Chapter 5 - Cole
Cole
Game day was when the spotlight was on us, but there was a lot more to being a pro hockey player than what the fans saw. We had scrimmages and workout days, too. Those were just as important as the days we played another team. Maybe even more so.
Today was a workout day. We had drills on the ice, then went into the training room for conditioning. Everyone had a different routine they fell into, including me. But today I was doing something different.
June had me on a new workout to rehab my knee.
“You don’t have to supervise,” I told her while I was using the leg press machine. “Give me a list and I’ll do it all.”
“It’s my job to make sure you do it, and do it right,” she said cheerfully. “We’ve got deadlifts after this, and if you do it with poor form, it might make your knee worse.”
I’d been doing deadlifts since I was thirteen, but I didn’t tell her that. She was new, and couldn’t trust the players immediately. Trust had to be built. And honestly, plenty of my teammates needed to be supervised. And not just Rhett.
“Rest time’s over,” June said. “Two more sets. Let’s go.”
At first, I was skeptical of June. Not because of anything about her personally, but because she was replacing Andy. He’d been our trainer since the team was founded, and I trusted him.
But I was quickly realizing that despite her youth, June was excellent at her job. She fit in well with the team, going with the flow in a seamless way. I was rapidly beginning to trust her as much as Andy.
Which was crucial when someone was instructing you on how to take care of your body.
We finished up on the leg press, then switched over to the free weights area. June helped me rack the plates on the bar, then moved to the side. I stepped up to the bar, bent down to grip it, then did five reps.
“You’re rounding your back a little,” she said.
I blinked at her. “No I’m not.”
“You are. I just watched you.”
She crossed her arms under her breasts in a way that stirred something inside me. I did my best to ignore it and said, “I have perfect deadlift form. Andy’s been supervising me for years.”
“Okay,” she said.
On the next set, I did everything the exact same, acutely aware that June was watching to the side. When I was done, I realized she had her phone out.
And she was smiling.
“Look at this,” she said, crowding close to me so we could both watch her phone. Her arm brushed mine as the video played. From that angle at the side, it was obvious that she was right.
“Shit,” I said. “I guess I am rounding my back.”
“Only at the very bottom of the movement!” she said encouragingly. “Easy to fix now that you’re aware of it. Sorry for shattering your illusion about doing it perfectly.”
“No apology needed. I’m man enough to admit when I’m wrong.”
“But only when there’s incontrovertible evidence,” she said with a grin.
I grimaced. “I do trust you. And I’m really grateful you’ve kept me in the games, rather than recommending I sit out. Nobody wants to take time off, but especially not me.”
“Because you’re the captain of the team?” she asked, tapping her watch.
I gripped the bar and said, “Because I’m about as stubborn as a muskox.”
She laughed while I did the next set, this time focusing on my form.
“Much better,” she said when I was done. “Are you from Canada? The way you pronounced about gave it away.”
“Vancouver. Die hard Canucks fan, unless we’re playing them. Broke my heart to see the Oilers knock them out of the playoffs a few years ago.”
“I’ve never seen much of Vancouver, but we flew into there once when I was in high school,” she said. “We went skiing up at Whistler.”
“Oh yeah, good skiing up thataways. Lots of cross-country ski tracks, too.”
“I prefer to ski downhill. Skiing on flat ground is just exercise.”
“That’s the idea. Surprised to hear a physical trainer bashing it.”
“I’d rather spin on an exercise bike while watching Great British Bake Off.”
I smiled widely, and started to tell her that was my favorite comfort show, but then Rhett came walking up to us.
“Don’t stop flirting with each other on my account,” he said.
“We’re not flirting,” I quickly said. “She’s helping me rehab.”
Rhett wiped the back of his neck with a towel. “She was showing you something on her phone a second ago. Leaning real close. I wasn’t trying to snoop, but you two lovebirds were right in my field of view on the treadmill.”
“I was correcting his deadlift form.” June showed him the phone. “He was rounding his back at the bottom of the movement.”
“Woah, woah, woah,” Rhett held out both palms. “No need to get so defensive about it. If she wants to go out with you instead of me, that’s all right.”
“Is that jealousy I detect?” I asked, trying to flip it around on my teammate. “Our nice, new trainer helps me out and you come running over to interrupt?”
“No jealousy here. If she had to pick one of us, it’s obvious who she would choose.”
“Whatever you say,” I teased back. “Although I think I know how you really injured that shoulder.” I gave a jacking-off motion.
“Joke’s on you. I use my left hand!” Rhett replied.
“I would say no to both of you,” she interrupted. “I’m a team employee.”
“Exactly,” I agreed.
“Okay,” Rhett bobbed his head. “I get it. We can just be friends, then. You can come hang out at my place and we’ll watch a movie together. Like Blazing Saddles. Or Men in Tights.” He stared at me. “Get it? Because her name is June Wilder? Which is like Gene Wilder?”
“It’s funnier when you have to explain the joke,” I said.
“Well, you didn’t laugh.”
“Because it’s not that funny, and because June here has probably heard a variation of that joke all her life.”
“I have, actually!” she said appreciably. “Thank you, captain.”
I smiled triumphantly at Rhett. June’s approval made me feel better than I expected.
“All right, all right, you two can go back to flirting while pretending it has to do with your form.” Rhett clapped me on the shoulder. “Don’t work him too hard. We need him crashing the boards against the Flames tomorrow night.”
When he was gone, I said, “Sorry about Rhett. He can be… a strong personality.”
“I’m used to it.”
“If it makes you feel any better,” I said while preparing for my next set, “Rhett makes sex jokes with everyone. Even Andy, the old trainer.”
She blinked. “Really? Andy?”
I finished my set before answering. “Oh yeah. He called Andy his muscle daddy. As in, he would walk into the trainer’s room and loudly say, rub me down, muscle daddy, my calves are tight today.”
We both laughed at that, which drew a suspicious look from Rhett from across the room.
“All joking aside, if Rhett or anyone else on the team starts bothering you, let me know.”
June snorted. “This is nothing. My old job at Georgia was much worse. The guys on their football team never let me walk by without a comment. And don’t get me started on the lacrosse team.”
“Still though,” I insisted, “we won’t tolerate that shit. Nobody should be harassed while trying to do their job.”
“I will. But honestly, most of the guys on the team have been great. Everyone seems focused on winning.” She retrieved a dumbbell from a nearby rack. “Besides, a little banter is fun. It builds camaraderie. I don’t want to change the way your team acts.”
“Well, you’re part of the team, now,” I said.
“I wouldn’t go that far.”
“You’re on the bench every game, right next to the coaches,” I said. “It’s good to see you there when I skate back to the bench. You’re a comforting presence.”
She cocked her head and smiled at me. I hadn’t meant to say that much to her, but it just came out. I felt comfortable around June, like I could tell her what I was feeling and not be judged for it.
“A comforting presence because I know you’re there to take care of us if something happens,” I quickly added.
“I knew what you meant. Come on, last set. Then we’ll move on to front squats.”
As we resumed the workout, I hoped that June hadn’t read too much into my comment. Because the more I thought about it, and the more I spent time with June, the more I wondered if there was something to read into.