Fighting for the Edge (27 page)

“If it’s anything like Salt Lake, it’ll be an amazing couple of weeks.”

“I wish we could be on the podium together. That would make it even more amazing.”

Aubrey picked up her tea and then set it back down. It probably wasn’t very warm anymore. “Well, we know the Russians will win, and then it’s me and Nick, you and Zach, and the Italians all going for two spots. I don’t think there’s much hope of both of us making it up there. The European judges won’t let it happen.”

“I know it’s not likely, but I still wish there was a way…”

“I just want to skate fabulously. That’s all I’m thinking about. Ending my career with the best performances we’ve ever had.”

A glance down the sidewalk made her look twice. Chris was coming toward the apartment, his head down and his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets. A black beanie covered his dark hair.

As he came up the steps, Aubrey gave him a curious look. “I thought you were inside.”

“It was too quiet, so I went for a walk.”

Was that a subtle comment on her frequent absence?

“It’s kinda cold,” she said, noticing his red nose and cheeks.

“Says the girl who’s sitting outside talking on the phone.”

She turned away from his adorable crooked smile and put the phone back to her mouth. “Hey, Mar. Sorry about that.”

Chris waited a second on the top step and then went into the building. Marley said, “I’ll let you get inside. I need to finish cleaning my apartment. I don’t want it to be a mess when I come home from the trip.”

Aubrey stood and slung her bag over her shoulder. “I’m so, so happy we talked.”

“Me, too. I can’t wait until we get to hang out in Italy. At the Olympics!”

They said their goodbyes, and Aubrey was still smiling as she walked into the apartment. Chris looked up from the take-out menu he was reading, eyebrows raised.

“That was Marley on the phone?”

Aubrey stopped at the foot of the stairs. “She asked me to call her, and we had a great talk. Everything’s good between us now.”

“That’s awesome.”

“I know. I’m so glad we have this all behind us before the Olympics.”

The few moments of silence that followed felt more awkward than they should. Weeks of barely conversing had made all their brief encounters slightly uncomfortable.

“I had a feeling you’d hear from her,” Chris said. “Your friendship is super important to her.”

She didn’t have a response and didn’t want to endure another awkward pause, so she nodded and quickly started upstairs.

Chris called after her, “Do you wanna order Chinese with me?”

She halted and yelled down, “No, thanks. I’ll make something later.”

Just a few more days
, she thought as she continued on to her room. Once she was in Torino, she’d be swallowed up by Olympic excitement and Chris would be just another athlete in the Village.

Chapter Twenty-Two

I stood up from my suitcase and bumped into Aubrey, sending us both into laughter.

“We’ve shared a lot of rooms over the years, and this is definitely the smallest,” I said.

Our dorm room in the Olympic Village was half the size of a hotel room, and the twin beds were so close together we could reach out and touch each other when we lie in them. It was worlds different from the apartment we’d had in the Village in Salt Lake City.

“I feel bad for the people who aren’t familiar with their roommates,” Aubrey said. “I wouldn’t want to be this cozy with a stranger.”

“Sergei said Chris got up during the night to go to the bathroom, ran into his bed, and almost fell on top of him.” I laughed.

Aubrey put her head down at the mention of Chris and then knelt in front of her own large suitcase shoved against the wall. “If you and Sergei ever want some private time, just let me know and I’ll go hang elsewhere.”

“We might, especially after my competition’s over.” I paused and shifted my weight. “You can hang out with Chris while our room’s occupied.”

“You know he and I aren’t buddies anymore.”

“But there’s no reason you shouldn’t be. You and Marley are cool, and maybe if you and Chris start spending time together again, it could turn into something more.”

“He doesn’t want anything more, and I’m not putting myself out there again.”

Her hair fell around her face so I couldn’t see her expression, but I could hear the hurt in her voice. I didn’t want to blab what Chris had told me – how he’d been interested in her years ago – but I wanted her to know there was a chance something good could happen between them.

“I think he might be more into you than you realize,” I said as I stepped into my pencil skirt.

“He was into me because I was a good distraction, and he liked making out with me every night.” She stood and tossed a pile of T-shirts onto her bed. “I don’t wanna think about this. I’m here to skate and to enjoy my final event with my friends.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to push.”

