Nora was surprised by Ryan’s quick clarification, but even so, she still managed a sly hit that slid the puck home for her. She grinned to herself, letting out a bit of a laugh when he cursed. “My one lucky score of the whole game, I know. – But ice skating could be fun,” she finally answered, just barely blocking Ryan’s next hit. “I’m good at roller skating, but the few times I’ve tried anything on the ice, I’ve fallen right on my ass.” Truthfully, she didn’t see any reason to not go out with Ryan again. After surviving karaoke together and finding that he had excellent taste in arcades, it seemed like a stretch to wind up clashing. Nora nodded as they bounced the puck back and forth, just to show that she was still listening. She was tempted to ask when the word ‘sickly’ came into play, but if there was one thing that she knew how to do, it was not pry. “Tch,” she clucked her tongue, snagging the puck to toss it back on the table. “You were always in Boston, right?” She asked, glancing across to Ryan. “I grew up a little further north, in Lynn. We lived like, right on the beach, so I was outside a lot. I collected hermit crabs from the tidepools.” It was a random, useless fact from her childhood, but it was just one of those vivid memories that always stuck around. Sweeping her hand back, Nora accidently scooped the puck back into her own goal, the score ticking up again in Ryan’s favor. “Okay, now I know you rigged this machine,” she teased, pointing an accusing finger in his direction. “I went to Salem a lot, too, and they have a cool little arcade, but no air hockey. A lot of older games like skee ball and that fortune teller thing. Like from the Tom Hanks movie, you know?”
“All the more reason for us to go ice skating,” Ryan nodded his head, masterfully blocking another one of Nora’s attempts to score. “I could teach you,” he offered, “help you live up to your namesake.” Though he wasn’t an expert on the ice, by any means, he could manage to stay upright and do laps around a rink. “And I promise I’ll do my best to keep you from falling.” But there were no guarantees, not if gravity chose to work against them. The puck managed to slip past Nora’s defenses once again, Ryan reaching the penultimate sixth point. As much as he enjoyed winning, he wouldn’t torture her with another round of air hockey. They’d have to try their luck at some other game. “Yeah, born and raised in South Boston,” he answered. “Did undergrad and med school here too.” He listened intently to Nora describe what it was like to grow up in Lynn. He’d never actually been to the town; he’d only passed through it on his way to other destinations. “I’m a sucker for beachside towns. Must’ve been nice growing up right by the water. I’m assuming you can swim then?” He raised a hand defensively, as if to indicate that no foul play had taken place. “I’ve been to Salem once for an eighth grade field trip,” he recalled. “Some kids get to go to DC in eighth grade, but us Bay Staters get taken to Salem to learn all about ‘witches’ and hanging. Good times.” He chuckled softly. “Holy crap, I forgot all about that movie. Big, right? Man, that thing was creepy.” Ryan struck the puck a final time, right into Nora’s goal, mercifully ending the onslaught. “Victory,” he grinned. “That’s 1-0 to RAD.” Certain she wanted no part of the air hockey machine any longer, he suggested, “How about we try our hand at something else? Skee ball maybe?”
