Page 53 of Grumpy Pucking Orc (Orcs on Ice #1)
Jordan
M y FedEx bill was going to be insane. I’d looked up the Tusks’ game schedule, called the main office to beg the address to their hotels, explaining that I was Ozar’s girlfriend and wanted to send him some care packages.
Then I’d gone to town on the purchases, shipping the orc cannolis, cheesecakes, gourmet chocolates, and even a half-gallon of his favorite farm-fresh milk.
We talked every morning, just before my office opened for the day and after he and his team had finished their grueling run-and-lift routine.
We talked every night after he’d returned to the hotel room from the game.
There had been no more lucky scores for the Tusks, but they were at least narrowing the gap between their zero and the winning score.
And the fights! No matter how the other team tried, eventually the orcs would needle them into action.
As the team’s skating improved, so did their ability to slam the opposing team against the glass or cut them off at the goal.
Ozar and I celebrated the improvements, mourned the losses, then went on to have epic phone sex. It was our nightly routine, and I looked forward to it.
Each morning, I started the day on a high after our call. Even the most difficult procedure seemed easy. I was more focused, cheerful, happy. Ozar made me a better me. Just hearing his voice energized me and inspired me to work even harder for my patients.
But the games… Ozar seemed more optimistic than he’d been during that first call from Ohio, but I knew these losses and shut outs were taking a toll on him.
The Tusks needed a coach, a trainer, marketing campaigns, and hype.
They needed an owner who truly gave a shit about the team improving and winning instead of treating them like a circus sideshow.
And Ozar needed some sort of recognition for the work he was putting in trying to pull this team together.
I’d been keeping an eye on the animal shelter site, and by Tuesday I couldn’t wait any longer. I went in and adopted Coal after setting up a spot for him in my master bathroom.
As expected, Judy had a shitfit. The moment I walked in with the little cardboard box holding the small black cat, Judy’s eyes bugged out, her back arched, and the deepest yowly-growl I’d ever heard emanated from her chest.
Coal meowed plaintively from inside the box, but Judy was not about to be won over, so I took Ozar’s cat up to my bathroom and introduced him to his temporary space.
He explored the area with curiosity, taking immediate advantage of the litter box.
After watching him play in the fountain water bowl, I gave him some kibble and left him to enjoy the space.
It wasn’t ideal, but it was a whole lot bigger and had more amenities than his cage at the shelter.
Plus, I needed to give Judy time to get used to our new friend .
Judy was pacing outside the master bathroom door when I emerged. She’d already pooped in the middle of my bedroom floor.
“I know, I know.” I picked her up and carried her downstairs. “Change is hard, but Ozar wants a cat of his own. I want to marry him, so you’re going to need to get used to Coal living with us. He’s a sweet cat. You don’t have to love him, but you will have to tolerate him.”
Judy made what I can only describe as a grumpy harrumph. Trying to make amends, I let her have some grilled chicken from the fridge while I cleaned up her mess. Then I sat down to watch the Tusks play against Pittsburgh.
Knowing it would be a few hours before Ozar finished up and made it back to the hotel for our nightly call, I went upstairs after the game to check on Coal.
The cat had managed to pull down my towels and scatter them across the room.
I found him curled up in one of the sinks instead of the comfy bed I’d bought for him.
Blinking his bright eyes up at me, he stretched and yawned, then strolled across the counter with a confident meow.
I liked this cat. It would have been normal for Coal to be anxious his first night in a strange home, especially with a hostile feline roommate, but the little black cat had been nonplused by the whole situation. He bumped his head against my hand and purred as I scratched him behind the ears.
“It won’t be long before you have the run of the house,” I told him.
“I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to stay out of Judy’s way and calmly ride out her tantrums. And when Ozar comes back, you’ll be at his house most of the time.
Until you both move in, that is. It’ll give Judy some time to get used to you before you’re here for good. ”
The cat kept purring. I loved on him as long as I could, then filled his food bowl and left, ready for Ozar to call.
On the way downstairs, I encountered another turd. And on the bottom step, a coughed-up hair ball. It was going to be a long transition, but Coal was worth it.
Ozar was worth it.