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“We have an open relationship,” George said to Finn. “We can’t be out cos, you know. So,” he shrugged and cut into his steak before looking up, straight at Finn, “it’s a compromise.”
“Oh,” Finn said, his face red. He was smiling as he studied his food, and replied softly, “Cool,” head nodding as he repeated, “Cool, cool.”
Joq looked at George. George shrugged as if to say, isn’t this what you wanted?
And Joq wasn’t sure this was what he’d wanted at all.
It was late by the time Finn left, George waiting with him for an Uber out the front. It seemed like a lot of time had passed before he came back in.
“That went well,” he beamed at Joq once he was back in the kitchen.
Joq sipped on the beer he’d cracked after he’d finished stacking the dishwasher. He needed it.
“Yeah,” he said and picked at the label, tried to pick out his words carefully.
“Finn liked you,” George said and went to the fridge, got himself a bottle of water.
“I think he liked you more,” Joq replied. And well, so much for choosing his words carefully. Sue him, he was drunk.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I think you know,” Joq levelled George with a look. Surely he wasn’t going to play dumb.
“No,” George said slowly. “What I know is he’s a rookie with a bit of idol worship. But don’t worry, he’s getting to know me. He’ll be over it soon.” He laughed and came over to where Joq was sitting on the bench. “You comin’ to bed?”
Joq shook his head and looked down. He didn’t know whether or not to push it.
“Yeah, just, I know we’re open—
“Oh, I know you know we’re open,” George squeezed his hip and moved away.
“But surely you’re not thinking…”
George paused in the doorway, his back to Joq. Joq knew he took his meaning.
“I’m thinking we’re in an open relationship,” George said firmly and walked out.
Joq took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He didn’t know how to say to George that if he fucked that kid there’s no way it’d just be a fuck. If he said that, he’d be admitting… what? Something he wasn’t even willing to admit to himself.
He shook his head and finished his beer. He got another one and went into the living room, clicked on the TV.
As he sat and watched the late news, he told himself twelve years wasn’t nothing. And if George finally wanted to take advantage of their arrangement, then that was his prerogative. It’s not like Finn—hot, outgoing, and endearingly shy in the way only someone so young could be—would be looking to settle down. It seemed the best course of action was for Joq to play it cool and let it play out. Be there when George came back.
10
The season began with a home opener and Joq had too much on his mind at work to worry about George’s blatant declaration.
Besides, he’d rationalised it away: so George was probably going to fuck Finn, so what? It’s not like Joq hadn’t done some serious flirting with the guys he slept with. It was nothing.
“So, you want me on the crowds too?” Alison asked.
Joq brought the monitors into focus around him. He thought of it like mapping his world: with a view of everything, he zoomed out and made a mental map of the whole, then zoomed in on one scene, then another, and another as needed.
“Yes, we’ll switch this camera here from behind goals, to top tiers…” he reached past where she was sitting and showed her what he wanted. A rotating view of what was happening down there.
“Looks like our boys lost the toss, boss,” Cameron said.
“Fark,” Simo said and bit into a kebab. He talked around his mouthful. “That-means-ya-gonna-wanna-watch-southern-end-in-the-fourth.”
