Kate Kamin sighed as she twirled around on her comfortable swivel chair. However, the air temperature in her office was not quite as comfortable. The fan was blowing at high speed but it couldn't top the summer temperatures of New York City.
Kate yawned, her eyes drooping more and more as the time passed by. She had done everything she needed to on the computer. She drew up drills, set up scrimmage times, everything that her boss had asked her to do, four hours ago.
When she went back up to her boss, he just told her to busy herself. He suggested helping the interns, filing files, answering phone calls, soliciting season ticket holders, whatever they needed her to do. She didn't want to do any of those things. Helping the interns? That was like dying for someone, except without all of the meaning.
She couldn't believe that she, an athletic trainer for the New York Rangers, got stuck sitting in a stuffy, non-air conditioned office on a summer day with nothing to do. She didn't even know what they had called her in for. There wasn't a single player in the building who wanted her help. The facility was in top condition, it didn't need cleaning or organizing, as if they'd ask her to do that for them. She was simply asked to do a few things and that was it.
As she whined to herself, the door to her boss's nice and cool office opened. "Kate? Come in here," He called. She obliged, hurriedly running in and sighing happily.
"I have a job for you," He said, once she sat down. She looked at him expectantly.
"You're not going to like it very much, but do this and I'll promote you to head athletic trainer." He said. Butterflies erupted in her body. It was her dream to be the head athletic trainer…
"What do you need me to do?" She asked hesitantly.
"I need you to run prospects camp." He said, his voice booming through the room. Kate's mouth dropped open. That was possibly the worst group to train. They were all complete ass holes that she wanted nothing to do with and had made that clear on her first prospect assignment.
"But coach-" She started.
"Think Kate, traveling with the team, being at every game, creating your own training regimen, higher pay…" He continued trailing with the offer. It sounded so golden, and so close, but the road ahead was not paved.
"Fine, Coach, I'll do it. But only because I'm loyal to the Rangers." She said.
"Great, they're getting ready down on the ice. Bring everything you just worked on and get cracking," He said, standing up and leaving the office. She sat there, without a clue, even though she knew she should've been getting down to the ice and giving the boys a lecture.
She gave herself a mental pep talk. You're the one training them so they can be good Rangers…you're not there for them to flirt with you or for them to give you crap. You need to take control and let them know who's in charge.
She quickly printed out everything she made and ran out of the offices and to the ice. Coach was looking out onto the ice from a front row seat.
"Tell me again why you picked me?" She asked softly, trying not to scare him since no one else was around. He turned around and smiled.
"Oh, hello Kate…" He said.
"I suppose you want to know. It's simple, really, none of the other trainers would do it. We figured that the one trainer who did deserved to be head of the department. I knew you had the determination to do it. I would do it myself, since I'll be dealing with these guys one day or another, but I need to watch them." He said. She nodded.
"I suppose you want to change. Here," He said, handing her track pants and a zip-up jacket that had the Rangers logo and her name, followed by 'head athletic trainer'. She was shocked that they already had a jacket with her name on it, but she hurried to the bathroom and changed into the outfit.
She grabbed her skate bag and made her way onto the bench, lacing up her skates and slipping on her gloves. She sighed one last time before gliding onto the ice, quickly skating a lap around the rink and stopping when she saw a long line of guys all suited up in Rangers practice jerseys heading towards the bench. They all filed in, sat down, and stared at her.
"Alright, this is my group?" She asked rhetorically, but some nodded.
"Welcome to Rangers Prospect Camp, la dee da dee da. You get the point." She said. Some of the players looked shocked.
"My name is Kate, I'm the head athletic trainer here, so if any of you make it onto the team then you'll be working closely with me. But most of you should expect to be back at your team or in the AHL. It's possible for any of you to make it up to the NHL, but it takes blood, sweat, and tears. You don't just get a free ticket up there. It takes hard work, practice, and proving yourself. I'm not your girlfriend, I'm not here just for you to hit on. I'm here for you to learn what it takes to make it up here." She said defiantly. Most of the players nodded, the whole bench was quiet.
