Page 99 of The Husband Game

“Also, suggesting someone would get married for those reasons ignores the very real problems LGBTQ people face. Coming out, even now, does not give players an advantage. While it certainly can be a huge relief to people who have felt pressured to stay in the closet, it comes with so many complications of its own. Guys still have to contend with harassment from fellow players and fans.”

“Can you give us any examples?” Liz asked.

“I recently got a text from a player I know who said how disappointing it was I was hopping on the gay bandwagon.” He let out a small laugh, tinged with bitterness. “Some of the comments made on our social media aren’t fit to repeat out loud. And that’s not only on the personal accounts Charlie and I have, but the posts from the team and the league. Anyone calling dealing with that an advantage is, quite frankly, deluded.”

“What about the fans expressing disappointment?” she pressed.

“In what?” His voice rose and Liz’s eyebrows did too. “Take your pick because it’s all over the place. Some of them are pissed because I didn’t come out sooner. Some think I should have stayed quiet about it forever. And let’s be honest, some of them have loudly and publicly burned my jersey since they found out I married a man.”

“How much does that affect you?” Tad asked.

Dustin shrugged. “I can’t let it affect me. I can’t. It is a no-win scenario. I can’t please every fan. Either with my playing or my personal life. I will always go out and play my best and learn from my mistakes and try to be a decent person. Yes, I am a public figure and I do everything I can to be there for fans as much as is humanly possible. That’s my job and I am happy to do it. But I don’t owe anyone anything when it comes to speaking about my private life.”

Liz and Tad both looked a little wide-eyed and Dustin reached for his glass of water, taking a few sips to give himself the opportunity to calm down.

He laughed a little ruefully. “I’m sorry. That probably came across a little more heated than I intended.”

Liz smiled. “We love it when our guests have a passionate response to questions.”

Yeah, well, Kate isn’t going to love it, Dustin thought ruefully.

He took a deep breath. “What frustrates me most is that I don’t see the same kind of questions being lobbed at straight players. People assume if a straight player is in a long-term relationship or gets married, he’s settling down and ‘oh, isn’t it nice that he’ll have someone at home to support him’ and it’s treated as this very positive thing. But when any of the LGBTQ players are in a same-sex relationship, all of a sudden, it’s a distraction. People assume my marriage to Charlie will negatively impact my playing and I am deeply frustrated by the double standard.”

“Well then, this is the perfect opportunity to ask some other questions I have for you then. How has married life been so far?” Liz asked. “Are you enjoying it? What kind of positive changes have there been for you?”

“It’s been great,” Dustin said, a little of his tension easing. “I wish we had a little more time to enjoy the honeymoon period but Charlie understands the kind of pressure I’m under and how many commitments I have. He’s been a great sport about uprooting his life to be with me here in Toronto and I am trying to support him as he settles into his new home and job.”

She smiled. “That’s great to hear.”

“Charlie is an incredible interior designer and he’s working very hard to make our new place a home. He has so many ideas of what he wants to do and I love it.” He smiled. “He’s a great cook and he’s been making a lot of the meals for us but I want to learn to cook more so I can do the same for him when I have the time. It’s been a huge eye-opening experience to see what it’s like to build a life with someone but I can say so far, I absolutely love it. I feel very lucky to have Charlie in my life.”

“There’s nothing like having someone at home to help you manage the household while you’re dealing with road trips and team obligations,” Tad commented.

“Absolutely,” Dustin agreed. “Although I want to make sure we’re able to balance that so Charlie doesn’t feel it’s all on him. He has a career he loves and I want to make sure it isn’t being sacrificed for mine.”

Liz nodded, smiling, and to Dustin’s relief, the remainder of the podcast went more smoothly.

Dustin was able to get back into media mode and he spent most of his time talking about the upcoming season and some of the players he was looking forward to scoping out at prospect camp.

After the recording was over and he’d said goodbye to Liz and Tad, Dustin sat in his car in the dark parking lot and thought over what he’d said.

There was nothing wrong with it, exactly, but he’d never been quite so blunt in an interview. He usually spoke in platitudes and media-friendly soundbites, painfully aware of how much scrutiny he was under.

He lost his temper on the ice, yes, but never to the media. He didn’t push back. He didn’t cause waves. He was the perfect poster boy for the team.

He made Kate’s job easy.

Dustin started the car and dialed her personal number as he drove home.

“Should I be concerned?” she answered, her tone a little wary.

“Well …” Dustin grimaced. “I got a little touchy with the Puck Thoughts Podcast hosts.”

She let out a sigh of relief. “So no sex tape leaks? Because those pictures from Matty’s party on Saturday looked pretty steamy …”

“Nah, that’s Nico’s thing, not mine.”

Kate laughed, although Dustin knew she’d been up to her eyeballs in damage control after that fiasco last season. “What did you say during the podcast, exactly?”

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