More Than Fine. (Complete)

31- MTF Riding a Bike

     His girl. Despite the cold, Gia felt warm all over. She never dreamed she would ever be able to have this with a guy. She'd hoped, but deep, down always feared it would never be a reality for her. This new feeling was the most wonderful thing she'd felt since before her parents died, and she hoped it would never go away.

     "I've got you." Nick reached for her hand as she held onto the rail and got her footing.

     She shook her head. "We can hold hands once we're steady on our feet. If we do right now we might pull each other down."

     Reluctantly pulling back, Nick followed her onto the ice. They started slow, but within seconds Gia found her footing and smiled. Nick, however, seemed to struggle, so she slowed her pace to remain along side him. Once he steadied she increased speed and he worked to keep up. Just as they finished their first loop around, Gia decided it was time to test her skills. After checking the area ahead for others, she rotated so she was skating backwards and facing Nick.

     His brow shot up and he looked both shocked and impressed. "Like riding a bike, huh? I think your bike was different than mine."

     Gia broke out in laughter, and she placed a gloved hand on her cheek. "I might have forgotten to mention I took ice skating lessons with Evie for a couple of summers in middle school, and we may have done some competitive skating around that time."

     The corner of Nick's mouth pulled up. "You're just full of surprises."

     She grinned, and spun back around to face forward again, then took his hand in hers. After several more laps, she urged him to the center. "I want to try something. Stand back."

     As Nick watched, she began to skate in a wide circle around him, then lifted one leg, and suddenly she was spinning. Slowly at first, then her speed increased. He couldn't hold back his smile and began to clap. When she finally stopped her spinning and skated back to him, he commented. "The surprises just keep coming! That seems awfully advanced for someone who skated in middle school."

     "I kept working at it through high school, and even though I couldn't afford the advanced lessons, I watched when others were training and taught myself."

     Pain flickered in Nick's eyes, then he reached for her hand. "You're amazing."

~~~

     "Mmm. This is just what I needed, to warm up." Gia took a sip of hot tea, then clasped both hands around the cup to warm them. She glanced around the cozy Italian restaurant where Nick had made reservations.

     "So, ice skating lessons in middle school?"

     "Mmm-hmm." Gia lifted her tea up to her mouth for a drink. "Evie befriended me when I started school midway through seventh grade." Pausing, she bit her lip, and shook her head. "I was this quiet girl, practically afraid of my shadow when I changed schools. Evie sought me out, included me in conversations, invited me to sit with her friends at lunch. I still remember the first time she invited me to her home. Her mom picked us up from school, and treated me like her own daughter from that day on. Anyway, that summer Barb found out about some free ice skating lessons and convinced my grandfather to let me attend with Evie."

     "You said something about quitting because lessons were too expensive."

     "Yeah, the next summer there was a charge, but they gave me a scholarship so it wasn't too bad. Once I'd finished ninth grade, though, the price for the advanced classes was significantly more. My grandfather offered to pay, but I knew how tight things were financially and told him I didn't want the lessons." Gia shrugged and pushed the olives on her plate around with her fork.