Chapter 11
While Dmitrii and Dr. Aubrey were having their appointment, Tyler was back at the rink working on his jumps.
His quad Lutz kept getting better, but it was a lot of hard work and a lot of falling.
He was used to falling. He had gotten good at it.
Everyone fell. Well, everyone who ever wanted to get better.
Tyler hadn’t decided on his music or anything for his programs for the upcoming season, but it was still early enough that it wasn’t too much of a problem – yet.
Maybe that was why during his lunch break he found himself in Coach Williamson’s office listening to music. “With all the really top-ranked people that skate to the Beatles, that is probably a bad choice for me.”
“Maybe something classic?” Andy switched over to some Beethoven tracks that were the right length.
“Okay, that is both too generic and too overdone. You already have three juniors skating the Beethoven this year.” Tyler leaned back in his chair as he tried to think now that he had eaten.
“But you’re a senior. It doesn’t matter what the juniors do.” He started looking through more files on his computer, shaking his head at each one. “Do you have a theme you’d like to do?”
“I don’t know, maybe something a little love song-ish? Not in a creepy way, but in a … nice way?”
“So not stalkery, not straight, not ‘too gay’ whatever that means, but a love song?” Andy kept looking through his files.
Tyler rolled his head, stretching the muscles of his neck.
He’d been searching his phone for an idea for music and somehow had ended up on an old video of one of Dmitrii’s junior programs. “Maybe something from like a ballet?” He had no idea what music Dmitrii had been skating to.
The announcements had only been in Russian, so he had no clue what the announcer had said.
“Okay, that I can work with. How about a waltz from Giselle? You did a waltz for your free skate two years ago, and I think it went well?”
“Send me the music. I’ll listen to it and tell you what I think?” Tyler wasn’t sure what Giselle was, but he was going to assume it was a ballet.
“If we can at least get one of your programs sorted, and I’m sure Mary has some ideas for a costume.
You could wear something really generic just with some flowy sleeves and people would think it’s a great costume for this.
” Andy seemed to think of something, then he actually said it, “I could ask Dmitrii if he has any ideas for your short program?”
“Why would you ask Dmitrii?” Tyler sat up quickly, paying attention to Andy instead of his phone at the mention of Dmitrii’s name.
“Because he’s seen the inside of a ballet theatre?”
“I have too.” Tyler laughed, knowing that Andy knew the exact story of how that happened.
“One time for a field trip in 11th grade does not count.”
Tyler didn’t even bother trying not to laugh. “It does too count. I have seen the inside, and we watched a short performance.” Tyler shrugged. “But if you want to ask Dmitrii, that’s fine. He’s the one who can rattle off the names of multiple Russian composers in interviews.”
“When did he say that?” Andy was looking confused.
In that moment, Tyler realized that his statement could sound a little stalker-ish. “Oh, I was watching skating one morning when he was still in juniors, and you know how they interview a lot more juniors when they’re in the Grand Prix?”
Andy nodded, but he did not exactly look convinced. “How did dropping him off go yesterday?”
“It went fine. My mom invited him over for dinner tonight after you guys are done with him.” Tyler stood up, arching his back as he felt his spine crack. “I need to head back out. Harris will wonder where I ran off to.”
Andy looked hesitant for a moment. “Back to the ice?”
“Yeah, Harris isn’t done with me yet. He wants to have me do some work on getting better speed into the jump, so he wants me back over there once you’re done with me.”
“Okay. I am just not sure Dmitrii wants anyone watching him skate later.”
“It’s fine. He won’t be here for a bit, so I’ll just wait in the car or something if I have to when Dmitrii gets on the ice.
Don’t worry. Besides, it’s not like he could get out of dinner since my mom decided she can’t let him sit alone in that hotel eating whatever.
” Tyler cracked a smile as he walked out of the office.
Maybe Andy looked suspicious that Tyler seemed to know Dmitrii’s schedule already, but at least he wasn’t saying anything.
Tyler spent another two hours practicing on the ice.
By the time he was done, he had landed a few more quad Lutzs, but he also hurt everywhere.
He knew he should hit up the showers in the locker room, but right now even the promise of hot water wasn’t enough to get him to move from where he was lying down on a bench.
Every last muscle in his legs ached. He reached down to grab his water bottle so he could take a sip without even sitting up.
He was beyond caring if he spilled some water on his face when he took a drink.
That was the moment he heard Dmitrii’s distinctive accent. “You look like you had a rough day, Tyler.”
