Page 12 of Pucking Sweet

“Let me know when you’re all done playingGossip Girl,” Coach Andrews calls from behind his desk. “Then maybe I can tell you who’s gonna start this season.”

That settles us down real quick. We all look to Coach and wait.

He stands behind his desk, hands pressed flat to the surface. “Right, fellas, here’s how it’s gonna be. Hanner and Woodson, you’re paired third.”

They look to each other and give a curt nod. Paulie makes a great grinder, and Woody is a useful enforcer. Solid players, both. I certainly won’t complain when it’s time for a shift change.

“As for you four,” Coach goes on, gesturing between the rest of us. “Look, we all know the Rays are still in a period of settling—”

“Oh shit.” Novy’s mask of humor flickers.

“I don’t want any bruised egos here, guys,” Coach says. “You’ll all be getting plenty of ice time. And no one is getting punished here,” he adds, looking directly at Novy. “We’re just not locking down the first and second pairs quite yet—”

“But someone’s gonna start next week,” says Novy.

Coach nods. “For game one next week, we want to see Gerard and Morrow on the ice first. Compton and Novy, that makes you second pair.”

Holy shit, I’m starting. In the first game the Jacksonville Rays play in the NHL, Colton Morrow, the Black kid from Canada who everyone bet against will be the starting right-side defender. Given what’s it taken for me to reach this point, I can’t help but smile…and send up a little prayer of thanks.

Gerard reaches around Novy to pat my arm. “First on the ice. We’ll make a great team, eh?”

Compton crosses the room to his hand outstretched for me to shake. “Well done, Morrow. Between you, me, and Paulie, we’ll have a strong right side this season. Let’s leave it to these other assholes to pull their weight on the left.”

“That’s the team spirit I’m looking for,” Coach says. “Now, make sure to check in with PT before you leave for the day. Good work this week, boys.”

I shake Compton’s hand, making room for Paulie and Woody to step out behind me. “You sure there’s no hard feelings?”

“None at all,” Compton replies. “Hey, let’s celebrate. We’ll let Cay pick the dive, and I’ll take the check. Nov, you’re coming too.”

Novy just shrugs.

“Gotta count me out, boys,” says Gerard. “The missus and I have plans this weekend. Last little getaway before the season starts.”

“We never counted you in,” Compton teases. Then he drops my hand. “Right, fellas. I’ll have Cay send a message in the group chat with the time and place for dinner. Let’s make it Sunday. For now, I gotta go see a girl about a number.” He ducks away without a backward glance.

Coach Andrews follows him out, leaving his office door wide open.

I look to Novy. “Hey…you good?”

Novy stands, flashing me a smile that doesn’t quite meet his eyes. “Always.”

I don’t even realize I’m reaching for him, but my hand brushes his shoulder. “Hey, man, you know you don’t have to—”

“Cole, I said I’m good,” he says, shrugging away from my touch.

His use of my name has me dropping my hand to my side. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him say it, even when we played together.

“Come on, let’s get outta here.” He ducks around me. “Hey, wanna help me pull a prank on the new Hot Doc?”

I follow him into the hallway. “What kind of prank?”

He fishes his phone from his pocket. “How hard do you think it would be to rent an inflatable ball pit on short notice?”

I pause in my steps, looking at the back of his head. “Do you really wanna get fired that bad, Nov? You just got here.”

He laughs, eyes still on his phone. “We can’t let Compton have all the fun. Let’s go see a girl about a number.”

I laugh, shaking my head.Thisis the Lukas Novikov I remember from my days on the Thunderbirds: Prankster, chirper, competitive asshole, constantly wheeling multiple girls at once.