Page 16 of Shift Change

holky

Dog apparently ranon the same internal clock I did—no need to break anything rushing around because better late than never and all that. Harpy had texted that the welcome lunch would be at noon, and it was about 12:25 when Dog and I strolled into AC’s. The restaurant host led us to the private room in the back, where the tables were lined up in a big rectangle so we could see each other. Almost all the seats were taken, and a quick scan told me there were only a few empty chairs left, none side by side.

“Hell, have we got another man who runs late?” Logan rolled his eyes but grinned as he stood and gave us both man-hugs.

Around the table, the guys called out greetings, and Harpy waved us over. “Glad you two made it. I was ready to text Holky and see if he’d forgotten how to get here.”

Dog bumped Harpy’s fist. “Don’t blame Holky. I couldn’t find the pants I wanted to wear.”

Harpy and I bumped while Gabe called from across the table. “Don’t tell me we have another high-style boy.”

“The fuck are you talking about?” Brody, sitting next to Gabe, elbowed him in the arm.

Gabe elbowed him right back. “Just saying we don’t need anyone else preening for the cameras.”

Brody barked out a sharp laugh. “Afraid of a little competition? You’re the biggest fashion model on the team.”

“That’s the fucking truth,” Riley said. “Us young guys need to take over with a modern fashion sense. What do you say, Mad Dog? Brody?”

Brody and Riley were sitting next to each other, and they did a stupid handshake they’d made up one day while we watched football at my house. Their team won, and they said the handshake was good luck.

“Mad Dog?” Brody called. “You in?”

Dog put on a cocky grin. “Fuck yeah. This bunch could use a fashion upgrade.”

After Dog and Brody raised their arms and traded a virtual high-five, I leaned close to Dog. “You’ll have to learn to use an iron first.”

He snorted, and our eyes met. Something about his big brown irises pulled me in, and I wondered if we were thinking the same thing, that it was cool we had a private joke.

Harpy interrupted. “Okay, boys, let’s get this show on the road.” He nodded at the open chair between him and Packy. “This is the hot seat, Mad Dog.”

I glanced around, and the nearest empty seat was across the table from Dog, on the other side of Gabe from Brody. Gabe and I were close, so I normally wouldn’t have minded sitting with him, but today was different. I didn’t want to leave Dog alone. Not that he wouldn’t be fine because he’d already shown he could hold his own with a bunch of rowdy hockey players. But still.

I wanted to sit next to him, so I clapped a hand on Packy’s shoulder. “Go over there with Gabe, will you? I want to stay with Dog.”

Packy turned his head, eyes narrowing. “What the hell? I’ve already got my water and everything.”

“Take it the fuck with you. Come on, Dog’s new, and I want to sit with him. We’re buds.”

It wasn’t until the words were out that I realized how they sounded, and I didn’t have time to cringe before the chirping started.

“How sweet.”

“Aw, look at that. A new couple.”

“Check this out, guys,” Billy Nelson hollered from the far end of the table. “They’re already road boyfriends, and we haven’t even had a trip with Mad Dog yet.”

That kicked off another chorus of predictable bullshit until someone called out, “Holky keep you nice and warm last night, Mad Dog?”

It was all standard teammate hazing. Hockey players loved to razz each other about so-called road wives and happy couples.

Dog, in a move straight out ofHow to Survive a Bunch of Good-Natured Jerks, raised his hand, middle finger high in the air. “Fuck all of you. And you can call me Dog sometimes. It doesn’t always have to be the whole mouthful.”

“Bet you got a mouthful last night.” It was Riley, always the juvenile among us.

“Dog it is.” Gabe stood and looked around, saving us from Riley’s awkwardness. “Let’s give Dog another Warriors welcome, everybody.”

Harpy gave the cue, and we all clapped in unison, gearing up for the full battle cry.

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