As I neared her, I reached out and touched her shoulder. “Ell-”
She turned and jumped back, surprised that I was so close to her.
“TJ, you scared me,” she said in a slightly panicked voice, all but stopping me dead in my tracks.
“Oh, no, no, no,” I quickly said, backing up. I must’ve moved a bit too fast and aggressively toward her, forgetting that I looked like a hulking individual all suited up compared to her tiny self. I cleared my throat, “I just want…” I looked at her lips. “CanI…”
Those beautiful green eyes stared back at me in anticipation.
“Uh…” I chickened out, becoming all too aware that we were both in our workplace. I felt like I was shrinking on the spot, and now that my trance was broken, I was able to look around at my surroundings. I realized she must’ve been on her way to talk to my Coach- aka my Boss… Who could fire me or trade me or… banish me from Michigan… aka away fromEllie.
She bit her lip, and shyly looked around, then smiled brilliantly back at me. It was almost like sharing that smile was sharing a secret with me. Happiness on her made me weak in the knees.
“That was kinda fun, wasn’t it?” she asked as her eyes danced happily. “I’ll see you…”
“At home,” I swallowed.Her home,I yelled at myself. It was notours. She wasnot yours, dude,I reminded myself. I shook my head. What the actual fuck was I thinking? I was like a neanderthal walking toward her. Seeing her working with my teammates must’ve thrown me for a loop, because I knew all of them were probably crushing on her now too. How could they not? Beautiful and could skate like that? I felt my face heating up. Fuck. I was embarrassed. How had this girl thrown me so far off my game?
Ellie turned on her heel, and I sat back like a chump, watching her walk away.
25. Ellie
While I didn’t want TJ knowing I skated, I couldn’t necessarily turn down the money from the coaching gig I was offered. Plus, it was damn funny seeing the shocked look on his face when he saw me skating toward his team. I was finding that not much threw him off, but that suredid.
Sharing the ice with TJ and the rest of his hockey boys wasn’t as bad as I initially thought it’d be either. No one so much as dared to joke about figure skating after the guy named Campbell fell on his butt during one of my edge workouts. After that, they were all too afraid of being the next to screw up.
Overall, I think the session was a success. TJ’s coach must’ve liked my work as well because I was asked to instruct another power skate for a lower tiered group of Detroit Crewmen prospects later in the day. So, my day at the rink surprisingly did last longer and was more lucrative than I originally thought it’d be.
TJ beat me home from the rink and was waiting for me on my couch with his arms crossed in front of him when I opened thedoor.
“So, Ms. Sassypants,” he regarded me and rubbed a hand over his jaw to cover a smile.
“Yes?” I asked, amused by the nickname. If he would’ve called me that name before, I probably would’ve wanted to throat punch him, but after today I realized that nicknames were part of hockey culture. Roasting was basically endearment to them. Weirdos.
“So, you skate, huh?”
“Guess so,” I told him. I walked to sit on my couch, taking the furthest spot from him, and ripped off my shoes to hold my frozen toes with a grimace.
He immediately slid my feet into his lap and began rubbing them out for me. I almost tugged away from him, but it honestly felt like heaven.
“You could be a professional at this if the whole hockey thing doesn’t work out,” I mumbled. I let my head fall back against the couch. “God, that feels so good,” I said, then immediately snapped my neck back up, realizing what I said.
TJ regarded me with a goofy smile, like he was a second away from cracking a joke that was eating him from the insideout.
“Don’t even!” I pointed at him.
“I know, I know,” he said laughing. He looked up to the ceiling and sighed. “Grey and Jules would be so proud of me right now.”
I swatted him on the shoulder and pursed my lips.
“So, why didn’t you tell me, Brampton?” he asked.
I shrugged, and closed my eyes, enjoying the foot rub. “I have a busylife.”
“So tell me how this works,” heurged.
“Wanna have dinner?” I asked, trying to avoid his nosy questions. I moved to get up, but his hands wandered further up my calf, keeping me in place.
“Oh, no, no, no, you’re not off the hook that fast,” he said. “I was so shocked, I thought I got dinged by a slap shot. Then in the locker room all the guys were asking me why I hadn’t told them you’d be coaching today. I looked like an absolute dummy. Griff thought it was the funniest thing that ever happened. Then Duke was saying how Detroit should make a trade- me for you.”
