And Jesus Christ.
Beckett’s actually pretty good. He’s hamming it up anyway.
Josh isn’t bad. Zeke’s into it. Ingrid is actually quite good.
Everyone else… well, half of them look like hockey players who are trying to dance on ice. Meaning, they look ridiculous, but at least they’re upright and they’re moving in unison. The other half look like people who can probably skate forward and canmaybechange direction without falling, but I’m not sure they can skateandhit a puck at the same time because they sure as hell can’t skate, turn, and move their arms at the same time.
Wow. This is so bad it’s…yeah, it’s entertaining.
I catch myself grinning.
But Nora owes me, too. She should have told me about this. She knows who I am, where I’m coming from. She should havewarnedme. She should have known this is a huge departure from what I do on the ice.
As Zeke turns the wrong way and bumps into Lawson, sending the other man onto his ass, cursing loudly, and knocking over another man, who knocks over another man like burly dominos, I’m torn between laughing and heading straight back to the airport for the first flight back to Portland.
I don’t need hockey. I could be a…
Nothing comes to mind. I have no other skills. I’m stuck here.
Nora’s definitely in trouble for keeping this from me.
How should I make her make it up to me?
I feel a little kick in my chest.
Hmmm… that could be fun.
And it’s not lost on me that every time my thoughts start to get anything less than happy and optimistic, the thought of Nora picks me right back up.
CHAPTER 8
ALEX
I approachthe front of Perks and Rec and wonder if there’s a back entrance I’ll be able to use to get to and from my apartment. Going in and out of the front door of the coffee shop-slash-bar where most of the town gathers, seemingly all day long, will ensure my life is front and center for everyone.
How will you get Nora in and out, you mean.
Yeah, especially because everyone greets the woman like a long-lost friend every time she sets foot inside the shop.
But for now, I go in through the front door, tinkly bell over my head and all.
Sure enough, everyone turns to see who just arrived.
And I definitely don’t get the warm, “Alex!” greeting welcoming me in.
It’s about twenty after eight and I’m sweaty and annoyed from hockey practice. The team is coming over to the bar after everyone cleans up, so I need to head upstairs to shower before they arrive.
At least I don’t have to go far to meet them.
And I don’t need to worry about driving home after a beer or two.
I spot Ruth sitting at the coffee bar working on what looks like homework. I’m so relieved to have a friendly face that I bee-line for the girl.
“Hey, Ruth!” I give her my best smile, trying to hide the exasperation I’ve been feeling since…well, since I got on the plane this morning.
“Hi!” Her smile is big and wide. “How was your first practice?”
Easily the most bonkers thing I’ve ever done.“Great. Everyone was really nice,” I say. That much is true. The team seems great.
