Page 16 of Game Changer
“He’s a real sweetheart,” Hal agreed.
Scott looked across the ice to the Chicago bench. “Is Becker all right?”
“I’m going to go check on him. Seems to still be alive.” Hal looked pointedly at Scott. “Tell your boy if I see that shit again he’s out of the game.”
“Noted.”
Hal left to head over to the Chicago bench, and Scott headed to the penalty box.
“Couldn’t change his mind,” he said. “Just take two to cool off and then we’ll finish disappointing the home crowd.”
“It wasn’t charging. No fucking way that was charging,” Zullo spat.
“Except the part where you charged him.”
“Jesus fucking Christ, Hunter. You fucking serious? You playing for Chicago now? Becker took a dive!”
Scott was already skating back to the bench. “Take two, Frank,” he called over his shoulder.
Carter caught up with him. “How much can I slip Hal to suspend Zullo for a few games?”
“Come on,” Scott said dryly, “Zullo is perfectly capable of getting suspended without your help.”
“Fucking psychopath,” Carter muttered. “We’re still doing Chicago Cut after the game, right? Ineedthose steaks.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Hal blew the whistle for the face-off. Scott went down to the circle in their end of the ice to take it, and threw some encouraging words at their goaltender as he skated by the net.
“Good game, Benny!”
“Don’t say a damn word. You jinx me and I’m coming after you.”
Scott chuckled. Eric Bennett was as mild-mannered as they come off the ice, but once he was in the crease, he was as fierce a competitor as Scott had ever known.
Scott bent down at the circle and put his stick on the ice. He glanced up to meet the eye of his opponent, a star center for Chicago named Clarke.
“If Zullo tries that shit again,” Clarke growled, “I’m sending Harvey after him.”
“Man, go ahead. Don’t know why you’d do that to Harvey, though.” Scott smiled.
“Zullo is a piece of shit.”
“Now, now. If you can’t say something nice...”
As soon as Scott won the face-off, he raced down to the opposing team’s zone and took a quick pass back from Carter. He launched the puck at the net and watched it sail over the goalie’s shoulder for a shorthanded goal.
It felt so fucking good to have his game back.
Chapter Four
Kip had more than one job.
As well as working at Straw+Berry, he was on a call list for a company that hired servers for events, like fund-raisers and ceremonies. A friend had gotten him on the list, and Kip had worked a couple dozen events over the past year and a half.
He had received a call to see if he was available to work a fund-raiser for one of the children’s hospitals Wednesday night, a black-tie cocktail reception with some speakers at Chelsea Piers.
Kipwasavailable, and hereallyneeded the money. So on Wednesday, he left Straw+Berry at two o’clock with his backpack containing his wadded-up apron and ball cap, and also his black leather shoes, his black dress pants, and a few basic toiletries so he could freshen up before the high-class event.