“It’s okay.” She sighed. “I didn’t mean to get all cranky on you.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve been having some crazy hormonal swings lately, so I might be having my own cranky moments while we’re here.”

I zipped up my skirt and pulled the button toward its hole, but it wouldn’t reach. I sucked in my abdomen and tugged harder until the button connected. The waistband of the skirt hugged me so snugly I could hardly breathe.

“Why is this so tight?” I winced. “I’ve only gained a couple of pounds.”

Aubrey gave me a once-over. “You don’t look any bigger.”

I unhooked the button and let out a long breath. “What if my costumes don’t fit? I haven’t worn them since nationals.”

“They’ll fit. The material will stretch.”

I ripped off the skirt and glanced down at my stomach. It seemed as flat as always, but apparently it wasn’t.

“No one would ever know you’re pregnant looking at you,” Aubrey said. “You still have a rockin’ body.”

“This rockin’ body can’t put on any more weight in the next couple of days.” I pulled a red sweater dress from the closet and slipped it over my head. “I’ll have to lay off the pasta in the dining hall.”

I finished getting ready so I could meet Sergei. We’d made plans to join my parents, Liza, Aunt Debbie, and Uncle Joe at a restaurant just outside the Village. I hadn’t seen any of them yet since they’d arrived only that afternoon. Sergei’s mother Anna was due from Moscow the next day, shortly before the Opening Ceremony.

Sergei smiled as we met in the hallway. He helped me put on my coat and then circled his arms around my waist as he stood behind me.

“I miss you,” he said.

I turned to face him. “You’re only a few doors down.”

“That’s not close enough. I miss you next to me at night… how soft you feel in my arms, how sweet your skin tastes,” he said low in my ear.

Goose bumps tickled the back of my neck, and I clutched the front of Sergei’s leather jacket. “As soon as the competition’s over, you and I have a date. In my room.”

“I can’t wait,” he said, resting his forehead against mine.

We made the quick walk through the Village and found the restaurant suggested by one of the event volunteers. Mom waved to us from a table in the middle of the room, and Liza jumped up to greet us with hugs.

Sergei looked up at Mom and Dad as he brought Liza in for a longer hug. “Thank you again for letting her travel with you and stay with you.”

“It’s our pleasure,” Mom said.

I sat across from Mom and pushed up the sleeves of my wool dress. After the brisk walk through the cold night, the warm room should’ve felt good, but it was
too
warm. I wished I’d been able to fit into my much cooler skirt and silk blouse.

I fanned myself with the menu, and Dad asked, “You okay, sweetie?”

“Yeah, it’s just my usual pre-dinner spell.”

“They should be bringing out bread after they take our orders,” Mom said.

Aunt Debbie gave me a sympathetic smile. “I was sick all the time when I was pregnant with Bella. Not for Trey or Bri, though. I think the first child is always the worst.”

“Why does a baby make you sick?” Liza asked.

Sergei unfolded his napkin. “Well…a lot changes in the body when there’s a baby inside, and all those changes sometimes cause a woman to feel sick.”

“I hope by the time I have a baby there’ll be a cure for that,” Liza said.

Everyone laughed and then settled down to give their order to the waiter. He was the typical Italian waiter I’d expected – young and handsome with dark hair, dark eyes, and a swoon-worthy accent. Liza’s ivory cheeks turned pink when he smiled at her.

When he returned with our drinks, Dad asked about the bread and he apologized and said he’d be back shortly. My stomach rolled and sent another wave of nausea through me. I was about to ask the next table if I could have a slice of their ciabatta loaf.

“Your mom said you might be moving to Boston,” Uncle Joe boomed from the other end of the table.

“You are?” Liza’s eyes widened.

Here we go.
Mom had probably told Aunt Debbie and Uncle Joe so they could gang up on us with the hard sell.

“Nothing’s been decided yet,” Sergei said. “We still have a lot to talk about.”

“You would have a free babysitter if you’re in Boston.” Mom pointed to herself.

“You’d have me, too,” Aunt Debbie added.

I took a small sip of water, afraid it might come back up. “We’ll put that on our list of pros.”

