Page 24 of Her Goal
“What do you mean?” I ask, feigning ignorance.
“You went and hid behind Sir Goalwain.” She shakes her head. “You freakish hockey fans and your obsession. Really, Goalwain, instead of Gawain?”
“It’s punny.”
“Who are you and what did you do with Leah?”
I slant my gaze at her. “I got something in my eye, so I had to go back there and?—”
“No one goes behind a rickety old metal knight dressed as a hockey player if they get something in their eye. It’s probably dusty back there.”
She’s not wrong. For a moment, I was afraid a spider was going to wrap me in its web. “Heidi, I can’t teach Robo how to figure skate.”
“Why not? He seemed happy enough to see you.”
“He hardly remembered me.”
She wags her finger. “I watched the whole interaction. If you recall, Grady literally didn’t recognize me. Robo definitely did and he was checking you out from head to toe. Don’t deny it. Your cheeks are still pink.”
“He’s a hockey player. It’s in the name.Player. He probably ogled every female in here. He was also chummy with the puck bunnies at table six.”
“They were pawing at him. He did the best he could to escape their clutches. Anyway, he’ll learn Badaszek’s rules soon enough.”
“Not likely,” I mutter. In need of a change of subject, I say, “Is this your new office?”
“Believe it or not, it’s quieter than at home.”
I turn in a circle while saying, “There are seven televisions on, all airing various hockey games along with another Guns N’ Roses song on the jukebox.”
“My parents got the kids this toy—” She goes on to impersonate the sounds it makes.
I cover my ears. “Harsh.”
“Grady said the house is going to get robbed and strangely, that’ll be the only thing that went missing,” she says airily.
I can’t help but laugh.
Emerson delivers a plate of nachos. “Oh good, you’re on your break.”
I look around and while everything is under control, I always tell my coworker to go first. She gives me a thumbs up, insisting I go first.
Heidi nudges the nachos toward me. “Sit. Help me eat these.”
I am starving so I take a good chip with melty cheese and plenty of toppings.
Heidi holds me captive while saying, “The skating lessons will only be a few times a week ahead of the season getting into full swing. Grady says he’s a good goalie.”
Yeah, good at blocking a girl with a crush on his brother from having a chance.
She crunches on a chip, then says, “At the welcome party they threw, there was that weird thing with the gnome.”
Even though I know how filthy it is under these tables, I’d hide under it if I didn’t have to get back to work. Instead, I tell her to lower her voice because the enemy could be lurking around the building.
Heidi adds, “Also, he’s so at ease on social media reels and stories. The guy acts like he was born in front of a camera.”
“That’s because he wants all the attention on him and to hide the fact that he’s big, dumb, and awkward.”
“The hoard of female fans urging him to take his gear off after games would beg to differ.”
