Chapter 16 #5
“Grown-ups spend too much time kissing,” Henry says. He lets go of Jeremy’s hand and skates away from them with his arms flailing and his feet slipping on the ice like a chaotic cannonball.
“I’ll argue we haven’t spent nearly enough time kissing yet,” Jeremy says and re-grabs Sergio’s hand as they skate, following Henry. He calls after him, “Sit on the ledge, Henry!”
“I know!” Henry yells back. “Blades stay on the ice.”
“I’ll help him,” Sergio says, quickening his pace to catch up with Henry. He sits on the low ledge and pulls Henry into his lap so he can help him out of his skates while Jeremy puts his blade guards on and steps off.
“What time are we leaving?” Jeremy asks, grabbing hold of Henry’s skates one by one when Sergio hands them to him.
“Holden says we’re leaving a little before eight,” Sergio says by memory. He starts taking off his own skates. “We have to drop Henry off at the Weirs’ on the way there.”
“Okay. I’ll meet you up at the house in a bit, then.”
“I’ll be waiting for you.” Sergio rises to his feet with his skates in hand and steps into his shoes.
“Are you two gonna start kissing again?” Henry asks with an exaggerated sigh.
“Yes,” Sergio says and places one last kiss on Jeremy’s lips before he bends down and picks Henry up. “Okay, we're done now. Are you happy?”
Henry shrugs. “I’m always happy.”
Sergio laughs and ruffles Henry’s hair. “Yeah, buddy. We noticed.” He takes his gaze back to Jeremy.
“We’ll see you in a bit,” he says and walks away, leaving the barn and heading back to the main house with a lot of extra skip in his step.
There are only a few more hours to go on what is shaping up to be the most perfect day of not only these New Year’s Eves, but his life.
“Mommy!” Henry yells at Rose the moment they enter the main house through the back door.
Rose looks over at him from where she is standing in the kitchen fully decked out in her New Year’s Eve party dress.
She’s using the kitchen counter for stability as she steps into her stilettos. “Uncle Sergio and Jeremy were kissing!”
“Is that so?” Rose says, one perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised at Sergio. However, unlike her usual eyebrow raise, this one isn’t harsh and judging. It has more of an air of knowing, as if she is officially in on a joke. Which she is. Though it is no joke.
“Yes!” Henry confirms and runs away. “I’m gonna go tell Daddy!”
“You can tell your Uncle Adrien too, if you’d like,” Sergio yells out after him and receives two very enthusiastic thumbs up raised as high in the air as Henry’s arms can hold them.
Rose stands and pops open a bottle of champagne. She pours a small glass for Sergio, then one for herself. “That went well today, huh?”
“More than well.” Sergio holds up his glass to her.
She clinks it. “You better not screw this up.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Sergio is beaming, shining like a star from where he stands at the far corner of the bar at the Grand Olympian Hotel, watching in reverie as the New Year’s Eve party becomes effervescent and alive with the who’s who of Lake Placid elites.
Millionaire sports stars and businesspeople all mingle together, glad-handing and verbally promising endorsements or appearances or soliciting sponsorships with the new talent looking to make names for themselves at the upcoming Olympic Games.
But that’s not what Sergio is smiling about.
Though he will be doing his part to make sure that Allison lands on the right pages of the right magazines, it’s her coach who has him smiling so brightly.
He’s barely let Jeremy out of his sight since they got here.
And even now, while he orders another whiskey for himself and a sparkling water with a twist of lime for Jeremy, he keeps the man in his view.
He watches Jeremy, Rose, and Allison talk with a group of sports reporters who are listening intently to what they have to say.
Granted, like always, Rose is doing most of the talking, but that does allow Sergio to make eye contact with Jeremy and give him a little wink that makes Jeremy’s blush glow from across the room.
“Looks like you’ve pulled it off,” Adrien says, sliding into the space beside him.
Sergio holds up his fingers and crosses them. “I sure hope I did.”
“I honestly never thought I’d see the day.” Adrien gestures to the bartender to make him another gin and tonic. “But I have to admit, when you two first met years ago, I was rooting for it. I think he’s good for you.”
“I think so, too,” Sergio says and checks his watch.
It’s getting quite close to midnight, and his last piece to hopeful success should be walking through the door at any moment.
When he looks up, the bartender is dropping off their drinks.
Sergio slides him a rather large tip, then looks at his brother.
“You might want to grab a glass of champagne.”
“Nah.” Adrien scoffs and takes a sip of his drink. “You know that stuff gives me a headache.”
