Graham’s goal had put them up 3-2 and a late goal by Erik had clinched their victory. It was a good sign for the team, and they were on a nice little win streak. They had a great goaltender, solid defense, and had goals coming from all four lines.
January was too early to count anything as a guarantee, but they werefinallyin a solid position as they headed toward the second half of the season.
“So how do you manage all this?” Connor asked, reaching for one of the babies Noah held. Camille, Thad realized, when she turned her head. “Wrangling kids with your schedules.”
“Very carefully,” Simon said with a laugh as Graham took the other little one.
“It’s not the easiest,” Noah agreed with a rueful smile. “We have a nanny who generally travels with us.”
“You always travel together?” Graham asked, sounding surprised.
Simon nodded. “Yeah. We’ve tried a lot of different things until we finally settled on something that works for us. We’re lucky we can—more or less—set our own schedules. Noah travels the country doing talks and panels and such on queer hockey topics. I travel with him and use those stops to scout for artists I am interested in showing at my gallery. The kids come with.”
“What will you do when they’re old enough to be in school?”
Noah and Simon glanced at each other and laughed. “We’re still working on a plan.”
Graham shot Thad a smile across the room, and Thad returned it.
But as he watched Graham hold the little boy, it made Thad wonder. Did Grahamwantkids? How would he feel if Thad said he was ambivalent at best about the idea?
“I just wanted to say I’ve been enjoying your work,” someone said, and Thad looked over to see Simon smiling.
“I’m sorry. What?” he asked, still caught up in thoughts of Graham.
“Your posts on social media. I follow you.”
“Oh.” Thad blinked and finally focused on him. “You do?”
Thad followed Simon’s art gallery account and his photography account, but he hadn’t noticed a follow back. “I wasn’t aware of that.”
“Yes.” Simon leaned in. “So, I have to confess I have a … less well-known account on Instagram.”
“You have a finsta?” Thad asked, surprised.
Simon laughed. “Yes. Butonlybecause I’m looking for artistic talent. I’m not sliding into anyone else’s DMs for any other reason. I decided to do it because I like to see how artists interact with fans when they don’t know they’re being … scouted, so to speak.”
“Huh. Well, I’m flattered my posts caught your attention at all,” Thad admitted. “I am ahugefan of your work. I wish I would have been able to go to your exhibition. TheGlory and Pain of a Championone you did a few years back sounded incredible.”
“Yeah, I’m proud of that work. It’s being turned into a coffee table book soon. If you’d like, I’d love to send you a signed copy as soon as they’re available.”
“That would be amazing,” Thad said.
“But that’s not why I pulled you aside,” Simon added with a twinkle in his eye. “I did it because I’d like to discuss your work more in depth sometime. One on one.”
“Yeah?” Thad asked with a lift of his eyebrow.
“I have no idea if you have any interest in pursuing a career outside of the Harriers, but …”
Thad hesitated. “Well, I have no interest inleavingthe Harriers, if that’s what you mean. I’m happy here.”
And, if what Tyson had said earlier was true, his career here was only going to get better with time. Was it crazy to think he could maybe even advance here? Step into a bigger role in the organization someday in the future?
“But you do work on some shoots outside of here, yes?” Simon asked.
“Occasionally,” Thad admitted. “More in the off-season than anything. And I’m usually the one setting up lighting and stuff. Not the principal photographer.”
“Hey, don’t knock that skill! A good lighting person is worth their weight in gold. But I’ve seen the work you do with the Harriers and a few of your other non-hockey shoots.”
