More to You ✔

Chapter 25 - Christmas Skate (Maria)

Maria laced up her skates while glancing at the entrance to the rink that led out to the sixth floor of an urban Bangkok mall. A few young girls in glittering one-piece bodysuits arrived at the front desk, but no irritating blonde man. Emma popped up from the escalators a couple of minutes later without her two cab companions. Maria's eyes kept darting back to those rising stairs. Should she have stayed with Mitch? Was he alright?

"Ready to hit the ice?" Tom asked with an eager grin.

She felt a little guilty since he'd noticed her dejected mood all week and put a smile on her lips most days. Fixating on Mitch wasn't healthy, especially with his moodiness, but it was hard to help. Something was eating away at him if he was this bitter during the holidays. Everyone deserved warmth and cheer in their life today, even if they'd been maltreating others this week. He had apologized to both her and Becca.

"I'll wait for Emma, but you should go since our time's already started."

Tom nodded and ambled toward the rink to join the mix of foreigners, fumbling adult Thai skaters and the young agile ones who appeared to be training for some sort of competition. Emma paid at the counter and sauntered over.

"Merry Christmas, Em." Maria teetered on her gray footwear, some crossbreed of hockey and figure skates, to give Emma a wobbly hug.

"Merry Christmas, Maria." Emma surveyed the ice and furrowed her brow. "So, you any good at this skating business?"

Maria shrugged. "Half-decent."

"Becca half-decent or Tom half-decent." Emma studied the trembling Aussie who clutched the arms of a steady redhead skating backward with a smile.

"Probably more like Tom. How you never skated?"

"I have, but not in nearly a decade."

"It's like riding a bike."

"Really?"

Maria peered at the entrance, but Shawn or Mitch hadn't arrived. Shawn should have accompanied Emma. The more Maria fixated on it, the worse her mood would get. She couldn't take Mitch's actions personally like she had the rest of the week.

"I'm not sure. My mother drags us skating every year, part of her living the Canadian dream mentality."

"Okay, whiz kid, you can lace me up."

Maria laughed and kneeled down to help tighten Emma's right skate while she tackled the other. A few minutes later, they approached Tom and Becca, who had both fallen once. He still had the wet imprint on his jeans to prove it.

"I don't think I've ever skated when it's been so warm out," Maria said. The surrounding air was chilled, but well above zero degrees. How did that ice stay frozen?

Emma stumbled. "Stupid toe pick," she muttered.

As they drew closer, Tom saw them and led Becca over to the wall for a break. He asked Emma the question Maria couldn't decide if she wanted to ask. "Where are Shawn and Mitch? I thought you shared a cab."

"Apparently, Mitch is not feeling so hot, and they headed back," Emma said.

Maria stared at her skates. "Figures."

Tom raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

She leaned against the rail, evading Tom and Becca's glances. Despite Mitch's distant attitude, she didn't need to spread rumours to those who loved to speculate. "No reason."

Becca studied Maria, manicured fingers clutching the edge. "Has he treated you worse than he has at school?"

"No, nothing like that."