“You, maybe,” Sergio says, looking rather pleased with himself. “But someone else …” he drags out the word and redirects Adrien’s attention to the party’s entrance. “Like Daphne, might prefer it.”
Adrien’s entire face lights up, and he practically chokes on his drink as Daphne, standing in the doorway, lifts her hand and gives him a demure wave.
She looks like royalty in her red chiffon dress paired with a short black dress coat over her shoulders and her brown hair pulled back into a perfect chignon.
Adrien waves back and grabs one of the complimentary glasses of champagne.
He stops on his way to her only to ask Sergio, “Did you do this?”
Sergio nods. “I didn’t want you to be alone when the clock strikes twelve.”
“Thank you,” he says and leans in to give Sergio the best hug he can when they’re both laden with drinks in their hands.
“You’re welcome. Now, go get your girl. She’s had quite the day of last-minute travel to get here.” Adrien practically takes off at a run to greet Daphne, and Sergio feels a rush of happiness for him.
With his brother ecstatic due to the sudden and unexpected arrival of the love of his life, Sergio balances his and Jeremy’s drinks in one hand and then grabs two glasses of champagne with his other.
He takes a quick look at Jeremy; he’s still doing alright with Rose, Allison, and the reporters, but Chadwick Levinson is beginning to lurk around the corner trying to grab Allison’s attention.
Sergio is quick to make his way expertly through the crowd and across the room.
He dodges all the guests with practiced ease and manages not to spill a drop of the drinks he's holding by the time he arrives at the group.
“Here,” he says, starting with Jeremy, handing him his sparkling water.
“Thanks,” Jeremy says, stepping out of the throng of reporters while Sergio passes a glass of champagne to Allison and then one to Rose.
“I’m not interrupting, am I?” Sergio asks, knowing full well that Jeremy is more than happy to have a reason to step away from the circus.
“No.” Jeremy laughs. “Even when I was competing, talking to reporters was my least favorite part.”
“Least favorite after having your picture taken.”
“Well, they do tend to go hand-in-hand,” Jeremy says, swirling his drink with his straw.
“You know, you’ve never told me. What is your favorite part of skating?”
Jeremy tilts his head to the side and smiles softly.
“There’s a moment,” he says, then takes a sip of his drink.
“In every skater's program, if you watch them carefully enough, you can see their faces light up in relief. It’s the moment when all the major jumping elements are completed, and the music is ramping up with its final crescendo, and the skater can be free to skate in that moment like someone took their leash off. To finally enjoy the crowd and the stage and spotlight following them around. That final footwork sequence that carries a skater from one end of the rink to the other with unbridled joy is the best moment there ever is in any skater's program. It’s what it’s all about.
It’s where we all truly shine and showcase who we are as individuals with personalities that aren’t tied to how well you can perform a trick. That was always my favorite part.”
“It’s the part you do now every time you step on the ice,” Sergio says. “I saw it in you today.”
“That’s simply me playing around.” Jeremy tugs at his left eye.
“It isn’t playing around.” Sergio gives Jeremy a knowing half-smile. “Whether competing in the Olympics or skating in Holden and Rose’s barn, you do it because you love it. Because it’s who you are. It’s in your blood.”
Jeremy smiles, lifts one shoulder towards his ear, and looks at Sergio thoughtfully as he says, “Maybe it is.”
With their eyes locked on each other, they both take another sip of their drinks.
While sharing a comfortable moment of silence, Holden jumps on the stage, grabbing everyone else’s attention.
“Alright, everyone,” he says into the microphone.
“Grab a glass of champagne, the countdown starts in less than a minute.”
Holding his gaze, Jeremy steps closer to Sergio, making the world around them fall away. His lips quirk up into a smile. “When did you get so observant?”
Sergio takes a step closer and leans in to speak directly into Jeremy’s ear. “When you gave me a reason to focus on someone other than myself.”
“I’m kind of like your inspiration, then?” Jeremy asks right as Holden yells “Ten!” from the stage.
“Inspiration and more.”
“Nine!”
“How much more?”
“Eight!”
“As much as you’ll let me have.”
“Seven!”
“What if I want to give you all of me?” Jeremy turns his head, so their lips are almost brushing.
“Six!”
Sergio circles his arm around Jeremy’s waist. “Then I promise to grab on and never let you go.”
“Five!”
“And what if I said I never wanted to let you go, either?”
“Four!”
“Then I would say we are a perfect match.”
“Three!”
“Perfect enough for a New Year’s kiss?”
“Two!”
“To start,” Sergio says and brings their lips together as he holds on tight.
“One! Happy New Year!”