Page 67 of The Import Slot
Ryan
Dannyistellinganyonewho will listen about this night out he’s planning.
“We could use it as extra team bonding time, Cap,” he says to Johnny, but I can tell Johnny isn’t keen.
“Or we could just pull our fingers out of our asses here,” Johnny says.
“Come on,” Danny tries.
“What’s this about a night out for bonding?” Coach says, coming into the dressing room where everyone is getting ready for morning skate.
“Nothing,” Johnny says.
“Not nothing, Coach,” Danny says, filling in the rest of the details.
“Great idea. I’m making it compulsory. See you on the ice,” Coach says before he leaves.
Apparently, this isn’t the first time Coach has made something compulsory. Danny explains that he’ll drop the ‘official’ plan of action in the team WhatsApp group.
As we leave the dressing room, Vicky is outside with an older woman with dark curly hair. She says something to Johnny, who rounds us all up and tells us to listen in.
“Morning, everyone,” Vicky says. Shit, as soon as I see her, the iPad call and iMessage come flooding back with a fresh burn of deceit.
I look at Vicky, wondering what the hell they were thinking.
“This is Lisa,” Vicky says, “she’s helping the club organise and run this year’s Ladies’ Night, which you should all be familiar with. There’s an email waiting for you with details, but my ask today is for my table hosts to stay behind after morning skate to run through some plans.” She lists off the hosts, looking at everyone and smiling as she says their names, but when she says mine, she keeps her eyes fixed on the printout she’s reading from.
I’m hoping to catch her eye and itching to ask her why she was a) marrying my brother and b) no longer marrying my brother, but I can’t. Vicky gives us a winning smile, again avoiding eye contact with me, and lets us get to the ice, the guys now buzzing with chatter about the Ladies’ Night.
“This has solved all my problems,” Danny says to Johnny and me as we step onto the ice. “Women will literally pay to throw themselves at me. I completely forgot Ladies’ Night was coming up.” He’s grinning like the Cheshire Cat. I’m not paying him much attention, though; I fix my eyes back on the bench where Vicky stands, her pearly white teeth gleaming.
“What’s going on?” he asks, following my gaze.
“Nothing.”
“I completely overlooked the fact that Jen slept in your bed last night, and now you’re giving Vicky eyes. What the fuck is that about, mate?”
“Oh, Jen slept over?” Johnny pipes up.
“You are very much mistaken if you think these are the same eyes,” I tell Danny, ignoring Johnny.
“Then I’ll ask you what I asked you last night. You aren’t leading Jen on, are you? The last thing I need is another heartbreak to deal with.”
I tell Danny about the chat Jen and I had, and he shrugs.
“Whatever then,” he says.
But I’m still looking at Vicky, and she seems like the newest member of the heartbreak club, so I skate over to where she stands at the boards.
“You ok?” I ask
“Yeah, sorry, Ryan, I can’t chat right now. Got loads on.”
Fuck. She’s gone before I can even say bye, and she’s not even at this Ladies’ Night brief after morning skate. Lisa is on her own.
I completely zone out of what Lisa’s saying, and I’m grateful when she gives us a cheery goodbye and heads off, leaving us to get showered.
“What the hell has got into you this morning?” Johnny asks, sitting back in his cubby with a towel wrapped around his waist.
