Page 24 of Pucking Around

CALEB (11:45AM): Kelso is a mess. Looks like Davidson is in…which means I win *stacked money emoji**sushi emoji*

I huff, typing back a quick response. We had a bet on which goalie would come out on top and he won, meaning I’m buying his dinner tonight.

I pull my eyes from my phone, flashing Vicki a winning smile. “Vicki, my goddess, my queen!”

She purses her lips, rolling her eyes at me. I’m always teasing her, but she gives it right back. I knew she was serious about the ID when the teasing stopped. “Mmhmm. You get it done finally?”

“Would I dare defy your direct order?” I say, pulling my ID from my pocket. “All fixed. We’re good to go.”

“Bring it to my office before close of day so I can make a copy.” She turns to her intern. “Rachel, this is Jake Compton, and he’s trouble with a capital T.”

I let myself look at her intern. Fuck, she’s pretty. How the hell did I miss that? The guys have been going on about some hot new doctor roaming the halls today, but I honestly couldn’t care less. There’s only one doctor I want.

Wow, this girl looks a lot like my Mystery Girl—

“Jake, this is our new Barkley Fellow, Doctor Rachel Price,” Vicki goes on.

Wait—she’s a doctor? The pretty girl I dismissed with a glance isn’t an intern, she’s a doctor. The doctor who looks likemydoctor is a doctor…

And then my brain explodes. I can’t think, can’t breathe. Somehow, my hand is sticking out and I’m pretty sure I’ve said something. Did my mouth just make words? I have no idea. I’m just standing here, waiting for my body to catch up with my brain. And I have no heart to beat because it just went splat on the floor.

She’s looking at me like I’ve got two heads. Doctor Rachel Price. The new team doctor.Mydoctor. Doctor Mystery Girl. It all clicks into place, and I blurt out, “Oh my god!”

“Ohmygod,” she cries, tears in her eyes.

Holy fuck. Oh god, it’s happening. She’s here. She’s standing right in front of me. My Mystery Girl. Only she’s not a mystery anymore. She has a name.

Rachel.

Fuck, just saying it in my head is gonna give me a heart attack…or a hard on. Both. I’ve thought of this moment so many times. I’ve given her so many names in my mind. Maybe she was a Rachel once. Now no other name exists.

Rachel Price.

I smile. Mystery solved. But wait—shit—why is she looking at me like that? Why is Vicki still fucking here? Why aren’t we kissing? Why are our clothes on?

“Am I missing something?” says Vicki, glancing between us. “Do you two already know each other?”

I look to Rachel, ready to take her lead. She’s so fucking smart. She’ll know what to do, what to say.

“We met a couple months ago,” she murmurs. “Weumm…sat together on the plane.”

I glance at Vicki. Shit, is she buying it?

Vicki lets out a little laugh. “Huh, small world, isn’t it? You know, I once sat in first class with Denzel Washington?”

Neither of us make any reply. I still can’t breathe, and it looks like Rachel is trying very hard to perfect the power of teleportation. My girl would clearly rather be anywhere else but here.

Fuck, I’m messing this all up. I don’t know how, but I am. I need to talk to her. I need Vicki to be the one to teleport somewhere else.

“Well, hon, let’s give your key fob a try,” says Vicki. “Yours should be one of those,” she adds, pointing to a row of white trucks parked near the back of the garage.

Rachel fumbles with the key in her hand, her gaze glued to it as she gives the fob a squeeze. The truck at the end flashes its lights as the doors unlock.

“And there you go,” says Vicki. “You let me know if you need anything else, okay? And you,” she says, glaring at me. “Bring me that ID or you’ll be flying to all the away games this season tied to the wing of the jet!”

With that she gives Rachel’s shoulder a squeeze and walks off, back through the doors into the building.

Rachel and I stand there, looking at each other, not speaking. Both our brains are broken.

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