Page 19 of Goalie Interference

“Coach and I had problems,” he continues. “I was young and my English was not very good. So it was not…” His voice trails off like he’s looking for the words.

“A good fit,” Gavin supplies for him.

“Yes. That,” Nikolai says. “Not good fit.”

“That’s a shame,” Connor says, frowning. “I hate that that happens.” He shakes his head like he’s ridding himself of a thought, then changes direction. “But Coach Chris, he’s great, right?” His smile has returned to his face as he asks about his old coach.

“Yes,” Nikolai says. “Coach Chris is best coach I ever had.”

“You can say that again,” Ryan says, raising his glass. “That man singlehandedly changed the direction of our team.” He slings his arm across Brandon’s chair, then lets his eyes do a quick sweep of our private room before he leans in and kisses Brandon’s cheek as he chews a bite of his steak. “Starting with calling up our good luck charm.”

“Yes,” Ivanov says again. “Without Coach Chris, we would not have our team Baby.”

Gavin looks at Brandon. “I can’t believe you let them call you that.”

Brandon raises an eyebrow, giving Gavin a stone-faced glance. “Do you honestly think I ever had a choice in the matter?”

“I’d still have taken a swing at whoever started it,” Gavin says.

Ryan lets out a laugh. “Well, considering it was me who saddled him with it, I’d say everything worked out fine in the end.”

Gavin smirks, but also pulls Connor closer to him. “Only if you let him call you Daddy.”

Brandon shakes his head and pulls a face of disgust. “I am never calling him Daddy.”

“Yeah,” Connor says. “No offense, Ryan, but you don’t really have that kind of energy.”

“None taken.” Ryan laughs again. “Gavin can hold that crown.”

“Actually,” Connor says, “that’s not really our thing either.” He glances across the table at Nikolai. “Besides, if anyone at his table has Daddy energy”—he points at him—“it’s this guy.”

I hold my breath, not sure how Nikolai is going to respond to that. It’s one thing to support your gay teammates, it’s quite another to be called a Daddy by one of the other gay players in the league you’re facing off against in less than twenty-four hours.

But he surprises me yet again and lets out a delighted laugh, like he thinks Connor has just said the funniest thing in the world to him.

“Danton and I are the daddies of the Mules,” he says. “He is fun one. I am serious one.”

“That is actually very accurate,” Ryan says.

“Frighteningly so,” Brandon agrees.

“What about me?” I ask. “Do I have Daddy energy?”

Everyone at the table bursts out laughing.

“Ander,” Gavin says, “sorry, but out of everyone at this table, your chaotic ass needs a daddy to tame you the most.”

“I’ll argue that extends beyond this table,” Ryan says, wheezing through his laughter.

“You two are terrible!” Connor says. He looks at Brandon. “Are you just going to sit there and let these two attack your brother like this?”

“Yes.” Brandon laughs, looking not even the least bit guilty about it.

But I don’t care. This is all lighthearted fun. The kind of bantering I missed so much during the offseason.

“Besides,” I say, shrugging my shoulders, “who doesn’t love a little bit of chaos in their lives?”

“Pretty much everyone,” Ryan says.