She must have looked confused because he bit back a smile and said, "Have you ever ridden on one of these before? "
She shook her head.
He laughed. "Well, you better hold on. I don't want to have you fall off. I'd have a hard time explaining it to your father." She uncomfortably placed her hands on either side of his waist He revved up the engine, and they were off.
Kim tightened her legs around the side of the motorcycle and leaned forward. The cold, damp air sprayed in her face as she turned back toward the hospital. She wondered what her father would think of Tony taking his daughter for a spin on his bike. She had a sneaky suspicion he wouldn't approve. Still, he must like Tony. Of all the doctors he could have chosen for his team, he had picked Tony.
Tony pulled the bike into the park and drove down to a pond that had frozen over. "C'mon," he said, pulling off his helmet and nodding toward a large wooden building. "That's the lodge. They rent skates in there."
Kim followed Tony inside. Before she could stop him, he had rented her a pair of skates.
"You didn't have to do that," she said.
"Do what? " he asked.
"Rent me skates."
"Why? Did you plan on wearing those?" he said, pointing toward her cute little suede flats. She had lived in the south so long, she had found herself without boots or anything even close to resembling snow shoes. "You'd probably get the same effect."
"True," Kim said good-naturedly. "Well, thanks, Dr. Hoffman," she added somewhat awkwardly.
"Tony," he corrected her patiently, sitting down on the bench. "Please call me Tony. That's my name. I don't call you Artist Kim. Besides, it makes me feel old."
"Hmm. Old. I'm sure that's a word that's not usually used to describe you," Kim teased.
"Oh? And why not?" Tony asked hesitantly, not certain he was going to like her answer.
"Well, you certainly try your best to act young."
"Oh, really?" he said, looking at her playfully. "That wasn't meant to be a compliment by any chance, was it?"
"Well, you know what I mean. Motorcycle. Leather jacket. You just have an aura about you. You probably date college girls."
"I have a college girl aura?" He laughed. "The last time I dated a college girl was when I was in college." He looked at her and shook his head. "You think you've got me figured out, don't you?" he said as he stood up and skated onto the ice.
He turned around to face her and started skating backward.
Kim stood up to follow him, but hesitated, still at the edge of the pond, It had been a long time since she had been in a pair of skates—and she couldn't say she felt like a natural. "I wouldn't say I've got you figured out… but I think I understand you. Your type."
"My type!" he said incredulously, skating forward to help her onto the ice.
"You know… you're a doctor, so you feel like the creative side of you is being… well, denied. So you adapt this bad boy persona—i.e., motorcycle and leather jacket. Single guy—never been married… it's your way of letting people know that you're really a creative, multitalented individual."
"Is that so?" he asked, amused. "I'll have to remember that the next time I'm with a woman. I'll let her know that I can't possibly marry her, because, well, my bad boy image would go down the tubes."
"That's right," she said.
"Would you like some assistance onto the ice?" he asked, his eyes twinkling mischievously. She smiled, looking into his eyes as she accepted his outstretched hand.
"So what else do you think you know about me?" he said, resting one arm around her waist as he pulled her in close so that they were skating side by side.
She paused, thinking. "You're up on hip music," she said. "You're definitely a Democrat. You typically date about three women at the same time. You're spontaneous and… a little wild."
"Wrong, right, wrong, right, not really sure. What's wild?"
She smiled. "Trust me, you're wild," she said, breaking away. She skated toward the edge of the pond, her confidence increasing with her speed.
"Oh yeah?" he teased, following her. "You were wrong about the three women. I'll have you know I date no less than four women at a time," he joked. "And they're quadruplets to boot."