Page 4 of Date With Skates

“You’re muttering. You know what Mama says about it.”

I roll my eyes. “Don’t start, Rabat-joie.”

Nico shakes his head at my nickname for him.

My sweet little buzzkill.

The bus comes to take us back to the Village. By the time we get on, there isn’t an open spot for both of us, so I end up sitting next to Francesco Sartori. He plays for the Seattle Sharks back home. Not one of my top five teams. Not even top ten. But he’s a famous hockey player, and for that reason alone, I’m in Heaven.

“Great game,” I tell him.

“Thank you,” he says in a heavy Italian accent. “You like hockey?”

“I love hockey. I’m Canadian, so I kind of have to.” I laugh, and he laughs too, but I don’t think he actually knows what I said. Don’t care though. He’s cute with his dark floppy hair and big brown eyes. I think he’s married though. Total bummer. I’m not really into home-wrecking. Though, I have had my fair share of fun with married men, because… you know. I just don’t think before I act sometimes.

I sneak glances at Nico, who looks bored, sitting beside one of the Swedish players that I don’t recognize. I don’t think he plays for an NHL team. It’s the only league I really follow, though I will watch other games if they’re on, but my brain only has so much room for things. I can’t memorize every player in every league around the world. Though, I guess I should at least know the players who will be here… dammit. Now I need to figure that out.

The bus stops and we all make our way off. Nico gets off before me, and I find him waiting for me off to the side. I hook my arm with his and we walk through the Village. I see a few of the USA hockey team members filing out of the dining hall.

“Oh my god, that’s Roman Callahan, Connor McVoy, Damien Richtor, and Peter Cottrell.

“Don’t know a single one,” Nico says, not giving them any bit of attention.

“That’s because you only like people who like you first.”

“What’s wrong with that?” He says it like I’ve just insulted him.

I scoff. “How do you live like that?”

He gives me a dirty look. “Take me to my room.”

“I should leave you on the street,” I mutter, grabbing his arm so I can lead him in the right direction.

“What was that?” he says in a slightly higher pitch.

It’s his warning tone. The one that tells me he’s about to threaten me if I’m not nice.

I look at him with a grin. “I said you’re the best cousin ever.”

We both start laughing, and we head back to our room.

Chapter Three

Connor

I am starving. So starving that I feel my stomach eating itself. It’s gross and I don’t like it. But I tell Roman I’ll go with him to check out the ice-skating arena because he’s my best friend and I don’t want to leave him alone. He doesn’t get out much, doesn’t have many friends or a social life. He says he’s fine, and maybe he is, but I’m not like that, so I don’t really understand it.

I’m sure if I said I wanted to go eat, he’d tell me to go and he’d stay here alone. He’s okay being alone. It’s kind of weird. But I’m glad I stayed, because we get into the arena without a problem, and Nico freaking Laurent is on the ice.

“Oh shit. That’s Nico Laurent.”

“Who’s Nico Laurent?” he asks.

I’m not a big figure skating fan, though I do appreciate any athlete, especially those who do things I can’t. And there is no way in hell I’m doing back flips on the ice like that guy does. I’m not even sure I could skate as smoothly as he does, and I’ve been on the ice much longer than him.

My mother though? She’s obsessed. At least, she was. She followed his career from the very beginning, and I knew his schedule almost as well as mine.

The last year though, with mom’s decline? I’ve heard less and less about him. It didn’t stop me from telling her that he would be here though, and that maybe I’d meet him.