Page 56 of Hooking the Captain
“I’m just teasing, but yeah, Flanagan’s to celebrate that win.” I punched Kingston’s arm playfully.
We changed into our suits and headed out of the arena together. The night air was crisp, a stark contrast to the heated intensity of the game. Flanagan’s wasn’t far from my apartment, and after I dropped off my truck at home, I took a rideshare to the bar. Kingston and the others were already there as I walked inside and made my way toward where they had a few pitchers of beer on a high-top. Patrons turned and smiled. Some gave high-fives to celebrate our win and Butcher yelled as he saw me, “Coop! About time you showed up.”
“Yeah, yeah. Had to drop off my Ford.” My heart stopped as the last two words left my mouth.My Ford.I hadn’t seen Ford since we’d hooked up over the holidays two months ago. The thought of him made me wonder if he had moved on. I was still trying to because like I’d told him, there were too many factors in play and we couldn’t be together no matter how much we wanted to be. Didn’t mean it hurt any less, but I was trying my best.
“Just do what the rest of us do and leave your truck at the arena,” Sexton suggested.
I could have but I didn’t want the hassle of ordering a rideshare in the morning for practice.
“I’m here now so quit your bitchin’,” I mocked.
Kingston clapped me on the shoulder and handed me a pint glass with beer in it. “Just catch up and they’ll all forget about it.”
And I did.
With our coats, suit jackets, and ties off, we took turns in teams of two shooting darts and drinking beer. Butcher got the next round, followed by Orlov. It was on the tip of my tongue to say I would get the next one, but Kingston grabbed his coat.
“Heading out?” I asked him.
“Just going to a new place,” he replied low enough for only me to hear, since the other guys were engrossed in the darts game.
I knew where he meant he was going, and the curious part of me wanted to join him. But how did he do it? How did he avoid every sports outlet reporting that he was seen at a gay nightclub?
I nudged my head for him to step farther away from our teammates and then lowered my voice. “How do you do it with no one outing you?”
“Well.” He blew out a breath. “I’m not recognized a lot because my face is usually hidden behind my mask. Plus, I’m the newbie in town. But if I am recognized, I have them sign an NDA if I hook up with them.”
Ah. The Non-Disclosure Agreement. It seemed that was the answer because Jonah had used one with Hayden who then suggested I use one with Ford.
Ford …
“But what about the people you don’t hook up with who see you out at a gay club?” I wondered.
His blue eyes stared at me for a beat, as though it was clicking in his head why I was asking. “Just because you’re at a gay bar or club, doesn’t mean you’re gay. Straight guys sometimes go because they like the venue or act as a wingman for a friend. Do you want to be my wingman tonight?”
I snorted a laugh. “Do youneedme to be your wingman?”
Kingston grinned widely. “Nope, but you’re free to come with me. The club will close in a few hours, so we should head out now.”
“Okay.”
He didn’t push me to explain why I wanted to go with him to Chrome, or why I was asking so many questions, so I had to wonder if maybe he had already put two and two together. Was I ready for someone else to know my sexuality? I hadn’t been able to tell Jonah when he had shared he was gay and Jonah had been my best friend. But that was four years ago and after spending the summer with Ford, I felt as though I was changing. I wasn’t ready to come out to the world, but felt I could trust Kingston, who probably understood where I was coming from.
“I’m heading out. See you boys tomorrow.” I grabbed my jacket and coat.
“I’m going too,” Kingston said.
The guys waved goodbye to us, and we walked outside.
“I’ll order the ride,” Kingston said.
“Cool.”
As we stood on the sidewalk bundled in our winter coats, I itched to tell him the reason I wanted to go to Chrome. I didn’t feel as though it would matter either way, but for some reason, I wanted to.
“Hey, so,” I began, but stopped.
He raised a brow. “Yeah?”
