as he powered around the ice gaining terrific speed and momentum. Then he took off from the left forward outside edge of his blade, turned three and a half rotations in the air and landed perfectly on one leg, coming out of the jump to gasps and applause from his fellow skaters.
He skated back to Samantha and stopped neatly in front of her.
‘ Now, I’ve shown you mine, you show me yours,’ Jimmy spoke with a smile.
‘ I haven’t skated since I was fifteen,’ Samantha responded.
‘ Then this is the perfect opportunity to revisit it - come on,’ Jimmy urged and he took hold of her left hand and pushed off, urging her to do the same.
Samantha was left with no choice but to allow herself to be pulled along by the skater, trying desperately to keep up with him.
‘ So, having you serve your tubs of ice cream and little spoons from the rink is Dave’s latest brainwave is it?’ Jimmy asked as they skated.
‘ It wouldn’t have been such a bad idea if he’d given us the appropriate notice. At least one, if not all of us, are going to end up flat on our faces at some point during the evening,’ Samantha replied, concentrating on keeping her feet moving.
‘ I don’t mind spending a bit of time with you all if you want to get more confident with it,’ Jimmy told her.
‘ That’s very nice of you but it isn’t your concern. You’re one of the performers and we’re staff, the two don’t usually interact in that way,’ Samantha spoke, performing almost perfect crossovers without noticing what she was doing.
Jimmy laughed out loud both because she had performed the manoeuvre without noticing it and because of how she’d phrased her reply.
‘ What’s funny?’ Samantha asked him.
‘ Do you always talk like that?’
‘ Talk like what?’ Samantha enquired, as they gathered speed over the ice and Jimmy took hold of both her hands and skated backwards in front of her.
‘ Like you’re quoting from some Civic Hall employment manual,’ Jimmy told her.
‘ I don’t know what you mean,’ Samantha answered, feeling herself reddening even more than she had reddened already.
‘ I think you work here too much. You never seem very relaxed,’ Jimmy continued.
Samantha could feel the urge coming and she was powerless to stop it. It was almost like a tic, overwhelming and unhaltable . She laughed out loud. She stopped skating, let go of Jimmy’s hands and held her ribs, doubling up with laughter. The noise was so loud it reverberated around the arena and everyone there turned their attention to her. She soon realised they were all watching her and the laughter began to catch in her throat until she could barely breathe. She started to cough, over and over, unable to catch air. Before she knew it she was wheezing violently and Jimmy had put an arm around her and escorted her to the side of the ice.
‘ Just take deep breaths and stay calm,’ he urged, his arm around her shoulders as she hunched over herself.
Despite trying to keep herself from fainting or throwing up, Samantha was distinctly aware of his bare arm around her shoulders and the feeling of it, resting comfortingly upon her was making her feel even more ill. It was the closest she had been to a man since Joe and his nipple ring and that thought alone made her cough again.
‘ I’m OK,’ Samantha insisted as she coughed and covered her hand with her mouth.
‘ Sure,’ Jimmy responded with a nod, unconvinced.
‘ It’s a bug I’m coming down with. I think Cleo’s passed something on from the estate agents. She says some of the houses are very dirty,’ Samantha babbled, taking a deep breath and standing up straight.
‘ Seemed more like a panic attack to me,’ Jimmy told her bluntly.
Her stomach was turning over again, the fear was engulfing her, the laughter was on the verge of coming out. She fought to control it and began coughing violently again, so much so, she almost fell down onto the ice. Jimmy caught her, steadied her and
He skated back to Samantha and stopped neatly in front of her.
‘ Now, I’ve shown you mine, you show me yours,’ Jimmy spoke with a smile.
‘ I haven’t skated since I was fifteen,’ Samantha responded.
‘ Then this is the perfect opportunity to revisit it - come on,’ Jimmy urged and he took hold of her left hand and pushed off, urging her to do the same.
Samantha was left with no choice but to allow herself to be pulled along by the skater, trying desperately to keep up with him.
‘ So, having you serve your tubs of ice cream and little spoons from the rink is Dave’s latest brainwave is it?’ Jimmy asked as they skated.
‘ It wouldn’t have been such a bad idea if he’d given us the appropriate notice. At least one, if not all of us, are going to end up flat on our faces at some point during the evening,’ Samantha replied, concentrating on keeping her feet moving.
‘ I don’t mind spending a bit of time with you all if you want to get more confident with it,’ Jimmy told her.
‘ That’s very nice of you but it isn’t your concern. You’re one of the performers and we’re staff, the two don’t usually interact in that way,’ Samantha spoke, performing almost perfect crossovers without noticing what she was doing.
Jimmy laughed out loud both because she had performed the manoeuvre without noticing it and because of how she’d phrased her reply.
‘ What’s funny?’ Samantha asked him.
‘ Do you always talk like that?’
‘ Talk like what?’ Samantha enquired, as they gathered speed over the ice and Jimmy took hold of both her hands and skated backwards in front of her.
‘ Like you’re quoting from some Civic Hall employment manual,’ Jimmy told her.
‘ I don’t know what you mean,’ Samantha answered, feeling herself reddening even more than she had reddened already.
‘ I think you work here too much. You never seem very relaxed,’ Jimmy continued.
Samantha could feel the urge coming and she was powerless to stop it. It was almost like a tic, overwhelming and unhaltable . She laughed out loud. She stopped skating, let go of Jimmy’s hands and held her ribs, doubling up with laughter. The noise was so loud it reverberated around the arena and everyone there turned their attention to her. She soon realised they were all watching her and the laughter began to catch in her throat until she could barely breathe. She started to cough, over and over, unable to catch air. Before she knew it she was wheezing violently and Jimmy had put an arm around her and escorted her to the side of the ice.
‘ Just take deep breaths and stay calm,’ he urged, his arm around her shoulders as she hunched over herself.
Despite trying to keep herself from fainting or throwing up, Samantha was distinctly aware of his bare arm around her shoulders and the feeling of it, resting comfortingly upon her was making her feel even more ill. It was the closest she had been to a man since Joe and his nipple ring and that thought alone made her cough again.
‘ I’m OK,’ Samantha insisted as she coughed and covered her hand with her mouth.
‘ Sure,’ Jimmy responded with a nod, unconvinced.
‘ It’s a bug I’m coming down with. I think Cleo’s passed something on from the estate agents. She says some of the houses are very dirty,’ Samantha babbled, taking a deep breath and standing up straight.
‘ Seemed more like a panic attack to me,’ Jimmy told her bluntly.
Her stomach was turning over again, the fear was engulfing her, the laughter was on the verge of coming out. She fought to control it and began coughing violently again, so much so, she almost fell down onto the ice. Jimmy caught her, steadied her and
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