“Too sore to move. Harris is vicious when he has that jump harness out.” Tyler couldn’t hide the smile as he opened his eyes.
Oh, that had been a mistake. Dmitrii was standing right next to him, the arena lightly perfectly backlighting him so his short hair looked almost like a halo from this angle.
Those gorgeous eyes were looking right at him, and he couldn’t turn away.
Dmitrii was dressed just in practice clothes, nondescript black pants and a T-shirt with gloves. Maybe he intended to do more complex skating today. There was an aura of exhaustion that hung over him though, even as Dmitrii tried to smile down at him.
“Are you okay? You look tired.” Maybe tired wasn’t exactly the word he was looking for, but it was close enough.
“Just a …” He paused, looking around before crouching down so they’d be closer to each other. “It was just a rough appointment with the psychiatrist. She won’t be showing up to watch me skate today, so I just had to deal with that this morning.”
“My sister says talking to a therapist can be tougher than running laps.”
The laughter at that from Dmitrii was quick, leaving him surprised as he put a hand over his mouth, almost looking like he was going to apologize for laughing.
There was a pale flush across his cheeks as he nodded.
“It’s a lot. I had to talk about how bad the program yesterday was and the accident, both of which are not in my top list of preferred topics. ”
Tyler had no idea that Dmitrii actually wasn’t mentioning the most emotionally draining portions of the therapy session today.
“Your program wasn’t that bad. It looks like a good program.
I mean, you at least have a program for this year.
Coach Williamson and I haven’t even agreed on music.
I have some waltzes from something or another I’m supposed to listen to tonight. ”
Dmitrii raised an eyebrow. “A waltz from something or another? I see you are taking such a great interest in your music?”
Tyler wasn’t sure if it was a tease or an actual comment about how he should take things more seriously. “I don’t know. I’ve never really picked out my music. Normally, Coach Williamson comes up with something and it works really well, so I just go with that.”
“Do you at least remember what the waltz is from?” His arms were resting on his knees, and he was so close as they were talking. He was actually close enough that Tyler could smell shampoo or soap; he wasn’t sure what the cherry scent was.
“Gazelle or Giselle, I think it’s a ballet, maybe?”
Dmitrii actually laughed a little at that. “You’ve never seen Giselle? It’s not my favorite, but I’ve seen it.”
“I have gotten out of every trip to the theater that anyone has ever tried to force on me. Except one. I had to do a field trip like three years ago.” Tyler rolled his head as he said it. “I just don’t like going. That’s more my sister’s thing.”
“So your brother is a swimmer, you are a skater, what does that mean your sister does?”
“She’s a dancer.”
“And you’ve never had to go see her perform?”
“I suffered through The Nutcracker once. It was horrible.”
“There is nothing wrong with the Nutcracker. I see it every Christmas.” Dmitrii was smiling as he said it. “Was it really so bad?”
“Okay, maybe it wasn’t, but my mom made me take this guy I was dating back then.
I was trying to break up with him, but then my mom had tickets for both of us, so I had to suffer through the entire show with him there.
Evidently, I was just enough of a pain that my mom never made me go to one of her performances again. ”
Tyler stopped talking suddenly, looking at the look on Dmitrii’s face. He was still crouched there, but his eyes were wide, and he was blinking more than he had been. “Are you okay?” That was enough to finally get Tyler to sit up, moving towards Dmitrii to make sure nothing was wrong.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just…” He trailed off, standing up suddenly, his feet getting a little tangled together. “I should put my skates on. They’re going to want me to get on the ice.”
“Are you uncomfortable that I’m gay?” Tyler didn’t want to think that was a possibility, but he knew things were different in Russia. He just wasn’t sure how different.
“No, no … I just…” Dmitrii sat down, closing his eyes for a moment as he held onto the wooden bench. Under his breath, he muttered a short string of Russian that Tyler didn’t understand. Then, when he opened his eyes, he seemed calmer. “I just get a little nervous when it comes to skating, so …”
Tyler knew that was nowhere close to the whole truth. He wasn’t going to push. It wasn’t his place to push. “Did you want me to leave here while you skated? I can go sit in my car until you’re done?”
“No, it’s fine. You’ve already seen me skate once.
” Dmitrii tried to smile, but there was no hiding how slow he was to pull on his skates or how his fingers hesitated over his laces.
Even getting ready as slowly as he did, soon Dmitrii was walking down to the now empty ice, leaving Tyler in the stands to watch.