Page 78 of Against the Odds
Docker said, “Really? Congrats, dude.”
Sully suddenly grinned. “Zeke? Tell me it’s Zeke. Hannah will say she told me so, but I can’twaitto see you co-parenting a teenager.”
“Fuck you.” His reaction soothed my worst fear. I knew Sully didn’t have a problem with Docker or other queer dudes, but I’d still, in the dark of night, wondered if he’d treat me differently, if he knew. Teasing was good. That was how Sully and I rolled. “Anyway, we’re new and Zeke’s not even Jos’s parent.”
“Just kidding. Jos is a lucky kid to have you around at all.”
Yablonsky frowned at me. “You too, Fitzer? Jesus. How many of you types on this team?”
“Types?” Docker turned an unfriendly look on him. “You mean gay men?” He glanced back at me. “Or bi or pan or whatever.”
“Gay,” I said, because if I was coming out, I wasn’t going to half-ass it. “Big fat one-hundred-percent gold-star homo.” I added, “And no, Yabby, I haven’t been checking out your tiny dick in the showers. Not even to realize my boyfriend can make two of you.”
“Fuck you,” Yabby retorted.
“Cool it.” Hobbes thumped my arm. “Congrats on coming out, Fitzer. Everyone here has your back, you know that. Right, Yabby?”
“Sure,” Yabby said. “Fine. Let’s have other Pride night with more banners and not so much skating. Is fine. Perfect.”
“I don’t want a fucking Pride night,” I told him. “I want you to do your job and not leave that asshole centre of theirs uncovered in front of my net.”
He glared at me because he knew perfectly well he’d been pulled out of position and we both got lucky that their centre had only managed a weak shot.
Docker said, “Tell us, though, Fitzer. How secret do you want us to keep this? Are you out to other people? Are you making an announcement?”
“No.” I shut my eyes and rubbed my face. “My agent doesn’t even know.”
“He’d better be okay with it, dude,” Sully noted. “Or else you need a new agent.”
“Mine’s great,” Docker said. “If you need someone.”
The locker room door swung as Coach strode in. “Right, guys. Listen up! Did we miss the definition of man-on-man coveragein front of the…” He broke off, looking around the room. “What’s going on?”
“Fitzer comes out as gay,” Yabby said. “Is shock.”
“It’s asurprise,” Hobbes countered. “Only because he’s such a grouch I didn’t think anyone would date him. Not a shock. Got it?”
Coach turned to me. “That right, Fitzpatrick?”
I shrugged. “I guess.”
“You couldn’t have picked a better time to announce it?”
“Didn’t plan on announcing it at all.”
“Right. Well, congratulations. Hockey is for everyone. Anyone gives you a hard time, you let me know and I’ll have my lesbian aunt kick ’em in the balls. Oh, and if you plan to go public, make sure you coordinate with the media folks first, so they can try to find your best side. Got it? Good talk. Now can we focus on hockey?”
I wasn’t able to answer.
Docker said, “Yes, Coach,” for me.
Coach shifted his stare to the first-line forwards. “Anyone got an explanation for why you can’t get the fucking puck to the fucking net? Four shots the entire period? What kind of bullshit is that?” He then proceeded to talk specifics about their second-string defense and our power play, while I sat in my seat and let my heart rate return to normal.
I came out. I’m out to the team.I wanted to grab my phone and text Zeke, see what he’d say. But getting out my phone during a game would have Coach coming for my head. I wanted to keep him nominally on my side.
When the intermission was over and we stood up to head toward the ice, Docker tapped my pads with his stick. “Gonna win this for you and the boyfriend.”
“Win it for Satan, I don’t care. Just score a fucking goal.”
