Page 79 of Coach Sully
“Thought I saw your car in the lot. Trying to earn extra credit by showing up early?”
She scoffs. “What would I need extra credit for? Certainly not to warm up extra early so you put me on the starting line in Vancouver.”
“Want some practice shots?”
“Yes, please. I’ve already warmed up with reaction balls in the locker room,” she explains, doing some stretches on the ice.
“Finish your warm-up and let me know when you’re ready.”
I practice some of my edgework while collecting pucks around the ice for her, then notice a couple of Kendra’s camera guys setting up. I’m supposed to be going on another date tonight. Now that I’ll be traveling for games more, they’re trying to get a bunch in beforehand. Wish I could tell them what a waste of time this all is.
I slap a few pucks toward the opposite end of the ice.
“Ready?” I shout to Timber.
She drops her mask and bends her knees, lowering herself to take up more space in the net. Affirmative. I rush the net, passing the puck while watching her small movements and preparing to dart in either direction. When I come from the right, she covers that side. I’m coming at her hard. How long will she hold out in this spot? Long enough for me to get the puck by her on the left? Or will she cover the left too early, allowing me to strike on the right? Anticipating moves when someone isbarreling down on you is a mental mindfuck. She stays cool and collected. In the end, I get it by her on the right. She pulled a split second too early after I gave her a small deke, and couldn’t react fast enough in the crease. Reacting is a goaltender’s last line of defense. Positioning and reading a player comes first. Her reflexes are lightning quick, but sometimes it’s not enough.
She shakes it off, tapping her stick on the ice. “Let’s go again.”
The next one she blocks, and I smile. “Nice job. Notice how you were able to cut down on those angles? Your positioning was better.”
She nods, and I do close plays with her until the other players filter onto the ice.
Delta skates up and takes over for me while I do a couple drills with Joey—who actually showed up on time today.
“How’s the dating life, Coach?” she asks. “Any winners?”
“Nobody yet,” I tell her.
She dekes me to the side, and I lose the puck. Damn. “I’m going to tell you my tried-and-true method, ready?”
I scoff. “Pins and needles.”
“Okay, here’s what you do…You look them in the eye”—she skates in front of me, looking serious as can be—“and then you say, ‘I’m a hockey player.’”
I chuckle and grab a new puck.
“Works every fucking time,” she says.
I roll my eyes. Yeah, I may have used that once or twice back in the day.
Timber blocks one of Delta’s pucks, who then spins around, grabbing a new one. She’s frustrated. Jeanine is on the other end with a few cones, setting up for edgework drills. The rest of the team is on the ice stretching.
“See, it’s more of a relationship show,” I explain to Joey. “If it was a hookup show, I’d already be done, right?”
“How embarrassing,” Timber pops off. It makes me laugh. I kinda walked into that one.
“Hey-o,” Joey adds.
“What about Kendra?” Cori asks.
I keep my head down, collecting pucks, making sure I don’t react. “What do you mean?”
“I dunno, you did that little live promo thing, seemed like there was some tension there.”
Shit. “No, there isn’t. She’s my boss.”
Delta barks out a laugh. “Do you think we’re blind, Coach?”