Status: Slow and steady wins the race
The Trouble with Girls and Hockey Players
Chapter Four
Lane was impressed that she hadn’t embarrassed herself yet. She even had a semi-normal conversation with John. The shoot was almost over and Lane was standing on the ice near the Rangers bench, nonchalantly gripping the boards so tight her knuckles turned white. She checked her watch, then quickly returned her hand to the boards. The last thing she needed was to fall flat on her ass in front of everyone.
Lane nearly did just that when she caught a glance of Derick across the ice. He was laughing with his head thrown back, evidently amused with something John had said. He seemed at home on the ice, much more confident and self-assured. Lane could tell that this was where Derick belonged. When her foot began to slide a little on the ice, though, she realized this definitely not where she belonged. Derick caught Lane’s eye and she just smiled. It was too late to pretend that she wasn’t looking at him. Maybe he would think they had looked at each other at the same time, but Lane doubted it. If Derick didn’t already think she was a loser, he would think she was a creep.
She giggled to herself when she saw John nudge Derick in the shoulder, pushing him a little off balance. Derick started to skate towards Lane who redoubled her efforts to stay upright. He stopped about a foot away from her, making a little mound of ice shavings at her feet.
“”Never been on ice before?” he asked.
“Nope,” Lane said. “I always loved watching hockey, just wish I could say I was good at it.” Lane was relieved when she saw Derick chuckle.
“Guess it’s not for everyone. How do you think the shoot went?”
“Great!” Lane paused for a second, thinking over her next words. “I’m a little relieved actually. I mean, hockey players aren’t really known for being great actors and a bunch of cheesy slow motion shots would make my job a lot harder.”
Derick laughed. Lane loved it when he laughed. It made her heart jump to somewhere in the vicinity of her larynx. “Well, since our amazing acting skills made your job a piece of cake, I guess that means you’re free tonight.” Derick couldn’t believe the words actually came out of his mouth. Here he was, asking a beautiful girl out, and he hadn’t knocked out her teeth, broken any bones, and managed to avoid complete social mortification.
Lane was in shock. Here she was, having a completely normal conversation with a hockey player, maybe even flirting a little. And here he was, asking her out. Derick Brassard, star center for the New York Rangers, was asking her, Lane Knightly, if she was doing anything later. If she survived this, she would have to remember to buy a lottery ticket and check if the earth had spun off its axis.
“Yeah,” Lane said. “I mean, there’s a Law and Order: SVU marathon on USA and I just bought some ice cream with chocolate covered peanuts, but that’s about it. And sometimes Billie, she’s my roommate, brings home sushi.” Great, the pointless babbling was back.
“You really know how to party,” Derick laughed.
“You know it,” Lane said. “The party don’t start ‘til I walk in.”
“Do you think you could tear yourself away from the TV long enough to go to dinner?” Derick asked, trying to wipe his sweaty palms on his pants without Lane noticing. “We could even get sushi if you wanted to.”
“I think I can battle the withdrawal for one night,” Lane said. “But you better be getting me some dessert to make up for the ice cream I’m gonna be missing.”
“Sounds like a deal. I guess I’ll pick you up at seven?” Derick asked tentatively, still wary that Lane might reject him.
“Sure,” Lane said. “Give me your number and I’ll text you my address.” Lane’s hand shook as she held out her phone.
“I’ll see you later than,” Derick said after punching his number in. The phone almost slid through his sweaty hands to the ice, but he managed to get a grip on it just in time. He skated back towards the locker room, not even bothering to fight the shit eating grin that was spreading across his face.
Left alone on the ice, Lane did a little happy dance. And promptly fell on her butt. After taking a quick look around to make sure no one saw, Lane dusted herself off and headed towards her office, wearing a shit eating grin of her own.
Lane nearly did just that when she caught a glance of Derick across the ice. He was laughing with his head thrown back, evidently amused with something John had said. He seemed at home on the ice, much more confident and self-assured. Lane could tell that this was where Derick belonged. When her foot began to slide a little on the ice, though, she realized this definitely not where she belonged. Derick caught Lane’s eye and she just smiled. It was too late to pretend that she wasn’t looking at him. Maybe he would think they had looked at each other at the same time, but Lane doubted it. If Derick didn’t already think she was a loser, he would think she was a creep.
She giggled to herself when she saw John nudge Derick in the shoulder, pushing him a little off balance. Derick started to skate towards Lane who redoubled her efforts to stay upright. He stopped about a foot away from her, making a little mound of ice shavings at her feet.
“”Never been on ice before?” he asked.
“Nope,” Lane said. “I always loved watching hockey, just wish I could say I was good at it.” Lane was relieved when she saw Derick chuckle.
“Guess it’s not for everyone. How do you think the shoot went?”
“Great!” Lane paused for a second, thinking over her next words. “I’m a little relieved actually. I mean, hockey players aren’t really known for being great actors and a bunch of cheesy slow motion shots would make my job a lot harder.”
Derick laughed. Lane loved it when he laughed. It made her heart jump to somewhere in the vicinity of her larynx. “Well, since our amazing acting skills made your job a piece of cake, I guess that means you’re free tonight.” Derick couldn’t believe the words actually came out of his mouth. Here he was, asking a beautiful girl out, and he hadn’t knocked out her teeth, broken any bones, and managed to avoid complete social mortification.
Lane was in shock. Here she was, having a completely normal conversation with a hockey player, maybe even flirting a little. And here he was, asking her out. Derick Brassard, star center for the New York Rangers, was asking her, Lane Knightly, if she was doing anything later. If she survived this, she would have to remember to buy a lottery ticket and check if the earth had spun off its axis.
“Yeah,” Lane said. “I mean, there’s a Law and Order: SVU marathon on USA and I just bought some ice cream with chocolate covered peanuts, but that’s about it. And sometimes Billie, she’s my roommate, brings home sushi.” Great, the pointless babbling was back.
“You really know how to party,” Derick laughed.
“You know it,” Lane said. “The party don’t start ‘til I walk in.”
“Do you think you could tear yourself away from the TV long enough to go to dinner?” Derick asked, trying to wipe his sweaty palms on his pants without Lane noticing. “We could even get sushi if you wanted to.”
“I think I can battle the withdrawal for one night,” Lane said. “But you better be getting me some dessert to make up for the ice cream I’m gonna be missing.”
“Sounds like a deal. I guess I’ll pick you up at seven?” Derick asked tentatively, still wary that Lane might reject him.
“Sure,” Lane said. “Give me your number and I’ll text you my address.” Lane’s hand shook as she held out her phone.
“I’ll see you later than,” Derick said after punching his number in. The phone almost slid through his sweaty hands to the ice, but he managed to get a grip on it just in time. He skated back towards the locker room, not even bothering to fight the shit eating grin that was spreading across his face.
Left alone on the ice, Lane did a little happy dance. And promptly fell on her butt. After taking a quick look around to make sure no one saw, Lane dusted herself off and headed towards her office, wearing a shit eating grin of her own.
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Yay two updates in one day! Merry Christmas everyone :)