Page 28 of Puck Shy

I shove my hands in my pockets and put on my own game face. I want to be more than friends or Stevie’s employer, but I get why we can’t be…at least for now.

“I understand,” I say.

“Do you really?”

I make an X motion over my heart. “Cross my heart that I’ll keep it professional as long as you want me to.”

She stares at me. “It can’t happen, Lucas. Especially if you’re my boss.”

“Well, technically, I’ve made Leo your boss.”

She sighs comically. “Maybe I shouldn’t do this.”

I stop her with a hand in the air. “No. Like you said, you quit your other job, and I want you to be here, Stevie. I told you that I trust you. Plus, I do need the help, and you need this job.”

Her eyes bore into mine, seeking the truth in them as she studies me. I can’t help it; I fidget, because I do need to come clean about one thing.

“Is there something you’re not telling me?” she asks, reading my mind.

As I’m about to open my mouth, Johnny’s voice booms down the hallway. “Well, if it isn’t Cap’s ‘good luck’ in the flesh.”

I watch as Stevie’s face falls and her body tenses. She looks at me then down the hallway toward Johnny as he makes his way to us. Fucking Johnny.

“‘Good luck’?” she says, her face scrunching up as she pieces it together. “Is that why you said you found me last night at the bar?”

“Stevie, that’s not—”

Her eyes narrow, and she grimaces. Then she takes a step to move away, but Johnny is too fast. He throws his arm around her shoulders and shakes her a bit in a friendly manner.

“Looks like my boy is going to win our game tomorrow night!”

“Johnny,” I practically growl. “Don’t touch people who didn’t ask you to.”

Realization crosses Johnny’s face, and he steps back. “Yo, my bad.”

Stevie shakes her head. “No, it’s fine. I should get going.” Without another word, she’s walking fast toward the doors. I don’t waste any time following her, but not before I make sure to whack Johnny upside the head like I’ve been wanting to. He swears at me, but I pay him no mind.

The winter night hits me in the face, and I nearly run into Stevie, who’s standing just outside the door. She doesn’t look at me, but I can see her angry face in the lamplight.

“Leo dropped me off so I have to wait for an Uber,” she says before I can ask why she’s not going to her car.

“I’ll give you a ride home.”

“I’ve already called for it.”

“Cancel it, then.”

“I’m good, thanks.”

I step in front of Stevie so she has to look at me. “I was about to tell you before my idiot teammate said that. I swear to you, Stevie. It’s not what you’re thinking.”

She crosses her arms over her chest, her breath crystallizing in the cold air. “So your whole team doesn’t think the reason you won your game last night is because we slept together?”

I hold up my hands in surrender. “It’s not like that. Johnny may have slipped that I got laid after the game, and they started spitting out their superstitions. I know you love this game like I do. And you know how players get with this kind of stuff. The only reason Johnny knows who you are is because he was the one who convinced me to go to that Valentine’s Day party.”

She stares at me, her frown softening a bit. “Did you want to get to know me? Or did you offer me this job only because you think I can help you win games?”

I shake my head. “No. No, I didn’t. I’ll admit that last night, the team got into my head a bit about it, but I felt a connection to you from the moment you gave me that pep talk at the mansion. I know I said I found you when I saw you last night, but I meant I found you,” I emphasize, hoping she understands.

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