Page 116 of The Import Slot
“Is there a back entrance to the showers?” I ask Vicky.
She snaps her head up. “Why? What are you planning?”
“Nothing,” I say.
I wish I’d said yes to the equipment room, but the equipment managers are back and forth, returning stuff after practice.
“Jen. I know it’s been what, a day since you last had sex, but I don’t know what’s got into you.”
I didn’t either, to be honest, but when I see him all sweaty and geared up, I can’t help myself.
We’re just about to head back up to the office when the door to the dressing room creaks open, and Ryan sticks his head out.
“Vic, Johnny wants you a moment.”
“Tell him I’ll be at my desk,” she shrugs and starts walking away.
She doesn’t get far when her phone rings, and she doubles back, heading into the dressing room past Ryan.
“Jen?” he whispers, his head still poking out.
I shuffle over. “Yeah?”
“Nice jacket. Hey, remember we saw Bettsy chatting up Rochelle at the end of Ladies’ Night? Apparently, she gave him a blowjob in that storage room before they called it a night.”
I burst out laughing. “Wow… if walls could talk. Lucky him! He can’t help himself.”
“Nah, he said it was particularly teethy. He didn’t come.”
“Poor him then. I thought he was done with her? Meant to be keeping his distance?”
Ryan shrugs, and Vicky pushes past him.
“Johnny is such an ass. I sometimes wonder how we are related.”
“What did he want?” I ask.
“According to him, I should have talked to him first before requesting the rental items to be returned.”
We head back toward the lobby and grab some drinks from the little cafe on the way, stopping to talk to the girls at the front desk. Public skate is starting soon, and there’s a queue forming but we catch up briefly.
We walk past the club store, and I double back, pulling Vicky inside.
“I just want to see if the new merch has come in.”
What I mean by that is I want to see if the Christmas merch has come in, which it has.
There are baubles, little snowflakes with the team logo on, and some sticker packs for the kids.
“Think how lush it would be to have a tree in our place with hockey decs? Look at these little ice skates!” The skates aren’t team related but are cute.
“I just don’t like Christmas, Jen,” Vicky snaps.
“Hey, I thought I saw you two in here.” Ryan stands behind me and wraps his arms around my waist.
He smells clean and woody, and my knees wobble a bit, standard these days. He’s got a team t-shirt on and shorts, although it’s freezing outside; I guess it’s the Canadian blood.
“Um, Vic. About that pocket square, can you just bill me for it, please?”
