Page 9

9

SARAH

I t’s an early September morning in Columbus. My steps are cushioned by my white Air Force Ones as I walk through the lobby of the arena. I decided to tone down my outfit, which I’m now grateful for, as the chill from the rink skirts over my face when I make my way through the tunnel. I pull my three-quarter zip CSU sweatshirt tighter around my body and am grateful for the jeans I chose to wear that are covering my legs. I also brought my laptop to hopefully get some work done for my other clients. But with the chill in the arena I doubt my fingers will allow me to type a thing.

Today, Riley is working at a Little Blades camp as per his reputation rehabilitation. Although, now that I’ve gotten to know him a little more, maybe it wasn’t his reputation that was the issue. But simply those who weaseled their way into his life and caused him to veer off track. It’s easy for that to happen when you’re no longer in the safe and constructed bubble of college. The real world exposes the sharks from the sea turtles. And I think that’s exactly what happened with Riley. Because the more I get to know him, the harder it is to find anything reckless about him .

Laughter and the sound of blades cutting through the ice is now a new soundtrack to my life. I was never too interested in hockey growing up, it also wasn’t a popular sport in Charleston, so to be surrounded by it now puts me in an entirely new environment that I’m determined to get comfortable with. I’m in awe and today it’s my job to take some pictures and videos of him with the kids. Not fawn over the sport or who’s on the ice.

I spot Riley easily on the ice and lean against the opening as I watch him get chased by a few of the little ones. The action brings a smile to my face and I whip my phone out to take some pictures and videos. I keep the main focus on him. His carefree smile and laugh that echoes around the ice. I alternate between ground level and at the highest point of the arena I can go to get the bigger picture of this sport he plays. My attendance eventually doesn’t go unnoticed as an hour later, the sound of skates gliding through the ice gets louder. I look up from my phone in time and see Riley, looking larger than life, with a smile that spreads from cheek to cheek, getting closer to me. Before I put my phone away, I quickly snap a photo of him and lock my phone.

My neck tips back as he stops inches from me. He’s in his element here. Not schmoozing with sponsors to make sure Ohio’s professional teams stay funded, relevant, and supported. But on the ice is where I see he shines the brightest.

“I’m not sure which I like seeing you in more: your Louboutins or Nikes.”

“Luckily, you don’t have a say in what I wear.” I tell him and I look past him at the kids trying to shoot the puck in the net.

“Yet.” Riley says with a wink and I narrow my eyes at him. “So what do you think?” He asks and moves to the side to allow me an unobstructed view of the ice.

“Definitely a different ball game,” I say and bite my cheek to keep from smiling.

Riley snorts at my wrong terminology. “Rink, babe.”

“That’s what I said,” I tell him and I try to keep a straight face as he drops his head in defeat. I don’t ignore that my heart skipped at his simple pet name for me. “Anyways, I’ve already gotten some good pictures and videos for your Instagram. Do you have a website?”

“Nope.”

“Okay. I’ll get to work on that and see if I can get some action shots from your team photographer. I’ve also got some feelers for brands who want to work with you.”

“Already?” Riley turns and looks at me with shock covering his face.

“Why is that so surprising?”

He shrugs although I don’t miss the guarded expression. It’s clear his last team never built him up. Athletes have fragile egos and if no one is there to feed them praise, they wither away. Not even the sport they love will be enough to save them.

“Hey, why don’t you get through this and then later we can go through the brands who are thinking about working with you and your dream brands to work with.” I don’t physically reach out to coddle him. Because when I touch him, no matter how platonic, my mind eats up that contact.

“Are you sure? You don’t have anywhere to be?”

“Nope. I’m all yours today.” The moment the words leave my mouth I want to take them back. But the grin on Riley’s face replaces the disbelief from earlier and I consider that a win .

“Famous last words.” Riley says and this time I do reach out to shove him and watch as he glides away.

With a soft smile and a shake of my head, I walk up to the stands and find a spot away from the parents to get some work done.

A couple hours later, a whistle causes my head to shoot up from my laptop. Looking around, the arena is practically deserted. I pack my laptop up and walk down to ground level to meet Riley.

“Are you done for the day?” I ask him as I resume my earlier position at the opening to the ice.

“Yep.”

“Why are you still dressed out?”

“Have you ever skated before?” Riley asks, completely ignoring my question.

“No.”

“Do you want to?”

I chew on my bottom lip. On one hand I’ve always wanted to. On the other hand, I’m scared I’ll fall and hurt myself. “I don’t have skates,” I tell him. The argument is weak at best as we’re literally at an ice rink.

