Page 10 of Waiting Game

“I don’t think it will be, but it’s something to aim for.”

“True. Do you mind me asking why you want to start with an Olympic gold medal-winning routine?”

Talk about aiming high.

“My mum’s British and she traveled to Sarajevo when she was a teenager to attend the Winter Olympics where Torvill and Dean won.

“She loved it so much that she walked down the freakin’ aisle to theBoléro.”

“Yikes!”

“Uh-huh. Anyway, she still flies the Union Jack at the Olympics even though she agrees that Canada is the best country on Earth. I figure I’ll get her to a rink if I tell her what I’ve been learning here.”

“She doesn’t come to watch you play?”

His smile tightens. For a millisecond. “Nah.”

He wishes she did.

I clear my throat. “I used to know someone who was certain that Canada was God’s country.”

“Well, they sound like my kind of person.”

“What about if you’re playing?”

“At the Games? I trump the Brits then. Son’s privilege.” He holds up his hand. As I blink at it, he clucks his tongue. “You’re supposed to high-five me.”

“Oh. Sorry.” I tap his hand, hard enough for him to whistle and wiggle his fingers with a grin. “I know what a high five is,” I assure him, pink-cheeked. “I had a brain fart.”

“I have that effect on women.”

I mock-gag. “The retching effect?”

He smirks. “Do we have a plan?”

Sticking out my hand for him to shake, not high-five, and silently vowing that I’ll hold my tongue for the rest of my life about training Cole Korhonen who wants to fly like a fairy on the ice, I assure him, “We have a plan.”

Cole: I’m in love, bro

Gray: Shut up.

Cole: I am. Don’t mock me!

Gray: I thought we got past this phase.

Cole: Which phase?

Gray: The juvenile one where you fall in love with anything with a big butt.

Cole: If that were the case, I’d have fallen in love with you a long time ago. Like, back when we first billeted with the Bukowskis lol.

Gray: *shudders*

Gray: Who are you in love with anyway?

Cole: She’s my figure-skating coach.

Gray: Wait, didn’t you meet her today?

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