Page 117 of Wingmen

Dustin pinched him, smiling. “But I also think… I know there’s a lot oflocalstuff that happens for queer kids already, and some of them are playing in community leagues, but it doesn’t seem like there’s a pipeline for them to get whereweare.” He looked down. “You know? There’s a disconnect. And it’s great that people are gonna seeyounow, and me, I guess – but I think this has to be about more than just the players. It can’t all come down to you and Arsenault and Riley Webb. There needs to be people pushing everywhere. The league is missing out by not making it easier for more kids like you to come up. You shouldn’t need to be a once-in-a-lifetime talent to get to where you are from where you were.”

Elliot smiled. “You reallydiddo research.”

“It’s what I do.”

He tucked his head back into Dustin’s lap. “Diego’s gonna be ecstatic if you actually move to Tampa.”

Dustin tipped his chin back to look at him. “And what about you?”

“Sí, claro. Of course.”

“Are you sure?”

Elliot hesitated. Dustin looked worried that he wasn’t going to say “Yes,” so he quickly did, and then added, “Do you have to join the foundation, though? Because I was thinking…I don’t know, maybe this is stupid. But since you’re retired and you obviously need something to do…I was wondering if…maybe you could be my agent?”

He’d been thinking about this a lot recently. He wasn’t sure ifit was actually what he wanted, or just a way to get Dustin to be around all the time.

Dustin’s eyebrows jumped in surprise. Then he laughed. He laughed pretty hard, for a long time, and squeezed Elliot’s hip. “No, Amigo. Sorry. I don’t think that’s gonna work.”

Elliot felt his heart sink. “Why not?”

“Because you’re a once-in-a-lifetime talent, and I havezeroidea what I’m doing. Call Gallagher if you’re shopping around for someone new.”

“You could learn. Research it.”

“Roddy, I would do a terrible job.”

“I don’t think so.”

“That’s nice. But you’re wrong. Plus, you have to be certified, and that’s a nightmare of bureaucracy I don’t want.” Dustin stroked his hair and smiled, like he could see how disappointed Elliot was. Then something shifted in his face, and Elliot felt a thread of nervous tension stretch between them.

“What?”

Dustin watched his fingers, but now he was doing it in a way that suggested he couldn’t quite look Elliot in the eye. Very slowly, he said, “Well…there’s actually another reason why that probably wouldn’t work. A more important one.”

“Which is what?”

A long,longpause while Dustin stroked his hair and put words together in his head, then he looked Roddy in the eye and said, “It would be a major conflict of interest. Because I think…I’m in love with you?”

Elliot felt all the air go out of the room. He went absolutely, perfectly still, and so did Dustin, and they stared at each other like terrified children, until Dustin said, “You don’t have to say–”

“IthinkI’minlovewithyoutoo,” said Elliot. Very quickly, like he was afraid it might not all come out if he didn’t say it as fast as possible. His heart was pounding like a stadium full of peoplewatching two grown men kiss each other. Somehow it waslouder.

Dustin swallowed. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Elliot nodded.

“Okay. Well that’s…good..”

“Do you wanna say it again?”

“Kind of feels like we should?”

Elliot nodded. “I…love you?”

“I love you too. Should we…kiss? Or something?”

Elliot laughed, and it was like the air came back into the room. He grabbed Dustin by the back of the neck and pulled his mouth to his, half upside-down, and held him there.