Page 144 of Hockey Bois
“Right? Anyway, I do actually have plans to go to the Lakefront with some friends. The bottle rockets were for the after-party. Have fun with your man candy. I’m coming over for dinner next week so we can have an actual face-to-face conversation about this. You’ve been crushing on this man for literal months, I demand updates.”
“You’ll get your updates,” Nick promised.
“This is also your fair warning that I’m going to ask questions that you’re not going to like if you haven’t had an actual conversation with Brady about your relationship status.”
Nick sighed dramatically. “Oh, I know. Trust me, I’mtryingto have the conversation, but I don’t want him to freak out and shut down like he did in PA.”
“Oh geez, you really haven’t had The Talk yet? I thought I was kidding.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Well, IhopedI was.”
“Uh huh.” His phone vibrated. “Look, I gotta go.”
“Dinner on Wednesday. I’ll bring the dinner; you’re in charge of dessert.”
“’kay. See ya.”
He barely heard Jenna’s grumpy “Love you, too” before he ended the call so he could switch messages.
Brady (12:26 p.m.)
should prbly drive separate
He rubbed a hand over his face, made note of the stubble there, and tried not to read too much into Brady’s reply.
Still Brady. Slow and steady and all that.
“Maybe in another year,” he grumped, then gave up on the pity party. It was too soon to be tired of whatever it was they were doing together.
Nick (12:31 p.m.)
cool see you in a bit
*
The chair groaned as Nick’s weight settled into it. He’d be more worried if they were actually on the dock or if his ass were more than a half foot off the ground. All he really had to risk was the rickety chair breaking and the slight embarrassment that would go along with it.
Considering this was the only free chair and the only place where he could sit next to Brady, he was more than willing to take that chance.
“Beer?” He offered the two bottles and was unsurprised when Brady took the Yuengling. Despite his claims that he loved IPAs, he was a good Pittsburgh boy, and it was adorable.
Nick smiled, glad that he could finally give free rein to thoughts like that.
They clinked their bottles together and took long drinks.
“Truth or dare?” Nick asked without preamble. He’d thought about this a lot as they stood in the party crowd, and now that they were alone, he wanted to make some headway.
Brady groaned. “I’m not jumping into the fucking river, so truth.”
“Boooring,” Nick lied. “What’d you first think of me when I joined the team?”
“You mean when I met you in the lobby and you didn’t even know how to sign in?” Brady worried at his bottom lip. “You really want me to answer that?”
He’d briefly worried that Brady didn’t remember theirfirstmeeting; he was pleasantly surprised to learn that he’d made an impression.
“I asked, didn’t I?”
