Chapter 16
I TEAR INTO the last slice of pizza. Ignoring the TV for a moment, Rudy shakes his head as he watches me chomp.
You weren’t kidding about being a black hole. I’ve never seen a woman eat this much food.
I shrug as I lick my fingers clean. Mmm, pepperoni. The pizza crusts here are a lot thicker than I’m used to back home, but still super delicious.
I don’t know if I should take that as a compliment or an insult, I finally reply. Sitting up a little straighter, I accidentally brush my foot along his thigh.
His eyes follow me as I move and he’s about to say something when there’s a knock on the door.
You expecting someone? I ask, feeling a pang of disappointment at the thought of going back to my place.
He gets up, seeming puzzled. No, I don’t think s—
Rudy! Open up! says a woman’s voice on the other side of the door. I can hear you talking, you know. I know you hate skating, but it’s a tradition and there’s no way you’re weaselling your way out of it!
Rudy freezes half-way to the door and for a moment he seems to be considering just walking back to the couch.
Did you forget about a date? I ask.
My thoughts drift back to the other night when he came very close to pounding his bed straight through our shared wall.
My stomach twists into knots as I picture Rudy spinning around a skating rink hand in hand with another girl.
I try to keep a straight face, hoping he won’t notice my sudden mood shift.
Why would I even care that Rudy’s going on a date?
That he’ll bring her home later and do the kinds of things any warm-blooded twenty-something would do.
He’s just a neighbour I’ve watched Netflix with a few times, not someone I can picture standing at the end of an aisle with me as he declares I do.
He shakes his head. Not a date, no. It’s Lauren, he whispers to keep his sister from overhearing. Today’s the day Wollman Rink opens up for the winter. It’s kind of our yearly tradition to go there together.
Wollman Rink?
You know, the ice rink in Central Pa—
Jesus, Rudy. Lauren sounds impatient. You live in a building that’s been here since the invention of horse-drawn carts. You think I can’t hear you talking? And who’s in there with you anyway? Do I get to meet her?
As he starts to unbolt all the locks, he lets out a sigh that suggests he’s not only expected to slide around on thin slivers of metal, but will also be forced into a twirly figure skating costume while he’s at it.
The door’s not even fully open when Lauren pokes her head through the gap. Her sleek dark hair frames her face like a curtain and her eyes—that look a lot like Rudy’s—go wide when she spots me sitting on the couch.
Emma? she says in surprise. What are you doing here?
Oh hey, Lauren, I say casually, pointing at the empty pizza box. Dinner.
A massive grin appears on her face as she looks over to Rudy.
Hmmm, interesting . . . she smirks, earning her an angry glare from her brother. She quickly recovers. Joey’s here too. She pokes her thumb at the person standing behind her.
Looking in over her shoulder, the bass player with the bleach-blonde hair is trying his hardest to catch a glimpse of the scene inside. Is she still fully dressed? he asks.
Hey! an angry voice calls out from somewhere behind Joey.
There’s someone else in the hallway? The person that goes with the voice is well outside my field of vision.
Joey brought his Tinder date along, Lauren whispers as she rolls her eyes.
We’ve already been on two dates, you know, the same pissed off voice retorts. What’s your deal?
I’m all good, Lauren yells back, but she’s giving Rudy a desperate look. Don’t get your panties in a twist.
Ha! I’m not even wearing any panties, I hear Tinder Date sass back at her from the hallway.
Lauren pinches the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger as she briefly closes her eyes. Come on, man, she says to Rudy. Don’t make me go alone with these two. You can always grab one of those skating frame things the kids use if you’re having trouble staying upright.
Rudy’s cheeks flush red and he gives his sister a pointed look. Thanks a lot, Lauren, he hisses as he glances my way. I don’t need everyone to know that my motor skills drop down to the level of an uncoordinated toddler when I’m on the ice.
Come with us, Emma? Lauren asks, ignoring Rudy’s comment. It’s such a nice rink. The Christmas decorations won’t be up yet, but they’ll definitely have some lights up in the trees. It’s really pretty.
I take turns shifting my eyes from Rudy’s annoyed face to Lauren’s eager expression.
This would be the best possible opportunity to bond with the band members.
