Chapter 13
13
The skating rink was located in a suburban Maryland shopping center, squished right between a Dollar Tree and a Michael’s. Angel wanted to be as inconspicuous as possible, so they’d rented a car. Ray drove, and Angel sat in the passenger seat, while Iris and Bree sat in the back. As they pulled into the parking lot, Angel was hit with a wave of nostalgia. Skating rinks reminded him of his childhood—particularly trips to the indoor skating rink during the summer. His church used to throw seasonal birthday parties for the Sunday school kids. One Saturday every June, the church van pulled up in front of Angel’s house, and he joined the other summer birthday kids as one of their Sunday school teachers drove them to the skating rink. They skated for free and shared a big sheet cake. His parents didn’t do parties and cakes for his and Leah’s birthdays. They thought it was frivolous. The skating rink trips had been the highlight of Angel’s summers.
He was turning twenty-nine tomorrow.
Ray knew this, of course. But Angel hadn’t mentioned anything to Iris or Bree. Maybe it was a holdover, but making a big or small deal out of his birthday didn’t come naturally to him. He’d looked up Friendly’s out of curiosity, intrigued by Iris’s stories of chicken tender baskets and ice cream sundaes, and when he’d found a location not too far from DC, he’d been eager at the idea of spending more time with her at a restaurant that held sentimental value for her. Its proximity to a skating rink had been an added plus.
But going skating felt more imperative now. It wasn’t just a way for Angel to secretly celebrate his impending birthday. He thought Iris needed a night of pure fun. Seeing her cry earlier had done something to him. He’d wanted to protect and comfort her. He wanted to be the person she came to for protection and comfort, even though he knew there was little to no chance of that happening.
As they walked toward the skating rink entrance, Angel slipped on his baseball cap and long, fake beard.
“Tom Wyatt again?” Iris asked. She seemed in slightly lighter spirits, although there were dark circles around her eyes.
“Figured it would make things easier for everyone,” he said.
He’d promised that if he was recognized and things got out of hand, they’d leave immediately.
The lights were dimmed when they stepped inside, and “You’re All I Need to Get By” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell played overhead. A disco ball spun from the ceiling above the rink.
“Oooh, it must be oldies night,” Bree said, shimmying her hips.
There was something else that Angel noticed as he looked around. The crowd was older. His mouth slowly curved into a grin.
“I’ll be right back,” he said, removing his hat and fake beard.
“Wait, where are you going?” Ray asked, taking Angel’s disguise pieces.
“I promise I’ll be quick.”
Ray raised an eyebrow but nodded, positioning his arms akimbo and standing with his feet planted. No one turned in Angel’s direction as he crossed the floor. No one pulled out their phone to take his picture. He spotted two women standing at the vending machines, and he decided that they would be the subjects of his experiment. They wore matching gold sweatshirts and black jeans. They looked to be in their early sixties maybe, but with Black women you never knew. They could be closer to their late seventies yet looked ten years younger.
“Good evening, ladies,” Angel said.
The women glanced at him. They smiled but there was no flash of recognition in their eyes.
“By any chance, do you know who I am?” he asked.
The women exchanged a look. “Should we?” said the shorter of the two.
Her friend squinted at Angel. “Wait…I think I’ve seen you before. You play basketball, right?”
Angel shook his head, grinning.
“Maybe he has one of those faces,” the other woman mused.
“Wait!” The taller one snapped her fingers. “You’re a rapper.”
That answer was close, but not close enough. “Nah,” he said. “Not me.”
He wouldn’t have to hide here. The people of this generation didn’t know him without context. The last place they expected to see a famous person was at their local skating rink on oldies night.
This was amazing.
“Thank you for answering my questions,” he said with a smile. “Have a good night.”
“Now, hold on a minute,” the shorter woman said, and her friend chuckled. “Why’d you come over here if you’re not gonna tell us who you are? If you wanted to get your skate on with some grown women, that’s all you had to say.”
Angel laughed. “On another night, I’d join you, but I came here with friends. And I’m nobody important, trust me.”
He said goodbye to the women and beamed as he rejoined his group. But he frowned when he noticed that Iris was missing.
“Where’s Iris?” he asked.
“She’s at the bar,” Bree said. “She said that she’d skate later.”
Angel turned around and found Iris sitting at the bar, nursing a big slushie. A sign above her said Drink and Skate at Your Own Risk .
“What did you say to those women?” Ray asked.
Angel pulled his attention away from Iris. “I asked if they knew who I was, and they didn’t. The people here don’t care about me. It’s all good.”
“Okay, let’s get our skates, then,” Bree said. “I haven’t skated in forever. I was never that good at it.”
Ray smirked coyly. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you don’t fall.”
Bree laughed and batted her long eyelashes at Ray. Angel suddenly felt like a third wheel.
“I’m gonna check on Iris really quick,” he said.
Iris noticed him walking toward her and she waved. Almost half of her slushie was already gone. He sat on the stool beside her.
“Hey, you okay?”
