Page 40 of Love of the Game
Ella was busy at the other end, near Red Dog’s crew—and Drake. She said something to Drake, and I took a moment to drink in his smile as he bantered back.
“That young man really has you taken, doesn’t he?” Lorelei said. She handed me a glass of water.
“What? I mean…yes?” Embarrassment crept back into my body. “I guess it shows, huh?”
“Honey, you look at him like he’s your moon.”
Well, shit. I scratched the back of my head. “He’s something else.”
“You’re something else, too.” She shook her head. “You two almost make me wish I were in my twenties again.” She paused. “But then I’d be Larry, and I have less than no desire to be him again.” She smiled. “Besides, Stephen has been amazing.”
Stephen was her latest boyfriend. A truck driver for a local company. “Well, I’m glad you’re here now, and you.” I pointed to the back office. “Need to go check on stuff for New Year’s.”
She scoffed. “You only love me because I keep this place sane during the rush.”
“Well, yes. That and your stunning personality, beauty, and your vast knowledge of cocktails.”
She laughed. I gave her a wave and headed into theback. It took me less time than I thought to wrap up the books for the year. We were all set for supplies as far as I could tell. Tomorrow, we’d get a delivery of beer and spirits, and the remaining supplies we needed for a killer party. The DJ was a regular, and I’d hired a few extra hands for the night—all folks that had worked the party before.
I was always nervous about big events here. Part of it was business—these things were easy enough to screw up—but part was also that underlying worry about gathering that many queer people into one location. The Hideaway was off the beaten path, yes, but not unknown. College kids found us. Businesspeople found us. Every so often a bigot showed up—and it only took one with ugly intent to turn a party into a tragedy.
But celebration was defiance, so we would dance and sing and drink and party into the night.
When I headed back out into the bar, I stopped to soak in the surroundings. This place had come a long way in the years since I first stepped into it, and then took over. We operated in the black. We had regulars. We had good staff. This place practically ran without me.
Which was good, since the Otters did take most of my time during the season, as they should. And Drake was occupying more and more of my free time. When he got recalled to the Lions—I shook my head to clear it. We’d cross that bridge. In the meantime, there were things I could set into motion to make sure the Hideaway was properly cared for in the years to come, whether I was here or not.
Hockey was a game where you lived in the moment, but you needed to be able to see a couple moves ahead. I had a sense of game flow and what plays might happen, both on and off the ice.
That moment, standing at the back of theHideaway, watching Drake try to beat Red Dog at pool while Ella and Lorelei slung drinks at the bar and a football game flashed on the screens—well, it felt like one of those moments where I knew what was coming.
I didn’t know exactly when it would happen, but change? I felt that in my bones.
I suppose that pensive nature of mine—my need to plan—had me more quiet than usual during our ride back to the house. Drake filled my silence with the tale of him beating Red Dog at pool on a very lucky shot, and some of the other antics of Hideaway’s patrons. When we got into the house, he pulled me into his arms.
“Hey, everything okay with the bar?”
I leaned into his warmth and wrapped my arms around him. “Mmmhmm. Everything’s set for New Year’s.”
He and I stood like that in the foyer for a while. Thor rubbed against our legs and Loki squawked from the platform on his scratching post.
Drake chuckled. “Snack time for big kitty.” But he didn’t move. “Do you need to talk?”
I pressed my nose against the crook of his neck and inhaled the clean smell from his shower gel. “It’s almost midseason.”
He pulled back a little and eyed me. “You think the Lions are going to call me back up.”
“I know they will. It’s a matter of when.”
He took my hands in his and kissed each one in turn. “Pittsburgh’s not that far. We’ll figure things out.”
Which meant he wanted to keep this going when that happened. Weight off my shoulders. “I’m glad you want to figure things out.”
His brow creased for a moment, then he chuckled. “Of course I want to.”
“I mean—” I shrugged. “I’m an old man who’s about to get older. I’m sure a hot guy like you could—” He tickled me. “Hey!” I danced away, laughing.
He regathered me into his arms. “There is no one like you, Jon. No one on this planet I’d rather be with.”
