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“Didn’t you just have cake for breakfast?” Sacha raises a brow.
“But it’s my birthday! And the world might end!”
Girl’s got her priorities sorted.
“This moment totally calls for confetti,” Ade declares, sticking her hand into her coat pocket and producing a handful of confetti and glitter which she proceeds to blow all over us.
“What the hell is that?” Sacha demands, shrieking and trying to brush the rainbow glitter from her outfit. It’s an exercise in futility, and I’m glad I escaped the worst of it.
“Confetti.”
“Why do you have confetti in your pocket?”
“It’s my emergency confetti. I carry it wverywheee in case there’s good news. Come on! Let’s skate!”
We chuckle and speed along after her as she darts around like a swarm of bees is chasing her. She’s a blur, weaving in and out of the crowds, racing towards the skate hire. I briefly wonder if the hot punky-looking guy will be working again. What was his name again? Quinn? Quill? I’d quite like to see the medic too. Just, you know, without being injured this time.
I honestly don’t know what’s the matter with me. First the skate attendant, then having a crush on the medic that patched me up, and even that sexy guy turning up at the studio with his mountain beast of a dog. I’ve barely even looked at a guy since Ade’s father—horrible dates aside—and here I am all of a sudden lusting after and fantasizing about three guys? There’s something seriously wrong with me.
“Uh-oh,” Sacha says, staring intently at me.
“What?”
“I know that look. You like someone. Like, like like someone.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. And that sentence was confusing as hell.” I desperately try to fight off a blush, but I can feel my cheeks warming despite my best intentions to prevent it.
“You do! Oh my god! Is he here?” She starts whipping round, checking out anyone and everyone who might have potentially caught my eye.
“You’re crazy.” I laugh. “Come on, let’s catch up to Ade before she goes crazy.”
Despite how busy the rink is, there’s no queue for the skate hire...sorry rental…and Ade is sat on the counter happily chatting away to the sexy guy who gave me my skates last time. I pull away from Sacha and approach the skate rental area. With every step closer I take, my heart beats a little faster. Which is stupid. I had a thirty second conversation with the guy, one time. He won’t even remember me.
“Ade! Get down. You shouldn’t be up there,” I tell her with a frown once I’m close enough to be heard without having to shout over the din of people, skates, chatter, and music.
“I’m allowed Mama. Quilo said I could.” Ah, that was it. Quilo. Sign me up. He can quill an ‘O’ right out of me anytime.
“Lumi, right?” The hot guy grins at me. He’s wearing a black and white plaid shirt which is hanging open over a white wife beater, and all I can think is how he looks like the sexiest lumberjack I’ve ever seen. A lumbersnack I would love to take a bite out of.
My god what is wrong with me?!
“How’s the leg?”
“Erm, it’s fine thanks. J-just a scratch really,” I stammer. I can’t believe he remembers me, my name. I’m pretty sure there’s actual drool on my chin from staring at him. Is it hot in here? Maybe I should start removing my clothes.
I focus on Ade instead, fussing with the laces of her sparkling purple Converse, refastening the hair slides under her space buns and fiddling with the buttons on her cardigan, even though she’s more than capable of doing everything herself. Anything to avoid looking at—
“Well, hell—o handsome,” Sacha smiles seductively at Quilo as she comes to stand by my side. My heart falls a little as Quilo stares at her. He’s probably mesmerized by her. Most guys are. Of course he wouldn’t really be interested in me. Not next to Sacha, who literally saves people for a living, and not with me being a single mum. I quickly mask my disappointment and school my features.
“Hi, welcome to the rink. Have you been before? I don’t recall seeing you.” I listen and watch as the two of them interact. Maybe it’s false hope but, as hard as Sacha flirts and turns on her legendary charm, he doesn’t appear to be reciprocating. Ade watches them closely with an unimpressed scowl on her face.
“Aunty Ya-Ya?” she suddenly interrupts. “You have a bug on you.”
“What?!” Sacha shrieks, frantically batting at her coat, screaming. “Get it off! Get it off!”
“It’s okay, it looks great on you,” Ade winks at her. Before turning to me. “Mama, can we skate now?”
“Absolutely!” Quilo beams at her. It has to be my imagination that he looks relieved at the distraction. I cut a quick glance at Sacha and she’s frowning, realizing that Ade has ruined the moment, and also seeming unimpressed by Quilo’s lack of reaction to her best attempts at seduction. Well, the ones she can do in public anyway. I’m sure if they were alone together, he wouldn’t stand a chance of resisting her.
