Before long, I've finished putting away Jamie's new plates in the cabinets. As he finishes up the silverware, I head to the pile of boxes in the dining room. I definitely can't put all of these away, but I figure I can at least get them to the right rooms.
The first few are easy – two marked “movies and games” are taken to the living room, where Lindy and Alexei are racing to see who can build their half of the entertainment center quicker. Another says “linen”, so I take it upstairs to the linen closet in the full bath. The next box doesn't have a label on it, so I take the top off to look inside. Just as my eyes catch sight of black silicone, I see movement at the archway connecting the kitchen to the dining area.
“What are youdoing?” Jamie whispers urgently, walking up to me.
I stand frozen, still looking at the plug sitting next to a bottle of lube and several other toys. Quickly, I slam the lid back on the box.
“I was, uh, helping move boxes to the right rooms. This one didn't have a label.” I feel my cheeks grow hot as I avoid Jamie's gaze.
“What the fuckshouldI have labeled it, Ethan? 'Jamie Carter's sex toys – please photograph forThe Neutral Zone?'“ His face is just inches from mine, his whisper urgent in my ear.
The thought of the blog usually makes my heart race, but for a second all I can think of is how ridiculous the story would be. A smile on my lips, I turn my head to Jamie.
“Jamie Carter Goes Deep?”
He purses his lips. I try again.
“Carter Scores Solo?”
One corner of his mouth twitches. I've almost got him.
“Carter: Top Line, Bottom Energy?”
The laughter erupts from him so loudly that several of the guys in the living room look up. Johnny MacKenzie is the only one to say anything.
“Yo Ethan, stop dicking around and come help me! Someone's gotta defend the honor of d-men.”
I slide my eyes over to Jamie, wondering if he's thinking of a “d-men” joke as raunchy as the one flying through my mind right now. The mischief in his eyes says yes.
“I'll, uh, take this upstairs. You help rescue my living room furniture.”
Sure enough, Mac has the whole bookshelf messed up – the bottom is on the top, and at least half of the shelves are upside down or backwards.
“Dude. How are you this bad at this?”
Johnny grimaces at me, scratching his blond hair. “Man, I don't know. Hailey always takes care of this shit for us.”
Johnny and his girlfriend Hailey have been together as long as I've known him – longer than he's even been in the NHL. I smack him gently upside the head.
“Dude, you'd be lost without that girl. Better make sure you keep her around.”
One side of his mouth quirks up and he nods, embarrassed. “Yeah, I know.”
Eventually, we finish the bookshelf, by which time the rest of the guys have finished the other furniture. The place isn't quite done, but it's down to jobs Jamie can more easily do himself. I call in a pizza order from the place down the street and soon enough, we're sitting around the place eating and drinking beers from cases the rookies brought.
This is the first time since the preseason that we've had a chance to sit down together and just...be. The season's gotten off to a solid start, picking up points with a couple of overtime losses and a good handful of wins. As I sit on Jamie's new couch, surrounded by theteam chirping one another, I realize how different the team feels compared to the last few years. How...cohesive we've become.
Inevitably, a couple of the rookies have a few too many, and as snow starts to fall outside, I realize they probably shouldn't be driving themselves home. Still, I'm enjoying this moment, this warmth, and I'm not particularly eager to leave right now. I look next to me, where Alexei is finishing his fifth slice of supreme pizza.
“Hey, Kovy, if you and Sutter can help get the rookies home, I'll stick around and help Carter clean up.”
Alexei holds my eye for a moment and I feel a blush build in my cheeks.
“Sure, Ethan. I'll do that.”
As the lastrookie heads out the door, I start going through the living space, putting all the cardboard into a neat pile for the recycling dumpster. Jamie starts turning off lights and closing the curtains facing onto the street. With the cardboard done, I start gathering empties and consolidating them in the kitchen. Once I think I have them all, I start rinsing them out.
“You don't have to do that.”
