Chapter 14
PAUL
We drove the rest of the way to the ice rink in silence.
I kept replaying Holly’s words the whole way, though.
Thankfully, I’d driven to the ice rink so many times in my life, I could do it almost without thinking.
The idea that Holly had thought about the café when she was in the city and having a bad day made me instantly wonder if I was included in those thoughts.
I was both desperate to ask and desperate not to know the answer.
If it was a yes, she had thought about me, then I might end up confessing how much I had thought about her too.
But if she hadn’t thought about me then that would hurt. It was better to not know.
I pulled into the ice rink car park. I’d never brought anyone here since my teenage days when Holly used to come with me every Saturday.
My parents stopped coming when I gave up ice hockey, and the few dates I’d had when I was younger seemed to hate it so I hadn’t even invited my ex, Rach, along.
When Elliot and his husband, who owned the rink, came for a pint in the Birchbrook Arms, we talked about our businesses.
No one in town realised that I still skated there once a month.
‘This brings back so many memories!’ Holly cried when we got out of my car and she looked at the place.
Like so much in and around Birchbrook, it hadn’t changed much in the ten years she’d been away apart from a lick of paint added now and then.
It was a low, long red-bricked building with a huge blue and white sign declaring it to be the Chill n Flow Rink.
‘The name is new,’ Holly said after we’d got out of the car and she gazed up at the sign with a polar bear wearing sunglasses ice skating next to the name of the rink. ‘What a terrible pun.’
I chuckled. ‘Yeah, I told Elliot and his husband Lewis exactly that when they took the place over a few years ago, but hey, they saved the place from closure after the council gave up on it, and they are good mates now.’
‘I’m looking forward to meeting them; I don’t know what kind of friends you have nowadays.’ Her eyes twinkled mischievously. I remembered how we used to tease each other growing up.
‘My friends stick around now,’ I threw back as I started towards the door.
‘That was a low blow!’ she called before hurrying after me. Her legs were almost as long as mine so she wasn’t far behind.
I held the door open for her then we walked in and headed for the café and bar that overlooked the rink, where a small group of people were currently having a skating lesson. I spotted Elliot and Lewis at the corner table with a man I didn’t know so we headed their way.
‘Hey,’ I said as Holly stood next to me. She smelled of spicy vanilla and her lips were glossy as she gave me a smile. I tried not to think about them. ‘This is Holly Wynter.’
‘Nice to meet you, Holly,’ Elliot said, jumping up to shake her hand. He clapped me on the back. ‘You okay, son?’
I rolled my eyes. Elliot and Lewis were ten years older than me and liked to pretend they were my older brothers and would often doll out advice I didn’t ask for. ‘I’ll be better after a coffee.’
‘I can’t persuade you to have a herbal tea?’ Lewis said as he stood up and also shook Holly’s hand, winking at me. ‘It would be better for you and they taste so good…’
I rolled my eyes. ‘Don’t start again about how much coffee I drink. Plus, your herbal teas taste like grass.’
‘You’re just so unrefined,’ he teased me.
‘I’m getting an extra shot now,’ I retorted, heading to the counter to order. His laughter followed me as I walked away.
‘Holly, while Paul gets the drinks, meet Travis – he runs a mobile ice rink business and I hear you’re in need of one…’
Elliot’s voice faded as I ordered two coffees for me and Holly.
I tried not to think about how she would come and watch me here but when I glanced back to see her talking to the others at the table, I couldn’t stop the memories rolling in.
I used to look up while I was skating to see her in the stands either cheering me on or just waving and smiling if I was just practising.
I used to show off for her. She’d drink a huge ice slushy drink that I found disgusting and munch on junk food while she did homework or read, tapping her feet to music she listened to.
Afterwards, we’d go over to the games area and play pool or air hockey or she sometimes managed to persuade me to play the dance game with her. It was a weekend ritual that I’d loved.
