Page 50 of Lie With Me
Twenty minutes later, I’m on my ass while she stands over me, smiling mirthfully while she tries not to laugh. “I take it you’ve never skated before?”
“You’d be correct.” I reach up for the side of the rink and pull myself back to my feet, wobbling as I try to balance my weight on the skates.
“Come here.” She reaches out her hands and glides closer.
“No way, I’ll pull you down.”
“Come on now, you said you’d keep me warm,” she teases, making a come-hither motion with her fingers.
Well, I guess I can’t argue with that.
“I’m serious, Viv. I’m not good at this, and I don’t wanna hurt you.” There are so many people around; with my luck, I’ll end up hurting more than just her, and we’ll cause a commotion.
“Look around, Tripp,” she says as she grabs my hands and pulls me slowly away from the wall. “Plenty of other people are falling, too. People come here for the novelty of it. Not everyone here is good at skating.”
She leads me effortlessly, like I’m a child who’s never set foot on ice before. She’s patient as we slowly make our way around the rink. “When I waslittle, I’d skate on the pond behind my house with the other kids in the neighborhood. None of us had skates, so we’d just slide around in our shoes. I’d stay out there as long as possible until Momma would call me back inside.”
My attention is solely focused on her as she guides me. Her eyes have a far-off look as she recalls the memory, a bitter smile that reminds me perhaps her childhood wasn’t all that great.
“This was one of the first things I did when I moved to the city. It took me forever to feel comfortable on the ice, but I just kept going until it was easier. It’s my favorite thing to do when I want to disappear from the world for a while. We’ll have to go again, but to Bryant Park next time—it’s my favorite this time of year. My treat.”
The air grows thicker—the way it does right before the snow starts to fall. Heavy flakes start to drift down around us, and Lenni’s head tips back as she smiles at the sky with glee. “Isn’t it beautiful?” she asks as the snow falls faster.
My eyes don’t leave her face as I reply. “It really is.”
Our fingers lace together as she looks back at me and pulls us to a slow stop. “You did it. You made it all the way around the rink.”
“So I did. You’re a good teacher. I didn’t even watch my feet.” A shiver runs through me, but whether it’s from the cold or how she looks with the snow falling around her isn’t apparent.
Pulling her to me, I brace my weight on the wallas I lean down to kiss her softly. “Why don’t you take a few spins around? I’ll only slow you down, and I want you to enjoy it.”
“I’m enjoying being here withyou. But if you need to take a break, I get it. It can be really draining at first—not to mention cold—and you look like you’re freezing.” She laughs.
“Would I rather be on a beach right now? Absolutely. You in a little bikini swimming in crystal clear water? That’s a wet dream right there. Not that your leg warmers aren’t doing it for me, too.” I nod to the cream-knit leg embellishments she’s got over her black leggings. They match her sweater and the little fluff ball at the top of her beanie.
“Well, I’ve never been to a beach, so ax the me swimming part of that dream,” she says as I let her go and grab the wall. She glides a little ways away, twirling with her arms stretched out.
“You’ve never been to a beach?” I ask incredulously, making my way along the wall to the exit.
She coasts gracefully alongside me. “Nope. Never been anywhere besides home and the city. I’d love to dig my toes in the warm sand someday. But I never learned how to swim, so my only way of enjoying the water is a cozy hot tub.”
I file that away to visit at a later date.
Over the next hour, we alternate between Lenni helping me around the rink and her artfully skating circles around others by herself. She’s incredible to watch. Men’s gazes swivel from their wives or girlfriends to my stunning fake fiancée many times, onlyaverting their eyes when I’m with her and catch them looking.
She doesn’t even notice.
I’m proud that her attention is either on me or off in her own little world while she skates alone.
When she’s ready to leave, we grab greasy burgers at Bill’s and then choose a selection of cookies at Chip City before I take her home. “You sure you don’t want to come over to my place? Or let me come up to see yours?”
“No way. These cookies are all mine, buddy. Besides, I’m worn out. I need a nap. Your mother has already messaged me to set up lunch sometime this week. I’m gonna need all the rest I can get to deal with her by myself.”
Something uncomfortable zips down my esophagus and cannonballs in the pit of my stomach. “Oh? This is news to me. Last night didn’t exactly end on great terms. I’m surprised youagreedto do lunch with her.”
She shrugs as she munches on half of a Fluffernutter cookie. “The engagement party is in two weeks. She really seems to want me to have a hand in planning it, so why not just placate her, I suppose?”
Hugging her to me, I kiss her temple. “Thank you.”