“Only people who follow hockey,” I argue.
“Must be hard though?” Marlowe asks.
“Having them as brothers?” They nod. “It can be. It’s hard to meet people and trust them because I’ve found that most people want to be friends because of my brothers, especially the puck bunnies.”
“That sucks,” Billie adds.
“And after this summer and all the crap that went down publicly, I’ve kept my circle small because I don’t know who might be a journalist or a fan.”
“Didn’t realize all that was happening. I’m sorry. Things will settle down soon,” Marlowe reassures me.
“You think?” I chuckle.
“Can’t get any worse,” Zara adds.
“We should all go out on Friday night to welcome Collette to the team properly. At least you know we don’t want to hang out with you because of your brothers,” Billie adds.
This is true.
“That would be awesome. I miss my girls back in South Dakota, and my sister lives in London. Oh, do you think I could bring some old friends I’ve reconnected with in New York? You girls will love them, they are a heap of fun.”
“Of course, it will be fun,” Marlowe says.
I can’t wait.
2
FISH
“Murphy’s?” Sully asks as I strip out of my gear, the locker room buzzing at its usual post-practice frequency. The music is blasting. Nelly is doing his weird goalie stretches, while the boys all chirp at each other over something. Murphy’s is our post practice meal, it’s post-game drinks as well, it’s post everything. We practically live there and not because the food is amazing or the drinks are cheap but because no one bothers us there.
“Pierre, Felix, you coming, too?” Sully asks our newest teammates. Cap invited them over to his place before training camp so we could get to know them and they are good guys, even if I am slightly intimidated by them, especially Pierre, the man is a fricken legend.
“Sure,” Felix answers as Pierre nods, stripping off his gear.
Twenty minutes later, we’re sliding into our usual booth at the pub. Katie doesn’t even ask anymore, she just starts bringing pitchers and baskets of wings. Pierre and Felix slot in where they fit, the conversation flows easily, it’s always about hockey. We talk about the last-minute trades that made the news and about the up-and-coming young guys. There’s loads of laughter,and the guys are chirping each other like we always do. I’m so fucking happy that I got traded to the Mavericks, these guys are the best. I’ve never been a part of such a solid team before, and I know we have a chance to win the cup this year, especially with the St. Pierre brothers. We are going to be a fucking force, and I can’t wait to win.
Pierre and Felix last for a couple of beers before excusing themselves, something about their sister, before Pierre gives Katie a huge tip and they walk out the door. Bouch reaches for another wing while Sully signals Katie for another pitcher.
“Their sister is hot,” I blurt out. The table goes quiet. Every single head turns toward me. “Just making an observation.”
Bouch closes his eyes briefly like he’s asking for patience from a higher power. Evan puts his beer down very slowly. Nelly looks at the ceiling.
Sully puts his glass down with the careful precision of a man who needs a moment. “No,” Sully says.
“What?”
“Whatever you are thinking, stop it now,” he warns me.
“I’m not thinking anything. I literally just said she was hot. That’s it. That’s the whole observation.”
“Fish.” Emmett’s voice comes from the end of the table. That specific register he has. Not loud, never loud, just lands differently than everything else. “You heard Pierre this morning.”
“I heard Pierre but I also have eyes. The two things can both be true at the same time.”
“Not in this case,” Emmett says. “In this case, there is only one truth, and it is that she is completely off-limits. She works for this organization. Pierre and Felix are two of the most important players we have this season, and you are not going to be the reason that gets complicated.” He picks up his burger. “Are we clear?”
I look around the table. Sully is giving me a disappointed look. Bouch is shaking his head. Evan has picked up his beer again and is ignoring what is happening. Nelly concentrates on his wings.