Keiko exclaimed. “Lovely arms, Lexa.” “Stay smooth through this part,” Weston cautioned from the boards. “Soft knees, you two.” Lexa and Eric skated with their bodies entwined, stepping carefully through footwork so new that there was an excellent chance of tripping each other. His edges stayed precise, though, his hold on her so sure that she gradually relaxed into his rhythm, skating more and more confidently. At the end of the sequence, they broke apart and hit side-by-side flying camels, spinning in near-perfect unison. Lexa felt her smile grow as they successfully reached the end of the material Keiko had just choreographed. Keiko skated to the rail to confer with Weston. Lexa could tell by the way he talked with his hands that he liked how things were going so far. “Only a minute left to fill,” she said. “I wonder how our ending will look?” Eric’s messy curls gave him a mad-professor vibe that morning.
