FALLING FOR THE ICE KING

Chapter 24

Training is good but hard. Practices tend to be fast-paced and relatively short, with warm-ups, intense team drills for about an hour, then a cool-down period with some individual skill work.

Soon, we’re all occupying various machines. I’m four miles into a run when I start thinking about our day at the museum.

I think about her bright red lipstick and the way she blushed when I tested the waters and flirted with her in the park.

Pineapple and coconut!—the scent I couldn’t place.

That’s when I notice Gunner is standing next to the treadmill smirking.

“What’s pineapple and coconut?”

Fuck, I said it out loud.

“Nothing,” I say with a passive face.

“Hmmm. Is that what flavor of ice cream you had yesterday?”

I misstep and the belt gets away from me. While I grab ahold of the rail, Gunner punches the emergency stop, laughing.

“How the f**k do you know about that?” I growl. I wasn’t going to say anything about it yet.

“Jack told me this morning while we were waiting for you to get your slow ass together.”

Shit.

“What did he say?” I want to know how much he knows.

“What are we talking about?”

Rex asks as he, Adam, and Callan converge on me. He loves even a snippet of gossip.

I turn to Gunner, who looks across to the boys standing on the other side of my machine.

“Damien took Vivienne, the blonde he was locked onto at Full Moon last weekend, out yesterday with Jack. They went for pizza, looked around AMNH, and then went for ice cream in the park.”

Fuck. He really pumped the kid for information. Rex clutches his chest and I groan.

“Calm down, Sven. This is exactly why I didn’t say anything before. She’s new to the city and I offered to take her out for a few hours.”

“Liar,” Gunner chastises.

“You begged your cousin to help you orchestrate time with her, just the two of you, but because of the school closing, you took Jack, as well.”

Jesus Christ. He spoke to Theo, too.

“How the f**k do you know all this?” I snap.

“Just tell us what’s going on and I won’t have to keep going behind your back to get the information.”

Rex screws his face up.

“Is this why you didn’t answer any of my daytime texts until last night, Damien? You know it makes me panic when I think we’re drifting.”

Callan shakes his head and motions for me to speak.

“Fine. Vivi, well, Vivienne… but anyway. She came to the game with Theo and Sia because she just moved from England and is sharing Sia’s apartment. She’s been through a lot, so much pain and f*****g loss, but she’s starting fresh. I want to get to know her, like I’m pulled to her, so…”

And at this, I eye Gunner.

“When I saw her at the firehouse with Theo and told him, he saw a window with our off-day yesterday and took it. I had a date in mind, but then I had to take Jack, who ran with the day.”

“So what’s the plan?” Adam asks.

“The plan is to not be an asshole. She needs time.”

Callan and Gunner nod their approval.

“You don’t want to be friend-zoned, though.”

I shake my head. I definitely need to make my intentions clear.

Rex looks like he’s going to explode.

“What’s up, Sven?” I ask, dreading what is going to come out of his mouth.

He clears his throat.

“You, my friend, our fearless leader, are fucked.”

“Thanks, man,” I deadpan.

“I think what he’s trying to say,” Callan covers as usual, “is that it sounds like you’re in a little deep already considering it has been, what, a week?”

“I’d say more like eight, maybe nine hours,” Gunner offers.

“f*****g hell.”

I scrub my face with my hand.

“I really am fucked.”

And they all laugh at my expense.

•••

The next day, we have a game against the Canes. We play our hearts out and our skates off and as the timer counts down the last seconds of the third period, I’m on my feet cheering. Three goals for us and a big fat doughnut on the board for North Carolina. We jump the boards to rush Rex, embracing him and tapping his helmet. He saw off all their attempts on goal and got himself the first shutout of the season. He did so well, he gets the lucky job of speaking with the press tonight, giving me a night off. The media girls will be by though I’m sure. They’re always doing funny stuff for their social media feeds.

Our win song plays as we rush back into the locker room. Sweat running down my back, I throw my jersey into the laundry basket in the middle of the room. There is no better feeling than this.

It’s exactly the start I had dreamed of. We’ve won the first three of eighty-two games, but still, it’s a good start. I unlace my skates, rip off my pads, hockey pants, garters, and socks, and then finally my jock shorts.

Once in the shower, I let the water cascade over my body, washing away all the salt and smell I’m likely to be emitting. When I’m finally dressed, I sit down in my suit and wait for the rest of my teammates, looking at my phone.

Vivi: Great goal tonight, Damien.

Me: You saw my game?

Just thinking about her watching me play makes me happy.

Vivi: I did. It was a bit too hard to follow, but I definitely understood when you scored.

Me: Well, we’ll make a hockey fan out of you yet.

Vivi: Yeah, I can see why it’s so popular, but I don’t really get the fighting.

Me: Don’t worry. Tonight it was nothing major, just a few disagreements is all.

Vivi: Well, I was glad to see you not get hurt.

I don’t mention the fact that it’s inevitable and I get into it more often than not. It just hasn’t been the case at the two games she’s seen.

Me: You worried about me, Vivi?

Vivi: If you got into a fight, I would. Anyway, it’s late, I’m going to get some sleep.

Me: Thanks for the text, little Vivi. Sweet dreams.

Vivi: Night, Damien x

•••

We win the series and I end up texting Vivi after every game. Once off the ice, I’d get back to my phone and she would have already messaged me. I liked that she was initiating the conversations, even if they were short. On one of the quieter evenings while I was away, I checked out Sia’s Insta page and found a photo of Vivi looking out the window of their apartment. The sun was low and the light was just right—she looked gorgeous, transcendent even. I took a screenshot of it and kept it for myself.

I also may or may not have found a picture of her from about two years ago in a bikini.

Creepy? Maybe.

Justifiable? Abso-f*****g-lutely.

•••

The pilot’s voice rings through the cabin, explaining that we’re hitting rough weather but still due to land on schedule. I use the plane Wi-Fi to send a text to Scott, seeing if he’s off work. He replies that he is and I invite him over to the house tonight.

We’ll video call our other brothers and catch up. I shoot a text letting them know and we agree on a time. The plane touches down into a heavy rainstorm and the temperature has dropped considerably. We exit the aircraft, our suits getting completely drenched. Dashing to the cars, I beat them to mine so I throw my jacket in the back, look in the mirror and… I’m a disaster.

I send a snap to Vivi asking her what she did to the weather and then Callan, Adam, and Gunn are jumping into the car.