Page 9 of Tutoring Mr. Hotshot

Everything else can wait.

CHAPTER4

Andry

My entire life trajectory just changed.

Who was that?The tiny guy with the glasses and the nervous stare is all I can think about right now. I want to go inside the library, hunt him down, and demand he tell me everything about him.

That would be too much though. American customs are different. I believe it’s called‘being forceful’or something.

I’d call it being direct.

Why should I pretend I’m not interested when all I want is more time with him?

Stupid differences.

I wait another minute to ensure he isn’t coming back out after I leave. If he ran off because he was spooked, then I’d have to apologize by taking him on a nice, romantic date where I could show him how perfect we are together.

After another five minutes of waiting, I accept that fate isn’t going to be as kind to me today as I’d like. I take off for the gym to get in an early workout. It’s part of my personal schedule to keep myself performing better than my competition.

No one has ever or will ever catch me slacking.

I drop my bags in the locker room, then head to the weight room. After a few minutes of warming up on the treadmill, I go about doing the sequence my trainer back in Russia put together for me. It’s a combination of bodyweight movement, mobility work, and dynamic lifts with lighter weights.

Anyone watching me would think I didn’t know what I’m doing. They’d try to call me out for not taking my workout seriously. What they don’t know is all this shit — the stuff people think is unnecessary — is what has taken me to the top of my game. It’s made me worth getting a full ride scholarship as a foreign exchange student, and it’s what will get me a first-round draft pick.

I’m on my final circuit when some of the team walks in for morning conditioning. They watch me with confused looks, though none call me out for what I’m doing. I’m not sure if they’re scared because of my size, or if it’s more that they’re still trying to figure me out.

Honestly, I don’t give a fuck either way.

I’m not here to make friends with them. I’m here to win.

They’ll either help me, or they’ll get out of my way. Those are their options.

“What the hell is all this?” Parnap says as he approaches me surrounded by a squad ofyesmen. “I didn’t know you had a whole routine planned.”

He chuckles, which signals the others to laugh. They don’t do it as confidently as him. Maybe it’s the empty stare I shoot their way. It could also be the fact that when I lift my shirt to take it off, my muscles are fully on display, proving I don’t need their opinions about what I’m doing.

“No need to worry about me, Captain. I’m more than on time for conditioning.”

He sneers at me, his friendly expression gone in a flash. “Listen here you foreign fucker?—”

He doesn’t get to finish the sentence before Coach comes in and blows a whistle. “Parnap! What the fuck are you doing? You want to kiss the new kid, do it somewhere else. It’s time to get to work.”

I watch as Parnap jolts at the accusation. He’d gotten close in an attempt to intimidate me. Instead of looking like a threat, everyone on the outside saw what looked like a seduction attempt.

Grinning at him, I let his anger build before turning to check in with Coach. There’s no need to push his buttons any further today. Whatever mood he’s in will work itself out.

And if it doesn’t, then my time on the ice will prove to them all why I earned my spot here.

By the time conditioning is over, it’s obvious these guys need more motivation to get to the next level. I outlasted every single one of them, which is a shame since I’d already done an hour of work before practice.

I shower quickly, then stop by Coach’s office like he asked me to. “You wanted to speak with me?”

He motions me in the room. “Have a seat, Rykov. How are things so far? Anyone giving you trouble besides Liam?”

“Not at all. And he’s really not bothering me.”Yet.

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