"Who's flirting? I'm complimenting your professional expertise."
"Then you can compliment my professional expertise by running drill seven again. Your inside edge is still weak."
Lex ran it. Twice. The second time she nailed the crossover perfectly, her blades singing on the ice, and she skated back to Mara with the satisfaction of someone who'd just proven a point. They were standing close. Close enough that the flush on Mara's cheeks was visible that could have been cold or could have been desire. Mara's blue eyes met hers and held, and neither of them spoke. The rink was silent around them. Just the hum of the cooling system and their breath clouding in the frigid air.
"Session's done," Mara said, quieter than before. "Same time tomorrow. Neutral zone entries."
"Can't wait."
Mara turned and walked toward the tunnel without looking back. Lex watched her go. The long stride. The straight back. The tight ponytail swinging between her shoulder blades. Mara's hands were shoved deep in her pockets and her shoulders were slightly raised against the cold, and she looked like a woman holding herself together with everything she had.
Yeah.Her pulse hadn't come down yet. Her hands were restless against her thighs, needing to move.There's definitely a charge between us. And I think she knows it too.
She skated a few more laps to cool down, enjoying the empty rink and the cold and the pleasant burn in her thighs and shoulders. The rink felt enormous without anyone else in it, the ceiling stretching high above her, the seats empty and dark. She could get used to this. The ice, the speed, the cold that bit at her cheeks and nose and made her feel sharp and present. Field hockey had given her a career. Ice hockey might give her a second chance at everything.
She showered in the empty locker room, the hot water unwinding the knots in her muscles, then dressed and drove back to the apartment with the windows down and the coastal night air filling the car.
Elise was on the couch with a book and a cup of tea when Lex came through the door. The apartment was small but clean, with mismatched furniture and big windows that looked out over the street. Elise had made it feel warm. There were plants on the windowsill, a blanket folded on the couch, and the smell of a recent meal lingered in the kitchen.
"How'd it go?" Elise asked, looking up from her book.
Lex dropped onto the opposite end of the couch and kicked off her shoes. "She's a good coach. I hate admitting that."
Elise smiled. "She's the best coach I've ever played for. She's just not easy."
"No kidding." Lex stretched her arms over her head, feeling the pleasant ache of muscles worked hard. "What's her deal? She's so buttoned-up. Does she ever relax?"
"Not that I've seen. She's been like that since I joined the team. Control is her whole thing. Every drill, every play, every player. She runs the Valkyries like a military operation." Elise folded down the corner of her page, giving up on the book entirely.
"Must be exhausting."
"Probably." Elise set her book down and tucked her feet underneath her. "So. First-day thoughts. What do you think of the team?"
Lex considered. "Good group. Lou's solid. Camille's impressive. Frankie's funny. The team's got chemistry. I can see why you guys made it to the PWHL."
"What about the clash with Mara? That was pretty intense for day one."
"She benched me for scoring."
"She benched you for ignoring her system in your first practice. There's a difference." Elise pointed at Lex with her mug.
Lex pulled a face. "Whose side are you on?"
"I'm on the side of you surviving your first week. Mara likes control. She needs it. If you push her too hard, she'll lock you out and you'll spend the season on the bench watching Rowan take your ice time."
"Rowan?" Lex frowned. "Pike? The wing?"
Elise grinned. "She has a crush on you, by the way."
Lex shrugged. "Everyone has a crush on me. I'm very pretty in a masc/femme hybrid way.”
Elise laughed. It was a good laugh, genuine and warm, and Lex felt a tension release inside her. She'd been bracing for this move to be lonely. New city, new sport, no friends. But Elise was a person who made everything feel manageable.
"So who are you into?" Elise asked, pulling her mug closer. "Anyone serious back home?"
"Back home in Boston? No. Nobody serious. There never has been." Lex picked at a loose thread on the couch cushion. The truth of it sat in her chest, familiar and faintly bruised, a thing she'd learned to carry without examining too closely. "I'm not great at the whole relationship thing. Girls come around, I have fun, and then I get bored or they get clingy or I leave for another tournament and forget to call. Nobody sticks."
"You say that like it doesn't bother you."
