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“IT WAS THE slap heard ’round the orld of sports For a nanosecond, I felt the thrill of victory Then when I realized what I’d done—and in front of whoony of defeat”

After lass of wine and gulped a mouthful Her two best friends, Lulu and Amelia, didn’t touch theirs Both of them looked shocked by what Viv had just told them

“Seriously?” asked Lulu, her big brown eyes round “You slapped hockey star Bruno Neeley across the face, in front of the other players, the press and your own boss?”

“I’m afraid so” Viv rubbed her hand It had been red for a half hour after she’d whacked the jerk, and it was still sore now, hours later “Every hockey fan knows the creep’s head is harder than a rock But I never realized his face was just as hard”

Maybe it was because his entire skull—including whatever excuse he’d once had for a brain—had calcified

“I’ she could also be feisty, she added, “What a prick”

“Thanks You know I can put up with a lot But when he shoved his tongue down s—in a rooht to DEFCON One”

She couldn’t recall a moment in her life when she’d been more shocked Surrounded by coworkers at a publicity party she’d helped coordinate, she’d been sitting quietly in the back Viv had been caught totally off-guard when Neeley had bent over froo higher—he’d yanked her face up for a kiss, wrenching her neck As soon as she’d been able to extricate herself, she’d launched out of the chair, swung around and slapped hiht

Of course the cameras had focused on that There’d been no reason for anybody to notice what had precipitated the slap; all attention had been on the tea at the time, at the front of the room Ouch

“You shoulda kicked him in the balls,” Lulu snapped