She nodded and rolled her shoulders. “I wanted a Dr Pepper, but Howard said that this spiked slushie is their special.” She nodded toward the bartender, an older white man with tattoo sleeves and a thick, gray handlebar mustache.
“Is it good?”
“Mhmm.” She pushed the bright red drink toward him. “Here, taste it.”
He lifted her drink and paused before putting his mouth on her straw. But she motioned with her hands for him to go ahead. He placed the straw in his mouth, leaving his lips right over her lipstick print, where her own lips had been just moments before. Iris watched his mouth while he sipped. The air felt intimate and heated. He was playing with fire.
“It’s sweet,” he said, sliding the drink back to her. “And strong.”
“You think so? I can barely taste anything.”
Angel laughed. “That’s probably a problem, then.”
She smiled at him, and she was so beautiful, for a second, all Angel did was stare.
“Wanna come skate?” he asked.
“I will in a bit. It’s been a long day, so I just want to sit for a minute. You go ahead. I’ll join you later.”
He slid off his stool. “I’m gonna hold you to that.”
She gave him a thumbs-up as he walked away. He stood in line to rent skates from an attendant who barely glanced up at him, too busy reading a thick book. Something about elves living in a place called Ceradon.
Out on the rink, he caught up with Bree and Ray. Ray held Bree’s hand as they skated slowly. Bree was shaky on her skates. Angel swerved around until he was in front of them and skated backward.
“Wow, you’re really good,” Bree said.
Ray scoffed. “He’s a show-off. He used to do speed skating contests when he was younger.”
“I’m sorry, I think what you’re actually trying to say is that you’re a hater,” Angel said, zipping out of the way as Ray moved to grab him.
They looped around the rink as a Stevie Wonder song played. Iris waved at them from the bar. Howard slid another slushie in front of her and she grinned.
“Is Iris okay?” Bree asked, waving back at Iris as they skated farther away. “She seemed a little upset earlier.”
Angel didn’t want to betray Iris’s confidence, so he didn’t say anything.
“She definitely deserves a break tonight,” Bree said. “She’s such a saint. Everybody at the office loves her. She works so hard and she always finds the time to help other people too. You know she fought to make sure that I wasn’t let go in the most recent round of layoffs? Dominique runs the place, but Iris is her right hand. She’ll probably be Dominique’s successor if she doesn’t start her own company first. I’d leave SFB to work for Iris.”
Angel looked over toward Iris again. She was in the middle of an animated conversation with Howard, nodding eagerly as he told her a story that required him to use his hands while he spoke. She looked so serious, her forehead wrinkling as she listened.
“What does she do for fun?” Angel asked, looking at Bree again.
Bree frowned. “Well, she and Paloma go to Pilates sometimes on their lunch breaks, but otherwise, I have no idea, actually. Iris is pretty private.”
From what he could tell, Iris needed more fun in her life. He skated a couple more laps around the rink with Bree and Ray, then he slowed his pace as he spotted Iris at the rink’s entrance, holding on to the rail as she tested out her skates.
He stopped once he reached her. “Ready to come out?”
“So those slushies were strong.” She frowned at her skates.
Angel stepped onto the carpeted floor and rolled over to her. “You don’t have to skate if you don’t want to.”
“I do want to.” She looked up at him, sporting a newly determined expression. “I drank some water and Howard gave me a soft pretzel, on the house. I’ve been fed and hydrated and now I have to prove to myself that I still remember how to skate.”
Angel raised his eyebrows as Iris removed her grasp from the rail and held on to him instead.
“Come on,” she urged. “Please.”
If she wanted to skate after the day she’d had, Angel wouldn’t tell her no. He’d just do everything he could to make sure that she didn’t fall. They carefully stepped onto the rink and Iris’s left foot slid from under her immediately. Her butt would have smacked the floor if Angel hadn’t been there to catch her.
“Whoops!” Iris threw her head back and her laughter was so uncharacteristically loud and carefree. She clasped Angel’s hand tighter and his pulse spiked. She regained her composure and quickly tried for a focused expression.
“I can’t laugh,” she said. “This is serious.”
“Why?” he asked, smiling at her as he began steering them slowly around the rink. She kept her arm looped through his and held on tightly.
“I can’t leave here tonight without managing to skate well. I’ve made it a personal challenge.”
“A personal challenge?”
“But I’m a lightweight, and my equilibrium is off.” She sighed dramatically. “So that’s a problem.”
His smile widened, observing her downturned expression.
“I usually stick to wine,” she continued. “Sometimes I’ll have a hard seltzer, but did you know that alcohol is terrible for your skin? It can make your skin dry and wrinkled or bloated and puffy. I learned that at work.” Her ramble came to an end with a surprise burp. She quickly covered her mouth, eyes widening in embarrassment. “That was gross. I’m so sorry.”
Angel was too busy laughing. Tipsy Iris was funny. “You’re good,” he said. “What else?”
“What?”
“What other skincare facts do you have for me?”
“Oh, I love this question,” she said, brightening. “Applying moisturizer and SPF daily is one of the best things that we can do for our skin, specifically for our faces and necks. A lack of sleep can affect our skin too. Hmm…oh, this is my favorite one: dancing makes your skin glow.”
