The Sloth Zone, page 5
Gemma decided to check in with Frankie the next day.
Gemma: How did your first practice session go for Skate United States?
Frankie: *Shrugging emoji*
Gemma: So a couple falls on your side-by-side and on your throw jumps?
Frankie: Pretty much. Our lifts were solid though.
Gemma: How does it feel to be back at an international competition?
Frankie: Surreal. This is my first senior international competition. I thought I’d be more nervous, but after Nationals last year, it just feels like Charlie and I are up to business as usual.
Gemma: I have the streaming schedule all worked out so I can watch your short program and free skate while I’m traveling.
Frankie: *Smiling emoji*
Three dots blinked. Frankie was typing.
Frankie: I wanted to ask you too . . . Dad said you had a date yesterday? Who was it?
Gemma: I did. Leslie invited one of Ron’s teammates over to brunch at Suzy and Mr. T’s.
Frankie: And?
Gemma: Wipeout.
Frankie: Bummer.
Gemma: The only consolation was that I got to see another side of your dad. He’s scary when he’s in military mode.
Frankie: Uh-oh. It must’ve been really bad if Dad went navy on the guy’s butt.
Gemma: I wish I’d filmed it for you.
Frankie: I’ll have to ask him to fill in the details. I’m sure he’ll do so gleefully.
They exchanged a few more texts before Gemma realized it was getting late. She was just about ready to head out to the Sequoia Valley Elementary School Halloween Festival.
Frankie: You’re going to have a ton of fun tonight! Charlie told me almost the entire town shuts down for it. Send me pics. I can’t wait to see what costume you settled on.
Gemma: See for yourself.
She walked over to the mirror in Frankie and Charlie’s bathroom, snapped a photo of herself, and sent it to Frankie. She was wearing Frankie’s old skating dress that brushed the top of her knees. She’d accessorized with a black ribbon as a belt and secured her hair into a high bun.
Frankie: Va-va-voom! Princess Gemma is ready for her royal ball. All you need now is a glass carriage.
Gemma: No glass carriage tonight. Just a magical ride share. Speaking of which, the app on my phone is telling me it’s here.
Frankie: Go, we can’t have you be late for the ball.
Gemma: I’m going.
Frankie: Have fun and text me later.
Gemma: I will!
Chapter 6
The air was crisp with the scent of fallen leaves. The Sequoia Valley Elementary School campus had been transformed into a magical wonderland of autumn colors and spooky delights. At the heart of the festivities was a hayride where a horse-drawn wagon, stuffed with bales of straw and carved pumpkins, carried children and parents through a child-friendly haunted forest.
In the middle of the school’s track was a vibrant pumpkin patch and maze. Laughter filled the air as families roamed the rows of pumpkins, searching for the perfect canvas on which they might carve their Halloween masterpieces.
Following the signs to the school’s gym, Gemma was greeted by the sight of a dozen game booths. Children tested their skills at tossing rings onto the neck of a grinning skeleton, aiming darts at colorful balloons, and knocking down a tower of bone-shaped bowling pins. The victors were rewarded with prizes, from plush monsters to candy-filled cauldrons.
Sniffing the air, Gemma detected caramel apples, roasted corn, and pumpkin-spiced treats. “This is brilliant; we don’t make this much of an effort at home,” she said softly to herself.
“Coach Gemma! You made it!”
Spinning around, she was greeted by the sight of Richelle, who was dressed as a mermaid princess. She stopped just short of Gemma, her eyes widening.
“Mr. C was right; you look just like Cinderella. Do you have glass slippers too?”
Gemma shifted her heel forward, revealing a pair of glittery clear plastic heels. “I’m afraid these aren’t made of glass, but they do light up.”
“Oh, they’re so pretty!”
“Richelle!” a man shouted. “You can’t just run off like that without telling me where you’re going!”
The young skater’s eyes widened. “Sorry, Daddy.”
“Just don’t tell your mom and don’t let it happen again,” he scolded, though his stern expression soon relaxed. “Is this your coach?”
“No, Daddy. Mr. C is competing this weekend.” She rolled her eyes. “This is Coach Gemma.”
