Baller must’ve seen it in Grady’s face, because he said, “Relax, Ace. Hedgie doesn’t bite. Unlike his teammate.”
Hedgewood played for the New Jersey Monsters with Max. Considering how much the league loved to play up the rivalry between Grady and Max, he didn’t have to guess who Baller was referring to.
Actually,hedoesn’t bite, but it turns out I do, Grady thought, and was immediately appalled. “I’ll take your word for it,” he said, but he mustered a smile.
Grady didn’t know Hedgewood as well as he knew the other two. He’d played with Yorkie on the national team over the years. Hedgewood was a little younger, and various injuries and schedules had kept them from being on the US team at the same time.
But Hedgewood held out his hand for a fist bump and said, “Hey, we’re all competing under the same flag. Until the preseason. Then we’ll crush you.”
Grady laughed and bumped his knuckles. “Guess we’ll see.”
“First we gotta beat Finland,” Yorkie pointed out as he clapped Grady on the shoulder. “Eyes on the prize, boys.”
The four of them squeezed into a booth, and Grady ended up having a nice night, even if he had to rely on Hedgie for conversation because Baller and Yorkie spent the evening exchanging pictures of their kids.
Grady debated taking out his own phone. He’d been considering getting a dog, and maybe Hedgie would have a comment on the offerings at his local animal shelter. But he knew he’d never actually go through with it. He hated the idea that something he could love so much could have such a short life. Besides, considering the number of obscene pictures that had ended up on his phone since Jess installed that stupid app, showing his screen to anyone was probably a bad idea. He kept his phone in his pocket.
By the time he got back to his room, he’d regained his equilibrium. So he fucked around with Max Lockhart. That wasn’t any worse an indiscretion than spearing him in the ribs last time they played each other.
The bruises were even smaller this time… if also more visible.
But he did need to deal with his phone, because it was only a matter of time before he accidentally gave someone an eyeful of someone else’s junk.
So, after his bedtime routine, he shoved down the covers of the hotel bed, propped himself up on his pillows, and prepared to deal with Grindr.
Or he tried to prepare, anyway. Every time he thought he’d figured out how to delete his profile, he accidentally touched something and ended up looking at another poorly lit dick pic, or reading a horny sext from someone who couldn’t spell, or—most exasperating—getting accused of catfishing.
It took him a couple minutes, but he managed to delete his profile picture. He was pretty sure he could delete the app from somewhereelse, but would that get rid of the pictures in his phone? Shit.
Grady knew how to use his phone, but he’d never used a dating app, and after this he never wanted to again. If he wanted to see someone’s dick, he’d ask.
He was about to give up when a familiar username flashed in his messages.
MXLmillions.He should’ve guessed that’d be Max’s handle. It seemed obvious now.
The first message was just a shot of the side of his neck, the string of bruises Grady left with his mouth.
The second readmy team thanks u 4 giving them something 2 talk about @ dinner.
For a few seconds, Grady stared at his own handiwork. Apparently he’d been very… focused. Looking at the picture, he could almost taste the salt of Max’s skin.
Then the annoyance kicked in.What the fuck. You better not have told them anything.The last thing Grady needed was to have to deal with stupid chirps about this.
And maybe he wasn’t exactlyproudof the way he felt about those marks on Max’s neck. He didn’t regret it, he just didn’t need the whole universe knowing Grady was the one who put them there.
Ya I definitely told team Canada I slept with the enemy.Max followed that with an eye roll emoji.Relax. U didn’t invent discretion.
Obviously, because if he had, he’d have used it to not sleep with Max Lockhart.Whatever, he sent back.
Then he turned his phone off before he could get drawn into anything else. Like looking at that picture again.
Once was more than enough.
GRADY THOUGHThis own regrets were sufficient punishment, but then they dropped the game against Team North America in overtime, off an unbelievable goal from Eric Chen, who dodged around three Americans like he was playingChel, passed to his rushing teammate, and picked up the rebound without stopping.
“What the fuck, Yorkie?” Grady asked. “Did you teach him that?”
“I fucking wish.”
