“I guess I’ll have to.” I slide my bra down my arms and pull it off.
“Yes!” Gen beams. “You have big boobs but they’re perky and they look very natural. Who did them?”
I look at her chest and I realize that she must have gotten a boob job, and she thinks I got one too. “Mother Nature, I guess.”
“Shut up!” Gen gasps. “I would have killed for boobs like yours. And my parents made me wait until I was eighteen before they allowed me to get a boob job. Can you believe it?”
I don’t think making her wait until she was a legal adult is the abusive behavior her expression suggests, but I don’t want to say anything to jeopardize our brand new friendship.
“Parents.” I roll my eyes, hoping to sound supportive enough.
“I know, right?” Gen giggles. “But without a bra, the ends of the top that go around your neck are a little too loose. Youneed to pin them tighter than the button in the back allows you to. Here, let me help you. I always have a safety pin handy; you never know when you might need it.”
She fixes the top behind me. “Here you go, perfect. I fastened the button for you but pinned the fabric tighter so it eliminates that tiny bit of excess slack in the fabric in the front. You don’t want to give the judges a bigger show than they’re expecting.”
“God, no.” I laugh nervously. “Thanks. I hope I don’t fuck this up.”
Gen squeezes my shoulder. “You got this. Go. I’ll be outside the audition room watching you dance on the big screen in the auditorium. Hopefully I can apologize to Jodie and Talia for my nervous blabbering, too. We’ll be there when you’re done.”
As I leave the changing room, my body is almost shaking with nervous energy.
I hear the chattering coming from most of the other candidates gathered in the auditorium. The final auditions are being filmed for the reality show that will follow the cheer team and the hockey team during their summer training.
The producers have demanded that the solo auditions be conducted behind closed doors. That’s both to guarantee an environment without distractions for every girl, and because they’re protecting their exclusive rights by making sure no one decides to film the solos on the DL.
“Number one hundred.” I hear Carole, the cheer team director, call. “You’re up.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
NIP SLIP
NASH
Ideke the second I’m in front of Tucker and smile when he lunges to the left. I shoot the puck to the right.
Goal.
“Well done, Belkin.” Coach Harrison yells from the bench. “Team, you’re dismissed.”
My new teammates file out of the rink, but I don’t rush off the ice when I see Coach coming toward the goal where my group was practicing a few plays.
“Prescott,” Coach barks. “What is wrong with you today? I’ve never seen you let so many pucks through you.”
Tucker takes his helmet off. His eyes dance all over the place in a clear attempt to avoid meeting Coach Harrison’s probing gaze.
“Nothing wrong, Coach.” He mutters. “Just tired.”
It took me exactly one practice to realize that our coach’s reputation as a hardass is well deserved.
“I thought we talked about getting your partying under control, Prescott. If you think you’ll be able to get away withshowing up hungover on NHL ice, your career will be a very short one.”
Tucker hangs his head. “Yes, sir.”
Even though Coach is just yelling at Tucker, none of us dare move a muscle while he’s speaking.
Coach Harrison’s hard gaze moves from Tucker to me, then to Thomas and Shayba. I realize that the only players left on the ice with me are my roommates.
“Since you had a terrible practice today,” Coach bites out with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “You can make it up to me by doing me a favor. And your roommates have you to thank for being chosen too for this particular job.”
