Agreeing to help her doesn’t fix what happened in the past, but it’s a start. The first step of the two of us getting along, and it’s why I’m nodding. Why I’m opening my laptop so I can look at my schedule.
“Yes,” I say, and the way she beams at me makes me feel like I won the goddamn lottery. “Two hours is doable.”
“Thank you. If nothing changes after the first couple of weeks, I’ll stop taking up so much of your time and try something else.” She claps. “Now I need to scout out a location to work with Olivia. I have a few connections, but I’m not sure what rink can get us on their calendar right away.”
“Use the Stars training facility. It’s brand new. There are women’s locker rooms, so you’ll have somewhere to put your stuff.”
“Women’s locker rooms? Do you open the rink up for public skate?”
“No. But if we ever have another woman on the team, she needs a spot where she feels comfortable getting dressed.”
“Oh.” Hannah’s face softens. “Because of Emerson Hartwell.”
“Exactly.”
“I forgot you brought her to DC. You changed her life.”
“She’s the one who proved herself in the league.”
“You’re not a fan of compliments, I see.” She tosses her used napkin in the trash can next to my desk, and I’m grateful for the shift in conversation. “Let’s get back to Olivia. I like the schedule she’s currently on, but she’s still growing. I don’t want to put anextreme amount of strain on her muscles off the bat. As we get closer to her competitions, we’ll start slotting in more ice time. Are you comfortable with her participating in light strength training? Mainly balance drills and stability focused exercises.”
“As long as she’s not turning into a bodybuilder before she can drive, whatever strength training you have planned is fine. We have a weight room you all can utilize here. If there’s a piece of equipment you need but don’t have, ask. I’ll get it.”
“You’re a powerful man, Brody Saunders.”
“Just a dad who cares about his kid.”
“Do you have a day of the week that would work for when you and I meet up?”
“It’s going to have to be flexible. Since you’ll be with Olivia in the afternoons, what about an hour and a half after the short practices we have before home games?” I tap my keyboard. “If you start with Livvy next week, I could do Tuesday or Friday morning. Thursday we’re in New York.” I glance over at Hannah, confused when I find her gaping at me. I touch my cheek, worried I have pizza sauce all over my face. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She smiles and shakes her head. “This is the most I’ve ever heard you talk outside the bedroom, and I’m processing it.”
“Don’t get used to it,” I grumble, trying not to blush.The bedroom. Where all I did was run my fucking mouth and told her how perfect she is. “This is an anomaly.”
“We’re going to have a blast.” Hannah’s smile morphs to a grin. “Tuesday is perfect. I really appreciate it, Brody. And if we could go back to what we were talking about earlier? That night in June?”
I pull at my collar. “What about it?”
“It’s in the past. Yes, there was attraction. Yes, we had fun. But we’re two adults who are going to be spending time together. Can we agree to be friends without any awkwardness?”
“Friends? You want to be friends?”
“Why not? It sounds more fun than skating in silence. Look.” She pulls her phone from her pocket and holds up a text message thread. I recognize it as our conversation. “I officially removed you as an unknown number. You’ll be henceforth saved in my phone as GC.”
“What the hell does GC mean?”
“That’s the best part. It can stand for so many things. Grant’s Coach. Grumpy Coach. Good-looking Coach.” Hannah smirks. I get a brief glimpse at her lock screen when she clicks off her phone, noticing it’s a photo of her and Grant after we won the Stanley Cup the first time. She’s sitting on his shoulders with confetti stuck in her hair, and there’s a pang in my chest. “Just kidding on the last one. Friends don’t find their friends attractive.”
“I think being around you is going to significantly raise my blood pressure.”
“That’s just old age,” she quips, nodding once. “I’ll be at the training facility Monday afternoon, ready to get started.” Hannah swipes another slice of pizza from the box and pops to her feet. “Thank you for this opportunity. I’m so excited to work with Olivia, and I can’t wait to see what she’s going to accomplish. Text me if anything changes.”
“Will do.”
She walks to the door, pausing when she gets there. “Hey, Brody?”
“Hm?” I ask, doing my best not to gawk at her legs.
