After an amazingly social and animated brunch, we hopped into my SUV and drove downtown to Millennium Park to try this skating thing out. At the brunch spot, they had mimosas on special, an unlimited mimosa deal, which I would have jumped at in a past life. I admit, I was still a little tempted but when I saw Chuu decline the deal with a roll of her eyes, I knew it would be easy for me to say no as well. I couldn't help but smile as we hung out together, hoping I didn't look too stupid or anything, too eager, too infatuated.
The ice rink was bopping with people, bundled-up figures gliding along the surface, scarves flying behind them, some people slipping and falling down on their butts with a laugh. It must have been twenty years since I last ice skated and I was definitely nervous. As we picked up our skates from the rental counter, Chuu admitted something to me that made me even more nervous.
Flipping her scarf up over her shoulder and shrugging off a bit of cold, her dark glasses lightly fogging up as her warm breath drifted up to her face, Chuu grinned at me showing off her bright teeth.
"I used to be an ice skater," she said.
"What?" I exclaimed. "Are you serious?"
"Yeah," she said, looking demurely downwards for a moment. "I skated pretty seriously until I was 18 or so. It ended in college."
"Like competitions and such?" I asked.
"Yes," she admitted. "I should have told you at the restaurant but I was still a little embarrassed by it."
"You're embarrassed by it?" I scoffed with a teasing smile. "I haven't skated in a couple of decades and I was never any good."
"We can just glide along the edges of the rink," said Chuu, sitting down on a bench and slipping on her skates. I followed her lead, the two of us using up our skates together, boots to the side.
"Okay," I agreed with a bit of hesitance. "Make sure I don't fall." Chuu smiled, took up both of our boots, walked on her skates to the rental counter, and handed them over. Turning back to me, she opened her arms.
"Let's do it!" she said.
Although I had definitely been nervous, my skating legs came back to me after only a couple of minutes. It's amazing what the body can remember and do. Chuu was obviously quite good, but she didn't flaunt it. Rather, the two of us slowly skated together along the edge, skating in time with some of the other people, moving deliberately, chatting and laughing as the winter sun peeked through the grey clouds above us, glimmering a reflection off the ice.
"We haven't really talked about what you do," said Chuu, quickly skating ahead of me, deftly turning, and then lining back up with me again."Obviously, I know that you guys are an investment firm. But what do you do there?"
"I work in marketing and client relations," I said, sticking my tongue out, trying to insinuate that it was boring or no big deal. "It's fine. It's lucrative. But there are hurdles, like any job I suppose."
"Like what?" she asked.
"It's just a ton of work sometimes," I said. "It's taken over my life. I need a break from it."
"So why don't you just take a break?" said Chuu, reaching out to steady me by grabbing my arm when she sensed I was losing a bit of balance. Even after keeping me upright, she continued to hold onto me and we skated along together.
"I have a lot of responsibility," I said. "Hey, can I tell you something?"
"Yeah," said Chuu. "Of course."
"I haven't said this out loud to anyone yet," I said. "And I know we just met, so don't think I'm weird."
"Oh jeez!" said Chuu with a laugh, causing her glasses to slide down her nose a bit. She quickly reached a gloved hand up to adjust the glasses on her face. "Don't put a ton of pressure on me or anything."
"Ugh, you're right," I said. "Forget it."
"No, I'm sorry," she said, tilting her head and smiling acceptingly. "Go ahead. Open up."
"Okay," I said, taking a deep breath, trying to remain upright on my skates, unsure as to why I was even admitting this to Chuu. We had only just met and here I was, immediately moving to the heavy stuff. But I wanted this to all start out right, open and honest, and I was just coming to terms with what I was about to tell her myself.
"Your face changed," said Chuu, her smile waning. "If you don't want to say this to me, Netty, you don't have to. You can wait and tell me some other time."
"No," I retorted. "No, I want to say this."
"All right," said Chuu, tightening her grip on my arm to both stabilize and comfort me, bracing against me, keeping us both on our feet. The two of us looked ahead as we skated, Chuu giving me some visual space so I didn't have to look her in the eyes with my admittance.
"I think my job gave me a problem," I started. "A problem with drinking."
"Oh," said Chuu softly. "I understand."
"I don't want to make this too heavy or anything," I said. "I just wanted you to know. I'm in the process of giving it up. Giving alcohol up."
"That's great," said Chuu, her smile returning. She looked at me and gave me a gentle glance, an understanding glance. "You'll be better for it."
"It's been tough," I said. "But I've been good! That teahouse last night was a total lifesaver. I can't believe I suggested going to the bar with you."
"Old habits die hard," she said. "As I told you last night, I don't really drink. I mean, I'll occasionally have a glass of champagne or something at a wedding or an event but I don't really like it. I just do it to make other people happy. I usually can't even finish the drink!"
"Wow," I said, huffing out a warm breath into the cold air, confused and surprised by Chuu's ability to abstain. "I want whatever you have." Chuu laughed softly
"I don't know how I do it," she said with a shrug. "I've just never really been interested in drinking."
"Thanks for letting me get it out," I said, relieved at how supportive chum was being. "You know, it's kind of a bit taboo to admit you're wrestling with alcohol. It makes the people you talk to about it question their relationship with it and that can be uncomfortable."
"Why do you think your job gave you this problem?" she asked.
"That's just my excuse right now," I said. "It helps me."
"Okay," said Chuu, smiling.
"Thanks for listening," I said. "And thanks for not letting me fall."
"Hey, if you fall," she said, still gripping tight to me. "We both fall."
