Gross Misconduct (The Comebacks, #1)

by A.J. Truman

“What is this about?” “You’re under arrest.” “For what?” “For not joining the Comebacks. You’re a bad boy, Griffin.” Before I can question why an officer of the law called me, a forty-four-year-old man, a bad boy, he throws on a pair of reflective aviator sunglasses and takes out his phone. “And you need to be punished.” His surly stare instantly switches to a sneaky smile as he presses something on his phone. The opening chords of the *NSYNC song “I Want You Back” fill the office.

“You lived the dream.” “Yeah, I suppose.” “Don’t do that. Don’t minimize it. You worked damn hard since you were a kid to make it into the NHL. You should be proud, Jack.” The passion in his voice jars me a little. Griffin isn’t one for surface level conversation I’m noticing; his genuine aura is refreshing.

“You ready?” Fuentes asks me when the class breaks. “For this Sunday? We have it in the bag.” We’re facing the Overbites, a team made up of jolly dentists and orthodontists who hand out free toothpaste samples during intermission. The real win for them is improving Sourwood’s oral hygiene.

“Time-out!” Griffin calls. The ref blows his whistle. I skate to the bench. My teammates look at me like I’m crazy. Fuentes grabs my shoulder. “Buddy, talk to me,” he pleads. I don’t have an answer for him. I go to the bench, drink water, and sulk. I feel myself spiraling deeper into this hole. “Gross.” I look up and find Griffin at our bench. “Come with me,” he says. “You can’t call a time-out with the other team,” Fuentes says. “I need to speak with my boyfriend,” Griffin says, shutting everyone up. He holds out his hand to me, and we skate to the center of the ice. The whole crowd murmurs, wondering what the hell is going on. I’m right there with them. “Griffin, what are you doing?” I take off my helmet. “Babe, what’s wrong?” His face is etched with concern. He’s not my opponent. He's in full boyfriend mode.

It’s been a few weeks since the Sourwood Cup, and June and Annabelle are still talking about their first hockey game. They each have a million questions about the sport. How long does it take us to put on all of our hockey padding? What if we have to go to the bathroom during a game? Do all players usually kiss at the end of a game like their Dad and me?