Say When

T E N

We grabbed our tickets and skates and tried to make a game plan. He pulled toward the center of the ice and I pulled toward the wall. We looked at each other and laughed.

"I've never done this," I said with the most pitiful face I could muster. It worked. He gave in and followed me toward the wall.

He inched around with me patiently while I got comfortable balancing. The air was fresh and brisk. There's always this really special time in New York City when the Fall finally surrenders to Winter and the city slows down just a bit.

I breathed it all in. I was still in my sweats and my dirty sneakers were still tucked away in a locker. But I forced myself to just be there. In the moment.

I shrugged off the natural inclination to cocoon myself. The cocoon that kept me safe but detached. The one that had become more of a prison than a fortress in recent years. It was exhilarating.

I rode the feeling and pushed away from the wall with confidence. I looked back at Jax to see a surprised look on his face. He slid out on the ice toward me. I shuffled my feet quickly in one direction with my arms out to the side.

I was making good progress. But I got comfortable a moment too soon. A little girl with a full tulle skirt blew by me at warp speed with her mom hot on her heels.

She threw a sorry over her shoulder but it was too late. I tried to stop to avoid hitting her but the abrupt stop sent me dangerously pitching back and forth. Back and forth.

I tried to stay upright but I knew I was going down. I surrendered to the fall and braced myself for an impact.

But the impact never came. Instead, I felt Jax's hands on my waist and his body pressed firmly against my back, keeping me steady.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." I placed my hands over his to keep him from letting me go. Not that I thought he would. He seemed dedicated to standing there with me until I stable.

I was panting and tried to regain control of my breath. Whether it be from the excitement of nearly busting my ass or from the heat of our bodies against one another, I'll never know but I couldn't keep a breath in my body.

He tried to keep a straight face but couldn't. I could only imagine how I looked. My legs were flailing in all directions. He rolled in laughter and I followed suit.

I felt his pelvis nudge against my behind to get us moving forward again. We completed a few more trips around the rink connected just like that. I was that girl in that movie we all watched and wished we were. It was trippy.

We rested briefly to sip on some hot cocoas from a nearby vendor and Jax stayed close to me. I was grateful for almost falling because it broke whatever touch barrier existed between us before.

His hands now had no problem finding its way to my waist. Butterflies dipped through my stomach. My knees wobbled slightly and I smiled. His cologne drifted into my nostrils.

"Having fun?" He whispered in my ear. I took a mental note of all the feelings for later. The feel of his hands. The warmth of his body behind me. His breath against my ear. It was all amazing.

"So much." I settled there against him and we made slow work of finishing our drinks.

>>

We pulled up at my house long after the sun had gone down. I sat there in the car next to Jax. My left hand on his knee and his hand gently holding mine.

Jax found a parking spot around the corner from my house and although I insisted that he head out because it was getting late, he equally insisted that he walk me to my door.