Page 18 of Pucking Sweet

They both glance sharply at me and Morrow sighs. “Nov—”

“Hey, I owed him one. He left me to the wolves last week. I got cornered by Poppy, and now I’m in private remedial PR lessons. Oh!” Doc Price emerges from her office and steps into the exam room. I sling an arm around Compton, holding my breath. “Here we go…”

The three of us stand still, waiting.

“Ohmygod,” we hear Doc shriek from inside the room. “What the hell are you doing?”

“What’s happening?” says J-Lo, standing with Karlsson and Teddy.

“I convinced Langers to get naked for his knee check,” I say. “Just wait…”

“Oh, fuck those guys,” we hear Langers shout from inside the room. “I’m gonna kill Novy!”

In moments, Doc Price steps out, clutching her tablet, and we all burst into laughter. Her eyes find me at once, glaring from me to Compton.

“See somethin’ you like in there, Doc?” I call.

Her eyes flash with mirth, even as she tries to keep on her mask of annoyance. “Who are you hazing here? Him or me?”

Langley comes barreling out of the room, tugging his shirt down. “Fuck you, Novy,” he shouts. “You guys are all jerks!” With pink blooming in his cheeks, he ducks back into the exam room.

“Please tell me he stripped totally naked,” I say, tears in my eyes.

“No, he didn’t,” Doc replies. “And just for future reference—the first guy who gets naked in my exam room is gonna get benched for a week. Bad idea to piss off the person who signs your medical releases.”

“What’s wrong, Doc?” I call. “Can’t appreciate the male form?”

Morrow shoots me a warning look.

“Oh, I appreciate the hell out of a fine male form,” she teases right back. “I just like to have finished my damn coffee first.”

Compton joins in. “So, youwouldwant to see us naked…just later in the day, after you’ve finished your coffee.”

“Yeah, it’s all a matter of timing,” I add with a nod.

“Noted, Doc,” he says with a grin.

“We could try again after lunch,” calls Walsh.

From somewhere over by the exercise bikes, a few of the guys start singing the chorus of “Afternoon Delight” and we all crack up again.

“You’re all twelve,” says Doc, turning back to her exam room.

“And you love our dumb asses!” I shout, the whole gym howling as she closes her door.

“You are so gonna get traded,” Morrow mutters. “Or fired for harassment.”

“Nah, Doc Price is cool. Way cooler than Avery the Ass. And I promise all my other pranks will involve everyone’s clothes staying on.”

Both Morrow and Compton turn.

“Other pranks?” says Morrow.

At that moment, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out and read a message from Flash.

FLASH GORDON: Huston, we have a problem!!!!

The asshole spelled “Houston” wrong. And there’s a video. I tap the play button, groaning as I watch Patty stumble around the parking garage, trying to catch all the colorful plastic balls tumbling from one of the broken trash bags. “Motherfuck—” I take a deep breath. “Must I always do everything myself?”