Page 11 of 10 Things I Skate About You

“Hey, you do know that Rhys and I don’t hate you, right?” Lance says. “We put up with Kate’s rants about you on the show, but we don’t agree with most of what she says. Right, Rhys?”

“Oh, for sure. I mean. Some of the stuff she says is just facts that can’t be argued, but we would never rant about it.”

“Exactly,” Lance says, patting me on the shoulder. “We were really rooting for you when you were in Chicago.”

“Thanks, man.”

“But for real, you gotta let go of the logo thing. That’s crazy.” Lance shakes his head and laughs at me.

Because he’s still an asshole.

When the Pogues and the rest of the Deadwoods have left the locker room, the other guys suddenly surround me just as I’m picking up my gear bag. “The fuck?”

“We were thinking,” Dave says. “Actually, my wife wanted me to tell you this…”

I drag a palm down the side of my face. Here we go. Here we fucking go.

“We were talking about it, all of us,” he says, gesturing to all the guys, “that we’ll back you up on redesigning our logo if you can get Kate to kiss you on the date. In public. Verified by witnesses.”

“Fuck right off.”

“You don’t think you can do it?” Corey taunts. “Is Captain Frownypants afraid he can’t get into his date’s pants?”

I get up in his face. “It is nobody’s business if I get into my date’s pants, you hear me?”

“Whoa. Down boy! Just chirping at ya, jeez. Didn’t know you liked herthatmuch.”

“I don’t. But I am a gentleman.”

“Right,” Corey says. “Because nobody hate-listens to a podcast with a hot chick who trolls him because he’s obsessed with her. It’s just a hobby.”

God, I hate these idiots.

But what do I hate even more than these idiots?

This idiotic Icebreakers logo.

“So, are you in?” Dave asks, hesitantly.

“Let me get this straight. You’re betting againstmebeing able to get a woman to kiss me on a date?” I shake my head. “You guys have been fighting me on this logo for two years, andthisis all it’s gonna take for me to get what I want?”

“Well, it’s not just any woman,” Dave reminds me. “It’s Kate Pogue.”

“Pssh.” With a wave of my hand, I tell them, “I’m in like a slap shot. I’ll email you assholes link to my Canva design tomorrow morning so we can start nailing down a color palette.”

7

KATE

TINA: Hey! You nervous? Don’t be nervous.

ME: Why would I be nervous?

TINA: How many times have you peed in the last half an hour?

ME: Seven. But that’s a bladder thing. Not a nervous thing.

EUNICE: I’m going to need proof of life for the sweater dress/over the knee socks/sexy boots combo.