Page 10 of Doc Defence

“Yeah, my friend over there needs them. I’m not sure why, but I think it must be something to do with world peace, as she’s making a massive fuss about it.” Hel observed.

She glanced over to see Frost telling the young woman something. His next words didn’t carry across the noise in the pub, but the high-pitched shriek of, Babbbbeeeeeee, definitely did.

“You’re the only one who can save him now.” Hel looked very serious and gestured towards the huge jar of umbrellas.

“Well, if a man’s life is in danger. It would be remiss of me not to help.” The bartender grinned winningly and leaned on the bar, trying to hold eye contact with her.

But Hel wasn’t interested in flirting with the bartender, who, while very attractive in that slim, youthful type of way, couldn’t have been more than nineteen, which held no appeal to her at all when she was thirty-five. She liked real men, close to her own age, like—. She cut the line of thought off before it could go too far.

“Thanks. You are doing a service to men everywhere.” Hel waited silently as the bartender tried to woo her for ten more seconds before he seemed to realise he was onto a loser and turned around to his jar of umbrellas, fishing a little handful out for her.

“Here you go.” He placed them in her palm, his fingers brushing over her hand.

Hel ignored him and pulled her hand back, saying, “Thanks, mate.”

She reached into her handbag, grabbed a five-dollar bill, and stuffed it into the tip jar on the counter.

“Let’s go.” Hel nodded at Sadie, who silently picked up the ice bucket with their bottle of wine in. “Get the comment out now before we go over there,” she grumbled, knowing her friend well enough to realise she had something, likely inappropriate, to say.

“Looks like Frost has a knight in shining armour.” Sadie giggled happily.

“Grab your horse, and let’s get this over with,” Hel replied, not wanting to delve too deeply into why she felt compelled to help Frost out.

It was because she was a nice person. Definitely that.

She led the way over to the table of hockey players, where Frost was still quietly talking to his girlfriend, and she was screeching ‘baaaabbbbbeeeee’ on repeat.

Even the guys who had been very absorbed in their dates—actually, she amended, most of them looked more like hookups—were now watching the show.

Sadie and Hel stood awkwardly at the table, waiting for Frost to make introductions, but he was too caught up with his girlfriend.

Hel’s eyes flew to Sadie, wondering if they should leave, but her friend shrugged and leaned closer to make sure she didn’t miss anything from the argument.

She rolled her eyes. Sadie loved gossip, other people’s, not her own, as Sadie’s life was incredibly happy and stable.

Hel felt a little twinge and brushed it aside, she wasn’t jealous of her friend’s happiness. She was glad her two best friends were happy, but it didn’t mean she didn’t sometimes get a bit lonely.

“I asked you for such a small thing, babe. I don’t understand why you won’t go and fetch it for me.” Frost’s pretty girlfriend whined.

“Because it’s a stupid umbrella. Does it matter what colour it is?” Frost sounded exhausted.

“Are you blind? Of course, it matters! This green umbrella with the pink drink will ruin the whole aesthetic of my post, and it washes me out! The Star-lifers expect a certain look on my posts. I need to maintain my brand.” The girl pouted. Her lips sticking out in a way that looked attractive and cute.

Hel surmised the other woman had spent a long time perfecting the look in front of a mirror and a fair bit of money on injectables to have lips like that. Lips, which at first glance looked lush and full, but when you saw them from the side, looked too pouty and slightly weird.

“It’s an umbrella.” Frost’s voice growled.

Hel stepped forward, holding out the umbrellas Frost’s girlfriend had demanded. “Hi, I’m Hel. I’m the team doctor. I’m sorry to interrupt, but I noticed the drink Frost got you didn’t have the nicest-coloured umbrella in it, and I thought you might like these.”

The other woman blinked, her impossibly long and perfect eyelashes brushing her cheeks when her eyes closed.

“Oh. Thank you.” Star took the umbrellas, laying them out on the table and ignoring Hel as all her attention was on creating the perfect-looking drink.

Hel looked up and met Frost’s emerald green eyes, and he mouthed ‘thanks’ at her.

She nodded and mouthed ‘no problem’ back.

“Boys. I’d like to introduce you to our team doctor. She was out on the ice with Aiden earlier. This is Hel.” Frost put his hand on her shoulder.

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