Thaw (Free PsyCop short 1.1)

I’m the last guy in the world who cares about sports, whether we’re talking about the Cubs, Sox, Bulls or Bears, or for that matter anything even remotely athletic. So I was a little surprised when Jacob suggested that we take a trip downtown to go ice skating. But nowhere near as surprised as he was when I told him I thought it was a great idea.

What Jacob didn’t know was that I’d played pee-wee hockey the winter I was eleven. (I didn’t give a rat’s ass about hockey. I had a crush on the goalie.) And what I didn’t know was that the ice rink would look so cool after sunset. All the bare trees along Michigan Avenue had been wrapped in white Christmas lights, and the whole Chicago skyline blazed behind them. Millennium Park was insanely cold, but it was gorgeous.

Jacob must have figured out that I could skate before we even got out on the ice. Not only is he smart that way, but I’m about as easy to read as a billboard. Even so, he still spent more time checking me out than he did enjoying the scenery. It’s weird, the way he stares. He doesn’t stop when I catch him at it. He just smiles a little.

And what a smile it is. Jacob is drop-dead handsome, dark haired, dark-eyed, with an immaculately trimmed goatee that’s just this side of supervillain chic.

He watched me lace my skates as if I were doing a strip tease for his benefit, and then gave me a hand up. He didn’t let go of my hand once I was on my feet. It almost felt like he’d pull me against him and kiss me--right there beside the bench, with people milling all around us. Straight people, I was willing to bet, at least for the most part. Families. Kids.

I gave his hand a squeeze and he let go. “You ready to see some action?” I asked him.

“Oh yeah.”