Chapter 16Bishop“This should definitely be our official hangout,” Erik says as he eyeballs the waitresses appreciatively. We just entered the Sneaky Saguaro, just one of many establishments where you can go to for a pre- or postgame drink and meal in Vengeance Town. It was recommended by our equipment manager, who told us that he’d met the hottest piece of ass he’d ever had here.
His words, not mine, but it definitely piqued Erik’s attention. After completely losing all cool points with the airline attendant, he’s looking to get his mojo back on. He and Legend both were up for going out with Brooke, Dax, Nanette, and me after the game tonight. The girls are already here and all we have to do is find them.
The Sneaky Saguaro is a beer garden/restaurant that boasts 127 beers on tap and amazing food. The building is two stories high, decorated with southwestern flair, and in the middle is a huge saguaro cactus that has to be a good twenty-five tall. It’s got a roped perimeter around it, which tells me that damn thing isn’t fake.
Erik nudges me in the ribs and then dramatically puts his fist to his mouth as he openly leers at one of the waitresses who walk by. “Damn,” he says, except it comes out very dramatically as “day-um.”
And it’s an appropriate sentiment. The waitresses and bartenders wear denim cutoff shorts that barely cover their asses and plaid Western-style shirts that are tied just under their breasts with the top wide open to show exactly how well endowed they are. Cowboy boots and hats complete the outfit. The girls all strut around with a lot of roll in their hips, and I bet they make a killing on tips here.
“Brooke said they had a table upstairs,” I say without commenting on the waitresses. I’ve got a girlfriend now. She’s the only one I want to see dressed like that.
I think about that for a moment and…yeah, that’s exactly right.
The first floor is all dining tables, and a staircase leads us up to the second floor with a huge bar with taps lining the wall behind it. There’s a variety of tables, both tall and low, as well as booths along the perimeter. I’m assuming you can eat up here, but it’s mostly full of people just drinking. We have to wind our way through a thick throng, many wearing brand-new Vengeance jerseys for our first home game.
They’re laughing, drinking, high-fiving.
It’s because we won. Our first home game in our fancy, glittering arena and we kicked some major ass. Three games, zero losses, and while I know we can’t win all our games and this is just preseason, we are off to a fantastic start. I’m sure as hell ready to celebrate.
“Fucking get out of town,” I hear a man yell to my left. “It’s fucking Bishop Scott.”
I turn, get a brief glimpse of a young guy who looks pretty toasted—surrounded by a bunch of other Vengeance fans—pointing at me with his mouth hanging open. Erik comes to a stop behind me followed by Legend and Dax.
The fan’s eyes go huge. “Holy shit…Erik Dalhbeck, Legend Bay, and Dax Monahan. Holy shit, people. The Arizona Vengeance is in the house.”
He actually bellows out this last part while holding his draft beer high and everyone starts going crazy that their hometown heroes are in their favorite bar.
The exuberance of the fans will wane a bit over time. They won’t be nearly as excited, and if we keep coming here, they’ll actually start maintaining a respectful distance if we want. But this is a brand-new franchise team and these fans need to know that we appreciate them right back.
I give my teammates credit. They all paste the same welcoming smiles on their faces that I’m wearing and we step forward. I hold my hand out to the fan who called me out. He shakes it and starts chattering away at me about what an awesome game I played and how excited he is.
It takes us a good half hour to sign autographs and pose for pictures. As expected, there’s several puck bunnies in attendance wearing tight jerseys I’m betting are extra-small children’s sizes or low cut T-shirts with the Vengeance logo on it. Erik, Legend, and Dax eat that shit up, and some of these puck bunnies are going to get laid tonight by my buds.
Unless Nanette is hot and is looking for a good time.
When I finally locate Brooke, she’s sitting at a high-top table with four chairs. Next to her is a gorgeous redhead that I have to assume is Nanette. Much like Brooke, she’s dressed quite fashionably, which I expect since she’s a New Yorker and works at a fashion magazine.
“Dibs on the friend,” Erik says in a low voice as we walk toward the table. No clue if the other guys heard him, but I guess it doesn’t matter what he wants. It’s what Nanette wants.