A
t six oโclock, weโre all waiting for the newlyweds to enter the ballroom of the boutique hotel where the reception is being held. The private ceremony
ended a while ago, but Tuckerโs mom had popped in afterward with the update that they were taking some pictures up on the hotel roof and would come down shortly
The ballroom currently holds about two hundred guests, many of whom are current or former hockey players all stuffed like sausages in ill-fitted suits. Not me, obviously. I rock a suit like nobodyโs business. Allieโs wearing a sky- blue dress that matches her eyes and silver stilettos that give her some height and make her legs look endless. Her blonde hair is pulled back in an elegant twist, revealing the diamond studs in her ears, last yearโs anniversary gift courtesy of yours truly.
โIs this from the new Tom Ford collection?โ my sister asks, running her grubby hands over the front of my very expensive suit jacket. Well, fine, her manicure probably cost more than this suit, but you canโt go around pawing at a manโs tailored wool, cotton, and silk blend.
โYes,โ I answer smugly. โJealous?โ
โYes, Dicky, Iโmย soย jealous,โ Summer replies, dramatically rolling her eyes. Then she sighs. โActually,
yeah, I kind of am. You look better than me tonight.โ โThank you for acknowledging that,โ I say solemnly. Fitz shakes his head. โYou two are insane.โ
โIgnore him,โ Summer tells me. โHe doesnโt understand clothes the way we do.โ
Sheโs right. Fitz would be happy wearing ripped jeans and old tees for the rest of his life. He has no use for designer clothes. But itโs one of the many things Summer and I have in common, along with our lust for life. Itโll be nice having her back in New York this summer. After she graduates from Briar next month, she and Fitz are moving to Manhattan.
โI canโt wait till weโre both in the city together again,โ Summer says as if reading my mind. โActually, not just both of usโall of us!โ she corrects, her expression shining brighter. โIโm excited to drop by Nickyโs office for surprise lunches and shopping trips and watch him make up excuses why he canโt go.โ
Summer gets a kick out of tormenting our workaholic older brother. And tormenting me. And her boyfriend. Basically, sheโs a holy terror. But we all love her.
A murmur ripples through the crowd. โTheyโre here,โ someone says.
All gazes focus on the double doors in the arched doorway. A moment later they fling open, and Jamie Tucker glides into the ballroom looking like an angel princess in a white tulle dress with a full skirt. Thereโs a silver tiara tucked into her auburn hair, and a beaming smile on her cherub face.
Tuckerโs mother, Gail, scurries after the toddler, chiding, โJamie! You were supposed to wait for the signal.โ
Laughter breaks out, which turns into gasps when Sabrina and Tucker appear.
โOh my God,โ Allie breathes. โI know she probably hates everyone staring at her, butย lookย at her.โ
Sheโs right. Sabrina is exquisite in a simple white satin gown with a scooped neckline that reveals some pretty delectable cleavage. Her dark hair cascades over one bare shoulder, a section of it clipped to the side with a diamond pin. Even though sheโs wearing impossibly high heels, Tuck stands at well over six feet and still towers over her. Theyโre holding hands as they enter the ballroom. Sabrinaโs blushing and Tuckerโs beaming, and I deeply envy him in that moment.
I squeeze Allieโs hand, and when she squeezes back and slants her head toward me with a smile, my heart clenches tight. How did I get this lucky?
โThatโll be us someday.โ I donโt want to give away the surprise, but I canโt help whispering the teasing words in her ear.
She laughs softly. โOne day,โ she agrees. โWell into the future, though.โ
I falter for a second. I want to ask her to define โwell into the futureโ but that would tip my hand, so I maintain my light tone. โI donโt knowโฆ I wouldnโt be against seeing you in a wedding dress sooner rather than later. Youโd look smoking hot.โ
โObviously,โ she replies, and I grin. Her self-confidence rivals mine. Itโs one of the reasons I love her.
โWant me to call Vera Wang?โ I offer graciously. Iโm only half-joking. With my family connections, I could easily get Vera on the line.
