Noah tenses, and I slide my hand over his. I’m not sure if it will make him more relaxed, or more cognizant that he’s found himself married to a man instead of a woman, but his shoulders ease, his breath comes more evenly, and I do not remove my hand.
“Noah is a talented player,” I say. “Everyone has a bad night, and the first entry to the NHL can be nerve racking. Noah has performed well the other nights.”
“And yet the Blizzards have entered a losing streak.”
“A temporary one,” Iassure him.
“Hmph.” Rex examines his notes, shaking his head. “I can’t get over the fact we’re having this interview. I never thought you would marry a man, Finn.”
I try to conjure some of the cold wrath my ancestors excelled at. “I fell in love.”
“Do you have a history of dating men? How were you able to keep your proclivities secret for so long?”
I hate the way Rex says proclivities. I hate the way smirks settle onto his face with frequency. I hate the way his voice wobbles, as if barely able to contain laughter.
I suddenly understand why Evan and Vinnie have not made a formal announcement that they are dating, and I think I understand why Vinnie overreacted at Noah’s astonishment when Evan and Vinnie kissed.
“I fell in love with Noah,” I say, “because he is the best person for me. I enjoy spending time with him. We have similar interests. And no one can call him bad looking.”
Noah tenses, and a rose color spreads over his cheeks. Does he want me to stop holding his hand? Or would that look strange?
My breath quickens as I debate, and it’s only after Rex clears his throat, that I realize I haven’t said anything.
“Anyway,” I continue. “Nothing about the fact we got together is shocking.”
“A sudden marriage is shocking,” Rex says.
“You can call me efficient. And I want to use that same efficiency to ensure that the Blizzards wins over and over. Other teams should be afraid.”
“I see.” Rex scribblessomething.
A knock sounds on the door, and Daniela peeks her head into the room. “I have your next interviewer.”
Rex rises. “That’s enough information. Congratulations on your marriage.”
I’m not certain his congratulations are heartfelt, but I will take the politeness.
Another interviewer steps into the room, and from the man’s dyed blue hair and wide-eyed grin, I’m not surprised when Daniela announces that he’s from an LGBT magazine.
“I am so thrilled to be here,” the reporter, Jeremy Jones, exclaims.
Noah and I nod, but guilt rages through my body.
We stepped into this role accidentally, and though it’s good if other athletes become comfortable being their true selves, I feel like I’ve usurped someone’s role.
Maybe Noah feels the same, and I tighten my grip on his hand.
Jeremy’s gaze falls to our entwined hands, and his beam grows. “Tell me about how you first met.” He leans closer, his eyes sparkling. “Was it love at first sight? How did you meet?”
And this is why we should have gotten our stories straight.
NOAH
Finn squirms on the couch, and though the reporter hasn’t recognized how much the question unnerves him, Icertainly have.
It wouldn’t look great to tell him that Finn and I met a week ago. That’s the sort of thing that might make people think our marriage won’t last.
“Finn has been the highlight of my day for years. I followed his vlogs,” I explain, before the reporter can think we were cheating on the people we were actually dating back then.
