Page 38 of King of the Crease

“You and Tanner could’ve kissed.”

“We had colds. Apparently, when you live with four children, it’s a mandate that you’re constantly sick.”

“Who’s Tate?” I whisper to Hank.

“Bill’s boyfriend,” he whispers back.

Bill has a boyfriend?

“By the way, I can tell from the red line that you’re a bad kisser. Way too much tongue,” Des says to Bill. “You remind me of a dog eating table scraps.”

“Get fucked,” Bill says.

“Not in the locker room, apparently.” Des crosses his arms. “Although Griffin and Jack might’ve broken that rule.”

Bill’s eyes leap open. Griffin looks down and sips his drink.

“I told you that in confidence,” Griffin grumbles.

“I hope you didn’t make a mess for the cleaning crew,” Hank says.

“Uh oh, Bill. You have a rule breaker on your team,” Des says with a heaping dose of sarcasm. “You know, I’ve had to listen to your captain bullshit for twenty-five years. Guess what, buddy? Pot’s legal now. So take a bong hit and chill out.”

Bill turns to Griffin. “What did you and Jack do?”

“Nothing. I’m not talking about this.” Griffin turns away from him and gives a dirty nod to Des.

“Who’s Jack?” I whisper to Hank.

“Griffin’s boyfriend,” he whispers back.

“What?” I feel my eyes get as wide as Bill’s. Griffin has a boyfriend, too?

“Look, if our boyfriends were our teammates, then we’d follow these rules, too,” Bill says to Des and Tanner. “We’re not trying to single you out.”

“I mean, would it be so horrible if Des and I kissed in the locker room before we went out on the ice, for good luck?” Tanner asks.

“He makes a good point,” Griffin says. Griffin, who also has a boyfriend.

Trying to wrap my head around everything, I spot Mitch behind the bar caressing the cheek of the short bartender.

“Is that Mitch’s boyfriend?” I ask Hank.

“Charlie? Nah.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“That’s his husband.”

“Husband?”

I bolt out of my seat as the world continues to spin wildly.

“What the fuck!” I yell.

Everyone stops talking at our table.

“You all have husbands and boyfriends?” I ask…a table full of burly hockey players.