“Vancouver. Die hard Canucks fan, unless we’re playing them. Broke my heart to see the Oilers knock them out of the playoffs a few years ago.”
“I’ve never seen much of Vancouver, but we flew into there once when I was in high school,” she said. “We went skiing up at Whistler.”
“Oh yeah, good skiing up thataways. Lots of cross-country ski tracks, too.”
“I prefer to ski downhill. Skiing on flat ground is just exercise.”
“That’s the idea. Surprised to hear a physical trainer bashing it.”
“I’d rather spin on an exercise bike while watching Great British Bake Off.”
I smiled widely, and started to tell her that was my favorite comfort show, but then Rhett came walking up to us.
“Don’t stop flirting with each other on my account,” he said.
“We’re not flirting,” I quickly said. “She’s helping me rehab.”
Rhett wiped the back of his neck with a towel. “She was showing you something on her phone a second ago. Leaning real close. I wasn’t trying to snoop, but you two lovebirds were right in my field of view on the treadmill.”
“I was correcting his deadlift form.” June showed him the phone. “He was rounding his back at the bottom of the movement.”
“Woah, woah, woah,” Rhett held out both palms. “No need to get so defensive about it. If she wants to go out with you instead of me, that’s all right.”
“Is that jealousy I detect?” I asked, trying to flip it around on my teammate. “Our nice, new trainer helps me out and you come running over to interrupt?”
“No jealousy here. If she had to pick one of us, it’s obvious who she would choose.”
“Whatever you say,” I teased back. “Although I think I know how youreallyinjured that shoulder.” I gave a jacking-off motion.
“Joke’s on you. I use my left hand!” Rhett replied.
“I would say no to both of you,” she interrupted. “I’m a team employee.”
“Exactly,” I agreed.
“Okay,” Rhett bobbed his head. “I get it. We can just be friends, then. You can come hang out at my place and we’ll watch a movietogether. LikeBlazing Saddles. OrMen in Tights.” He stared at me. “Get it? Because her name is June Wilder? Which is like Gene Wilder?”
“It’s funnier when you have to explain the joke,” I said.
“Well, you didn’t laugh.”
“Because it’s notthatfunny, and because June here has probably heard a variation of that joke all her life.”
“Ihave, actually!” she said appreciably. “Thank you, captain.”
I smiled triumphantly at Rhett. June’s approval made me feel better than I expected.
“All right, all right, you two can go back to flirting while pretending it has to do with your form.” Rhett clapped me on the shoulder. “Don’t work him too hard. We need him crashing the boards against the Flames tomorrow night.”
When he was gone, I said, “Sorry about Rhett. He can be… a strong personality.”
“I’m used to it.”
“If it makes you feel any better,” I said while preparing for my next set, “Rhett makes sex jokes with everyone. Even Andy, the old trainer.”
She blinked. “Really? Andy?”
I finished my set before answering. “Oh yeah. He called Andy his muscle daddy. As in, he would walk into the trainer’s room and loudly say,rub me down, muscle daddy, my calves are tight today.”
