by Denise Bower
The best day was when I dragged them outside, where Hank and I and the owners of a local ski shop had created a cross-country course for the guys. The shop provided all the equipment and helped with instruction. Most of the guys could barely move by the time we completed the workout. I barely made one circuit before settling on the sideline to bark at them. It was going to take me a few days to get back in the swing of things.
As I spent more time with the team, I started to feel like I belonged. They teased me, shouted at me, laughed with me, and talked to me like we were friends. I was beginning to learn their needs and was able to start honing the twenty-three workouts. With the help of Doc, we created nutrition plans for the players, enduring their grumbling and whining about taking away certain foods. But their hard work started to show on the ice. The Ravens were winning, and with winning came more fans and mass media attention.
Also, word of my success started to filter through the hockey community. I finally met the owner of the team, who was part owner of the Hawks too. He made it clear that once I was settled in with the team, he might be interested in expanding my duties to include some work with the Hawks. He handed me some brochures to schools in the area. When I flipped through them, I found a few classes in nutrition highlighted.
“It’s only an idea,” he said. “No pressure.”
Thinking about going back to school made my heart pound. I hadn’t been in a regular class since sixth grade. Traditional school for me ended when I’d landed my first triple loop and won my first junior event. My dad immediately hired a tutor and contacted Leo.
Leo normally didn’t take such a young skater, but he’d made an exception for me. I’d never asked my dad what he had to sell to get Leo to take me. Maybe it was his soul and that’s why he’d turned into such a miserable bastard.
With everyone’s health restored, I thought I’d be able to get on the ice with Shelby, but the team had a road trip to Chicago scheduled, and I was bullied into going along with the guys. It would be my first away game, and in some weird way, I was looking forward to getting away from the madness of the arena.
When I went to tell Margo I wouldn’t be around, I found Shelby hanging in the office, complaining about her life.
“I’m never going to get on the ice,” Shelby whined. “Everyone always promises things, but most people don’t follow through. I have less than one month to prepare for sections.”
“Shelby—”
She whirled around and slapped her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry. I know you’re busy, and the team comes first.”
“I know you’re disappointed, but for some odd reason, the team is making me go on this trip,” I said.
“You’re going on the trip?” Alex asked, his voice rising dramatically. I didn’t even know he’d been standing behind me.
“I guess so,” I said.
“What am I going to do with Shelby?”
“I can take care of myself,” Shelby said.
They argued for a few minutes before Margo volunteered to watch over her. Of course Alex made the mistake of asking Margo several dumb questions. She narrowed her eyes and told Alex she had raised two kids of her own. Her daughter had just graduated from college with a degree in finance and her son was a successful, practicing physical therapist.
“I think I can handle a fourteen-year-old girl,” she said.
Alex startled her by sweeping her into a tight hug. She finally untangled herself, muttering about people interrupting her workday. Alex thanked her again, and Shelby apologized for her dumb, overdramatic brother.
“I really do promise that when I get back home, we will get on the ice,” I said to Shelby.
She forced a smile and nodded. Margo raised her eyebrows, and I gritted my teeth.
“I promise,” I mumbled again as I walked out of her office in search of Hank.
After I combed the entire arena, Paulie directed me outside, where I found Hank loading his bags into his car. He started to take mine, but the team interfered. They made it perfectly clear that I would be on the bus with them by kidnapping me from Hank’s car. In other words, Cam tossed me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and carried me, kicking and shouting, onto the team bus. I cursed Hank for not rescuing me, but all he did was laugh. Cam deposited me in a seat next to Alex.
“Hi,” Alex said cheerfully. “I’m sorry for assuming you would be staying with Shelby. I’m glad to see you’re supporting the team.”
“Support this,” I grumbled and flipped him off, sinking low in my seat to pout.
“Aw, c’mon Vika, this will be fun,” Alex said.
“Eight hours on a bus with a bunch of hockey players does not sound like fun. And stop smiling. You’re way too happy.”
Halfway into the trip, I decided it wasn’t so bad. Not that I was going to tell anyone, but I would live. The boys had forced me to join a poker tournament. They thought I’d be an easy mark. At first I played along, losing a few hands and acting slightly overwhelmed, before I started to clean up. I neglected to tell them I’d learned from one of the best. My dad could bluff anyone.
“Holy shit, Vika. You suck. Whose idea was it to let her play?” Matt shouted in my face.
I grinned as I scooped up another pot. The yelling increased when Cam flipped over my cards and all I had was a pair of jacks. Matt had been holding three eights when he folded. I shrugged and stuffed the cash into my pocket only to be drawn into another hand.
My phone chirped, so I dragged it out of my purse. The screen showed my calendar along with an upcoming event I’d entered months ago. The feeling of falling came over me so quickly I had to grab the arm of my seat to steady myself.
“Vika?” Matt said.
“What’s wrong?” Cam asked as I slowly placed my phone on the tray that held our cards.
“Um, I’m out. I need … something.”
Cam picked up my phone before I could snatch it from him.
“Game’s over,” Cam said in his captain’s voice.
