Page 17 of Pucking Sweet

“Okay, I want you to take all those balls and move them intothistruck.” I hand him the second set of keys. “Can you do it?”

Patty the Brainless nods while Flash glances down at the second set of keys held flat in his palm. “Whose truck is this, Nov?”

I puff out my chest a little. “It’s Mr. Novikov to you. And that information is above your pay grade. Can you do it? Yes or no. Don’t make me find more willing rookies.”

“We got it,” says Patty, snatching the keys out of Flash’s hand.

“Good boys.” I slap both their shoulders. “You have fifteen minutes. Go.”

The two of them dart away just as Morrow saunters up behind me, munching on some granola. His walnut-brown eyes lock on me. “Do I dare ask what you’re doing?”

“Plausible deniability would say no, but I’d stick around this afternoon for the show.”

He raises a dark brow. “The show?”

“Yeah, around four o’clock, I’m thinking. We’re meeting down in the parking garage. Spread the word.” I try to reach my hand into his granola bag, but he bats it away, the greedy fuck.

“And until then? What are you gonna do?”

I glance around the gym, looking for my other mark. “Well, right now, I’m gonna go nurture my tender little sprout of a prank idea and just hope it grows fruit.”

He pauses, mid-chew. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

I just laugh and step past him. I slip my shirt off, stepping up onto the open treadmill next to where Langers is lifting weights. This Judas, he thought it was soooo funny to leave me alone with Poppy. Let’s see how he likes it when the tables are turned.

“Hey,” he pants, dropping his weight bar down with a clank.

“Hey,” I say, making a show of tugging my shirt back on now that he’s looking. “Just finished my physical. You do yours yet?”

“Nah. I’m up in, like, ten. Just wanted to finish this set before shecalls me in.”

“Well, don’t get too sweaty,” I warn. “You’ll get the table all sticky when you take your clothes off.”

“Gotta finish my set,” he grunts, lifting the bar up again.

Doc Price calls out. “Kinnunen, you’re up next!”

I feel giddy as I press my treadmill’s “on” button.

After a minute or two, Doc Price walks up behind me. “Hey, have you seen Kinnunen this morning?”

I glance around and shrug. The Bear is pretty damn hard to miss. He has the look and build of a Finnish Thor. “Maybe his practice ran long,” I say. “I’d just skip him, Doc. He’ll show up eventually.”

She sighs, checking her tablet. “Langley, you’re up!”

The weight bar clangs as Langers drops it and sits up. “Great,” he calls in that cheery tone. “Yeah, Doc. I’ll be right there!”

I watch as they walk away, parting for a moment as he heads into the exam room, and she goes into the little broom cupboard of an office. I slam the red button on my treadmill, stopping it. Compton walks up, leaning in with both arms on my machine. “You mind telling me what the fuck you’re doing?”

I laugh. “Just wait.”

“Nov—”

“Watch and wait,” I say, hopping off my machine. I grab him by the shoulders and turn him to face Doc’s office.

Morrow steps up on Compton’s other side. “Novy, what the hell did you do?”

“I told Langers it was a full physical.”

---