Jett had earned his own bruises, including a very bad one on his hip from the shove into the boards, but he was still in great shape.
No lasting injuries. Everyone was fine.
“We almost got them,” said Powers beside Bracken. “Next time I’m getting a shut-out. I don’t care what I have to do.”
“I believe in you, buddy.” Jett held up his beer bottle in salute. “You get your shut-out, and I’ll get my hat trick. We’ll fuck them from every angle.”
The four were seated at a booth near the back to avoid the crowd and wandering puck bunnies looking for a new playmate. Jett insisted on taking the outside seat so he could keep getting up to get their drinks, which Harrison agreed to because he wanted to rest his leg and not get up fifty times as the night went on.
He could have happily returned to the hotel and helped Jett out of his very nice charcoal grey suit, but he resigned himself to being a part of the team instead. He already had a reputation for being an uptight stick in the mud, and didn’t want to make it any worse.
But still…having to look at Jett dressed like this for hours was torture. The casual clothes were distracting enough, but a dress shirt with the rumpled tie and the top button undone? Yeah, that was a look.
If they could sneak away before their three hours were up, Harrison would gladly help him out of it too.
“Wolfy better not bring those girls back to his room with Niko there,” Powers said, nodding to their defenceman who had a brunette on each arm. “Not unless he’s sharing, anyway.”
Harrison tried not to choke on his next sip, but Jett was dramatic enough for both of them as he sputtered and started hacking.
“Dude,” said Jett in a hoarse whisper. “Niko isgay.”
Powers’s mouth fell open. “Heis?!”
Bracken didn’t appear surprised, so five points for him.
“Okay, well if Wolf brings those girls back, I’ll kick his ass for sure,” said Powers firmly.
There was no warning—no time to react—when Su-jin Park materialized out of nowhere and threw himself into the spot beside Jett, nudging him hard enough that he bumped into Harrison.
“Your goalie is fucking feisty,” said Park, smiling at them while his captain, Damien Holt, took the seat next to Bracken.
Awkward.
“Our goalie is like, forty years old and has sleep apnea. We can barely keep him awake long enough for a full game.”
Bracken shoved himself against Powers, keeping a foot of space between him and Holt. His posture was stiff, but he wasn’t scowling or punching him yet, which was a good sign.
Holt nodded at Park’s words and let out a disgruntled sigh. “It’s either him or our younger guy who gets distracted by bright colours, sounds, thoughts—pretty much everything but the puck.”
“What the fuck are you doing here, Park?” Jett grumbled, but grumbles turned to curses when Park wrapped his arms around Jett’s slim waist and yanked him against his side.
Harrison sipped his whiskey as he watched the two pretty hockey players grapple with each other. Jett was a little drunk, so he was having a hard time coordinating his arms effectively, and his anger was turning his cheeks red.
“I’m here to hang out withnormalpeople,” Park groused. He took a smack to his cheek and grunted, reluctantly letting go of Jett and rubbing his face. “I have to deal with the Conclave weirdos all day, and I’m tired of it.”
Harrison glanced at Holt, and Holt shrugged. “Jin is our token gay player. I think he’s getting tired of dealing with all of us married straight guys.”
Park shoved a finger at his captain. “Mostly just you, fucking loser. It’s bad enough I have to deal with you liking women, but then you had to go and be gross and knock my favourite girl up. She was perfect before you put your grubby hands on her and gave her shitty baby brain.”
“Evelyn is my childhood best friend,” said Holt. “You’ve known her for like, three years. Calm down, bro.”
“I’m not your bro, dickhead,” Park shot back. “You lost bro privileges when you impregnated my best friend.”
“I would like to point out that my wife and I have been married for a year, and this baby is planned,” Holt said, shooting them all pleading looks. “Jin is just being dramatic because he hates kids.”
“Hate isn’t a strong enough word,” said Jin. “I literally get nauseous when I think about them. Poor Evie. Her life is ruined.”
“I would like to add to what I said earlier and say that Jin is also going to be our baby’s godfather,” said Holt. “And he won’t hate his godchild because it will be half of my wife, so no children will be in danger.”
