yet.” He’d do so in the short break between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs. “I’m heading to Kota’s. I’ll walk out with you, though.”
Xappa didn’t follow them; he was too mired in a conversation he was having. But he tracked them out, his gaze following them until Tay smirked at him over his shoulder. Scowling, Xappa made a show of turning his back.
Yeah. Not fooling anyone who didn’t know what to look for.
Tay stood on the sidewalk with Stanton after ordering their individual Ubers, hands shoved in his pockets. Fuck, it was cold. Damp too, the sharpness burrowing through his scarf and into his bones. Hiking his shoulders up to his ears, he nudged Stanton’s foot with his own. “I want to ask you something.”
“Shoot.”
“I’ve been thinking for a while that I want to come out publicly.”
Stanton glanced up from his phone, where he was tracking his Uber’s progress. “Oh. Cool. We can be the resident LGBTQ contingent.” He paused, cocking his head. “Guess we have to let Dean, Grey, and Desie into the club too. And Xappa, although he’s still keeping his sexuality on the DL, even with the team.” A grimace crossed his face. “Maybe not Xappa. He’s still giving me weird looks. I don’t think I shoulda kissed him. That’s why I stuck to one beer tonight. Drunk Stanton wants to kiss Xappa too badly to rein it in.”
“So you do like him!”
“Um.” Stanton blinked. “No?” Clearing his throat, he went back to his phone. “What’d you want to ask me?”
Leaving Stanton’s crush alone for now, Tay leaned back against the building. “I don’t know. I guess I just wanted your take on coming out. Do you think it’s a good idea?”
“It’s not up to me, Tay. If you feel like it’s the right move, I’m not the one who’s going to talk you out of it. Conversely, if you feel like it’s the wrong move, I’ve got your back there too. We both know coming out is intensely personal, and it’s different for everyone.” Stanton settled in next to Tay, wedging their shoulders together. “You do you, man.”
“So you don’t regret it? Even though they’re still calling you ‘Toronto’s gay hockey player’?”
“Eh.” He waved a hand. “They can call me whatever. At least people notice me when I play. And no, I don’t regret it. Means I can kiss Xappa again if I want to. Uh.” Jolting, he straightened, wide eyes on Tay. “I mean, kiss other guys. In public. All I want. To the end of time. With cameras around and everything.”
“Why would you want to?” a voice grumbled behind him.
Stanton squeaked, a wheezed “Eep!” and whirled around to face their third party.
Xappa. Of course. How much had he heard?
“It’s nobody’s business who you’re kissing,” he tacked on.
“Maybe not,” Stanton argued, back ramrod straight. “But at least I can kiss boys in front of Uber drivers and not have a conniption about it.”
“I didn’t have a conniption—”
“Oh, look! My Uber’s here. How coincidental.” Stanton waved at the driver, taking a couple steps in the Jeep’s direction. He shot Xappa a coy smile over his shoulder. “Don’t suppose you want to buckle me in again?”
Xappa sputtered, incoherent and frantic, making Stanton laugh as he opened the back door. “Bye, Tay.”
“See ya.” Tay turned to Xappa once Stanton’s ride pulled away. Another car pulled in right behind it. Tay’s Uber, according to his app. “Good luck with that one, Xappa.” Tay had known there was a naughty boy under Stanton’s nerdy jock exterior. That flirtatious smile proved it.
“I don’t need luck,” Xappa denied, jerking back like Tay had tasered him. “I don’t need anything. ’Cause nothing’s going on.”
“Uh-huh.” Tay patted him on the shoulder, all sure, buddy. “Night, man.”
On the ride to Dakota’s, he sent his agent a short email, letting him know he was ready to come out in the off-season and that they should probably chat about how that would affect his sponsorships.
That done, he closed his eyes and rested his head back, already anticipating waking up in Dakota’s arms tomorrow morning.
It was late. Much too late for Andy to still be up. He kept rubbing his eyes around wide yawns as he sat at the breakfast nook in his pajamas, playing with a few of his Paw Patrol toys while Dakota sliced fresh vegetables at the counter. Andy’d been wired on the drive home after tonight’s game. Now, though, he was starting to crash.
But Andy was determined