Page 50 of The Tape Job
“Oh sure, that was fun! Shall I see when the next one is?” Kirsty pulls her phone out and taps the screen. She found out about it from a Facebook group she’s in that promotes events for singles. It’s run by a lady called ReLinda who seemed very enthusiastic about us finding true love last time. I don’t know long Kirsty has been single for, but she’s never talked about a boyfriend since I’ve known her.
“There’s one on Monday night,” she says, flashing me her phone screen.
“Odd night, but okay, let’s do it.”
“Is there no chance of you and Liam working things out?” she asks. I watch her tap through a few screens as she books the spots.
“Liam? Who’s he?” I smile, but I hear a scoff from Jen in the corner.
She doesn’t press me when I get back to my desk, and I try to look busy so she won’t get the chance. Not that I need to pretend to be busy because I am busy fuming about Liam’s video. How dare he leave out the good bit! I love nothing more than hearing him come. It’s hot, which is obviously why he left it out—to get me all hot and bothered. And wanting. But one thing I do know is that one day I’ll see the end of thatvideo.
Liam
I could cut the tension in the air with my skate. I lean against the wall of the tunnel watching Vicky setting up her tiny microphone, ready to ask whatever the hell is she’s going to ask us this time. She’s wearing my favourite pair of heels again; but as I watch her move, all I can think about is what her reaction would have been to the video I sent her. Since I’ve heard nothing, I can only assume that she’s ignoring me to piss me off.
It’s a Sunday home game, and everyone’s feeling deflated after yesterday’s loss. Johnny was quick to lay the blame on me, accusing me of being distracted. I mean, I am distracted, but I’m still playing well. And I’m focused—at least, I should be. But again, I find myself looking at Vicky’s shapely hips and the way her ass curves in her dress.
We get the call to move forward, and the line moves slowly after Ffordey steps onto the ice. When I’m three guys away from Vicky, I can make out her question through the noise of the crowd. She’s flicking her hair and batting her eyelashes at the whole goddamn team, and my jaw hits the floor when Bettsy answers her question and Vicky giggles before touching his arm. Her eyes flash in my direction ever so subtly, but I know exactly what she’s doing: she’s being a brat.
I clench my jaw and grab my stick from the rack, gripping it tightly.
“How do you feel about disappointing endings?” she asks Hutch. I can’t believe my ears. What the fuck is she playing at? His brows knit as he glances around for help, confused by the question.
“What, like a film or something?” he asks.
“Sure. Let’s just say a video, or a movie,” she offers, casting me a glance. I swear there was an emphasis on the word ‘video.’
“Well, I’d give it a poor rating, I guess,” Hutch says. He steps onto the ice and Bettsy shuffles forward.
He gives Vicky some crap about not appreciating anything other than a happy ending, and Jani grunts before pushing past.
Vicky bites her lip as I step towards her, and I’m trying to think fast on my feet, but I’m distracted by her perfume. She opens her mouth to speak, but I don’t even give her chance to verbalise the question on the marker board she’s propped up against the bench. I dive in with my answer: “Filmmakers rely on the quality of their props for success. Sometimes, they need a lot more to work with.” I don’t stick around for her reaction, but I can feel the hole she’s burning into my head.
Okay, so I lied. I came harder than I have in a while, or at least that’s what it felt like, but I didn’t want to give Vicky the complete show when she’s sending mixed signals and playing games. She explicitly told me to keep away, and then she’s slipping her underwear into my pocket—warm and wet underwear she knows I can’t resist. How can I keep away when she’s pulling shit like this? I honestly don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep my cool.
“Vicky comes out with some crap,” Ryan says, coming to a stop next to me. We drop to the ice and start stretching. “That wasn’t anything to do with you, was it?”
“No,” I say firmly. “No idea what she’s on about. Any update on finding a house?” I quickly change the subject and get Ryan talking about house hunting.
“It’s slow progress,” he says.
“Something will come up.”
“Heck yeah, it will! Bettsy said his dad is an electrician and knows everyone we could need. I’m just thinking we can do some bits ourselves. You’ve got your woodwork skills, and Johnny’s handy. But he can’t do plumbing, can he?” This piques Ryan’s curiosity, and he gets up and skates towards Johnny, leaning in to enquire about his pipe skills, no doubt.
This gives ample opportunity for Pritch, one of the third liners, to slide in next to me. Jasper Pritchard, a centre from Michigan, is entering his third season here. He’s a nice guy—chippy, sort of our enforcer—and doesn’t let anything faze him. Not even Vicky, who, of course, is the topic of conversation.
“Hey Lee. Vicky’s been exceptionally flirty with me tonight. I think she’s interested, but I know you guys have some history. I just wondered if you’d mind if I asked her out.”
I know I shouldn’t be jealous, but it bubbles in my stomach, and I feel like I could throw up. I take a deep breath and spend a moment thinking before answering him.
“You know what, Pritch, I think she’d love to. We’re water under the bridge,” I say, knowing that I’m pretty much lying to him. Would two people who still watch clips of each other getting off consider themselves as water under the bridge? I think not. But my guess is Vicky will probably shoot him down, so I don’t mind him expressing an interest. Nothing will come of it, right?
“What’s the deal with you two, then?” he asks as we get to our skates. “If I’m going there, I want to prepare fully.”
I honestly don’t know where to start, so I start at the beginning as we fire pucks towards Ffordey.
“We started dating properly when I was sixteen, Vicky was fifteen. Then, I went off to college. She followed me out a yearlater. We were pretty solid until I got signed and then it went a bit off course.”
