I block each shot, ending the game with a shutout. Even though it was just practice, it felt good to prove to the guys that I could. Coach Abrams smiled when I went back to the bench to listen to Coach Romney’s final words.
“Keep up what we’ve been seeing this week and the Falcons won’t know what hit them tomorrow.”
I grinned thinking about playing Wisconsin’s team. They were pretty good a few years back, but hadn’t made it to the playoffs since I’d been in the league. It should be an easy win, but Coach didn’t let us say that. We had to earn every single point, and if we ever forgot about how much work went into being a championship team, he was quick to remind us. That usually meant suicides for an hour or two, and no one wanted that.
It kept us humble, at least on the outside.
“Now go stretch and ice. Morning skate is at nine.”
He dismissed us, and we filed back into the locker room. I striped off my gear and headed to the showers. By the time I got back and dressed, most of the guys were in the locker room. Last night, things took a turn after Amelia told Josh to lay off me. I actually had fun hanging out with them. In order for things to continue to get better, I had to make the effort. I looked around while trying to gather my nerves. I felt like I was back in elementary school suddenly.
“Hey.” I cleared my throat as more of them turned toward me. “If any of you guys want to come over tonight and hang out, I’ll grab food.”
I let the offer hang in the silent room.
Hartman was the first to react. “Yeah, sure.”
Schultz hit Murray on the chest. “We’ll be there.”
One by one more guys confirmed, and I tried to play it cool, not getting overly excited.
“Cool. Be by around six.” That would give me an hour or so to order food, pick it up, and clean my apartment before they got there. I honestly hadn’t expected anyone, let alone the majority of the team, to agree. I was listening to Coach Abrams and trying to make an effort to build bridges. It worked a little too well.
“See ya,” Hartman called before I walked out.
I hurried to the elevator and pulled my phone out of my pocket. As soon as I was in my car, I called the Pie, our favorite pizza spot, and ordered a dozen options and some salads. Then the panic started to creep in and I thought of the one person I knew could talk me down. Someone that would know what to do without teasing me for being nervous about having the guys over.
I called Amelia. She answered on the third ring. “Hey, how was practice?”
Her voice soothed my racing heart. “Good. A little too good.”
She giggled, and I relaxed into my seat. “What does that mean?”
“Well, things were going really well today, so I asked the guys if they wanted to come over tonight for food and to hang out.”
“Okay?”
“They all agreed,” I rushed out.
“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
I huffed out a breath. “I wasn’t expecting it.”
“Oh, Derrek.” She laughed. “What do you need me to do?”
I was so grateful she knew me so well. “I ordered pizzas from the Pie, but they won’t be ready for forty five minutes. I’ve got to get home and clean a bit.”
There was a moment of silence before she spoke. “That’s perfect. You go home and get started. I’m off in about twenty minutes. I can go pick up the food and bring it over. I’ll help you set up when I get there.”
My shoulders sagged in relief. “Thank you.”
“No problem. I’ll see you soon.”
I ended the call feeling like I hadn’t made a complete mistake and headed to my apartment. It was a two bedroom with a decent sized living area, but it was smaller than most of the guys’ homes. I never needed much space, until now.
I parked and cursed at the elevator for being so slow. As soon as I stepped through my door, I started picking up jackets I had hanging over the backs of chairs. I made sure all the trash in the living room and kitchen was collected before throwing out the bag. I had a decent sized sectional aimed at a large flat screen. I made sure my Xbox and PS4 were plugged into the TV so we could play games.
I’d just pulled out the broom when my phone rang.
“Hey Amelia.”
“Hi, I have the food, but I need your address.”
I forgot she’d never been over. I gave her directions before hanging up and doing a quick sweep in the kitchen. The doorbell rang as I was finishing, and I opened it to see a high stack of boxes.
I took them from her hands with a laugh. “I didn’t see you behind these.”
She laughed and held up a large bag with a few salads stacked on top of each other. She helped me spread things out on the counters and looked around.
“Quite the bachelor pad you have.”
I took in the blank light grey walls and minimal furniture. I had done zero decorating since I moved in. I had a couch, coffee table, and matching entertainment center, and that was it. I didn’t even have a dining room table. I decided on a larger couch rather than wasting space on a table I thought I’d never use.
“I’m going for the minimalist look.”
Her lips twisted in a teasing smile. “I got that.”
I laughed and walked into the living room. “Do you think it will be okay?”
“You have pizza and a TV. I think you’ll be fine.”
I looked around, still feeling unsure. “I’ve never had the guys over before.”
“I picked up on that. Don’t worry. It will be fun.”
“Is there anything else I should do?”
She glanced at the bar stools up against the counter. “You might want to move these into the living room at some point so there’s more seating. If you have any extra throw pillows maybe put them in front of the couch so people can use them on the ground.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Throw pillows.”
She bit her lip, but her eyes held laughter. “Decorative pillows?”
I shook my head, and she sighed. “Never mind. Don’t worry about it.”
