Chapter 11
I’m not sure anything will ever compare to this experience. At thirty-two you’d think I’d have some life-changing memories to look back on, and maybe before tonight that was the case.
But being at the Opening Ceremony of my first ever Olympics blows any core memory I’ve had out of the water. It’s not just the performances or the camaraderie amongst the world’s best athletes that I’ll remember. It’s Charlie.
Being here with her, experiencing this with her by my side, I’m feeling something I can’t quite put a name to.
Yes, this would have been an unforgettable experience even without her next to me. But to see the way her eyes light up and the look of pure joy on her face…it does something to me.
Our thighs are pressed against each other where we sit in the stands dedicated for the athletes to watch the ceremony. I’ve been contemplating whether or not to lay my hand on her leg for an embarrassing amount of time.
The acrobatic performance that’s been happening ends and the stadium erupts into applause. As soon as we’re done clapping, I decide to stop overthinking it and instead of placing my hands in my lap where they’ve been for the past half hour, I rest my hand just above Charlie’s knee.
She looks over at me, her eyes full of surprise, but her look quickly transforms into delight.
I give her leg a squeeze and the excitement rushing through me makes me feel like a kid again.
That feeling is amplified when she places her left hand over mine.
I turn my hand over and link her fingers through mine.
We smile at each other and then turn back to the center of the stadium as the music changes again.
There’s a stage set up and a figure starts rising up from below it.
The stage itself has been blackened, so it’s nearly impossible to see anyone or anything on it.
Smoke bellows out from under the floor and finally a spot light lands on the person who just Houdinied up from the ground.
There’s a DJ playing the opening sounds of ‘Wake Me Up’ by Avicii and as the song begins, a gigantic screen behind the stage lights up displaying a message that reads: “Honoring those we’ve lost that have changed the world with their music.”
The stadium is silent besides the songs that continue to play as the faces of many Swedish icons display on the big screen.
Avicii, Tomas Lindberg, and Fredrik Lindgren are among the names and pictures flashing across the screen.
As the faces change, so does the music, until the very end when the entire stadium goes quiet before breaking into the loudest applause of the night.
The announcer’s voice breaks through the noise, first speaking in Swedish, followed by an English translation.
“We wouldn’t be where we are today, if not for those who came before us. To honor those we’ve lost, let us honor our history.”
Swedish folk music blares from the speakers as hundreds of people dressed in traditional Swedish folk clothing ascend onto the stage and surrounding area below it.
The garments they wear are full of vibrant colors, intricate embroidery, and unique designs I’m unfamiliar with.
If I had to guess, they represent different customs and traditions.
I don’t know much about Sweden’s history, but I’m still completely awestruck by the performance in front of me. As the music changes, so do the dancers. Their clothing transforms before our eyes. It’s like magic. It’s for sure the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.
Wanting to see if Charlie is enjoying this as much as I am, I move my attention to her.
“Pretty awesome, isn’t it?”
She turns her head to look at me, pure, unadulterated, elation etched on every inch of her face.
“It’s incredible.”
Charlie turns her head back to the performance but I continue staring at her. As incredible as it might be, I think I enjoy watching her even more than the actual performance.
The music slowly fades out and the lights dim. A hush falls over the stadium and I have to forcibly tear my eyes away from Charlie’s profile to see what caused the silence.
There’s a wall at the far end of the stadium that lights up and then a spotlight lands on a Swedish athlete standing on the ground below it. The torch in his hand is lit and it hits me. This is it. He’s about to light the Olympic cauldron, signifying the start of the Winter Olympic Games.
Charlie’s fingers tighten around mine and I don’t need to look at her to know that she’s just as excited as I am. My pulse is racing as I realize the magnitude of this moment.
I feel Charlie move next to me, her leg rubbing against mine. When I look over at her, I see she’s moved to the edge of her seat and turned her body so she’s fully facing the Swedish athlete at the other end of the stadium.
The announcer’s voice introduces the athlete as speed skater, Erik Lidstrom. We’re all clapping when all of sudden, Erik is lifted into the air. I hadn’t noticed before because we’re so far away, but when Erik turns sideways against the giant white wall, I see he’s wearing speed skates.
“Oh my god! Is that wall made of actual ice?” Charlie’s amazement is clear in her voice and I look over at her to see her eyes lit up and a wide smile on her face.
Looking up at the big screen in the center of the stadium that was used to display the performances of the night, I see the wall looks to be made of synthetic ice. Or it’s damn near something identical to it.
“Look, Charlie!” I point to the screen just as Erik takes off and begins “skating” along the wall toward the unlit cauldron on the other end. His feet don’t actually make contact with the wall, leading me to believe it’s not actually ice, but the sentiment is all the same.
Charlie’s hand that isn’t holding mine lifts to cover her mouth. I can’t blame her. This is fucking awesome. Erik is suspended at least twenty-five stories in the air and he looks to be speed skating his way around the stadium.
