Page 24 of Role Model

“I’m not sure,” he said carefully. “He’s quiet. Keeps to himself, I think.”

“He was kicked out of the game the other night in Edmonton,” Dad said. “Shoved a ref!”

“Yeah,” Harris said. He certainly hadn’t missed that. Hockey media couldn’t stop showing that clip and talking about how Troy had been spiraling out of control these past couple of weeks. “That wasn’t great.”

“I never liked him when he was with Toronto,” said Mike, Anna’s husband. “But he was talented. I hope he can get his shit together because we could sure use him.”

Harris used to talk about hockey that way. The way all fans did, like he was part of the team, but only discussed the actual players as assets or tools. Now that he was working for an NHL team and had become friends with the players and staff, it annoyed him when they weren’t acknowledged as human beings. He wanted Troy to play at the top of his game too, but mostly he wanted Troy to not be burdened by whatever was making him so miserable anymore.

Also, he wanted to stop thinking about him for five minutes.

“We put some more cases in the back of your truck, Harris,” Margot said, snapping Harris out of what was about to be another Troy Barrett daydream. “Thanks for being our unpaid rep.”

“Always. How’s business?”

“Amazing. The new winter spice cider is selling like crazy. And the downtown taproom is booked solid for Christmas parties all month.”

“Of course it is. That’s great.”

“Bring some of your NHL player friends when they get back. That makes us look cool.”

“Conflict of interest,” Harris joked. It wasn’t really, unless he was using the place as a setting for promo stuff.

“Or you could bring a date,” Anna said casually.

“I would never bring a date there. Oh my god. You guys would embarrass the shit out of me.”

“We would not!”

“Nah. We totally would,” Margot said.

“Are you dating anyone?” Mom asked.

“No.”

“Well, that’s a shame.”

“I mean, I go on dates. But—you know what? I’m not talking about this.”

“It’s too bad Scott Hunter doesn’t play for Ottawa. You two could have fallen in love.”

“Mom!”

“And Ottawa might have a Stanley Cup,” said Mike. “Y’know. If we had Scott Hunter.”

“And Harris would be rich,” Dad added, “if he had Scott Hunter.”

Everyone laughed while Harris tried to glare at them all. “You know it’s messed up to assume that two men would get together just because they’re both gay and in proximity to each other, right?”

“Who could resist you, though?” Mom argued. “You’re such a sweetheart.”

“And you have nice hair,” Mike said. “Good beard.”

“You know a lot about apples. Men love that,” said Margot. She turned to her husband, who was the quietest man Harris had ever met. “Right, Josh?”

“Super sexy,” Josh agreed.

“Anyway,” Harris said. “Scott Hunter does not play for Ottawa and is happily married, so I think I’ll keep looking.”

---