Page 127 of The Home Game

“Apparently. Here.” Matty handed over a pitcher, then settled on the bed beside him.

“Were you around for the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist?” Antoni asked, liberally drizzling it all over the waffles. There. Perfect.

“The what?”

“The Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist,” Antoni repeated, cutting himself another bite. “Thousands of tons were stolen from a storage facility in Quebec.”

“This has to be made up,” Matty said. “You’re like … pranking me or something.”

“I’m not! I’m not!” Antoni said laughing, though he could see why it might seem like it to an American. “I swear! The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers has a strategic reserve of maple syrup.”

“Strategic reserves … like … oil reserves?”

“Pretty much. Although our reserves are a lot tastier.” Antoni took another huge bite. Yum.

Matty grinned.

“Okay,” Matty said, though he still sounded dubious. “So there’s storage facilities and what … maple syrup gangs snuck in and stole it?”

“No, I think it was an inside job or something. But for like months or a year or whatever, they siphoned it out of the barrels or something and shipped it to Vermont and New Brunswick where they sold it.”

“Wild. How much money can you get for maple syrup though?”

Antoni snorted. “I know you don’t have to worry about your budget but have you seen what those little bottles go for at the supermarket?”

“Yeah, okay. Fair.”

“I don’t know the exact number, this happened like ten years ago or something but it was around eighteen million dollars’ worth, I think.”

“Eighteen million!” Matty yelped. “Jesus, I know what I’m doing after I retire.”

“Selling maple syrup on the black market?”

“I was thinking more like legal production but maybe. I mean, we’ve got four kids to put through college.”

Antoni gaped for a moment.

“Uh, we are in Canada,” Antoni pointed because he needed a minute to process the fact that Matty assumed he’d been contributing to the kids’ secondary education. “Not the US. University isn’t cheap here but it’s way more affordable than in the United States.”

“True. So I guess can stick to the legal stuff.”

Antoni laughed, but quickly sobered. “It’s not like I expect you to pay for their college.”

Matty scoffed. “Try to stop me.”

“But what if we … I mean …” Antoni swallowed.

“I told you, I’m taking care of those kids no matter what, Antoni.” Matty’s voice was soft but firm. He held up his hand, indicating his ring. “This means I’m in. All the way.”

“One-hundred-and-ten percent?” Antoni asked weakly.

Matty grinned, his expression turning soft and light again. “Yeah, 110 percent.”

After the delicious breakfast, they showered together, making out shamelessly while they jerked each other off. Antoni helped Matty do the dishes and when the kitchen was clean, Matty leaned against the counter.

“So what do you want to do today?” he asked. “I am totally on board for doing nothing but if you wanted to go somewhere, we could. Around Toronto or, hell, it wouldn’t even have to be that close. I know guys who use private jet services. We could probably go somewhere like New York or Montreal or Chicago or whatever overnight, if you were okay being away from the kids.”

Antoni winced. “Honestly, I’d rather not. I wouldn’t want to be too far away if they needed me.”

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