Allieโs expression grows thoughtful as she studies my face. I donโt know what she glimpses there, but whatever it is brings another laugh to her lips. โYou might want to hold off on that. I mean, itโll probably take you a while to convince my dad.โ
Her dad?
She notes my blank look. โOh, sweetie,โ she tsks, blue eyes dancing. โYou know youโd have to ask for his blessing.โ
My stomach sinks. Oh sweet baby Jesus. I have to ask for hisย blessing?
Donโt get me wrongโJoe Hayes and I have developed a tentative friendship over the years. I mean, he still calls me โpretty boy,โ but I know he likes me.
Enough to marry his little girl, though? His only child? Oh, fuck.
Taking pity on me, Allie laces her fingers through mine and tugs me forward. โCome on, letโs go congratulate the happy couple.โ
 |
And here I thought that skating in TD Garden with my old
team was the greatest night of all time. This wedding reception? Fucking tops that. After a mouth-watering dinner and some of the most hilarious speeches in wedding history, the live band takes the stage and the dance floor comes alive. After a few songs, though, I abandon Allie and she dances with her girlfriends while I try to catch up with as many old friends as I can. Because who knows when or if Iโll see them again after tonight.
When college graduation had been looming, Iโd worried weโd all drift apart. And some of us have. Birdie and his longtime girlfriend Natalie got married and moved to Oklahoma. Traynor lives in LA and plays for the Kings. Pierre returned to Canada.
Losing touch with college friends is simply one of those depressing inevitabilities of life, but Iโve also been lucky that many of these guys are still in my life. I see Fitzy frequently because heโs dating my sister. Hunter and I still text all the time, so Iโm up-to-date on his life. Iโve met his girlfriend Demi, who couldnโt make it tonight, and I know theyโre moving in together, sharing a house with his teammate Conor and Conorโs girlfriend. I talk to Garrett
and Logan and Tuck and see them far more often than I thought I would.
Thereโs really only one close friend I canโt see, canโt speak to, and thatโs Beau Maxwell, because heโs gone. I think Beau wouldโve had fun tonight if heโd been here.
A lump of grief rises in my throat, so I gulp down the rum and Coke Iโd been nursing to try to dislodge the heavy emotion.
Luckily, Iโm provided a distraction when Coach Jensen interrupts our little hockey reunion by stalking up to the group.
โHey, Coach,โ drawls Tucker, beaming at the man whoโd challenged and berated us for four years. โIโm glad you could make it. You too, Iris,โ he adds, smiling at the gorgeous woman at Coachโs side.
I canโt lieโI was surprised when Coach showed up to the reception with his new girlfriend. It boggles my mind that anyone would choose to date someone as surly and perpetually annoyed as Coach. But Iris March seems cool, and sheโs definitely a stunner. That part isnโt a surprise, though. Chad Jensenโs hot for a dude in his forties. Of course heโs killing it with the ladies.
โThanks for having us,โ Coach says brusquely. Thereโs a beat of silence.
Then he nods. โAll right. Carry on.โ He rests one big hand on the small of Irisโs back, trying to lead her away.
Logan bursts out laughing. โSeriously? Youโre just gonna walk off without giving a speech? Without congratulating the groom?โ
โWhat kind of sociopath does that?โ Nate Rhodes pipes up.
โDespicable,โ Garrett agrees, nodding gravely.
Coach rubs the bridge of his nose as if warding off a migraine. Itโs a gesture Iโve seen thousands of times over the years.
Next to him, Iris laughs softly. โOh, come on, Chad. Say a few words.โ
He huffs out a breath. โFine.โ But then he doesnโt continue.
Still laughing, Iris kicks it off for him. โLetโs raise our glasses to Tuckerโฆโ
We all raise our glasses or beer bottles.
Finally, Coach Jensen clears his throat. โWell,โ he says, his shuttered eyes sweeping over the group. โAs you know, I donโt have any sons. And after coaching all you boys for so many years, Iโve come to realize Iโm glad I donโt.โ
Mike Hollis hoots loudly. I mu๏ฌe my laughter against my palm.
