Chapter 18 Mackenzie
“I already knew Parker hated me, but I didn’t realize he hated me this much.
” I groaned as I lowered myself into the passenger seat of Jaz’s car.
Every part of my body was complaining. I’d practiced with Parker the last four mornings in a row, and today’s session had been particularly brutal.
It started with sprints and ended with Seth and Owen joining us to simulate game plays, which felt like a much more effective way of training than having Parker compliment my ass while shooting pucks at me.
That on top of our daily team practices had left me exhausted.
Today we had the afternoon off. Only, instead of resting like I should have been, I was on the way to a hoop dance class, because Jaz convinced me I needed to loosen up. I wasn’t even sure what hoop dance was. All I knew was Jaz loved it, and apparently the class instructor was ridiculously hot.
It also meant I could spend a few extra hours away from my house and, more importantly, my dad.
“Remind me again why I agreed to this?”
“Because when your parents asked where you were going every morning before school you panicked and used me as a cover story for all your secret rendezvous with Parker.”
“But I don’t need a cover story for today. And I told them I was working out with you, not that I was hoop dancing…”
“Well, now it’s time to work out with me for real.” She grinned. “Don’t worry. It’ll be fun. Great for your core strength. And, if you get tired, you can always just sit back and enjoy the view. That’s what I do.”
I shook my head. “Is the instructor really that hot?”
“Dominic is super dreamy. He graduated from Ransom a couple of years ago. I like guys who are a little older.”
“Really?”
“Of course,” she replied innocently. “Boys our age suck. They have no idea how to treat girls, and I swear half the guys in our year forget to shower most days. I can’t wait for college.”
“What about Isaac?”
“What about Isaac?” Her cheeks flushed slightly.
“Does he suck?”
“Well, no. But he doesn’t count, obviously.”
“Obviously,” I repeated.
“I heard Vanessa talking to Britt this morning,” Jaz said, quickly changing the subject. “She was wondering if she should try out for the hockey team too.”
“Why on earth would she do that?”
“Probably jealous, now that everyone’s talking about you being the first girl ever to play for the Ransom Devils. Maybe she thinks Parker would pay her more attention if she was on the team.”
I didn’t like the idea of people talking about me at school. But I guessed it was a more positive thing to be known for than assaulting the star hockey player or having to wear lost and found clothes on my first day.
“I wouldn’t wish his attention on anyone,” I replied. “Not even her.”
Jaz shrugged. “They had a bit of a thing over the summer. But I think he got bored of her once school started back up.”
“Is she really surprised? I’ve known enough guys like Parker; they all seem to tire of girls quickly.”
“Until they find the right one.”
“Oh, please.” I rolled my eyes. “You must read too many rom-coms. We all know that doesn’t happen in real life.”
“Don’t be so pessimistic.” Jaz wagged a finger at me.
“My brother Matt was always dating different girls in high school. But he met someone the first day of college this year and they’ve been inseparable ever since.
I never thought he was the kind of guy who’d get a girlfriend in college, but he’s already planning on bringing her home for Thanksgiving. ”
“I guess there’s an exception to every rule.”
She smiled and shook her head at me. “Just how bad were the guys at your old school?”
“I mean, not all of them were bad. But it’s not something I really worried about.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because my sparkly personality scares most guys off,” I said, batting my eyelashes.
Jaz smiled. “I’m sure that’s not true. And even if it were, it says more about the guys than it does about you. Look at Parker; he’s not scared of you. Even after you punched him.”
“Yeah, well, that’s Parker. If he’s the yardstick we’re using to judge all men then we’re in big trouble.”
Jaz laughed and nodded in agreement. “Well, I happen to love your sparkly personality.”
“You also love some strange sport called hoop dance…”
She scrunched her nose at me, and I smiled back. I hadn’t been in Ransom long, but already I felt close with Jaz. She could be a little odd sometimes, but that was probably my favorite thing about her. She was sweet and sincere, and there weren’t nearly enough people like her in the world.
The car slowed as Jaz pulled into a free space, and she nodded out the window at the old red-brick building in front of us. “We’re here. I hope you’re ready to swoon—I mean, hoop.”
I gave an awkward laugh. “It’s too late to back out, right?”
“Absolutely. Let’s go.” Jaz jumped from the car and practically dragged me toward the entrance.
