Rink

chapter one | speed

GARRETT HALE

"I can tell you all that you aren't going to like this, but that's too bad. We've had an amazing season but we need more speed. I'm bringing someone in to help you with that. This is my daughter, Leona. If you flirt with her I won't even have to castrate you because she will first." Andre, my ice hockey coach says and I roll my eyes.

We are top in our division of the NHL, and he is still trying to make us better. That part isn't what I'm complaining about because it's great that we have a coach that is willing to do that.

It's that he is having a figure skater come to try to get us to skate faster. I have complete respect for women but there is a reason she is a figure skater, not a hockey player.

I don't think that any of us have met his daughter before. I know I haven't. All I know about her is that she is in her twenties and a figure skater.

A smaller woman than what I was expecting skates out onto the ice. "Well, I know that you all know why I'm here. I'm not hooking up with any of you or talking to you off the ice for that matter. I'm here to help you skate faster, does anyone have a problem with that?"

She is so fucking cute. That is not something that I would usually use to describe a woman, but she is.

A few of the rookies skate forward. "Rookies. Alejandro, Charles, Jesus, and George." She says, the tiny smirk not wavering as she says this. They all look equally as shocked as the rest of us.

"Ahh. Men and their egos. I'll assume that you are all friends or something. Please, whichever one of you thinks that you skate the fastest come up to me." She says and all of them do.

"Okay. All of you get in a lane. You are going to race each other." She says, looking back and forth between all of them.

They look at each other confused for a minute before getting into their lanes. She waits for them to get into position and then blows a horn.

Quickly, they all race, and Alejandro ends up winning. He walks up to Leona and stands tall, crossing his arms.

He is about 6'2, probably. Leona looks to be not even 5'. It's strange because her dad is extremely tall, so I don't know why she is so short.

"Would you stop sizing me up?" Leona asks and gets into a lane. "You-" Leona points her finger at me. "Captain. Garrett Hale. Get over here," She points to where she is standing.

I quickly skate over to her. I can't believe I'm listening to a girl who is, at most, five foot.

"Blow this horn whenever you are ready," She tosses me the horn. It's a kind of fancy one that has a timer. I wait for them both to be ready and then blow it.

Once I blow it the timer starts. Leona wins and I remember the time. Seven seconds later Alejandro crosses the line. He is fast, so, surprisingly, she beat him by that much, or at all.

"Thanks, Garrett." She says and pulls the horn away from me, throwing it off the ice. "Anyone else have any issues here," She asks and nobody moves or says anything. Our coach, her dad has just stood there this entire time.

Her confidence is amazing. Although there is nothing wrong with being short because she can't control it, it's great that she doesn't let these taller than her guys intimidate her.

"You four can leave if you'd like. Since you are all too good for me," She rolls her eyes.

"Lee, you can't just dismiss the guys from practice because they don't listen to you," Andre says. "Fine," She sighs.