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Half an hour later, we’re off the train and walking past the Cultural Centre and waiting for the signal to cross the intersection toward Millennium Park.
“Are we there yet?”I ask again with a giggle, giddiness bubbling inside of me because if I’m right, then Luc is about to tick off one of my dating bucket-list items.
“Yep.”
“So I’m right?”
He turns his amused gaze my way.“You’re always right.”That earns him an eye roll.“But I’ll play.What do you think you’re right about this time?”
“You’re taking me ice-skating.”
“Yep.”He leads me across North Michigan Avenue and along the sidewalk bordering the seasonal ice-skating rink.
I step in front of him and start walking backward, bouncing with excitement.“So, is this a case of you sitting down and watching me skate?I know you can’t do it.”
He chuckles.“You remember that story?”
“You think I’d forget about you, Marco, and Gio going to join the local ice-hockey team, and you eating ice within the first five minutes, knocking out your two front teeth?Oh yeah.”I grin wickedly at him.“That’s firmly in the Luc stories vault in my head.”
“My childhood trauma is your entertainment fodder?”He’s laughing now.
“Yep,” I say, accentuating the word.“Does that hurt your big, brave firefighter image, Luc?”
His answering smile is so wide and pure it has my heart dancing a little faster.When I almost trip over my feet, he quickly braces his hands on my hips to steady me, bringing his face just that much closer to mine and I forget to breathe.
With my mind spinning, and everything I thought I knew about Luc and I totally up in the air, we reach the ticketing counter and Luc flashes his cell phone, showing our pre-booked tickets for the 11.30-1pm session.He orders ice skates in both of our sizes and carries them as we walk outside to the nearest free bench.All the while, I feel like I’m in a daze.
This is like a complete role switch in our friendship.I’m usually the organizer, the task master, whereas Luc is the easy, breezy, go-with-the-flow one out of the two of us.
“What’s happening here?”I ask when Luc bends down in front of me and starts unlacing my boots.
His lips twitch, and I swear heknowshe’s got me off-balance.“We’re going ice-skating, and I’m going to make an absolute fool of myself doing it.”
“I mean ...this.”I nod down to my sock-clad feet.
“Put your hands on my shoulders, babe.Going to need to get some leverage to get these on you from this angle.”
“Icando it, Luc.”
“I know.But doesn’t mean you’re going to.”
I sigh and do as he said.A few minutes later, I’m fully laced up and ready to skate while Luc is booting up.
“Are you really going to skate with me?”I ask, hope blooming in my chest.
He turns and reaches up, adjusting my black beanie with the fluffy pompom on my head and sweeping the tip of his finger along over my temple.His eyes track the movement before lazily shifting to meet my gaze.“It wouldn’t be much of a date if I came here to just stand andwatchyou skate.I’m not afraid to make a fool of myself—not in front of you anyway.”
If it was possible for a human body to melt, I’d be done for.How could he ever think he wasn’t any good at romance and dating?I swear, he just has to shoot one of those sexy smiles my way and he’d already be wining.Funny that we could be doing anything and as long as it was with him, I’d be happy.
“Ready to watch me fall on my ass?”he asks.
I stand and carefully make my way to the edge of the makeshift rink under the shadow of the famous Bean landmark.“Yes.I think I am.But don’t worry, Luc.I’ll look after you.”
“Yeah,” he says, his voice warm and raspy.“I think you’re right.”
“Fuck, that hurts,”he grumbles as he gingerly sits down on the seat beside me on the L train heading back out of the city.
I giggle and lean into him.“Ididoffer to get you one of those skate aids.”
