Page 173 of Goaltender Interference

But it wasn’t until Jesse slid into a booth next to Connor a while later that they had a moment to talk privately about it.

“What is even going on?” Connor asked quietly.

Jesse laughed. “I think you came out to the team, dude. And we announced our relationship.”

“Right, I knewthatpart,” Connor said. “But, uh, everyone’s okay with it?”

“Seems to be.” Jesse glanced around, smiling happily.

Connor had been the most concerned about Crawford and Tucker, but they’d both offered up their congratulations so either they truly didn’t care or were faking it for the sake of the team.

Honestly, Connor wasn’t sure if he cared either way.

The team seemed happy and relaxed together, rookies mingling with vets, and really, that—and the fact they weren’t having a total wash of a season—was all that mattered.

Like Connor’s conversation with Viv, it wasn’t perfect, but it was a place to build from.

Half an hour later, Jesse was well on his way to drunk when he found some of the guys clustered around Arkady, passing his phone around.

“What are you guys doing?” Jesse asked.

Tanner gave him a happy—if not very focused—smile. “We’re helping Kady set up a dating profile.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Jesse said. “I don’t trust any of you.”

He reached for the phone just as Arkady grabbed it from Tanner’s hand. For a moment, they stared each other down, eyes narrowed. In the background, someone whistled a tune that sounded like an old west gunslinger showdown.

“I’m helping!” Jesse protested. “I don’t trust these idiots.”

Kady gave him a confused look. “But you sleep with men? Is this help?”

“I sleep witheveryone, dude. Well, I used to. Now I just sleep with Connor.”

“Ummm. I want girlfriend?” Kady said. “Boys are most disgusting.”

He wasn’t wrong. But Jesse kinda liked them anyway. He shrugged. “Cool. I can make that happen.”

Kady passed the phone over with a wary look. “Okay, but you do right. No prank.”

“No prank,” Jesse assured him.

A moment later, Connor slid into the booth beside him. “What are you doing?”

“Finding Kady a girlfriend on a dating app,” Jesse explained. He deleted the phrase “big goalie pads, even bigger dick” that someone had added earlier.

Really?

That might work on dudes on a hookup app or maybe women looking for a night of fun but it wasn’t gonna cut if he wanted anactualgirlfriend. Ooh, “big goalie pads, even bigger heart” would work though.

“Let me see,” Connor said, peering at the screen.

Kady narrowed his eyes, reaching across the table to hold Connor back. “But you marry college girlfriend and divorce and now with Jesse? Is this help?”

Connor gave him a long look before he nodded, holding up his hands. “Yeah, no. Good point. Don't be me.”

He sat back and Jesse happily hummed to himself as he worked his magic.

Honestly though, what were they even talking about? Connor wasluckyto be with him.

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