 MORE DISCOVERIES (Chapter 139) 

Liz Cushman arrived back from the rink after another day at practice. She walked into her apartment and stumbled into the kitchen. There she found Crash hunched over a pan.

"Hi, honey," she said, walking up and kissing him. "Wait a minute, you're cooking?"

"Yup," he grinned. "I can, you know."

"Wonders never cease," she grinned back. "Whatcha making?"

"Galumpki."

"Scuse me?"

"Galumpki. Polish dish-stuffed cabbage. You'll love it."

"I'll take your word for it," she grinned.

"Trust me. Anyhow, you've been doing a lot around here, I know. You were letting me get used to the law school workload and I appreciate it-but you need a break."

"You're so sweet," she grinned. She watched him spoon a meat mixture into steamed cabbage leaves and roll them up. "Can I help?"

"No. Sit," he pointed to the table. "I told you, you get a break tonight." She giggled and sat at the kitchen table. "You can sit there, watch me play with cabbage, and tell me how your day went."

"Fine," she grinned. "Hard. Sophie and Warren are dead, I've decided."

"Why?" Crash laughed.

"The program they set for me is a ballbuster," she giggled. "It's so hard, when you incorporate the technical elements into it, too. I get done with it and I feel like I've spent a day with the Thighmaster."

"Well, they're ice dancers, they forget about all them pesky jumps."

"Yeah," she laughed. Crash had finished his preparations, and popped the pan of galumpki into the oven. He rinsed off his hands, and sat down at the table with her.

"How were classes today?" she asked.

"Fine. It's getting-well, not easier, but I'm getting more used to the routine."

"That's good. How long those things take?" Liz asked, pointing towards the stove.

"Half hour."

"Good." She stood up. "C'mere," she said, and led Crash into the living room. She pointed to the couch, he sat, and she sat next to him, curling up into him. "I need a cuddle."

"Your wish is my command," he grinned. They sat there, just cuddling and kissing for a while.

Then, Liz said, "Jay?"

"Hmmm?"

"You know, when I talked to you about moving in here, the reasons I gave you were all valid. But, I'll admit it-I was worried. I knew we were kind of jumping into this. But I have to say-so far, it's working like a dream. I know it's only a little over a month, but I'm so glad you're here."

"I feel the same way. There are days I have to pinch myself," he grinned. Liz giggled at that. "Jeez, you've even somehow made me all domestic."

"Oh, when I walked in today and saw you cooking, I got a hell of a case of the warm-and-fuzzies," Liz grinned.

"That's my Lizzie, queen of the warm-and-fuzzies."

"That's my Jay-Jay, keeping me that way," she grinned. "My God, listen to us--we're worse than War and Soph."

"Nope. Not possible. Can't be done," Crash deadpanned. They looked at each other and burst out laughing.


"Hey, Snugglebear, guess who I got an email from today?" Sophie asked.

"Paul McCartney," Warren teased.

"No, you goof. Siobhan, my cousin."

"Oh, cool. How's she doing. All settled in at school?"

"Yup," Sophie told him. "She seems to love it. I'm glad, she's so young."

"Not any younger than I was when I first went to college. OK, a couple months younger, but I was still only 17 when we came here."

"I know. All you damn prodigies," Sophie grinned. "She didn't start school a year early like you did, though, you know. She skipped third grade. Anyhow, she's doing very well, and she loves Stanford."

"Good for her."

"Yup. She got a sophomore as a roommate, and she says that's turned out really well, because her roommate's introduced her around. Oh, and guess who her roommate is. Sheila Mitchell."

"The swimmer? Won all those gold medals this summer?"

"The same. Siobhan jokes that she can't stand it, she's surrounded by Olympians."

"She'll get over it!"


"You want me to what?" Kristin asked.

"I want you to play. In the talent show. I think you should," Tom told her.

Wilkins Academy had a talent show every autumn. This year, it would be the first Saturday in October. Peg, Kristin's mother, had mentioned it because she was helping out with it this year. Tom and Kristin were there, just hanging out, and Tom thought it sounded great.

"I can't play in the talent show!" Kristin insisted.

"Sure you can."

"Easy for you to say. You're used to performing in front of people."

"I didn't used to be, though," Tom informed her. "The first couple of times I did it, I was terrified. I used a few techniques."


"What, imagine the audience in their underwear?" Kris laughed.
"No, that one doesn't work. You end up laughing too hard and fall down in the middle of the triple lutz. Or, in your case, an arpeggio. No, the best thing is that you know where someone you love is sitting. I used my parents when I first started skating. I'd come out on the ice and look right at them until the moment I started skating. I'd pretend they were the only people in the world. When the actual skating starts, it's easier anyway."

"OK, so if I did it, would you be there?" Kris asked.

"Of course. Are you kidding? Wouldn't miss it."

"Well, let me ask you this then: why do you want me to do it?"

"You'll only understand that after you do it."

She looked at him, took a deep breath, and then said, "OK. Fine. I'll do it. I must be insane."


"Nice ass!" Jessie yelled.

"Well, thank you very much," Ryan Killen grinned, as he came up and sat beside her.

"RYAN!" she laughed. "Actually, I was talking about Sophie." She pointed at the ice surface. "That practice dress is too small."

"It's a pre-pregnancy one," Sophie giggled, having heard them. "It still fits well enough, but there's a stubborn seven pounds I got while pregnant that I've never been able to get rid of."

"Yeah, and all in the ass!" Jessie joked again.

"Can we skate now?" Warren mock-pouted. Everyone laughed, and Warren and Sophia started practicing.

