Chased by The Hockey Stars

Chapter Four

On my first day of work as an assistant to the hockey team, my nerves were buzzing. I still had no idea how I’d gotten so lucky to land this job, but I wasn’t going to question it. All I could do was work as hard as I could to prove to the coach that I could learn whatever he needed me to do. I needed this job, and I was going to make sure to keep it.

As soon as my last class of the day was over, I began my trek across campus to the hockey arena. The team had a practice beginning in about half an hour, so I could imagine that the rest of the team was also making the same walk over to the arena right now. I scanned my surroundings, wondering if I might see any of them. Not that it mattered though, it wasn’t like any of them would ever want to walk with me.

I must’ve been speed walking because I made it to the arena in under 10 minutes. I headed straight into the arena, broadening my shoulders and hoping that I was projecting confidence, because I certainly wasn’t feeling it. Who the hell was I to think I could be an assistant to a hockey team? I knew hardly anything about hockey, but all I could do was hope that my willingness to learn and hard work would prove to the coach that he didn’t make a mistake in hiring me.

“The players are over there, you can go introduce yourself for now and I’ll be round in a minute,” the coach grumbled next, nodding his head towards the bench on the other side of the rink. Sure enough there was a group of men gathering around, some just arriving with their bags of equipment slung over their shoulders, and others already dressed in their equipment and sitting down to lace up their skates.

I approached the group cautiously, unsure if I should introduce myself or wait for the coach to do that whenever he made it over. Yet, the players had already beat me to it. I’d made it nearly 5 steps away from the bench when suddenly all eyes were on me. Damian was the only familiar face amongst the group, and his gaze quickly fell away as he went back to the laces on his skates. Everyone else however, gave me puzzled looks.

“Come on men, stop bringing your little fangirls to the rink. Who does she belong to?” A voice amongst the crowd spoke up. He took a step forward, looking around at his teammates with an accusing look. Amongst the group, the players turned to each other and made several mumbles of not me, no idea who she is, and no way. I opened my mouth to introduce myself, but the words were lost to me.

“Maybe she’s here to see you Leon!” One guy piped up to say, clearly speaking to the first man who had stepped forwards.

“I-I’m actually not here for-” I tried to say, but clearly no one had any intention of listening to me. The tiny bursts of chatter continued as Leon took another step closer to me

“Tell you what love, I’ll give you an autograph and then you can get lost,” He said sounding somehow both sweet and menacing in the same sentence. Out of nowhere, he whipped a sharpie out of his pocket and pulled off the cap. What the hell? Does he just carry that thin around in case? I mean how often is he getting asked for autographs around campus? I cautiously took a step back, a little afraid that he might just autograph the first thing he finds accessible and right now that was feeling like my forehead.

“I don’t want any autograph,” I tried to say but my voice came out quiet and squeaky. Dammit I wish I could sound more confident. I hugged my clipboard tighter to my chest.

My eyes darted to Damian’s, ashamed of the way I was suddenly seeking his help in explaining my presence but his gaze still refused to meet mine. Why couldn’t Benno had been here already? And what was taking the coach so long?

I never intended my words as an insult, but Leon seemed to interpret them that way. He might not want fans crashing their hockey practice, but the idea that someone actually didn’t want his autograph? That was somehow worse. He put his sharpie away and gave me a grimacing look. His eyes narrowed as he took yet another step closer. I tried not to cower under his presence but it was hard not to when he was definitely a full foot taller than I am and practically towered over me.

“Then I think it’s time you found yourself the exit,” he scowled down at me, his words coming so sharply I momentarily did consider turning and sprinting in the opposite direction. Yet, just in the knick of time, my knight in shining armor had arrived.

“Woah woah woah guys, no need to get all defensive. No one’s getting in trouble for bringing fangirls to practice today,” Benno suddenly spoke from behind me, coming up to join the group now with his own hockey bag slung over his shoulder. He turned to me for a moment, flashing me that big charming grin of his before turning back to the group. “Y’all meet our new hockey assistant! This is Carolyn. Car, this is the team,” he gestured towards the team of intimidating men and I swallowed the lump in my throat.

Everyone fell silent again for a moment, until Leon let out a huff. “She doesn’t look like a hockey assistant,” he grimaced, not even trying to hide the way his eyes looked me up and down in disgust. My cheeks burned, suddenly all too aware that there were easily 10 sets of eyes now looking me over and judging me. Maybe taking this job had been a huge mistake.

“Enough!” A new voice suddenly boomed above the others. It commanded the attention of the room, suddenly every player freezing in place and turning their attention to where it had come from.