Prequel to As Lovers Go 8 part 1
*There will be a part two to this update. I’m hoping to get it up soon!
**As usual....this is obviously a complete work of fiction. The only that is real at this point is their names. I'm assuming everyone already knows that, but, you never know ;)**
“Did you bring your scarf and gloves?” Asked David, as he reached over and
opened the passenger door to his SUV from the inside. Emily, dressed in a dark pair of skinny jeans and a flowery pastel top, slid into the car and shot him an amused look.
David grinned impishly at her reaction. Holding up the purple bag and jacket on her lap, she nodded. “I did...are you going to tell me why I need all this in the middle of a heat wave?”
“I refused to tell you all week, what makes you think I’d tell you now?” He chuckled at his own words and pulled the car away from her duplex. Emily had insisted on meeting him outside. She wasn’t about to let him come up to get her. The excuse she had giving David was that it was better in case the paparazzi had followed him. But, deep down, her real reason was because him coming to her door would be too much like a real date. Emily was trying her best to pretend that their time together was anything but a real date. It was the only way she could maintain her sanity.
The month preceding their day had been calm and uneventful. Emily and David had started back to work like usual and everything ran smoothly. Three weeks ago, David had started dropping hints to where he was taking her. He refused to tell her every time she asked, and he seemed to enjoy taunting her with the unknown.
“I just think a little warning would be nice.” She liked to be in control, but ever since she had agreed to the arrangement, she had felt anything but in control.
“I gave you warning! I said, ‘bring warm clothes.’ You obviously heard me....” His tone sounded exasperated, but his grin was anything but.
“We’re not going to Alaska are we? I have to be back for an interview tomorrow.” She found it highly unlikely that he would take her anywhere out of a 50 mile radius, but, she was antsy, and couldn’t stop asking questions.
“I already told you we aren’t leaving California. You’re gonna love it.” David kept turning his eyes towards her instead of keeping his eyes on the road.
“We’re not going to get anywhere if you crash the car.”
“I’m not gonna crash the car!” Argued David, though his eyes did stray back to the road.
The drive continued with their playful bantering. It was what they were good at, it flowed through them effortlessly, even though both were rather nervous. Every once and awhile, as they traveled down the long stretch of California Highway, Emily would enquire about their where abouts. But, he managed to keep it a secret. After about an hour of driving, he finally pulled the car to a stop.
Looking around in confusion, she briefly wondered if they were lost. “This is an ice rink....” She acknowledged, her tone full of confusion.
For the first time, David’s cocky grin had disappeared and a brief moment of insecurity past through is dark eyes before he recovered and hid his reaction with his usual playfulness. “Well aren’t you observant?”
With a roll of her eyes she asked, “why are we at an ice rink?” Out of all the things she had been expecting, an ice rink hadn’t been one of them.
“Trust me.” He advised, though the more he watched her brow furrow in confusion, the more he started to doubt his idea. Deciding not to let her reaction deter him, he got out of the car and gathered his things out of the back.
Emily was still completely confused as they walked through the deserted parking lot. “It’s so quiet here.” She commented, as she looked around. They were an hour outside Los Angeles. David had gone out of his way to find a place that was well off the beating path. He didn’t want them interrupted by paparazzi or gossip hungry sources.
“The rink is closed for the day.” He reached the doors first, and had no trouble opening them, despite his previous words. Noticing her perplexed look, he smiled. “It’s not closed for us, Em.” He explained. “We’re special.”
***
“I can’t believe you rented out this whole place.” She said in awe. In the time it had taken them to get skates and lace up, Emily had gotten used to the location, but she was still amazed that David had spent so much effort in planning it.
His eyes gleamed as if she had just given him the greatest compliment ever. He was already on the ice, gliding gracefully around. The ice was second nature to him. Skating was much more foreign to Emily, and she stalled at the edge of the rink. “I really suck at this.”
Ignoring her comment, he skated forward and held out his hand. “Come on Em, I wont let you fall.” He assured. Emily was all bundled up in her long puffy jacket. She looked like an Eskimo. She narrowed her eyes into a playful glare. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you picked ice skating just so you’d have the chance to hold my hand.”
With David’s help, Emily stumbled onto the ice. It took her awhile to get her balance, she she laughed at herself the entire time. “You know me too well....” He teased, but his cheeks did turn a bright shade of red.
“I’ll let it slide...as long as you don’t let me fall. Hart will be pissed if I break something. You know I’m terrible at this.”
“No, you just need some practice. I don’t think you’re bad at anything.” He was really laying his charm on thick, but Emily was too busy concentrating on staying up to chastise him for it.
They sailed around the rink slowly at first, and then once Emily got more comfortable, David intertwined his fingers with hers and picked up speed. Her hands were soft and were so small compared to his, that his entire hand covered hers.
