Page 2 of Ice, Ice… Maybe?

“Number eighty, Travis Giroux of the North Texas Coyotes. Seriously, girlfriend, we have got to get you more involved with things other than anime, cartoons, pop culture, and cows.”

Before Becca could say anything, Maddie started frantically slapping her arm in earnest with a rapid-fire movement like someone was slapping at a video game buttons, causing her to wince at the pain. She quickly looked up wondering if the speakers mounted above them were about to fall down onto their heads.

“OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHHHHMYGOSH…”

“What? What! Ow?! Can you stop with the slapping?!” she yelped and heard a hollow thud nearby that caused her to jump at the sound.

“Hey!” A voice said, causing Becca to look forward only to see a dark green and gray-colored jersey before her as a guy with shaggy brown hair and a bright smile looking directly at her. “Starscream, huh?”

“Excuse me?”

“Prowl and Hot Rod are much better characters,” he chuckled, grinning at her, pointing at her shirt.

“I’ve got a thing for guys with whiny voices, and you know it’s all about that crown. Can’t really blame a girl, even if it was just for a split second before he was vaporized. Chicks dig crowns.”

“Maybe you just like bad guys?”

“Are you one?”

“Depends on your answer, doesn’t it? I might be if that’s your type?” he laughed openly as someone blew a whistle loudly nearby. “Here,” he called out, throwing a jersey over the plexiglass. “You should be in fan gear so I can tell what side you are cheering for.”

“Thanks!” she beamed, catching the bundle of fabric. “Hot Rod is pretty cool, too.”

“Yeah, he is,” the player winked and gave her a slow smile. “Enjoy the game!” he called out over his shoulder, skating away quickly as he pulled his helmet on his head, fastening it under his chin.

“Holy cow… there is hope for the nerds of the world. Father Above, I have seen the glory with thine own eyes,” Maddie gasped mockingly, crossing herself as she stared at Becca like she’d sprouted horns. “Travis Giroux gave you a jersey – and talked to you?”

“I guess so,” Becca said shyly, yanking the big sweatshirt over her head gratefully as a horn sounded. Looking out across the ice, she saw him smile at her from where he stood as the National Anthem began to play. Laying her hand over her chest, she sang and tried to avoid looking across the way once more – and couldn’t resist one more glimpse.

Sure enough, as her head turned and she saw him turning her way, too, before both smiled.

“I rest my case, nerd love. Who knew?” Maddie interjected as the skaters took the ice – including number eighty, the number she was now wearing across her chest.

Hockey wasbrutal and she knew her brother was a huge fan, but Becca had no idea it would be like this. Football they tackled, soccer they ran, basketball they nudged each other and bounced a big ball down the court, but hockey?

Hockey was in a league of its own.

The men shoved each other against the plexiglass loudly, sometimes, they would trip each other, bump into each other, and hit each other with the hockey sticks, but sometimes, well,sometimesthings got a little squirrely.

The players would fling off their gloves like they were throwing gauntlets onto the ice, diving for each other, clutching the front of the jerseys while punching at each other frantically. At times, it was one hit before they were separated and put in the penalty box, and other moments, they were pummeling each other so violently that it was like watching someone take a mallet to a steak in order to tenderize it.

Blood would spray across the ice from broken noses, the men spitting or bloody knuckles, before saying something to each other and then skating to their own sides like it was an everyday occurrence.

She had never seen anything like this before… and was fascinated.

CHAPTER 2

TRAVIS

“That jerk,LaFontanay busted my darn lip, and my eye is swelling - again,” Travis grumbled, glancing across the ice once more to see that gorgeous woman staring at the game with her hands delicately covering her mouth as she watched two other players fist fighting once more. “Coach isn’t going to be happy if Gerry is thrown from the game again. I’m telling you, we’re gonna be bag skating again. Quit punching him and just get the darn biscuit, Gerry!”

“Arrêt,Gerard, mets ton cul dans le jeu! Arrêt!”Theo Batiste hollered angrily beside him, cursing fluently at the fist fight going on currently, banging on the plexiglass. “He’s going to get in trouble,non?”

“Yep! Eh, eh, we’re up and ‘Bambi’ is coming off the ice,” Travis shot out of his seat, chancing a glance at the girl, before stepping onto the ice and sliding to take his place. He glided forward, moving into place and grinning behind his mask just to irritate the crap out of the other players.

“Heya ‘cherry pickers,’ ain’t nobody playing with you today, boys? Watch and learn how it’s done, eh fellas?”

“Mais oui, fils de…”Theo grinned – and Travis flinched as the manfinished his statement with a foul word that even he knew with his limited French that Theo had taught him. He couldn’t ask for directions in French, but boy, he could insult someone’s entire generation, horses, and every religion known to man…fluently.

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