Page 58 of Snap Shot

One rainy afternoon, we headed to the ice rink where we used to practice regularly. When we passed the rental counter, Newt elbowed me and tilted his head towards the person behind it. “Check out the view.” He pumped his eyebrows twice.

Ass up in snug navy work pants, a girl was bent over to organize skates by size in the cubbies on the back wall. I adjusted myself with a slight squat, pinching the groin of my sweats to get my dick to cool down.

“I'm shooting my shot,” he said from the corner of his mouth.

My eyes wandered to the dry erase board hanging above, distracting myself from her magnificent lower half. It displayed rental rates, skate times, and the names of staff on duty.

“Indi D,” I mumbled to myself.Hold on.

“Excuse me?” Newt called. “I'd like to rent some skates. Size 69.”

I smacked his arm with the back of my hand.Idiot.

She shot upright and turned. A flagrant blush emerged on the apples of her cheeks as she tugged on the bottom of her polo. The embroidered logo of Mississauga Sports Arena on the left side of her chest only highlighted the full, perky tits concealed beneath them.

Her eyes grew then narrowed, darting between us. “A real genius,” she said through curled lips, pointing at the tied laces bunched in Newt's fist. “You already have skates, dumbass.”

“Hey, I'm a paying customer—”

“Shut up.” I shoved him. “Indi?” Her gaze moved from Newt to me. “I'm—” Recognition brimmed in the browns of her eyes.

“I know who you are.”

Newt clicked his tongue, winking and biting down on his lip. “You do, eh?” He slammed a palm onto my shoulder. “Hear that, Radek? We've got a reputation.”

I rolled my eyes. “No, asshole. Don't you recognize her? It's Indi. She was our goalie on the Lightning.”

She crossed her arms and looked away, twisting her mouth to one side.

Newt went slack jawed at the transformed girl standing in front of us. I lingered too long at the way her arms propped her rack up higher.

“Whoa. No shit. Indi? Wasn't she—” He puffed up his cheeks and formed a circular shape around his torso with his arms.

“Don't be a coward, Newton. Go on, say it. I was fat.” She peered into the back office before lowering her voice. “Too bad I'm fresh out of fucks, so unless you'd like to get kicked out, get the hell away from me.” Her hands flicked in two sharp shooing waves.

Indi had always been quick. Her chirps were legendary, but they were always subtle, muttered under her breath, which made them more surprising. This was direct, overt. And it stung.

“Forget about her, Landy.” Newt hooked an arm over my shoulders as we turned to the rink. “There are plenty of fish in the sea.” He motioned toward the various high school girls on the ice. While he flirted for the next two hours, I kept thinking about why my old friend was so unhappy to see me. She'd disappeared after the last practice without a goodbye.

Not feeling up to accepting Newt's invitation to the movies with a few girls he’d picked up, I didn't want to go back to an empty house either. Open skate ended and I stretched out in the bleachers watching the end of a rec league practice. Someone dimmed the lights after, not realizing I was there.

The Zamboni driver made his rounds before scooting off. “It's a nearly perfect one for ya.” He said to someone behind the reflective glare of the glass.

“Thanks, Moe.”

“For you, Indira…” He lifted a hand to receive a high-five. “Anytime.”

Half a dozen pucks clattered onto the ice. In a couple of minutes, Indi appeared with a goal frame, sliding it to one end of the rink. As she leaned over the boards to grab a hidden stick, I laced up my skates, then waited while she sent a shot into the net.

“Not bad for a goalie.” I skate up from behind, circling her. “Don't you remember me, Indi?”

“You're not allowed on the ice right now.” Her eyes followed my path.

“Neither are you.”

“I work here.” She adjusted her grip on the handle, then sniped another puck into the net.

I tried not to smile wider, but she made it so hard not to. “Kinda an abuse of power, eh?”

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