Mom and Aunt Debbie proceeded to start a discussion about the benefits of raising children in Boston. Dad and Uncle Joe only got a few words in as they went on and on, back and forth, sounding like official ambassadors for the city.

“There are more choices for schools.”

“And after-school activities – so many different sports and arts programs.”

“Great museums for kids. The whole city is a living history lesson.”

“Right. And so much culture everywhere. There’s always something going on.”

Sergei drank his wine quietly, and I kept scanning the room for our waiter. Between the head-pounding chatter of Mom and Aunt Debbie, the sweltering temperature, and my empty stomach, I thought I might faint onto the decorative tile floor at any moment.

“I’m going to look for the waiter.” I pushed my chair back from the table.

Sergei did the same. “I’ll go.”

“I can do it,” I said louder and stood.

“You’re not feeling great.” He stood, too, and touched the small of my back. “You sit and I’ll find him.”

My face grew hotter and not from the warmth in the room. “I’m not an invalid. I can do it myself!”

Sergei gaped at me, and likely so did everyone else at the table, but I didn’t stick around to see the reactions. I rushed toward the back of the restaurant where the waiters exited the kitchen. Nearby was a side door that led outside, and I decided fresh air might be more of a relief than food at the moment.

I charged into the night and inhaled the cold. Below-freezing had never felt so good. I stood there taking deep, slow breaths until Mom opened the door.

“Sweetie, what are you doing out here?”

“I couldn’t breathe in there.”

“The waiter just brought the bread. I gave him a nice little lecture in Italian to make sure he understood.”

I smiled to myself. Leave it to Mom to pull out her Italian-speaking skills for a lecture. That poor waiter didn’t know who he was dealing with.

“I just need a few more minutes of quiet,” I said.

“I’ve never seen you snap at Sergei like that. Is everything okay with you two?”

“He’s just been a little too alpha male lately. I appreciate him wanting to take care of me, but just because I’m pregnant, it doesn’t mean I’m incapable of doing simple tasks.”

Mom let the door close, and she hugged her arms to her body. “He’s pretty excited about the baby, isn’t he?”

I toed a crack in the sidewalk with the pointy end of my boot. “Yeah, and I’m not exactly the glowing mother-to-be.”

“Well, you weren’t expecting to get pregnant now. I’m sure you’re still getting used to the idea.”

“I’m just worried I’m missing the maternal gene or something,” I said, continuing to stare at the concrete.

“You’re not missing anything. I watched you with Liza over the holidays, and you’re so good with her. You’re caring and selfless, and you treat her as if she was your own daughter. Sounds like some strong maternal instincts to me.” She put her arm around my shoulders.

“When am I going to start feeling those for the baby?”

“I think you already have. When you pulled out of those jumps at nationals because you were afraid to fall, that was you being a protective mom. You’re feeling it whether you realize it or not.” She cuddled me to her side. “Give yourself some time. You have a lot going on right now, so don’t feel bad that you’re not thinking about baby names or picking out nursery colors yet.”

I smiled and rested my head against hers. She might drive me bananas sometimes, but she usually had valuable advice when I needed it.

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Anytime, sweetie. Now can we go back inside? I’m freezing.”

She opened the door, and I held up my finger. “One thing. Can you nix all the Boston talk? Sergei and I have tabled the discussion until after I compete.”

“Sure. You just tell me when you’re ready to talk more about it.”

She didn’t seem to understand that the discussion wouldn’t involve her, but I wasn’t going to get into that at the moment. I had an important date with a loaf of bread.

Sergei stood when we returned to the table, and he watched me with a hesitant look. I leaned in close to his ear.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered and took his face between my hands, following with a soft kiss on his lips. “I love you.”

He smiled. “I love you, too.”

We sat, and I reached for the bread basket. “I hope everyone took a piece already because this is all mine!”

****

Aubrey picked up her salad and bottled water and turned toward the crowded tables in the Village dining hall, searching for an empty seat. The dining hall in Salt Lake City had been her favorite place in the Village because it was the best spot to meet the other athletes. It didn’t matter which country an athlete represented; everyone mingled and struck up conversations with each other.