“Well pardon me.” He extended his hand to her. “Nice to meet you, Coach Gemma.”
The man looked to be in his early fifties and was dressed in a doctor’s lab coat. Gemma had no trouble believing he might have just come from work. He had laugh lines around his eyes and was the opposite of the woman Gemma had encountered at the rink a few days ago.
She squinted at the name on the plastic badge attached to the coat’s front pocket, “Cheers, Dr. Zhang. I suppose you can call me your daughter’s stand-in coach.”
Richelle nodded in confirmation. “Mr. C asked her to come so I could introduce her to my friends. Did you know she’s a princess?”
“I can see that.” Dr. Zhang winked. “You must be the Snow Queen.”
Richelle face-palmed. “No, Daddy. She’s Cinderella!”
The two adults shared a laugh over her dramatic behavior.
“Well, now that you’ve found Coach Gemma, let’s take her to your friends. I think your mom said you guys were supposed to meet them by the haunted hayride.”
Taking hold of Gemma’s hand, Richelle tugged it. “Come on, it’s right this way.”
Caught off guard by the surprising strength of someone so tiny, Gemma stumbled forward, and her hand flew out of Richelle’s. As she attempted to steady herself, one of her shoes slipped off her foot, and she bumped into the body of the person passing by on the left.
With the reflexes of a cat, strong arms reached out to steady Gemma.
“Oh. Thank you so much for catching me. I’m so sorry I knocked into you,” she quickly apologized, her cheeks flushing.
“It’s no problem at all, Gemma. I’m here to save the day.”
She recognized that voice! Her gaze slowly traveled up from the khaki-colored shirt and well-worn brown leather jacket, finally locking on to the glimmering hazel eyes of the man she’d met at Hobby Land. Her pulse immediately picked up its pace.
“Henry,” she whispered.
“Coach Gemma, are you okay?” Richelle asked.
“I’m brilliant,” she replied, quickly breaking apart from Henry and smoothing out her skirt. Her face burned even hotter.
“Glad to hear it.” A look of relief crossed Dr. Zhang’s face. “Richelle, what should you say?”
She stared at the ground. “I’m sorry.”
Gemma plastered a smile on her face. “No harm done, except I seem to have lost my shoe.” She glanced behind Richelle and noticed the plastic footwear flashing in the distance.
Henry grinned. “We can’t have Cinderella losing her glass slipper. Can we?”
“No.” Richelle shook her head.
He walked over to the shoe and retrieved it, along with his hat. Approaching Gemma, he knelt down. “Princess, let’s see if this fits.”
Richelle giggled.
As Gemma slipped her foot back into the shoe, Henry remarked, “Well, it looks like this shoe was made exclusively for this princess. It fits like a glove!”
Their eyes locked for a moment, and there was an undeniable spark in the air.
“Coach Gemma, are you ready to go to the haunted hayride now?” Richelle inquired.
Reading the couple, Dr. Zhang cleared his throat. “I think she needs another minute or two, pumpkin. I’ll help you find your friends, and Gemma can join us in a moment.”
Richelle tilted her head to the side. “But she said she was fine.”
“How about we walk through the trick-or-treat trail on the way?”
“But Mommy said no candy.” She pouted.
Dr. Zhang blinked slowly. “It’ll be our secret. We can keep it at my office.”
Her arms flew around her father’s legs. “Daddy, you’re the best.” Taking hold of his daughter’s hand, Dr. Zhang led her toward the food booths.
A few moments of silence elapsed between Gemma and Henry.
He removed his hat and scratched his forehead. “So, are you enjoying the festival so far?”
“All five minutes of it, yes.” She sniggered. “I see you went with the Indiana Jones costume again after all.”
“What can I say? Never mess with success.” He spun around in a circle, modeling it for her. Gemma soaked up the sight of him. The dark brown trousers conformed to a very fit body and shapely bum.
“You have a bullwhip too?”
“Never leave home without it. And I see you didn’t go for the fairy route.”
“No. I didn’t know I’d need a costume until the last minute. It was either this, a peacock, or a sloth.”
