The Boss’s Proposal(34)

Fuck, she thought to herself. What was he doing here?

‘’The training session for untalented cheerleader wannabes is over honey. Off the ice now and go and play with your silly friends. That’s a good girl.’’

Tears stung her eyes as his mean comment went straight to her heart and she realized he’d just confirmed that all her insecurities were true. She fled the ice, speechless, pulled off her boots and grabbed her bag. He appeared behind her and grabbed her hand, pulling her close to face him and then gently wiped away her tears. ‘’Look, sorry Pompoms, maybe that was too harsh.’’ He looked down at her sincerely and she felt herself melt. She held his gaze but then looked away, bemused. This was enemy no.1 and he had humiliated her yet again.

She tore her hand away and strode angrily towards the door. But her heart was still beating hard from their brief close encounter and the glimpse of something good and true in those dark eyes of his.

‘’I thought you cheerleader types were made of sterner stuff, or maybe more delusional stuff anyway. You all think you’re going to be the next big star or something don’t you. Even though all you do wear cute outfits and do a few stupid jumps’’ he sneered, returning to his usual cocky self.

He followed Laurel to the door and continued, ‘’The building’s off limits after 9pm ok? Only real athletes allowed, more specifically only ice hockey players. Understood?’’ He looking at her, eyebrows raised, waiting for her response.

‘’But I thought…’’ started Laurel and she glimpsed at the security guard, confused.

‘’No buts. See that name on the sign there. That’s my Dad. He built this arena. He owns it. So if I say you can’t be here, you can’t be here. Ok?’’

‘’You can’t do this,’’ she muttered, but she left, scowling at him and then remembering to smile sweetly at the security guard. Something was amiss she thought, and it wasn’t just the feelings she got inside of her whenever he was near or in her thoughts. She was going to find out what he was up to.

‘’Look, I just have to pop back inside,’’ Laurel pleaded to the friendly guard. She had mulled over her problem for a good half an hour over a coffee before deciding that she needed to go back and confront him. If she had to apologize, beg, humiliate herself in front of him, she didn’t care. She needed to be able to use the rink. Obviously she was also curious as to what he was up to seeing as the security guard said no ice hockey players were allowed in. And a tiny part of her wanted to see what he was like on the ice. Was he as fast and furious as everyone said he was?

‘’Miss, I don’t mind you using the rink, really I don’t. But what Mr. Jackson says goes. His Dad built the place you know. He’s an important young lad around these parts.’’

‘’I’m not going to use the rink, I promise,’’ Laurel said earnestly, ‘’I just want to go to the girls’ locker room. I think I must have left my cell phone there.’’

‘’Well, ok then, but come straight out again, won’t you?’’ the kind old man agreed eventually.

Laurel nodded, entered the building, walked straight past the locker rooms and crept quietly up to a darkened seat in the huge arena. She waited patiently in the shadows and again watched her breathy puffs appear short and fast due to the rapid beating of her heart.

At first he was nowhere to be seen and Laurel was beginning to think she was wasting her time. But finally he glided onto the ice. He was as graceful as an eagle soaring through the sky. But he had ruggedness on the ice that left his performance as masculine as much as elegant. She marveled at the incredible power he used to propel himself faster and faster around the rink. He was indeed fast and furious but she had no idea that he could dance as well as he could smack pucks into a net. He plummeted from spin to jump to triple jump to spin to backwards jump to backwards spin.

Laurel was mesmerized. He was by far the most talented figure skater she had ever had the privilege of seeing in real life. As he ended with a magnificent final leap into the air she completely forgot where she was and who he was and let out a loud wolf-whistle and started clapping wildly.

‘’Oh my, that was amazing’’ she gushed as she ran down the stairs to the ice. ‘’Who trained you?’’

She stopped suddenly as she saw his face, a moment ago serene and determined, was now a shade of red, his eyes ablaze.

‘’You dirty little spy. I thought I kicked you out!’’ he shouted angrily. ‘’That dumb security guard, I knew I should have fired him ages ago.’’