Scoring Off The Ice (Ice Kings #2) - Stacey Lynn Page 0,1
girlfriend Debbie.
And what Byron Maddox, our goalie, has with his wife, Hannah.
“Yo, Lutzgo!” Speak of the devil. Maddox walks around the corner, fresh from the shower and wearing nothing.
Maddox wears clothes so infrequently it’s possible I’ve seen his dick more than I’ve seen my own. “You coming tonight? I’ll swing by and pick you up later. Around eight.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m in. Sounds good.”
I can drive myself, but if Maddox is offering that means he won’t drink. Something not a lot of guys do much of anyway during the season. But that means I can. And I have stress to kick to the curb.
The beginning of the season is always the worst. The stress of wondering who improved more than me over the off-season—hint, not many, but it can happen. Which new players will be called up from the farm leagues. Who will be sent down. Who will still be traded, or their dreams destroyed completely. The first few weeks of training camp and exhibition games which are only a few weeks away has everyone on edge.
Me more than most.
My VISA allows me to stay in the United States as long as I stay on a professional hockey team. And there is no way I ever want to return to Denmark.
The coach’s compliments feel good, but they’re not enough. His opinion of what the team needs is not the only one that matters.
“I’ll see you at eight, then.”
“Where are we headed?”
“George’s. A night to chill.”
Some night the guys go to clubs. Loud music. Sore throats the next morning from having to scream to be heard. Fans. Puck bunnies. I do not want that tonight. He must see my shoulders slump with relief.
“Hey. You okay?”
Out of everyone on the team, I’m closest with Maddox. When I showed up, fresh off the plane from Denmark, I was only twenty years old and Maddox was already one of the best goalies in the league. He’s also the largest guy on our team, the meanest looking and his personality is not much nicer. The man is gruff. A boar in the most fragile of tea shops. The first six months on the team, I was certain he hated my guts. Over time, he started treating me like his younger brother, Seth.
“I am fine.” I grab my gear back and shut the oversized locker. “Busy. Sore from working out.”
Not all are lies.
“You look good out there. Gelled well with Hendrix. You have nothin’ to worry about, eh?”
“Thank you.” I slap his shoulder and start to head out. If he’s coming at eight to get me, I have enough time to get home, throw in an additional bodyweight-only workout, eat, and shower before he gets there.
“See you later.”
I’m looking forward to it. My teammates are my family. Not built by blood and expectations, but mutual respect.
Plus, George’s bar is great. He’s never let it leak that’s where we like to hang when we want to be with the team and their wives or girlfriends even though it could mean a huge jump in business for him. Which means we can relax, have a few drinks, talk about whatever we want and not have to worry about fans demanding our time and attention.
George gives us that. He’s either old and seen too much to care about a bunch of pro athletes, or maybe he’s a fan of the Raleigh Rough Riders and doesn’t care about hockey. We show him our appreciation in large tips and not being complete slobs.
Chapter Two
Paisley
* * *
It has been a day. Actually it has been a week. That kind of bone-weary, exhaustion-settling sensation that occurs at the end of the first week back to work or school after an extended absence kind of week.
I barely have the energy to scan my key fob that gets me access to my private and well-secured loft building in the epicenter of Charlotte. Waving to the afternoon manager takes herculean effort but I manage the task and give Pierre a faux-happy hello on my way to the elevator banks.
Thank goodness for my uncle Trent, though. He elected to take a three-year position in the Philippines, creating new centers for the tech company where he’s based in Charlotte. His moving out of the country and not wanting to sell his fancy loft in his upscale building gave me the opportunity to housesit for him while I attend graduate school and do my student teaching at an inner-city school.
Trent refused to allow me to contribute any money for rent