Plus, I love skating. During the winters back home, I spend lots of time at the artificial ice rink in Amsterdam’s Museumplein, a main square surrounded by three incredible museums. You can also catch me out skating on lakes, canals, and rivers whenever the ice freezes up thick enough.
I leap up from the couch and clap my hands in delight. Yes, absolutely!
Rudy’s eyes grow wide when he realizes there’s no getting out of this.
Ugh, I should have known, he grumbles, pulling on his shoes. The Christmas fanatic loves to skate.
Central Park is a calm oasis at the heart of a huge city that’s dense with noise.
Once you’re surrounded by trees, the sound of sirens, taxi horns, and people chattering on phones seems miles away.
It’s that time of year when the leaves morph into the rich reds and orange tones of the season and the ground becomes a wide expanse of copper hues.
Lamp-post lights shine a warm glow on the stone walkways below and I’m welcomed by the scent of autumn: an earthy musk aroma that’s making me crave chai lattes.
You smell a bit like burnt food, Emma, Lauren points out as we walk toward Wollman Rink. I thought you guys ordered pizza.
I make a disgusted face when I take a whiff of my collar. Lauren’s right: I smell like a crematorium for Italian cooking. She’s nearly in tears as I describe the whole Gertrude debacle in excruciating detail.
And then Rudy just invited you over for dinner? she asks, once she’s regained her composure. That was . . . very un-Rudy-like of him. He’s always a bit . . . She trails off, her jaw tightening when she looks over at Joey and his Tinder date walking ahead of us.
Joey has his arm wrapped around her as he presses a kiss to her lips.
She lets out a giggle when he crouches down so she can climb up onto his back.
There’s a bounce to her rainbow-coloured hair as she snugs her arms around his neck.
They look a bit like Jack Frost giving a unicorn a piggyback ride. Lauren drops her gaze, then looks away.
After watching the whole thing unfold, I glance over at Lauren, a little worried by what I just witnessed. Hey, are you okay?
Yep, all good, she replies, sounding a little too bubbly.
I’m about to keep pressing her when Rudy pops up and interrupts our conversation.
What happened with Ian? he asks. Doesn’t he usually come along for this?
He thought he might have the flu, Lauren says with a shrug.
So, basically he has a runny nose.
Knowing Ian, that’s all it is.
Why did you let him off the hook when you practically came to drag me out of my apartment? Rudy whines. You know how much I hate skating.
Lauren tucks a loose strand of hair behind one ear and shifts her gaze back to Joey as he tightens his grip on his date’s legs.
Because when Ian cancelled, I didn’t know Princess Bubblegum would be tagging along.
Who’s Ian? I ask with curiosity in my voice.
Our guitar player, the two reply in unison. He’s got the immune system of an underdeveloped amoeba, Rudy adds, shaking his head.
Lauren bursts out in a laugh that disappears from her face as soon as she notices Princess Bubblegum wildly waving her arms at a girl who’s walking our way.
Stacey! She’s bouncing up and down so violently now that it’s a miracle Joey’s back doesn’t snap in two. I hope you don’t mind, she says to us, her words dripping with sweetness, but I invited my friend!
Ugh, just kill me n— Lauren snaps her jaw shut once Stacey’s within earshot.
The woman has wavy black hair and bright green, almond-shaped eyes, that lock onto Rudy without hesitation. Puckering her lips slightly, she lets her approving gaze glide all over my pizza partner.
I told you he was hot. Princess Bubblegum whisper-shouts at her.
Rudy’s lips shift into a cocky grin.
Lauren rolls her eyes before giving me a depleted look. See, this is why he has an ego the size of Texas. That man gets way too many compliments.
Aw, Lauren. Jealous, much? Rudy teases. Obviously Mom and Dad couldn’t create two perfect faces at the same t—Ow! He rubs his arm where Lauren just pinched him, then waves his hand in surrender. Yeah, fair. I had that one coming, he says with a chuckle.
Laughter and squeals drift our way. When I lay eyes on the massive skating rink, I can’t help but gasp.
It’s stunning. Surrounded by trees that are all wrapped in little white lights, I see people gliding around the ice.
At a distance, a backdrop of gigantic skyscrapers towers over the trees.
Illuminated windows sparkle like stars scattered all over the dark buildings.
