Body Check by Deirdre Martin

nice.”
    â€œIsn’t that what women want?” Ty queried edgily. “A man who’s ‘nice’?”
    â€œNice is good. Remembering to wear your bridge in public is even better.” They both laughed at that.
    â€œWhat does she do?” Ty asked, determined to keep the conversation on Theresa.
    â€œShe’s a publicist at The Wild and the Free . We used to work together.”
    â€œAh.” He’d go to his grave before he’d tell her that he, like half the guys in the NHL, was totally addicted to that soap. Lots of jocks were. It was a way to pass the time when you on were on the road, stuck in a hotel room with nothing to do. He resisted the urge to ask if the actress who played Carmen was really a bitch and asked another question instead, one which interested him even more. “How did you get into publicity? Was it something you always wanted to do?”
    Janna peered down into her drink. When she looked back up at him, he was taken aback to see her eyes were sad. “Actually, what I really wanted to do was start my own business.”
    â€œSo why didn’t you?”
    â€œIt’s complicated,” she replied evasively. “I’m not sure I can explain.”
    â€œTry.”
    Her eyes flashed then, which is what he’d hoped for. He hated the melancholia that had descended upon her so fast. She took another sip of her beer, thoughtful. Her eyes continued to have a hard time meeting his.
    â€œI didn’t pursue being an entrepreneur because I didn’t have what it took.”
    â€œWho told you that?”
    No answer.
    â€œC’mon, who told you that?” he repeated. “I want to know.”
    Still, she kept silent.
    â€œOh, I see.” He leaned back in his chair. “You told yourself that.”
    That got her attention. Whereas a minute before it seemed as if the tacky picture of dogs playing poker on the opposite wall held more interest for her than his face, now she was glaring at him. “Did you even try to start your own business?” he kept on. “Or did you throw in the towel the first time you had to sit down and write a business plan?”
    â€œI threw in the towel after the hundredth time I sat down to write one, okay?” she snapped.
    He ignored her. “Did you really not know what you were doing? Or is that something you’ve convinced yourself of to help you deal with not hanging in there and going for it?”
    Janna looked stunned. “What?”
    â€œC’mon, Janna,” he said cajolingly. He leaned forward, elbows on the table, friendly. “Be honest with yourself for one minute. Did you really think you weren’t capable of starting up a business?”
    She swallowed. “No.”
    â€œThen why didn’t you try?” He could feel a fit of Captain Gallagher’s famous esteem boosting coming on, but couldn’t stop himself. He hated seeing her this way. “Because it was too hard? Anything worth having requires a struggle. You know that, right? Christ, you don’t give up trying to get me to do Kidco’s bidding!”
    â€œThat’s different,” Janna insisted.
    â€œNo, it’s not. It’s the same damn principle of persistence.” He paused, carefully measuring out his words. “I really admire the way you do your job, you know.”
    Janna snorted. “Right.”
    â€œI mean it. I may not agree with your reasons for doing it, since you know I think PR is bull, but I respect the way you march into the locker room day after day and tell the team what’s what. Not everyone can do that, especially when it comes to hockey players. You should feel proud about how many of the guys have been willing to see things your way and cooperate on the PR stuff. It’s a testament to your feistiness and powers of persuasion—powers you could tap into if you decided to start your own business.”
    Janna mumbled something and