Nick (11:54 a.m.)
dunno if i’m ready for that
His thumb hesitated over the send button, then he decided he was overthinking it and hit “Send.”
He hadn’t even switched apps when he got a reply.
Jensie from Hockey (11:55 a.m.)
you play actual games in an actual league and you’re worried about pick up???
Was it bad that he could absolutely picture Brady’s exasperation?
Nick (11:55 a.m.)
attitude is different at pick up
y’all knew what you were getting when i joined the team
some johnny hockey comes in wanting a hard game and ends up with newbie mcnewberson and he gets pissed and then he doesn’t have fun and i don’t have fun and i quit hockey and move to somewhere with no ice
It was a lot to unload, too many insecurities to dump on Brady, and he regretted it. There was no taking it back, though, so he read through his emails to calm down while he waited for a response he didn’t quite expect to get.
Jensie from Hockey (12:07 p.m.)
okay first off Gaudreau is not showing up to random ass Wheaton pick up
second off fuck anyone that uptight about a pickup game
if it makes you feel better I know the guy who runs it I’ll get him to put us on the same team
third it’s fucking southern Maryland there’s barely any fucking ice here as is
Nick totally did not giggle or blush like a kid with a crush—not because he wasn’t rapidly developing a crush, but because he was too old to giggle about it, thank you very much—as he eagerly savored each reply.
Nick (12:13 p.m.)
omfg did you just make a joke?? TWO jokes?? who the fuck is this and what have you done with jens?
He waited a moment before hitting “Send,” typing and re-typing the last word. He’d known Brady’s name within a minute of meeting him, but since the team strictly called him Jens or Jensie, Nick had never actually said the nameBrady Jensenout loud.
His fingers burned to typeBrady,but no, hockey convention reigned.
Jensie from Hockey (12:15 p.m.)
har har
you’re coming get over it
Painfully aware that his lunch break was up, he resigned himself to the inevitable. Brady had helped him a ton, and if he wanted Nick to join him for a pick-up game, Nick could suck it up and deal. As a thanks for all of Brady’s help, of course. Definitely not for crush-related reasons.
Nick (12:16 p.m.)
fine but you owe me a beer
Before he could turn off his phone and return to the world of accounting, an answer came.
Jensie from Hockey (12:16 p.m.)
