Page 4 of Puck Happens

When I was just behind her, I shouted. “Hey, lady, I get it. You’re very fast, but I’m here to work out.”

She looked over her shoulder at me and removed an earbud from her ear.

“Sorry?” She shot me a polite smile and slowed down.

Okay, she was doing the whole blasé thing pretty well, but I wasn’t buying it.

“No need to show off. I’m not interested.”

She made a face. “Excuse me?”

“Look, I’m here to work.”

She came to an abrupt stop.

Fucking toe picks.

I slid to a stop and glided back to where she was standing with her arms folded over her heaving chest.

“What’s your problem?” she asked.

“No problem, lady. You’re pretty enough, I just don’t have it in my schedule today to play.”

Her jaw dropped. “Prettyenough?”

Her voice went real high, and for a second doubt crept in. “Are you saying you don’t know who I am?”

“I have no clue who you are. Why would I?”

Okay. She was seriously offended. Did she really not know who I was?

Was that possible in Calico Cove?

Her gray eyes narrowed, and her full lips pursed.

“Wait a minute,” she said. “Is this a bit?”

“A bit?”

“Yeah. Do you know whoIam?”

“No. Why would I know whoyouare?”

She rolled her eyes. At me. “Look buddy, if this is your wholelet me pretend I don’t know her to her get her attentionroutine, it’s not working.”

“That’s whatyou’redoing tome.”I accused her. “Aren’t you?”

“Hard to pretend not to know who you are, when I don’t know who you are. And I’m also here to work out.” She took off, skating backwards like a goddamn pro. “Oh, and BTW, you’re not pretty. At all.”

She turned on a dime and was off like a slap shot.

Of course, I wasn’t pretty. I’ve had three broken noses, a cracked eye socket, and four years ago a blade sliced across my forehead and left a nasty scar.

This was the face of a champion.

I was proud of this face.

But I was left standing there like an asshole. I mean, if she wasn’t some puck bunny trying to flirt with me, then I came off sounding like the elitist dick Wendy accused me of being.

---