“Oh, great, so this is something I can assume will happen again?”
“Nah. If you’ve called him on it, he’ll be more aware. Unlike Zach, Seth understands pretty fast and learns his lesson. And I’m sure he’s feeling guilty as shit right now. I get why you’re mad, but this job could be cool for all of us.”
“How so?”
“We’ll all be in Montreal together.”
Yeah, that does sound kinda perfect.
“There’s even an apartment for rent in the building.”
“Yeah, Amy told me how much I’ll be earning. Seth and I will be living somewhere cheaper.”
Foster grins. “Ten bucks says Mom and Dad pay for Seth’s rent to make sure we stay close to each other.”
I shake off the promising thoughts before I can get too excited. “We still don’t even know if I got the job yet. Or if Seth can transfer.”
But after we have lunch and I leave, I’ve just crossed the US border when my phone rings with Amy’s number.
I can’t answer it because my car is so old it doesn’t have Bluetooth, so it goes to voicemail, but there’s no way I can wait until I get home to listen to what she had to say. This soon probably means I didn’t get it.
I find a place to pull over to check it, and when her voice hits my ears, she says the thing I’m not expecting.
“Hi, Richard, we want to offer you the position. We think you’ll do well with our franchise and can’t wait to get you started. If you could call me back and let me know as soon as possible, that would be great. Thanks. Oh, and congratulations!”
A smile finds my face because it’s in this moment I finally let myself get excited over the possibility.
The forty minutes left of the trip home goes slowly, but I drive straight to UVM to try to find Seth. I send him a message asking him to come meet me near the catamount statue.
As I wait for him there, I can’t stand still, my feet moving back and forth as I pace the footpath. When I see him making his way toward me, a smile splits my face, and I run over.
He laughs as I wrap my arms around him and bury my head in his neck. “Job interview went well, then?”
I pull back. “Are you ready to move to Montreal?”
“Really?”
I nod. “I got it.”
“That’s amazing. Congratulations.”
The anticipation and excitement over being involved in the NHL in the smallest capacity far outweighs the path I took to get it. But that doesn’t mean I’m still letting Seth off scot-free.
“If we’re going to do this, I need you to promise me something,” I say.
“Anything.”
“Whenever you come up with a life-altering plan for us, could you maybe tell me first? And discuss it with me?”
His cheeks pinken, and he hangs his head in shame. “I promise. I know I went about this the wrong way, but I thought I was doing the right thing.”
“I know. But we’re only going to work if we communicate.”
“When did you get to be so smart?”
“Well, I am a communications major.”
Seth shoves me. “I said smart. Not smartass.”
I smile innocently.
“So, we’re doing this? We’re moving in together? To a whole other country?”
“Yep. My French will come in handy. Criss de niaiseux.”
“What does that mean?”
“Dumb fucks. I think. Something like that. I’m a little rusty.”
“Everyone in Montreal is going to hate you if all you can do is insult them.”
I grin. “Can’t wait.”
33
Seth
Seeing Richie graduate was up there with one of the top moments of my life. I’ll never admit to him how proud I was to watch him collect his diploma that maybe my eyes got a bit leaky for a moment there.
This past month, everything has been on fast forward as I arranged my transfer and visa, and Richie and I found an apartment to lease in Montreal, on top of all our final assessments. We have three weeks until we move to another damn country together, and I’m still struggling to picture what living together will actually look like. Just us, every day, not having to try and schedule time for each other … it sounds perfect.
Once the graduation ceremony is over, the energy is next-level. Beck has organized a massive celebration for tonight. Richie and I go back to my apartment, where I sink to my knees as soon as we’re through the door, and I give him the best Happy Graduation blowjob I can manage. As soon as his soft cock slips from between my lips, he hoists me onto the counter to return the favor.
I could get used to this.
We’re a little late by the time we get to McIntyre’s, and the whole bar is already packed. Most of the CU hockey team is here as there are a lot of them graduating this year, and the party is filled with their friends and whatever puck bunnies they’ve invited.