“Well,” Arash said, picking up Marianne’s thread with the ease of a seasoned host and partner. He was handsome, with coiffed dark hair, tan-skinned, and a perfect TV smile. “Pop star and hockey player. The two of you couldn’t be more different in the public eye, and your first encounter was so…dramatic, to say the least.”
Joel draped his arm around the back of the couch. Quentin felt a jolt, like electricity, through his body, as Joel’s thumb incidentally brushed the back of his neck.
“Howisyour nose, by the way?” Joel asked Quentin.
“Good enough to sing,” Quentin said, and smiled. He might be tired, but he was enjoying himself.
“Andsingyou did!” Marianne said eagerly. “Tell us about that. Was that planned?”
Quentin and Joel exchanged a look. “Not exactly,” Quentin admitted. “He surprised me with that one.” He grinned, and this time it was only partially faked. “That’s what Joel’s like, you know? He’s a professional, but he also likes to have some fun. And I think that’s important in our lines of work. I don’t want to speak for Joel, but I know that I got into hockey because Ilovethe game, and I never want to lose that love. From what I’ve learned, being Joel’s friend, he sings and writes music because that’s what helovesto do. And when you love something that much, it’s important to have fun with it.”
“Well said,” said Arash.
Quentin caught Joel eyeing him appreciatively, and Quentin gave him a subtle nod. Joel smiled.
“I think we all know what the world wants, now,” Marianne said, looking eagerly from Quentin to Joel. “Quentin, we’ve seenyouat one of Joel’s concerts, but do you have any plans for your new friend to come to one of your games?”
“We do, actually! It’s been hard coordinating schedules because he’s got his tour and everything, but we’ve got a game against the Tampa Bay Gators coming up in a few weeks, and it lines up nicely with Joel’s concert in Orlando. So he’ll get to see me play there.”
“And, Joel,haveyou seen Quentin play?” Arash asked. “It’s really something.”
“I didn’t know you were a hockey fan,” Marianne said to her co-host.
“I love hockey!” Arash said defensively.
Quentin was interested to hear Joel’s response.HadJoel seen him play?
Joel turned to look at Quentin. His arm was still around the back of the couch, and Quentin could almostsenseJoel’s hand near his neck and shoulder. Joel wore, as always, a stylish outfit. Today, it was a brown shirt, open over the chest, and black pants. His hair was parted in the middle, and he wore makeup to brighten him for the TV lights, just like Quentin.
“I have seen him play,” Joel said, not taking his eyes off Quentin. Quentin felt a shiver run through his body under the weight of Joel’s gaze. “It’s remarkable, like you said, Arash. I’ll admit, I was never much of a hockey fan before I met Quentin, but I was curious after we became friends.” He turned to address the cameras directly. “Y’all, he’sgood. You should definitely watch him play. I’m excited to see him in person.”
“You heard it here first, folks,” Marianne said, looking at the cameras. “Joel Beckett is a hockey fan, and you should be too. We’ll have more for you, right after this break.”
“That was perfect,” Shivonne said when Joel and Quentin left studio twenty minutes later and met Shivonne, Harlan, and Quentin’s agent, Billy, in the hallway. “You really sold it.”
“Not as hard to sell, now,” Quentin said, and smiled at Joel. Joel felt a little twinge inside of him that he decidedly ignored. He was glad that he and Quentin were friends, and Joel couldn’t risk letting himself think of it as anything more than that. Thelastthing that would be healthy would be falling for a straight hockey player.Especiallywhen their newfound friendship was so tenuous and so public. He didn’t want to get hurt, and he didn’t want to hurt Quentin. Joel knew it had been risky to put his arm on the back of the couch. He wasn’ttechnicallyputting his arm around Quentin, but it almost felt like he was. His hand was so close to Quentin’s body, and he’d felt an inexplicable urge to brush his fingers through Quentin’s hair.
The truth was, Quentin was very handsome. He washot. He was confident and had a swagger to him that Joel found both infuriating and a little appealing. Sometimes, he still found Quentin a little annoying, and he was pretty sure Quentin thought the same of him, but Joelalsofound himself begrudgingly admitting to himself, and to no one else (ever!), that Quentin was, well, very attractive.
“And they’re good hosts,” Joel said. “They know how to ask good questions.”
“Well, I’d say we should get mimosas to celebrate,” Shivonne said, “but we all know that we have places to be, and that’ll have to wait until Florida.”
She immediately put her nose to her phone, typing furiously, and Billy began to guide Quentin away, talking about how they had to make their flight. Just before Quentin and Billy reached the elevators that would take them down to street level, Quentin looked back over his shoulder.
Their eyes locked. Joel felt frozen; he couldn’t move, and then Quentin offered him the smallest smile and a nod, and then he disappeared into the elevator.
Chapter 11
Quentin & Joel
The heat in Tampa felt almost oppressive after the cool autumn that was overtaking the Northeast. Quentin wanted to enjoy the taste of warmer weather, but when the team left the airport, he felt like he had been slapped in the face by a warm, wet blanket.
“I don’t know how anyone lives in this climate,” Henri grumbled as they stumbled onto the bus that would take them to their hotel. “If I’m not wearing a Speedo and holding a piña colada, I donotwant to be in weather like this.”
“Be strong,” said Jaeger, one of their defensemen, who was from Germany and who, like Henri, was already sweating profusely.
It was better on the bus and in the hotel, but Quentin tried to avoid going outside as much as he possibly could. They had the evening to themselves in Tampa before the game tomorrow, and some of the players went out to a restaurant, but Quentin stayed back in the hotel, enjoying the air conditioning.
