Pucking Sweet

Twenty-six-year-old Lukas is at the peak of his NHL career and hopes that he will be on the team’s starting lineup for the season. He wants to skate again with Colton Morrow, whom he skated against in a lower league. Lukas jokes with his new teammate, Ryan Langley, about banishing old rivalries now that they are playing together instead of against one another. When Poppy approaches, he can tell that she is angry with him and laments that he finds her attractive.

Lukas makes jokes as Poppy reprimands him, which only annoys her more. She orders him to make sure that any further “partying” is private, urging him to make attendees surrender their cell phones and sign NDAs. He is shocked that she is not trying to stop him from having parties and is instead helping him keep those parties from ruining his reputation. Seeing his surprise, Poppy tells him that she isn’t shaming him for his sex life; she merely holds a professional interest in safeguarding his public image. She asks him to come to her office the following Monday for lessons in PR basics.

Poppy goes to meet the team’s new sports doctor, Rachel Price (one of the protagonists of Pucking Around), who Poppy knows is related to rock star Hal Price. She mentally contrasts Rachel’s upbringing among “LA icons” with her own family of “DC dynasty-makers” (22). Poppy eagerly wonders about how Hal could boost the team’s PR, though she relents when Rachel seems uncomfortable with the idea.

Poppy shows Rachel a packed social schedule for the team. She emphasizes that public image, not hockey, is her game—and one that she intends to win, particularly since she hopes to renew her one-year contract with the Rays.

Colton plays an exhibition game, reveling in how much he loves hockey and how good his body feels. (Later, he explains that he had various heart health issues as a child, which have since been rectified.) He reflects on his odds of being in the starting lineup with Lukas and how different they are. Lukas is confident, while Colton is more reserved. 

Lukas invites the defensive line out to celebrate the upcoming season, including Caleb Sanford and Jake Compton (both Pucking Around protagonists). Colton cautions Lukas about the line between “chirping” (a hockey term for playfully insulting other players) and being unkind. Before a meeting with their coach, the defense players joke about finding Rachel attractive.

Colton and Lukas are pleased to learn that they are both in the starting lineup and will be playing together. Colton is proud of the milestone, particularly since he is a Black player in a sport dominated by white players. Lukas seems unsettled, but he brushes off Colton’s questions, instead asking about playing a prank on Rachel.

Colton hurries out of his apartment in the Rays temporary housing to meet Lukas at a bar. In his rush, Colton nearly knocks into Poppy, who lives in the apartment next door. Poppy asks him to keep an eye on Lukas and stop him from acting out. Colton reflects that he has had a crush on Poppy since they worked together on the Washington Capitals, their previous team. Poppy’s movement to the Rays was an “added incentive” for Colton to agree to join the team.

Poppy expresses her condolences since Colton’s father recently died. She offers a friendly ear as he deals with his grief, as she lost her grandmother two years prior. She offers him homemade granola as a neighborly gift and then urges him to knock on her door when he gets back from the bar. He is pleased to have learned personal details about her and decides to pursue her for real.

During a checkup with Rachel, during which she advises him to rest a mildly injured knee, Lukas steals her car keys. He teams up with two rookie players to fill Rachel’s car with balls from a children’s ball pit. He pranks another team member, Langley, by incorrectly telling him that he needs to be naked for his physical exam. Langley is annoyed, but the rest of the team, including Rachel, bear the prank with good spirits. Colton, however, warns him against pranking Poppy.

Poppy arrives at the Rays’ practice center, refreshed from a rare relaxing morning. Her calm disappears when she sees Lukas and two rookies carrying a large trash bag. Lukas plays this off as hockey gear, but she convinces the rookies to tell her the truth. Lukas is surprised that Poppy is okay with them finishing the prank; she clarifies that if she stops him from doing this “utterly benign” thing, he will do something worse.

Lukas frowns over Poppy’s dreary office, which has no windows and flickering lights. She laments that she doesn’t even have internet yet. He urges her to pressure the team owner for a better office, as he feels that this one is not suitable for her important role with the team. He teases her about not liking him until she compliments his eyes, though this quickly pivots into them bantering playfully about Lukas’s vanity. He grows jealous, however, when she calls Ryan Langley “beautiful.”

Poppy gives Lukas a boilerplate NDA and instructs him to get a signed copy from any sexual partners. He is astonished, but she compares this to a “legal condom.” He continues flirting with her, pleased when she smiles genuinely, and then grows offended when he feels like she judging him for his sex life.

Colton appears, holding a plant that he wanted to give Poppy for her office. Since she has no window, she asks him to drop it off at her apartment that evening; Lukas is shocked and jealous that Colton, whom he considers handsome, is Poppy’s neighbor. To cover up his jealousy that Poppy is sweet to Colton but argumentative with him, Lukas teases her about having a crush on Colton. Poppy insists that they are friends. He grows angry when he feels like Poppy is pitying him.

