Whispers of Fate

xvi

"Jade, remind me to fire you later for coming up with this idea." I grumbled to the brunette as I stood at the side of the rink, arms folded around the thin grey coat I had stupidly deemed appropriate for such occasion. We were waiting for Teo to finish tying his boots, balancing against the wall patiently.

It had been Jade's suggestion that the four of us went ice skating. Her, Lotta, Teo and I had been out a few times as a group since Teo had declared he was staying for a while. Lotta and Jade got along like a house on fire and, whilst I wasn't one to pry, I suspected Jade might have had a little crush on her. We'd all been out to Le Marais, exploring the nightlife after a day of shopping. When the girls had met Teo for the first time I was nervous that it would be awkward, given the poor lighting I had portrayed him in my many stories before reconnecting, but they were both open to him. I hadn't stopped laughing the entire night and for the first time in a while I felt content with the balance in my life.

Teo had been bragging about how talented he was at skiing and all things to do with cold weather (ironic considering he was Spanish) so we'd decided to test out his claims in person. Now, however, I was regretting agreeing to the proposal as we'd only been at the ice rink for a few minutes and I was already certain I had frostbite.

Lotta whirled past me, a blur of cream clothes and dark hair, spinning elegantly on one leg. Before going into modelling she had been incredibly proficient at skating and had even represented her home state in competitions. It was evident where she got her in-built grace from as she glided across the ice.

Jade was not so elegant. She pushed off unsteadily, flapping her arms about like a chicken attempting to fly. I watched as she wobbled over the floor, trying to find a centre of balance. I couldn't help but laugh as she almost fell over, running in one spot and finally catching herself at the last second. Lotta skated up to her and gently hooked one arm around hers, propping her up and tenderly guiding her around the rink.

I was taken by shock as something shoved me from behind. I fell onto my knees, gaping as Teo sped off away cackling. I would have gotten up and chased him if I didn't see how quickly he was moving. There was no way in hell I would have caught him, I was going to have to wait until his guard was down to get him back.

Eventually I got into the old rhythm of skating, my muscles falling back into the patterns I'd learnt as a little girl going to the rink with my Father and sister on the weekends. Quickly I warmed up, although the cold air still nipped at my face, turning my nose and cheeks bright red.

Lotta and Jade were still skating arm in arm as Jade could not be trusted alone on the ice given the one time she'd let go she'd almost taken out a small child. Teo seemed quite content lapping around me, trying to push or shoulder me every chance he got. It reminded me of primary school when we used to play tag in the playground and the boys would always go too rough.

I was smiling the entire time, enjoying the feeling of being propelled forwards by the blades on my boots. I didn't attempt any tricks like Lotta did as I was fully aware how that would go and I didn't want the next headline about me to be 'Designer dies after accidentally breaking her spine whilst attempting to twirl on ice'. I still had an important email to receive and I'd be damned if I was going to miss opening it because I was in hospital.

We skated for about twenty minutes before I grew tired. Lotta and Teo were still very much energetic so we left them on the ice whilst Jade and I retired to the adjourning cafe to observe. I ordered a mocha, savouring the warmth that flowed through my body with the first sip. Despite it being warm outside they had somehow managed to trap all the cold air in one room and I was not a fan. If I wanted to be cold I would have stayed in England, thank you very much.

"So, Lotta." I began, casting a look at Jade. She flushed and looked down at her own coffee, confirming my suspicions simply by her reaction.

"What about her?" She sounded like she was forcing herself to speak casually.