By John Silverton
She was the woman to quell desire for greener grass on the other side of the cliché. A natural blonde, petite, curvaceous, kind eyes, with a thrilling mouth just asking to be kissed. Her smile captured him; love at first sight. She agreed to a date. He drove to her flat and collected her.
‘Where are we going?’
‘Have you ever been ice skating?’ She slowly shook her head; a look of disquiet replaced her smile. ‘Don’t worry, I can skate. It’s easy; I’ll show you … a new experience,’ he cheerfully assured.
Sceptical of his presumption, she looked fazed and stared ahead with an “Oh God, I wished I’d never agreed to this date” look of resignation.
From a male perspective ice skating is an ideal first date, especially if the girl is a dependent beginner. The necessary physical support affords a hands-on informality avoiding any tentatively embarrassing manoeuvres to engineer a first embrace.
Fitted out in heavy white leather skating boots imprisoning her dainty stocking covered feet, with his reassuring support they hobbled towards the rink. Her eyes had the nervous look of a trapped animal uncertain of its fate. After much encouragement and firmly enfolded in his arms her white knuckles let go of the safety rail and they launched into the flow of boisterous bodies.
He felt her tension as she clung as firmly as ivy to a tree. He was as grateful as she. Their first cautious laps completed with bums dry, confidence replaced her qualms. Several laps later, they rested at the barrier rail, his arm about her waist in continuing support. She turned full face towards him, looking up, lips slightly apart. She wore minimal make-up; a little rouge to the cheeks, a hint of eye shadow. With her beauty, less was more. They were engrossed in a sense of intimacy and quietly gazed at each other.
‘May I kiss you?’ he pleaded.
She nodded and a coy smile creased her face. Her lips were cool, soft, yielding and naked. The exquisite moment of that gentle, lingering kiss would be forever remembered for its hope and promise, not meant to lead beyond itself that day, but arousing a future commitment.
He suggested a couple more laps before going for coffee. The inevitable happened, she lost her balance and they both acquired wet bums. They laughed it off and after reclaiming their shoes headed for the cafe. They drank cappuccinos and munched crisps. The kisses had relieved the first date tensions and they enjoyed a relaxed familiarity to chat and impart personal details suggestive of a continuing relationship.
By the end of the date, they intuitively knew what they had in common was more imperative than merely similar interests; something special occurred on the touching of lips.
A few months later they were married and together skated around the pitfalls of life for the next fifty years until the Grim Reaper hung up her skates. Now he skates alone.
Author Bio:
John Silverton is the author of A Pearl Amongst Oysters, a passionate suspenseful interracial romance spanning fifty years and two continents, available in paperback from Amazon Books.
A collection of short stories will be published later this year. John is twice winner of the Anderida Writers short story competition, 2024 and 2026. A second novel, a crime thriller set in the art market, will be published in 2027.
Contact Author:
Email: johnsilverton@hotmail.co.uk
