Page 166 of Game Changer
“So what’s the plan?”
“I don’t know. I was thinking about offeringSports Illustratedthe story rather than a press conference. Do it quietly, y’know?”
Murdock blew out a breath. “I don’t envy you—which is not something I ever thought I’d say—but I certainly respect the hell out of you, Hunter. I’ve got your back if anyone comes for you.”
“Thank you, Coach.”
They shook hands, and Murdock said, “It’s not Rozanov, is it?”
“Jesus. No! Why does everyone—?”
“Good. I don’t need that kind of circus.”
Scott laughed and left the office. He ran into Carter in the hallway.
“How’d that shit go?” Carter asked.
“Good, actually. I wish I thought everyone would take the news as well as you guys have.”
“Yeah, well...” Carter shoved his hands into the pocket of his hoodie, and looked at the ground. Scott knew he had been struggling a bit to accept Scott’s sexuality. He had been...quieter than usual.
“Listen,” Carter said. “I want you to know—if I’ve been acting weird, or whatever, it’s not because you’re... You know. Gay and shit.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, I’m serious. I don’t have a problem with that. But I guess I do have a problem with you not thinking you could tell me sooner.”
Scott hung his head. “I know. I should have told you. Iwantedto. I was just scared.”
“I just hate thinking you were, like, all alone. All that time.”
Scott glanced up at his friend.God, I’ve been such an idiot.
He put a hand on Carter’s shoulder, and Carter stepped forward and hugged him.
“Thanks, Carter.”
Carter thumped him on the back, and they broke apart. “Hey,” Carter said. “I, uh, I had this reservation for tonight. It’s a veryprivaterestaurant. Dark, little nooks, expensive as all hell. Anyway, Gloria has to work late, so I was thinking...maybe you could take your man.”
Scott was stunned. “I—I don’t know. I mean, we haven’t—”
“Take your man out on a damn date, Scott. You’re gonna come clean about this shit anyway, right? Ease into it a bit. Like I said, this place is discreet and also romantic as fuck. And delicious. Shit, actually, can I be your date?”
Scott laughed. “I’ll ask him if he wants to go.”
He had no doubt Kip would want to go out somewhere with him. He was less sure that Kip would want to go to a restaurant that was “expensive as all hell.” But he recognized this gesture from Carter for what it was.
“Thanks, man,” he said. “It means a lot. Really.”
Carter punched him in the arm. “Go be happy, asshole.”
* * *
“How fancy is this place?” Kip asked Scott over the phone. “I don’t think I have anything to wear that’s nice enough...”
“Don’t worry about it,” Scott assured him. “Not to sound arrogant, but you’re with me. You can wear whatever you want.”
“I wanna look nice for you.” Kip added a dark blue button-up shirt to the “maybe” pile on his bed.
