Page 66 of Dirty Pucker

“You’re absolutely right.” Sophie’s peaches-and-cream skin flushes bright red. She tugs at her strawberry blonde hair, flustered.

“Sorry about the loss,” I say to Sophie.

“Yeah, it’s too bad. The guys played really hard, but you can’t win them all.”

The server returns with a champagne bottle and two flutes along with the lemon spritzer. I hand it to Sophie, who thanks me for remembering that she doesn’t drink alcohol often.

“Did you treat Owen Crowley or did the Bandits’ team doctor take care of him?” I ask Sophie.

“The Bandits’ doctor treated him.” She plays with the hem of her skirt. “He’ll recover. He didn’t break anything or get seriously injured. He’ll just be really sore.”

“Glad to hear it’s not serious,” Maya says. “Too bad he’s hurt though.”

Sophie purses her lips and shrugs, then sips her drink.

Maya frowns. “What’s that look about?”

Sophie glances down at her lap. “It’s not the worst thing in the world that he’s hurt.”

“What do you mean?”

Sophie looks up and bites her lip as she looks between us. “I’m guessing you haven’t heard?”

Maya and I shake our heads.

Sophie sighs, her delicate shoulders sinking with the movement. “I’m not supposed to say anything…” Her big blue eyes land on me.

Maya leans closer. “Well, now you definitely have to tell us.”

Sophie’s eyebrows wrinkle like she’s concerned. She looks at both Maya and me.

“Sophie, we won’t say a word,” Maya says. I tell her the same.

Sophie lets out a breath. “I overheard the guys talking in the locker room and apparently the reason why Del hit Owen was because he made a gross comment about you, Ingrid.”

I lean back, shocked. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah.” She pauses, like she’s working up the nerve to say more. “I overheard Del say that while he was on the ice with Owen, Owen made a joke to him about sexually assaulting you.”

My mouth falls open. An ugly feeling gnaws at the pit of my stomach.

“That bastard.” Maya’s voice is sharp and angry.

Sophie’s angelic face turns pained as she looks at me. “I’m so sorry, Ingrid. I know that must be awful to hear. Del didn’t want you to find out because he didn’t want to upset you.”

Maya scoots closer to me on the couch and links her arm in mine. Sophie pats my hand.

I’m quiet as my friends give me a few minutes to process my thoughts.

I can’t believe Owen did that. He acted all flirty with me yesterday and before the game, then he jokes about assaulting me.

I make a disgusted noise. “Del was right. Owen’s a scumbag.”

I tell Sophie and Maya about how before the game, while I was filming the teams warming up for social media, Del came up to me to say hi, then Owen skated over to talk to me.

“Owen wanted to meet up with me after the game, but Del warned me not to,” I say. “Del said he was a scumbag. But before I could ask him why, warmup ended and he left.”

Both Maya and Sophie sip their drinks. Maya downs all the champagne in her glass, then pours herself more.

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