‘’Don’t blame him’’ cried Laurel, suddenly worried that her actions could have caused someone their job. ‘’He’s just a sweet old man, and I lied to him to get in. It’s my fault. Don’t fire him, please!’’
‘’You can’t tell anyone what you saw tonight’’ he threatened, ‘’Do you know what my dad would say if he knew I was still doing this? And the guys from the team? Fuck!’’
He rubbed his head with his hands and looked so vulnerable and anxious that she almost wanted to hug him and tell him everything was going to be ok.
‘’I swear I’ll destroy your life if a word of this ever gets out,’’ he hissed in her direction. Ok so maybe a hug was out of the question but her head was suddenly whirring with possibilities.
‘’But you’re so talented’’ she hardly dared to whisper, ‘’I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. So much power. So much speed.’’
His face softened slightly and he walked towards her. ‘’Well, well, Pompoms. If I knew if it was that easy to get your knickers wet, I would’ve brought you here before.’’
Laurel scowled with disgust. ‘’You’re not doing much to convince me to keep my mouth shut you know!’’ she shot back.
He sighed. ‘’What, you want money do you? Will that keep your loose little cheerleader mouth quiet? How much do you want?’’
‘’What on earth do you have against cheerleaders? You started this ridiculous feud with your discrimination against all cheerleaders and pretty much women in general’’ she suddenly yelled. ‘’And no, I don’t want your money. I want… you!’’
‘’Baby, why didn’t you just say?’’ he jumped off the ice, pulled off his boots and sauntered towards her, cornering her against the wall.
‘’No, no, that’s not what I meant,’’ Laurel protested but he was towering above her, looking down at her with those dark mysterious eyes, forehead still glistening with sweat from his vigorous routine. His lips, so close, and so soft, for someone so rough and chiseled, captivated her. His skin was smooth, his eyebrows heavy, and his jaw strong. She admired his Greek-god like features and before she knew it his lips had landed on hers.
I’m an idiot. I’m gonna get hurt. I can’t start liking him. He’s an arrogant, self-centered, pig of a man. She kept telling herself these things and kept telling herself to pull away but as his lips continued to encase hers, his tongue gently exploring, his arms holding her strong and close, all reason in her head became smothered by lust and adrenaline and desire.
Their steamy embrace came to an end and he grinned down at her. ‘’There we go’’ he said, ‘’We’re square now, right?’’
‘’You self-obsessed idiot’’ she said, coming back to her senses, ‘’If I found a penny on the street I wouldn’t trade it for a kiss with you!’’
But she had seen something in his eyes. The kiss was real. He had felt it too. She just knew he had.
‘’The information I have is worth far more than a penny on the street’’ she continued, ‘’and with it I will get much more than a kiss with an egocentric sport’s moron!’’
‘’How much?’’ he repeated aggressively.
‘’Well you see, it’s more a case of how many…?’’ she answered slyly.
He looked puzzled.
‘’I mean, you’ve seen me perform, right? How many hours of training would be needed to take me to the final of the state championships?’’
His eyes widened. ‘’What are you suggesting?’’ He paused. ‘’Are you mad?’’
She crossed her arms and looked at him defiantly.
‘’Yeah I guess I can arrange something…’’
‘’No!’’ said Laurel, ‘’It has to be you. I want you to train me. I want to dance like you.’’
‘’No way!’’ he yelled, but the look in his eyes spelled defeat and she smiled triumphantly.
***
Laurel woke up smiling. Her dream of being a top class figure skater finally seemed within reach. She took an old photograph from under her pillow and gazed at it lovingly. ‘’This is for you Granny,’’ she whispered.
She remembered watching her grandmother skating when she was a child. Despite her age and fragility, her grandmother could still skate incredibly well and she had seen photos and videos of her amazing performances that had taken place before Laurel was born. When the cancer had finally rendered her sweet grandmother bed-ridden and with only a few days left of life left inside her, she had given young Laurel a message that would stay with her forever. ‘’Do something that makes you happy,’’ she had told Laurel, ‘’Don’t be tempted by riches or fame. Their allure will quickly fade. Do something you love, dedicate yourself to it, and do it the best you possibly can!’’