“Yeah, I kinda figured the last part out. What’s up?”
“I’m kinda …” Connor cleared his throat. “I’m kinda …seeingsomeone.”
“Yeah? Well, that’s fuckin’ fantastic, Con. I dunno why you’re acting like it’s a big secret, but—Oooh.” Kelly blinked. “Wait. Are you … is it someone in theorganization?”
Connor scratched the back of his neck. “You could say that, yep.”
“Shit, dude. Does she work in the head office? Is she that pretty reporter? Jocelyn Yang?”
She? Fuck!Connor had thought Kelly would put together the pieces quicker. “Uh, no.”
Kelly frowned. “Is it the new?—”
“For fuck’s sake, it’s Jesse Webber,” he spat.
Kelly’s jaw dropped. “You’re fuckin’ with me.”
“I’m not—why would I fuck with you like this?” That was the dumbest thing Connor had ever heard.
“I don’t know but it’s the only thing that makes any goddamn sense.”
“I wish I was making this up but I’m really not,” Connor snarled.
“Woah, dude, take a deep breath.”
Connor glared at his brother. “You’renothelpingright now.”
“What do you want me to say?” Kelly asked. “Dude, you’rebi?”
“Keep your fuckin’ voice down. No one else knows.”
“Shit, sorry.” Kelly glanced around. “I just didn’t expect this.”
Connor took a sip of his beer. “You’re not the only one.”
“How did this happen?”
“Honestly, it’syourdamn fault,” Connor muttered. “You just had to invite him to your wedding.”
Kelly snorted. “No fucking way. You hooked up there?”
“Yeah. After the reception.” Connor scowled. “God. What the fuck was Ithinking?”
“So was he the first guy you …”
“Yeah.” Connor looked down at his hands.
“And I’m guessing you had no idea he was gonna get traded to Boston?”
Connor glanced up, horrified by the idea. “Fuck no! I wouldn’t have let anything happen if I did. And he didn’t know either.”
“Things are complicated with him on your team though, huh?” Kelly gave him a sympathetic look. “Iwonderedwhy you freaked out on me for touching your goalie. It makes sense now.”
“Uhh, yeah, I might have let our, you know,involvement, cloud my head tonight,” Connor admitted sheepishly.
“So you hooked up at my wedding.” Kelly glanced down at the ring on his left hand with a faint smile. “Then he got traded. What happened after?”
“Uhh, well, we pretty much ignored each other all summer but when he finally arrived things kinda … shifted, I guess? I had this idea it would keep him out of trouble if we were hooking up and we’ve been doing that more or less since he arrived in Boston and moved in with me.”