Free Leaving Tracks by Victoria Escobar Page A

rink–the temp was kept at sixty and the ice at twenty -four. Since I wasn’t skating, I wouldn’t get the chill of the ice directly thus the shorts. I had expected questions, at the very least a comment on my prosthetic. I hadn’t expected the slap of attraction and lust. In the almost two years since the accident, no one had looked at me that way.
    I wasn’t sure if he had wanted me to see the brief flash of fire in his eyes when I stepped back from the light kiss, or notice that he swallowed nervously before meeting my eyes in the kitchen. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. My toes, of all things, had tingled with his intense stare. And that tingle had spread as his eyes rose back up over my body. I was used to being studied, critiqued even. I would have to think it over in greater detail later. If I coached him , attraction and acting on it could jeopardize his chances. I would have to eventually discuss that with him if we made it that far.
    He’d have to take his level five tests by December, I calculated reviewing his papers once again, and refocused on the task at hand. That was if we wanted any shot for him to be ready for Regional and State this season. He was currently ranked as a novice and that just wouldn’t work. I wished–slightly–he was already a Junior.
    If he had competed at his lower levels , I would have allowed him to continue competing as we built up but he needed to start from the gate as the best he could be since he was starting so late. It would be in time for Junior World but that would be a lot of pressure for a first real competition.
    He’d have to take his level six tests no later than May to skate in the next season as a Senior skater. This meant he had five months to learn and refine skills before the test. He could be a Junior skater in the Olympics but without the triple Axel, he wouldn’t win in the top three in my opinion. He needed that triple Axel before May. Not impossible. Hard, but not impossible.
    I had showed him how to latch and unlatch the door in the wall for the ice before I came and sat down. I needed some time to create his paper file that I would keep regardless if I coached and it gave him the time to focus and get ready to skate.
    The panel to the audio system was built into the judge’s table, and I popped in his CD and queued it up but didn’t hit play. After what I considered a decent amount of time for him to lace his skates up, I flipped a switch.
    “Skaters , please take the ice for your six minute warm up.” An automated voice requested.
    I saw North’s surprise before he shrugged, removed his blade safeties and stepped out onto the ice. If he were surprised by an automated voice, the scoreboard would really surprise him.
    I had no idea what he was skating to, nor had he provided me with a skate sequence. If he did well, I’d go over the paperwork with him later so he would understand it. The CD he had handed me simply said “Short–Free”.
    I couldn’t figure it out from his outfit either. He wore black pants–fat surprise there–and a semi loose white romance shirt. It was buttoned completely to the top and surprisingly had a cleverly tied scarf around his neck in bright red. I supposed back in the day that it would have been called a cravat. I hadn’t noticed when he applied the makeup but he had some smoky eye thing going that made the rest of his untouched face appear lifeless.
    North made a few laps, did some footwork, but did a pretty good job of keeping his skill and routine under wraps. I would know when he allowed me to know. I noted that he skated better on my uniform ice than he had on the lake.
    “The six minute warm up has ended. Skaters, please clear the ice.” The automated voice informed.
    I watched North shake his head and skate towards the door to step out. He shook his feet off, replaced the blade protectors, and then stepped out. He did a few squats and swung his arms around still limbering up.
    I flipped the switch