Page 115 of The Import Slot
The team are running drills, Ryan, Scott and Jani passing a puck between them, and Vicky snaps away at her camera for a few minutes until there’s a break in play.
“Coach, can I have a word with the guys please? It won’t take a minute,” Vicky says to Coach Adams, who’s rounding the team up.
Coach nods to Vicky, and she stands up on the home bench, not even wobbling on her heels.
“Right. Ladies’ Night. The suit company loaned us suits, remember? It was your responsibility to return them in one piece, so why do I have a list of missing items?”
There’s a murmur of talk as she pulls her phone out and swipes a few times.
“Betts, Michael, missing waistcoat. Hutchinson, Paul, missing bowtie, Preston, Ryan, missing pocket square—”
My heart leaps in my chest. I know exactly where that pocket square is. Ryan’s eyes meet mine, and he smirks, obviously remembering when we had to use the pocket square.
Vicky lists off a few more items and the offenders.
“Can I just ask you to return them to me ASAP? Thank you.”
She steps down and huffs. “I can see how you’d lose a bowtie or a square, but how can you lose a waistcoat?” she says, eyeing Bettsy.
We stand by the dressing room door while Vicky reviews the photos on her camera. She gets a few more shots of the guys before they head off the ice.
“Hey, have you thought any more about Christmas?” I had asked Vicky a few days back what her plans were, but she dismissed me. I’m planning a dinner with Johnny, Ryan, Becca and Danny, potentially Hutch and Bettsy too, and a few stragglers with nowhere to go.
“No. I hate Christmas.”
I haven’t told Vicky or Ryan that I’ve messaged Liam and invited him too. He’ll be on a tight time frame, having to leave Toronto on Christmas Eve and return on Boxing Day, but he has said he’ll come. I bet it’s because he wants to see Vicky.
“Do we need to get a tree?” I ask. “If so, we need to do it this week.” She scowls at me. The guys are heading off the ice now.
“Hi, Jenna,” Jani comes to a stop in front of us. “If I may accept your offer for Christmas lunch, please?”
“Of course! You’re very welcome,” I say, smiling.
As soon as he’s gone, I turn to Vicky.
“Fuck’s sake, that’ll mean I need to cook for an extra three people!”
“Why did you ask him, then?” Vicky asks.
“I don’t want anyone to be alone at Christmas, Vic. We’re not all heartless.”
She glowers at me.
Johnny and Ryan, as per usual, are last off the ice, and they too, come to a stop next to Vicky and me.
“Hey, ladies,” Ryan says, taking his helmet off. He leans over to kiss me. “Equipment cupboard?” he whispers in my ear.
“No, I can’t,” I giggle as I pull away. “We need to finish this presentation tonight. I’ve got a shit-ton of other stuff to get done before the end of the week too.”
He sighs before nodding.
“Ry,” I call as he heads toward the dressing room door. He turns his head and looks over his shoulder at me. “Nice stick work. I especially like your efforts on back-door positioning.”
He bursts out laughing.
“Please tell me that wasn’t a sex reference,” Vicky says, capping her lens.
My mind is on sex though, and that smouldering look he just gave me isn’t helping matters. It won’t be long until he’s showering. Naked.
