Chocolate

They glided onto the ice as a swan would a lake, effortless and majestic. The shimmering blades under their feet carved neat contours into the groomed ice, and after three solitary spins each, they entwined like two butterflies meeting on a careless spring afternoon. Palms met, fingers laced, and suddenly they were one graceful figure twirling across the floor. His hands were rough and strong, a symptom of true masculinity, she thought. For a few seconds she became lost in a dream where he held her waist faithfully, grazed her forehead tenderly, and traced her hipbones sensually. Their synchronized strides propelled them to the center of the floor and with a swift thrust, she was sent soaring above his head where they sailed as one magnificent figurine for several moments. Without strain or wobble he lowered her, releasing his grip so that one perfectly balance blade on the ice was the only support she had to sustain her sweeping posture: an egret on it’s graceful descent. He mimicked her shadow as she took long strides around the rink and danced concise pirouettes until they became one again in a synchronized twirl that gained momentum the closer they became. He tucked her in tightly to his own body and they winded down with the natural fluidity of steady friction – nose to nose, breath to breath, heart to heart – until they were as still as the ice that supported them. This moment could be eternity she thought as they embraced. A single snowflake floated between their gaze and they were suddenly stirred by excitement. “Let it snow,” he whispered, and they giggled as they hurried off the ice toward the radiating warmth of the fire pit. The heaviness of passion and buzz of excitement left them speechlessly gleaming into each other’s eyes. Though their hearts felt more rapturous than the thirsty earth on the first rainfall after a drought, they both feared for the flood. To abate the lusty tension, he withdrew from their reverie to buy a warm beverage for them to share. He returned to her side with a cup of hot chocolate, which he tactfully laced with coffee so that she wouldn’t fall asleep on her long drive home. It was far too late in the night for caffeine by her standards, but she was charmed by his nurturing gesture so they passed the drink back and forth until the bottom of the cup peaked through the thick chocolate. They returned their rental skates and departed to their separate vehicles with a simple hug and promise to meet again soon. They had no fear for the sleeplessness that would torment them as they lay in their single beds tonight, for the evening seemed a dream in itself.