Page 27 of Hat Trick
“Physical therapy. Rehabilitation. I’m working with Lexi Armstrong. She’s?—”
“I know who she is.”
“You do?” I frown. “How?”
“I know things, Mitchell. Things that would blow your mind. Is she there with you right now?”
“Yeah.”
“Put her on for me.”
I look at Lexi. “My agent wants to talk to you.”
“Me?” She points at her chest. “Why?”
“I’m not sure, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned about Marcus, it’s that he doesn’t like to be told no.”
“We have something in common then. A mutual bond.” There’s not a lick of apprehension in Lexi’s eye when she takes the phone from me and presses it against her ear. She might be a goddamn superhero. “Hello?”
After a few seconds, Lexi is laughing. She’s nodding along, humming in agreement about something I can’t hear, and looking over at me. When she hangs up, she gives me a wide grin.
“I like him.”
“Most people do,” I say.
“He wants you to call him tomorrow. He also asked if I was making you suffer, and when I said I was, he told me he didn’t want to take up my time.”
“Asshole,” I mumble. “But I love him.”
“And he loves you, which is why you’re going to call him.” Lexi taps my thigh. “Sit all the way up, please. And put your hands behind you.”
“At least buy me dinner first, Lex.”
“Oh, Mitchy.” She grins. “Don’t tell the others, but you’re my favorite.”
We go through another round of exercises. I cringe at the hip extensions and almost cry at the next set of leg lifts. Lexi doesn’t make any comments about my lack of flexibility or howhardall of this is for me, and I’m fucking grateful when she calls time an hour and a half later.
“How are you feeling?” she asks.
“You’re a hard-ass.” I take off my glasses and grab the towel she hands me, wiping my face. “I’m going to be sore for days. I didn’t know my hips had so many muscles.”
“You’re going to be even more sore when I tell you we’re doing the same thing tomorrow.” She sits on a stool and scoots across the floor so she’s close to the table. “Have you always worn glasses?”
“It used to be only at night when I was getting ready for bed. I get so much sweat in my eyes during games, lately I started switching my contacts out for glasses when I’m not on the ice. It’s a comfort thing.”
“I like them.” Lexi smiles, and it’s her turn for her phone to chime. She pulls it out of her pocket, reads something, and rolls her eyes. “Sorry.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Just someone on Tinder canceling our meet-up tonight. He said his girlfriend found out about his account, and he can’t make it.”
She snorts and tosses her phone on the table to my left. The screen lights up with another notification. I sneak a glance at the lock screen and smile at the photo of her and her girlfriends on the ice after our Stanley Cup win, streamers around their shoulders and confetti in their hair.
God.
She’s beautiful.
This is going to be harder than I thought.
