“You won’t need to put on skates. My ankle is really messed up, so I won’t be performing, but she wants me there for interviews. I can write out all the answers.”
Hmm, go to Arizona and take Lorelei’s place? I can just as easily work on my design sketches there as I can here. Really, what choice do I have? Memorizing a few interview questions will be way easier than muddling through another of Professor Stewart’s tests.
“It’s a deal,” I tell her.
Chapter 2
Hudson
I come off the ice after a grueling practice to see one of my teammates trying to chat up one of the figure skaters we share the rink with. Normally, I’m all for fraternization between the two sports, but this particular skater is a real pain in the ass. Lorelei never smiles, except when she’s skating, and now that she’s hurt her ankle, she looks more grim than ever. She’s on her phone, completely ignoring him. Yeah, I don’t want any part of that and wait by the rails for her to pass.
My buddy, Blake, yells my name, making the grumpy ice ballerina wince. He’s grinning like a damned idiot.
“She’s so hot,” he says while I get out of my skates.
I don’t see it, but he’s clearly a glutton for punishment. “She’s colder than that ice,” I say, laughing. “Don’t waste your time.”
She stops suddenly about ten feet from us, still talking on her phone. Did she hear me? She already can’t stand me, or really any of us hockey players. I think she can’t stand having fun in general, unlike her teammates who are always up for a good time.
“Is your ankle okay?” Blake calls and is ignored again.
She rests against the wall and takes her weight off of her crutches with a pained look. I can’t help but feel a stab of sympathy about her injury, especially since there’s a huge exhibition for the college coming up. There’s no way she’ll be able to perform. I saw the fall that put her on those crutches, and it was nasty. She gives me a disdainful look when she sees me looking at her, and the sympathy evaporates.
“Seriously, man. You’re being pathetic.” I nod toward a few of the other women on the figure skating team as they head toward us, ready to take their turns on the ice. “Give your efforts where they’re appreciated.”
One of the girls bounces up to us and leans in close to me. Danica? Daniela? I made out with her for a minute or two at our last party, but can’t remember her name. I don’t need any more disapproving glares from the figure skating team. I accept her quick hug, but don’t let my hands linger. Even though she’s very sexy and would skip practice to go with me back to my place if I so much as hinted, I’m trying to keep a separation between the ice and sex. There are plenty of fans on campus to give me attention.
She pouts slightly but recovers, turning her attention to my teammate. “You guys going to that big party after the exhibition on Friday?” she asks, leaning into Blake now that I’ve blown her off.
“You know we are,” he says, winding up for something cheesy. “Since we basicallyarethe party.”
They laugh like hyenas, and I find myself suddenly bored. I don’t want to risk my reputation though, so I force myself to join in on the laughter. Daniela’s friend looks at me hopefully behind her back. So much for girl code. I wink at her and smack her lightly on the ass as she climbs onto the ice.
“You’re bad, Hudson,” she says as she skates smoothly away. “But I like it.”
“That Daniela looks like she’s really into you,” I say as we head to the locker room. Better Blake than me if she’s going to be the clingy type.
“It’s Danica,” he says.
Well, I was close. I can’t wait to get out of my gear and into a stinging hot shower to work out the aches. “That was a rough practice,” I say, rolling my shoulders. “I need to set up a massage before things get really tight.”
“You were going pretty hard,” he agrees.
I shrug. I treat every practice the same as a game. I do my best and go all out. What’s the point, otherwise? “You know there’s going to be scouts at the exhibition,” I remind him.
“Dude, you’re already drafted, you don’t have to worry about impressing scouts.”
It’s all I can do to keep a look of disgust off my face at his lax attitude. “It’s not enough just to get chosen for a team,” I say. “I want a bidding war. I want to be the one to choose.”
Blake shrugs and heads for the showers. “You do you, bro, just be careful you don’t get hurt.”
His warning puts me in a sour mood and makes me think about Lorelei hobbling around on crutches. Remembering her judgmental glare while we were flirting with her teammates only makes my bad mood worse. I need a fix for this bad attitude, and there’s one currently practicing her moves on the ice right now. It’s too bad I made that rule about keeping my sex life out of the rink. With a frustrated groan, I haul my grumpy ass out of the arena and into the crisp, fall air.
Chapter 3
Cara
I arrive at Cara’s shoebox apartment glad she’s not living in a dorm with a bunch of other skaters. She’s left my instructions on the kitchen counter along with her laptop open to the college’s team page.