Courtney grinned at him. "So, Jess isn’t threatened by you skating with that little firecracker, is she?"
Ryan laughed. "No. Amy’s only sixteen, I’d feel like I were robbing the cradle. Besides which, I really do love Jess. Besides which again, Amy’s dating Sophia’s little brother Eric. And boy is he pussywhipped!"
Courtney cracked up. "Oh, really?"
"Oh, you should see it. But it works both ways. Amy’s had some hard knocks romantically, and Eric is true and steadfast and trustworthy. And Eric’s a bit withdrawn, so Amy takes the initiative. And they really do love each other. They complement each other well. And Amy’s thrilled to baby-sit after Jess has the baby."
"You old married fart, you," Courtney teased. "I have to tell you, though, that Amy. She’s young, but she can skate. Lots of charisma."
"It’s worked out well."
"Good. You do realize, I hope, that after the Kellehers win their gold medal in February and get the hell out of Dodge, you and I are going to be chasing each other for the next four years."
"Nationally, for sure. Internationally, it’s possible. Don’t tell Shawna, but you and Evan are better than the two of them were."
Courtney laughed. "And you and Amy are better than you and I were, I could see that already. But I think baggage had a lot to do with that. Anyway, I just don’t want this to be ugly."
"It won’t. The ugliness is over." Ryan took a breath. "I always knew that you were a good person underneath, Court. I’m glad someone pulled that out, even if it wasn’t me."
"Wasn’t your fault. If we had left my mother years ago, it might have worked out. Water under the bridge, Ryan. As long as we’re both happy and we can be friends."
"We can," Ryan said.
"Oh, and I have something else to thank you about. Remember, a few years ago, when you insisted on getting an agent instead of letting my mother deal with our management? Thank you, thank you, thank you."
"Are you still with Don?" Don Granger had been he and Courtney’s agent.
"Yes. And, as it turns out, my mother stole from me. And she could’ve stolen a lot more except Don was watching my back. This all came out when I finally left her. Don really couldn’t say anything before I was 18, because he was technically working for her. But I’ve talked to him, and she was worse than I even realized. Luckily, Don watched my back as much as he could, so she didn’t get much. And now she doesn’t get anything."
"That mother of yours is a piece of work."
"True story, but she can’t get me anymore. I still have a lot of anger to work through, but at least now I know where it belongs-pointed at her, not other people. I’ve started to see a therapist."
"Not a bad idea, all things considering."
They had finished their coffee. "Anyhow," Courtney said, "I’d better get going, Shawna’s waiting for me."
"OK." They got up and left the coffee shop. Shawna was in a seat across the lobby.
"There she is," Courtney said.
"Well, then, I’ll see you at Skate America. Listen, Court? You need anything, anything at all, you have my number, OK?"
"Thanks, Ryan, that means a lot. And same goes. You take care of that wife and unborn kid, you hear me?"
"Count on it," Ryan smiled. They looked at each other for a moment, then Ryan unfolded his arms. Courtney stepped into them, and they wrapped each other in a deep hug. After a minute, Courtney stepped away, smiling.
"Thanks. For everything."
"You’re welcome. Court? Be happy."
"I will. You too." She turned away, and went over to Shawna. They walked out of the hotel holding hands. Ryan watched them go, then stepped into the elevator.
THE GRAND PRIX (Chapter 160)
Author’s note: the credit for the ‘dessert’ one-liner goes to my lovely wife, Aphrodite ‹G›
At the end of October, a week and a half after the Canadian Open pro-am, the real skating season started for the eligible skaters, the Grand Prix.
It started with Skate America, which would be held in Lake Placid this year.
All three American dance teams had been invited, and relations between all of them were very good. Since Courtney and Ryan had buried the hatchet, they all got along well. Amy was a little intimidated at first-you know, worrying if Ryan would want his old partner back-but Ryan assured her that that wasn’t going to happen. After that, Amy loosened up and was her charming self.
The night before the competition, all the American contingent took over a big chunk of a steakhouse in Lake Placid for supper. All the dancers were there, plus Eric, Jessie, and Shawna. Allison Bowman was competing (Liz Cushman wasn’t, she’d decided to do Skate Canada and Cup of Russia) so she was there, along with her boyfriend Eddie who had driven up from Albany to watch her skate. Brett and Andrea were there. As was Tom Bellamy.
"All this love," Tom said, "I can’t stand it. Where’s mine?"
"At Harvard, studying like a good girl," Warren teased.
"Yeah, I know," Tom grinned. "At least she’s coming the day after tomorrow, which is the first day I actually skate."
"Yeah, she’s going to miss our first OD, though," Warren mock-grumbled. "Some sister."
"I’m here," Eric said.
"You’re not my brother," Warren teased.
"Well, brother-in-law," Eric reminded him.
"And, somehow, even though you are my brother, I don’t think you’re here to see me," Sophia added.
"Why, Sophia, who else would he be here to see?" Amy grinned, then turned to Eric and batted her eyelashes. Eric blushed, leading to giggles all around the table.
"Jeez," Evan grumped, "is there anyone here besides me that’s not going to be having sex tonight?"
"I think we just established that I’m not," Tom said. "And, before you ask, no, I’m not bi!" Everyone cracked up at that.
"I’m not going to be having sex tonight, either," Courtney said. "And, I have to tell you, skating with my period isn’t much fun."
"I can see where it wouldn’t be," Warren said, "but why would that stop the other thing? You mean Shawna hasn’t earned her Red Wings yet?"
"EEEEEWWWWWW!!!!" Courtney blurted.
Shawna laughed. "Don’t blame me, I’m game for anything, but my sweetie’s a little squeamish."
"Ah, it’s fun," Sophia maintained. "Courtney, you just put a tampon in. Then Shawna can have dessert and floss her teeth!"
The laughter after that was so loud, it filled the whole restaurant.
The closest competition for Warren and Sophia at Skate America were the Irish pair, Dunphy and O’Riordan, who had finished fifth at Worlds. The French couple were there, but they were on a downward trend.
So, winning was almost a foregone conclusion. This was a place for them to show off the new programs in front of international judges and the TV audience.
The Quickstep OD went over very well, with the audience and the judges. The Rock and Roll OD, done to the Ramones, simply had jaws dropping all over the arena. It got 7 6.0s for technical merit, and a raucous standing ovation. And the new Singing In The Rain free dance also got a standing O, plus great marks on both sets. The win was easy, and the programs were quickly being talked about.
The upset was Amy and Ryan defeating the Irish couple for the silver, which shocked and delighted them. Evan and Courtney finished fourth, but weren’t upset with that. "We’re still gelling, we’re not worried," Evan told Warren.
The next week, in Quebec City, the Canadian couple of Damphier and Gaudler started the defense of their World Championship at Skate Canada. They also won easily, with a young German couple, Lignau and Beicher, in second. The other Canadian couple, Ackerman and Sherrick, finished third. The big upset was that the Hungarians, Krasvalyi and Szubacsko, sixth in the World last year, only finished fourth.
The next week, Sophia and Warren were in Marseille, France for Trophee Lalique. They won easily there, over the Russians, Kuznetsova and Vasilyevskiy. A new young Russian pair, Nina Nikolayeva and Mikhail Shlupin, finished third. That was an upset, as the beat the Ukrainians, who had finished 7 th at worlds.