“Is right? Is your birthday tomorrow?”
He looks concerned, more than anything.
“Um, yeah. It's my birthday. But I really don't need to do anything – preseason is about to start.”
“We have early end to practice tomorrow already, and no game day after. Will be fine.”
Behind him, Tremblay looks worried.
“Are you sure? I'd hate for us to be out celebrating and have thepress use it against us in the preseason. You know, celebrating too early or whatever.”
In Tremblay's eyes, I see a glimmer of...respect?
“You leave it to me. I am, how you say, cruise director on this team. Should be Captain, but Ethan isn't exactly social butterfly,da?”
Tremblay blushes behind him. It is, unfortunately, a very good look on him.
“If you insist.”
“I do. After practice, tomorrow. I'll get the place and invite the boys. Ethan, you will come too.”
“I'll, uh, check my schedule.”
The Ice King is back, pulled even tighter than before. But Alexei doesn’t allow it.
“Ethan, your schedule is free.”
“Um, yeah, I think it is.”
That night,I get a group text.
Alexei
Everyone! Tomorrow after practice we will be celebrating the birth of Jamie Carter. I am getting a bus from the arena to the bar. Deal with your rides accordingly.
The dress code is “hot as fuck”, please dress accordingly.
Also, Ethan is buying the first round
Ethan
I am?
I am!
I wonder at Tremblay’s change of mind between his last two texts. Was it a typo? Or did Alexei text him individually?
I go through my suitcase, looking for something nice enough to goclubbing in but tame enough to not stir up headlines. Tremblay would be so proud of me. I end up with a tighter-than-normal pair of jeans, a green button up, and a black tank to go underneath. Putting it all in my duffle, I dial Avery’s number, hopeful he’s got time for a few rounds of Mario Kart..
Practicethe next day goes late, likely due to the rare day off the next day. We grab food from the dining facilities before getting our clubbing best on.
The range of attire is wild — MacKenzie looks like a Southern frat boy in a pair of Nantucket red shorts and a mint green polo, while Gagnon is showing off his tattoos in a white tank top. Frankly, both are following Alexei’s dress code to a tee. The man himself is wearing a tight black shirt with black jeans that appear to have been painted on. Even Finn’s got a nice Henley moment going on.
The only person who seems to have struck out with his outfit is Tremblay. He pulls out a pair of pleated black dress pants and a button-down, white collared shirt. If I didn’t know any better, he could be an accountant. Hell, with the pleats on those pants, he could be mygrandpa’saccountant.
We pile into the party bus Alexei has procured. He’s assured us that the club is 18+, meaning Finn can come with us, too. When we get there, it’s still a little early for the dancing crowd, but we’re able to head to the VIP area and get settled in.
In a nod to concerns about the optics of being out celebratingbeforea single preseason game has been won, Alexei has secured us the entire VIP area for the night. As we settle in, he speaks briefly to a server, who quickly comes back with a tray of shots.
