Page 4 of Jesse and the Ice Princess
Of course, he didn't. She sighed. Jesse Carrigan wouldn't care if he inconvenienced anyone else. Most people would move aside for him and let him have his way.
Charlotte was not most people.
She skated out onto the ice and looked back at him. "You can go now."
"What? Why? We can share the ice. I promise I don't bite."
The unknown girl coughed, and Charlotte would have sworn it sounded like "hopeless."
Whistling came from the tunnel moments before Roman Sullivan appeared. Great, just what she needed. Another jock.
Roman stopped when he saw her. "We playing two on two?" He grinned. "Come on. Cass can be on my team. Jesse you take the ice princess over there."
Charlotte turned her back on them, skating a lap around the rink. She wouldn't let them see her react to their names. Ice princess wasn't anything new. The kids at school made it no secret what they thought of her. Only her friend, Hadley, understood her drive.
She turned down every invitation to a party, every date, not because she wanted to, but because she had to. Her mother wouldn't have it any other way.
Charlotte tried to ignore the three people watching her as she picked up speed, losing herself in the familiar feel of the ice beneath her feet. It didn't give her excitement, not anymore, but there was comfort in the act.
Maybe comfort was enough.
She finished her first lap and came to a stop, spraying ice toward Jesse. He didn't react. Instead, he studied her. "Your skating... it's so smooth."
Smooth? Real creative. "You've been living under a rock, Carrigan." She turned away from him once more. "I'm better than smooth." She'd never doubted her skating. It was the one area of her life she felt confident, in charge. Without skates on her feet, all of that faded away, leaving only a shy girl behind.
Roman howled in laughter behind her, but it cut off as another voice entered the rink.
"It's time you leave." Grace Morrison always knew how to make an entrance.
Charlotte closed her eyes for a brief moment. She thought she'd had more time before her mom showed up for their training session.
Yes, Charlotte Ann Morrison spent every morning training with her mom. Normally, that didn't bother her, but the kids at school would now think she was an even bigger loser than they already did. She looped back around to where her mom stood.
"Mrs. Morrison." Jesse smiled. "It's nice to see you."
Her expression softened, and Charlotte rolled her eyes. If anyone was an ice princess, it was the former ice champion, Grace Morrison. Yet, even she was putty in Jesse's hands.
"Jesse, I'm sorry to say we have this rink reserved this morning." She offered him an apologetic smile. The woman was never apologetic.
"That's not a problem, ma'am. I was just telling Charlotte here how much I admire her technique."
"Well, that's very nice of you, young man. My husband is very fond of you."
"He's a great coach. It's an honor to play on his team."
Charlotte stifled the urge to roll her eyes again. "A lady never rolls her eyes," her mother would say. Jesse was honored to play on her father's losing team?
"Mom." She crossed her arms over her blue sweatshirt. Training was the only time she was allowed to dress so casually, and she hated anyone seeing her like this.
Her mom glanced up as if she finally saw her daughter. "Well, we must get our session started. You have a lovely day, Jesse."
"You as well, ma'am."
"Oh, none of that. Call me Grace."
Jesse nodded, flashing a final smile Charlotte's way before draping his arm over his girlfriend’s shoulders and leading her and Roman down the tunnel to the locker rooms.
Her mother's kind expression dropped. "Start your laps."