His lip twitched. “Those are, um . . . interesting options. I personally would’ve picked the sloth, but I’m glad you went for the princess. It suits you.”
“Me too.”
“Come on. I’ll walk you over to the hayride, so your little friend doesn’t think I’ve turned you into a frog or something.”
They started strolling side by side.
“Cinderella would never get turned into a frog. A servant, maybe.”
“Noted.”
The scent of freshly-popped popcorn mingled with the sweet aroma of sugar, creating an irresistible blend that made Gemma’s mouth water.
“Oh, there’s candy floss too? That looks delicious.”
Henry wrinkled his nose. “What’s candy floss?”
She pointed to the fluffy pink candy.
“You mean cotton candy!”
“I do,” Gemma replied, shaking her head with a playful grin. “Americans have such odd names for things.”
“In our defense, it’s fluffy, pink, and looks like cotton, not floss.”
Gemma’s lips curved. “Whatever you say.”
“Do you have games like these back home?” Henry gestured toward a booth with a ring-toss game, where a group of kids was competing.
“Quoits? Of course.”
“Huh. I’ve heard a lot of British names for things before, but never quoits.”
“I visit America often, and I swear every time I’m here I learn something new. We may both speak the same language, but American English and British English still have so many differences,” Gemma said.
“Agreed.”
They continued walking. “What are some of the other words you’ve heard?” she asked.
“Um . . . jumper, trolley, trousers, and waistcoat to name a few.” Henry removed his hat and scratched his head. “Then there’s the more obvious ones, like football instead of soccer.”
“I hope you’re not one of those people who’s going to convince me that football should be called soccer.”
“No. If it were up to me, soccer would be called football.” Henry laughed, sending a few jolts of electricity up her spine. “It makes more sense for a game that’s played with your feet.”
“Just a guess, but do you play football?”
“No. I don’t like all the running involved. My sport’s baseball.” He brought his hands together and pretended to hit an invisible ball, smiling. “I’m sure that was going to be your next guess though.”
“Actually, I was going to guess your sport was playing with your trusty bullwhip.”
Henry pulled the brim of his hat a little lower. “Afraid not. This only comes out if they’re snakes around, or if I need a way to make a daring escape.”
Gemma grinned.
They’d reached the hayride queue, where Richelle was happily munching on a chocolate candy bar.
“Well, I guess I’ll leave you here. I’m supposed to take a turn in the dunking booth. It was nice chatting with you, Gemma.”
Her mind immediately conjured an image of Henry wearing a soaking-wet shirt, clinging to his chest like Mr. Darcy. Her body grew hot.
“You too, Henry.”
His gaze lingered on her for an extra moment. The butterflies in her stomach fluttering their wings. As he turned to walk away, Gemma called out, “Henry, wait! Can I have your mobile number?”
Turning around, he said, “You already have it!” Then he waved and continued walking away.
I already have it? What exactly does he mean by that?
“Coach Gemma!” Richelle yelled, waving.
She walked over to Charlie’s student. She’d have to leave unlocking the mystery of Henry until later.
* * *
Gemma spent the next few hours with Richelle, her friends, and their parents. By the end of the night, she was surprised by how natural it was starting to feel around the children. She’d skated in front of thousands of them in audiences with DOI, but she’d rarely spoken to them one-on-one. They were a breath of fresh air with the carefree way they saw the world. Maybe coaching wouldn’t be so bad after all.
“Thank you for coming tonight, Coach Gemma. I had so much fun.” Richelle covered a yawn with her hand. “You’re almost as cool as Mr. C.”
Gemma chuckled. “I’ll take that as a huge compliment.”
Richelle hugged her, then climbed into the back seat of a maroon-colored SUV. She buckled her seat belt, resting her head against the window once Dr. Zhang closed the door.
“I was worried all the sugar would keep her up, but it looks like the ride home is going to be quiet. I might even get to pick the radio station for a change.” Dr. Zhang smiled.
“She’s a good kid. I hope once I settle into the area, I’ll have the opportunity to spend some more time with her. That is if Charlie will share her.”
