A/N: This one's taken me the best part of the day to write, and I'm not too sure about it, so any reviews would be greatly received.
9. Ice Skating
"Okay, Jess," she murmured to herself, as she stood awkwardly in front of the mirror, appraising her outfit.
It wasn't exactly what she'd pictured wearing for her first date with Becker - at all. (She'd imagined it many times, in many different outfits, but it wasn't something she'd be admitting to any time soon.)
But, she thought, under the circumstances, I guess it's okay.
It was mid-December, and Becker, after three years of dancing around each other, had finally asked her out.
The problem was, they were going ice-skating.
Which Jess had never done.
She was keen to try it! (Of course, she'd be keen to try anything - she was going on a date with Becker!) But that didn't mean she was a little apprehensive.
What if I make a fool of myself, or ruin the date, or-
"Becker!" came Abby's surprised tone. Jess swallowed; her brain going into full panic mode.
"Um...hi. Jess here?" his smooth voice floated through.
"Jess, Becker's here to see you!" Abby called. Jess was suddenly reminded that she hadn't even notified her flatmates of her date.
"Just coming!" she called back. Giving herself one last look in the mirror, she left her room, knowing if she didn't at that moment, it was likely she never would.
"Hey," Becker grinned at her. Jess blushed a little, but gave a shy smile.
"Hey. I'll just get my shoes," she said. Becker nodded.
"Wait, are you two going somewhere?" Abby asked curiously. Jess didn't bother answering her, as she heard Becker begin talking to her.
Stopping her mind in its over-analysing-Becker's-calmness tracks, Jess forced her mind to relax. She pulled on her only pair of trainers, hot pink, of course, and came back to Becker.
"I'm ready," she informed him with a smile.
Becker nodded. "Alright. See you later, Abby."
"Have fun, guys," she smirked. "Behave!"
Jess turned a shocking shade of red, as Becker rolled his eyes.
{**}
"Um...would now be a good time to mention I haven't done this before?" Jess asked uncertainly, as they got out of the car.
The air was chilly, and Jess could see her breath curling from her mouth as she spoke. Becker laughed.
"Probably better to mention it now, than after we get on the ice," he said cheerfully. "It's not a problem. I can teach you."
Feeling incredibly relieved, Jess smiled, and took his proffered hand.
Up ahead, Jess could see the brightly lit ice rink, with music playing from the speakers, and people gliding about on the ice.
"Do you do this often?" she asked. Becker shook his head.
"Not anymore," he told her. "I used to go with my sisters when I was a kid."
"You've got two sisters, right?" Jess asked. Becker nodded.
"Yeah, Anna, and Lizzi. What about you? Any siblings, or anything?"
Jess nodded. "Yeah. I've got two older sisters, and an older brother. The eldest is Cate. She's thirteen years older than me. Then, the twins, Beth and Seth, they're nine years older than me."
"That's quite an age gap," Becker noted. Jess smiled slightly.
"My parents prefer to refer to it as a happy accident," she shrugged.
Becker chuckled slightly. "D'you see them much?"
"As much as the job allows," she shrugged. "I try to have dinner with them once a month."
"I spend my day off with mum, the girls, and their kids."
"Not your dad?" Jess asked softly, well aware that this could be a touchy area.
Becker shook his head. "He died when I was sixteen. He, um...he got caught up in 9/11."
"Oh," Jess said softly. "I'm sorry."
Becker shook his head. "Don't be. They said he was trying to help people get out anyways, so he died how he wanted."
A silence descended over the pair as they reached the ice rink, and Jess was hoping that it would lift the slightly sombre mood.
{**}
"See, you're getting it!" Becker told her, grinning. Jess grinned. She'd been trying, for two hours, to move more than one step along the ice, without falling over. She was a little shaky, but at least she was moving under her own steam.
On the upside, the bruising on her bum could've been a lot worse, if Becker hadn't caught her multiple times. Which was an upside in itself.
"Shall we call it a night?" Becker asked. "It's getting late, and we both have to work tomorrow."
Jess sighed, a little sadly, but she nodded. "Yeah, okay."
{**}
"I had a nice time tonight," Jess smiled up at him, as they stood at the door to her flat.
"Me too," Becker said softly, grinning. "I've not enjoyed myself that much in a long time," he paused. "Are you busy Saturday?"
Jess shook her head, smiling shyly. "Not currently."
"D'you wanna go see a movie, or something?"
Nodding, she answered, "I'd love to."
"Great."
Jess blushed, before leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek lightly. "Thank you for tonight. I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yeah," Becker nodded. He watched her intently for a moment, before leaning in and pressing a light kiss to her lips.
"Goodnight, Jess," he said quietly.
"Bye," she replied, almost breathlessly.
She stepped into her flat with a wide grin on her face, hoping that the hours would hurry by.