“Thank you for coming.”
She smiled and nodded. “I’m glad you called.”
I laughed. “Really?”
“Yeah, I mean I’m definitely taking a slice of pizza as payment, but I’m happy you thought to call me.”
“You were the first person I thought of. I was panicking, and I knew you would know what to do.”
Her smile reached her eyes and my heart tightened.
14
Amelia
I took a step toward him but a knock interrupted. His brow furrowed, and I gave him a reassuring nod.
He went to the door and opened it, letting in Erik, Reese, Olli, and Hartman. “Hey guys.”
They looked around, studying the sparse room while removing their coats. Erik was the first to notice me, and his grin looked suspicious. “Well, hello there.”
The rest of the guys turned and saw me. Reese and Erik shared a look. “How surprising to see you here, Amelia.”
I raised an eyebrow at Reese and eyed the rest of them. Why were they acting so weird? “Hi guys.”
Derrek slid up next to me and I glanced over, wondering if he knew what was going on. He was glaring at the two of them. Something must have happened during practice.
I stepped away from them toward Olli. “How’s Jackson? I haven’t seen him in forever.”
He chuckled. “He’s good. He’s crawling everywhere and driving us insane.”
I laughed at his exhausted expression. “I bet that keeps things exciting.”
He shook his head. “I had no idea how many things were at his level. I thought we baby proofed, but that kid finds everything!”
“He’s doing his job then.”
“He’s a little monster.” He groaned.
“At least he’s cute.”
Hartman laughed next to us, and Olli shot him a glare. “Just you wait.”
He held up his hands and backed up. “That’s
a far way off.”
I twisted my lips. From what Kendall had said, she was more than ready to start having kids. I had a feeling it wouldn't be long after their wedding that they would have an announcement.
“That’s what you think,” Erik said from behind us.
I watched as they took turns harassing Hartman. It was funny to see the captain suddenly panicking at the idea of being a dad. He was the strong, steady one and the guys were having a great time ragging on him.
A few more guys let themselves in and soon the topic changed to the pizza. I felt eyes on me and realized I’d worn out my welcome.
Malkin came over and put his arm over my shoulder. “Are you here with Nikolay?”
I looked up to him and shook my head. “He’s not here yet.”
“So?” He narrowed his eyes.
I glanced around and found most of the guys watching us.
“I just stopped by to help.”
His raised an eyebrow, and I pulled away from him. “You guys have fun.”
A few of them called out their goodbyes, but they were all still watching me. I picked up my plate with a single slice of pepperoni pizza and headed to the door. Derrek met me and pulled me in for a hug.
“Thanks again for your help.”
I smiled up at him. “Anytime.” Before I could talk myself out of it, I pushed up on my toes and kissed his cheek.
I opened the door and slipped out just as a wave of ‘oohs’ started. I laughed as I went back to the elevators. The doors opened and Nikolay stepped out, nearly knocking me over.
His eyes ran over me. “What are you doing here?”
I pointed over my shoulder. “I picked up the food for Derrek and brought it over.”
He stared down. “Why?”
His Russian accent made everything he said sound like a threat. Most of the time it didn’t scare me, but I suddenly felt like I was being interrogated. “He didn’t have time to pick it up and get things ready here.”
“Why didn’t he ask one of us?”
A valid question. I couldn’t tell him Derrek thought of me first. Nikolay was a tad protective, and I didn’t want to put Derrek on his radar. “I’m not sure.” I stepped around him. “Have fun.”
I pressed the close button on the elevator panel repeatedly but the stupid thing wasn’t listening. Nikolay stared at me with his hands on his hips until the doors finally shut.
I sighed and fell against the walls. Eventually I’d have to tell him about me and Derrek becoming close...friends, but not until I really knew what was going on between us.
Madi was waiting at the front desk when I walked into work. I checked my watch, but I was early so I wasn’t in trouble for being late. I ran through the clients I worked with the day before but nothing stood out. Why did she look like she had bad news for me?
“Hey.” I approached cautiously.
She nodded in the direction of her office. “Come with me.”
Okay, that was the same as saying we need to talk. Something was definitely going on. I followed behind and took one of the empty seats in front of her desk while she shut the door behind us.
Once she was in front of me, I broke the silence. “What’s going on?”
Was I being fired already?
“I got a call this morning.” Her eyes never wavered. I felt like she was assessing me but I couldn’t tell if I was failing. “The Cougars want you.”
Of the thousand possible things she was going to say, that hadn’t crossed my mind. The basketball team wanted me?
“For what?”
“Their assistant trainer left for another opportunity, so their manager called. The guys you worked with recommended you by name so they want to know if you’d be willing to work their games.”
That was too much information at once. “The team trainer wants me to be his assistant?”
“Just at home games. They have a plan for their practices and away games.”
“Are you serious?”
Her facade finally cracked and she beamed back at me. “This is a huge opportunity for you, Amelia. You really made an impression with the players. They liked working with you, and they trust you. What do you think?”
