“Nice gloves, McCarthy,” I smirk as he glares, his mouth setting into a thin line of determination.
There is no doubt in my mind that we will win this game. We’re better. Simple as that. Throughout the first period, each team scores. It’s the second period where things get a little crazy. First, Nichols gets into a fight which is an automatic suspension for one game. It pisses me off that he’s going to throw away a game just to throw a couple of punches. Second, McCarthy scores a damn hat trick making the score 4-1. Seeing Presley cheer on her brother was just as annoying.
Heading back into the locker room for the second intermission, everyone on my team knows I’m furious. Coach doesn’t even say anything. He lets me scold them.
“What the hell are you guys doing out there?! Harper.” I point to our goalie. “What the fuck, man? Some of those shots shouldn’t have gotten past you. And Nichols! For God’s sake! What the hell were you thinking? Jere, you need to step up and take his place. I can guarant
ee you all right now that if we go out and lose this game, I’m going to make your lives a living hell.
“We are better, but you wouldn’t be able to tell with how we’re playing. We have one period to go out there and win this game.” My voice becomes somber and serious. “We’re on their turf, sure, but we are going to show them who’s better. Get your asses in gear and focus. Concentrate. Do better than your best and win this game.”
My teammates nod and I notice that Jere, Nichols’ back-up, looks a little nervous. He hasn’t gotten too much game time this year, but he’s good.
“You heard your captain,” Coach says as a dismissal.
The guys stand and begin to make their way back to the ice. “Hold up, Jere,” I say when he comes to pass me on the way out. I wait until we are the only ones left in the locker room. “I’ll make this quick. Don’t worry too much, Jere. You’re good and Andrew’s been slacking in his game. If you want to get more ice time, this is your chance to prove yourself to everyone else. I know you have skill. It’s time to show it.”
He nods curtly, and we head back to the ice with the team. It’s a tense third period, and we score enough to tie the game with three minutes to go. A minute ticks by and the Wildcats score. The last two minutes feel frantic as we take every chance we can to score. It’s useless. Their goalie is playing exceptionally well, and we are missing the mark. We lose 5-4.
No one says anything when we head back to the locker room. A needle could drop, and you would be able to hear it as we change and get ready to head back to campus. We see McCarthy and his team celebrating out in the hall. There are a couple of others standing with them, Presley included.
“Good game, Carr,” Trevor calls out as we turn the opposite way from the door of the locker room to leave. Coach is already waiting on the bus, and I stop in my tracks at his boast. The guys turn with me, and I see Presley standing beside her brother, an elbow resting on his shoulder and a smirk on her face.
“You won because we let you, McCarthy.” Total bullshit, but he doesn’t know that. “I just didn’t want to embarrass you in front of your sister,” I say with a nod in her direction, her smirk disappearing at my attention. Trevor stands a little taller, his smile gone. Bringing his sister into the conversation isn’t something he’s fond of, I’m guessing.
“I’m sure you let us win.” He even rolls his eyes. “Why don’t you all keep walking to your bus with your tail between your legs.”
I chuckle and shrug my shoulders. His comments don’t bother me, and I’m sure to exert confidence. My eyes leave his and find those brown ones I thought about last night. “Maybe I’ll catch you later, Presley?”
Her eyes widen slightly when I say her name, but other than that she doesn’t give away any emotions. Now, it’s my turn to smile as I say, “Let’s go,” to my teammates. McCarthy was pissed that I spoke to his sister, that much was evident. Maybe Presley is my ticket to exact revenge on Trevor. Messing around with his sister would be fun, especially considering his reaction tonight at the mere mention of possibly hanging out with her.
All I have to do is find a way to run into her again and maybe take her out. Shouldn’t be too hard to seduce her. Not many women in hockey towns can resist a hockey player to start with. Being 6’4” with hard-edged jaws, pearly whites, a lopsided grin, blonde hair, and blue eyes has its perks. With my charming good looks, I’m irresistible. Back on campus, the boys disperse and Harper and I get into my car to head back to our place while Nichols drives back in his ride.
“You’re going to go after her, aren’t you?” Gavin asks.
“What?” I ask innocently, looking over at him.
“Don’t play stupid, Carr. You look like you just hit the jackpot,” he chuckles.
“I have, man. I have.”
Later, while lying in bed, eyes closed, those light brown eyes were staring at me with a hint of surprise.
~ ~ ~
It’s Friday, and a couple of days have passed since the JWU game. We’ve got another one tonight, an easy win, and a party afterwards. I can’t wait to let loose for a while. I’m unhappy to admit that my mind has been wrapped around that redhead, trying to figure out a way to run into her. I haven’t said much about the Presley Plan since the JWU game with Gavin. The only option seems to be that I’ll have to run into her over at her campus and who wants to do that? It’ll be too obvious. If I don’t have a decent plan by tonight, I’m going to see if Andrew knows anything more about her.
Even with Andrew out of the game, we played well. Jere rose to the occasion and was very implemental to our game. An easy win it was, with a 5-0 final score. Harper was on top of things tonight, not letting a single shot get past him. Their goalie? He was having a bit of trouble. I smirked at the thought of one instance where he was scrambling to stop the puck, and it slipped between his skate and the goal post. Nothing like a win to make a party feel like it’s bursting at the seams with the energy of a bragging hockey team and the girls who couldn’t resist us. Most of us don’t mind Puck Bunnies. The girls who knew next to nothing about the game, hell, probably didn’t even really watch, yet they “loved” the sport. More like they loved the guys playing it.
Tonight, there was the usual swarm of Puck Bunnies after a win. I’m standing in a corner near the fireplace, a beer in my hand, watching and selecting which Bunny I will sleep with tonight. There are already three in front of me, talking about how I made an “awesome goal.” I am mainly ignoring them because I didn’t score tonight. I had three assists, but I didn’t score. For me, there is nothing more annoying than a Bunny pretending to know what she’s talking about. I rather they just own up to what they are.
My eyes rotate from the right side of the room to the left, where I see none other than Presley McCarthy entering the room with the same chick from the game hooked on her arm. A smile makes its way on my lips at how my luck just turned while wondering what she is doing here. I watch for another minute as Jere walks up to her friend and plants one on her. Jere greets Presley with a handshake and leads them to the other room.
“Excuse me, ladies,” I interrupt one of the girls who was talking. I step through their semi-circle around me and follow Jere. They are standing around the pool table, and Jere is trying to talk Andrew into playing. He won’t. I know that much because of how Jere is playing better than him. Andrew’s going to put his anger about his bad playing on who replaced him tonight. He needs to be focusing on playing better instead, but whatever.
“I’ll play with you, Jere,” I say, coming further into the room. I walk over to grab a cue and chalk the end.
“Thanks, man,” he says. Oh, don’t thank me yet, I think. “Levi, this is my girlfriend, Marley and her friend -”