It doesn’t have to be that kind of making time, I just wanted to hang out. You free for lunch tomorrow?
Wait, what?
Nick is confused.
Nick
Just lunch?
Matt
Idk we could go for a walk or whatever, catch up. Depends how much time you have.
So… not a booty call, then?
He is so confused.
“Hey, Marco, do I have plans for tomorrow lunch?”
“Not that I know about.” Marco shoots him a strange look. “Why?”
“No reason…”
They pull up to a stoplight, and Marco glances from Nick’s face to the phone in his hand. Understanding dawns. “Ohhh.Yeah, I don’t think you’ve got any team shit. Though I will remind you I am not your secretary.” He smirks. “Hot date planned?”
“I will have zero comments from the peanut gallery, please and thank you.”
“Nick’s got a date?” Bianca yelps from the backseat. She leans forward, trying to steal his phone out of his hand, and Nick curls protectively around it.
“None of your business, damn it! Marco, your sisters are bullying me.”
The whine is enough to make Bianca stop—mostly because being referred to as Marco’s sister like she and Sofia are married always makes her go all mushy and gross. Once he’s sure it’s safe, Nick goes back to his texts.
Nick
Yeah, I can do lunch. Text you when I’m free tomorrow?
It’snota date, no matter what Marco says. They’re justcasual.
Chapter Nine
[Image Description: Casino interior full of people in black tie. Nick Tiernan stands at a roulette table, wearing a dark gray tuxedo. He stands next to a young woman with long, dark hair wearing a backless red dress, leaning in close; his hand hovers over her lower back, and he appears to be whispering in her ear. She is smiling.]
@TMZ: Up to his old Trix? NVD captain Nick Tiernan seen getting cozy with actress Helena Sharp at a charity casino night put on by the Dragons. The pair reportedly left the event together. Are we seeing a return of the hockey star’s party-boy attitude?
—Twitter, October 29th, 2022
Despite having reiterated several times over that getting lunch with Matt isnota date, Nick still finds himselfanxiously checking himself out in the mirror in the bathroom at the rink before getting ready to leave.
He’s a little later than intended, so Matt is already waiting for him. He stands at the sight of Nick, and there’s an awkward moment where they aren’t sure how to greet each other, eventually settling on a somewhat clumsy bro-hug that lasts a second too long.
He feels ridiculous for the way his stomach bubbles with excitement; it’s literally only been ten days since he last saw Matt, but as they take their seats he studies the planes of his face like they’ve been apart for months. “Hi,” he says, watching a shy little grin tug at Matt’s mouth.
“Hey.”
They sit there, staring at each other, until someone a few feet away loudly scrapes their chair across the floor. “I, uh, menus,” Matt says, holding one out to Nick. “I haven’t really had the chance to look yet.”
“Oh, I’ve been here before. I know what I’m getting.”
