took a deep breath. “How do I skate? And tell me again how to fall? Or, well, how to land, since I’m pretty sure I can get the falling thing right.”
“Tuck and roll. Try to land on your hip or your shoulder. Don’t catch yourself with your hands.”
I nodded sharply. “Got it.”
“All right. So for right now, stay on your inside edge.” He pointed down at his legs, and brought his knees in just slightly.
I mirrored him, which was of course awkward and wobbly. “Do I look as awkward as I feel?”
“Do I?”
“Well, no.”
“Right. You’re good. I promise. And you’re doing fine.”
“Am I? Because I’m having second thoughts about this.”
Jase smiled, which really didn’t help me regain my balance. “You want your daughter to rub it in forever that she could do this and you chickened out?”
“Oh. Oh. That’s cold, Jase. Real cold.”
“Of course it’s cold.” He winked. “That’s why they call it ice skating.”
I groaned. “Oh my God.”
“Come on. We’ll go slow.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Will we, now?” It was his turn to groan, and I laughed. “Seriously, you don’t hear the innuendo?”
“Just skate.”
I didn’t feel stable at all on these things. Jase made it look as effortless as walking, even when he was skating backwards or going at some eye-watering high speed. Or both at the same time. Plus he could control a stick and a puck, and sometimes even get into a fistfight. While skating.
Me? I wobbled precariously as I pushed off and glided forward a couple of feet.
“Remember,” he said, skating backwards in front of me, “keep your core taut and stand up straight. If you lean forward or back, you’re going to lose your balance.”
“You mean I’m not going to lose it because I’m using knives to move around on ice?”
Jase laughed. “You’ll be fine. Give it another try. Keep your right skate pointing forward, and push off with your left the way I showed you. Just like—yes! Good!”
I sailed forward a few feet. “Whoa, shit, I’m moving.”
“That’s the idea, baby.”
Little by little, he coaxed me away from being terrified to just stand on the skates, to moving… Well, not confidently, and definitely not quickly, but I made it across the rink and back. And I only fell twice, tucking and rolling of course.
“See?” Jase said as we made our way around one end of the rink. “It’s not that hard. Or terrifying.”
“Oh, it’s still terrifying. But I’m—whoa.” My balance wavered. I tried to steady myself, but then—
An arm around my waist kept me upright, and Jase and I were suddenly face to face.
“Okay, I’m—Shit!”
Jase tried to steady me, but I grabbed his other arm, and we both stumbled, and suddenly I was flat on my back on the ice with Jase partially on top of me.
We both stopped, eyes locked.
“So, um.” I cleared my throat and waggled an eyebrow. “You come here often?”
Jase laughed and rolled his eyes. He got up with way too little difficulty and offered me his hand. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good.” I sat up, and with his offered hand, carefully got back on my skates.
He looked me up and down, concern written all over his face. “You didn’t hit your head on the ice, did you?”
“Nah. I’m all right.” I brushed some snow off my ass. “We should, um…” I looked around, then met his gaze and cleared my throat. “We should be careful. If we don’t want anyone, you know…catching on.”
Jase sobered, and he glanced around the arena as he subtly put a little more space between us.
“Though, um…” I looked at him through my lashes. “For what it’s worth, I don’t care if people know. My daughter knows, and she’s the only one I didn’t want getting blindsided. I’m following your lead here.”
Jase nodded. “I know. And… I do want to be more open. Soon. But I really need to come out to my parents first.”
“I get that,” I said softly. “That’s not something I’d want my folks to hear on the news either. Just don’t rush into telling anyone on account of me, okay? We can keep this on the down-low as long as you need to.”
Jase searched my eyes, but then a smile slowly came to life. “Thanks. I’ll, um… I’ll get it together and tell them.” He took and released a deep breath. “Just gotta work up the nerve, I guess. Which is way easier said than done.” He suddenly looked more nervous than I was about skating, and he rubbed the back of his