Page 175 of The Head Game

“Aww, c’mon, Auggie. You can be my kept man. I’ll come home from games and you can fuck me so good.”

August squinted. “That sounds like my idea of hell.”

“Well that was rude.”

“I didn’t mean fucking you. I meant having nothing else to do.”

“I dunno, you haven’t seen me at full strength. I can be a lot. I might even wear you out.”

Privately, August had a feeling he was right.

“I am not sitting on my ass waiting to service you, Nico.”

“No, that’s no way to keep up your stamina. But you can keep using the gym downstairs in my building. That’ll keep you occupied.”

“Oh, so now I’m selling my place and permanently moving in with you?”

“Well, I mean this place is cute and all, but there isn’t much to do around here. And you are otherwise unemployed until further notice.”

August sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. “Don’t remind me. The hearing sucked today. I really am going to be unemployed.”

“Hey, you’re stressed out about this.” Nico shifted and the cat—Miss Muffins—jumped down with an outraged squawk of indignation.

“Well, wouldn’t you be?”

Nico winced. “I could probably take a decade or so off before I had to worry about my finances and even then …”

“Oh right, I forget you live in a different world than me.”

Nico shrugged. “Well, I’ve got my NHL money, plus I do some modeling gigs and DJ in the off-season. My parents have trusts set up for me and I got access to some of them when I turned 21 and 25. There are investments and shit too. I’m … pretty well-off, August.”

“Yeah, I’d worked that out,” August said with a snort.

“Is that a problem?”

“What?” August gave him a weird look. “No. It’s great you have that. I … I don’t know. I’m feeling sorry for myself, I suppose. I have savings and investments of course but I can’t not work. I have a mortgage and expenses.”

“I get that. So why don’t you figure out something else to do?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. What do you enjoy other than telling me what to do?”

“I consider that a hobby, not a profession.”

“Also rude … but fine. Tell me what else you like.”

“Well, I like refereeing.”

“You don’t say,” Nico said drily. “Have you ever thought about coaching though? If you can put up with my grumpy ass when I feel like shit, you could probably coach pretty well. Some kind of skills things for kids.”

“Coaching kids?” August considered the idea. “I’d never thought about it but …”

“I mean, you seem like you’d be good with them.”

“I’m so unprepared for this,” August admitted with a sigh. “I pivoted once, when I realized I couldn’t be gay and get married and have a family and play in the NHL. I don’t want to have to do it again.”

Nico winced.

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