and believed there was nothing more beautiful that the dripping wet nymph he held securely over his head.
* * * * *
Seven weeks after the cast was removed, Aleksei and Jordan officially began their practices together. As much as Aleksei had wanted his leg to hold, it refused to do so and the pair had spent nearly two weeks in the pool learning their lifts before they had felt confident enough to move back to the padded floor. Unlike their first attempt at a lift on solid ground, Jordan was safely lifted and returned to her feet harmlessly, she only hoped it would go as smoothly on the ice. The pair were both excited and apprehensive about moving on to the ice but knew their time was running out if they had any hope at all of making the upcoming competitions. Nervously, they agreed to move out of the safety of the padded room and on to the unforgiving surface of the ice, each saying a quick prayer for mercy.
Initially, they were walked through the program, much as Dee had walked Jordan through weeks earlier. Aleksei was several weeks behind Jordan as far as actually having had ice time with the music. Jordan already had the basic program down, she knew where the lifts and throws and holds would be; Jordan had simply been waiting for Aleksei to fill in the blanks. Aleksei had had the time to watch Jordan as she learned the program. Watching her skate over the last several weeks had given him more information than anyone could have ever told him. He knew how she moved, which side she was most comfortable on, the way her arms drifted downward on a given sequence. Without Jordan knowing it, Aleksei had had Whittaker videotape some of her practices and Aleksei then had practiced separately, late at night, trying to make up for lost time. The major competitions were drawing nearer and Aleksei didn’t want to be the reason they couldn’t compete. After several nights of midnight practices, he’d decided he was ready to try an actual run-through of the routine.
Jordan raised questioning eyes to her coach. “Are we ready?”
Dee looked toward Whittaker, shaking her head slightly in thought. “I think we should walk-through it a few more times,” she suggested, frowning at Whittaker’s casual shrug.
“I’m ready. We don’t have the time to waste anymore,” Aleksei stated, his deep voice sure.
“If he says he’s ready, let them try it,” Whittaker suggested, crossing his arms across his chest, and leaning against the wall surrounding the rink.
“That’s easy enough for you to say. Jordan’s the one that will be dropped on the ice and hurt if he’s not ready!” Dee stated heatedly, casting a hot look at Aleksei.
“Wouldn’t be the first time she’s been dropped,” Whittaker remarked without thinking.
“You asshole!” Dee managed to shriek before Aleksei’s deadly calm, deep voice stopped her tirade.
“That won’t happen!” He vowed solemnly.
Aleksei offered his hand to Jordan, waiting patiently while she looked from his hand to her coach to Whittaker then back into his eyes. “Want to skate?” Aleksei offered, his eyes promising her she’d not be disappointed or harmed.
Jordan placed her hand in Aleksei’s, smiling softly as his fingers closed carefully around her palm. “Start the music, Dee,” Jordan requested and together she and Aleksei skated to center ice.
“So help me, Whittaker. If she gets hurt there won’t be a safe place for you to hide on this planet!” Dee threatened, shaking her head in concern and frustration as she turned on the CD player and slipped their program’s music disc into the machine.
“Give me a little credit, would you? Do you think I’d risk either one of them if I didn’t think they were ready?”
“Jordan’s ready, but from what I’ve seen, Aleksei’s still got a good two weeks to go,” Dee stated, setting the volume and track buttons.
“You haven’t seen what I’ve seen.” Whittaker stated cryptically, again shrugging at her questioning
* * * * *
Seven weeks after the cast was removed, Aleksei and Jordan officially began their practices together. As much as Aleksei had wanted his leg to hold, it refused to do so and the pair had spent nearly two weeks in the pool learning their lifts before they had felt confident enough to move back to the padded floor. Unlike their first attempt at a lift on solid ground, Jordan was safely lifted and returned to her feet harmlessly, she only hoped it would go as smoothly on the ice. The pair were both excited and apprehensive about moving on to the ice but knew their time was running out if they had any hope at all of making the upcoming competitions. Nervously, they agreed to move out of the safety of the padded room and on to the unforgiving surface of the ice, each saying a quick prayer for mercy.
Initially, they were walked through the program, much as Dee had walked Jordan through weeks earlier. Aleksei was several weeks behind Jordan as far as actually having had ice time with the music. Jordan already had the basic program down, she knew where the lifts and throws and holds would be; Jordan had simply been waiting for Aleksei to fill in the blanks. Aleksei had had the time to watch Jordan as she learned the program. Watching her skate over the last several weeks had given him more information than anyone could have ever told him. He knew how she moved, which side she was most comfortable on, the way her arms drifted downward on a given sequence. Without Jordan knowing it, Aleksei had had Whittaker videotape some of her practices and Aleksei then had practiced separately, late at night, trying to make up for lost time. The major competitions were drawing nearer and Aleksei didn’t want to be the reason they couldn’t compete. After several nights of midnight practices, he’d decided he was ready to try an actual run-through of the routine.
Jordan raised questioning eyes to her coach. “Are we ready?”
Dee looked toward Whittaker, shaking her head slightly in thought. “I think we should walk-through it a few more times,” she suggested, frowning at Whittaker’s casual shrug.
“I’m ready. We don’t have the time to waste anymore,” Aleksei stated, his deep voice sure.
“If he says he’s ready, let them try it,” Whittaker suggested, crossing his arms across his chest, and leaning against the wall surrounding the rink.
“That’s easy enough for you to say. Jordan’s the one that will be dropped on the ice and hurt if he’s not ready!” Dee stated heatedly, casting a hot look at Aleksei.
“Wouldn’t be the first time she’s been dropped,” Whittaker remarked without thinking.
“You asshole!” Dee managed to shriek before Aleksei’s deadly calm, deep voice stopped her tirade.
“That won’t happen!” He vowed solemnly.
Aleksei offered his hand to Jordan, waiting patiently while she looked from his hand to her coach to Whittaker then back into his eyes. “Want to skate?” Aleksei offered, his eyes promising her she’d not be disappointed or harmed.
Jordan placed her hand in Aleksei’s, smiling softly as his fingers closed carefully around her palm. “Start the music, Dee,” Jordan requested and together she and Aleksei skated to center ice.
“So help me, Whittaker. If she gets hurt there won’t be a safe place for you to hide on this planet!” Dee threatened, shaking her head in concern and frustration as she turned on the CD player and slipped their program’s music disc into the machine.
“Give me a little credit, would you? Do you think I’d risk either one of them if I didn’t think they were ready?”
“Jordan’s ready, but from what I’ve seen, Aleksei’s still got a good two weeks to go,” Dee stated, setting the volume and track buttons.
“You haven’t seen what I’ve seen.” Whittaker stated cryptically, again shrugging at her questioning
Similar Books
