Pucking Around: Chapter 97

“Is someone gonna tell me what the hell is going on here?”

Coach Johnson stands in the middle of the locker room, hands on his hips. He’s a big man, with broad shoulders and a barrel chest. Next to him stands Assistant Coach Andrews. Near the door, Vicki and Poppy huddle together, looking extremely confused.

The only other two people in the room are Jake and Caleb…and they’re holding hands. My eyes go wide, shocked by their brazen public display of affection. Caleb doesn’t even like holding my hand in the privacy of the living room. What the hell did I miss tonight?

Ilmari and I join Jake and Caleb in the middle of the room.

“Did you get it?” Jake says, a wide smile on his face.

Ilmari nods.

“Oh, fuck yes!” He drops Caleb’s hand and holds his up, waiting for Ilmari to give him a high-five.

With a sigh, Ilmari does.

“Congrats, man,” Caleb adds.

“We are so fucking celebrating tonight. Cedar plank salmon fillets and steamed broccoli for everyone,” Jake teases. “We’ll pop the cork on some aged cucumber water.”

I try to hide my smile.

“What the hell is he talking about?” Coach Johnson says at Ilmari, while behind him, Andrews says, “Oh shit,” eyes wide.

“I’m going to the Olympics,” Ilmari announces to the room. “Starting goalie for the Finnish National Team.”

Behind us, Vicki and Poppy squeal with excitement, calling out their congratulations. Andrews steps forward to shake Ilmari’s hand. “Amazing,” he says. “So well deserved.”

“Oh my goodness,” says Poppy. “We’ll have to get started on the press releases pronto. And we’ll do a photo shoot, interviews—”

“Wait just a goddamn minute,” Coach Johnson says, holding up a hand. “Mars, we’re happy for you. But that isn’t the reason I’m delayed getting home to my wife and kids tonight. Now, we’re gonna get to the bottom of this right now. I’ve got Andrews here, the PR rep, Vicki from the team manager’s office. We’re all standing here looking at the four of you. What the hell is going on?” He glances between us, his gaze landing on me. “Price? Wanna enlighten us?”

I glance at Jake and Caleb, unsure of what to say. “I…”

“Okay, how about I start?” says Coach. “Just before you came in here, Compton was in the middle of telling us that he’s in a romantic relationship with our equipment manager.”

Ilmari and I both glance sharply over at the guys. This was never part of the discussion. We only ever discussed them coming out as all dating me. I definitely missed something big when I went to go take care of Novy.

“Is it true?” I say, tears in my eyes as I glance between them.

“Yeah, Seattle,” Jake replies with a smile, nudging Caleb with his shoulder. “The asshole finally wore me down.”

I bit my lip to keep from smiling as Caleb curses under his breath. “Can you try not to make a joke of everything?” he mutters. “This is serious.”

“Thank you, Sanford,” Coach replies. “This is serious. Compton are you telling us you want to come out? Is this a gay pride thing?”

“I mean…no one is really gonna be all that surprised, sir. Caleb and I already live together. The rumors have circled us since college. We’re just…not denying them anymore,” Jake says with a shrug.

Coach turns to the ladies by the door. “What are the rules here, Vicki?”

Vicki glances between us. “So long as they declare the relationship with HR, and they go through the proper briefings, technically speaking there’s no issue.”

“And the PR angle?” Coach adds at Poppy.

“Oh, goodness,” she says, flipping her sleek blonde ponytail off her shoulder. “Well, coming out is still a pretty significant thing in the sports world. It’ll cause quite a splash…if that’s what you want,” she adds, looking at Jake. “Are you wanting to come out to just the team and ask for a gag order on press? Because there’s only so much we can do…”

“No, it’s fine,” Jake says. “I want this to be public. I want everyone to know I’m with Caleb.”

“I sure hope you know what you’re doing wanting to go public with this,” Coach warns.

“I’m confused though, honey,” says Vicki. She points between Jake and I, her dark eyes narrowed. “Are you not together anymore?”

“We are,” I say.

Poppy’s eyes go wide, her mouth open as she glances between us. “What—I don’t—”

“Oh, hell,” Coach mutters. “Is this a love triangle thing?”

“It’s more like a pyramid,” Jake replies.

“Explain yourselves,” says Vicki, arms crossed.

“We’re together,” I say, glancing at the guys. “The four of us. Well, Jake and Caleb and I are together,” I clarify. “And Ilmari and I…but he’s not with them.”

They all stare at us with confused looks on their faces.

“I’m too old for this,” Coach says at last, shaking his head.

“You’re—is it like a swingers thing?” says Andrews, clearly trying to be hip enough to understand.

