Bad Pucking Roommate by Michele Lenard

Superstition su·per·sti·tion noun. A belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation. An irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature or God. A notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary.
Athletes are notoriously superstitious. Some don’t wash their gear. Others sleep with it. I’ve even heard of a guy that peed on the field to ward off evil spirits. But as far as I’m aware, my teammate Luca is the only guy whose ritual requires a more intimate activity.
I wouldn’t know that if I hadn’t stumbled into it by accident, and even then, I wouldn’t have thought my presence had any effect. But the next day he got on the ice and had one of the most spectacular games I’ve seen him play.
One of his best ever.
And it gives me an idea.
At first Luca objects. He’s embarrassed by the things he has to do to play well and doesn’t want to involve me in his sordid activities. But when he realizes there’s no other option he relents, and we become roommates to make things…convenient.
It was supposed to be a means to an end. A way to prolong his career. Things don’t go according to plan.
Now I’m harboring two secrets, both of which could hurt Luca and the team, and there’s no telling how deep the consequences will run if they come out. But one thing is certain—as the veteran player, he’s the one they’ll accuse of being a bad pucking roommate.