Ice skating
‘How cold it is in here…’ he said.
Her flat was beautiful: polished floorboards, white walls, shelves neatly crammed with books, ordered by size and colour of the cover . Many were white or silver.
“Is it? I don’t really notice it. I’ll put some heating on.”
Soon some warmth was spreading through the room: just as snowflakes began to fall.
Her huge picture window showed a fabulous vista of Georgian roof tops, lights from city traffic far below (she was fifteen floors up) and now the snow.
It was like being in the middle of a snow storm, the little toys you shake…he hadn’t seen one of those for years.
“Like a drink? I’ve got some Sauvignon….’
He’d prefer red.
“Thanks – I would.’
He accepted a chilled glass of the wine.
‘How long have you lived here?’
‘Oh, for ever.’ She laughed.
She was wearing a black dress with glitter in, and silver trainers. It was Christmas. Women did adopt strange outfits then, he’d noticed that.
“Will you go home for Christmas Day?”
“This is my home.”
“Yes, I just wondered…if you had…family.’
“Not really. Not now.”
She seemed young not to have family. But when he studied her closer, there were lines round her eyes and mouth. She was what he’d call ‘an ugly beauty ‘– by turns stunning and plain. When she wasn’t smiling, her expression seemed cruel.
They’d chatted at work, and established they lived near each other.
‘Come round for a drink later if you’re not doing anything.’ she’d said.
He wasn’t.
She was difficult to talk to: ‘well-defended’ – he believed that was the expression.
‘What do you do at the week-ends?’ he asked.
‘Ice-skating, swimming, sometimes riding – there’s so much you can do in the city centre.’
‘Yes, I suppose there is’. He was surprised.
He spent most weekends reading, seeing movies, going to friends for meals.
‘Would you like to come ice skating some time?’
He was sure he wouldn’t.
‘Well, thanks – but I’d be no good at that. I’ve got no sense of balance.’
‘Nick, I’d like you to come ice-skating with me.’
She stared at him, smiling.
He was intrigued.
‘Maybe there’s something else we could do…a film?’
‘No, I want you to come ice-skating.’
She moved nearer, leaned towards him.
‘Imagine it …holding hands on the ice, skimming across the rink. It’s so exhilarating.
You’d love it, Nick.’
Her smile seemed fixed.
He began to feel anxious.
“Let me give it some thought… ‘
He glanced at his watch.
Tried to get to his feet. His legs seemed stuck to the floor.
She helped him up.
‘Come and look at my view, Nick.’
They moved to the huge window. There was a little balcony outside.
She slid the window open.
‘Isn’t it wonderful? With the snow…’
They both leaned over the balcony.
Her arm was pressed against his back. Pushing.
‘Let’s go ice-skating now.’ she whispered.
Ends
Submitted by: Diana Cambridge