I’d assumed my ability to flirt had dried up after I started dating Tyler, but I’m pleasantly surprised to find it’s still there. My hands find my hips; I straighten up and suck in my stomach.

He waves away my comment. “You should’ve been one, too. It was just bad luck.”

“Yeah,” I say, shrugging. This isn’t my favorite subject. I’d rather change it. “So, you spend all your evenings here?”

“Ouch, are you telling me to get a social life?” he shoots back.

“Hey, all I’m saying is that you spend an awful lot of time in a gym that smells like feet,” I say, holding up my hands.

I briefly weigh the pros and cons of what I want to say next, and spurred by a rush of adrenaline, I toss it out there.

“What, no hot date tonight?” I tease.

A flicker of surprise crosses his face. He recovers by shoving his hands into his pockets and looking away, laughing.

“Not tonight,” he says softly. “But I’ll take that as my cue that you want the gym to yourself to finish choreographing.”

He starts to walk away, but I realize I don’t want him to.

“Wait!” I call. “I didn’t mean it that way. Stay?”

He wavers. “You want me to?”

It takes me a split second to think of a plausible excuse. “I need someone to film what I’ve choreographed so far, right?”

He turns back toward me with a smile. He pulls his phone out of his pocket. “Let’s do it.”

Part 3. December 2019

DECEMBER

2019

Chapter 7

• CHAPTER 7 •

By the time Hallie’s ankle is strong enough for her to learn the new choreography, the radio plays holiday shopping jingles between every song. The town center is decked out in blue and white lights. I have to throw a parka on over my sweats just to make it from the parking lot to the gym. Christmas break is three weeks away, and most of the gymnasts and coaches are buzzing about holiday plans and winter vacation trips to visit grandparents in Florida. But not us. Ryan, Hallie, and I will spend the week between Christmas and New Year’s here. There’s no sense in wasting a week of prime training time. I have been practicing the routine every night after Hallie leaves practice, ensuring the choreography flows flawlessly and I’ve maximized every moment to squeeze out the highest possible difficulty score. I’ve been waiting until she’s gone so she doesn’t catch a glimpse of it until I’m satisfied it’s perfect.

“Let me show it to you first before I teach it to you, okay?” I tell Hallie.

She’s just finished warm-ups, stretching, and conditioning, and is happy to sit on the sidelines for a ninety-second break. I give her my phone so she can control the music.