Colton knocks on Poppy’s door, chastising himself for his nerves. She invites him inside but indicates that she’s on the phone with her mother, Annmarie. When she hangs up, she asks him to taste some cookies; he is impressed with both the cookies and the fact that Poppy finds the time to be such an avid baker. They chat about hockey, and Colton surprises Poppy by admitting that he’s not competitive with his teammates, preferring to just enjoy the game.

Poppy asks why Colton hasn’t shared news of his father’s death with his teammates, including Lukas, with whom he is closest. Colton denies that he is keeping it a secret, insisting that his teammates don’t need to know. Poppy advises him that grief can affect his professional life and opines that hockey teams are more like families than coworkers. He isn’t ready to discuss his loss, which she understands, though she encourages him to find at least one person he can talk to. He reminds her that she already knows.

The two kiss, and it turns heated. Poppy reminds Colton that a romantic entanglement is ill-advised given their professional association. He leaves so quickly that he forgets his shoes in her apartment.

Poppy works late the night before the season starts. She hastily packs for her dozens of appointments during the team’s upcoming two weeks of travel. She is most anxious about lunch with her family in Washington, DC, as her parents disapprove of her professional choices.

She and Colton haven’t spoken about their kiss, though she finds herself fantasizing about it. She reminds herself that she should not enter a romantic relationship with a colleague. She gets an email from Lukas that contains seven “sex contracts.” This number shocks her until she realizes that the contracts are all false, signed by fictional characters.

Lukas enjoys the first Rays game but is startled when Poppy appears at his side. She criticizes him for disrespecting her by not sending the real contracts but is surprised when he tells her that there are no real contracts. He accuses her of having a “twisted curiosity” about him and promises to deliver true contracts whenever he has sex with someone.

Poppy seethes over Lukas’s refusal to take his reputation seriously and listen to her directions. She has been asked to compile PR reports for each player, which may affect their likelihood of being traded, and Lukas’s dossier is full of bad press. She frets that Jake Compton’s crush on Rachel Price will create another PR issue, though she considers Lukas’s case more serious.

Poppy networks during the game, though her attention turns to the ice when Colton suffers a serious hit. Lukas scores his first-ever goal for the Rays. When he winks at the camera, she knows it is for her.

Poppy gets claustrophobic on the team plane. Her claustrophobia originates from a childhood incident when her brother, Rowan, forgot her inside a chest for several hours during a game of hide-and-seek. When she sees Mars Kinnunen (a Pucking Around protagonist) move to sit with Rachel, Colton moves, too, sparking jealousy in Poppy. However, he comes to sit by Poppy and makes flirtatious comments about their kiss, which makes her nervous. She shares more homemade granola as he teases and flirts to distract her from her anxiety about flying. She insists that she doesn’t date players, and he offers to kiss her again whenever she wants.

The two weeks of travel go well for Poppy. She sees the players infrequently, spending her time networking with charity leaders, as her long-term goal is to join the team’s philanthropic projects. She puts aside her professional aspirations temporarily to meet with her family, including her father, a “kingmaker” in the Washington, DC, political scene. Lukas texts Poppy to ask about his recent batch of fake contracts, and his jokes make her laugh. She reminds him of an important appearance at an exclusive club and then teases him about helping him find dates. 

As soon as Poppy arrives at the restaurant, Annmarie criticizes her appearance. Her father, Hank, orders food for the table, talking over Poppy when she tries to order for herself. Rowan puts down her job, while her parents praise her sister Ivy for getting a yearlong professorship at the Sorbonne. When Rowan’s wife, Deirdre, announces her pregnancy, the conversation turns into a criticism of Poppy’s unmarried state. Poppy learns that her youngest sister, Violet, is engaged to Poppy’s ex-fiancé, Anderson Montgomery.

Anderson joins them for lunch even though Violet isn’t there. Poppy is upset that her sister betrayed her and that her family hid the relationship for two years, particularly since Poppy and Anderson only broke up three years ago. When Poppy expresses her anger, her mother reprimands her for lacking “decorum.” 

She alludes to why she broke up with Anderson, but he accuses her of lying about him. (Poppy later reveals that she told her mother of Anderson’s infidelity, but Annmarie dismissed her concern.) Annmarie threatens to take away the money that Poppy’s grandmother left in a trust for her if Poppy doesn’t behave the way the family wishes. She accuses Poppy of being “hysterical” and still having feelings for Anderson.

