Page 104 of The Long Game
A second later, the team puppy came charging into the room, followed by Harris. “It sure is,” Harris said, smiling as usual. “I heard you were in here and I thought—”
“Yes!” Ilya exclaimed, crouching to greet Chiron. He’d never needed a puppy in his arms so badly. He let Chiron sniff and lick his fingers, then scooped him up and cuddled him against his chest. “He is already so big!”
“Yup,” Harris agreed. “He’s a beast.”
Luca approached cautiously. “Can I pet him?”
“Yeah, man,” Harris said. “Get in there.”
Luca scratched the top of Chiron’s head with one finger.
“Okay. Hold on,” Harris said. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “This is way too cute.” He snapped some photos that Ilya knew would kill later on Instagram.
“Hey, guys,” called out a cheerful voice from the doorway. Coach Wiebe sauntered in wearing workout clothes. Ilya couldn’t help but notice that he looked good in them.
“Coach,” Ilya and Luca said at the same time.
“I am ninety percent sure dogs aren’t allowed in here,” Wiebe said. “But ninety isn’t a hundred, right?” He took over head-scritching from Luca, except he used his whole hand.
“You like dogs?” Ilya asked.
“Love them. We’ve got a big ol’ golden retriever at home. Lollipop. The kids named her, so don’t look at me. We call her Lolly, mostly.”
“I need to meet Lolly,” Ilya said seriously. “Bring her to work someday.”
“She’s anxious around new people,” Coach said. “She was a rescue from a bad situation, so she mostly sticks to home and her regular walk route. Sweetest thing, though.”
Ilya almost laughed. His coach was seriously the nicest guy on earth.
“Are you boys going to the hospital visit this week?” Coach asked. The team visited the local children’s hospital every December. Ilya wouldn’t miss it for the world.
“Of course,” Ilya said. “I have been training for my Mario Kart rematch.”
Coach laughed. “And how about our star rookie?”
“Yes,” Luca said. “I will be there.”
“I hope Barrett’s going,” Coach said. “I know it’ll be a rough week for him, with the game in Toronto after, but I think it would be good for him.”
Ilya agreed, and he’d make sure Troy would be there.
They all played around with Chiron for about twenty minutes, then Harris announced that Chiron’s trainer was there to pick him up. Ilya watched miserably as Harris left with the puppy.
“Do you think the other dogs are nice to him at his school?” Ilya asked no one in particular.
“Only the best of the best get to be in that place,” Coach assured him. “It’s like the NHL of dogs.”
“Yes, but there are huge assholes in the NHL.”
Coach laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “Yeah, but not in Ottawa.”
“I came out to Troy Barrett,” Ilya said, a week later.
Shane nearly choked on the sip he’d just taken of his smoothie.“What?”he asked after a fit of coughing. He was glad this wasn’t a video call.
“I told him I am bisexual,” Ilya said calmly, as if he’d told Troy that he liked pizza or something. As if he revealed his sexuality to people all the time when Shane knew he’d barely told anyone. Ilya had told Shane that Troy wasn’t such a bad guy, now that he was getting to know him, but it still seemed fucking nuts that Ilya would choose him of all people to share this closely guarded secret with.
“When? Why?”