Several guys groaned, but most just went back to their seats. Matt whined and flipped over his cards, showing off two pairs. Cam reached for mine and waved them in front of Matt’s face. I had drawn a straight.
“You never talk about it,” Cam said.
“Nothing to discuss,” I said.
“Are you sure about that?”
“I’m not sure about anything anymore.”
“You know, I am sorry for treating you the way I did when you applied for the job.”
“Stop that,” I snapped. “It’s water under the bridge. Besides, you bought me a cupcake, and cake fixes everything.”
“You should know, your dad called me, promising me things I knew he couldn’t deliver. But I didn’t care. I wanted to believe if I came through for him, he’d get me back to the NHL. I’ve known Bradley for several years. I was freaking out, and he begged me to give you a hard time. He wanted you back on the ice, and I wanted my old job returned to me, even though that train has long since left the station.”
I blinked and laid my head against the back of the seat.
“I know a little of your story. After you almost sent me to an early grave with that workout from hell, I hit the internet and did some research on you.”
“And what did you find?”
“You’re supposed to be skating this weekend, not mixing smoothies and playing poker with a bunch of hockey players.”
“I like my job,” I said.
“You sure about that, Vika?”
He patted my shoulder as he stood, leaving me to stare at the reminder flashing on my phone. He was right. If things had remained on track, I would be competing at Skate America this weekend. It was just a cruel twist of fate that my hockey team was playing in the same city.
I deleted the event from my calendar and closed my eyes. Alex woke me three times to save me from my strange dreams. Each one featured me at a competition getting ready to skate, only to have the Ravens pile onto the ice and interrupt
my performance by claiming there was a game. After the third dream, I decided sleep wasn’t worth the nightmares.
When we slowed because of traffic, I glanced out the window and came face-to-face with a billboard advertising Skate America. I crawled over Alex and pressed my face against the window, staring as the bus crept by the sign. It featured a picture of the current reigning US ladies singles champion, Francie from France and her partner, and in the upper right corner, I noticed Viktor. The woman he was skating with was blurred and partially cut off, but I recognized the dress and realized it was me.
“Holy shit,” I said and sat back down in my seat.
“Is that you on that billboard?” Alex asked.
“I think so.”
“Jesus,” Alex hissed.
Cam cuffed Alex in the head and ordered him out of his seat so he could sit down next to me.
“Wanna talk?”
“No,” I grumbled.
“You need to make peace,” he said.
I snorted and glared at him. “Would you like to talk in detail about your demotion?” I grimaced and bit my lip before mumbling a quick sorry. Cam shook his head, rose, and walked down the aisle, admonishing anyone who looked at him.
Alex took his seat again and eyed me suspiciously. “What did you say to the captain?”
“Don’t ask,” I said.
“You should tell me because I’d like to avoid the topic.”
I glared at him, jammed my earbuds in, and put up my hood. Alex poked me a few times, but I ignored him. When the bus came to a stop, I waited until the entire team had disembarked before I moved. The driver finally shouted at me to get the hell off the bus so he could park the thing and go inside to take a piss.
The entire team avoided me until it was time to skate, then they only acknowledged me with a nod of thanks as they accepted their drinks. I tried to apologize to Cam, but he shook his head and almost checked me out of his path.
“What did you do?” Hank asked.
“Said something stupid,” I muttered.
Halfway through the first period, Cam came off the ice with a slight limp, complaining of a sore hamstring. After a checkup, the trainer wouldn’t let him back into the game.
During intermission Cam spoke with Johan, then disappeared into the locker room for a shower, reappearing fully dressed before the team returned to the ice.
Hank asked me something, but I was having a difficult time focusing. Someone had turned the television to Skate America. I was held captive, listening as announcers talked about Viktor and his wonderful new partner. They speculated about our break up, tossing out several theories and making sure the viewers knew I hadn’t returned any of their calls or emails. Mostly they were blaming me for the flame-out of our partnership and saying things like how brave it was of Viktor to search for a new partner and give it another go. Viktor had been quoted saying something about yearning to return to the Olympics. I wanted to barf. He’d been the first to hint at retirement. Or maybe it had been his way of getting ready to toss me aside.
“Why don’t you speak with the media?” Cam asked.
“What for?”
“To set the record straight. The way they talk and what they write, they think it was you who initiated the breakup, and they feel sorry for your partner having to start from scratch.”
“You never spoke to the media either,” I said.
“Are we back to that again?”
“You keep bringing it up.”
“Maybe we both need to make peace with where we are now,” he said.
“Look, I’m sorry for the comment on the bus. Your career choices are none of my business.”
“Ah, so you researched me too.”
“I know how to work the internet.” I rolled my eyes and pursed my lips.
“I’m pretty sure most of the team knows, but no one dares ask me about it.”
“It’s your story, just like mine is mine.”
“Touché,” he said.
A roar arose from inside the arena, which could only mean the opposing team scored on us.
“After the game, I’ll be imposing an early curfew on the team. You and I will meet in the hotel bar where we will have a conversation,” he said.