I turn my attention back to the wall and watch as Erik “skates” all the way to the end and steps onto a platform that’s next to the giant cauldron.
The Swedish athlete slowly lowers his lit torch and fire begins dancing along the rim of the structure.
When I think that’s it, a huge burst of flames shoots upwards into the sky.
Charlie gasps next to me and when I move my attention to her, the reflection of the flames is in her eyes.
The stadium erupts into cheers and applause but I can’t be bothered.
Charlie looks beautiful, her eyes lit up just as bright as the cauldron is.
But her eyes aren’t what steal my breath.
It’s the tear that’s falling down her cheek that is my undoing.
Her eyes are still transfixed on the other side of the arena but mine are locked on her. Without hesitation, I swipe my thumb across her cheek before the tear can hit the ground. Finally, she looks at me.
Suddenly the commotion around us fades away. It’s just us. Together in one of the greatest moments of my life.
And I can’t help but wonder if it’s the ceremony or the girl next to me that’s making its mark on my soul.
Charlie and I parted ways after the ceremony. She has a team dinner and meeting tonight to prepare for their matchup against Czechia tomorrow.
My team and I opted to head back to the hotel for dinner instead of the Village, figuring it would be packed after the Opening Ceremony.
I’m mid-sip when Wyatt causes me to nearly choke on my water.
“So did you seal the deal last night, Skip?”
Jimmy grumbles something unintelligible under his breath as I set my glass back on the table.
“That’s none of your fucking business, Wyatt.” My words come out clipped, but as always, he doesn’t get the hint.
He’s wearing a stupid grin when he speaks again. “That’s a no, then.”
“Wyatt.” It comes out as a warning and he lifts his palm in surrender.
“Fine. Don’t answer. But at least tell me you kissed her?”
I’m halfway out of my chair when Brendan shoots his arm out in front of me, keeping me in place.
“Enough.” He looks over at Wyatt now. “Wyatt, shut the hell up. Have a little respect for your skip. And Charlie for fuck’s sake.”
This is why Brendan makes a fantastic third.
Not only does he keep my ass in check, he has a great head on his shoulders.
As the ‘vice-skip’, he works closely with me on strategy and decisions during game play.
He’s not only a good shot with the stone, but he’s smart as hell.
Always focused and calm, we make a great team. And he makes an even better friend.
Wyatt mumbles his apologies but I still reach over and smack the back of his head.
“Ow, what the hell, Luke? I said I was sorry.”
I lean back in my chair and cross my arms against my chest. “The next time you have her name in your mouth, I’ll make it so you can’t speak for a week. Got it?”
Wyatt’s dumb ass salutes me and I take a calming breath attempting to tamper down the annoyance coursing through me.
I’m grateful when Jimmy changes the subject.
“What time are we meeting tomorrow morning to head to the Curling Center? And are we meeting in the lobby or at the bus stop?”
Our first matchup against Great Britain is five days away but that doesn’t mean we aren’t preparing. We have a sheet of ice booked for tomorrow to practice on and then again in a couple of days.
“I was thinking we could meet in the gym here first. We need to get in the right mindset. I was thinking we could do a yoga session followed by some stretches. I’m not sure what the facility looks like over there, so I don’t know if there’s space to do any of that.”
The guys nod their heads in agreement so I continue.
“Once we see what the Curling Center is like, we can plan to warm up and cool down there if there’s space. I’d prefer to do it there rather than warm up here only to sit in a bus afterward.”
Brendan clasps his hand together in front of him on the table and then looks around at the team before chiming in his thoughts.
“I agree. Ideally, the curling facility will have room for all that but knowing what the living quarters look like, I’m not very confident that there will be any extra space there.”
Zack scoffs next to Brendan. “Honestly, I’m concerned that there won’t even be pebbles on the ice.
Did you see the hockey facility a couple weeks ago?
There was a giant ass hole in the ice. If they can’t handle that, how the hell are they going to be able to maintain the curling sheets? It takes way more precision and care.”
Fuck. I didn’t even think of that.
“There’s no point in worrying about something we don’t even know to be true. Let’s focus on what we can control. And that’s our mindfulness. We need to be mentally and physically prepared, no matter what the ice sheet conditions may be. Once we know more, we can adjust.”
My teammates all nod their heads and I’m grateful that no one challenges me on that. Not that they usually do. Okay, Wyatt usually does but he must know I mean business because even he is silent.
We finish up our dinner and then head up to our rooms.
I haven’t heard from Charlie yet tonight, so I’m assuming she’s still out to dinner with her team.
The light on the door turns green and I push it open, not bothering to pick my head up before walking into the room.
Which is a terrible mistake. Or is it?
Because I run full speed into a naked Charlie, wrapped in only a towel, exiting the bathroom.