Page 12 of Doc Defence

“Babbbeeeeeee,” she called and waved her hand at him, summoning Frost to go over to her. “Babe!”

Star’s gesturing became more emphatic, and as Hel looked at her face, it morphed from the most stunning woman she had ever been this close to and became something unpleasant, as if her personality was reflected on her features.

Hel shook herself. Where had that thought come from? She didn’t know the girl, she shouldn’t be thinking bitchy thoughts about her. It wasn’t Star’s fault Hel wanted to examine Frost’s tattoos more closely and maybe the muscles under them.

She threw the brakes on the thought. Um, what now? The man helped her out in a life-threatening situation, and her stupid, desperate, single for far too long brain was being annoying and trying to read things into it.

Hel opened her mouth to suggest he should go across to his girlfriend but didn’t get any words out before Star snapped again.

“Babe, I need you to take the wide shot with me in. I’m in the golden hour for posts when my Star-lifers are most engaged, so you need to take them now!” Star waved her phone at Frost.

“Okay,” he called back, then nodded to Sadie and Hel. “I’ll try and talk to you later.”

Hel thought there was an edge to his voice, although it might have been wishful thinking on her behalf. The hockey player walked away, back over to his girlfriend and bent to give her a soft kiss, which made Hel’s heart squeeze a little bit, so she turned to Sadie.

“Where shall we sit?” Hel picked her stool up and glanced around the circle, looking for a gap in the cluster of hockey players.

A man the size of a bear with pitch-black hair and a matching neatly trimmed beard boomed at them from the other side of the table. “Come sit with us, Hel and friend!”

He waved so enthusiastically the petite blonde girl who was clinging to his arm was thrown off her chair.

“Oh shit,” he bellowed. “I’m so sorry!”

Hel and Sadie exchanged a glance, wondering if the little blonde was about to get angry with the giant man.

But the other woman brushed herself off and giggled good-naturedly up at the giant, who was now clearly trying to make it up to her and was whispering something into her ear, which made her blush.

“Do we go across?” Hel asked.

“Yeah, come and sit with us,” the tiny blonde girl called and waved.

“Yup. Come on.” Sadie picked up her stool in one hand, clutched the ice bucket precariously in the other, and weaved her way around the table.

Hel felt eyes on her and glanced across at Frost, but his were firmly on Star. Shaking herself, she picked up her chair and followed her friend.

“Ladies!” The bear with the booming voice exclaimed when Sadie arrived in front of him. He reached out and grabbed the ice bucket off Sadie placing it on the table, then thrust his hand out to her.

Sadie took it, and an immediate wince crossed her face, even as she said, “Nice to meet you. I’m Sadie, one of Hel’s friends.”

“Rocky!” The small blonde woman chided. “She’s not one of your teammates. Don’t crush her hand!”

The giant, who evidently was called Rocky, immediately let go of Sadie’s hand, and his lips flattened out into an apologetic expression.

“Sorry, bad habit.” He nodded to Sadie, and his gaze moved to Hel. “I might wave to you if that’s okay?”

He then proceeded to give her what could only be described as ‘jazz hands’.

“No problem.” Hel suppressed a giggle and waved back. “Nice to meet you. Is Rocky your actual name or a weird nickname?” she asked as she pulled up the stool so she was sitting next to the giant’s girlfriend.

Sadie was next to a man who was even bigger than the giant, but he wasn’t paying them any attention as he was deep in ‘conversation’ with a woman.

“Nickname. My name is Sylvester.” He shrugged.

“Stallone?” Hel queried, a smirk on her face.

“No, unfortunately not, it’s Williams.” A throat clearing next to him had him looking down at the blonde by his side. “And this is my girlfriend, Abbey.” He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to his side.

“How does it feel to be a hero?” Abbey addressed Hel.

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