Page 37 of Ice Mechanic

She’s got more arm strength than expected and I lose my balance, stumbling into some kind of machine with a hook at the end.

“Oh my gosh! Are you okay?” April reaches for me.

“Ooof. Yeah.” I rub my back.

“I didn’t mean to shove you that hard.” She reaches out to help me up but, when her jumpsuit starts slipping beneath the hoodie, she grabs it to hold it up instead.

“It’s alright.” I wince. “I’ll go talk to Max and make sure no one else sneaks into your shop while you’re changing.”

She juts her chin down in a sharp nod.

Massaging my back, I limp outside. Max is in his car with the engine running and the AC blowing a cool breeze.

“Turn this up.” I yank the dial all the way to ten.

“Hey, hey! Gas prices aren’t what they used to be, buddy.” Max lowers the dial and stares at me. “Look, I don’t have a problem with you dating, but this can’t be a distraction from the game. You asked to be released if you got called back to the league. I asked you to give me everything you got until then.”

“Nothing’s changed.”

His eyes dart to the garage. “Any girl who has you stuttering like that is going to mess with your head. When did you two meet? And if you say ‘yesterday’, I’m going to riot.”

“I’ll get the tear gas then.”

His jaw drops. “You… you just met yesterday? As in… the mechanic I sent yesterday?”

I nod.

“You’re already dating?”

I do a so-so gesture.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“This isn’t common knowledge but,” I glance both ways and lower my voice, “my agent saw pictures of me and April circulating. The reaction from the public was good. Good enough that it might completely revamp my reputation and get me back into the league.”

Max coughs. “How is that supposed to get you back into the league?”

“Right now, my image is wrecked. I’m in damage control mode and April is finally turning the tide of bad momentum.”

“So what I just saw with you two?—”

“I told you. It was a misunderstanding.”

My phone buzzes.

It’s May calling back.

“Who’s that?”

“My sister-in-law. Gimme thirty minutes and I’ll meet you at the stadium.”

“Sister-in-law?”

“You know what I mean.”

“What else can ‘sister-in-law’ mean?”

“I’m playing a part for the sake of my future.” I hop out of the car. “It’s not that serious.”

---