She'd seen him earlier, confidently gliding along. He hadn't needed her help and she'd been busy helping a family with twin girls, blonde hair in matching plaits, so she hadn't had a chance to tell him how well he skated.
'Wow,' he breathed, showing off a massive gappy grin. 'That was sooo good. You're a really cool ice person.'
'Thanks. I'm Holly, one of the Ice Marshalls.' Rather than someone who sounded like they were actually made of frozen water. She smiled. He was adorable. All massive eyes and cherry red cheeks. 'What's your name?'
'Jasper.'
'Well, I'll let you into a secret Jasper.' She scooted a little closer to him, bending down to his height. 'When I was only a tiny bit older than you, just after I started school, I started skating. I was in competitions, and won things. So I've had a lot of time on the ice.' Before the injury. When her world turned upside down. 'How long have you been skating? A few months?'
'Nope,' shaking his head, 'this is my second time. Daddy works a lot and Melody has gone home for Christmas. But she'll be back as soon as she can and she promised, promised, promised to bring me lots of presents and hugs. She said I'm a busy boy who keeps her running around but I'm on Santa's good boy list.' From the way he said it, he'd heard it a lot in the past few weeks.
'I'm sure you are,' Holly agreed, amused at his babble. 'Melody sounds cool.' Who she was, Holly wasn't quite sure of, obviously not the boy's mum, but would his Dad's girlfriend really disappear off for Christmas? 'But is this really only your second time? You're very good you know.' She paused, 'Do you want me to show you a few tricks a bit later on?' Strictly speaking she was here to help the customers who needed it but she could wait until the end of the afternoon, when it got a bit quieter, to spend some time with him.
'Would you?' he jumped, heels to his bum, and landed perfectly again on both skates, which was harder than it looked. 'That'd be super cool!' he paused, expression dropping. 'I have to ask if it's okay though.'
'Ask who?'
Spinning around in a perfect one eighty, he glanced around the rink. After a moment he extended a podgy finger, glancing at her sheepishly. 'Him…he's not very good.'
'I'm sure he's not that bad- Oh.'
They watched in silence as a man wrapped up to the max with a face like a British thundercloud under a beanie hat slipped and lurched around the rink, arms flailing, even though every few feet he was using the wall to steady himself.
From the look on his face, Jasper was embarrassed. Heck, Holly felt embarrassed, but it was for Jasper's dad on his behalf, rather than not wanting to be seen with him. 'Well, at least he's trying,' she said from corner of her mouth, 'he might get better.'
'Ummm…' the boy gave her a doubtful look.
But bless, you had to give the guy points for being here for his son, and making a bit of an idiot of himself in the process. Maybe he just wasn't very fit. He looked a bit bulky and soft around the middle. Or perhaps he didn't have good balance. Shame he wasn't a child; otherwise he could use one of the penguin skating aids available for the younger skaters in the separate area down the South Wing end.
Right. Two birds with one diplomatic, tactful stone then. 'Come on,' she gestured the boy to follow her, 'let's go ask him about you trying something a bit more adventurous.'
'Hi, there!' Her tone was friendly as she skated up behind the man, but unfortunately it unnerved him. Whipping his head round, his feet scissored, arms wind-milling. Trying to find his centre of gravity but failing, his legs started to slide in opposite directions. 'Oops!' Acting on instinct, Holly moved in, threading her arms under his to hoist him up, leaning forward for balance. 'Woah, there you go. I've got you.'
Practically spooning the guy upright wasn't the most professional way to help and she might get a telling off by the Front of House Manager, but it was the best she could do at short notice.
He didn't reply, just made a grunting sound and shook his head.
With his back plastered to her front and bum tucked into the curve of her hips, she realised he wasn't as bulky as he first seemed; it was the never ending amount of layers he was wrapped in. No wonder he was having issues, his upper body was totally constricted. No, he wasn't soft around the middle; he was actually quite nicely built.
'Okay?' she asked a little breathlessly. Untangling their arms, she steadied him with a firm hand and glided them over to the side, checking to make sure Jasper was still with them. The little boy gave her a reassuring nod, keeping pace.
'No, I'm not okay,' the guy spat as soon as he was hanging on to the wall, 'you scared the crap out of me!'
The girl took a step back at his tone, emotions flickering over her face; astonishment, irritation, simmering anger, settling at last on blank politeness. Pale blonde hair tied back in a high ponytail, she had glacier blue eyes, creamy skin and was girl next door pretty, but everything about her screamed winter. He preferred the hot Latin type. Women with curves and smouldering dark eyes. Not women who looked like Taylor Swift's slightly taller twin. The loose purple tabard - Ice Marshall in white script across the front - worn over some kind of waterproofs was hardly sexy. She could be straight up and down under there. Not that it mattered.
'I'm sorry if I startled you,' she said, every word coated with frost. 'But perhaps I can talk you through some skating tips?' Looking pointedly at Jasper, who was gazing up at Noel with a puzzled expression.
Noel realised what he'd said and the way he'd said it, and gritted his teeth. First he'd had to be publicly rescued, then he'd spoken to his rescuer like a spoilt five year old. That wasn't okay. Frustration tumbled through him. He wasn't getting any better at skating. And there was a funny hitch in his stomach at having a woman plastered up against him for the first time in two years, since- Stop. There was no way he was going to think about her now.
'I'm sorry if I was rude,' he glanced at the girl apologetically. 'And thank you for the offer…?’
'Holly.'
'Holly. But I'm not interested in getting any better.' Shaking his head. 'I might be here tomorrow, but after that I don't plan to come near an ice rink for a really long time.'
She giggled, then bit her lower lip, teeth straight and white except for a slightly crooked canine. It was a tiny imperfection, but somehow appealing.
He cleared his throat, raising one eyebrow, 'Are you allowed to laugh at customers?'
'S-sorry,' she choked, covering her mouth, 'probably not, I just- ahem,' she dropped her hand, smiling, 'you just sounded so pained. I had a fleeting thought … I wondered if you were traumatised.'
'Yeah,' he drawled, elbowing aside the mental note his treacherous brain had made about what an appealing shade of pink her lips were, 'I'll be seeking compensation from Somerset House to fund some counselling sessions.'
Her smile widened, eyes twinkling. 'It would be a conflict for me to give evidence on your behalf,' she joked, 'but you definitely seem like you could use them.'
'I'll let you know how I get on,' he grinned back, then fell silent. Why was he flirting with her? She wasn't his type, and the last thing he needed was a woman complicating things. 'Anyway,' he muttered, 'I'd better get on.' He turned away to pull himself along the edge of the rink using the wall. 'Come on, Jay.'
Jasper frowned but nodded, obediently skating a few metres ahead, near enough that Noel could keep an eye on him, but not so close that he'd be in the danger zone if his godfather fell over.
Noel was surprised when Holly stayed with him, matching pace.
Taking a breath and winking at Jasper, who'd turned to watch them over his shoulder, she lowered her voice. 'Look, I am sorry if I surprised you, and if you don't want my help that's fine, but I'd actually come over to speak to you about something.'
He nodded, trying not to think about what he was doing with his feet. The more he thought about it, the more likely he was to fall over. 'I see. And what's that?' he'd caught the look passing between Holly and Jasper. They were obviously up