"How you been?" Jess asked Ryan.

"Well enough. Our practices have sucked, because Courtney's really got a hair across her ass, but that'll pass. Eventually."

"Yeah, when she's dead," Jessie snorted.

Ryan laughed, then got serious. "Listen, Jess, I was wondering....um, do you have any plans for this Friday?"

Jess froze. "No," she managed to get out.

"Well, I was wondering," Ryan said again, "well, if you would like to go out with me. Maybe dinner and a movie?"

"You're asking me out?" Jess hissed, shocked.

"Yeah."

"Even though you know about my, well, lifestyle?" she said, waving at Warren and Sophie out on the ice.

"I asked you on a date, not to marry me. What you do on your own time is your own business." He grinned at her. "At least for now." Then he sobered up again. "But I get the feeling that your lifestyle, as you call it, isn't enough for you. Not anymore."

"No. No it's not. As much as I love them, you're right, it's not."

"Jess. I like you. A lot."

Jessie grinned. "I like you a lot, too, Ryan. What about Courtney?"

"What I do off the ice is no longer any of her business."

"Good. Yes. I'd love to go out with you Friday."

"Great!"


It was a Saturday. Tom Bellamy was sitting in his apartment, watching TV, Kristin curled up on the couch with him. He had been getting extra practice in, because Skate America was only a few weeks away, so Kristin drove out to Acton this weekend. While they were sitting there, just cuddling, the phone rang.

Tom picked it up. "Hello? Oh, hi Warren! Yeah.........really? Oh, that sucks. Yeah..........I think so but I'll call her. Let me get back to you."

"My brother? What was that about?" Kristin asked after he hung up.

"I'll tell you in a couple minutes. I need to make a few calls." Kristin watched, bemused, as Tom called a couple people. When he was done, he turned to her.

"You met Allison Bowman," Tom said. Kristin nodded. "Evidently she called Warren in tears today. Her coach, Ron Aztov, has completely gone off the deep end. Yelling, screaming, demanding she scrap the programs Warren and Soph choreographed for her, the whole bit. She called Warren for advice."

"Damn. I liked Allison. She's sweet. What is she going to do?"

"She's leaving Ron. In fact, one of my calls was to Terri, my coach. Terri's going to take her on."

"That's great! Terri's a good coach, and she'll have you to look out for her," Kristin grinned.

"Now we just need to find her a place to live."

"You have an extra bedroom, Tom, you're not using it for anything," Kristin pointed out.

Tom looked at her in shock. "You wouldn't mind?"

"Of course not. I trust you." 

Tom thought, not for the first time, how damn lucky he was. "You are something else, you know that?"

"Yup," Kristin grinned. "Go. Call Allison. Tell her her problems are solved." 

Tom grinned back and picked up the phone.


The next Friday, Allison arrived. Tom and Terri cancelled practice to help her move in. Kristin took off after school and drove to Acton to join them for the end of it.

When they were done, Tom, Kristin, and Allison were sitting on the sofa, relaxing.

"I can't thank you enough," Allison said, "for everything. Ron was getting completely out of hand. I like Terri already."

"Terri's great," Tom agreed.

"And thank you for letting me move in here," Allison smiled.

"Just so you know the ground rules," Kristin grinned. "He's taken."

"I knew that," Allison grinned back.

"Oh, and you'll have to put up with smooching," Tom pointed out.

"And you can just ignore those noises you might hear coming from his room," Kristin leered. "Like, tonight, if I have my way."

"Don't you always have your way?" Tom laughed.

"You're easy," Kristin teased.

"You two are a hoot," Allison laughed. "Don't worry, I think you guys are great together, and I know all about strange noises. I'm not nearly as innocent as I look."

"Good," Tom laughed.

"In fact, I'm close enough that my boyfriend might be able to visit. If I still have a boyfriend, that is," Allison said.

"There's a story in there," Tom said.

"Yeah. We've known each other since we were six. We've been best friends our whole life. When we were all of twelve, somehow we started kissing. Which turned into other things. And we went from best friends to boyfriend and girlfriend, just like that. However, he's from my home town-and I haven't lived there in over two years. I left to train with Ron two summers ago. I only go home for a few weeks at a time. We go right back into it whenever I'm home, but it's tough. I keep waiting for the email that says that he got tired of waiting and found someone else."

"That's rough," Kristin commiserated.

"Yes, it is. But it might just have gotten better. I picked Terri because she'll be a good coach, but I must say the location is much more desirable than California."

"Where are you from?" Tom asked.

"A small town just outside of Albany, New York."

"That's only a couple hours away!" Kristin said.

"Yup. And when I told Eddie about it, he was thrilled. So you might be hearing some noises from my room in a weekend or two," Allison grinned.

"Good!" Kristin laughed.


The next night was the talent show. Kristin watched the first few acts from back stage, her nervousness quickly mounting. By the time it was time for her to go on, she was practically panicking. She walked out on stage, almost shaking, and then looked out into the audience and found Tom. He smiled at her, and gave her a thumbs up. She smiled back, took a deep breath, and sat at the piano.

Since it was a talent show, there'd been all sorts of stuff presented on stage. Comedy, singing, juggling, skits. Kristin was almost going to play something pop, but decided to play Beethoven-Tom's favorite, the Pathetique Sonata.
Tom was right-it was easier once she started playing. Concentrating on the notes, it was easier for her to pretend she was playing alone, or just for Tom. She sailed through it.

And, the applause was thunderous. Now she knew what Tom meant.

 


