frame on the tiny screen. Honestly, it came out adorable. Without hesitation, Tora pressed the print button.

The camera whirred and buzzed mechanically before the little square photo slowly slid from the slot. Colors began appearing gradually — yellow first, then blue, red, purple — until the image fully developed into a vivid photograph.

Tora stared at it proudly before showing it to Alisa.

“Cute!”

“Cute,” Tora agreed immediately, slipping the photo carefully into her pocket.

“Another one for you?”