“No, it’s polyamory,” replies Poppy with an excited grin. “You’re polyamorous. Right, Rachel?”

I nod. “But I swear to you, I never—we never planned on this. It just kind of happened,” I admit. “I met Jake first, before I ever joined the Rays. We met in Seattle during the off season. And when I got here, we started things back up again. Through him, I met Caleb. And Ilmari found his way to us,” I add with a smile, squeezing his hand. “We all live together. We’re together, sir. We’re a family. And we’d like to go public. But it’s complicated because of my family and my history. And the guys have their NHL careers to think about,” I add, glancing from Ilmari to Jake.

“We never meant to hide anything, sir,” Jake adds. “We’ve just been cautious as we considered how best to do this. Mars and I don’t want to hurt the team or bring anyone bad press. But we can’t live a lie either. It’ll just get worse if we do. We don’t want the guys chirping at us or feeling like we have secrets in the locker room.”

“And the guys are ready to know,” Caleb adds. “Novy and Morrow came to me last week saying the team will support us. The press outside the Rays will eat it up because of Rachel and her family, but inside our team, the guys seem cool. They just don’t want secrets.”

“What is all this about your family, Price?” Coach says, his sharp eyes glaring at me.

“I umm…my dad—”

“Her dad is world famous rock star Hal Price!” Poppy squeals. “You know, front man for The Ferrymen?”

“Christ, why do I keep forgetting that?” Coach mutters, rubbing his face with a tired hand.

“You’re saying the guys know you’re in a four-way sharing relationship with the team doctor and they’re cool with it?” says Andrews, one brow raised.

“Well, they don’t know all the details,” Caleb admits. “But they know pieces. Like, Jerry caught Jake and I tonight.”

“And Avery just caught Mars and me,” I add.

“And the guys have been guessing I’m with Rach for months,” says Jake. “We had the form signed and everything. We were just keeping it quiet.”

“Damn,” Coach huffs. “Right, well here’s order number one: stop fucking around in the goddamn barn. I should fire you all for that alone. There will be no funny business on the job. You understand me, Compton?” he says, pointing a finger in his face. “I get even a whiff of you making eyes at Sanford at work, I’ll send you both packing. Same goes for you, Kinnunen. We keep that shit at home.”

“Yes, sir,” Jake mutters. Caleb echoes him.

Coach sighs, glancing at me. “There’s a bigger issue here, Price.”

I go still, holding his gaze. “Sir?”

“Based on what I’ve heard, it sounds like you’ve been engaged in a romantic relationship with—not one—but two of my players this season.”

I nod again. “Yes, sir.”

He sighs. “Well, Vicki, correct me if I’m wrong, but she only had clearance from HR with Compton, correct?”

“That’s correct, sir,” Vicki replies.

“No,” Ilmari mutters next to me.

“Don’t,” I whisper, squeezing his hand.

“So, you’ve been romantically involved with Kinnunen, and you’ve been his primary care provider, yes? You’ve been actively treating him for a groin pull?” Coach asks.

I let out a breath as I nod. “Yes, sir.”

He sighs again, shaking his head. “So, you see our problem. Right, Doctor Price?”

“Yes, sir,” I say again, not daring to let tears sting my eyes.

“Rakas, don’t,” Ilmari growls, lowering his face towards me.

“I’m not going to lie, Ilmari,” I reply, trying to keep my voice calm. “We knew what we were doing. I knew. Jake and Caleb pressed me on it, but I ignored them because I wanted to make sure you got the level of care you deserved—”

“This is all Avery’s fault,” Ilmari snaps, turning his gaze back to the coaches.

“Avery? What did he do?” asks Andrews.

“He’s the fucking worst,” Jake mutters. “Excuse my language, sir,” he adds at Coach.

“The guys all hate him,” Caleb adds. “Some of them won’t even work with him anymore. They all prefer Rachel. Which just pisses him off even more. He’s always riding Rachel’s case and making life harder for her at practice and games.”

Andrews looks to me. “Is this true, Price?”

“If the guys have a problem with Doctor Avery, they haven’t mentioned it to me,” I admit. “But I do treat several of them in the capacity of a PT. Langley and Sully, J-Lo, Karlsson…Kinnunen—”

Ilmari steps forward. “The only reason I even approached Doctor Price is because I didn’t trust Avery. I went to him twice in the off season to discuss my pain and twice he shut me down. He told me I needed a better stretching routine. And then he said I was too old. His official recommendation was that I retire.”

I gasp, turning to face him. “He did not say that.”