“ Glow? Really?”
She nodded. “Well, exercise in general. It boosts blood flow, and sweating removes toxins and dead skins cells.” She peered up at him. “Which probably explains why you have great skin. You’re a good dancer.”
He grinned at her compliment. “Thank you.”
“You’re wel—”
A four-man skating crew whizzed by, startling Iris. She threaded her fingers through Angel’s, keeping herself upright. His large palm was covered with calluses from lifting weights, while her skin was soft and smooth. He swallowed thickly as his heartbeat accelerated. Over the past couple years, he’d had his fair share of thrilling encounters with beautiful women. But here he was, feeling giddy because Iris was simply holding his hand.
A song by the Temptations began to play, and the floor filled with more skating crews. Angel and Iris continued to loop around the rink at their steady pace. He spotted Ray and Bree getting snacks from the vending machine.
“I should have known that you’d be a graceful skater,” Iris said. Her attention was fixed on Angel’s feet. “Have you done this a lot?”
“I used to when I was younger. I won a couple competitions.”
“Really?” Her eyes lit up. “Did you get a trophy?”
“No, but I won some medals.”
“Pshh. Winners deserve trophies.”
She stumbled again, and Angel’s hands promptly went to her waist, keeping her in place. Her waist was slim, her hips generous. She smelled like the sweetest, most alluring flower. He exhaled deeply.
“You should probably sit down,” he said.
“No, one more time around.” She clutched his wrists, keeping his hands at her waist. “I promise I won’t fall.”
He shook his head with a laugh. “You’re really taking this personal challenge to heart.”
“I take all of my personal challenges to heart,” she said, dead serious.
He liked that she continued holding on to him. “Okay. Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”
They skated even more slowly now, at a tortoise’s pace. “If This World Were Mine” by Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn played overhead. Some couples stopped to slow dance in the middle of the rink, but Angel figured that would be too advanced for Iris. Plus, he’d promised no dances at twilight. Instead, he began to hum, catching Luther’s harmony.
“You have a beautiful voice,” Iris said quietly.
“Thank you.”
This wasn’t the first time that someone had admired his voice, but the compliment felt more special coming from Iris. She didn’t seem like she often said things that she didn’t mean.
“It’s like you have a superpower.” She looked up at him. “Do you use your powers for good?”
He laughed softly. “I think so.”
“You mean you’ve never serenaded a girl to make her fall for you?”
He shook his head. “Honestly, no. I wasn’t always smooth.”
Iris craned her neck a little, trying to get a better look at him while keeping her balance. “I don’t know if I believe you.”
“I’m so serious. I didn’t know the first thing about girls for a long time.”
“Hmm.” She squinted at him.
“We can test it out, though,” he said. “See if my singing works on you.”
He was joking…but at the same time, he wasn’t.
Iris raised an eyebrow, recognizing the challenge. “You can try.”
Angel smiled and lowered his lips to her ear. He sang along with Luther and Cheryl, leveling his voice in a deep baritone. Iris’s grasp on his hand tightened, and he felt her breathing slow as he sang to her about how he’d give her anything if this world were his. Iris leaned into him and he watched goose bumps spread up the slope of her neck.
When he stopped singing, he pulled back slightly and looked at her. She angled her face toward his. She blinked, lost in a daze. Their mouths were mere millimeters apart.
“Did it work?” he whispered.
“I…”
Iris tripped over her skate and they both went crashing to the floor. Angel scrambled onto his knees and reached for Iris.
“Are you okay?” he asked, moving to help her up.
Iris covered her face with her hands as her shoulders shook. Angel’s stomach seized. Was she crying again? But then she lowered her hands, and he realized that she was laughing.
“I’m a terrible skater,” she said, wiping her eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” he said, and he started to laugh too. They were a laughing, tangled mess.
Ray rushed over to help them up. Iris winced as she held her elbow.
“Just a little bruised,” she said, noticing their looks of concern.
Angel frowned, sticking close to Iris as they made their way off the rink. He waved toward Bree. “I think we should call it a night.”
Back at the hotel, Angel helped Iris get ice for her elbow. In her room, she took some ibuprofen, kicked off her shoes and lay down flat on the bed, closing her eyes. Those slushies really took her out. Angel had a feeling that haphazardly discarding her shoes that way wasn’t part of her normal routine. He grabbed her plain black heels and lined them up by her suitcase.
He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned down toward her. “I’m gonna leave now.”
She opened her eyes and curled onto her side, staring at him. Softly, she said, “Thank you for taking me skating.”
He smiled. “You’re welcome.”
Her eyes drooped closed again. “Your superpower is probably real, by the way,” she mumbled.
“What?” He blinked at her.
But she was already fast asleep. Her chest rose and fell as she breathed. A string of lyrics came together in his mind as he watched her. He grabbed the hotel notepad from the bedside table and quickly jotted down a few lines. He ripped the page from the pad and left it on Iris’s pillow.
He planted a brief, gentle kiss on her forehead before quietly slipping out of her room, wishing more and more for things that didn’t belong to him.