“You think she's cold in that outfit?” I asked jokingly, still pretending that the crummy churning in my guts wasn't real.
“By the looks of it?” Todd asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows. “Oh yeah.”
Ah, yes. Her nipples are hard.
I laughed softly, sucking air through gritted teeth, as the ice girls finished their job and left the ice. I was almostashamedto be relieved, but—finally—their spell over Todd was broken, and the threat had passed.
Whew.
I hooked my arm around Todd's elbow, claiming my boyfriend back. “It's too bad you never saw me during my figure skating days. I wore some pretty cute dresses myself, you know.”
Todd tilted his head, his face pinched with confusion. “Huh? When were you a figure skater?”
“Todd! I've told you about it so many times already. I competed for five years as a teen.”
“Oh. Yeah. Sounds kinda familiar. But, it's not really the same. Figure skaters don't dress likethosegirls.”
Without another word, I leaned into the far side of my seat, away from Todd. Some days, it can sure seem like your man is possessed by some brain-dead drive to say the absolutewrong thing. This was apparently one of those days.
The hockey game resumed. Our hometown team, the Colorado Blizzard, were in a battle with the visiting Florida Cats. The two teams traded chances, rushing up and down the ice, until play stopped again.
Todd spoke when play halted. “Listen, Honor. I'm not really comfortable with you trying out for that ice girl thing.”
“Why not?”
“For one, it'sreallyobjectifying. I don't want all these people looking at you while you bop around, barely wearing any clothes.”
I stifled a laugh. “You didn't seem all that bothered to objectify those girls yourself.”
“Well—yeah, that's my point!”
I rolled my eyes.
“For two …” The words died in his throat as the ice girls pranced out to the ice again, smiling, waving, cute butts bouncing all over. Tongue-tied, Todd could only helplessly wet his lips as he watched the ice girls' routine. All of it. Until they disappeared from the ice once more.
I stared at him, waiting. “You were saying?”
“I … forgot.” Todd scratched his head. “Jesus, those girls are hot.”
“Uh huh.”
“What? Are youmadnow?” Todd asked, although he didn't sound very concerned.
“No, it's just—funny, that's all.”
“What's funny?”
“For as much as you drool overother women in front of me? You sure get bent out of shape whenever I have the gall to tell you which movie stars I think are cute.”
“That issonot true.”
Ha! Yeah, right,I thought.We'll see.
I searched the ice for the first hunk I could find. And that's when I found him. Truth was? I couldn't see his face at all. But he was big and tall, and—most importantly—he had the 'C' stitched on the front of his jersey.
Hey there, captain. You'll do just fine.
After a few minutes had passed, I elbowed Todd in the side and pointed at the player. “Wow-ee. Look at him, #37.”