Coach glares at us.
โWith that said,โ he continues, โout of all the players Iโve coached, John, youโre the one whoโs given me the least amount of grief. So thanks for that. Congratulations on everything. The lawyer wife. The cute rug rat. Iโm proud of you, kid.โ
Tuckerโs eyes are a bit shiny. He blinks a couple of times, then says, โThanks, Coach.โ
They share a macho side hug. Coach steps back and tugs at his tie in discomfort. โI need another drink,โ he mutters before taking Irisโs arm and making his escape.
We watch him go. โI miss his pep talks,โ Garrett says glumly.
โTheyโve gotten shorter and drastically less peppy,โ Hunter tells us.
Logan snickers. โIโm going to grab another drink and find Grace. BRB.โ
My gaze remains trained on Coach and Iris, whoโd just reached the bar. They make a good-looking couple. Coachโs muscular body was built for a suit, and Irisโs ass looks damn good in her black cocktail dress.
โI canโt believe Coach has a girlfriend.โ Then another thought occurs to me. I go quiet and squint in their
direction.
โAre you having a stroke?โ Hunter asks politely.
I shake my head. โNah, I was trying to picture Coach having sex.โ
Guffaws break out all around me. Hollis, however, is nodding vigorously. โI think about that all the time,โ he says.
โAll the time?โ Fitzy echoes.
Hollis ignores his best friend. โOh yeah. Iโve spent years trying to solve the mystery.โ
โYears?โ Fitz again.
โWhat mystery?โ Hunter looks amused.
โThe mystery of how he fucks,โ Hollis explains. โBecause hereโs the thingโCoach is like this big burly manโs man, you know? So youโd think heโd be a power fucker, right?โ Hollis grows more and more animated. โLike, heโs going to drill fast and hard.โ
โI donโt like this conversation,โ Garrett says frankly. โBut maybe thatโs too obvious,โ Hollis continues. โSo what are we thinking?โ a fascinated Nate asks.
โSubmissive,โ I supply immediately. This might not be appropriate wedding subject matter, but now Iโm invested. โI bet he lets her tie him up and have her way with him.โ
โNo way,โ Hunter argues. โHeโd need to be in control.โ โAgreed,โ Hollis says, giving a firm nod. โBut hereโs
what I envision: tender.โ โNah,โ Hunter says.
โTender,โ Hollis insists. โHeโsย allย about the foreplay. He spends hours pleasing his lady. But heโs in full control, right? Then, after heโs made her come like four times, he slowly enters herโโ
โEnters her?โ Nate hoots. Fitz sighs.
โโand they make love,โ Hollis finishes. โLovemaking all the way.โ
I purse my lips. Honestly, I can see it. Coachโs exterior is so rough, I bet he throws curveballs in bed.
โNah,โ Hunter repeats. โI still vote for power fucker.โ โCoach doesnโt fuck,โ Hollis argues. โHe makes love.โ Someone clears their throat. โGentlemen.โ
We jump in surprise when Iris Marsh appears behind us. Biting her lip like sheโs trying not to bust into laughter, she casually leans past Tucker to grab the silver clutch on the table heโs leaning against.
โLeft my purse,โ she says in a light tone.
To Hollisโs credit, heโs not the least bit abashed. I donโt think that dude is capable of feeling shame.
โUh, enjoying the band?โ Garrett asks her, as if we donโt all know sheโd overheard us dissecting her sex life with Coach.
โTheyโre excellent,โ she replies. โI loved that Arcade Fire cover.โ She tucks the purse under her arm and takes a step back. โAnyway. Sorry to interrupt.โ
Just before she goes, however, she leans closer to Hollis and murmurs something. So quietly I think I imagined it at first.
โHe definitely fucks.โ Hollisโs jaw drops.
โBut you didnโt hear that from me,โ Iris calls over her shoulder, waltzing off in Coachโs direction.
โTold you,โ Hunter says smugly.
