Chapter 20
TYLER
DONE FOR THE NIGHT
Tyler couldn’t stop smiling as he leaned against the bar, trying to catch Tessa’s attention for a quick drink of water.
Jamie was there. His burly, hockey-playing boyfriend had come to see him, at work, in the middle of the night.
Despite looking perfectly put together in a navy peacoat over a deep green sweater and gray slacks, he could tell Jamie was exhausted.
His green eyes had taken on a sleepy haze that made Tyler want to wrap him up in a blanket like a burrito and put him to bed.
He’d broken a cardinal family rule earlier, and had kept his phone at the table while he and Rowan ate an early supper before he went to work.
Jamie had shown him how to get live play-by-play game stats and a local radio broadcast from the hockey league website.
Rowan had asked a million questions, but they’d listened to the game together.
Tyler figured they could break the rules for Jamie.
They’d both cheered, their cheeks full of rice and beans, when Ollie scored off of Jamie’s rebound. Rowan had been fussy, complaining about a sore tummy through most of the afternoon, but the game had provided a good distraction.
Afterwards he’d put Rowan to bed, handed the baby monitor off to Dotty, and then left for the club.
There was a good crowd tonight. Tyler didn’t know what it was about the holidays that brought people to the strip club in droves. Maybe it was the Christmas bonuses or prolonged time around family.
Whatever it was, Tyler couldn’t complain. He already had a nice wad of cash stashed in his locker, and was counting down the final minutes of his shift before he could get the fuck out of there and go home with his boyfriend.
He’d managed to avoid Handsy Dan sitting in the back corner, in the same starched suit he always wore.
Fucking asshole. There had been another white rose and envelope of cash at his station when he’d shown up.
Tyler dropped the envelope with Tessa at the bar, knowing she’d return it to Handsy Dan, and threw the flower in the trash.
It was easy enough to ignore him. Tyler had enough going on in his life without humoring a deluded man who thought he could wave money at him in exchange for sexual favors.
For now, dancing was working for him. He could handle a day of being exhausted when he earned more in one night at the club than he had delivering groceries. If Dotty and Sandra kept extending their generosity with Rowan, Tyler thought it might all work out.
He was raising Rowan, and supporting them financially. They had found a home that was perfect for them, and were making friends with kids, like Layla and Mitch. And Jamie. Tyler still couldn’t believe he had Jamie.
“Troy.”
Tyler stiffened. He hadn’t seen Handsy Dan get up from his seat. Tyler braced his elbows on the sticky wood, and noticed Tessa watching them carefully from her post behind the bar. One of her pierced brows cocked in a question. He shook his head and turned to the man beside him. “Hello.”
“You’ve been neglecting your duties,” Dan slurred, his cheeks and nose ruddy from the rum and cokes he drank. “Last time I checked, your job was to work the whole room, boy. That includes me.”
Tyler rolled his eyes. “I’m heading up,” he said, pointing to the back hall that led to the dressing room. Handsy Dan had said shit like this before, and Tyler knew the only thing to do was disengage. “See you around.”
“Hold on, now.” Dan blocked his path, and Tyler ran into his chest, stumbling a bit before regaining his footing.
A few things happened all at once. Tyler heard Tessa’s firm “Hands off,” barked out from behind him. A large, muscular body slid between him and Handsy Dan, sending the older man shuffling back with a muttered curse.
“How about you take a step back?”
Jamie’s voice was low, devoid of any of the warmth Tyler had come to associate with him. Tyler could feel how tightly Jamie held himself, his muscles taut and ready.
“Who the hell are–” Handsy Dan let out a wheezing chuckle.
“Oh, this is too good. There he is. Jamie Sullivan, big bad hockey player. Thought I saw you sniffing around here the other day.” Dan craned his neck to the side, sneering at Tyler from around Jamie’s broad shoulders.
“So this is the kind of man that’s good enough for you, huh, Troy?
A man needs professional athlete money to touch you? ”
“Dan, you’re done for the night,” Tessa said loudly. “Jordy and Damien are coming over right now.”
Tyler felt a sliver of relief that their bouncers were going to intervene.
“Don’t look at him,” Jamie went on. “Look at me.”
“It’s his job to be looked at,” Handsy Dan retorted. “Sluts like him love the attention.”
When Dan lunged forward, reaching for Tyler like he wanted to grab him, Jamie reacted, throwing his hands up to shield Tyler from the unwanted touch. Jamie’s broad back blocked Tyler’s view, but he heard a shout, and the next thing he knew, Handsy Dan was falling backwards.
Jordy and Damien ran up, glancing uncertainly from the man on the ground to Jamie, before seemingly coming to the same conclusion. Each grabbed one of Jamie’s shoulders.
“Wait!” Tyler shouted, indignant, trying to pry their hands from Jamie’s body. “He was trying to keep Dan from touching me! He didn’t do anything!”
“Shit,” he heard Tessa mutter behind him. Tyler spun around.
Tessa pointed to where at least five phones were raised, their bright white lights aimed at Jamie. Everyone in the club was watching them.
“Fuck,” Tyler whispered. “It was self defense,” he said to Tessa, his voice taking on a pleading edge. “That’s what the videos will show. If they watch them, they’ll see!”
