Once in a Full Moon(31)

He laughed and then I did, too. There was something special about Brandon. His eyes were seductive.

There was a silence, and then I said, “Did you see a doctor?”

“Yes. I had to get stitches.”

“I’m so sorry—”

“No—don’t be sorry. That’s not why I told you.”

“I’ll have to bake you more brownies now.” We both laughed again.

“It’s fine. Really,” he said.

“That must have hurt.”

“Nah,” he said. “I’m a big boy.”

“I’m sorry about Nash—that he gives you a hard time.”

“Well, it’s nice to have someone stick up for me, especially someone as pretty as you.”

I blushed. So much so that I could feel my whole body redden.

“Wow—you have your own pond,” I said. “You can go ice-skating.”

He nodded, as if everyone had their own frozen pond. “Would you like to?”

“Like to what?”

“Skate? It’s very shallow, so it’s already frozen solid.”

“You skate?” I asked quizzically.

“I played ice hockey at school. When I was growing up I came here during winter break and I got to practice. It was really cool.”

“That does sound amazing.”

“So, would you like to try?”

“I have plans this weekend. . . .”

“I mean now.”

The thought of doing something spontaneously was unusual for me, to say the least.

“Now? I don’t have any skates.”

He sized up my boots.

“You might be able to use my grandmother’s.”

“She plays hockey?”

“No.” He smiled. “But she has a pair of figure skates hanging on the wall.”

“I wouldn’t want to use her decoration.”

“They aren’t plastic. They’re real. She used them herself. Besides, she’d insist.”

Before I could say no, Brandon was on his way into his house. A few moments later, he came out with two pairs of skates.

Brandon handed me a tiny vintage pair of worn white dainty leather skates. His were in sharp contrast—sturdy, bold, and black.

He wiped off snow from the bench of the picnic table with his glove and offered me a seat. We sat down and removed our boots.

“I think these are a little big,” I said, trying one on.

Brandon pulled my skate-wearing foot up onto his lap. “You just need to tighten them.”

I loved how Brandon took charge—not in a bossy or controlling way but in a confident manner. I sat back as he tugged on the laces. I was mesmerized that he was being so attentive to me. “Now the other,” he said.

“A girl could get used to this,” I said. I continued to stare at him until he was finished.

It had been a few years since I’d put on a pair of skates. I was shaky when we stood, but Brandon handled himself like a pro.

“It’s easy, just relax.” He threw his other glove onto the table and extended his hand. I grasped it in mine. Even though I had stretchy gloves on, I could feel the power and warmth from his grip. I wobbled on the grass until we reached the frozen pond. I was a bit nervous, imagining myself lying flat on my back within seconds.

Brandon smiled and helped me onto the ice. It took me several moments to balance. “It’s like riding a bike, right?” he said.

“Only on ice,” I said.

“Yes, I guess there is that,” he said.

“Now, let’s go.”

“We have to move, too?”

Brandon began to glide, taking me with him. My legs quaked underneath me. Brandon was as confident skating on frozen ice as he’d be if he was walking on the ground.

“You are thinking too much,” he said. “Let your mind and body relax.”

How could I not think? If I fell, I’d be smacking myself on a freezing pond, not to mention the embarrassment I’d feel in front of him.

“Here. Look into my eyes.” He took both of my hands and we faced each other. I stared up into his warm and brilliant gaze as he began to slowly skate backward, pulling me forward.

My legs became like Jell-O and I clenched his hands. I wanted to take off my gloves so I could feel his skin against mine, but I was afraid he’d feel how nervous I really was.

“Now talk to me,” he said.

“I have to talk, too?”

“Yes,” he said. “What are your favorite things to do?” I still struggled to keep my gait relaxed; the more I tried the more I tensed up.

“Uh . . . I like to skate, but obviously I don’t do it very often. I like to do things in the outdoors, but I really never get the chance to. So I mostly go to the mall, talk on the phone, hang with my friends.”