Page 9 of The Fake Play

I smile at the kid and toss my towel over my shoulder. “Sorry. I'm the only Luke here. You'll have to pick a different name.”

“That's fine,” he replies smoothly, his voice full of arrogance. “Call me Duvall. That way, you'll know whose back you’re staring at. That's all any of you will see of me when I’m on the ice.”

Alek and I exchange glances. This kid is already pushing buttons before he’s barely introduced himself. What does he think this is, a prison yard where he has to push around the biggest dog? That shit is not going to fly with any of us.

Coach raises an eyebrow. “So you think you're fast?”

“Faster than him.” Duvall jerks his chin in my direction.

I narrow my eyes. Is he really already gunning for me? Because of the name thing? I’m not about to let that slide. If I have to be the one to put him in his place, so be it.

“Wanna put that pipe dream to the test, kid?”

Coach grins, clearly enjoying this. “Sounds like a race is in order. Let's make it interesting.”

“Interesting how, Coach?” Alek asks.

“Whoever wins gets to be the one true Luke. Whoever loses goes by his God-given name.”

“You’re on,” Duvall says.

I nod, and before I know it, we’re heading out to the ice. All of us. Evidently, the whole team wants to see me smoke the kid. Not that I blame them. There aren’t many faster than me on the ice, so I know this rookie won’t be any trouble.

A pity he thought he could run his mouth without being able to back it up. Stepping in bullshit on your first day at any job is never a good idea. I don’t care if he thinks he’s fast; I’m about to show him what it means to play at this level.

Just as we’re getting ready to hit the ice, a woman’s voice cuts through the chatter. “Luke?”

I turn, freezing in place when I see her. The librarian from Smokey’s. The alleged Kenneth, standing there in a black sweater dress and matching boots, looking like sin with her bright red ponytail, even brighter red lipstick, and those black glasses. So prim and proper, perfect for getting dirty. No book in sight, just a gray messenger bag. She stands beside Whitney Dobson, who wears a hot pink pantsuit and a confident smile.

What the hell is going on?

Whitney smiles at me. “Luke, meet your new handler, aka, your new nanny. This is Keke Graham. She'll be helping you stay out of trouble.”

Keke gives me a forced but professional smile, recognition flickering in her green eyes as she gulps. “Nice to meet you.”

Another handler? I’m going to make her regret ever taking this job. “You, as well, Kenny.”

Her jaw tightens. “It’s Keke.”

“That’s what I said.” I grin.

This is going to be fun.

Chapter 4

Keke

Whitney walks away to speak to the coach while I follow Luke through the gold and navy corridors beneath the arena. Team colors are everywhere, and it feels like a maze. I can barely make heads or tails of it. Signage is sparse, and there aren’t any arrows to help. If I didn’t stay right behind him, I’d get lost.

The sharp echo of our footsteps bounce off cold concrete walls, and as we close in on our destination, I feel the temperature drop. He hasn't spoken to me since Whitney introduced me as his new handler. I get the sense that he isn’t thrilled about the arrangement, but then again, neither am I.

Still, I intend to prove that I can do this. My career depends on it, as does Michael’s love life. I can’t let him down. I owe him for this chance, along with all of the others.

Luke finally glances back at me as we near the rink. “So you're just going to follow me around everywhere? Don’t you have better things to do?”

I shrug, not missing a step. Some pushback is to be expected, I suppose. “I am going to observe you in your work environment and get a feel for the team. That's what Whitney said to do, so that’s what I’m doing.” I fight the urge to apologize for theinconvenience. Too many years working retail has left me a people pleaser, and I am still trying to break that bad habit.

He grunts, clearly irritated, and I have to bite back a smile. For some reason, antagonizing Luke is fun. Maybe because he wasn’t willing to take no for an answer at the bar, and now, he has no choice in the matter.

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