Chapter 33
Jamal King
I fully intend to keep my promise to Theo, but things are moving quickly and I’m spun. It’s louder than it should be in the conference room. Theo opens the door to guide me in with his hand on my back, and I’m awestruck to see my teammates.
Everyone falls silent as we walk in.
“Well, that’s not awkward at all,” Theo says from behind me.
Benzy is the first to approach us by tackling me in a hug. “We’re here for you.”
After that, every team member backslaps or hugs me. I’m in sensory overload, and Theo’s very pale. We’re pulled apart, and I sense Theo’s temper rising. He doesn’t trust the team yet, and when he’s afraid, his go-to emotion is anger. But I can’t get to him before he blows.
“If anyone has anything to say, say it to my face,” he growls, expecting the worst, and the room goes quiet again.
Brant raises his hand. “Quick question. You know we’re on the same team, right? Everyone in this room has your back, or we wouldn’t be here.” His fiery temper flares right back at Theo.
I step up to Theo and take his hand, looking him in the eye. “This isn’t how or when we wanted to tell people. Thanks for standing with us.” I squeeze his hand. He’s used to fighting his battles on his own, but he doesn’t have to do it alone anymore.
“Lovely. Take your seats, gentlemen.” Finn finally gets the team to shut up. “We have some ideas. Do you want the team here, or should they mind their own business?”
Theo needs more than a minute to be eased into accepting support.
“No disrespect, but we could use some space,” I tell our teammates.
They offer more words of support and fist bumps as they leave. I drag Theo to the nearest chair.
Mr. Dimon casually seats himself across from us like we’re in a normal business meeting. “I hired more security. When we get to New York, will you be staying together or separately?”
Theo snaps out of his trance. “I didn’t know my stepfather had taken a picture. But I should’ve.” He runs his hands through his hair and stares at the table. “It’s my fault because he wants to ruin me and take hockey from me.”
Finn taps away at his tablet, and Mr. Dimon clears his throat.
“Assigning blame won’t solve the issue. But I’m sure Mr. King disagrees with your statement.
He doesn’t look coerced or held hostage.
” Mr. Dimon’s lips quirk up. “Unless you had superhuman strength in your pinky to hold King down on that bed. If that’s the case, I expect you to summon that power on the ice. ”
I exhale with relief, and Theo makes a sound that’s a cross between a laugh and a hiccup. Mr. Dimon isn’t the person I would expect to use a joke in this situation. Finn is the wildcard with a reckless mouth.
Finn details several plans and outlines the pros and cons of each. The bottom line is that we can’t control how people receive the information, only how we respond.
Staying silent seems to be the worst option because it will give John the opportunity to write the narrative he wants. Secretly, I’m relieved; I’m ready to go public.
But Theo has been mute, shaking his head at every option. “What if we went on The Zone Breakdown podcast? I know one of the brothers from school.”
Finn’s mouth drops, but he taps furiously on his keyboard.
The Zone Breakdown drops once a week and features popular hockey brothers.
It’s been voted the number one sportscast on several streaming services.
The oldest brother, Augustus, played in the NHL for a few years but got traded every season and couldn’t find a fit.
The younger brother, Brad, played in the AHL and only had a few games in the NHL before concussions took him out of the game.
Mr. Dimon’s shrewd eyes assess Theo. “Would they do you that favor and put it out immediately?”
“No.” He grimaces. “But they’re huge fans of Jamal’s, and from a business perspective, they could reach new listeners in the Black and queer communities.”
“I’m not sending you into a situation where you could be ambushed or berated.” Finn’s eyes move across his screen.
“Agreed.” Mr. Dimon’s palm thunks the table.
“They won’t.” Theo glances at me nervously. “I mean, Brad won’t, and I’ll remind him why he shouldn’t let Auggie go after either of us.”
Mr. Dimon steeples his fingers. “Don’t involve us in a blackmail situation.”
Theo shrugs, and Finn turns to Mr. Dimon for direction.
Within fifteen minutes, we’re booked on the podcast, and the entire team has to pack up and leave so we can be back in New York to be on the show. We could do it remotely, but that would delay everything.
