Page 99 of The Trade Deadline
Stewart:Hey, that’s me!
They both high five.
A picture of Tomas Novotny in a Team Czechia jersey, then he appears with Johnny Carr at the table.
Tomas Novotny:(holds up a sign that reads “hokejové kluzište.”)
Johnny Carr:I know this one! Hockey rink.
Novotny, looking impressed:How did you know that?
Carr:My dad played in the Czech league.
Novotny:Can you say it, though?
Carr:God, no! Haha!
A picture of Lars Nilsson holding up a large Swedish flag before he appears with RJ Russell at the table.
Lars Nilsson, flipping through cards:Let me find a good one.
RJ Russell:Okay. Don’t make it too hard.
Nilsson:This one is good for you. En tekning.
Russell:En tekning.
Nilsson gives him a thumbs up:Very good. That’s a face-off. Let's try this one. (He holds up another card.)
Russell:You’re not going to pronounce it for me?
Nilsson:No, you try.
Russell:Macka.
Nilsson:Yes, very good. This one…well, it means sandwich, but in hockey it means, like, a good pass. You serve a lot of macka.
Russell:Yummy.
Chapter29
Lars
They werein the team gym, spotting each other at the squat bar. Lars set the bar back on the rack and breathed deeply as he recovered, only to have Ryan ruin it.
“So, my apartment is done,” he said conversationally, like he wasn’t dropping a bombshell that effectively destroyed the really good thing they had going where they lived together and never had to acknowledge it. Stupid reality.
Lars no longer felt like he could stay on his feet, so he stepped aside and gave up his third set.
“Oh,” Lars said with fake nonchalance as he watched Ryan change the weight on the rack. God, he was hot. He ogled a little more, then, because as both a friend and possible boyfriend he should, he offered, “Want me to help you get settled back in?”
Ryan nodded. As he began his set, a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. Lars watched it; he had to bite his tongue to keep from leaning over to lick it up. He was a terrible spotter.
“We can stop by your place to grab my stuff, pick up dinner…” Ryan left the other activities up to Lars’s imagination, a gap he was more than happy to fill in. “Even if I hadn’t been out of there a month, there’d be nothing worth cooking.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m sure there are some creative recipes where you can make brownies with protein powder or creatine cupcakes.”
“Ew.”
