inviting me to dinner.
Conor had told me how much he loves games—well, today proved he’s highly skilled at them too. Problem is, I’m terrible at games. I always lose. And the longer this silly ruse with Conor goes on, the greater the danger of it all blowing up in my face.
9
Conor
There’s an eerie calm on the ice Tuesday morning as the team runs through drills. Hardly anyone says a word for two hours; only the sounds of our skates and Coach’s whistle echo through the empty arena.
The tournament brackets were announced yesterday. This weekend we face Minnesota Duluth in Buffalo, New York. No one wants to say it, but I think the matchup has everyone a bit spooked. The nerves are creeping in, and we’re all on edge and hyper-focused on our individual parts of the machine.
Hunter’s been staying late every day since we made the playoffs. He wants it bad. I think he sees it as a reflection on his success as captain, like it’s his job alone to win this for us and if he doesn’t, he’s a failure. Man, I could never do his job. I generally make it a rule to minimize expectations and not take on responsibility for anyone but myself.
After practice, we hit the showers. I stand under the spray and let the scalding water beat down on my aching shoulders. This tournament might just be the death of me.
My old team in LA sucked, which means we never had to worry about a post-season. Going this long at this high a competitive level is taking its toll on my body. Bruises, sore ribs, tired muscles. I honestly don’t know how professionals do it. If I’m even able to stand up on skates next season it’ll be a miracle. There are a lot of guys who think they want to go pro. Less than half have a legitimate shot. Me, I’ve never harbored any delusions that I’m NHL material. Nor do I want to be. Hockey has always just been a hobby, something to keep me out of trouble. Idle hands and all that. Soon, this part of my life will be over.
Problem is, I don’t have any idea what comes next.
“Hey, Captain, I move to call the Relationship Status Inquisition into session,” Bucky shouts out above the noise of the showers.
“I second that motion,” Jesse calls back.
“The motion carries.” Hunter stands in the stall beside me. I feel him staring at the side of my face. “This session of the Relationship Status Inquisition is now open. Bucky, call your first witness.”
“I call Joe Foster to the stand.”
“Present!” Foster gurgles out under the spray of his shower faucet at the opposite end of the room.
“I fucking hate you guys,” I say as I grab a towel and wrap it around my waist.
“Is it true, Mr. Foster, that Conor Edwards did publicly and embarrassingly drop to his knees to profess his love to Kappa Party Girl after he was known to have hooked up with Instagram Natalie?”
“Wait, what?” Foster asks blankly. “Oh, at the banquet thing. Yeah. It was fucking gross.”
“And did he subsequently bring Kappa Party Girl home that evening?”
“Yo, Bucky, I didn’t know you could use four-syllable words,” Gavin says, ribbing him as they leave the showers.
I head to my locker to get dressed, the guys breathing down my neck.
“Yeah, they spent a long time in his bedroom. Alone.” Foster’s going to find his car stuffed full of dildos sometime in the very near future.
“And they FaceTimed the other day,” Matt pipes up, a big stupid grin on his face. “He called her.”
A round of mock gasps travels through the room.
Guess Matt can look forward to some dildos too.
“You can all eat shit,” I drawl.
“I seem to remember,” Hunter says, “you conspiring to interfere in my dick affairs. Payback’s a bitch.”
“At least I don’t need you to make out with my girlfriend to get me to fuck her.”
“Ouch,” Bucky laughs. “He’s got you there, Cap.”
“So this is a real thing?” Hunter asks, unfazed by my jab at his stupid chastity bargain. “You and…”
“Taylor. And yeah, sort of.”
“Sort of?”
No, it isn’t real, technically. And it kind of sucks lying to the guys.
But also, what makes it not real? I mean, I’m not going to sleep with other women or date, because that wouldn’t be respectful to either Taylor or those potential women. She hasn’t said as much out loud, but I suspect she feels the same way on the subject. So that checks the