BY THEtime the awards were over, Grady had loosened up a little, mostly because of the champagne. Jess left him to mingle, and he spent some time circulating, talking to the guys who’d passed through his team over the years, guys he knew from the American national team, and his usual competition for the Lady Byng. He didn’t enjoy it—he knew he came across as awkward and as aloof as he felt—but it would be worse to keep to himself, and when no actual games were on the line, Grady could be a gracious loser.
“Congrats,” he said to Caelan Murphy, this year’s winner.
Murphy accepted Grady’s handshake with a laugh. “Yeah, thanks. Glad I’m not in your division. I’d never get to take the thing home either.”
At least Grady wasn’t the only one who found Lockhart so aggravating. “I should have better self-control.”
Murphy snorted and shook his head. “If you say so.” Then his wife caught his arm and he smiled. “Sorry, looks like duty calls. Have a good one, eh?”
Grady acknowledged him with a tilt of his head and started to plan his escape. Now that the awards had been handed out and he’d been seen making nice, he could sneak away. He’d use the restroom and then track down Jess to let her know he was leaving.
It seemed like a solid plan until he was washing his hands at the Luxor bathroom sink and Max Lockhart came out of the stall behind him like a demon emerging from the bowels of hell.
Fuck.
“Armstrong,” Lockhart said cheerfully. Whatever his many other sins, apparently he wasn’t one of those guys who used the washroom without cleaning his hands afterward. He wristed the tap on and slathered himself in soap. “My condolences on your Lady Byng loss.”
Grady had never spoken to Lockhart off the ice and couldn’t decide if he was being an asshole or being sincere. Maybe he was a sincere asshole. “You could always decide not to provoke me next year.”
Lockhart met his eyes in the mirror and cracked a shit-eating grin that still had all its original teeth, despite his punchable face. “You could always decide not to rise to the bait.”
Grady never felt like he could, was the problem. Something about the guy gave him itchy mitts. “Guess we’re at an impasse.” He made for the door before the tension in his shoulders could coil any tighter. You weren’t allowed to punch people in real life either.
This time Lockhart laughed at him outright. “Yeah, all right, bud. Hey, who’s the rocket you brought tonight? Thought you were queer.”
Fuck’s sake, could this guy leave nothing on the ice? Grady gritted his teeth. “That’s my sister.”
Now he was cackling. “Oh shit, my bad.” He turned the sink off with his forearm and turned toward Grady. “Don’t worry, though.” He flicked his wet fingers at Grady, splashing tiny droplets on his face. “You’re prettier.”
There he went, right under the skin again. Was Grady supposed to be flattered or simply knocked off-kilter? Maybe he was supposed to be offended.Prettywasn’t always a compliment when you were talking to a dude. “Prettier than you,” he agreed.
Lockhart grabbed a couple paper towels and dried his hands. “Too bad.” With a wink, he dropped them in the trash. “If I were up to your standards, we could probably have some fun together.”
And then, before Grady could process his own horror, Lockhart was gone.
What. Thefuck.
Warm-ups
NHL Announces Return of World Cup of Hockey
By Kevin McIntyre
With the off season well underway, you might be asking yourself—wait a second. Isn’t the World Cup in May? Didn’t we just do that?
And you’re right. The International Ice Hockey Federation World Cup is in the spring, when playoffs are going on in the NHL.
The World Cup of Hockey is a different animal—distinguishable by its logo, which resembles a certain type of hygiene product. Depending on your philosophy and the year, it’s either a fun way to launch the season, a paltry offering to appease NHL players who are salty they can’t go to the Olympics, or a money grab. It’s probably the inconsistent schedule that lends credence to that last theory. There have been four World Cups of Hockey, played anywhere from 3 to 15 years apart.
Unlike Olympic and IIHF hockey, the World Cup of Hockey is played by NHL rules on NHL-size ice. This year’s teams include Canada, the US, Russia, Czechia, Finland, Sweden, Europe (comprised of players from European nations not otherwise represented), and North America (Canadian and American players 23 and under).
The tournament will once again take place in Toronto. Preliminary games begin on September 10 when Czechia faces off against Russia.
GRADY TRAINEDhard all summer.
That wasn’t unusual. Grady trained hard every summer. Throwing himself into the hockey season was one way he distracted himself from the anniversary of his parents’ death at the end of August. Besides, you didn’t keep your spot on the top line of a professional hockey team without putting in the work. He liked to push himself, challenge himself to do better than he had in previous years.
This year was the first time he resented it.
