Page 152 of Hockey Bois
“It’s just steak. It’s literally the easiest meat to cook.”
“Shut up. This is fantastic. Take the damn compliment.”
Brady looked like he didn’t agree, but he didn’t argue.
Nick scarfed down his food, which unfortunately left him time to stew while Brady ate at a reasonable speed.
“Hey,” Nick said as casually as he could. Based on the raised eyebrow that earned him from Brady, he hadn’t succeeded. “Could we talk?”
Pushing his food around on his plate, Brady avoided looking up. “About?”
“It’s not a big deal.”Great Nick, way to start, way to make it sound like it absolutely is a big deal.“I just had a, uh… a question. That I’ve been meaning to ask.”
“Oh,” Brady said neutrally. He abandoned his fork and knife, put both elbows on the table, and rested his head behind his clasped hands. There was a slight tremor there, visible before it disappeared; Nick wasn’t sure if he’d imagined it. “What’s up?”
He also wasn’t sure if he’d ever had Brady’s full attention like this, and he squirmed in his seat. Brady’s expression was that of a man who knew he wasn’t going to like whatever he was about to hear, and it made Nick fold in on himself under the scrutiny. It was like a sad accusation, like he was hoping Nick wouldn’t ruin a perfectly good thing.
“So are you…? I mean, us, are we…? Uh…” He could see Brady’s confusion gradually disappearing behind stoney eyes. “You wanna go to a picnic?” he blurted out instead.
There was an awkward clatter as Brady’s elbow slipped off the counter, and he nearly fell off his stool. “Huh?”
“Do you wanna go to a picnic?” Nick repeated, doubling down on the crazy idea. “My family throws one on the farm every year.”
“You’re inviting me to a family picnic?” His tone was unreadable, but he looked baffled. Definitely an improvement from the tense resignation from a minute ago.
It was, only very technically, a family picnic.
It was a tradition they’d started years ago: at the end of August, they’d have a family gathering with all the cousins—a last big get together before the kids went back to school. As they’d gotten older, it’d slowly evolved into something more: a large party on the family farm, and while therewerelots of family members there, there were also lots of neighbors and family friends.
It actually wasn’t that terrible of a plan, inviting Brady.
“I mean, like, kinda? It’s not a family reunion or anything. Most of the people there aren’t family.”
Brady’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “How many people go?”
“I dunno, over a hundred?”
“Over a— What the fuck type of family picnic is this?”
“See?” Nick said. “Not a family thing. It’s more like a neighborhood potluck that my family happens to host. Think the Fourth of July thing at Mags’s sister’s place, except without the fireworks. There’ll be tons of food, beer, and an unnecessarily competitive tournament of some random sport.”
“Uh… sure?” He seemed more caught off-guard than enthusiastic, but Nick beamed at the acceptance. “When?”
“Not until the twenty-seventh or something. I dunno, I’ll have to check.” And then, because he worried, he reached over, took Brady’s hand, and squeezed it. “You sure you wanna go? It’s not a big deal if you don’t.”
Brady looked at their joined hands in consideration.
“I mean, it’s just a picnic, right?” he asked. “Picnics are fun.” Then he pulled away and grabbed their plates to take to the sink. “Movie?”
“Sure.”
The movie was promptly abandoned in favor of lazily making out on the couch, not that either of them complained about the change in plans.
*
“He coming to the thing?” Jenna asked as she fiddled on her phone.
Nick kept working wax onto his stick blade. “Is who coming to what now?” he asked without looking up. He and Jenna had long ago perfected the art of hanging out without having to actually talk to each other, something they’d picked up while huddled over textbooks to cram for high-school finals. It was strangely comforting, familiar and homey in a way he didn’t often feel outside of the farm.
