Left With Liam

Chapter 25

Liam

I asked Mel out for our first official date. I still have no idea what to do. Time is ticking away, and I'm running out of days to figure out where I should take her.

Our date is Sunday, so I only have two more days to figure out what to do. I want to make it special, something she'll look back on and remember fondly for years to come. But I'm at a loss over what to do.

Every chance I get, I start thinking of all the different things we could do, trying to figure out what would be the most memorable for Mel. I don't want to do the old dinner and a movie date- that's too obvious. This night needs to be special, and dinner and a movie won't cut it.

I was getting so desperate for ideas I even asked Chase and T.J. what they did on their first dates with Lins and Taylor. Chase told me about the rooftop garden he took Lins to- how he set it up all romantic for her, had wine and music waiting for them. He offered to tell me where it was, so I could take Mel there if I wanted.

I declined. My first date with Mel has to be unique. Plus, I didn't want to take Chase and Lins's special place from them.

T.J. told me that he and Tay consider their first date to be the night she cooked a fancy dinner for them and dressed to the nines after they spent the day together running errands and going shopping. I asked what else they did for their first date, and T.J. got this far-off look in his eye and just grinned. He didn't say anything as he got lost in the memory of whatever they did.

I thought it best that I let it go after that. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what happened between them after dinner. And those details are ones best left unshared. I don't even want to think about what those two may have done in this apartment while the rest of us were gone- or what surfaces they may have done them on...

I shudder at the thought.

Looks like I'm on my own finding the perfect date idea for Mel.

Heaven help me.

~

I needed a distraction. I needed Mel.

It was brutal that I kept coming up empty in my search for the perfect date idea for Mel and me. I wanted to recharge, do something that would reset my mind and put me at ease. Maybe then, I would be able to think of something incredible to do with her.

So, instead of moping around the apartment, I left and headed to the rink where Mel works. It was nearly lunchtime, and I thought I'd surprise her with food and company while she took a break.

I went to the deli a few blocks from her building- one she'd told me about a few times- and grabbed us both a turkey and avocado wrap with a side of fresh fruit salad. With lunch in hand, I made my way to Mel's rink.

When I got there, she was still finishing up her last class before lunch. I greeted her boss with a smile and asked if she was okay with me crashing Mel's lunch break. She gave me the all-clear and escorted me to the rink, telling me I could wait until Mel was finished.

I set the food down on one of the benches and leaned my forearms on the wall surrounding the ice. I'd never seen Mel at work. I've seen her out on the ice before, but not in several years, and never while she was teaching.

She didn't see me standing there, watching her. It was like she was in her own little bubble with her students, giving them all of her attention and then some. She was patient with them.

If one of them had a question, she answered it gently. If any of them fell, she was right there to pick them up. And when one girl looked like she was on the verge of tears, Mel swooped in, placed a soft hand on the girl's shoulder, and gave her encouraging words, followed by a kind smile.

The same smile that I've seen on more than one occasion as I wake up in the morning. The one I hope to see many more mornings- and nights- in the future.

As the lesson was wrapping up, I heard one of the students ask her to show them one of her routines again. That piqued my interest.

Mel agreed without hesitation. She started floating across the ice swiftly, delicately, without music to skate to. It was as if she'd done the routine a million times- like she had every beat memorized. I swore I saw her eyes close through half of her ice dance as an easy smile curled over her lips.

She looked angelic as she skated. Her face brushed with pink from the chill in the air, her ponytail breezing behind her, the relaxed look upon her face- every detail made her look ethereal. It was impossible for me to look away.

I was held captive by her. And the moment her routine ended, a thought dawned on me- the perfect way to spend our first date. I'd finally figured it out.

I smiled to myself at the thought brought on by that angel out there on the ice. I knew seeing her would help. I just can't believe I didn't think of it sooner...

I was still smiling as Mel made her way off the ice. She trailed behind her students as they all filed past me- some with wide eyes and whispers as they recognized who I was. I gave them a wink as they passed me, making more than one giggle and blush.

I heard a soft laugh at that action. When I turned, I saw Mel leaning against the rink, shaking her head. "I bet you get that kind of reaction all the time."

I let my grin spread even wider for her. "Sometimes, but my favorite is when I get that reaction from you."

My words earned me precisely what I wanted as Mel blushed, pulling her lips inward to keep from laughing.

I walked over to her. "Just like that."

My fingers brushed her cheeks lightly as I swept my gaze over her face. Man, I could stare at her all day long if she'd let me.

So freaking beautiful.

As if she could read my mind, Mel's blush deepened. She swallowed once before asking, "What are you doing here?"

I motioned to the bench, where our food was waiting. "I brought lunch."

Her melodic giggle filled my ears as I helped her to the bench. "How much time do you have?"

She took a spot on the bench and changed into her tennis shoes. "I have forty-five minutes before my next class."

"Perfect! Mind if I steal you for the entirety?"

Mel bit her bottom lip as she gently shook her head. "I don't mind."

"Come on; I'll show you to the break room." She stashed her skates under the bench and held out a hand for me.

We ate and talked through the entire forty-five minutes. When our time was up, I wasn't ready to leave. Mel seemed like she could sense it too.

"You can stay a bit and watch my next class if you want. Maybe having an auditor will help make me a better teacher."

I chuckled. "There's no way you could be better. You're already perfect."

My words were sincere, and I could see in Mel's eyes that she knew that too. Her blue eyes showed me how much my words meant to her, as did the accompanying smile. That look and smile told me my words hit home for her, that they meant more than she could say.

~

I stayed and watched Mel teach her following two classes. It was hard to leave as I watched her time and time again demonstrate how to do different turns and tricks. I watched as her students studied her in awe, unable to look away from the woman skating merrily on the ice.

I was in awe of her, and the longer I watched, the more in awe I became.