Page 44 of Hockey Bois
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“Nick is texting!” his cousin Jess screamed. He winced at how high her voice could go, and then winced again when her sister’s delighted shriek echoed through the basement where the cousins were hiding from the “grown-ups” upstairs.
Nick loved his family, he really did, but sometimes they could be overwhelming. It didn’t help that he and his cousin Sean were outnumbered by the sheer number of women across four generations who were present today. There were more men in their family somewhere in existence, but most had moved too far out to make the trip for Thanksgiving. That meant a lot of giggling and gossip, especially now that—
“Yoink!” Mykala said as she grabbed the phone from Nick and tossed it to Jess. The sisters looked ready to play a game of keep-away, unaware that Nick wasn’t interested in fighting them for it.
He’d grown up with them, after all. He might be a runner, but they were quick and sneaky, and he’d never been good at catching them. They’d destroy this whole basement before they admitted defeat. Since Nick would likely be the one cleaning up after the rampage, he’d rather avoid it altogether.
“You have apasscodenow?” Jess looked completely scandalized. “You don’t trust us?”
“I mean, youdidjust steal my phone…?”
“Jenna, could you unlock this?”
“1974,” she said with disinterest, too wrapped up in her game of chess with Sean. While she enjoyed her fair share of gossip, Nick’s business wasn’t exactly gossip to her like it was to the rest of them. “Year the Caps were founded. He’s probably just texting that guy from hockey.”
“Jensie from Hockey,” the sisters read in unison once they’d unlocked the phone. “Is he cute?”
“You guys are super creepy when you do that,” Nick said.
“He’sverycute,” Jenna said. “Hot, even.”
“You’re just talking about hockey,” Mykala said, wrinkling her nose in distaste.
“And theweather,” Jess added with disdain. “How are we even related if this is how you flirt?”
“It’s not— I’m not— I—” Nick sputtered.
“The guy might be straight,” Jenna clarified.
“Ohhh,” they said with mutual disappointment.
“We could find out for you,” Jess offered.
“Wouldn’t take much,” Mykala added with a wicked smile.
The hair on the back of his neck prickled. Oh no.
“You don’t have to—” He started to dive for his phone; the whole scenario vividly took him back to the tenth grade when they started Facebook messaging one of his cute classmates on his behalf. He hadn’t evenlikedthe guy, but they’d been in middle school at the time and only cared about dating; they’d been determined to get him a boyfriend whether he wanted one or not.
Mykala nimbly twirled away from Nick and tossed the phone to Jess, who proceeded to stand on the back of the sofa to keep out of Nick’s reach. Her fingers were moving at lightning speed. She swiped and dragged and then moved in the unmistakable pattern of someone typing, all while Mykala used the full force of her 110 pounds to keep Nick at bay.
“Jess,please—”
“Done!” she said and handed it back to him. “I was nice about it, I promise. Used a picture already on your phone.”
“Of me?” he squeaked and did a mental inventory of the pictures he had. A few selfies, some pictures from his runs, a few hockey things. Nothing incriminating, nothing scandalous.
“I’m not amonster.” Jess rolled her eyes. “It’s not you, and it’s 100% hockey-related, but definitely on the gay side. By the way, when are you taking me to a hockey game if the guys who play look likethat? Like what the fuck, Nick, you’re holding out on us.”
There was actual sweat on his brow as he unlocked his phone. What had Jess done and how could it possibly tell him whether Brady was straight or not?
“Oh myGod,” he breathed out. Right there on his screen, in all his glory, was Jakob Vrana, forward for the Washington Capitals. And not just any picture of Vrana. Oh no, it was much worse.
It was a picture with his jersey pulled up to reveal an incredible six pack of abs. And right below that, masquerading as him, was Jess’s succinct comment.
Nick (8:14 p.m.)
