Page 76 of Rinkmates

“Where’s the shovel?” Aiden jokes, and we settle in as the lights dim and the audience erupts into applause.

Shayleen and Tim, our ever-smiling show hosts, step into the spotlight. I’ve seen them a couple of times during practice, and exchanged hellos, but they only show up when the cameras are rolling, so I don’t know much about them. Tonight, they’re dazzling under the lights, Shayleen’s glittering hair pinned up, and Tim’s brown locks neatly styled. They banter effortlessly, their chemistry popping even from backstage. Both are decked out in shiny blue costumes, skating on the ice. The audience giggles at the short videos showing them learning to skate just for the show, their struggles hilariously endearing.

“Welcome to the premiere ofGrace on Ice,” Shayleen announces, her voice bubbling with excitement as the lights turn pink and yellow. “We have an incredible lineup of talented skaters for you tonight, each vying for a chance at glory—”

“And a hefty cash prize,” Tim hollers into the mic. “Wowza! I’m not even joking. We’re talking one million dollars!”

The crowd erupts.

Shayleen chuckles. “That’s right, Timmy. And let’s not forget our judges, who will be putting these hopefuls through their paces. Speaking of which, let’s introduce them now!”

The lights swivel to illuminate the judges’ table, where Grace, Twain, and Idris sit, their faces impassive. Grace, in particular, looks like she’d rather be anywhere else, her red lips pursed in a thin line, but when they mention her name, she forces a smile.

“First up, we have the incomparable Grace Holland. She owns more gold medals than most people own toilet paper and is our current ice queen extraordinaire,” Tim says, earning a few smiles from Twain and Idris and a death glare from Grace. She didn’t even crack a smile. Guess she didn’t like the toilet paper joke.

As they introduce Twain Teller and Idris Bell, I lean in to whisper to Aiden. “Is it just me, or does Grace look even more terrifying than usual tonight?”

He grimaces. “She’s definitely on the warpath. We’ll need to be flawless if we want to impress her.”

“Talk about pressure, huh…”

On the screens flanking the stage, a montage of clips featuring the competing pairs starts to play, each set to a pulsing beat. When Aiden and I appear, spinning and leaping in perfect sync, the audience roars their approval. Hearing my own voice on television is always awkward and makes me cringe a bit. During my competitive days, I gave plenty of interviews, but I never watched them back because I spent every spare moment practicing.

Aiden nudges me. “Hear that? They love us. And it’s all thanks to Riley and you.”

My heart stutters at the mention of his name. “What do you mean?”

“Come on, don’t be modest. You know the only reason we have so many fans on social media is because of you and Rileyand all his fans. The golden boy of hockey dating a gold medalist figure skater? It’s a publicist’s dream come true.”

“I told you it’s f—”

Aiden stops me, as if the walls have ears. “It helps us and I’m happy, thank you. We don’t need a charade like Mason does or to be mean like Stacey. It’s great that you two work for us, and I just wanted to thank you, that’s it.”

Aiden smiles. He’s just the nicest person there is. I lean into him, well aware of the cameras snapping photos of us now. I sigh. I bet those tabloid magazines will call me a cheater any time soon. Whatever.

As Priya and Mason are announced, I sit up straight in my seat. Dressed in vibrant green and black outfits with intricate designs, they glide onto the stage. The music builds to a crescendo, matching the intensity of their gazes as they take their positions. The singer starts and they burst into motion, their bodies moving in perfect harmony like two green flames dancing.

My jaw drops as I watch Priya glide across the ice. She is stunning. She casually mentioned last time we went for a coffee that she used to compete in pair figure skating but never made it far. I can’t help but wonder why. From what I’ve seen, she’s incredibly talented. But then she tells me the heartbreaking story of how her partner ditched her for another girl and she lost all interest in pairs. That is, until she foundGrace on Ice. She looks like she’s enjoying it again and I’m happy for my girl.

Upon striking their final pose, chests rising and faces flushed, a flicker of uncertainty dances in Priya’s eyes.

Grace leans forward, her gaze piercing and critical. “Adequate,” she says with disdain dripping from her voice. “But hardly exceptional. I demand more from you next time.” The other judges echo her sentiments, each critique sharper than the last.

As the scorecards are raised, Priya and Mason’s expressions falter. Twenty-one out of thirty—a commendable score, yet falling short of their true worth. My gaze shifts to Aiden.

“They’re out for blood,” I say.

“Grace is not called the Ice Lady for nothing.”

“‘Adequate,’” I mimic her. “They were great.” I can’t believe it.

As they leave the ice, I run to the exit.

Priya’s shoulders are shaking with barely suppressed sobs, but before I can act, Mason pulls her into a tight embrace, murmuring words of comfort against her hairline. I look around and see the camera team filming us and, as if on cue, Mason closes his eyes dramatically and kisses her forehead. I frown at him. This really is just a show for him. My heart aches for Priya. But the night is far from over. There’s always the audience’s vote, and from what I saw, their romance—even if it’s one sided—could really make an impact. People go crazy when they think a couple is in love. Especially with all those rumors about them falling for each other during practice.

“It’s going to be okay, you two were amazing,” I say, shoving Mason playfully as I pull Priya into a hug. He grumbles something under his breath, but I choose to ignore it.

“Why can’t she ever say something nice to me? I think she hates me,” Priya says.

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