Page 5 of The Tape Job
Vicky’s eyes meet mine and we scramble to get ourselves dressed, only shouting back when he calls through the door again.
Vicky gets her shoes on, moves the equipment box out of the way, and pulls the door handle.
“Oh, hey, Vicky,” Jen smirks, her eyes bouncing between us.
Fuck. I bet my beard is still glistening with Vicky all over my face.
Vicky pulls the toque back on. “Don’t you dare say anything, Jenna!”
There’s silence for a moment while everyone waits for someone else to speak. Anything. Ryan gives in, thank fuck.
“We’re heading out. We spent a while looking for you.” I know he’s trying not to laugh; his cheeks are puffed out.
My post-orgasm fog is clearing, and there’s a knot of dread at the pit of my stomach. What the fuck are we doing? Heading back to heartbreak hotel?
Vicky squeezes through the gap in the door, and I follow with the others, heading back towards the ice.
“We’ve got too much to do, Vic. Are you okay with helping us carry things to Ryan and Danny’s place?” Jen asks. My brother shares an apartment with another forward from the team, who is Jen’s best friend Danny.
Jen, Vicky, and Becca—Danny’s girlfriend—are prepping for Christmas lunch at my brother’s apartment tomorrow. Jen is taking it seriously and, from what I’ve heard, Johnny is on turkey duty.
I nod and give Ryan a look. He knows what to do, thank fuck.
“Come and look at the dressing room, bro,” he says, jerking his head towards the door up ahead. “You go ahead, ladies. We’ll catch you up.”
As soon as we’re in through the door and the coast is clear, Ryan rounds on me.
“Did you fuck Vicky in the Equipment Store?” he snarls.
“Not exactly—”
“Fuck, Lee. Does she know what your plan is?”
“Not exactly—”
“I thought you were going to talk to her? You said that you were going to talk to her,” Ryan rages. I don’t know why he’s getting so bent out of shape. “You can’t let her lead you on and break your fucking heart again, man. What were you thinking?”
I sit down at Ryan’s cubby and lean back, contemplating all my life choices up until now.
Yeah, I was planning on coming to play in the UK with Johnny and Ryan next season since I’m just chasing another call-up, but I don’t know how Vicky will react to me not wanting to start anything up again. I can’t put myself through another heartbreak.
“I—”
The door to the dressing room swings open slightly, and Vicky’s head comes into view, still wearing my hat.
Fuck, she’s cute. Her blonde hair is in loose curls over her shoulders and her bright white smile gleaming below her ocean-blue eyes. How did I wind up with her, anyway? She’s too good for me. Maybe it’s for the best that we go our separate ways for good this time—I just need the balls to tell her.
“Are you guys coming? Jen is—” she halts, gazing at my face, “What’s going on?”
“Vic. I think we need to talk.”
That’s Ryan’s cue. He slips past Vicky, and she steps in, closing the door behind her.
“What?” she says, her eyes darkening.
There’s silence for a moment before I gather every ounce of valour. “I can’t do this anymore.”
And this is when I break Vicky’s heart right back.
