Page 156 of Hockey Bois
He was in so much of a trance, he didn’t register falling in step with Brady as they left together in companionable silence.
“Not that I’m complaining,” Brady said once they were out in the parking lot. How long ago had they started parking side by side in the back corner? Seemed like forever, long enough ago that it had become habit, but Nick couldn’t for the life of him pinpoint when it’d first happened. “What’s with the hat?”
Nick stared at him, half wondering if Brady had genuinely forgotten. “It’s your birthday, right? Pittsburgh’s not so far out in the middle of nowhere that they don’t give people gifts on their birthday.” He grinned to show he didn’t mean anything by it.
Still, Brady’s eyes bulged. “I mean itis— How’d you—? I didn’t—”
“Facebook?” he offered by way of apology. “Only found out by accident. Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.”
“It’s not a secret,” Brady said defensively.
“Uh huh. And how many people have you told?”
“Just because I don’t like totellpeople doesn’t mean it’s asecret.”
“Okay, Mr. Not-Secret-Birthday-Boy, how old you turning?”
Brady winced, like he didn’t want to admit it. “Thirty.”
“The big three-oh!?” Nick sputtered. Brady hushed him with a look, and Nick forced himself to quiet down. “Damn, maybe the fancy restaurant was the way to go.”
“Restaurant?” There was panic in Brady’s eyes, and he almost stuttered as he added, “Look, I don’t know if I really—”
“Nah, don’t worry, I know you’re too lowkey for that. I mean, a guy who refuses to tell his”—Nick cut off, fumbling over his words until he found something more neutral—“his team that it’s his birthday probably doesn’t want the attention of servers bringing out candlelit dessert and serenading him.”
Brady heaved a sigh of relief. “Exactly.”
“I do, though. December 12th. Mark it down. I like French pastries and lots of attention from strangers. Feel free to bring cupcakes to the game. It’ll make the other team feel better when I score a hatty on my birthday and embarrass them.”
Brady looked up at the darkening sky and heaveda second, moreexaggerated sigh as if wondering what he’d done to deserve this. His exasperation was undercut by him taking out his phone a moment later. Nick could read Brady’s lips forming the wordsDecember 12thas he typed onto his phone.
“So no fancy restaurant,” Brady paused to confirm. Nick nodded. “Just the hat?”
“Nah, I’m still taking you to dinner. I hope you like cheap beer, greasy burgers, and literally whatever is the closest thing resembling a sport that would be live at 9 p.m. on a Saturday night in the middle of the summer.”
Brady perked up. “Krazy Dan’s?”
“Pssh, that shithole?” Nick joked. “Absolutely. Let’s splurge on a pitcher of Natty Boh and some double cheeseburgers. Maybe even some wings.”
“Doublebaconcheeseburgers.”
“Anything you want, birthday boy.”
When they closed out the bar at 1 a.m., singing off-key to a song that in no way resembled the one playing over the speakers, Nick was drunkenly confident he’d pulled off a very fine birthday celebration indeed.
As they waited out front for their Uber to pick them up, Brady pulled him in close.
“Can I tell you a secret?” Brady stage-whispered loudly.
Nick nodded fervently. “Please.”
“I was gonna move back to Pittsburgh, and then I met you and… and I’m glad I stayed.”
Nick’s chest tightened; he wasn’t sure how he felt about the admission, but he sure as hell feltsomething. He also didn’t know what to say, so he did the only thing he could think of: he kissed Brady and hoped all the things he felt came acrossThanks for sharing, for staying and for giving me a chance, thanks for letting me prove that staying was a good choice.
“Happy birthday,” he said when they finally broke apart.
“Happy birthday to me,” Brady agreed.
