Kiss My Ice

2|3

My eyes drifted to the clock on the back wall of the coffee house. It was 11:08 AM. The hockey team should not have still been at the rink. There was a slim possibility that they were trying to trick me into attending my ice time with Aiden as that wasn't for a few more hours. It had to have been something else.

Why the boys wanted me at the rink, I wasn't sure, but my curiosity had been piqued. It couldn't hurt anything to meet them.

_-_-_

The first thing that caught my eye as I walked through the front doors of the rink was the two unfamiliar young men standing at the top of the bleachers. A sense of déjà vu filled me with dread at the possibility that these two were another package deal with the new rink sponsor.

I would quit the rink now if that were the case.

"I don't have to prove anything to you," one of the guys sneered. His voice dripped of annoyance.

I parked myself at the top of the bleachers a few feet away from the new faces, letting my hands rest on the railing as I looked out at the ice. Holly, a young preteen in the skate club, was currently on the ice with Tiffany. She looked good. Very confident in her skating as she effortlessly landed a double salchow.

"You say that because you know I always win," the other guy responded with a hearty laugh. From the corner of my eye, I could see him lean over and tap his companion on the shoulder. "I always do."

"Did you guys know that the hockey team here sucked last year?" A female voice marveled as she approached. Another new face. I titled my head, curiosity getting the best of me. These three had to be tied to the new sponsor.

A tall brunette sauntered over. She was lean, definitely appeared to some kind of athlete, but I didn't get the impression she played hockey or was a figure skater. Her bright pink hoodie, ripped light wash jeans, and white sandals screamed she wasn't used to the cold air of an ice rink.

The two guys on the other hand, I couldn't tell if they played hockey or not. They were both tall – taller than most hockey players – with broad shoulders and well-muscled arms. Even through their long sleeve shirts there was no hiding that they were both physically fit. Likely both athletes.

"I thought that you guys said Aiden was good at hockey."

I knew that I shouldn't have been eavesdropping on their conversation, but that didn't stop the loud snort that erupted from me at the girl's comment. Aiden was good at hockey. As much as I wanted to deny that, it was no secret that he was a large part of the team's sudden improvements.

Three sets of brown eyes fell onto me in a split second. The girl furrowed her brows, eyeing me quizzically while both of the guys seemed amused by my outburst.

"Sorry," I coughed, turning my head back to the ice to attempt to hide the red that rushed to my cheeks. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

"You look so familiar," the girl hummed. "What's your name?"

My eyebrows jumped up as I turned back toward the group. "I look familiar?"

She nodded; her eyes squinted at me as if that was helping her to see me better. "Have we met before?"

A sickening feeling sank in my stomach. Maybe this girl was a figure skater after all. Could our paths have crossed at a competition somewhere? If that were the case, I feared that the new rink sponsor would indeed be a package deal.