Page 68 of Pucking Matt
“Maybe save it for after practice?” I mutter as my eyes slice to Dylan.
“One of the older videos is blowing up right now.”
I exhale, knowing exactly what video he’s talking about. I’m skating backwards with my shirt lifting up to show my abs and then it flips to some of the guys on the team. But hell, my face is clickbait for the account. The social media manager is using my face for every thumbnail. Every video starts with me, and if it’s not me, I’m there a second later. I think it’s fair to say that there are not many pretty faces in here like mine. It’s my hair, my eyes, my scowl. Grey and I could pass for real brothers, and I think that’s why our parents married. They could fool people that we were related by our similar features. My outgoing personality outshines him by a mile though. The social media managerknows it, so she doesn’t ask him to make videos. I wouldn’t say Grey’s as good-looking as me, but apparently, Maddie thinks so.
Dylan says, “One chick just commented on it yesterday saying that she would let you use that hockey stick for other things.”
Harvey and Crew laugh. I shake my head.
Dylan chuckles, “Should I tell her Matt’s open for business? Come and get it, girl.”
Harvey pats my chest. “I don’t know if he is open for business. Did you see him at the party the other night?”
Dylan laughs. “Right, you had one girl on the dance floor and then you were taking the other one home.”
I shake my head. “Because I am open for business, but you don’t have to comment that shit on social media. Don’t be a fucking troll.”
Dylan stares at his phone with a smile. “Another one said she’d give it to the second guy. That’s you, Harv. Are you open for business?”
“Dude, get ready for practice,” I say, getting annoyed.
“They say some crazy shit on here. Women are just as bad as men.” He starts using a high-pitched voice, “I need that first one RIGHT NOW! Somebody know all of their @’s? I can handle all of them. And I don’t mean in a fight. Why are they so top-tier? Hockey players are the hottest.”
“It’s crazy on there all right.” Propping my stick up, I start wrapping it with tape in a different technique I found online. I’m following a tutorial on my phone with the volume on mute.
“We should make more of these videos. Matt, you down?”
I glance over at Dylan. “Yeah, but it’ll cut into your practice time because I have to get to work right after this. No time to fuck around after.”
“Work?”
I nod, finishing up on the tutorial.
“The Grind Stone,” Crew answers.
“The Grind Stone,” Harvey mocks in a stupid voice.
“The Grind Stone,” I confirm.
I don’t care what these fuckers think about me, but it’s like they all know something I don’t know.
We start heading out of the locker room as Harvey says, “You get to see your little girlfriend after this.”
I whack his ass with my stick.
Dylan says, “Oh, I can already see the comments flooding in.I wish Matthew Pearson would smack my ass like that.Do it again, so I can videotape it.”
I roll my eyes. “Dude.”
We all laugh as we glide into the rink.
When I walk into the Grind Stone, I’m adjusting the hat on my head. My hair needs to be tucked to the side. As I open the front door, I’m reminded of the sign I taped up not too long ago that said: Closed for Sex. I snicker to myself as I enter the building.
It’s fairly empty in here when I hear Amber but don’t see her.
“Welcome to the Grind Stone,” she says. She’s scared, the edges of her voice shake, but she’s nowhere in sight.
I hear shuffling as I walk around the counter.
