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So, things at home were good. Things at work were good. Sue and Alison got along well, seemed to find mutual ground in mocking Simo, which made Simo preen like he was being flirted with. Cameron’s missus had the baby and everyone was doing well. Joq sent them a bouquet and a teddy with a surveillance camera in it from the crew. Cameron sent a laughing emoji to the group chat.
It was good. It was his life again. Joq relaxed enough to start looking seriously through his messages, his apps, to start planning a decent hook-up when George headed to South Australia that weekend.
The team had won another game the day before against a struggling inner city team, but a win was a win and everyone seemed well going into post-game training that Monday morning as far as Joq could see. Well, everyone except Finn. He’d played like shit on the weekend and Joq hadn’t missed the talking heads diagnosing him as “Rattled. Kid’s rattled. He needs to get over it. He’s playing with the big boys now, he needs to learn to shake it off.” Joq glanced at him in the locker room, the slump of his shoulders where he was sitting in front of his stall, his face hidden by his hair. It was one game, it was nothing.
Joq was on shift with Alison and Simo, watching the players still on the field, some of them in the locker room with Finn, some guys coming and going from the trainer’s, getting physio, George stepping into his office.
He was preparing to swap out the current data files for new ones, put these ones in storage. He barely paid any attention when he saw Finn following the team doctor to one of the rooms. He noticed Finn sitting on one of the beds in an idle way, the doctor shining a light in both eyes, asking him questions. Finn flinched.
Joq paused from what he was doing and watched. Finn shook his head, his smile strained. The doctor tilted his head to the side, studied Finn before him; then he turned and went out. Finn slumped and held his head in his hands.
Joq really felt bad for him then. He might actually have post-concussion syndrome, which could end his season. That empathy fled when he saw George come into the room. Finn didn’t even look up.
Joq stilled. He could hear Simo talking and Alison murmuring something back in a distant way—his eyes were fixed on George going over to Finn, on his long fingers gently sliding under Finn’s chin and lifting his head, on the way Finn’s eyes met George’s, on the sheen there. Joq felt like he must’ve been imagining it as he watched George lean forward and press his lips against Finn’s. Finn’s lips parted and he kissed back, suddenly very animated, very alive. He watched in shocked silence as George pulled away and said something against Finn’s lips before stepping back, letting him go. Finn’s lips were parted, his chest rising and falling, his eyes wide on George.
“What. The. Fuck,” Simo said, snapping Joq back to the room.
Joq couldn’t tear his eyes away as he watched Finn start to smile, as George smiled back; he was smiling at Finn like no one else existed except the kid in front of him. The doctor came back in and George said something to him and left the room.
“Did that just…” Alison said.
“We’ve all signed NDAs,” Joq heard himself say.
“No, but, what the fuck, what the actual fuck?” Simo asked.
“Can you get that?” Joq asked him.
“Yeah? What? You mean like, take the file out?”
“Yes,” Joq said firmly.
“Yeah, but.”
“Get the file,” Alison cut in. “Then erase it. Yeah?” She turned to Joq.
He nodded. “Yes.”
“What the fuck,” Simo said under his breath but did as he was told. He kept repeating himself, but eventually turned to Joq. “Erased it.”
“Good,” Joq nodded. “We’ve all signed NDAs,” he said again.
“Yeah, don’t reckon that’s the problem, boss,” Simo said.
Joq looked at him. “You got a problem with that?”
Simo raised his palms. “Hey, I ain’t got no problem with dudes banging other dudes, but I mean. He’s the coach.”
Joq cleared his throat, and he reckoned he deserved an Oscar for what came out of his mouth next, for his neutral expression: “And I think it’s none of our business. Forget about it. Let’s move on. Alison, can you finish downloading the old files? Simo, show her how to do back up and storage. I’ll be back.”
And he got the hell out of there.
Alison caught him before he’d even made it out of the break room.
“Hey,” she called.
Joq stopped, took a deep breath and turned to her, his face carefully blank. “All good?”
“Yeah, fine. But are you alright?”
