sore.”
“You want me to hang with you until Sergei gets here?”
“No, go ahead.” I waved him toward the dance floor. “I’ll enjoy my wine and start making my packing list for Boston.”
Chris followed Aubrey and Nick into the tight mass of dancing bodies, and I turned to face the bar. Sliding my phone out of my jeans pocket, I scrolled to the notepad application and began typing the items I needed to bring to Mom’s house. I didn’t lift my head until I heard a nasally voice next to me order a cosmopolitan. Maddy was positioned against the bar, watching the bartender and completely ignoring my existence. I didn’t want to make it any easier for her.
“How’s it going?” I chirped in a peppy tone over the music.
She slowly shifted her brown eyes and gave me a sideways glance. “Drinking alone?”
I took a sip of wine. “Sergei’s on his way.”
The bartender placed Maddy’s drink in front of her, and she gave the young man a dazzling smile. When she turned back to me, it was gone.
“I’ve always been curious,” she said. “How it works being married to your coach. Is he… demanding at home, too?”
The tone of her question made our relationship sound salacious. I took a longer sip and set my eyes firmly on hers.
“Rink and home are two separate places. There’s equal give and take between Sergei and me in our marriage.”
Her mouth curved into a little smile as she seemed to ponder my response. “I’d gladly take whatever he’s giving.”
I stared at her, unsure whether to laugh or toss my red wine in her face. “That’s my husband you’re talking about.”
“You should take it as a compliment.”
She picked up her drink and walked away, her waif-like frame taking her across the room to Damien and two other Canadian skaters.
Note to self – just let her ignore you from now on.
A hand slipped around my waist, and I jumped but then quickly smiled at the hint of familiar spicy cologne. I leaned back against Sergei’s starchy oxford shirt, and he angled his head down next to mine.
“What is such a breathtakingly beautiful woman doing alone in a bar?”
“You’ll have to take that up with my husband. He’s kept me waiting.”
He pressed his lips to my hair and kissed his way down to my ear. “He promises to make it up to you… all night long.”
A warm current of electricity streaked down my spine. I swiveled my stool to face Sergei. “This day just keeps getting better.”
“You were really special out there tonight. You should definitely enjoy this victory.”
“Oh, I’m enjoying it.” I grinned. “You know how much I love winning.”
He nudged one leg between my knees, bringing our bodies closer. I tilted my chin up, and he brushed a long curl away from my face.
“Winning is very sexy,” he said.
“Yes, it is.” I nodded slowly and fingered one of the buttons on his shirt. “You know what would be really sexy? Winning an Olympic gold medal.”
He chuckled. “It always comes back to the Olympics.”
“I know, I know. I shouldn’t obsess. But it’s getting so close that I can’t stop thinking about it. And lately I’ve been thinking about all the freak things that could happen in the next eight weeks.”
“Like what?” Sergei arched an eyebrow, seeming afraid to humor me.
“Like… I could step off a curb wrong and break my ankle. Just walking down the street and BAM! Olympics are over.”
“I could carry you everywhere,” he said with a smile.
“That sounds very appealing. Or I could get one of those motorized scooters old people use. A Hoveround!”
He rubbed both my shoulders and then cupped his hands under my chin. “Em, you can’t live in fear that something terrible is going to happen. You’ll drive yourself insane.”
“More insane than I already am?” I asked with a laugh.
“I want this dream to become reality for you. I want it even more than I did for myself. But whatever happens in Torino, it’s not going to define
“You want me to hang with you until Sergei gets here?”
“No, go ahead.” I waved him toward the dance floor. “I’ll enjoy my wine and start making my packing list for Boston.”
Chris followed Aubrey and Nick into the tight mass of dancing bodies, and I turned to face the bar. Sliding my phone out of my jeans pocket, I scrolled to the notepad application and began typing the items I needed to bring to Mom’s house. I didn’t lift my head until I heard a nasally voice next to me order a cosmopolitan. Maddy was positioned against the bar, watching the bartender and completely ignoring my existence. I didn’t want to make it any easier for her.
“How’s it going?” I chirped in a peppy tone over the music.
She slowly shifted her brown eyes and gave me a sideways glance. “Drinking alone?”
I took a sip of wine. “Sergei’s on his way.”
The bartender placed Maddy’s drink in front of her, and she gave the young man a dazzling smile. When she turned back to me, it was gone.
“I’ve always been curious,” she said. “How it works being married to your coach. Is he… demanding at home, too?”
The tone of her question made our relationship sound salacious. I took a longer sip and set my eyes firmly on hers.
“Rink and home are two separate places. There’s equal give and take between Sergei and me in our marriage.”
Her mouth curved into a little smile as she seemed to ponder my response. “I’d gladly take whatever he’s giving.”
I stared at her, unsure whether to laugh or toss my red wine in her face. “That’s my husband you’re talking about.”
“You should take it as a compliment.”
She picked up her drink and walked away, her waif-like frame taking her across the room to Damien and two other Canadian skaters.
Note to self – just let her ignore you from now on.
A hand slipped around my waist, and I jumped but then quickly smiled at the hint of familiar spicy cologne. I leaned back against Sergei’s starchy oxford shirt, and he angled his head down next to mine.
“What is such a breathtakingly beautiful woman doing alone in a bar?”
“You’ll have to take that up with my husband. He’s kept me waiting.”
He pressed his lips to my hair and kissed his way down to my ear. “He promises to make it up to you… all night long.”
A warm current of electricity streaked down my spine. I swiveled my stool to face Sergei. “This day just keeps getting better.”
“You were really special out there tonight. You should definitely enjoy this victory.”
“Oh, I’m enjoying it.” I grinned. “You know how much I love winning.”
He nudged one leg between my knees, bringing our bodies closer. I tilted my chin up, and he brushed a long curl away from my face.
“Winning is very sexy,” he said.
“Yes, it is.” I nodded slowly and fingered one of the buttons on his shirt. “You know what would be really sexy? Winning an Olympic gold medal.”
He chuckled. “It always comes back to the Olympics.”
“I know, I know. I shouldn’t obsess. But it’s getting so close that I can’t stop thinking about it. And lately I’ve been thinking about all the freak things that could happen in the next eight weeks.”
“Like what?” Sergei arched an eyebrow, seeming afraid to humor me.
“Like… I could step off a curb wrong and break my ankle. Just walking down the street and BAM! Olympics are over.”
“I could carry you everywhere,” he said with a smile.
“That sounds very appealing. Or I could get one of those motorized scooters old people use. A Hoveround!”
He rubbed both my shoulders and then cupped his hands under my chin. “Em, you can’t live in fear that something terrible is going to happen. You’ll drive yourself insane.”
“More insane than I already am?” I asked with a laugh.
“I want this dream to become reality for you. I want it even more than I did for myself. But whatever happens in Torino, it’s not going to define
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