“Oh my god.” Emily yelled, but he just laughed and pulled her along. Without warning, the bright over head lights switched off with a loud click, and white twinkly lights flicked on.
The ice rink was surrounded with the revolving lights of a disco ball and other multicolored lights that revolved around the rink in a circular pattern. Emily was surprised and looked up and David feigned surprise when she looked towards him. She wasn’t fooled by his facade.
“Ohhh...you’re really laying it on thick aren’t you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He said seriously, but he was looking up with a big smile on his face. Even though she rolled her eyes, her hand squeezed tighter around his and David let out a content sigh.
No one was around. There were only two employees in the building and they were staying far out of the way. Emily was trying not to get sucked into the atmosphere. She kept trying to remind herself that she had a boyfriend...and David was...well, David. She had agreed to the date. She was upholding her end of the bargain, that was all. But, she had underestimated how much fun she could have with him on a one on one basis. She had also underestimated the lengths he would go to to ensure she had a good time.
David had bragged for two weeks that it was going to be the best date ever. Emily had been too busy arguing with him to think about what would happen if he ended up being right.
After skating for awhile, David pulled hockey equipment onto the ice and spent awhile teaching Emily the basics. She was always eager to learn new things, and he was happy to know that while she teased that she hated sports, she seemed to enjoy the playful competition between them.
They took turns competition to see who could make the most goals. Emily missed the first three times and let out a frustrated growl the fourth time the puck bounced off of the goal post. David missed twice in a row and on the third time, Emily looked at him with a suspicious frown.
“You’re missing on purpose!” She said in outrage.
“I would never do that...” He denied, but his small smile gave him away.
“You can’t let me win, David.” Huffed Emily. She wasn’t kidding. Emily wasn’t like other women he had been with. David had known that from the minute he met her. At her first audition, Emily had stood up to him without a hint of hesitation. She wasn’t afraid or intimidated.
Silently, he cursed at himself for thinking his usual charming tricks would work on her. She wouldn’t think it was cute that he let her win, she liked the challenge of trying to beat him.
Shaking his head, he decided to drop the cliched charm that he had always used on women and just be himself. Him and Emily clicked the most when they were allowed to be themselves.
“Alright, I’m gonna teach you how to do it so you can be a solid contender...then we’ll have a shoot out.” Putting his hands on her hips, he slid her body towards his. With the slipperyness of the ice, her body crashed into his with ease. “Now, hold the stick like this...it helps with your control.”
He moved her hands up the stick and placed his hands over top of hers. He expected them to be cold, but instead, they were warm. They felt like they would burn a whole through his.
“Now you aim...swing back....and shoot.” She moved with him, like a rag doll and they both watched as the puck soared across the ice and into the net. “Scoreeee!” He yelled. Realizing he was still dangerously close to her, he slid back and allowed her to hold the stick on her own.
“You make it seem so easy.”
“I’ve had a lot of practice.” He teased. “That was your practice shot. We’ll start now. Emily missed her first, and because Emily pinched him in the side just as he lifted his stick, David missed his as well. “You’re evil.”
Ignoring his comment, she concentrated on the puck and aimed just as he taught her. This time, she didn’t miss. The puck flew into the goal and she let out a surprised gasp. “I did it!” She was so excited that she lost her balance and he grabbed her arm to keep her up.
David wrapped his arms tightly around her in excitement. “I knew you could do it.” The hug was friendly at first, but neither seemed able to pull away...and the longer it went on...the less friendly it became. In the excitement, Emily hadn’t realized that she was enjoying the body she was crushed up against. Once the realization dawned on her, she coughed and pulled away suddenly.
For an awkward moment, they stared at each other in silence. So many emotions were reflected in both of their eyes that it was hard for either of them to pin point what the other was feeling.
Emily broke the stale mate by curling the right side of her mouth into a grin and telling him, “This has been really fun.”
David was so lost in her cerulean eyes that it took him a second to realize she had spoken. Once he recovered, he cleared his throat. “Oh, it’s not over yet.”
Crinkling her forehead, Emily reached into her pocket for her blackberry. “We’ve been here for two hours already.” He couldn’t tell if she meant it as a good thing or not, but, it didn’t matter. David had more plans for them.
“Do you really think I’d take you on a date and not even feed you? What kind of guy do you take me for?” The word ‘date’ hung thick in the air and she thought about correcting him.
‘I should tell him this isn’t a date...I should tell him not to get too hung up on that.’ Thought Emily, but, the happiness in the depths of his brown eyes kept her from saying it. She couldn’t remember the last time she had seem him to carefree and happy. For once, he wasn’t acting like a man who had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and she couldn’t imagine taking that away from him.
Shaking her head slightly, Emily took a deep breath and said, “Well...I am getting kind of hungry.” She was rewarded with a smile that reached his eyes.