Page 6 of Pucking Only

That’s fine. I have my own secret weapon. I’ve no doubt it’s going to secure me the win.

Standing, I nod to Mr. Ferguson, ignore Samuel, and turn to hurry out of the office. I weave through the cubicles, each one personalized with an assortment of action figures, motivational posters, dual-monitor setups displaying lines of code, intricate designs, and vibrant game scenes. I pass by walls adorned with concept art and whiteboards filled with sketches, notes, and flowcharts. Windows along the walls look out onto downtown San Diego and I can see the ocean in the distance.

When I reach my desk, I drop down into my chair and let my head fall back. Woah…I can’t believe this is happening. I’m eager to prove myself and snag that senior position. I feel a bubbling of nerves deep in my belly. A hockey game. I don’t know a damn thing about hockey! Still, I can’t let this chance slip through my fingers. If I’m going to kick Samuel’s ass and secure the senior developer position, I’m going to need help.

Luckily, I know exactly who I can call to get it.

First, I send a quick text to my dad.

Skyler: Big job news! Let me know when I can call!

I don’t expect an answer from him any time soon. He’s leading a hunting party through the Alaskan wilderness and won’t be back within cellphone range for another two days. I know he’ll respond as soon as he sees my message.

Once I’ve sent the text, I look around to make sure no one is watching (I don’t want Samuel getting wind of this). I scroll through my contacts and tap Grace’s name, dialing her number.

She answers after a few rings. “Hey Skyler! What’s up? Aren’t you at work?”

“Hey, Grace,” I reply, grinning at the sound of her bubbly voice. “I am at work. That’s actually why I’m calling you.”

“Oh? What’s up?”

I look around to make sure no one is close enough to my desk to overhear our conversation before I whisper, “Okay, here’s the deal. I’m getting a chance to become a senior developer.”

“Are you serious?” Grace exclaims. “That’s amazing, Sky! You’ve been working so hard and putting up with so much bullshit, you deserve this.”

At that moment, Samuel comes out of Ferguson’s office. He spots me watching him and pauses. We glare at each other for several moments. I can practically see lightning bolts shootingin the air between us. When he turns and marches to the break room, I turn my attention back to my phone call.

“Well, I don’t have the promotion yet,” I quickly clarify. “There’s something I need to do first, and I need your help to do it.”

“How could I possibly help you get your promotion?” she asks, her confusion clear in her tone.

“I have to develop a game,” I explain. “A hockey game. If my game gets selected by my boss, then the job is mine.”

I’m actually kind of lucky in a way. If it had to be a sports video game, at least it’s a sport that I have connections to. Grace has recently come around to hockey after spending most of her life absolutely hating it. Not only is she seriously dating a professional player, she’s also working for…

I tense as an unfortunate realization hits me.

Shit! Carson.

I hadn’t even thought about him. He plays on the same team as Grace’s boyfriend. She’s actually his social media manager on top of that. Getting help from her will mean seeing him again. I’ve been expertly avoiding him since high school. There have been a few unavoidable run-ins because of Grace and how close I am to his family. Each time we’ve seen each other, we’ve just ended up bickering and arguing. It’s become pretty clear that he hates me as much as I can’t stand him.

I want to go to Denver so I can get more first hand experience and knowledge of hockey, but doing so means being around Carson.

Damn…if this promotion wasn’t on the line, I’d be tempted to blow it off just so I could avoid seeing Carson again. That thought immediately pisses me off. Why should I give up the chance for promotion just because I don’t want to have to deal with Carson? God, he’s such a pain in the ass!

Grace is silent for several moments and I actually start to worry that the call has been dropped.

“Grace?” I say. “You still there?”

“I am,” she assures me. “Sorry, I’m just trying to make sense of this in my head. So, you’re supposed to design this game in order to get the job?”

“Yeah…and beat out Samuel, who’s also creating a hockey game, too.”

“So you’re literally having to compete for a position that you have more than earned? Against the guy always trying to get you fired and make you feel inferior because he’s really intimidated by your brilliance and doesn’t know how to handle himself like a man?”

When she puts it like that, it sounds about as terrible as it really is.

“I know it’s not an ideal situation,” I reply. “But this is the first real opportunity I’ve gotten to prove myself, Grace. I can’t let it slip past me!”

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