“Nice try, Blue. Meet me at the bench.” Riley says and skates over to the closest bench.

Blue? That’s a new one. But I walk over to the bench anyway and wait for more instructions. Riley joins me at the bench and sits down, patting the spot next to him.

“I guessed on your shoe size.” He tells me as he holds up a worn, rental pair of skates.

I look at the size and hum my approval.

“I know. No need to praise me for my correct guessing. ”

“God, you’re full of yourself.” I say as I drop down on the bench.

“And you’re stalling. Nikes off. Skates on.”

I narrow my eyes at him, but do what he tells me. When I’ve tied the last string, Riley stands up and walks to the opening to the ice. He holds his hand out to me and, wobbling over to him, I tentatively take it. He steps out onto the ice, but I freeze like Bambi as if my wobbly steps don’t already represent the tiny deer when he first steps on the ice. I’m not afraid of anything, really. But falling on my ass in front of a professional hockey player would take embarrassment to new levels.

My grip on his hand tightens when I place a foot on the ice.

“Now the other one.” Riley instructs and holds his other hand out to me, wiggling his fingers. I place my freehand in his and wait. “Now I want you to bring the other foot out, but have it land sideways with your toes pointing out.”

I do as he says and my grip on his hands tighten when I’m on the ice with both feet.

“Good girl. Now straighten your foot up.”

My body warms from his praise and slowly, I straighten my foot up and stand up straight. My grip on his hands is still deathly strong, but he doesn’t seem to mind. I keep my eyes on my feet because I’d rather them stay under me than above me.

“Before we move, I’m gonna need you to bend your knees a little. It’ll help you stay balanced.” I bend my knees a smidge and feel my body get less tense. “Just like that, Sarah. Okay, I’m going to move and pull you with me. Okay?”

“Mm-hmm,” I respond as I watch Riley’s feet while the cold air whips through my hair .

“Weave your feet in and out, like me.” He demonstrates.

I try to do what he does but my legs won’t cooperate. “Nope! Can I just stay like this?”

I expect him to scold me and bark an order at me to move my feet like him. But, he doesn’t.

“Yeah, Blue. You can stay like that,” Riley responds with a lightness in his voice.

We continue going around the rink. I let Riley lead me through circles around the rink and I almost slipped a couple times, which almost cut off the circulation in his hands. Yet, he still didn’t seem to mind.

“Okay, I think I’m done for the day,” I tell Riley after about thirty minutes. My grip on his hands is still firm. And the little voice in the back of my head is still worried that I cut off the circulation in his fingers. But still he never complained.

“Are you sure?” He asks as if I need a minute to think about getting off these death traps he calls skates.

“Positive.”

He leads me over to the bench and shows me how to get off the ice. I unlace my skates and groan in relief as one skate comes off and I start wiggling my toes.

“You stomp around in three-inch heels and skates are what gets you?” He questions while resting his elbows on his knees.

“Hey, now,” I start and take off the other skate, repeating the motion of wiggling my toes. “I could walk circles around you in heels. I could walk backwards in heels. But trust me that both are medieval torture devices.”

Riley snorts and I look over to see him looking at me and shaking his head. I raise my eyebrow waiting for him to say something.

“I’m gonna go get changed and then we can go through brands.” He stands up and holds his hands out for my skates.

“Sounds good. I’ll meet you in the lobby.”

I watch Riley round the bench with my skates in his hands and head into the tunnel. I finish tying up my shoes and grab my bag, before heading out to the lobby.

My phone buzzes right as I reach the front.

Emmy-Lou: Dinner tonight?

Me: Maybe…

Me: I’m in Columbus for work.

Emmy-Lou: If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were dating someone.

Me: He’s my client.

Emmy-Lou: Yeah. And Adam was my student's parent.

Me: Our situation is 100% different.

Emmy-Lou: For now.

Shaking my head, I put my phone in the back pocket of my jeans right at the moment Riley strolls down the hallway with a duffel slung over his body.

“Are you hungry?”

I look at the watch on my wrist and realize I haven’t eaten in hours. My stomach responds before I have a chance.

Riley’s laugh at my expense is a far cry from the man who sulked into my office those months ago. “I know a couple of places. I take it you don’t want to work at my place? ”

I give him a look like, be serious .

“Okay.” He holds his hands up. “Follow me.”

Riley and I walk out of the arena. Our cars are one of the only few left in the lot, so it’s easy to see one another's cars. The late summer heat has heated the inside of my car and I pull off my sweatshirt before falling into my car. With how nice it still is, I hit the button to roll the top down and wait for Riley to lead the way to food.