Page 85 of Pucking Strong

“Oh, she’s handling it alright. I’ve got the release right here, along with strict instructions that I’m supposed to throw you to the wolves tonight after the game, win or lose.”

Shit. Poppy didn’t inform me I’d be doing press tonight. I knewthe release would go live during the game. It will likely be all over the internet by the end of the first period.

Just perfect. As if I wasn’t already distracted enough.

Reading my mind, Coach shakes his head, dropping the folder to the desk. “You men, I swear. Never in my thirty years in the League have I dealt with so many personal revelations on one team. I mean, how does this even happen? How are youallgay?”

Next to me, Novy snorts. But Jake sits forward in his chair. “Well, not to be too pedantic here, sir, but Caleb is actually queer, and I’m bi. I’m pretty sure Novy is straight, plus Morrow. And Mars is just … well, Mars,” he finishes with a shrug.

“And retired,” Caleb adds.

“And I’ve been told I have major bi-wife energy,” says Langley, sitting in the only other chair. “Also, my wife is bi … if that becomes relevant.”

Novy nudges Jake’s arm. “Hey, great use of ‘pedantic’ there, bud.”

Jake smiles, glancing up at his husband. “Did I use it right?”

Caleb nods.

“Yeah, man, I think that was right,” says Langley.

“Sounded right to me,” says Novy with a shrug.

“Enough,” Coach shouts. “I won’t have this distracting us all from going out there and playing our best game tonight. Karlsson, you’ve already been on the back foot since your return from Sweden. I need to know if your head is in this. And what are these?” He pulls out a stack of papers from the folder.

Novy crosses his tatted arms over his barrel chest. “How can we possibly know that without looking at them first?”

Coach glares at him. “Well, I’ll just tell you then, shall I? These are letters written in support of Karlsson and O’Connor, detailing their years-long, slow-burning, secret gay romance. Does this sound familiar?” He slips on his cheaters and reads from the first letter. “‘Henrik Karlsson is as gay as the day is long. I always knew he and Teddy would get together.’”

“Oh, hey.” Novy perks up, raising his hand. “Coach, that’s mine. I wrote that one.”

From the corner of the room, Caleb smirks. “Gay as the day is long? Seriously?”

Novy chuckles. “What did you write, asshole? Some emo song lyrics?”

Coach holds up more papers. “Langley, yours is five pages long. Front and back.”

Langley shrugs, going a little pink at the ears. “I felt passionately about it.”

“It’s in legalese, Langley! It cites three federal statutes and a ruling from the Supreme Court of Florida.”

“All good arguments should be backed up with facts, right?”

Coach shakes the papers at him. “There are footnotes!”

“Dude, just admit Tess helped you,” Novy mutters.

Langley rolls his eyes. Everyone on the team knows he has severe dyslexia. “Fine. Yeah, obviously she helped. But I support every word of it.”

“Read mine next,” says Jake.

“I’m not gonna stand here and read all these out! Sweet Mother Mary, the picture Novikov paints would make a damn sailor blush.” Coach drops the pile of papers to his desk. “Will someone just fill me in so I know what the hell is going on? Why are we doing this now? Why do you think we need this distraction right at the start of the damn season? Why do youallhave to make such a public deal out of your damn private lives?”

My teammates all go still, glaring at Coach.

“It’s for Operation Mighty Oak,” Novy explains.

Coach narrows his eyes at him. “Operation what?”

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