PUCKED BY FATE

Chapter 6 - Beware

Andrew Lieberman

We returned to practice after Amalia auditioned and Natasha accepted her as her pupil. It was business as usual for us. We were the Glaciers, cold as ice, unbreakable, and we must be ready to face our adversaries in the upcoming season.

After we finished practice, I made my way to the locker room. In the hallway, Natasha looked at me and smiled. "Andrew..." she called out my name, and I gave her a curt nod.

"Nat..." I smiled.

"Are you still coming at 5 am for physical training?" she asked me, and I chuckled.

"Nat, old habits break hard..." I joked and she smiled.

"You are the most driven and disciplined of all. You don´t take anything for granted, even when you don´t need to go pro and fight for a hockey career because your family is well-off. You choose to give to your dreams your all," she said, and I nodded.

"Well, my new pupil... Amalia... she is just like you." She said, and I crossed my arms before my chest, because there was no other way I would play this f*****g conversation cool, with my hands on the lose.

"What is it, Nat?" I stopped her mid-sentence because she was rambling, which Nat did when she was about to ask something.

She took a deep breath. "I know you took a couple of sports medicine certifications, including physical training and Physiotherapy," she said, and I nodded.

"From what I saw in Amalia, she has the best ballet and gymnastics background of all the girls I had taken under my wing. But I could see how she heaves and struggles with her endurance... she needs to increase her stamina..." Nat said, and I nodded.

"Well, she needs to work with a physical trainer, " I said, and then my mind paused for a second because the words I had said sank in.

"Exactly... I have the perfect trainer in mind..." Nat said, and I shook my head.

This was a great opportunity, but a dangerous one. Being close to Amalia was dangerous ground for me. I need to focus. This is my first full season playing pro hockey, and this is my shot. My journey after college hockey was a rocky one. I signed a two-year contract with a mid-league team, then had a minor injury while waiting for my big oportunity. I should not be focusing on distractions because Amalia will be one.

"I am sorry, Nat. I can´t help you." I said and tried to move away, but she stood before me, the tiny thing with a fierce attitude. "Nate already agreed," she said, with a pleading voice.

"I know you don´t need the money, but I am willing to pay for the training program." She said, "Amalia needs not only a physical trainer, she needs one who understands what it takes to be on the ice." She sighed... "Please..." she said at the end, and I took a deep breath.

It was an opportunity to be close to her without raising any flags with Bobby, but it was also dangerous; I would risk my heart and my friendship with him.

I took a deep breath, "Alright..." I said defeated

"Tomorrow at five," she said, and I nodded. I went to the locker room and sat on the bench before my spot.

"Hey, what did Nat want?" Bobby sat beside me.

"She wanted me to make a physical training plan for your cousin," I said, and he nodded.

"That woman is unstoppable," Bobby said, and I chuckled.

"Nat certainly is..." I said, and Bobby shook his head.

"I was not talking about Nat, I was talking about Mely," she said, and I took a deep breath, for the first time hearing the nickname she holds before her family. I shouldn´t care about it, but somehow deep within me, something was imprinted in my heart.

"Why do you say that?' Isn´t she the Anderson princess? A woman who doesn´t need to put effort because everything is given to her? Isn´t she a spoiled brat?" I said, and he laughed

"Don´t get fooled by the last name..." Bobby paused. Yes, she comes from a very wealthy family, and she can ask for anything and it will materialize before her, but she is a caged bird. My uncle Ezra is super protective of her. Also, her dream is to become one of the best Ice skaters, and even when her family gives her the resources to pay for everything, they don´t believe in her talent, so she has a lot to prove." Bobby said and somehow I was pissed, now a fire of determination glowing inside my chest. She will shut everyone's mouths, because I will ensure she is in top shape for that.

She is talented and beautiful, and from what I saw on the ice, she is delicate and smooth like a prima ballerina.

"Good to know," I said while placing my gear in the washing bin. Most locker rooms tend to smell of sweat and humidity, but not the Glacier´s. Our locker room was neat and always freshly cleaned. Nate was a sucker for good habits, and all of that translated in the team´s performance.

We were required to have at least two sets of gear: one for wear while training and a spare one for the next day. Our handler made sure that all our equipment was washed and disinfected daily, so our locker never smelled of sweaty crotches and armpits. I took my bag and slid it over my shoulder.

"I need to be here early, on Monday," I sighed, and Bobby nodded.

"So, you are not coming out for dinner?" he asked, and I shook my head. I needed to head home and rest. It was Saturday. We had been training even on weekends; we needed to be ready for the season's opening game.

"Nah, I need to rest and start working on a physical training routine. I will be done with the final plan once I see where I need to build endurance and where I need to build a bit more muscle mass," I said, and he nodded.

"Beware... she can be the sweetest woman on the face of Earth but she can make you live a f*****g nightmare if she puts her mind to it." Bobby chuckled, and I nodded.

"Well, I hope she is a professional, then," I said, and he nodded.

"But she is creative..." Bobby laughed, and I lifted my eyebrows.

"How creative?" I asked, wondering what I had agreed on.

"Well, she had two younger brothers. Twins..." he paused, and I nodded. "Well, she was doing some arts and crafts projects, one her mother said she would supervise and one she was too eager to tackle. She must have been around seven or so..." Bobby paused, "of course, her brothers rattled on her, and she was so pissed that she covered them in glue and then sprinkled glitter over them..." he said, and my eyes snapped open, what the f**k was wrong with her when she was a kid?

"It took Aunt Becky about a week to get rid of the glitter in her home, and about three days to wash it away from the twins." Bobby chuckled.

"She was always called to the principal´s office..." Bobby sighed, "Maybe that troublemaker attitude made Uncle Ezra think ice skating was not serious for her." Bobby shrugged his shoulders, and I nodded.

"Well, thanks for the heads-up..." I said, and he nodded. "Aren't you going to warn me to stay away from her?" I said, partially joking and partially testing the waters.

"Man... I don´t think she is very fond of you... so no worries..." Bobby patted my shoulder, and we left the locker room and headed to our cars.

Not fond of me? What the f**k does that mean? I saw her at our games; she was an annoying little thing. I never paid much attention to her, and I don´t recall any interaction with her, that would make her hate me...

I drove home, prepared some pasta with salmon, and dove in, working the best routine for her.