CHAPTER SEVEN

The next few weeks were pretty uneventful for the team, which was a huge relief. With Nationals getting closer, Zach was busy with a lot of other clients, and, thanks to Hannah's Masters in Sports Administration, he was able to trust her to handle a lot for her team. Her ability to step in for Alexandra and still make it possible for the team to make a showing at Nationals, along with the poise and grace she handled everything that came with the team amazed him. He was fairly certain that the group never would have gotten through this without her. Not only had she saved the team, but also the partnership. James probably didn't want to deal with Zach, and there was no way Alex and Jackie were going to work together.

James, Jackie, and Hannah spent every moment they had practicing, reworking, and discussing. Every time they got a routine down, one of the three decided it wasn't good enough. When they weren't on the rink, they were sitting around thinking of something harder or more impressive to do. Hannah's philosophy was that if she nailed something the first time she tried it, it wasn't hard enough. James thought if it had been done before, it was boring. Jackie, well, she just wanted them to settle on a routine at this point.

While everyone else prepared for Nationals, Alexandra was secretly making plans to go to her mother's until after Nationals. She didn't feel like going to Nationals with everyone staring and whispering about why she wasn't on the ice. She was tired of people speculating about why she had left the team, and she really needed to explain it to her family before the rest of the country found out. It was going to break her mother's heart enough already.

James hung up the phone and walked to the condo. So far, the day had been great. They had finally settled on a routine and he was excited to show the world what they could do. As he unlocked the door, though, he knew it was all about to go to hell.

Thanks to his phone call, he was not at all surprised to see Alexandra sitting on the couch with her suitcase by her feet, Even the heads up did not keep him from going ballistic, though.

"What the hell Alex? I understand you not skating with me, but not even coming to support me?"

"I just can't handle it right now James, I though you would understand."

"Can't handle what? Watching me skate with another girl because you left me? Or having to travel with Zach because you're not over him?" James immediately regretted that as soon as it came out of his mouth.

"Seriously, you think that? Because if you do, this relationship is not what I thought it was at all."

"No, I do not think that. I don't even know why I said it. I just don't understand why you are taking off like this. And once again, doing something without even talking to me about it. First you talk to Jackie about not skating first, and now you call your brother telling him you need to come home while I'm at Nationals. We used to talk about everything, and now you're just doing whatever you want, not worrying if and how it will affect me."

"I've got to go back to doing things on my own. Somebody's got to take care of me while you're off winning your medals."

"Oh no, you are not going to make me that guy. My continuing to skate was actually a decision you MADE for me. Just because things did not work out when you and your last partner split does not mean the same has to be true for us. I will not have you making me into Zach. Whatever happened with you two, it's not us."

"I don't know what I think right now. After Nationals, we'll figure out what to do about us and everything else involved.

There was a honk signaling her taxi had arrived, Alexandra grabbed her bags, kissed him on the cheek, and headed to the door, walking fast and never looking back. She couldn't afford for him to see her cry. He didn't have as much pride, his tears had started falling the minute she grabbed her suitcase.

There was no way he could stay in this condo and think about anything but Alexandra. Nationals were too close for that distraction. Without even calling to ask if it was okay, James packed up his bags and headed to Jackie's. At least there he would have some distraction from the ruins his life was becoming.

"Wow, you got here quick." Hannah couldn't imagine how fast James must have been driving. Jackie had just walked off to call him minutes ago.

"What are you talking about?"

"Didn't Jackie just call you, like ten minutes ago?"

"I don't know. My phone's off."

"Oh, well, then what are you doing here?"

"Really don't want to talk about it. What does Jackie need?"

"I'll go get her, she can explain it." As Hannah turned to go find her cousin, she noticed James' suitcase. Just what they needed, even more drama!

"James, glad you're here. Where's Alex? Need to talk to her, too."

"Well, that's going to be kind of tough. She's on a flight to her mom's right now."

"Oh, James, I'm so sorry." Jackie put her hand on his shoulder as she spoke. It hurt to see James so upset, and that made her next statement even harder to say. "Without her here, there's a good chance we're sponsorless. And with no sponsors, we have no backing to send us to Nationals. "

"But, the sponsors were behind us after we announced the change in partners. Why are they changing their minds now?"

Jackie walked to the living room and the other two followed in silence. She motioned for them to sit down as she went to grab a folder off her desk.

"Tomorrow morning, our team is going to be the most talked about group heading into Nationals. And not for our talent." She spread the contents of the folder on the table.

The title of the article was "When The Ice Thaws".

It all started when Jackie Dorsey followed in her parents' footsteps and began making a name for herself in the figure skating world. When an injury forced her to give up her dreams of winning gold as an individual, she continues to follow her parents' lead and went into pairs skating. Her parents were able to carry their brilliant partnership into something off the ice, so, of course, the younger Dorsey thought she could do the same. And for years, Jackie and Alex Harrison stole our hearts as a magnificent pairing both on and off the ice. Then, another injury forced the couple to walk away from the sport, and, shortly after, each other.

Both were assumed to have disappeared from the public eye forever after the divorce was final. Then, Jackie Dorsey suddenly reappeared on the seen as a coach. Her new team consisted of Alexandra Delgado and Zach Conroy. Zach was no stranger to the ice, as he had once been a half of "Conroy & Mercier: America's Sweethearts". When they fell apart, Zach convinced Alexandra to trade in her hockey skates for figure skates and the two skated their way to gold under the direction of Dorsey. Having not learned from their coach or Zach's previous relationship, the two became a pair of the ice as well. That, too, ended with everyone hanging up their skates.

Fast forward a couple of years later. Alexandra is once again pulled into the world of competitive skating; this time partnered with ex-speed skater James McKinsey. When they, too, decided to take their partnership off the ice, their original coach told them he wanted no part of it. Alexandra went to the one person she knew was up to tackling a team romantically involved, and Jackie Dorsey was once again involved in competitive skating. And, up until a few months ago, the team was unstoppable.

Then, without warning, Alexandra was replaced by Hannah Dorsey, Jackie's cousin best known for hanging up her skates only months before she was to take the ice at Nationals. The same day, the team goes with a new PR firm, ConSon, owned by none other than Alex Harrison and Zach Conroy, two former skaters that individuals in this story are very familiar with.

Reason for Alexandra's "retirement" and the change in PR firms has yet to be given. Only that both decisions were made with the best interest of everyone involved. Considering the past of everyone involved, there are numerous questions continuing to surround this team and its stability. Why did Hannah suddenly reappear just as Alexandra went off the radar? Will old flames reignite? Will Hannah and James take a cue for everyone else and try and take their romance out of the rink? And, if so, how long will this partnership last?

James threw the article down in disgust. "Well, now what?"

"We have to do something that shows our team is not becoming a soap opera. The fact that Alex isn't here to show you two are still together is not going to help. And the three of us all staying under the same roof right now if definitely out of the question, despite how much it would help the team right now. I called Zach and he and Alex are on the way right now."

Hannah looked up at Jackie with shock. "Alex?"

"Well, I've always said I would do whatever it takes to take my team to the top." Just thinking about being in the same room as Alex made Jackie nauseous. She went off to get everyone drinks.

Just as she was finishing putting everything on the tray, the doorbell rang. Not thinking, Jackie went to answer and came face to face with Alex. They just starred at each other, neither knowing what to say. It had been two years since they had been face to face. Luckily, Zach walked up to ease the tension.

"All right, let's get to brainstorming." Zach said, helping himself to a beer as he walked by. Alex and Jackie gave each other one last look and followed.