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“I did it? And I didn’t fall!” I squeal at my accomplishment.
“Imagine how well you could do with your eyes open,” he teases.
It’s then that I realize my eyes are squeezed shut like a moron. “Oh… right,” I joke, peeling them open.
This is so thrilling yet comforting at the same time. Like being cuddled on a rollercoaster.
“Okay, now we’re going to try a toe-side turn. We’ll keep alternating until we’re down the hill, sound good?”
“I got this!” I cheer.
“Yes, you do.” He tips his lips in a smile and winks through his goggles. “You’ve got this, and I’ve got you.” He gives my hands an affectionate squeeze before helping me through the next turn.
* * *
Kyle
Gwen may just be one of those people with a hidden gift.
She’s accepted her lot in life as an uncoordinated individual, and that’s one of the things that attracted me to her. I love how she doesn’t apologize or get embarrassed by her unwitting shenanigans.
That said, it’s remarkable how well she’s doing with a board attached to her feet. Did she take right off like a pro? Of course not. But she’s doing leaps and bounds better than she thought she would. I showed her how to stop and had her practice moving down the hill over and over while I stood close by. She didn’t need to hold my hands, and she didn’t fall once.
And her dipshit ex never brought her along or showed her how to board. The fucker spent all his time on the slopes but didn’t bother to try, not even for the sake of spending more time with her. Granted, she didn’t think this was something she could do, but in my opinion, a supportive boyfriend would’ve encouraged her to try it anyway. But that’s me.
Maybe it’s because it’s been a good stretch since I’ve had a girlfriend. Meeting girls usually goes one of two ways. One, they meet me in the bar and see my glasses and the fact that I’m avidly intoStar Warstrivia or a D & D tournament and write me off as too much of a nerd then and there.
Or…
They meet me on the slopes and are impressed by my shredding and see me as some cool athlete. This normally works in my favor, but only until we’re off the slopes and my glasses go back on. That’s when they find out I do IT work and handle the resorts website. On occasion, they make it to my apartment and see theStar Warsgift shop set up inside.
More to the point, they think if they get with me, they’re going to be subjected to nonstop informational lectures on being a Jedi. They assume they’ll be forced into a marathon of Hobbit movies, or they’d be just plain embarrassed to introduce their Chewbacca T-shirt-wearing boyfriend to their friends.
Gwen didn’t blink at any of that. Okay, so she was drunk, but she woke up sober next to Grogu, and she’s still here letting me teach her a new sport. Not to mention she’s still stoked about seeing my lightsaber!
* * *
Gwen
Kyle helped me down the hill three full times before our lesson was up. I even did two full turns in different directions by myself without falling. It was at a snail’s pace through molasses, but I can’t be bothered to give a shit because I finally got the courage to try something new without my knack for disaster stopping me.
“I’m glad you came,” Kyle tells me as he unsnaps the bindings on my board so I can detach my feet. “You did amazing.”
“Thank you for talking me into it,” I return. “I did better than I thought I would.”
“You did exactly as well as I thought you would,” he says, taking my hands and pulling me up from the ground.
I freeze and cock my head to the side, looking up at him, not knowing what he means.
He stares down at me in confusion, and then a painful realization takes over his expression. “I mean you did wonderfully, and I knew you would,” he scrambles. “Not that you did badly, and I wasn’t expecting more than that, and—you get it, right?”
His expression is adorably uncomfortable and pleading, and I can’t help but smile while giving him a playful shove.
“I get it. Don’t worry,” I reassure him. “And I had fun. I thought it would be scary and frustrating, but you made it easy. It makes me want to see what it’s like to actually fly down a slope the way you’re supposed to.”
Kyle studies me for a minute before reaching down to grab my board.
“Why wait?” he asks. He takes the snowboard to the rack, then makes his way back over to me while I watch him, dumbfounded and waiting for an elaboration.