"Okay, I think we got a good group here. Keep listening to me and today should go by smoothly. I respect all of you, so I expect the same of you guys. When I say your name, just say 'here', okay?" She continued. She couldn't even start on how many different remarks she had gotten over the few years that she had been there. She looked through some papers and finally found a list of names. She began calling names off. Soon, at the 'D' names, she stuttered.
"Del Zotto, Michael?" She completely forgot that he was drafted by the Rangers. Nerves shot through her body at his simple and meek 'here'.
Michael Del Zotto was her favorite OHL player. She had gotten the chance to meet him once, but she had screwed it up. It was after an Oshawa Generals game. She had gone with a couple friends and they all had just one player they wanted to meet. She saw him with a girl that she knew from her school at the time, and she flipped out. It was this girl that knew nothing about hockey, and tried to fake it around her but Kate could always see right through her. An alarm sounded in her mind. Puckslut!
She threw away the thought of meeting him, getting his autograph, and maybe a picture, and went right up to him.
"How could you be with her?" She asked him.
"Whaa?" He asked, confused about her straightforwardness.
"Kelly…she's a puckslut. She doesn't know anything about hockey. Are you into that kind of thing?" Kate asked.
"Um, excuse me?" He continued, still just as confused.
"Just answer the question. Are you into pucksluts?" She looked at him expectantly.
"Um, I don't think any of the players look for that kind of thing specifically…" He trailed off.
"What? You don't like me?" Kelly cut in. Kate rolled her eyes. How dumb was she?
"Why the hell are you admitting you're a puckslut? That's something you don't want to be." Kate asked.
"Who the fuck are you to talk to me like that?" Kelly fumed. Kate recoiled, but then she relaxed, almost like going from two different personalities.
"You know what? You're right. I'm sorry for bothering you," She said, backing away slowly.
"This is too much. Michael, I'm leaving. Don't call me," Kelly left in a huff. Michael had a hurt look on his face as he watched Kelly leave.
"Um, I owe you an apology. I don't know what came over me." She said. He merely stared at her.
"What's your name?" He asked.
"Kate," She said, confused.
"Good, now if I ever see you again I'll know to stay away." He said, shaking his head and running off.
Kate finished calling all of the names and ordered them to warm-up around the rink a few times before the "fun" began. She was looking at her clipboard nervously, but there was a guy standing next to her.
"Warm-up with me?" Michael Del Zotto asked her. He appeared a bit nervous. She bit her lip and nodded hesitantly. They started skating at a medium pace.
"You remember me?" He asked. She nodded.
"Good. I remember you," He said, smiling at her. She looked down at her skates.
"Hey, say something." He said, a concerned tone to his voice.
She thought for a minute. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I apologized a million and one times."
"It's alright, we're past that." He said. She sighed in relief.
"So you're the head athletic trainer?" He asked, trying to make conversation.
"Yeah, I just got promoted today for doing this prospect camp. No one likes doing it." She laughed.
"You must've been the most nervous." He pointed out.
"I didn't even think of you." She said.
"Oh…" He said, a little disappointed. She laughed.
"Don't worry, I was too nervous to think of you, that's why." She said. He nodded.
"There's been something I've wanted to tell you since that night." He said. She looked at him, her eyebrows raised.
"I'm the one who owes you an apology." He said.
She was surprised. "Why?"
"I'm sorry I didn't appreciate the fact that you saved me…you saved me from having to break up with that horrible girl, you made me realize I deserve better, you changed me." He said.
"Um…it's ok-kay?" She didn't know what else to say.
"I didn't know if I'd ever see you again, but I told myself if I ever did, I'd tell you thanks." He finished. She nodded. There was a pause before an idea sparked her mind.
"So did you figure out who your perfect girl is?" She asked curiously. He nodded.
"What kind of girl?" She asked, giggling a little.
"I don't know…a girl like…you," He said.
All the words and ideas and everything flew out of her body. She only had one idea left. It was going against all her morals, but she did it anyway.
She brought her lips up to his. He immediately put his arms around her, leaning up against the boards and kissing her heavily. They pulled apart as she looked over, thankful that Coach had left and went somewhere else, probably planning to come back when everything was in full swing.
"Guess what?" She asked.
"What?" He asked, a smile breaking on his face
"You're my perfect guy, too." She said. He smiled, leaning in and closing the space in between them.
