Chapter 2 #2
“No. This was an add-on at the last minute because, and I quote Coach, ‘You lazy asses came back to campus so fucking out of shape that it’ll be a miracle if you’re not completely gassed by the second period in three weeks.’”
“What’s in three weeks?” Chloe asked. She was looking around the room, and I guessed it was to assess the lighting and from which angle she’d look best.
“First scrimmage,” our host said as he handed us each a cup.
“Ten bucks a cup. Keg’s been tapped and is behind the bar.
Pitchers are on top, but limited. Cash either in the vase there, or cash app addy is there.
” He pointed to a slender-necked vase on top of the bar that had a couple of ten-dollar bills at the bottom and a sign that had a Venmo address and a QR code that apparently went to a new-to-me cash app.
I reached for my phone to do the Venmo address but Chloe pulled some cash out of her bag.
“This one’s on me, ladies. Our first party together.
” She already had her phone rolling as she stuffed a twenty and a ten into the vase.
“First of many parties! Smash that like button if you’re partying tonight, too!
” she told her viewers. (I didn’t know if she was live-posting or would edit later.
I supposed I wouldn’t know for sure until later, so I’d just assume it was live and act accordingly.)
“Thanks, Chloe,” I said, as did Abby.
“So, you’re obviously Chloe,” he said. “I’m Dex.
That’s Philly,” he added as a girl came into the room carrying another sleeve of red cups.
She nodded to us, looking us up and down.
I could have imagined it, but it seemed like a look of amusement swiftly crossed her face.
She had on jeans and a hoodie, her brown hair pulled back into a ponytail.
“I think we’re overdressed,” I said softly, more to Abby than anyone else.
“You’re fine,” Dex said. “Anything goes here, right, Philly?”
“You know it, Dex,” she said. She went behind the bar.
“They pay?” she asked Dex, who nodded. Seconds later Philly put a freshly pulled pitcher of beer on the bar.
“Here you go, girls. First pitcher of the night. Get some seats while they’re available.
Word got out about the long practice and meeting, so everybody is pre-partying somewhere else, but this place will fill up fast now. ”
We took three of the four barstools, the ones closest to the wall, my skirt not quite covering all of my thigh so that skin hit the leather, which I tried not to clock as very sticky.
“Are you on the team?” Abby asked Dex, who was behind the bar filling up a glass mug with the Bribury crest on it. No disposable red cup for him.
He took a long drink from his beer and slowly put the glass down on the bar, resting his elbows on it as he faced us. “Yes and no. Just had surgery over the summer. I’m not allowed on the ice for two more weeks.”
“Three more weeks. And even then, just to skate. No hitting,” Philly added.
She’d filled two more pitchers and placed them on the end of the bar that was nearest the open area of the room.
Dex snaked an arm around Philly’s waist and pulled her into him, causing her to spill some beer out of another pitcher.
“Watch it,” she said. There was no warning in her voice, and once she put the pitcher down, she curled into Dex’s hold on her, placing her arms around his neck.
“Two and a half weeks, actually,” he said softly. Philly smiled at him and nodded, acknowledging his amended timeline.
“But no hitting,” she whispered.
“No hitting,” he agreed. His lips met hers, and they kissed like they were alone and not in front of three freshman girls sitting at their bar and watching them.
“Damn, I need to get some,” Abby said, her words echoing my thoughts.
Philly laughed and broke from the kiss. “Sorry. I’m not trying to torture you. And I’m not usually into PDA.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Dex said, earning a tweak on his bicep from Philly. His very nice bicep.
“But I just got into town, and haven’t seen this idiot in a while—”
“Thirty-seven days,” Dex said, earning a soft kiss on the same bicep.
“And, well, you know, shit bottles up,” she said.
We all nodded and took long drinks from our cups. “I hear that,” Chloe said.
“So, we got Chloe’s name. And you two are…?” Dex said, his arms still around Philly, who seemed content to be wrapped up.
“Abby and Megan,” Chloe said, pointing in each of our directions as she named us.
“Nice to meet you. Since this is our first party this year, and you all look like freshmen, I’m guessing this is your first hockey party?”
At the label of freshmen, both Chloe and Abby cut a look my way.
Catching the look, Philly asked, “Not your first hockey party or not freshmen?”
“Definitely our first hockey party,” Abby said. They looked at me, but I was already so tired of explaining my situation—and we hadn’t even started classes yet—that I didn’t elaborate.
Sensing that was all she was going to get on that front, Philly pulled away from Dex and put her hands on the bar like she was giving out expert bartender advice.
“Okay. Here’s the lay of the land. Four of the players live here, including Dex.
The whole team will be here momentarily.
Girlfriends will be right on their heels because the ones taken are trained to text them immediately when they’re done with practice. ”
“You never trained me like that,” Dex said, to which Philly snorted, ignored him, and went on with our tutorial.
“The girlfriends mark their territory quickly at these parties, and with great authority, so you’ll have no trouble knowing who’s already taken.”
“Not that that’s ever stopped some of them,” Dex said.
“True,” Philly said. “But those are the ones you especially want to stay away from. The rest of the players who are single are that way on purpose, usually. So, enjoy, have fun. Hook up, get laid, hang out, whatever. But know that when you leave this house, whatever started is pretty much over.”
“That’s fine with me,” Chloe said. Abby and I both nodded.
We’d talked about boys, hookups, relationships, and all that encompassed, on our second night in our suite. Emily was still with her high school boyfriend, Caleb, who was a freshman at Florida State, and they were going to give the long-distance thing a try. At least for now.
Chloe said she’d never dated anyone seriously before, just a few short-term things, and that suited her. At least for now.
And Abby had been decimated by a breakup halfway through her senior year and wanted nothing but fun. At least for now.
My situation was a little more complicated. Or maybe not. Maybe it was incredibly simple.
“So, you’re saying that if I find a guy I like, he is available, and we spend the night doing whatever pleases us both, tomorrow is another day and it’s like it never happened.”
There was no questioning in my voice, but Philly nodded.
“That’s exactly what I want,” I said.
At least for now.