Chapter 2- ice skating

wowho! iceskating i love it mel hates it! :D

An excited pair of rosy cheeked children greeted her in the hallway, a lot more enthusiastically then their parents. Mel shushed the excited chatter with a smile and taking their hands led them out to the people carrier the Hudson's let her use to drive the kids around. Her nervousness about taking them skating disappeared as the trio sang along to the car radio but reappeared with a vengeance when they were all stood by the ice’s edge wobbling on their borrowed skates.

“Melody?” asked Beth, watching another young girl pirouette on the ice. “Can you do that?”

“Umm no,” Melody replied honestly, “I can’t skate at all.”

“At all!” Beth’s eyes widened in shock.

“Then we can all learn together,” said Cal still his confident self.

“Lets get going then,” replied Mel trying to look as confident ad cal seemed to feel. Rubbing her bare hands together to warm them, she took Cal and Beth’s gloved hands in her own and stepped hesitantly down onto the ice. Almost immediately Mel felt her feet start too slid away without her and if she hadn’t had a tight grip on the children’s hands she would have fallen straight over. Fortunately their quick young minds meant they had already found their balance and they kept Mel on her feet just about. Confidently Cal took a few forward and found himself skating slowly towards the edge. Beth, who followed her brother almost everywhere copied his moves and was soon skating along happily. Rooted to the spot, all alone, in case she fell over Melody watched Cal lap the rink as fast as he could. While Beth who couldn’t keep up, talked to the girl who had been dancing asking question after question. Mel smiled at Beth’s attempts to imitate the girls dance moves, wincing when the young girl slipped up and breathing a sigh of relief when she got herself up again grinning. She was so engrossed in watching that the children were safe and enjoying them selves that she was completely unaware of the skater heading full speed towards her- backwards.

Suddenly Mel found herself face down on the ice with a heavy body on top of her. The cold ice against her skin made her gasp and she struggled to escape, rolling until she could see who had flattened her although she was still trapped underneath. His face was close to hers and his eyes closed- a frown creasing his forehead. Ice powder frosted his black hair making it glisten under the bright lights of the rink. And Melody was angry to see that he wore the bright yellow jacket of a steward, the person meant to keep other people safe on the ice.

Sighing heavily, annoyed at himself for trying to show off while waving at some rink bunnies; Aidan opened his eyes and was surprised to find him self staring into the green eyes of last nights waitress. Melody was equally surprised to see her face reflected in two icy grey eyes as cold and unforgiving as the rink they lay on. It was him!

“It’s you!” she exclaimed, he chuckled at her surprise and moved to get of off her. Mel froze under him when he placed a large hand on her chest to support himself. “Get your hand off my chest,” she hissed, “you have no right to feel me up especially when you think I have small b***s!”

Aidan pulled away like he had been burnt. He hadn’t even realised he had been doing it; it had felt perfectly natural like they fitted together. “I’m sorry.” He apologized sincerely helping her to her feet. Melody wobbled and almost slipped up again, but Aidan grabbed her by the arm to steady her. He burst out laughing; she looked so outraged that he had touched her again. “I really am sorry.” Aidan managed between laughs. Melody still didn’t say anything.

Releasing her arm Aidan watched curiously as Mel wobbled unsteadily. “Do you even know how to skate or are you just going to stand there?”

Mel blushed furiously and shook her head.

“Then I’ll teach you.” Aidan took hold of her hands before she could object and started skating backwards pulling Melody along with him. She froze in place scared that if she tried to move on her own she would fall over again.

A high pitched scream echoed through the rink and Mel and Aidan stopped and looked around them. Beth was in the centre of the rink sat on the ice crying loudly while clutching her hand. Instinctively Melody lurched forwards on her skates to help her.

“Beth!”

Aidan followed her quickly and stopped her from falling yet again, wrapping a supporting arm around her small waist he skated them over to the small girl speedily. Kneeling down next to her, ignoring the cold seeping through her jeans Melody gathered a weeping Beth into her arms.

“Where are you hurt?” she asked insistently repeating the question when Beth looked at her dazed.

“My hand, it got skated on when I fell over.” She explained bursting into a fresh bout of tears. Mel was inspecting the swollen hand thoroughly unsure how serious the injury was, when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Let me take her off the ice,” Aidan said trying to reassure her.

“Thank you… I’m sorry I’ve just realised I don’t know your name.” she smiled sheepishly. “Let me just find Cal.” Melody turned away unsteadily and searched the rink for Cal’s blue jacket. Two of them, Aidan thought, perhaps this girl wasn’t for him after all.

Melody finally got Cal’s attention and followed Aidan off the ice, completely unaware that in her panic she had started to skate all by herself. Beth sat cradle comfortably in Aidan's arms fat tears still rolling down her cheeks. Popping Beth carefully down on a bench in the locker room, Aidan disappeared for a first aid kit and ice pack.

“Who’s a brave girl then,” Aidan murmured to Beth, carefully taking her injured hand and feeling it for broken bones gently. She yelped once or twice but he couldn’t feel anything wrong with it and simply gave her the ice pack to hold and numb the pain. Melody watched on distraughtly by she was also amazed at how gentle and caring he was being. Cal on the other hand couldn’t care less about his sister and was scouting curiously around the locker room, trying on a hockey helmet that was much too big for him.

“She’ll be fine just a bit bruised. I have seen a lot worse on the rink during a hockey match. Now then young lady, mummy is going to take you home now, I think.”

“I’m not her mum,” objected Mel loudly making Cal laugh in glee and he chimed in,

“She’s Melody our nanny.”

“Oh sorry Mel-od-ee,” he liked the way her name sound musical just like its meaning. “I’m Aidan by the way.”

“Thank you Aidan.” Replied Melody, smiling shyly oddly thrilled by the way he made her name sound musical when he said it. Perhaps it was just the echolike sound of the locker room though, she thought dismissing it.

“I should properly get these two home for some lunch, thank you again.” She ushered the two children ahead of her and practically ran back to the car. Looking in the rear view mirror Melody realised just how flushed with embarrassment her cheeks were and cringed. She wasn’t sure why she felt embarrassed in fact she should feel offended because he had insulted her three times now. Well at least she wouldn’t see him again now- see hoped.

~

Sunday morning when Melody arrived at the Hudson's at ten just when they were finishing their breakfast, she was informed that Cal would be taking hockey lessons each Saturday from next week. Melody’s stomach did a somersault. She would see Aidan again. But she didn’t want to see Aidan again. He was rude too her. This was very confusing. Plastering on her ‘I’m the perfect employee’ smile Melody said she would be happy to take Cal to his lessons.

Author's Note

just be honest and tell me what you think

Reviews

[nora]

ooh, this one i really liked :) even though i still dont really like aidan. i think hes a bit arrogant.
the whole skating scene i really like, though. cal and beth are so cute! they remind me of the little kids i babysit, lol.
anyway, great chapter jules :D

[�Alexa�]

I really love it and how you wrote it!:D