Tessa nodded, her expression grim. Tyler looked over his shoulder, and saw that their boss, Eddie, had emerged from his office in the back. Fuck. Tyler tried to push his way into the group gathered around Jamie.
“Call the fucking cops, Eddie,” Handsy Dan picked himself up off the ground, wiping a hand over his mouth.
Tyler’s stomach dropped when he saw that Dan had somehow split his lip, the blood bright against his pale lips.
He pointed a shaking finger at Jamie. “The guy’s a professional athlete, for fuck’s sake! ”
Tyler looked at Jamie then, still held by the two bouncers. He didn’t move, his expression carefully neutral with the exception of his eyes, which stared right at Tyler with so much care and anguish and panic that Tyler felt his breath catch in his chest.
Turning to Eddie, Tyler squared his shoulders. “It was self defense,” Tyler said, trying to project his voice over the music that still blared out of the club’s sound system. “Dan tried to grab me, and Jamie was keeping me safe.”
Eddie took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else in the world. “Tessa, what’d you see?”
Tessa straightened behind the bar. “Tyler’s right, sir. Dan was out of line. Again.”
Eddie turned to glare at Dan. “What am I going to see if I pull the tapes?”
“Eddie–”
“None of that bullshit, Dan. I know we go way back. Fuck, I let you get away with a lot more than I should around here. The way I see it, if you want to press charges against this guy, you go for it. You’ll never set foot in my club again, but you can try to get your payout.
If you want to stick around here? You drop this, recognize a lost cause when it smacks you in the face, and go home. ”
Handsy Dan’s jaw worked, looking around the room. “You’re a real fucking asshole, Eddie,” he spat, before turning and storming out of the club.
Sighing, Eddie waved at Jordy and Damien, who immediately let go of Jamie. Eddie turned to Tyler, his expression more annoyed than anything else. “Is this going to be a problem?” He asked, gesturing to Jamie.
Tyler looked over at his boyfriend, who still stood frozen in place, a blank, stoney expression on his face. “No.”
“Get out of here, then. You’re done for the night.”
Tyler found Jamie already in his bed, stripped down to his boxer briefs and sprawled out on his back, holding his phone above his face.
“Go to bed,” Tyler whispered, setting down the monitor he’d grabbed from beside a sleeping Dotty downstairs on the couch. He’d apologize to her tomorrow for the late night.
Jamie’s eyes were fixed on his phone, a deep furrow between his brows.
“What is it?” Tyler asked, flopping down on the pillow next to him.
Jamie just held out his phone in response.
The first thing Tyler noticed was how big Jamie looked in the photograph. He loomed over the rest of them, and with his arms outstretched and a snarl twisting his mouth, he looked–
“Fuck.”
Beside him, Jamie grunted in agreement.
“People have to know–”
“It’s the internet, Tyler. People don’t care about what’s real. A story about an aggressive hockey player assaulting somebody in a strip club is convenient, so that’s what they go with.” His voice was heavy with defeat and resignation.
Tyler tossed the phone aside and leaned over to catch Jamie’s gaze. “Hey.”
Jamie’s eyes were downcast, and he worried his lower lip with his teeth. His hand had disappeared behind his head, fingers twirling and tugging at his hair.
“Jamie,” Tyler tried again, spreading his hands over Jamie’s furry chest.
Finally, Jamie looked up. “I’m so sorry.”
“For what?”
“They’re saying fucking terrible, awful things about you. About your work and your character and–” He sucked in a sharp breath. “None of this would be happening if it wasn’t for me, and I...I fucking hate to think that I’ve made your life worse.”
“What are you–Jamie,” Tyler placed his hands on Jamie’s cheeks, pressing his fingertips into the blonde stubble. “What the hell are you talking about? Tonight was–”
“I shouldn’t have–”
“Jamie! Can you shut up for one second?”
Jamie blinked up at him.
“Everything about my life has gotten better with you in it.” Leaning down, Tyler brushed a kiss to Jamie’s eyebrow.
“I don’t care if the world knows I’m a stripper.
I’m not ashamed.” He kissed the tip of Jamie’s nose.
“So, don’t worry about me, Captain.” Jamie’s cheeks tinged pink, and Tyler brushed his thumbs across his flushed skin.
“I can’t imagine they’re saying good things about you, either. ”
Jamie winced, then nodded.
“So, what do we need to do?”
“I’ll text Sharon. She’s the head of PR for the Muskies.
We can go to her office together, and ask her to help us make a plan.
” Jamie cradled Tyler’s face in his big hands.
“I need you to know that I don’t give a shit what anyone online says about you.
If your job makes them uncomfortable, that’s their own fucking problem. ”
Tyler had to fight to keep his eyes from welling up. “I,” he began. “Thank you. For saying that.”
Jamie yawned. “I’m so tired,” he said, his words stretched as he yawned again.
Tyler ran his fingers through Jamie’s hair. “Get comfy, big guy.”
Jamie nodded. “Come here.”
Their bodies found each other under Tyler’s pile of quilts. Jamie’s skin was hot, and Tyler didn’t hesitate to press himself close, trying to steal as much warmth as possible.
“We’ll figure this out,” Tyler murmured against Jamie’s neck. “I promise. We’ll get through this.”
It took Jamie a minute to respond. When he did, his voice was a soft breath against Tyler’s hair. “Okay, baby.”