Page 32 of Shining Through

“I know,” he said, slightly annoyed. “But I want to learn. Can you show me how to skate with a partner?” He held up his arms and swayed back and forth, to mimic a couple waltzing.

“Skating in hold is difficult even when you know what you’re doing. If our blades get tangled, we both go down.”

“Okay, okay. We start with something simple. I know there are different dances with set patterns. You could show me some of that.”

“I guess.” Then she nodded. “Sure, why not? Can you twizzle?”

“Adrian put them into some of my free skates.” He demonstrated the traveling one-foot spin as she watched, then nodded her approval.

“Not bad. But the real trick is synching it with me.”

Synching with her was what he’d had in mind from the start

She looked down at her phone, which was connected to the rink’s sound system, and scrolled through her music playlist. “Another thing that’s different is that ice dance is tied to the rhythm of the music. That was a habit I had to unlearn when I started to skate singles, which is all about free style moves.” She stopped scrolling and cued up a choice. “I’ll show you the blues pattern dance. It was one of my favorites.”

She skated out to the center, while he remained at the boards, happy just to watch. The music began with a scorching minor key guitar riff and settled into a solid 4/4 cadence. She glided along the edge of the ice in a curving pattern, kicking out her free leg in wide graceful swings. She leaned deep into her edges, just as he’d seen her do at the practice rink in Chicago. Her fluid movements segued from the swinging kicks, to Choctaws, and, twizzles.

When she’d finished, he applauded. “Now I see where your sexy edges come from. That skate was slower than what we do since you don’t have to pick up speed for jumps.”

“Right. With dance, it’s about precise footwork and how the partners skate together. The basic moves are things you know, like Cross Rolls and Choctaws, but what’s difficult is putting them together, and keeping time with me. Want to watch again?”

He could watch her all day but he learned best by doing, even if he did it badly. “Why don’t you break it down for me, just one little move at a time, so I can try it too?”

They started with Forward Cross Rolls, stroking down the long boards, hands clasped. They skated slowly at arm’s length, to keep their blades from colliding. After they’d practiced a few times around, she stopped him. “You’re not going deep enough on your edges. And you’re sticking your butt out.”

“I am not!”

“You are. I’m watching.”

“You’re watching my butt?” He grinned. “Or maybe you’re still curious about dance belts.”

She crossed her arms and pursed her lips. “I’m watching what you do wrong.”

“Then I should watch your butt, so I can see what to do right.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“You’re impossible!” She laughed. “Again! Pelvis tucked.”

This time, he was more conscious of his posture, and took care to lean deeper on the outside edge of his blade, as she did. After a few more times around, he seemed to have it. “When do we try with the music?”

“When you can stroke with me on the beats, as I call them out.”

“I thought this was like ballroom dance, and the man led.”

“It is. But first, the man has to know what he’s doing.”

She took his hand again, and his mind flashed back to when he was ten and skating with Natasha Smirnova, the most beautiful girl in school. He’d been kicked out of hockey practice for fighting with one of his teammates. His coach and his father assumed a week of figure skating class would be enough humiliation to bring him into line. Little had they known he’d take their punishment and use it to change his life.

They pushed off together, skating with a soft bend in their knees, free legs extended behind, leaning deep on their edges. She called out the crosses, and he brought his foot around to the front, matching her strokes as best he could.

Skating with a partner was harder than he’d realized. Elite pairs made it look easy, but it wasn’t enough just to know how to do the moves. He had to match his moves with hers, execute them at the same time, while being careful not to swing his leg out too wide and kick her. His every movement affected her, just as hers affected his. It was impossible to forget she was there.

After a few more times around, she deemed him ready for music. After a successful run of this, she smiled. “I’m impressed. Are you ready to try it in hold?”

He’d been ready all day.

She positioned them side by side in a shoulder hold, hands clasped ballroom-style out front. “In competition, there wouldn’t be so much space between our bodies. In practice, it’s more important for us to not end up on top of each other,” she said.

“On the ice, that would not be good.” Off the ice was a different story. Her tight little smile suggested she’d guessed what he was thinking, but he kept the comment to himself.

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