Page 20 of Two for Holding
Ordinarily, he would have manned up and joined them, but processing Tom’s odd behavior left him off-kilter.
“But you got a Gordie Howe!”Breezy wheedled, trying to get Tom enthused.
Tom smiled ruefully.“And I am not proud of it.”
“You were awesome, Crow!”Howie said.
This was categorically not true.Jax had watched the replays on the big screens in the arena.Hockey fights were not dignified in the first place—two big, beefy guys standing on tiny little blades grabbing at all the excess cloth their gear provided.One of many reasons Jax didn’t find other hockey players attractive: The shorts over pants and the dumb fighting were real boner killers.
“You guys should head out,” Tom told the younger crew, kindly ignoring Howie’s bald-faced lie.“You did great.Us old guys will man the hotel bar and ice Phil’s knee.”
It was about as close to official permission the guys would receive to get absolutely wasted on the road, especially since the schedule listed the next day as a rest day before they hit Carolina, Nashville, and then Philly.When Morris popped in to announce the coaching staff had decided to waive curfew for the night, the deal was sealed.Within minutes, Vanderbilt had picked out a bar that was “also part techno club” and sauntered out with an arm over Dmitriyev’s shoulders, proclaiming he deserved free shots for his near shutout.Dmitriyev hadn’t been starting goalie for long, and he’d done exceptionally well tonight, so it relieved Jax that someone was in the mood to celebrate him.
Based on the excited chitchat as Breezy, Howie, and Mooney—along with a good portion of the Scandinavian and Russian contingents on the team—followed them out, Jax had no doubt they would have an excellent night.
An hour and a half later, showered, changed, and fed, Jax dropped into place next to Hayesie at the hotel bar, giving East’s leg and the spare chair it was propped up on a wide berth.
“Sneaky move from Coach, giving a curfew exemption in St.Louis,” Jax said.
Hayesie snorted into his beer.Jax scanned the menu.Nothing but Budweiser products to be found, naturally.NHL players traveled a lot, but Jax had yet to find a city that screamed, “We’re proud of mediocrity” as loudly as St.Louis.Still, Jax raised a hand to signal the bartender and ordered a Bud Select—about as close to water as an alcoholic drink could get.What more could a man want?
Tom was staring at him again.
“What?”Jax asked.
“You’re not going out?”
“Again, St.Louis.”
“What’s wrong with St.Louis?”
The bartender brought over Jax’s beer.He thanked her with a smile and a tip equivalent to the cost of the drink.Then he took a long sip and made a face.
“For a start, it’s the home of the Anheuser-Busch brewery.”
Hayesie clinked their glasses together.
“Okay, but wouldn’t you rather be out with the other guys?”Tom stressed the word “out,” making his meaning unmistakable.
“I don’t have to go out in every city we’re in.”
East snorted.“Can you imagine?I think I would die before the All-Star Break if I tried.”
A flush settled across Tom’s cheeks, emphasizing his truly delightful cheekbones.“I just mean…no curfew and all.”
“Again, it’s St.Louis.”
Jax wasn’t about to explain the risks he didn’t feel comfortable taking.Hooking up in St.Louis, with its many country-and-western-themed bars and its dedication to the products of Anheuser-Busch, was one of them.True, the city might possess a thriving queer scene—St.Louis was a big place, after all—but he didn’t feel as safe there as he did in the anonymity of a Florida club.Even if he’d been in the mood to explain the way local color affected his experience of app-based hookups and gay bars to Tom and deal with his wide-eyed confusion, Jax had no intention of outing himself in front of more teammates.Why Tom decided to mention it in this setting in the first place remained a mystery.Jax did the only thing he could to save the conversation and changed the subject.
“Anyway, how’s the knee doing?”
East grimaced.
“I’m so—”
“If you apologize one more time…” East threatened Tom.“It’s fine.You know I’ve been playing on a strain all season, and I never fully recovered the first time it tore.You can’t stick a Toradol shot in a nonexistent ligament.It was bound to happen.And this way, I got to see you lose your cool for once.”
Hayesie snickered.“Yeah, what was that about?No offense, Cap, but you should leave the fighting in our gloves.”