When I returned with the two coffees, Holly was shaking her head at Travis.
‘That’s a lot of money as we’ll want to hire the rink from the first of December until Christmas Eve.
This is a local farm; they don’t have a big budget but want to give local families the best possible time at the winter wonderland.
’ She smiled at me and took a sip of her coffee.
‘I’ll have to look around at other suppliers. ’
‘You won’t find better value than my rink,’ Travis said, leaning forward. He sighed. ‘Tell you what, as you’re an old friend of these guys, I can give you a 15 per cent discount. But that’s all I can do.’ He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest.
Holly took another slow sip of her coffee. For some reason, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Elliot and Lewis were watching her too. ‘Twenty per cent and you have a deal,’ she said finally.
Travis stared at her and shook his head.
‘I… hmmm… well, if we shake on it now? Okay. You drive a hard bargain, Ms Wynter. But 20 per cent off and you take the rink until Christmas Eve. Deal.’ He held out his hand and she shook it with an appreciative nod.
Only when he looked away did Holly flash me a triumphant smile.
When they had organised everything, Travis headed off, Lewis showing him out.
Holly turned to Elliot when the three of us were alone. ‘Thank you for saying we are old friends to Travis; that seemed to make him want to reduce the cost more.’
‘That was your excellent negotiation skills,’ Elliot replied. ‘But, sure, any friend of this man here is one of ours. Now, I better carry on with work. See you Saturday though, Paul?’
I nodded. ‘Yep. And shall I do the last skate session so we can get a drink afterwards?’
‘Perfect. Nice to meet you, Holly. I think you should join us for that drink; I’d love to know what Paul was like as a teenager. You must have all the secrets!’ He grinned at us.
Holly smiled. ‘Only if you fill me in on the years I’ve missed; you must know all his secrets now.’
‘This man is a closed book but I’d trust him with my life.’ Elliot shook her hand again and touched my shoulder before he headed off.
Holly looked at me as I took a gulp of the strong coffee. ‘It’s nice seeing some of your life now. I like that you still come here. Remember that time I beat you at pool? You were furious!’
‘Never happened,’ I replied, holding back a smile.
‘It did!’ she cried. I let her see my smile and she swatted my arm. ‘I still don’t know how I managed it. I bet you were distracted by a cute girl or something.’
‘Probably,’ I agreed, knowing full well the cute girl had been her. But she had never noticed. ‘We should have a rematch while you’re here,’ I added, before I could stop myself.
‘Oh, I’m coming with you here on Saturday. I need to see what you’re like on the ice now you’re all grown-up and I want Elliot’s gossip about you. Once I get a couple of beers in him, I bet he’ll tell me about all the hearts you’ve broken in Birchbrook while I’ve been gone!’
I shook my head but I knew my ex, Rach, would likely say I hadn’t treated her all that well.
I felt terrible that I’d hurt her but I hadn’t been able to be who she’d wanted me to be.
‘Will you tell us about the hearts you’ve broken?
’ I countered, wondering if there was anyone waiting for her back in the city.
I kind of hoped there was. Then I could just catch up with my old friend without relapsing into the same longing I’d had as a teenager.
‘There hasn’t been anyone special,’ she replied with a shrug.
‘And I hate dating. Honestly, I wonder if relationships are even worth the hassle. But then I see the special connection that my best friend Georgia has with her husband, or Willow and Dylan, or what Elliot and Lewis all seem to have. Then I wonder if I should try harder.’
‘Yeah, I know what you mean,’ I replied, wishing I hadn’t felt a shot of relief on finding out she hadn’t got a true love waiting for her back home. I stood up quickly. ‘Better be getting back to work,’ I said, needing a break from this conversation.
‘Uh, right, sure, yeah, me too,’ she said, hiding her surprise at my abrupt movement. I knew I was acting like a dick and she probably didn’t understand why, but self-preservation was key here. I couldn’t let Holly in again.
Even if I wanted to.