Page 187 of The Head Game

August nodded. “I think I would.”

CHAPTER THIRTY

“I think you should become a podcaster who talks about fish.”

August looked away from his book and squinted down at Nico. He was sprawled on the couch with his head in August’s lap, as usual. “Seriously?”

“Well, you know a lot about taking care of Marty.”

“Sure, but in what world could I make that exciting enough that people would want to listen to me talk about it? And advertisers would pay me to do so.”

“Ehh good point. You’d probably be a little dry.” Nico returned his attention to his phone. “I’ll keep thinking.”

In the two weeks since August had been banned from refereeing, Nico had appointed himself August’s new career counselor. The ideas he’d come up with were growing increasingly outlandish.

Nico had also amused himself by setting up social media accounts for the cat and fish. The Adventures of Miss Muffins and Marty the Fish was shockingly popular.

The amount of stuff Nico had bought for them was also rather shocking. Marty was now living in Nico’s condo. He’d been upgraded to a fifty-five-gallon aquarium but August had put his foot down at the idea of a ninety-gallon one.

August had also had to nix some of the décor Nico wanted to buy for it because it wasn’t fish safe.

But he hadn’t protested when Nico ran wild for Miss Muffins. She now had a collar sparklier than the engagement ring August wore. Although August hoped it was rhinestones rather than diamonds.

He had decided it was better not to ask.

“I’m still considering coaching,” August admitted. That had been one of Nico’s early ideas. The one that felt the most plausible.

“I do think you’d be good at working with teenagers,” Nico said.

“Yeah, I reached out to someone who runs some of the local stuff to see if there are any assistant coaching positions. There might be an opening for something working with twelve-to-fourteen-year-olds.”

“Aww.” Nico smiled. “You’d be so good with them! I mean, if you can put up with me at my worst, you can handle some kids.”

August chuckled. “Well, you do have the same emotional maturity, eh, just with more money and a driver’s license.”

Nico stuck out his tongue, entirely proving August’s point.

“Hmm. Which of us leapt to conclusions about what the other one wanted and was running away from our feelings and not mature enough to sit down and talk about them?” Nico tapped his temple with his finger like he was really thinking hard about it. “Oh right, not me.”

August gave him a rueful smile. “You make a good point.”

Nico smirked. “Just saying.”

“I haven’t ruled out the idea of training future officials though.”

“Really?” Nico gave him a puzzled look. “Won’t training other people to do what you did feel …”

“Like a consolation prize?”

Nico shrugged. “I guess.”

“A little bit,” August admitted. “But a part of me thinks it could be kind of fun.”

“Fun is good,” Nico said. “I’m in favor of fun.”

August laughed. “I know you are.”

Nico grinned slyly up. “I’m still in favor of you being my sugar baby. Talk about fun.” He set his phone on the floor and flipped onto his stomach.

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