Ice & Prejudice

Chapter 62

Ria's POV:

The morning after our arrival in Montreal dawned crisp and clear. Nik and I had spent the previous evening unpacking our bags and joining the rest of the gang for dinner at a cozy little restaurant. It was a fun night, full of laughter and good food, but today was all about skiing. Nik had insisted on teaching me, and despite my reservations, I was determined to give it a shot.

We were at the base of the ski slopes now, the snow sparkling under the bright winter sun. Nobody had warned how it would be fucking freezing up here. Nik was already suited up in his ski gear, looking every bit the experienced pro, while I was still adjusting to the feel of my bulky ski outfit. I had my skis on and was trying to stand up straight, which felt more like balancing on stilts than anything else.

Nik skied over to me with that familiar, cheeky grin on his face. "Alright, Vic, ready to take on the slopes?"

I shot him a skeptical look. "Ready? Maybe. Confident? Definitely not."

Nik laughed. "You'll be fine. Just remember, keep your knees bent, stay relaxed, and look ahead."

"Got it," I said, rolling my eyes. "How hard can it be? It's just like walking, but on skis."

"Right," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Except, you know, you're on slippery surfaces, and gravity is not exactly your friend here."

I gave him a pointed look. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

Nik started to demonstrate a few basic moves, sliding smoothly down the slope with practiced ease. I tried to mimic his movements, but I felt like a penguin on roller skates. My arms flailed, and my skis seemed determined to go in opposite directions.

"Okay, let's start with something simple," Nik said, coming back to my side. "Just slide forward slowly. Don't worry about turning or anything fancy yet."

I took a deep breath and pushed off, only to immediately start veering off course. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I yelped, trying to regain my balance. "Nik, I think I'm going to need a bigger piece of the snow to practice on!"

Nikolai skied over to me and grabbed my arm to steady me. "Alright, let's try this again. Keep your weight centered, and don't lean too far back. You've got this."

I glared at him, trying to ignore the way my heart was pounding. "You know, I could use a bit more of your patented encouragement here, not just instruction."

Nik chuckled. "You're doing great. For someone who's never skied before, you're actually doing better than I expected."

I shot him a smirk. "Flattery won't get you anywhere, Nikolai."

As we practiced, I tried to focus on his instructions, but I could tell my technique was still more of a chaotic dance than actual skiing. I tried to turn but ended up going straight into him, our bodies colliding in a heap of flailing limbs.

"Oomph!" Nik grunted as we both toppled to the ground. I was on top of him, and my iron grip on his jacket had left him pinned beneath me.

"Oops," I said, my face flushing. "Sorry about that."

Nik looked up at me with a playful grin. "You know, you might want to work on your skiing technique before you try taking me out with you."

"Don't worry," I said with a smirk. "I'm just giving you a taste of what it feels like to be tackled by a pro."

"Mmm," he nods, with a playful smile. Nik laughed as he wriggled out from underneath me. "Alright, let's get up and try this again. I promise it's going to get better."