Blades

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Sweat is pouring off of me but I feel fantastic for it. With both of our partners at opposite ends of the country Katy and I have taken the opportunity to train with each other between Christmas and New Year. It won't surprise you to know that I've always resisted having a training buddy before but, once Katy talked me into it, I've discovered it's actually great: new ideas, extra motivation and the use of my competitive streak. While I miss Sandy's constant, calming presence at my side it's also nice to have a few days to focus on myself.

The rink and gym are always quiet in this strange in-between period – no one's made their New Year's resolutions yet. The two of us have put the emptiness to good use, sprinting up and down the ice in the early morning, slaloming around cones, sharing tips on doing different spins. Now that the rink is full of unstable skaters celebrating the time of year we've hit the gym downstairs for some off-ice training. I'm glad to do it with Katy because we both know what we're doing, and we've been having these kinds of training sessions for long enough that I trust we won't do anything mad and injure ourselves. Our physical health is way too precious for that, especially as we're both lucky enough to have partners.

After the twentieth abdominal curl, the last in this set of exercises, Katy suggests,

"Cool down time?"

I nod, "Sounds good."

She jogs to her portable speakers and switches to a different playlist – music is one of the advantages of using this place when it's empty. Then we go into our routine stretches to ease our muscles out of the workout. I breathe into each stretch, feeling the way it lengthens every part of me. When we're done Katy offers me a hand to high-five.

"Good workout," she says, for once in her life looking tired rather than on the verge of exploding with bottled energy. It's good to know I'm not the only one with numb legs and a throbbing core after all of that.

We cross to the side of the hall to pick up our water bottles, and I check my phone as we sit down. Two missed calls from Charlie. I frown and dial his number.

"Hey," I say when I hear him pick up, "what's up?"

"Oh, there you are," he says, "I was wondering if you'd died or something."

"Well, I feel as if I might soon," I laugh. Which is true; I'm not as fit as I'd like to believe, really. "But no, I've just been training."

"Training?" Charlie says, and I can't tell whether his incredulous tone is a joke or real, "Without lover boy?"

"I'll have you know I'm a strong, independent woman," I reply. My own incredulity is definitely a joke and it makes him laugh. "And anyway, it's my responsibility to keep myself in shape, not Sandy's." I can almost hear Charlie shaking his head.

"You and exercise, Fred-Astaire. I'll never understand it."

"Anyway," I say, "why were you calling me? Nothing's up is it?"

"Up as in wrong? Nah, of course not. It's Christmas," Charlie says, "It was just that I wanted to invite you to the cinema with Mark, Abby and I since we're normal people and use Christmas to eat chocolate and watch films instead of to exercise when the gym's empty." I make an offended sound that Charlie knows full well is not offended at all and he laughs again. "But we're in the foyer now. I don't think you'd get here from the rink in time." He's right, sadly. The film must have practically started if the Leaver brothers are buying tickets (they're late to everything, constantly, it drives me insane) and the cinema's a good half an hour away.

All I say is, "Oh. That's a shame." The phone makes a strange noise as if it's rubbing against something and I estimate that he's shrugging.

"Yeah it is. Ah, well."