Page 145 of The Husband Game

Her face tightened. “Not everyone is thrilled with the way your husband conducts himself.”

“You have a problem with the way Charlie conducts himself?” Dustin asked, as blandly as he could manage.

“Well, no. Not me, you understand. I wouldn’t dream of telling anyone what they should do or how they should dress. I simply wanted you to understand some people are displeased. It isn’t anything personal, of course. But there’s been an awful lot of talk about it. The confusion over his gender in the wedding announcement, the way he presents himself, your recent podcast interview … You understand, Dustin. It’s … people are simply concerned about the optics. Some sponsors have expressed their discomfort. I know you wouldn’t want to do anything to disturb the team so I wanted to bring it to your attention.”

“Yes, I understand now,” Dustin said as an odd calm come over him.

A look of relief crossed her face. “Well good. I won’t say more then. It’s nothing personal, you know. I’m looking out for the team.”

“Of course,” Dustin answered, smiling. “But just so you know, it’s bullshit.”

“Excuse me?”

“Charlie is the ideal spouse for a hockey player. I couldn’t ask for a better person to come home to. He has bent over backwards for me since our marriage and if you think, for one minute, I am going to tell him he should be any less than he is, you’re a fool. Charlie is perfect exactly the way he is. He’s kind and caring and helpful and smart and absolutely fucking gorgeous. I find him incredibly attractive in everything he chooses to wear and I wouldn’t have him change a single hair on his head. Not for me, not for you, not for the sponsors and their precious advertising dollars. Not even for the team.”

Dustin realized the crowd around them had gone silent and he had a momentary thought that Kate was probably going to murder him but he plowed on. Because this was too important.

He glanced around, watching people guiltily glance away, unable to meet his eyes. “Charlie’s everything to me and if you can’t understand why I would put him first, then perhaps you need to speak to the GM and coaching staff about choosing a new captain for this team.”

“Oh, I’m sure that won’t be necessary,” she sputtered.

Without another word, Dustin turned on his heel, scanning the crowd for Charlie. He stood a few feet away, looking at Dustin with a dazed sort of wonder on his face.

“Kitten, are you ready to go home?” he asked. “I think I’ve had about enough of this party.”

Felix Hale Arrested!

Following a private party held at the Henderson Mansion, Toronto Fisher Cats defenseman Felix Hale was arrested for impaired driving. The incident occurred at approximately 1:15 a.m. on Sunday morning when the twenty-nine-year-old player reportedly ran multiple red lights before slamming into a parked car.

Several concerned citizens had called 911 to report a suspected drunk driver so the Toronto police arrived shortly after.

After being taken to a local hospital and treated for minor injuries, Hale was placed under arrest and charged with impaired driving.

Fisher Cats general manager, Patrick Fleming, released an official statement later that day.

“The team was made aware of the situation regarding Felix Hale. We have been provided a copy of the police report and are gravely concerned about his behavior. This was a serious error in judgment and as an organization we will work with him to ensure this never happens again.”

A statement from Hale’s agent, Michael Wickham, indicated that Hale will be seeking treatment through the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.

Hale’s record playing for the Vancouver Vandals and the Toronto Fisher Cats has been stellar. He has no known issues with substance abuse and this situation came as a shock to those who know him.

Given the surprising news that Hale’s former girlfriend Whitney Perkins was recently spotted having dinner with a new beau, we have to wonder if this recent revelation played a part in Hale’s behavior.

As an NHLPA rep, Fisher Cats team captain Dustin Fowler has been pushing for a player code of conduct to be enacted for the upcoming season.

It would be a new initiative designed to work in tandem with the current NHLPA universal declaration of player rights as outlined by the player association, the coaches, teams, and governing body of the NHL.

While it’s become abundantly clear that external oversight surrounding all levels within the league is badly needed, some sources feel it’s hypocritical of Fowler to push so hard for this initiative when it’s clear he can’t even control what’s happening on his own team.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

“You okay, man?” Matty asked on Monday as they stood on the ice following practice.

Dustin had been out for an extra half hour, shooting pucks into the net until his arms ached. It was the closest thing he had to therapy and after the shitshow of a weekend, he fucking needed it.

“Ugh.” Dustin fired another puck in but it pinged off the post. “Just a lot on my mind. I’ll be okay though.”

“Because you were …”

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