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“Fuck, Ace,” he drawls, taking me into his arms and spinning me around. Shane left after they hung the gold medal around Jesse’s neck to meet up with Cillian. Jesse hugs his dad and brother before they get swamped by people. Cameras flash all around us. He seals his mouth over mine, and I melt into his strong body while the crowd keeps cheering.
I stare at him, a little dazed. “I-I d-didn’t know you were competing,” I stammer, staring at his gold medal.
“When I saw you standing there watching me, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I never rode like that before in my life,” he confesses, kissing me again before people start crowding us.
A guy walks up to him and says, “We have interviews to do, Jesse.”
“Okay, give me a minute. Ben, this is Ace, by the way. This is my coach.”
“Nice to meet you,” Ben says, shaking my hand. “Heard a lot of good things about you.”
“Will you come with me and hang around until I’m done? I have a lot of things I need to tell you,” Jesse says. He lets go of my hand before I can answer. He turns around to say goodbye to his brother and father, and they give me a big hug too.
“Don’t be a stranger, kiddo. Let him bring you over to the house. I cook a mean lasagna,” Daniel tells me.
“See ya, Ace,” Gibb says, giving me a wave.
Jesse is attacked by reporters while I take a step back. I glance around. People are dancing to the music blasting through the speakers, and kids are waiting expectantly and staring in the direction of Jesse. Maybe they’re waiting for an autograph. There are girls standing around giggling and looking in the direction of the riders. A couple my age keep flashing me angry stares like they want to kill me for kissing their favorite snowboarder.
Jesse winks at me, settling my racing heart. After he’s posed for countless pictures and talked to a couple of girls, he walks over to me. Smiling, he grabs my hand, lacing our fingers together.
“Wanna go somewhere a little more private? I still have a couple of interviews to do. You mind waiting for me?”
“No, not at all,” I say, not daring to look around.
We head inside the press tent and the place is packed. “Just stay close to Ben, and you’ll be all right.”
Ben nods, and Jesse takes a seat next to a couple of other riders who came in second and third. When the commentator introduces him, the reporters start to shout questions his way.
“Why did you decide to do these tricks today? Was it a test run for the Olympic qualifications?” a middle-aged guy asks.
Jesse chuckles, running a hand through his hair before putting his beanie back on. “Everything is a test for the Olympics.” His raspy voice comes over the microphone. Shit, the Olympics, really?
“Is it true you’re working on another movie?” another one asks.
“I’ve already shot a couple of things in Japan, and we’re going to Alaska and Canada for the other parts,” he answers, sounding cocky and sure of himself.
“Are you planning on keeping Aspen as your home base?” a female journalist asks.
He locks eyes with me and smiles. “Yeah, I plan on living here my whole life, and getting more kids interested in the sport.”
I stay for the rest of the press briefing, my head overflowing with all this new information. When it’s finished, and he’s done posing for a couple of pictures, he heads over to me.
“What did you think?” he asks, leading me behind a sponsor banner and taking me into his arms, away from prying eyes.
“I had no idea you were a famous athlete,” I say, and fuck, I sound hesitant and scared at the same time.
He swallows hard, taking off his beanie, and rakes his hand through his disheveled hair.
“Fame is in the eye of the beholder, Ace. It doesn’t matter shit.” I almost believe him. I keep staring at him, and the knot in my stomach disappears when he flashes me his cocky smirk. “Come on, let’s get out of here,” he says, his long hair falling in front of his eyes. “A couple of friends are throwing a party not far from here if you want to come with me?”
“Yeah, that sounds like fun,” I tell him, not sounding like my normal self. When we head outside, fans flock to him, and he stops to take pictures and sign autographs while I move to the side. I take a deep breath and look around. I’m anxious and giddy at the same time. I’m scared and happy, and why does it feel like the beginning of something and the end of something else? I want to hide and run away like I’ve always done when things get hard, but I stay put while my heart is beating out of my chest.
Ben walks up to me. “Doing okay?”
I nod, wiping my sweaty hands on my pants. “Is it always like this?”
“Nah, this is wild. X Games and the World Championships are always busier. When it’s only Jesse and the snow, everything else falls away.”