I wanted to refuse, but from the tone in his voice, I knew he would bother me until I agreed. “Fine.”
The meeting with Cam went nothing like I expected. He ordered a beer and I ordered the same. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing as I chugged half the bottle. He called the bartender over and asked for two shots of whiskey.
I did my shot and followed it with another long pull from my beer bottle, hoping to put out the fire in my belly. My head swam, but it seemed like this was a contest, and I wasn’t going to back down.
We shouted at each other. I accused him of acting like a nosy family member. He snorted and made me do another shot. He told me I was chicken shit for not talking to the media.
“Yeah, well, you aren’t much better,” I snapped.
“No, but my career is over. Yours wasn’t.”
I glowered at him, not knowing how to defend my choice. We sat in silence, sipping our beers and measuring how to proceed. After the fourth beer, I lost control, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up with a hangover created in hell. The sound of the shower roaring made my head spin, and I had to flop back on the bed or risk puking on the already gross hotel carpet.
When the banging on the door started, my head felt like it was going to split open.
“I will pay you a million dollars to go away,” I said weakly, but the evil person continued to pound. After a few tries, I managed to swing my legs over the edge of the bed and slowly stand, swaying as I made my way across the room.
“Shut up,” I groaned when I opened the door.
“Victoria?” Alex gasped, looking stunned. “I must have the wrong room.”
He glanced at the room number and his face went bright red. I followed his gaze and stared at the number. Panic set in when I realized I wasn’t in my room. And then everything exploded when the captain came out of the bathroom wearing only a towel.
“Hey, Tommo, come on in,” Cam said like it was no big deal to see him wandering around the room practically naked.
“Er, I just stopped by to tell you breakfast is in ten. Bus leaves in sixty for skate,” Alex said.
I’d lost the power of speech because my brain was calculating how long it would take me to purchase a plane ticket to a remote area in Canada where I could live out my life in solitude.
I couldn’t remember what happened when we left the bar. In fact, I didn’t remember leaving the bar. I thought back to the contract I’d signed and wondered if there was anything in there about sleeping with the players.
“Holy crap, I’m going to have to be a dancing bear,” I mumbled.
Suddenly Cam was doubled over laughing as he tried to pull on his pants. “You….” He choked. “Not what you think, Alex. Our dear Victoria cannot hold her liquor, and she couldn’t find her room key. I’m too much of a gentleman to leave her in the hall.”
“So … we didn’t?” I gaped at him, gesturing wildly between us.
“You actually think I would take advantage of a drunk woman?” Cam sounded offended.
“Maybe I took advantage of you,” I said. “I don’t remember much of anything after the second shot of whiskey.”
Alex looked like he wanted to run away.
Cam laughed again. “I’m going to breakfast, and I’m leaving you in charge of her,” he said, turning to Alex. “Take her to her room and make sure she cleans up, drinks some water, or maybe have Hank round up one of her smoothies. You also need to get her down for breakfast. Eating something will probably make her feel better.”
“Yes, sir,” Alex said, saluting the captain, who immediately rolled his eyes and cuffed Alex in the head.
Alex linked his arm with mine and led me down the hall. He opened his mouth, but I growled at him and he frowned. If he said anything,
I would be forced to yell at him, and I didn’t think my hangover would tolerate shouting. I hung my head, praying no one would witness my walk of shame. We were almost to my room when I swear the entire team filled the hallway. Catcalls and whistles rang in my ears as Alex tried to get my keycard into the slot. When the door clicked open, he shoved me inside and flipped off his teammates.
“What the hell were you thinking? You stayed in the captain’s room. Are you insane? You look like crap,” he said.
“Well, thank you very much. I bet you say that to all the girls and it drives them batty.”
He huffed and pointed toward the bathroom. “What happened to you? We had early curfew last night.”
“Your stupid captain decided we should have a conversation about career choices,” I grumbled. “He fed me too many drinks.”
“Is that what the kids are calling it now?”
“Fuck off,” I said. “We didn’t sleep together.”
“He could be protecting your reputation,” he said, snickering.
I scowled at him and thought about punching him, but I didn’t think I’d be able to lift my arm or make a fist.
“I’ll meet you downstairs. Hurry up,” Alex said.
“Leave me to die in peace,” I said dramatically as I collapsed on my bed.
“Get your shit together, Vika.”
“Fine,” I grumbled. “Go away.”
The hangover pounded behind my eyes and my stomach rolled over every time I moved. The thought of smelling food made me gag. But if I didn’t show, Cam would shout at me, and I wasn’t up for going another round with him.
The team said nothing when I tromped into the room, keeping my gaze firmly locked on the floor. I grabbed several bottles of juice, cracked one open, and took a huge swig. Cam handed me a breakfast sandwich. I tried to refuse, but he shot me a glare so intense it actually made me shudder. The team held its collective breath until I took a huge bite, chewing with my mouth wide open. My stomach rebelled, but I was able to force the food down and keep it there.
Johan strolled in and signaled to the team that it was time to head over to the rink. I groaned and allowed Alex to put his arm around my waist and support me as we headed to the bus.
