“No. And I’m not willing to wait.”
Ethan’s attention shifted to Fallon. “What do you have to say in all this? You’re going to come under pretty intense scrutiny yourself.”
“I told Patrick I was willing to wait before he made any announcements.”
“Why? Is there a reason?” Ethan was in full lawyer mode now.
“Yeah, there is,” Fallon responded quietly. “I love him, and I don’t want him to lose what he loves doing. I can wait if this is going to hurt him in any way.”
“And I said no. I’m tired of hiding. I believe the Kings will support me—after all, how would it look for their organization to come out against one of their players when the owner is gay and in a relationship? The right time is now.”
Ethan’s sharp eyes raked me up and down, and though I’d never been on a witness stand, I could imagine how forceful he’d be in court. I held my ground, meeting his probing gaze steadily.
“You’ll have to be prepared for a media onslaught,” Ethan said, “especially if you win the Super Bowl. The public’s eyes will be on you nonstop.”
I reached for Fallon’s hand, and he took it, his palm warm and comforting in mine. “I can deal with it.”
“And what about you, Fallon?” Ethan asked. “You didn’t answer my question earlier. Do you think you’ll be able to deal with the pressure?”
What I loved most about Fallon was the calm and deliberate way he handled questions or any challenge thrown at him. It’s what made him such a superior assistant, but it was easy to see how it transferred to his private life.
“I do. I spoke with Dev and Brody today.” He squeezed my hand, and his grin turned mischievous. “After picking their jaws up off the floor, they were completely supportive of our relationship and offered any help they can.”
That was a conversation I needed to hear about, but not until Ethan left. “So what do you think? I’ll need to have security for me, but I’ll want it on Fallon as well.” When he opened his mouth, I glared at him. “Not your choice. There are too many people with ugly views who aren’t afraid to show how low they can go.”
“He’s right, Fallon. And frankly, Patrick, I don’t know why you don’t have security right now. I want you to arrange that as soon as possible.” He smirked at me. “And you don’t have a choice, either. It’s happening. If I find out you haven’t, I’ll call the Kings and have it done.”
At Fallon’s snicker, I huffed. “Fine, whatever. My concern is Fallon.”
His blue eyes shot daggers at me. “Why? You think I can’t take care of myself?”
“No, I know you can, but it would make me feel better, when I’m not here and you’re out, to know there’s an extra set of eyes.”
Ethan checked his phone. “I’d better go. I have another client meeting at six. I’ll arrange the details and send them to you to read. Meanwhile, I’ll go through your endorsement contractswith a fine-toothed comb so we can anticipate any potential trouble. And don’t worry. I won’t be passing this off to a junior attorney. No one but me will have their eyes on it.”
“Thanks, Ethan. Appreciate it.”
“No problem. I take care of my clients. That’s why I’m the best.” He grinned, and we clasped hands. “Fallon, good to see you again. Glad it’s working out for you.” They shook, and then the elevator whisked Ethan away, leaving Fallon and me alone.
“Finally,” I said, and settled my mouth over his. After the long day I’d had, this connection was what I needed. We kissed and held each other for several minutes. “It felt good to tell him. And funny that you’d meet Ethan of all people. Let’s go sit, and you can tell me about that and your conversation with Dev.”
Hand in hand, we walked to the couch. Fallon stretched out and put his head in my lap. “There isn’t much more to tell you about my meeting Ethan. When you were in Austin and I saw those pictures of you with those girls, I went to a club.”
“I’m sorry. Nothing ever happened. It was all for show.”
“I know that now, but at that point I didn’t, so yeah, I was a little depressed and decided to hit up a club. When it was obvious it wasn’t my scene and I was about to leave, I met Ethan, and we talked for a few minutes. He asked if I wanted a cup of coffee, and I said sure. I made it clear from the start I wasn’t planning on going home with him.” Fallon smiled. “He said he hadn’t planned on asking but that it was good to know.”
I chuckled. “He’s pretty sharp. And I had no idea he was gay.”
“Why should you? It’s no one’s business. When a man and woman start dating, no one thinks twice and says, ‘Wow, I didn’t know they were straight.’” Fallon made a face. “Anyway, he confessed he recognized me and said he appreciated that Iwas circumspect where my employer was concerned. Of course, neither of us had any idea you were the connection.”
“Who said New York City was an anonymous place?” I joked. “More importantly, how did it go with Dev?”
“As I expected, he was upset at first. He thought you took advantage of me and were just dicking around.”
I couldn’t get angry with Dev. He’d had no reason to suspect I wasn’t straight, and Fallon and I had a past he knew nothing about. “That couldn’t have been pleasant for you.”
Fallon lifted a shoulder and sat up. “Can’t blame him. You have a reputation, and he’s always considered me vulnerable. I might be older than thirty, but he still sees me as the little kid brother who needs rescuing.”
