Baby, It's Cold Inside

Chapter Two

Kota and Victor open the large double doors for us to enter.

We walk into a lobby filled with people chattering and laughing. Children are excited, their eyes bright. and my curiosity peaks as to what this place is. I do notice that everyone is dressed warmly with gloves and mittens and scarves.

"I'll be right back." Victor walks over to a counter with several people behind it. Gabe joins him.

"What is he paying for?" I wonder aloud.

"He isn't. Mr. Morgan is informing the staff he's here," Mr. Blackbourne answers.

I watch the exchange at the counter. "Why?"

"I'll let him tell you."

I wrinkle my nose earning a chuckle from Sean. "Patience my young padawan."

Victor and Gabe return. "We're good to go." Meanie smiles.

Victor reaches for my hand and I excitedly give it. "What is this place Victor?"

His eyes smolder and he leads me to the other set of doors. As we get closer I can hear music playing behind them. "It's something I've been working on to make special. It's for anyone to enjoy, but really, it's for you."

My heart thunders with anticipation as he opens the door and my mouth drops in awe as he ushers me inside to the waiting cold.

"Oh Victor."

"Do you like it?"

"Like" doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about what I see.

The place houses a very large skating rink, but it's not an ordinary one. Not at all. The half walls that would normally be surrounding it are gone. Instead, the edges of the ice meet... snow.

It looks like a large pond and to one side is a what appears to be the outskirts of an old fashioned village complete with a couple street lights. A snowman with a carrot nose, coal eyes and a pipe greets visitors at the "ponds" entrance. The rest is surrounded by trees, some decorated with white string lights and all capped in snow, complete with the occasional forest animal. Fake birds that look so real sit in them and I can see a fox and a deer hiding as well. Above us it's completely dark except for tiny lights that look like stars in the sky. If I didn't know better I'd think there wasn't a roof. That's when I notice the occasional snowflake drifting down. Frosty The Snowman is currently playing from somewhere and children and adults alike are enjoying the ice on their skates.

It's an indoor, nighttime, winter wonderland. A Christmas card come to life.

"By the look on her face I'd say she loves it!" Nathan laughs.

I manage to peel my eyes from the scene before me and hug Victor. "You did all this?"

His arms hold me tight. "I had help from Gabe with designing it and everyone else helped make it."

"But it was all his idea." Gabe pats him on the back.

"This is amazing."

"You told us you'd never been ice skating and our man here wanted to give you the best experience possible." Luke grins.

"This is better than anything I could ever imagine, especially since I'm with all of you," I honestly tell them.

They smile down at me with looks of love that I suppose rival my own.

Silas leads us to a couple of park benches surrounded by evergreens and "snow" and sets one of the bags on the ground. North and Nathan follow suit with theirs.

"Alright Trouble, lets get your skates on," Gabe directs.

I'm not surprised he got me skates and beam when he takes out a pair that are light pink, matching my coat. "They're so pretty!"

He looks immensely pleased with himself but just quietly gets to work dressing me once again.

He has me sit on a bench as he removes my boots. He takes a moment to caress my foot sending shivers up my spine. He gives me a slow, knowing wink and slips my foot into one of the skates. Feeling wonderfully flustered by his attention, I watch the boys each take a pair of hockey skates out of the canvas bags for themselves as well as gloves, hats, and matching scarves.

Luke puts a light blue knit beanie on his head, his blonde hair fanning out under it. Sean has a purple knit hat with a large purple and white pompom on the top. I eye it and he chuckles. "One of my patients made it for me."

"I love it," I tell him honestly. He looks boyish and carefree.

Mr. Blackbourne wears a dark grey flat cap and looks like perfection, North's is black of course, Honey's is red with a white snowflake in the front and Kota's is a matching green version. He shrugs as I look at them. "My mom got them for us a long time ago."

I smile, liking that they wear hats Erica gave them.

Victor's is a silver grey knit with a brim on the front. He still manages to look so dapper.

Silas tosses Gabe a knit orange one with a yellow band around it as he finishes my laces. And lastly Silas has a dark blue with a red capital B trimmed in white on the front. I recognize it's for the Boston Red Sox.

I dig under my scarf into my coat and sweater to get my phone. "Stand up and see how they feel," Meanie instructs, getting up from his knees.

I turn on the camera on my phone. "I want to get a picture of you all first, please." I love them in their hats and want to capture how they look.

They stand together facing me and all but Gabe have their skates on.

"Oy! I'll look freaking short with you all wearing your skates!" He objects looking at everyone.

"You are short," Silas jokes.

"To you, anyone else is short." Gabe grumbles, quickly grabbing his own and putting them on. He rejoins the group, his height now comparative to how it should be, and they all put their arms over each others shoulders and smile for me. Luke is giving North bunny ears and I hold back a giggle, taking the picture.

I look at it, smiling, and see that Sean's giving Mr. Blackbourne bunny ears as well.

This is one I'll frame.

"Tuck that away in your super secret safe place." Sean grins. "We got some skating to do!"

I do as he says and stand with the assistance of Meanie and Kota. I feel wobbly for a moment but soon get my balance.

Gabe puts my hat on my head. "Now walk around a bit to make sure they're good. They should be snug and give support, but not too tight." He studies my feet as I do.

Walking in them isn't very hard and I like it. I feel tall and almost like I know what I'm doing. Of course, I haven't stepped on the ice yet. I nod. "They feel good. So you all know how to skate?"

Victor and Gabe grin. "Only five of us," Victor says. "Some will be learning along with you."

I look around at them trying to figure out who hasn't skated before.

Kota and Victor each take one of my hands, leading me toward the ice.

"You'll find out soon who doesn't know how." Kota chuckles.

"I hope that doesn't include you two." I grin.

"You're safe with us Princess."

I take a nervous and excited breath as I put one foot on the ice.