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“How did you not recognize me by the way?” He asked. “Your new job is with the team. My face is all over the place.”
I winced, feeling foolish again. Yes, I’d studied their names and their careers. But I hadn’t paid much attention to their team pictures.
“Well, mostly you wear a helmet. And with that hair cut…”
He ran his hand over his head, the close buzz cut.
“Also, it honestly never occurred to me that the guy at that small town rink and behind the bar in Calico Cove was freaking Dillon Le Coeur. But it doesn’t change anything between us. I’m not going to ask you to lie and say you don’t know me. But if anyone asks, maybe you could classify our acquaintance as a casual friendship that happened while I was on vacation in Calico Cove.”
He sighed while nodding and a sense of relief poured through me. I’d been dreading this day for weeks, not knowing how he was going to react when I showed up. Now I knew. He was going to be reasonable.
Damn it.
Because, not going to lie, part of me wanted him to smile at me and crowd me against this white board until I couldn’t think straight.
No, I did not. Get it together, Olivia.
“Yeah, that makes sense,” he said. “You’re going to have an uphill battle with some of the guys. If we’re fucking around, they will sniff that out and make your life hell. And if word gets out that you sleep with players-”
“I will never get hired again. With any team.”
He nodded. “So…I guess…I’ll see you on the ice?”
“On the ice,” I said, smiling as he walked out.
This was the best possible outcome.
So why did it feel so shitty?
6
Bruisers Training Facility
Four days later
Liv
Itook a deep breath and prepared myself to step out on the ice and lead my first practice. I had my cones. I had my stop watch. I had my whistle.
For four days I’d been watching their dynamic on the ice, looking for areas of improvement, planning my drills and individualizing them for every player.
This was going to be fine. Great, even. I was knowledgeable. Charming. I was going to earn their respect and they were going to love me.
I felt like I was going to vomit.
McKay blew the whistle and the team gathered at center ice, Novek taking his sweet time. While McKay was talking to them, I looked over my edge work drill notes.
I wasn’t going to push anyone too hard or too fast. This was just a little get to know you drill. Should be fine.
Please be fine.
“Hey, it’s time for figure skating lessons,” Novek said. I was gratified no one laughed with him, but when I turned around I realized it was because Dillon was giving them a death stare.
It was strange that two groups of athletes with so much in common, struggled to find mutual respect. Yes, it was true. The NHL was using more figure skaters, female figure skaters too, as skating coaches, but the mountain we had to climb was steep.
Hockey players thought figure skaters were frivolous, and my former partner, Brian, thought hockey players were all dumb thugs who did nothing but fight. It was slightly shameful, but I may have thought that too at one time.
My brother, an up and coming star hockey player, had obviously changed my mind.