The podcast tapes in a sketchy area of the city. I pride myself on being able to blend in, but with blond Theo, our massive bodyguard, and twinky Finn, it’s not possible.
The inside of the studio is much nicer. Lots of sound equipment and padded office chairs to sit in while we record. Finn greets everyone and thanks them for the short notice and quick turnaround.
“We weren’t going to miss out on the biggest scandal in hockey since Dumas accused Ace of hitting him and then sued your trainer.” He shakes our hands. “Call me Auggie.”
“Grayson Ward,” I say loudly. “His name is Grayson.” I stare at Auggie, daring him to start a fight. I’m not sure who I am anymore.
Finn and Auggie go over the rundown for the show, and Brad glares at Theo.
“I wouldn’t have said anything,” Brad spits out.
“It’s not like we’re friends. You made that clear.” Theo stands taller.
We’ve been in meetings and media briefings all day, so I haven’t been alone with Theo to ask about Brad.
I drag Theo into a small hallway. “I’m not doing this until you tell me about you and Brad.” I spit his name like a curse word.
“Are you jealous?” His face cracks with a magnificent smile. “Will I get to see the devil in you? Can’t wait.”
“I deserve to know if I’m talking to your ex,” I say with an arched brow, not taking the sexual bait he’s throwing.
“He’s not my ex, Maj. You don’t have anything to worry about.” Theo folds me into his embrace. “We fooled around, and I have photo evidence in case he turned on me.”
“We are not talking to someone who uses sexuality as a weapon.” I’m ready to leave and form a new plan.
“He’s a good guy. I was the paranoid asshole.” Theo looks worried this will be the thing that comes between us. “Can we play jealous partner later?” he deflects.
His face crumbles then brightens when I say, “I owe my kitten a night of worship. But if being worshipped means seeing the devil, that can be arranged.”
Before he can respond, one of the assistants finds us, shows us where to sit, and tests our equipment. They film their interviews for their YouTube channel.
Auggie and Brad do the show intro, and we start off slow, giving our backgrounds and explaining how we didn’t grow up together and resented each other. Finn signals I should fix my face. I crack my neck and let go of my animosity for Brad.
Brad: It sounds like there was lots of bad blood between the two of you.
Me: Yes, I thought he’d been handed all the privileges I was denied, and Theo was sent away and constantly compared to me, always falling short.
Auggie: But that changed when O’Keefe was traded to the Enforcers?
Theo: It’s easier to hate someone from far away. It’s much harder when you’re on the same team and in the locker room together. None of the things I heard about Jamal growing up matched the person I met.
Me: It was a gradual thing to become friends.
I nudge my knee against Theo’s under the table, thankful to touch him without notice.
Brad: So the rivalry wasn’t made up by the media?
Theo: No.
Me: It was sensationalized but not fabricated.
Auggie: Let’s talk about why you’re both here. From the picture and the headlines, it’s like you’re living out the plot of a book. The question is: Is the book non-fiction, a psychological thriller, or a romance?
Theo turns bright red, and everyone will notice when the episode’s video is released.
Me: That’s a nice way to ask. One of the things we’ve talked about since seeing the picture is that everyone will form their opinions, and it’s up to you to decide what kind of story it is, but we can tell you the truth from our perspective.
Brad: Hit us with the facts.
Theo: That picture was taken after a home game, and we were exhausted.
Me: I made the mistake of lying on the bed for a second. No joke, that mattress is fire.
Theo: I’d been staying with my stepfather, aka Jamal’s bio-father, in his apartment on Park Ave. Once we figured out all the lies I’d been told, I didn’t want to stay there anymore despite the security and amenities available to me. Jamal was helping me pack up my things.
Auggie: How did someone get past security to take the picture?
Theo reaches for my hand under the table, and I squeeze it.
Me: The father, who has never been a part of my life, and never gave me any financial assistance, took the picture. It’s his way of spiting us or trying to regain control over Theo.
Brad: What the fuck?! Damn. That’s some fucked-up shit right there.
Auggie: To steer us back on track, what do you want to tell our listeners about your relationship?
Me: Theo is an amazing person. I’m so lucky to have him in my life.
Theo: Same.
