Adam scanned the room, frowning. “One’s missing.” The tall winger was nowhere to be seen.
“What the hell,” Rudy muttered. “Johnny, where did Tens go?”
Johnny shrugged. “Said he had something to do and took off.”
“Etienne,” Rudy told Adam. “But I guess you know that much, considering you left with him that night.”
Etienne. Adam cleared his throat and Rudy snickered.
“I don’t suppose you have his number, do you?” Adam asked.
Rudy regarded him. “So that’s why you showed up, is it?”
Adam shifted his weight. “Look, I just—”
“I’m giving you shit, man,” Rudy said. “Truth be told, I’m glad to see someone taking an interest in him. He doesn’t….” He sighed. “I haven’t known him long, so maybe I’m totally off-base, but if anyone deserves good things, it’s Tenny. And from what I’ve gathered, he doesn’t get them very often.”
Adam left with Etienne’s number—as well as Johnny’s, Logan’s, and a few others’—saved in his phone. He took a cab home, staring at Etienne’s name on the screen and trying to figure out how best to open a conversation.
Etienne wasn’t proud of the way he’d fled after he’d caught sight of Adam Caron in the stands. He and Rudy are friends, he scolded himself on the way home as the subway car swayed. He was just there to see Rudy, he probably doesn’t even remember you. But he hadn’t been able to stop the jolt of sheer panic at the sight of him, sitting there watching them practice so intently. Don’t let him get close enough to reject you, his heart whispered.
He was almost to his door when his phone buzzed. Etienne pulled it out and frowned at the unfamiliar number.
A little birdie gave me your number, the message read.
Etienne stared at the screen for a long minute before remembering to dig out his keys and unlock his door. Who is this? he typed back once he was inside, but he knew, and his traitorous heart jumped.
He dropped his keys on the hook and kicked off his shoes, waiting for the reply.
Call me Prince Charming.
Etienne snorted. Why would I do that?
Because you ran like Cinderella when you saw me.
Etienne stared at the screen for several long moments. Nothing else came through. Finally, he set his jaw and began to type.
Maybe I had things to do.
Unhitch your pumpkin?
Etienne bit back a laugh. Two minutes in and we’ve already descended to euphemisms?
Please, was the response. If we were using euphemisms, I’d come up with better ones than that.
Polishing my slippers, Etienne sent.
Good one. Cleaning the chimney.
Etienne bit his lip against the smile. Emptying the gutters. He flopped onto the couch, stretching his legs out.
Jerking off, Adam suggested.
Etienne burst out laughing. What do you want, Adam?
So you DO remember me!
Etienne rolled his eyes. You’re kind of hard to forget.
:D was the reply this time. Etienne stared at it, unreasonably charmed, as Adam started typing again.
Was wondering if you wanted to get together.
That put the brakes on Etienne’s good mood. No, he sent immediately.
Why not?
A beat of silence.
You didn’t like me?
Another beat.
I did something wrong.
Etienne chewed his lip.
I made you uncomfortable. I’m sorry.
“Goddammit!” Etienne said aloud. He could almost see Adam’s hangdog expression at the thought of upsetting him. You didn’t make me uncomfortable, you didn’t do anything wrong. I liked you a lot, I’m just… really busy. I don’t have time to hang out.
He pressed Send and waited. It didn’t take long for Adam to start typing again.
Lucky for me I’m a patient man.
Etienne blinked. What does that mean?
It means you won’t be busy forever. And when you’re free, I’m gonna…
Etienne waited but the sentence stayed unfinished. You’re gonna what?
Romance the shit outta you, Adam replied promptly.
Etienne nearly dropped the phone. He hadn’t really just said that, had he? But it was still there, blue on white, and Etienne couldn’t breathe.
He leaned forward, putting his head between his knees and waiting for this fantasy to fade, the one where the star hockey player—the gorgeous star hockey player—was interested in him, Etienne Brideau, with his big nose and stupid gummy smile and gangly, rawboned awkwardness.
The phone buzzed again and Etienne scrambled for it.
Still there?
Yeah, Etienne sent. Just swooning from how romantic you are.
Oh, I’ve got better moves than that, Adam replied. You sure you’re too busy to go out? I can show you some of them in person.
And that was the worst idea ever. Adam hadn’t gotten an up-close look at him at the rink that afternoon—Etienne had made sure of that. And the night at the bar, Adam had been so drunk he was probably seeing triplicate of everything. He had no idea what Etienne really looked like, and when he did? He’d run. Politely, of course, because Etienne already knew Adam was nothing if not a well-mannered Canadian boy, but he’d find a reason to cut their date short, and there’d never be another one.
You’re taking way too long to think about this, Adam sent. I must be getting to you.
Etienne shook his head. You’re persistent, I’ll give you that.
Thanks!
I wish I could say yes. God, how he wished he could say yes. It hurt, deep in his gut, to tell Adam no, to turn down the opportunity to see him again. To touch him again. But in the cold light of day, Adam wouldn’t want him to anyway. But I just can’t.
In that case, Adam replied, I’ve got another question for you.
Etienne braced himself. Shoot.
Wanna be friends?
Etienne did drop the phone that time, and it bounced off the hardwood floor as he scrambled to retrieve it.
Seriously? Are we twelve?
Don’t hate, Adam responded. I haven’t been here long. My only friends are my teammates, and most of ‘em are okay but I don’t really want to be with them 24/7, you feel me? And I like talking to you.
Etienne laughed helplessly, rubbing his face. What was it about this man that made him forget all his carefully constructed defenses? It didn’t take him long to compose a reply.
As long as you don’t mind that we can’t hang out in person much (at all) then yeah. I’d like to be your friend.
:D
4
It didn’t take long for Adam to worm his way into Etienne’s life. Looking back, Etienne wasn’t even really that surprised—that was just how Adam was. People let him in, gave him things, smiled instinctively at him. Part of it was because of how good-looking he was, but part of it was simply Adam, with his infectious smile that made deep dimples appear in his cheeks and his dark blue eyes light up. He made people want to be near him.
Even over text, Etienne wasn’t immune to it. To him. He woke up most mornings to a text from Adam, usually complaining about bad coffee or his breakfast sandwich being made wrong or the bag skates his coach was going to make them do.
That was the thing about Adam—he complained a lot, but it never occurred to him to demand change. If the coffee was bad, he dumped it out and went somewhere else. If his sandwich was wrong, he ate it anyway. The bag skates—well, everyone complained about those. But Adam still did them, and Etienne did his best not to think about Adam bright-eyed and sweaty after practice.