“Assuming Richelle chooses to continue skating, I’m sure she’d be happy to have you help coach her.” Dr. Zhang leaned against the car. “She’s going to have to make a choice between ballet, skating, soccer, softball, violin, piano, art classes, and Chinese school soon. She can’t continue to do all of them and keep up her grades in school.”
Gemma’s eyes widened. “She’s doing that many activities?”
“We want Richelle to be well-rounded. Anything she’s expressed an interest in, her mom and I have wanted her to try.” Although it was dark, Gemma thought she could see the faint patch of color appear on his cheeks. “Between you and me, my wife hates the skating, but I think it’s where Richelle’s heart is. If that’s what my baby wants, who are we to stand in her way?”
“You’re a great dad to her.”
“I try to be. I just wish I were around more. Work keeps me busy.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, if there is anything you need, feel free to reach out to me at any time.” He reached into his pocket. “Here’s my business card. It’s got my work number and email on it.”
“Thank you so much.” Glancing at the card, her eyes widened. “You’re the team doctor for the Jasper Ridge Jaguars hockey team?”
Dr. Zhang nodded. “I am.”
They chatted for a few more moments, then father and daughter departed.
Richelle’s parents seem like they are the polar opposites of one another. Her mom seemed so uptight, and her dad is so easygoing. I wonder if they’re a case of opposites attract. Should I be looking for a guy who’s the opposite of me?
A chilly gust of wind caused Gemma to shiver. She needed to request a ride home. Deciding she didn’t wish to wait out in the cold, she headed back to the gym. Inside, some of the adults were beginning to deconstruct the booths and pack away the leftover food. Locating the bleachers, she sat down and pulled out her mobile.
“Gemma? What are you still doing here? I thought I saw you leave about a half hour ago,” Henry said, his hands on his hips. He’d removed the coat and hat. The sleeves of his brown shirt had been rolled up to his elbows, and it was damp and transparent in a few places. Her lips grew dry.
“Oh hi, Henry. I walked Richelle out to the car to say goodbye.”
“You didn’t come together? Or in a pumpkin carriage?”
“Nope,” Gemma chuckled. “I ordered a car.”
“Is that how you’re planning to get home now?”
She nodded. “It was, unless you’ve got an airplane or a spare packet of magical pumpkin seeds.”
“No planes, magical seeds, or even a flying carpet. The kids and their families cleaned us out, but I’ll tell you what, if you don’t mind waiting ten minutes, I can give you a ride home.” He glanced behind him. “I think we’re just about done here. Most of the booths will get deconstructed in the morning.”
“Only if it’s not an inconvenience to you.” Gemma dry swallowed. “I, er . . . would like to spend some more time with you.”
“The feeling is mutual.” He winked. “I’ll be right back. I just need to make sure the cash boxes get signed back in and locked up. In the meantime, try not to trade your voice to a sea witch. And here”—he tossed his jacket to her—“you look like you’re freezing.”
Wrong princess, but at least he’s trying.
As she waited, Gemma opened the contact list on her mobile phone and started to scroll through the long list of names.
Okay, Henry, let’s find out if I actually have your number. Aaron, no. Ashley, no. Airlie, no. Amanda, no. Andrew. Hmm. Where do I know him from? Taking a screenshot of the number, she saved it to look up later.
True to his word, ten minutes later, Henry came strolling up to the bench where she sat with his jacket draped over her shoulders. “Okay, I’m all set. Shall we head to the parking lot?”
Gemma stood, ignoring the tightness in her hip, and tucked her mobile into her wristlet. “Lead the way.”
They walked to the gym door and Henry opened it for her. “What did you think of the festival? Did you have a good time?” he asked.
“I did. This was my first taste of an American Halloween. It’s a lot more commercialized here than back home in Scotland. I guess what surprised me the most was the timing of the event. Halloween isn’t until next week.”
“We did that on purpose.” He laughed. “The PTA asked us to move it from the week of Halloween to the week before. They didn’t want to have the kids pick and choose between trick-or-treating and attending the school festival.”