“He did,” Ilmari mutters. “Why do you think I was so reluctant to have you help me?” He turns back to the coaches. “She helped me when I felt abandoned by the medical staff here. She used her own resources to get me up to Cincinnati for treatment when I refused to go through Avery. Doctor Price has never once done anything to jeopardize my health or my safety. And if you fire her—”

“Stop right there, Kinnunen,” Coach barks. “You may be a fantastic player, but you are not in charge here. The fact remains that she knowingly broke the rules, and you helped her do it. She knew what she was doing was unethical—”

“Is it unethical to provide the level of care a player deserves?” Jake counters. “Just because this team employs subpar medical professionals, doesn’t mean we should suffer for it. Mars was right to get treatment from her—”

“I’m not contesting that fact,” Coach shouts over him. “But Doctor Price still engaged in a sexual relationship with her patient! It sounds like she’s been doing everything in the shadows since she got here. How are we to know what she did and didn’t do with Kinnunen? Where are the records of this Cincinnati trip? Why wasn’t I informed that my star goalie left the state for clandestine medical procedures?”

He turns his stormy gaze on me. “I don’t begrudge you your servant’s heart, Doctor Price. I even thank you for the care you’ve so clearly shown my players. But you’ve got a lot to learn about working as part of a team. Secrets and lies and operating on your own without any oversight is not the kind of teamwork I expect. It’s not conduct I can condone either,” he says, a note of finality in his voice.

“What are you saying?” says Jake, one arm looping protectively around my waist.

“I’m saying this is out of my hands,” Coach admits. “I may be the Head Coach, but I’m not the ultimate shot-caller here. My personal recommendation is that Doctor Price be fired, effectively immediately—”

“Coach, no!” Jake cries.

“Oh my goodness,” Poppy gasps, tears in her eyes.

“This is wrong,” says Ilmari.

“So fucking wrong,” Caleb echoes.

“As I said,” Coach calls over them, “it’s not my decision. This has to go up to the General Manager. With all these accusations about Avery—to say absolutely nothing about the rat’s nest that is your complicated romantic lives. Then there’s Compton and his coming out, Kinnunen and his Olympic announcement—I mean, what the hell are you thinking?” he barks, eyes on Ilmari. “They’re gonna pull your offer, son.”

“They won’t,” he replies.

“They won’t?” Coach echoes, his tone incredulous. “How the hell can you—”

“Because I already told them everything,” he explains.

“Ilmari,” I murmur, tears now burning my eyes.

“I told them to be prepared that the news of my relationship with Doctor Price would make the American press,” he goes on. “Luckily, Finns are more amenable to the idea that people can dare to have personal lives. And it is no scandal to be a man in love with a smart, talented woman. It is no scandal for that man to cohabitate with two men he sees as closer than friends. They are family to me. Finns who know my history will be happy that I have a family to call my own. My agent is already working on the press releases. I have the full support of the FIHA.”

“Kulta,” I whisper, taking his hand. Relief floods me, mingling with my shame and embarrassment. I’ve made such a mess of everything. To still have his support means the world to me.

“Right,” Coach says on a tired sigh. “I can’t possibly make this decision. Not without input from the GM. What I can do is say that, effectively immediately, Doctor Price is suspended—”

“No,” Jake barks.

“Shut up,” Caleb says, grabbing his arm. “Suspended isn’t fired. It’s a fucking win.”

Jake grumbles, shaking his head. Next to me, Ilmari is silent as the grave. Jake and Ilmari inch closer to my left and right, buttressing me.

Coach holds my gaze. “You’re suspended until further notice, Doctor Price. Give us time to unravel this mess, and we’ll decide what to do with your fellowship. But I have to warn you,” he adds. “It doesn’t look promising.”

“Yes, sir,” I murmur. “I understand.”

He sighs again. “Fine. I can’t deal with any more of this tonight. All of you go home. And Compton, Kinnunen, you let this affect your play or your attitudes out on that ice, and I’ll suspend you too. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Jake grits out.

I squeeze Ilmari’s hand, and he mutters out a, “Yes.”

“Good. Now, everyone get out of here. We’re back at it bright and early. Well…except for you, Price,” he adds at me. “While the suspension is in place, you’ll need to hand over your ID and keycards. You’re banned from access to the team until further notice.”

I give him a stiff nod. “Yes, sir.”

Operating on autopilot, I sling my backpack around to my front and open the smallest pocket. With shaking hands, I pull out my lanyard that contains my Rays ID and door access keys. Stepping forward, I hand the entire lanyard over to Vicki.

She accepts it wordlessly, tears brimming in her eyes.

Not waiting to see if the guys follow me, I walk right out the door of the locker room and don’t look back.