Page 144 of Waiting Game

THIRD PERIOD

CHAPTER 27

MIA

While he letsme maneuver him around at the side of the rink, he complains, “I thought we’d be doing this on the ice!”

I grunt at him as I curve his arm around me, showing him how to hold me. “You’re the one who chose theBoléro.”

“I’m regretting that.”

“If you expect me to let you lift me, we have to prepare you for that here.”

“I’ll pick something easier.”

“Whatever routine we decided on, you’d have to practice off-ice. It makes no sense to risk it on a slippery surface.”

“Can I at least lift you up by the ass?”

Twisting back to look at him, I grin. “You’re begging to get slapped, aren’t you?”

He pouts.

Shouldn’t be cute, but wouldn’t you know… it is.

I shake my head at him as I motion how I want him to do a spin.

His nose crinkles but he does as I ask, holding his leg out to match my angle and slowly moving around in a circle mid-hop.

We’ve been practicing this every class, but he has balance issues so I always start and end a session with him this way.

When he falls again, I tilt my head at him. “Aren’t you grateful for padded yoga mats?”

His chest puffs up. “I know how to fall on the ice.”

“Yeah, but best if it’s cushioned at first.”

He flops onto his back. “This is harder than it looks.”

The muscles he has to use are both the same and somehow not.

Despite that, I didn’t think he’d struggle as much as he does. Still, that’s how this all started—he came to me for lessons for a reason.

Drifting to the floor beside him, I murmur, “I wish you’d get better too, you know?”

“Charming!”

I elbow him. “I miss the ice. I couldn’t go all summer.”

He turns his head to the side. “We could do a couple laps now.”

“No. Because you’re a huge child who’ll end up trying to do a spin on there because logic reasons that if you can’t do a spin with a flat foot, you’ll be able to do it on a blade.

“I refuse to be the one who takes outtheCole Korhonen.”

“It’s annoying how well you know me.”

I smirk. “You’re easy to read.”

---