Archie shakes his head. “You just don’t want to do it because you know I’m the most popular.”
“Of the goalies, sure,” Finn retorts.
They keep bickering while I bide my time, waiting for the briefing to end so I can head to cryotherapy. Yes, I would rather stand in a freezing chamber than listen to another word of this ridiculous drivel.
Finally, it’s over and we’re free to go. But before I can turn into the corridor, I hear Millie’s voice calling my name. I pause, hesitating. I could easily ignore her and go straight to cryo, but part of me wants to talk to her. About Fergie, that is.
I spin on my heel and walk up to her.
“Hey. How are you?” she asks, beaming. “And how’s your ankle?”
So, she did watch the game. “I’m good. Heading to cryotherapy, actually. It helps.”
“Oh, okay. Just wanted to say everything went well with Fergie. He was the perfect gentleman. Well, he did wake me up before sunrise with his rendition of “Shape of You,” but I prefer that to the fire alarm.”
I smile. “Oh, yeah. Much better. Glad he didn’t give you too much trouble. You watched the game with him?”
“Yeah. Tough crowd, but he had fun, I think.”
I can only imagine—a heckler like him. “Good. Thank you again.”
“Oh, here’s your key back,” she says, grabbing it from her pocket. “Unless you want me to come back. I’d be happy to watch him again.”
I blink back, caught off guard. “Really?”
Her smile widens. “Of course. We’re friends, remember?”
“I never agreed to that,” I say, crossing my arms.
She levels me with a stare that almost makes me smile, and I cave. It seems like things went well last night, after all, and I do need a sitter. “All right. Keep the key, then.”
“Then it’s settled.” She smiles, slipping it back into her pocket. “So, what’s your pose going to be? For the Valentine’s Day post.”
I frown. “Just when I started to think you were okay, you pull a stunt like that. Not cool, Templeton.”
She crosses her arms to match my posture, arching an eyebrow. “Is this your way of thanking me for watching yourverydemanding bird?”
“You love him.”
She winces. “Yeah, okay. But still.” Her eyes narrow. “Anyway, you heard Philip; it’s mandatory. Everyone will post at the same time next week, on the fourteenth. We’ll have a photographer here tomorrow. So just think about what you’d like to do.”
“Absolutely not. I’m not taking a half-naked picture with a pink bow on my head or something.”
She rolls her eyes. “How about holding a box of chocolates?”
I scowl.
“Holding a cupcake?”
“Do I look like a baker to you?” I sigh. “I’ll just stay in my kit and smile or something.”
She arches an eyebrow. “How original! Besides, if you were paying attention, you’d remember that I said no one was to wear the Regents kit. It’s kind of the point, to show you in a different setting.”
I grunt. “Brilliant.”
A smile pulls at her lips. “Why not wear akilt? You’re a Scotsman, after all. That’d work.”
“I don’t have a kilt.”
