The More Boys I Meet

“Yeah, so we’re coming home this weekend,” I was telling Marcus as Alice was picking out something for me to wear on the Valentines Day date Marcus had planned. Valentines Day happened to fall on a Wednesday and they had a game that night anyways, so we were doing something after their game on Friday night. And I was bringing Alice home because the rest of the single guys could hang out with her.

“Good,” he said. “I’ve got everything ready. Please tell me you got Alice a Blackhawks tee-shirt,” he sighed. “Or else I will never hear the end of it.”

I laughed as she tried on her new Viktor Stalberg jersey she bought just that afternoon. “She has a jersey.”

“Who’s on it?” he asked.

“Can’t tell you!” I teased. “But let me tell you, she spent a good hour and a half deciding who to buy. She was very thorough with stats and games and looks too so you’ll see.”

“Because that helps,” he chuckled. “Well then I’ll see you girls Friday.”

“Okay,” I said and we both hung up.

“You ready for this?” I turned around to find Alice spinning circles in my apartment in the jersey. “Well obviously you are.”

She stopped, only slightly dizzy. “This is going to be fun,” she smirked, raising an eyebrow.

We got home that Friday afternoon, blowing off our afternoon classes just to get an earlier start.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” I asked Alice as I got dressed for my date with Marcus that night.

She laughed, lying face down on my bed. “Yeah of course. I’ve got. . . who’s home tonight?” she looked up.

“Um. . .” I had to think about it. “Pat and Johnny both have dates. Corey has a girl. Um. . . I think only Viktor doesn’t have a girl now. Shawzy and Bollig have got their girlfriends too. Yeah, only that lonely little Swede,” I grinned as she tried hard not to smile. “Is that a problem?”

No,” she said casually. “Shouldn’t be.”

Just then, the devil himself knocked and slipped inside. “Dumb ass is waiting downstairs Ells. You look beautiful as always. Ah there she is,” he shot Alice a smile. “My date for the night. I’m ordering out. What do you like?”

“You’re staying here?” I asked, slipping in an earring.

He shrugged. “No one else is home. And Pat left his credit card. So I figured we’d order lots of food and blame it on you. Just so you know.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah.”

“Ellie?” Marcus called from downstairs.

“There’s my date!” I clapped my hands. “You two have fun watching girlie movies and eating take out. Alice, you can punch him and tell him to man up if he gets too emotional. Bye guys!” I said and I was on my way.

It was near one in the morning, when Marcus and I stumbled back to his and Viktor’s house. I knew that Viktor and Alice were probably passed out on the couches back at my our place and we thought it better to let them sleep peacefully.

He opened the door and gestured me in. “After you, my lady,” he flashed me his million dollar grin.

“Oh thanks sweetie,” I gently slapped his cheek.

We grabbed two beers from the fridge and we sat on the couch. “This doesn’t taste too bad,” I noted, taking a long swig of the beer. Beer was not normally my first choice, but one could not be picky when drinking the boyfriend’s beer.

“It’s Viktor’s beer. It better taste good,” he raised an eyebrow. “Well,” he sighed. “What a night.”

That was when we heard the crash. We both jumped, me almost spilling my beer all over myself. “What was that?” I asked, my voice barely a hushed whisper.

He stood and walked, not even making a noise, over to his practice bags in the corner. He picked up a hockey stick and I gave him a pointed look. “Oh so it’s okay to beat someone with a baseball bat, but not a hockey stick?” he shot at me.

I put my hands up in surrender. “All right Mr. Macho. Let’s see what you got.”

“Stay here,” he told me.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed a pan from the cabinets. Like that was going to happen.

Marcus moved towards the bathroom and his room while I moved towards Viktor’s room.

“Ellie Reese,” he hissed. “Do not even think about it,” he stared at my hand hovering over the door knob.

“I got this,” I said confidently and threw open the door. “OH MY GOD!” I screamed, dropping the pan right on my foot. I swore out loud, fell on my butt and managed to get the door closed.

“What?! What?!” Marcus came running to my aid.

I only stared at the now closed door. “Holy Jesus Christ. I’m fucking scarred for life now!”

“Your toe is swelling up. Let’s get you ice.”

“You’re not even phased by this!” I waved wildly as he helped me up and to the couch.

“Ells, this is not the first time Viktor has brought home a girl,” he reminded me as he filled a bag with ice. “And at least it’s not a burglar,” he reasoned.

“But I saw him! Ew!” I shuddered as the ice was laid onto my turning purple toe.

He shrugged. “Let’s watch Spiderman or something. Get your mind back to where it belongs.”

It was about an hour later when Viktor came out from the darkness. “Oh, hey guys,” he sounded genuinely surprised to see us.

“I can’t look at you,” I declared.

“Funny, cause you call me pretty all the time,” he turned to Marcus, looking for an explanation.

“She accidently walked in on you and your date mistakenly thinking it was a robber.”

“Hey Viktor? Why is there a pan in front of your door?” the mystery girl walked into the open, holding my weapon.

“OH MY GOD!” I fell off the couch.

Alice had turned bright pink, dressed only in a pair of Victoria Secret underwear and her Viktor Stalberg jersey. “Well this is more than slightly awkward,” she stated. “Well. . . how. . how was your date?” she asked, putting the pan on the counter.

“Oh my God,” I cringed. “I walked in on two of my best friends having sex. Together.”

“Well it takes two to tango,” Alice sang.

“I think you two permanently damaged her,” Marcus looked down at me. “She’s not going to sleep for days.

“I never needed to see that!” I shouted.

The two shrugged. “Live and learn, I guess.”