Page 12 of Just Friends
Another ripple of laughter and groans spread throughout the room.
Someone muttered, “Niko gonna Niko.”
One by one, the guys started going to the showers. I peeled off the rest of my clothes and hit the showers, too.
The guys I’m standing next to right now, while we laugh and sing butt-naked in the shower? Well, about ten months ago, I kinda used to hate them all with every ounce of my being. But the guys understand because the feeling was mutual—any time our two teams met, it was an all-outwar.
I’m just on the otherside of that war now.
Getting traded? I won’t lie. It fucking sucks. It hurt a lot more than I expected—not that I ever expected to get traded in the first place. The Blizzard were the team that drafted me, developed me, gave me my first shot in the pros—blah, blah, blah. I always thought I’d retire in a Blizzard jersey.
But that’s just not how things were meant to go, I guess. Sometimes, life tears a hole in your chest, rips out your heart, and stomps all over it. Sorry if I’m being too sentimental. That’s just the way I felt about it at the time.
I can’t complain about Dallas, though. Colorado traded me to a great team. And while I’m still relatively new to this team, even I can sense how much the attitude has changed in this locker room since I arrived.
Just two short years ago, this team was enshrouded with the stench of a losing culture—we’re talking joke-of-the-league bad. Last year, my first with the Devils? We made the playoffs for the first time inyears. Yeah, we lost in the first round—but we took our opponent to seven games. That loss, as much as it sucked, only hardened our determination and resolve to get back to the playoffs next season and hopefully go on a deeper run.
That’s why, while mostother NHL players head home or fly out to exotic locales during their summer breaks, more than half our roster chose to stay in Dallas for the summer—so we could work out as a team, practice together, and have funtogether, too. All in the name of growing even closer as a team. Because close-knit teams win.And there’s a feeling, abeliefstarting to grow in our locker room: we can actually do this.
We can win the Cup.
And winning the Cup iseveryhockey player’s childhood dream.
Sohell no,I didn’t mind clearing my summer plans—I want the Cup more than anything else in the world.
***
I walked back to the locker with a towel tied around my waist. The boys were changing into their street clothes. Dane, looking at his cell phone, suddenly let out a loud whoop.
“What’s up, cap?” I asked the captain as I walked past.
“Just got the email from Mr. Sullivan,” he said, loud enough for the whole room to hear. “The WAG party is officially scheduled. Mark your calendars, boys, it’s five weeks from today.”
Mr. Sullivan is the Devils’ owner. WAG is an acronym for Wives And Girlfriends. But I didn’t know anything about a WAG party. Whatever it was, the guys were excited—the room hissed withfuck yeahsand fist pumps.
As the new guy, though, I stopped in my tracks and blinked. “Someone want to tell me what the WAG party is?”
Reavo explained, “Before each season begins, Mr. Sullivan rents an entire wing of the Oakwood Mansion Spa Resort and throws a party for all the wives and girlfriends. It’s his way of saying, ‘Sorryfor taking your men away for the next few months.’ ”
“Sorry?” Dane joked. “Hell, after putting up with us all summer, the WAGs ought to throwhima party—for finally getting us out of their hair!”
We all laughed.“Truth!”someone shouted.
“Sounds fun,” I said. “So is it a party for just the girls?”
“Oh, no,” Reavo said. “We’re all invited, too. It’s our last hurrah before the puck drops. Honestly, Riggs, you don’t wanna miss it. I thought a spa sounded kinda lame at first—but then I actually went. You spend all day getting massages, or soaking in the heated pools, whatever you wanna do, really. Then at the end of the night, there’s a big party with a ton of great food, drinks, and dancing.”
“The girls love it,” Dane said. “I mean, theyloveit. Factor in all the rub-downs and good food and drinks, and—oh man, the girls get worked up.” He winked. “It’s a night to remember. Trust me. Great way to kick off the season.Greatway.”
I cracked a smile. “Sounds like a good time. But I’m single, and I don’t see that changing in a month, so I’ll pass.”
“Nah,” Reavo said with a wave of his hand. “You don’t have to officially be in a relationship to go. You could go solo. But you’ve got a plus-one, so you could bring your sister or something. Guys do that all the time.”
“Bring my sister aroundyouguys?” I teased. “Not a chance.”
“Ya,” Niko agreed. “Is bad idea. Trust me.”
“Hey!” Reavo laughed and bear-hugged his brother-in-law. “C’mon, Niko, you don’t mean that.”
