Page 34 of Unrecognizable Player

Pawlowski squares his shoulders and doesn’t make eye-contact, but no one pays us the slightest bit of attention until we reach the door and get carded by the bouncers. Obviously, we all brought ID and they let us in.

There aren’t many times where I’m made to feel out of my element. Since I started college, I’ve stayed pretty firmly in my lane. Classes, hockey arenas and locker rooms. These are my wheelhouse. Along with the occasional student sport’s bar on a Friday or Saturday night. But this is different.

It’s like one of those dive bars you see in movies. All black paint on the walls, with about a million different decorations. Old records, parts of cars and motorcycles, beer brands, whiskey bottles and framed photographs of rock bands.

The big tattooed men around the bar with beards down to their chests make a path for Alice to get through and she stands on her tip toes at the bar so she can be seen amidst all the giants.

Pawlowski stands beside her and pays for her drink.

“They seem to be getting along okay,” Stef says in my ear.

The sudden sound of his voice and the smell of his shampoo and aftershave catch me off guard and I just grunt a response. He smiles like he wasn’t expecting anything else and I kick myself for being such a caveman.

“Does Alice drink and drive?” I ask Stef, watching her sipping coke from a plastic cup.

“Of course not, she’s drinking soda. But we can have a beer if you want?”

“No, I’ve got classes tomorrow.”

He rolls his eyes and weaves his way to the bar, coming back with two beers.

“You don’t have to drink it if you don’t want, I’ll have it.”

“Sure you can handle two beers?”

He laughs and I feel my lips automatically tug upwards.

“I can handle at least two and a half.”

“Oh okay, well just in case.” I take one of the bottles from him and take a swig.

“Woah, golden boy does know how to let his hair down.”

“Pssht,”golden boy, yeah right, I wish.“Mine’s not as long as yours.” For some reason I touch his hair. I don’t know why I do it, but I do. It’s just as soft as it looks. He smiles shyly and drops his eyes and heat pools in my stomach.

In this light, anyone would look good, but under those red twinkle lights, Stef’s eyes look so fucking pretty it hurts.

Luckily, the band choose that moment to send an ungodly screech out into the bar and we’re both distracted from whatever weirdness was just going on here.

“Hello Brooklyn!” The singer says before crashing into a very loud, unmusical song.Fuck me, this is gonna be a long night.

9

STEFANOS

We were all exhausted after the gig last night. It was so loud we could barely hear ourselves think and while Alice and Mischa bopped together and threw smiles back and forth, Alexei and I hung on the wall nursing our beers until it was time to go home.

When we got back to the apartment, we both crashed straight away and now the sun is sneaking in around the drapes and I do not want to get up.

I hear Alexei using the bathroom before going into the kitchen and putting the blender on. I know I told him he can do that any time he likes, but geez, does he have to do it now?What time is it?I roll over to check my phone and,oh, it’s nine-thirty.

When I finally stumble out of bed, I find Alexei at the counter with his back turned in a black t-shirt and grey sweats, those weirdly attractive feet on display again.

He jumps when he hears me behind him.

“Hey, I didn’t wake you up did I? It’s just, I’ve gotta get to class and we’ve got a game tonight…”

“It’s fine, I was just being lazy.”

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