“Do you have any kids?” he asked her.
“No, I’ve never been married,” she answered, and the conversation turned to which Chinook was married and who had how many children. Not exactly stimulating conversation, but it alleviated her worry that the players would shut her out.
She handed Rob his photograph and decided to get down to business. To dazzle them with her research, or to at least show them that she wasn’t completely clueless. “Given the age and lack of franchise players, the Coyotes are playing better than expected this year,” she said, reciting what she’d just read. “What are your biggest concerns going into Wednesday’s game?”
They both stared at her as if she’d just spoken a language they didn’t understand. Latin, perhaps.
Bruce Fish turned around and disappeared behind his seat. Rob shoved the baby photo in his wallet. “Here comes breakfast,” he said as he stood. The Hammer quickly departed, making it quite clear that while she was good enough to talk with about journalism and babies, he wasn’t going to talk with her about hockey. And as the flight progressed, it became even more clear to Jane that the players were ignoring her now. Except for her brief conversation with Bruce and Rob, no one spoke to her. Well, they
couldn’t ignore her forever. They had to allow her locker room access and answer her questions. They had to talk to her then or face a discrimination lawsuit.
She refused a muffin and orange juice and raised the arm between the chairs. She scooted to the aisle seat, spread out her articles and books, then took off her gray wool blazer. She got down to the business of trying to figure out what points were as opposed to goals. What penalty was awarded for which infraction, and the ever-confusing icing call. She grabbed a brick of Post-Its out of her briefcase, scribbled notes, and stuck them inside the book.
Keeping track of her work and life via sticky notes wasn’t the most efficient way to run things, and she had tried more organized methods. She’d tried a software program on her laptop, but she’d ended up scribbling notes about what to write in it. She’d bought the day planner she currently used, but only to stick notes on the calendar pages. Last year, she’d bought a Palm Pilot, but she’d never gotten comfortable with it. Without her sticky notes she’d had an anxiety attack and had ended up selling the handheld device to a friend.
She scribbled notes about hockey terminology she didn’t know, stuck them in the book, then glanced down a row at Luc. His hand rested beside a glass of orange juice on the tray table. His long fingers tore at a cocktail napkin, and he rubbed bits of paper between his fingers and thumb.
Someone called Luc’s name and he leaned forward and glanced toward the back. His blue gaze landed somewhere behind Jane, and he laughed at some joke she didn’t get. His teeth were white and straight, and he had a smile that could make a woman think of hot sinful things. Then he lowered his gaze to her and she forgot about his teeth. He simply looked at her as if he couldn’t quite figure out how she’d gotten there-like a spot on his tie-then his scrutiny slid down her face and neck to the middle of her plain white blouse. For some disturbing reason, her breath caught in her chest, right where his gaze rested. The moment became suspended. Prolonged. Hanging between them until his brows pulled into a straight line. Then, without looking up, he turned away. She finally let out her breath, and once again she had the feeling she’d been judged and found lacking by Luc Martineau.
By the time the aircraft touched down in Phoenix, the weather was fifty-three degrees and sunny. The hockey players straightened their ties, put on their jackets, and filed out toward the bus.
Luc waited until Jane Alcott passed before he stepped into the aisle behind her. While shrugging into his Hugo Boss jacket, he studied her from behind.
She’d hung a wool blazer over the same arm that held a big briefcase crammed full of books and newspapers. Her hair was pulled back again into a tight ponytail, and the ends curled and brushed her shoulders as they moved forward. She was so short, the top of her head reached to just below his chin, and through the haze of cologne and aftershave he smelled a hint of something flowery.
The edge of her briefcase caught the back of a seat and she stumbled. Luc grasped her arm to steady her as newspapers, books, and multiple notes fell to the cabin floor. He let go of her arm, then knelt beside her in the cramped aisle. He picked up a book on the official NHL rules and Hockey For Dummies.
“Don’t know much about the game, huh?” he said as he passed her the books. The tips of his fingers brushed hers and she glanced up at him.
With her face a few inches from his, he took the opportunity to study her. Her skin was flawless and there was a slight pink flush to her smooth cheeks. Her eyes were the color of summer grass, and he could make out the faint lines of contact lenses on the edges of her irises. If she wasn’t a reporter and hadn’t already asked him if he was still drug-free the first time they’d met, maybe he’d think she wasn’t all that bad-looking. Maybe he’d even think she was kind of cute. Maybe.
“I know plenty,” she said as she pulled her hand away and stuffed the books into the front pouch.
“Sure you do, Ace.” He tore a sticky note from the knee of his pants. On it was written: What the heck is a body check? He grabbed her wrist and slapped the note in her palm. “Looks like you know squat.”
They stood and he took the briefcase from her.
“I can carry that,” she protested as she shoved the note into her pants pocket.
“Let me.”
“If you’re trying to be nice, it’s too late.”
“I’m not being nice. I’d like to get out of here before the bus leaves.”
“Oh.” She opened her mouth to say more but closed it again. They proceeded down the aisle; the swing of her ponytail told him of her agitation. Once inside the bus, she sat next to the general manager, and Luc dumped the briefcase into her lap and walked to the back.
Rob Sutter leaned forward as Luc dropped into a seat in front of the enforcer. “Hey, Lucky,” Rob said. “Don’t you think she’s kinda cute?”
Luc glanced several rows up at the back of Jane’s head and the curls of her tight ponytail. She wasn’t bad-looking, but she wasn’t his type. He liked Barbie Doll women. Long legs and big breasts. Big hair and red lips. Women who liked to please men and didn’t expect anything but pleasure in return. He knew what that said about him, and he didn’t particularly care. Jane had nice skin and her hair might be okay if she didn’t pull it back so tight, but her breasts were small.
A picture of the front of her blouse flashed across his brain. He’d turned to answer something Vlad Fetisov had asked him, and he’d noticed her for the first time since takeoff. Then he’d noticed the two distinct points in the front of her silky blouse. For a brief moment, he’d wondered if she was cold or turned on.
“Not especially,” he answered Rob.
“Do you think it’s true that she slept with Duffy to get this assignment?”
“Is that what the guys are saying?”