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“I had kind of hoped we’d be more than that. But hey, look at us now. We’re in a seriously committed fake relationship. Dreams really do come true.”
Yael shook her head and shoved her hands in the pocket of her hoodie.
She stayed quiet until we got to a plaza between two high-rise office buildings, and I halted, snagging the hood of her sweatshirt.
“Time for your lesson,” I said.
“Here?” She glanced around the plaza, at the stone benches and low metal rails around mulched gardens. “Am I not good enough to take in front of your skater buddies?”
“Funny.” I dropped the boards on the ground, side by side. “We’ll go to a park later if you want. But let’s start here, get you steady on wheels, then we’ll see how you’re feeling. Deal?”
Yael surprised me by not complaining and allowing me to teach her. I tried to channel my dad’s eternal patience and encouragement, even when being shot with death glares. We spent the better part of an hour getting her comfortable on her board and slowly making our way around the plaza. It was early enough in the day, our only audience was a homeless gentleman, and he was too busy reading a book to pay much attention to us. Although, when Yael managed to skate the length of the plaza without stumbling, he clapped for her along with me, and she took a bow.
By the time she flopped down on a bench, her cheeks were pink, and her smile was real. She tucked her feet under her and ran her fingers through her hair.
“You’re a lot better than you were the first time,” I said.
“Yeah…well, that day, I was so nervous about making a fool of myself in front of you, I couldn’t concentrate. Now I don’t give a shit,” she answered.
I nodded. “Good, you shouldn’t. I know who you are, Yael.”
As I skated away, she muttered, “What the hell does that even mean?,” and I couldn’t stop the smile tugging at my lips. Yeah, this fake relationship shit was going to befun.