I began nodding before I could think of a response. “Of course. Thank you!”
“Don’t thank me. You did that on your own.”
My hands were shaking in my lap. This was better than I could have ever dreamed. Working with an NBA team was the experience I needed to kick start my career. “Is it okay with you and the clinic?”
She smiled gently. “Yeah, we already approved. Since they only have two or three home games a week when they’re here it shouldn’t be too much of a problem. You’ll leave here early to get there in time for warm ups.”
I was still in shock, but agreed. “Thank you, Madi.”
“Your first game is tonight so get to work.” She winked and stood up. We walked out of her office together and headed back to the front desk where we each picked up our first clipboards of the day.
The next several hours passed in a blur. I manage to get through my clients without messing up treatments. Madi found me as I was putting my last file away.
“Are you ready?”
“Honestly? I’m not sure.”
She laughed and walked with me to the front doors. “You’ll be great. You learned everything you need to know. Just stay focused on each task, and don’t let those flirts get in your head.”
I raised an eyebrow in question.
“I worked with a few of them when I first got here. One of them, Chris, was determined to set me up with someone from the team. He didn’t want me to date a hockey player.”
I laughed and shook my head. “No way.”
She smirked. “He’s still on the team. Tell him I said hi, but don’t let him talk you into a date with anyone.”
“Yeah right.”
“I almost feel bad sending you to the wolves. They’re going to love having you on their turf. Maybe don’t mention you’re dating a player though.”
“Madi! I’m not dating anyone.”
She gave me a disbelieving look. “Oh yeah? Does Derrek know that?”
I groaned and looked around. At least the lobby was empty so no one could overhear this. “We’re friends.”
“That’s not what Erik told me.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What did he tell you?”
“That you kissed Derrek last night in front of the guys.”
“It was on the cheek.”
She grinned with an evil glint in her eyes. “You can live in the land of denial all you want, but everyone can see there’s something between you too.”
“Yes, friendship. You know I’m not ready yet.”
“That’s the story you’re sticking to?”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s not a story.”
“Then go out with one of the basketball guys.”
“No!”
“Why not?” she teased.
“Because that’s unprofessional. I can’t date a client.”
She paused, holding back a smile. “You do know how Erik and I met, right?”
“That’s...different.”
“Why?”
“You’re a partner here. I’m just a trainer. And you said you dated after he was done with treatment. I don’t think the team would appreciate me dating a player either.”
“Oh honey.” She sighed condescendingly. “They don’t care about much as long as they’re winning games.”
That might be true but it didn’t mean I should cross any professional boundaries.
“Just admit it,” she pressed.
“No. There’s nothing to admit.”
“You’re lying to yourself.” She threw a knowing look my way before pivoting and leaving me alone to stew.
I pushed the doors open and hurried to my car. As much as I wanted there to be something between me and Derrek, we were only friends and that’s what I needed right now. I really liked that we could talk
to each other and hang out without pressure. It was easy with him. Maybe there could be something more there eventually, but it wasn’t just up to me. At least not entirely.
Even when he asked me to be his date to the team fundraiser, it seemed like a friend invitation. He never made a move or pushed for more. I was clearly in the friend zone with him. The guys on the team and the Pride could think whatever they wanted, but they didn’t know how we felt.
He was easily the most attractive friend I’d ever had, and I’d never had the same desire to kiss any of my other friends, but that didn’t mean much if he didn’t feel the same.
I parked in the underground garage below the basketball arena and took a cleansing breath before grabbing my purse and heading for the marked door Madi told me to use. I walked through the straight hall with pictures of various players throughout the years until I reached an open door.
I knocked on the frame and peeked in. A middle aged man with an athletic build and thinning chestnut hair glanced up.
“Hi, you must be Amelia.” His open smile instantly put me at ease.
“Yes, are you Darrin?”
He moved away from the table he was arranging things on and offered his hand. “I am. Thanks so much for coming on short notice. I thought I was going to be on my own, but the guys all raved about how great you are and asked me to get you here.”
I was flattered by his words, and that the players thought to recommend me. “I really appreciate the opportunity.”
“The guys that need to be taped up should start trickling in soon. We’ll tag team that, and once the game starts, I'll be on the floor. You’ll stay back here for anyone that comes in injured.”
I nodded and surveyed the room, getting familiar with where supplies were located.
“Between quarters and at halftime be ready to ice and retape.”
“Got it.” I’d done this for teams back in college, but something about working with an NBA team made everything feel ten times more intense. These were professional athletes. An injury could cost them their career. I had to be meticulous and do my absolute best for them.
He handed me a purple polo with a smile. “This is for you.”
I held up the shirt with the Cougar logo on the chest and shoulder. Under the logo said ‘Team Trainer’ and I may have teared up. Even though this was most likely a temporary position, I couldn't help but feel like I’d hit a milestone. All the work, stress, and drama that it took to get here was paying off.
Scoring Chance (Utah Fury Hockey Book 9) Page 10