We make eye contact, and our hands are threaded together, white knuckles from the bone-crushing grip.
Theo: Things have progressed beyond the friendship stage. Since it’s new, we’d appreciate privacy to figure out the ending. Ya know, if it’ll be a psycho-thriller or a romance.
Brad: To clarify, you’re coming out on our show?
Brad’s face is comically confused, and I lift my and Theo’s conjoined hands onto the table.
Me: Yes. We’re together.
Auggie says a bunch of things, and Theo says some other things back, but I can’t take my attention off Theo. The bravery he’s showing in the face of guaranteed backlash is amazing. His hair has fallen over one eye, and I sweep it back. Finn clears his throat and brings me back to reality.
I manage to thank them and leave, planning all the things I’ll do to Theo when we get home.
“Okay, sweet treats, great job. Sorry, not great news. Jamal, your apartment is surrounded by media. Let’s find you another place to stay.” Finn ushers us into a waiting car.
“My parents’ house,” I say at the same time Theo says, “A hotel.”
My brain catches up, and being at my parents’ house might be safe, but it’s not ideal for the things I’m going to do to him. “A hotel would be better.”
“No, we can go to your parents’.” Theo leans into me, and I realize he thinks I’m going to have a panic attack.
“Look at the cute couple already arguing as if they’re married.” Finn searches for something on his phone.
“They might know where my parents live. Then we’ll all be stuck,” I rationalize.
The driver pulls into a well-known hotel. “Cameras,” he says, and exits the hotel’s circular driveway. He tries a couple more, but it’s like the media has organized a stakeout at the hotels.
Finn clucks his tongue. “There are people outside of Liska’s place and Drake and Lucky’s. Looks like they think the baby gays are going to the experienced gays to hide out.”
“How do you know?” Theo asks.
“Mr. Dimon hired some of the support staff to scope out your teammates. They get extra pay, and we figure out if we need professional security for the team.” Finn’s eyes are glued to his phone. “There’s no visible presence outside your parents’.”
I snort. “I guess that’s a huge advantage of them living in Brooklyn.”
Theo takes my hand and rubs his thumb in soothing circles.
“I’m fine. Are you okay?” I ask, resting my head on his shoulder. We both feel his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulls it out and has a text notification from his mom.
Theo shoves it back in his pocket before I can read it, but the word embarrassment stood out.
“We can try lower-end hotels or your parents’. Where do you want to go?”
“A hotel,” I say as Theo says, “His parents’ place.”
I sit up straight and kiss his fingers. The worst thing I can do is rub in his face the difference in our parents. His mom said something horrible, and my parents will welcome us. “Let’s go to a hotel tonight, sleep, and figure out a plan for tomorrow.”
“No.” Theo tugs on my braids. “We can’t stay there for more than a night or two before someone is brave enough to cross the Brooklyn Bridge. They might have some ideas for us.”
I search his eyes and find sincerity, so I text my mom. “If you drop us off at the corner of Main and Atlantic, we can use the alley to go in the back door.”
“We’ll wait to make sure you sugar pies get in safely before we leave.” Finn dims the screen on his phone.
My mom and dad are waiting in the kitchen when we get there. Mom hugs Theo first, while my dad hugs me.
There are leftovers on the table for us as we tell them everything that happened during the day and at the podcast. They listen attentively, holding back their questions.
“We’re happy you came to us.” My dad thumps Theo on the back, and Theo hastily looks down.
“Kenya isn’t sure about where you want to sleep, so she changed the sheets in your room and in the guest room.
You’re adults, so you can choose, but the beds are full-sized, and it’ll be a tight fit for two of you. ”
“Thank you, sir,” Theo mumbles, blushing a deep red.
“We’re past the sir stage, son.” Dad thumps his back again. “Call me DeAndre or hey you, as long as you don’t call me late for dinner.” Dad chuckles at his own joke, and Theo’s mouth hangs open.
“We’re beat. We’re going upstairs,” I say, then add, “We shouldn’t need anything, but we’ll let you know if we do.” I love my parents, but I don’t want them hovering over us.
I shut us in my room and push Theo onto the bed to straddle him. “You ever heard of breath play?”