Page 11 of Double Pucked

Is it hot in here all of a sudden or what?

4

TOTAL BALLER MOVE

Ryker

I hate this shit. More than I hate when someone writescould ofinstead ofcould have.

But there are worse things than a sloppythey’reortheir.

Like, say, PR events. Followed by press interviews after games I’ve lost. And topped by fan meet-and-greets that are actually more like probation for being bad.

Don’t get me wrong—I love fans. But I detest public appearances.

I blame my ex Selena, who soured me for the press for all time. Which means I don’t like the media or anything related to it. Like…tonight.

Trouble is, my agent said I need to be nicer.

Outside the locker room before a game last month, Josh’s exact words were, “Lately, you’ve been coming across like a world-class asshole in the press. Maybe use your words once in a while rather than acting like a caveman. It helps the team. It helps the public image. It helps, gasp,you. And your family.”

That night, when hockey reporter Bryce Tucker asked me to talk about how I felt after a bad tripping call, I used my words all right. One word. I said, “Shit-tastic.”

And I stalked out of the pressroom.

Trouble is that sneaky fucker turned my comment around, reporting that I had called the officialsshit-tastic. And then he dubbed me the King of Grunts. That was fun.

The Avengers PR guy, Oliver, called Josh, and Josh told me I needed to work on my rep, stat, starting by doing a fan event with the star of the Sea Dogs when we played our enemies on the ice, and ending with a photo opp with the same VIP winner at the Hockey Hotties calendar kickoff a few weeks after that. “It’s the fastest way to show you’re not a dick. By consorting with the rival.”

I believe my words to Josh werekill me now.

But Chase loves fan events. Chase loves the press. Chase loves everything. Hell, the Golden Retriever even loved high school, and no one loves high school.

So, here I am, slapping on my smile as I hold open the door to the limo for the woman we’re entertaining tonight. “After you…”

I trail off because I don’t remember her name. Guess I am an asshole.

“Trina,” Chase corrects with an eye roll, sliding into the limo right behind her.

Dick.

Besides, I thought some hardcore fan named Jasper won the tix. That was what Oliver told me a couple weeks ago, so I was expecting an amateur hockey analyst type to show up at the bench for the pre-game photo opp, giving me super-useful advice, like “Dude! Why didn’t you get that goal in the second period in the game the other night? I totally could have gotten that goal. Shoulda skated faster.”

But I didn’t expect a woman who’sfit.

A woman I stared at for far too long before, during, and after that photo shoot, so much so that I didn’t pay attention when Gianna said her name.

But damn, as she scoots into the limo, takes off her jacket, and sits in the back seat, Trina’s hard to look away from with that heart-shaped face and those cat-eye red glasses. Is that a tiny cherry drawing on the frame? That’s adorable and sexy at the same time. Translation: my downfall.

Plus, she’s got a spray of freckles across her nose. And don’t even get me started on those pretty lips.

Except, I fell for Selena right away because of her looks. Where did that get me? Getting crushed by a woman who stabbed me in the back and slashed my heart.

Relationships suck. Romance is a lie. The human race is doomed. Case closed.

But I suppose Josh is right. Can’t hurt for me to beun-surlynow and then.Un-surlypays the bills much better than surly does, and that helps me take care of my mom and sisters—something I intend to do always. I will never put my mom in a position where she has to make hard choices ever again.

“Trina’s a nice name,” I mutter, but I’m not sure she hears since she’s busy whipping her head back and forth, seemingly hunting for the seat belt. Then, she finds it as I take the long seat along the side of the stretch limo.

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