Page 92 of Breaking the Ice

“Okay, a lot like hockey. It’s a wonder Mal’s not better at it.”

“He’s still learning to let go and play with instinct instead of focusing on the skill he knows,” Zach said. “But he’s gonna get there.”

“Imagine how many points he’s gonna put up when he does that.”

“Nobody’s gonna be able to stop him out there,” Zach agreed.

They played half a dozen more games, exchanging machines, laughing together.

It was only then that Jacob arrived back, a sheepish expression on his face. “Shit, sorry,” he said. He was flushed and Zach wondered what he’d been up to—and if Finn had been involved. “I got distracted by the foosball tournament.”

But he handed out new beers and hung out for a minute or two before Finn arrived, too.

Jacob didn’t hesitate to wrap an arm around Finn’s waist and drag him close. “You two enjoying the pinball?”

“It’s fun,” Gavin said. He scratched at the label with his thumb nail. “More like hockey than I expected.”

“If you think that, you should come join us at the foosball table. Brody’s there. And his boyfriend. Don’t let anyone tell you that football players are better than hockey players,” Finn said. The tops of his cheeks were pink, and he looked happy.

Like he’d just won and also like he’d gotten to claim whatever he wanted as a prize.

“Sure, we can do that,” Gavin said, and Zach tried not to be disappointed that they were joining the rest of the team.

He’d get Gavin alone, again. They both wanted it, and Zach just had to figure out a way to make it happen.

They spent the next hour making the rounds of the arcade, joining in Finn’s foosball tournament, then watching as Elliott and Ramsey took each other on at DDR, Ell wiggling his hips suggestively at Malcolm after, who looked equal parts embarrassed and thrilled.

Before Zach could really realize how close it was, Ivan announced that it was only five minutes to midnight.

Zach wasn’t stupid enough to think he was going to get a kiss, but he’d at least expected to be in the same room as the clock ticked down.

“He went to the bathroom,” Ramsey said under his breath, like he’d totally figured out why Zach was looking around.

“That—I wasn’t,” Zach tried to protest, but Ramsey just rolled his eyes.

“Maybe if you go grab him now, you can delay him until twelve,” Ramsey said.

Zach knew he should think this through.

But how many times had Zach waited for Gavin to be ready? To be willing to follow through? He was done hesitating right on the threshold and never getting to cross it.

He took off for the bathroom, which was in a little hallway tucked in the back, near the pinball machines.

It was quiet, nobody over here, the whole team gathered around the bar, waiting for the final countdown to start.

As Zach turned down the hallway, he looked at his watch. Two minutes to twelve. All he had to do was waste one hundred and twenty seconds. Easy.

But then the bathroom door opened and Gavin’s eyes widened as he took Zach’s appearance in. Like the last thing he’d expected was to see him right now.

“Oh, hey,” Gavin said awkwardly.

It was really a very tiny hallway. Barely enough room for two people. Zach stopped right in the middle and didn’t budge, even as Gavin sidled up to him, like he expected him to move out of the way.

Like Zach had come to piss, and not to find Gavin.

“Hey,” Zach said. “I was looking for you.”

“Right, it’s . . .uh . . .almost midnight, isn’t it?”