A faded sign above the doors read, ‘ansom Community Center.’ The place looked like it might be missing a piece of its soul, along with the first letter on its sign.
But I was pleasantly surprised as I followed Jaz inside.
It was light and bright and a little chaotic.
Between squealing toddlers darting through the foyer, music pumping from the back of the building, the smell of fresh coffee, and all sorts of different people mingling throughout the space, the center felt alive with activity.
Jaz guided me to a room at the back of the building that overlooked the park behind. Colorful hoops were spread out on the floor. And standing in the middle of it all, dressed in bright orange spandex, was Dominic.
“Oh, my God.” I lifted a hand to my mouth to hide my laughter.
He must have been about twenty, yet he was being swarmed by a group of women who were at least my stepmom’s age.
Dominic didn’t seem to mind though. In fact, given the flirtatious smile he was flashing around the room, I suspected he wore the oh-so-tight spandex on purpose.
“Hot, right?” Jaz said, fanning her face. “This is the best part of my week.”
“Looks like it’s the best part of a lot of people’s weeks.” I nodded at the women again. But Jaz turned to me and frowned.
“You’re supposed to be swooning. Why aren’t you swooning?”
“Oh, I’m swooning on the inside,” I replied, laughing at her disappointment. I guessed the guy was quite good-looking, but the tight one-piece really didn’t do it for me.
“You better be.” She glanced at Dominic and gave an appreciative sigh. “Come on, we need to get hoops at the front before they all get taken.”
Jaz hurried across the room to a hoop right in the center of the front row, mere inches from where I imagined Dominic would be demonstrating for the class. I reluctantly took my place at the hoop next to her.
When the class started, I was surprised by how much fun it was.
For the first time in a while, I wasn’t thinking too seriously about what I was doing.
It also became clear very quickly why the women in the class where fighting tooth and nail for positions in the front row.
You got a total eyeful of Dominic hooping in his spandex, but personally, after forty-five minutes, I wanted the sight firmly scrubbed from my mind.
By the time class was over, I was struggling to catch my breath, and my body was covered in sweat.
“That was great, wasn’t it?” Jaz said, puffing too.
“Yeah, it was fun. But…”
“But?”
I glanced around and lowered my voice. “I think Dominic stuffs his pants.”
“He what? Why?”
“To make his, you know, package look bigger.”
Jaz gasped. “No way!”
We both glanced over to where a group of women were once again encircling our instructor.
Even from here, you could clearly see that Dominic’s sock, or whatever he’d stuffed down there, had come dislodged and was now stationed up near his hip.
Jaz turned to look at me in horror but then burst out laughing.
I quickly ushered her from the room before anyone noticed.
“Told you,” I said, when her laughter quietened a little.
“Why were you looking down there?”
“I had no choice! You put me in the front row. He’s been thrusting his hips in our faces for the last hour.”
She collapsed into fits of laughter again.
“It’s not funny,” I protested.
“It definitely is. So, you’ll come next week?” Her voice was hopeful.
“I’m not sure. I think I’ve seen enough of Dominic to last me a while.”
“Understandable,” she agreed. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you updated on the wanderings of his spare pair of socks.”
“Please don’t.”
She started laughing again.
The escape to hoop dance class had been fun, but it was over way too fast, and my mood soured as Jaz drove me home. I’d rather spend another hour with Dominic and his thrusting hips than face my dad again.
I turned to Jaz as she pulled up outside my house. “Do you think I’m crazy playing hockey when it makes my dad so mad? And when I’m clearly not cut out for it?”
Jaz was frowning deeply as she turned to me. “I think you’re the only person who can answer those questions, Kenzie. You love hockey, right?”
“More than anything.”
“Then it sounds like you don’t have a choice. You’ve got to follow your heart.”
“Even if I suck?”
She smiled at me. “You had one rough game. I’m no hockey expert, but Parker Darling is. He went out of his way to get you on the team and now he’s spending all his free time making sure you stay there. He wouldn’t do that for just anyone.”
As much as I wanted to discount her words, they still caused an unusual warmth to flood my chest.
“Maybe.” I stared down into my hands. “I’m just worried it will all be for nothing. My dad might kick me off the team either way.”
She reached across the center console and squeezed my hand. “Then enjoy every minute of the time you get to play.”
I smiled at her and nodded. “You’re pretty wise, Jaz.”
“Oh, I can be. Usually only happens on a full moon.”