It’s beautiful here, isn’t it? Rudy whispers in my ear. His warm breath pushes a few strands of hair onto my face and I feel a shiver run through my body.
After buying our tickets, we’re all sitting around tying our skates, as Joey and his date make absolutely no secret of how much they’re into each other.
Mmm, you taste like strawberries, Joey coos, before detaching his mouth from Princess Bubblegum and shifting his attention to Rudy.
Do you need one of those racks, man? he chuckles, nodding at a little kid who’s gingerly pushing a safety frame around the ice.
You landed on your ass so hard last year that you couldn’t walk straight for three days.
Rudy opens his mouth to fire off a witty retort, but gets distracted when Stacey sits down next to him.
I can give you a hand, she offers kindly, as she ties her skates. Not to brag, but I’m a pretty good skater.
I whip my head in their direction and see Rudy gazing at her with interest. His eyes briefly dip down to her cleavage that she’s not so subtly showcasing with the zipper of her jacket about a kilometre lower than you’d expect it to be.
Licking his full lips, he shifts in his seat and throws a quick glance my way before turning back to her. That’s so nice of you, thanks.
The same uncomfortable feeling I had earlier tonight returns in full force as I watch Rudy carefully stand up on his skates while Stacey helps him find his balance. With one arm wrapped around his waist, she looks up at him with a smile.
Stupid smile. Stupid Stacey.
Lauren notices too and her expression suggests that she just shoved fifteen Sour Patch Kids into her mouth. I bet my face looks pretty similar. We look on together as Rudy and Joey skate off with the two girls.
I let out a deep sigh, pulling Lauren up from her seat. Come on, I tell her. Let’s go do what we came here to do.
As I make my third lap around the ice, I notice Rudy’s still struggling.
Joey has suggested for the umpteenth time that maybe he should consider swiping a toddler’s skating aid, and it turns out Stacey isn’t the great instructor she suggested she was.
Sure, she’s keeping upright, but she’s pretty wobbly and can’t seem to pick up speed at all.
I skate over to Rudy and put on the brakes right in front of him, spraying ice shavings everywhere.
He seems impressed. So that confirms that the Dutch are indeed excellent skaters, he chuckles. You’re always the ones taking home all the Olympic medals.
Stacey looks up. You’re Dutch? she asks, sounding quasi-interested, before turning back to Rudy. I saw something on TV once about Dutch people skating to work on frozen rivers. I guess they’ve never heard of winter tires? She chuckles at her own joke.
You need to shift your weight into your heels, Rudy, I say, ignoring Stacey. It’ll help you stay balanced.
He follows my instructions, carefully leaning back. After a slight wobble, he manages to hold steady.
Great. Now bend your knees a little and . . . skate.
He carefully tries to move around the rink and, despite the odd windmill motion with his arms, he’s doing much better than he was.
I told you you could do it! Stacey thumps him on the shoulder with such enthusiasm that he temporarily loses his balance and nearly wipes out.
I keep a steady pace alongside him, glancing at his technique from time to time.
It takes a while to find Lauren. She’s taken her skates off and she’s holding a cup of steaming hot chocolate as she sits by the rink.
I want to show her that her brother’s doing just fine on his blades and that his motor skills are much more advanced than those of an uncoordinated toddler.
Earlier tonight, Lauren seemed a little jealous, but her expression has turned sad now. She watches Joey and Princess Bubblegum hold hands as they twirl around the ice.
Annnd here I go again. Were Lauren and Joey ever a thing? The question rolls off my tongue before I realize who my current audience is.
Stacey, still skating on Rudy’s opposite side, shoots a look of interest our way.
What? he asks, sounding surprised.
He nearly trips over his own feet, but I grab him by the arm before he manages to bruise his butt for the second year in a row.
No way, he says firmly, once he’s steadied himself.
Those two are just friends and that’s definitely for the best. Joey never makes it more than a handful of dates with any girl before losing interest. If he ever so much as touched my sister, I’d break his hand.
Sure, I’d miss his skills on the bass, but it is what it is.
Oh. Okay. I’m sorry I asked.
I look back at Lauren, who’s staring at her feet as she fidgets with her paper cup.
Something tells me Rudy has no clue what’s going on behind the scenes in his band.