This Isn't Working Out

Skating Around the Issue

"Do you ever get tired of feeding me?" Lily asked idly as she sat at the kitchen counter watching Elizabeth toss things into a pot.

"No," said Elizabeth, somehow managing to stir the soup she was making and pull out a tray of rolls from the oven. "Someone has to look after you. It's like you're our moody teenager."

"Except with a delightful personality," Lily quipped. Elizabeth just raised her eyebrows.

Once Chris got home from work, the three of them sat down at the table to eat. "I liked getting to meet Ben at the barbeque," said Chris. "He's so nice."

"And cute," Elizabeth chimed in.

Lily looked back and forth between them suspiciously. "Is this a planned attack? An intervention? What's going on here?"

Elizabeth sighed. "We just want you to be happy. I don't understand why you won't just give him a chance."

Lily matched Elizabeth's sigh with an exaggerated one of her own. "I'm just not dating right now. It's been one disaster after another. Ever since..."

"Ever since Marcus? Is that what you were going to say?"

Lily's eyes narrowed. "This isn't about Marcus. Why do you think everything is about him?"

"Because you were head over heels for him, and he broke your heart. Plus, every time you forget exactly how awful he is, he slithers back into your life, and it starts all over again."

"That is not true!"

"Isn't it?" Elizabeth asked. "When's the last time the two of you got together."

Lily's eyes darted back and forth, hoping for a rescue, but Chris was studiously examining his water glass. "It wasn't that recent. I haven't seen him in like...two months."

"You mean two months ago when you were dating that agent, and it was going well, but you dumped him and got back with Marcus for a week before he did his whole 'I don't believe in labels' thing and bounced?"

"Things with that guy were never going to work out anyway. For a literary agent, he barely even read."

Elizabeth threw up her hands. "Chris! Can you please chime in here? You said you would help me."

"I knew it!" Lily pointed her finger at Elizabeth. "I knew you guys planned this."

"Okay," Chris made some vague "calm down" gestures with his hands. "We just both really liked Ben. And you two seemed to get along well. I think Elizabeth just worries that you're making up reasons not to be with him. We both are worried," he corrected himself when Elizabeth shot him a pointed look.

Looking at them, their faces filled with what was obviously a real concern, Lily felt the anger leak out of her. "I know you guys mean well. And yes, I like Ben. I mean, he's funny and interesting and ridiculously cute. But..."

"But what?" Elizabeth prodded.

"I just don't know that I have that much in common with a trainer. And," she added in a quieter voice, "I don't want to get hurt."

Both Elizabeth and Chris looked at her sympathetically. Elizabeth slid her hand across the table and squeezed Lily's hand. "I know," she said, "But maybe it's worth the risk?"

That night in bed, Lily pulled up her texts with Ben. They had continued to send each other articles back and forth but now interspersed them with little notes about their day. She started typing a message to him.

"Do you maybe want to grab a drink sometime?"

"I'm thinking about giving up my dating ban. Are you interested?"

"I really like you...."

Finally, she sighed, deleted her texts, and went to sleep.

The next day Lily once again followed Ben's cryptic instructions and ended up outside another large nondescript building. It was good she knew he wasn't trying to kill her since every place she met him seemed vaguely threatening.

She pulled open the door and was met with a blast of cold air and a smiling Ben. Looking around the building, she raised her eyes almost to her hairline. "Ice skating?! Now you're just trying to injure me."

"No, see, I have a theory," said Ben, already laughing. "Doing something totally innocuous didn't work out for us last week, so I figured we should go the other way. Take the bull by the horns. Laugh in the face of danger. You know, that kind of thing."

"That's a lot of adages. It's not as soothing as you might think." Lucy looked around the rink doubtfully. "I don't think I've been ice skating since I was like eight."

"Me neither!" said Ben, "It's going to be so much fun!"

"If you say so, "said Lucy.

Fifteen minutes later, they had laced up their skates and were tentatively taking to the ice. Well, Lily was tentative, holding tightly to the wall, while Ben raced into the middle of the rink and then came swooping back towards her. "Isn't this fun?" he asked brightly, "And such good exercise!"

"Shhh...I am trying very hard not to break my leg," said Lily.

Ben skated up beside her and held out his arm. "Hold on to me; I won't let you fall."

Lily carefully took his arm and let him lead her around the rink. After a few times, she began to gain some assurance. "I have to admit, you were right. This is a lot of fun," she said to Ben.

No sooner were the words out of her mouth than her legs flew out from under her. She fell hard onto her backside. For a moment, she could only sit on the cold ice, stunned.

Seconds later, Ben was at her side, kneeling down next to her. "Are you okay? I swear I thought this would be fine. I am honestly not trying to kill you."

Looking at his horrified face, Lily couldn't help herself and started to laugh. "I'm okay. But I think my tailbone may need a little rest. That may be it for me and ice skating for a while."

Looking relieved, Ben hauled her up from the ice and skated her carefully to the edge of the rink. He sat her down on one of the benches before crouching down to unlace her skates. He kept looking up at her face to make sure she was okay. His face was so kind and open, and his hands on her leg sent shivers up her body.

He must have seen something on her face because he suddenly stopped and said, "Would you like to go out with me sometime?"

"I...um...I'm not dating right now, remember?"

Ben smiled. "I know, but I was hoping you'd make an exception. I promise an exercise-free date."

"Ok," said Lily.