Page 8 of Press Your Luck

When he started asking the reporters why they weren't tossing him questions about his home or his love life, I was initially angry at him. I thought he was making fun of me and this situation. But then he called out the reporter who was about to ask him if his coaching style had changed because the opposing team had a female coach. I was surprised to find out that he knew my history in hockey. In a strange way, it boosted my confidence. I knew I had a lot working against me and that I had to win to prove that I knew what I was doing. Pierce's knowledge of my history meant that he had been looking into me as an expert in hockey. He hadn’t been curious about my home décor or my love life but in my hockey experience. It told me that he was respecting me as a coach.

I couldn't for the life of me understand why Todd took that bet with Reed Hampton. It wasn't that I didn't think we could win the bet. It just added more pressure to the situation which was already loaded with pressure. Maybe I could ask Todd to make Big Ed pay the fifty thousand if we lost to encourage him to behave. But since that was about what Big Ed was earning as a player, Todd probably wouldn’t agree to that.

I did my best to be professional, but this press conference couldn’t end fast enough for me. When it was finally done, I shook hands again with Pierce, trying to ignore the way his large, warm hand enveloped mine.

I left the rink and went straight home. When I entered my apartment, I looked around, taking note of my décor. Then I chastised myself for letting stupid, sexist questions get to me.

I poured myself a glass of wine and went through my notes and plans for tomorrow's game. I felt good about our chances, but I also knew that Big Ed could make or break the game. Did he resent me enough to lose? I could see him thinking that it would be a way to get me fired. But it was a risk if he wanted to move up to the NHL.

After reviewing my game plan, I headed to bed. Normally, before games, I went to bed visualizing success. As I tucked myself in, I conjured up the rink and the team, imagining them kicking ass on the ice. Big Ed was still an asshole, but at least he was doing his job and we were grinding the Buckaroos into the dust. In my vision, I looked across the rink to the other team’s box, where Pierce would be suffering a loss.

As it turned out, visualizing his loss was a mistake because once I fell asleep, Pierce entered my dream. At first, he was in hockey gear and so was I. We were facing off, flying across the ice, each determined to beat the other. I checked him into the boards, causing us both to fall. I landed on top of him, and a moment later, he’d rolled, and I was under him.

“You’re on my stick.”

I felt a hard length against my belly that wasn’t a hockey stick.

I woke up with a start and then groaned. The last thing I needed was to have sexy dreams about my opponent.

The next day,I arrived at the arena early. I was excited and terrified, not unusual for the first game of the season. But this wasn't any other team that we were going up against. It was our rival in Las Vegas. Rivals who had three former professional hockey players coaching them.

For a moment, I questioned whether I was right for the job of coaching this team. I knew that Todd hired me because I was a woman and that he wanted the publicity that my coaching the team would bring. But he also wanted to make money, which required winning. If I failed, the stands would be empty, and no money would be coming in. So, while my being a novelty might bring people here initially, only wins would keep them coming back. He knew that as well, so it had to mean he’d also hired me because he believed that I could win.

I headed toward the locker room, looking in toward the rink as the stands started to fill. I was surprised to find people holding signs up with my name on them. As I looked closer, I noted that they were all women. My confidence grew and my determination rose with it. I was a role model now. I needed to prove to all these women that they, too, could coach men in hockey or any other sport.

I entered the locker room ready to coach the Silver Nuggets to victory.

"Coming in to get an eyeful, Coach?" Big Ed sneered at me and waggled his hips. Thank God he had his pants on.

"Do you always shake your dick at your coach?" I quipped.

The teammates around him laughed, one snapping him with a towel. Ed scowled at me.

"This is not just our first game, but it is a home game. Everyone is expecting you to deliver a win against the Buckaroos. And I know you're going to do it. You’re going to give them everything you’ve got. The Buckaroos are going to leave here battered and bruised and with a loss."

Max and a few others let out a cheer and a, “Hell, yeah.”

I continued the speech I'd planned to fire them up and give them the confidence to win. I ran through all the things that I expected they would come up against on the ice against Pierce's team. Having studied his past games, but also Bo Tyler's games and how he played, I felt I had a good sense of what they’d coach their team to do.

"Who’d you sleep with over at the Buckaroos to get all that information?" Big Ed asked, smirking. His buddies snickered, while the rest of the team looked surprised by his disgusting statement.

"Did you study to be an asshole or does it just come naturally to you?" Max said to Ed.

"Are you standing in line to get some of her too?" Big Ed snapped back.

The two men rushed to the middle of the room. I stepped between them, giving them both a hard shove. "Save it for the ice." I turned to look at big Ed. "We all know that you are a crucial part of this team, and I’ll go ahead and take all your juvenile, sexist comments because I want to win. But if you do not do your job on the ice tonight, I will have no problem benching you." I didn't wait for a response. I left the locker room. When the door shut behind me, I took a moment alone to gather my thoughts and push away Big Ed’s comments.

As soon as we were ready, the team skated out onto the ice and the arena erupted in cheers. I made my way toward the player box hoping nobody could see the way my body was shaking with nerves.

I looked across the ice and saw Pierce standing with his hands on his hips as he watched his team warm up on the ice. He glanced over, giving me a nod. I nodded back.

This was it. It was time to prove I deserved to be a coach of a men’s minor-league hockey team.

5

Pierce

Ididn't like the way the game was going.

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