When Poppy leaves, Anderson follows. He insists that she cannot be upset about him moving on after she left him the night before their wedding. He is cruel, telling her that she will “die alone” due to her “insufferable” personality (120). When Poppy asks if Anderson is at least faithful to Violet (since he cheated on Poppy frequently), he implies that he is not but insists that he and Violet are using each other. He smugly tells Poppy that she will regret giving him up.

Lukas notes Poppy’s strange mood. He battles with himself about whether he should investigate what is bothering her. After Poppy reminds the team about an outing that evening, Lukas and Colton tease Jake about his obvious crush on Rachel. When Colton cautions Jake against “fooling around” with a member of the team, Lukas takes the comment to heart, as Poppy, too, fits this description.

Lukas asks Colton about Poppy’s mood and then asks if Colton is as smitten with Poppy as Jake is with Rachel. Colton insists that they are just friends. When they all assemble to go to the club that night, Lukas and Poppy admire each other’s outfits. Lukas hovers at Poppy’s side at the club, swooping in whenever another player approaches. He is surprised to find himself not just flirting but being genuinely attracted to her.

The two joke about Poppy serving as Lukas’s “wing woman.” Poppy admits that it’s been three years since she had sex, which astonishes Lukas. When she slips away to chat with Colton, Lukas recalls that they both used to live in Washington, DC. He is both aroused and angry by the idea that they might have had sex. When the team moves to a VIP section, Poppy remains in the downstairs part of the club. Lukas wonders if he should remain with her, leading Colton to ask if Lukas and Poppy are friends.

Lukas scoffs at the idea that he and Poppy will ever be friends, but Colton recognizes that this reaction covers the truth. They bicker about Lukas’s tendency to avoid genuine emotion, but Lukas admits that Colton is his emergency contact. This surprises Colton, who assumed that Lukas would choose someone closer to him. Lukas admits that he doesn’t have a closer friend or family member but brushes off Colton’s attempt to have a heartfelt conversation about their relationship.

Poppy tells her friend Tina about the family lunch. Tina insists that Poppy shouldn’t attend the wedding, and Poppy agrees. She confides that she was affected seeing Anderson again, as it reminded her of her narrow escape. She admits that Anderson made her feel as though she was inadequate at sex. Tina urges her to have a fling with a stranger to help her overcome her insecurities. Tina points out a stranger, and Poppy approaches him to flirt.

Lukas and Colton laugh as Rachel insults Caleb’s ex-girlfriend, who openly seeks a wealthy hockey player partner. Before she leaves, Rachel asks Lukas to look after Poppy, who has been drinking heavily. Colton leaves to help an intoxicated rookie player, and Lukas goes to find Poppy. He hurries to intervene when he sees her dancing suggestively with a stranger.

Poppy enjoys dancing with an investment banker named Kyle even though she feels ambivalent about him. She plans to have sex with him right up until he asks her to leave the club, when she changes her mind. Before she can answer, Lukas arrives, and the two men snap at one another. Poppy urges Lukas not to fight even after Kyle makes suggestive comments. Lukas grows protective, and when Kyle still does not leave, Lukas and Poppy kiss. Tina, witnessing this kiss, teases Poppy, who insists that she does not plan to have sex with Lukas. Tina urges Poppy to reconsider as Poppy and Lukas leave the bar.

On the way back to the hotel, Lukas questions Poppy’s choice of dance partner until she admits that she “chickened out” of her plan to have a one-night stand. She admits to feeling “hurt and alone” (159), and Lukas confesses his jealousy at seeing her with Kyle. He reveals that he shares her loneliness, having spent his “entire life wanting things [he] can’t have” (159). (He later reveals that his childhood abandonment issues make him feel like he is not worthy of love.) Back at the hotel, she propositions Lukas.

Lukas worries that she is too drunk to consent, but she insists that she is no longer drunk. They agree that they will have a secret one-night stand. They kiss passionately in the hotel hallway but cannot locate Poppy’s room key. They move to the ice room; Poppy finds sex in a semi-public location appealingly taboo. During sex, Lukas insists that Poppy pay attention to him during the act so that he doesn’t feel interchangeable with another sexual partner. He speaks possessively, which she likes. Poppy enjoys their encounter but feels lonelier after they are finished.

Lukas wakes up just before six o’clock in the morning, something he does daily regardless of the previous night’s schedule. He marvels that Poppy, who never found her room key, is asleep beside him. They had sex again the previous night, and Lukas struggles to understand how it made him feel. 

He rouses Poppy so that she can return to her room before the other players see her. They quickly return to their old patterns of bantering, but then he grows caustic, accusing her of “using” him. He hurts her feelings on purpose to avoid emotional intimacy. As soon as she leaves, he regrets his actions, which he considers “Classic Novikov.” He receives a text from Colton asking, “[W]hat the hell happened last night?” (186). It makes him feel even worse.