CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

"I can't believe you're eating tiramisu out of the Cup at this hour of the morning," Shea said, vaguely disgusted.

"It could've been worse," Dom mumbled around a mouthful of it.

"How?"

He swallowed. "It could've been oysters."

Reginald Hudson let out a laugh from across the room. Shea glanced over.

Today was Dom's Cup Day so Reggie, the Keeper of the Cup, would be following them around as they took the trophy to Shea's work and then to London, where Shea's family was hosting a backyard party.

Shea had felt a little sad, thinking of what Dom would have done if they hadn't met.

When he'd asked, Dom had shrugged. "It doesn't matter," he said simply. "I have you now."

"C'mon, one more shot," Kurt begged and Dom glanced up at his father while he snapped another photo of him eating his favorite dessert out of the trophy's bowl.

Well, Dom's plans for the day weren't all bad.

He was celebrating with his father and Robert this morning. Kurt's husband—who they'd met last week—was a quiet, thoughtful man. Shea liked him and he was beginning to warm up to Kurt.

The man was trying to bridge the distance between him and Dom, which was all that mattered to Shea.

"Fuck I'm proud of you, son," Kurt said quietly and the look in Dom's eyes nearly took Shea's breath away.

Yeah, Shea was probably going to wind up liking the guy by the time this all was done.

"Thanks, Dad," Dom whispered. "That means a lot to me."

He glanced over. "Maybe Shea can get a shot of the two of us, Dad? I don't have any pictures of us anymore."

"Yeah, of course." Shea smiled, taking Kurt's phone when he held it out. "I'd be happy to."

When Shea was done, he passed the phone back to Kurt.

"I can get one of the four of you, if you'd like," Reggie called out and Shea was a little surprised when Dom reached out and took Shea's hand, pulling him closer.

"Yeah, please. I'd like that. We need some family pictures to hang up."

Shea smiled, pressing his lips to Dom's hair.

Like many of the celebrations that Dom had taken part in lately, his Cup Day passed quickly.

They took the Cup from the condo to Shea's work, where Shea's boss, Vince, shook Dom's hand and praised him effusively before posing for about eighty-five pictures with the trophy.

Vince might not have been happy to learn about Shea's former career as an escort but since it hadn't gone public, he'd softened.

And today's celebration had swept away any lingering issues.

"God, he's always going to be the Golden Boy here now, isn't he?" Myles asked in a disgusted tone as they watched Vince show the Cup off to the patients and staff, one arm slung companionably around Shea's shoulders, like he was the one who'd won it.

Dom laughed. "Yeah. Probably."

"Well, he's a lucky asshole," Myles said with sigh. "But you be good to him, you hear? I may be jealous that he gets all of the attention, but he's a great guy. He deserves to be happy."

"I'll do my best," Dom assured him.

Myles grinned. "Well, I mean, your best is apparently three Cups so … I guess that's alright."

They laughed, but since Reggie was looking a little antsy about the time because they were due to leave for their next stop soon, Dom excused himself, then stepped forward to pose for a few pictures and sign a few autographs.

With a hired driver behind the wheel, the ride to London was pleasantly boring and Dom spent most of it sitting with his hand wrapped around Shea's as they spoke quietly about nothing of any real importance.

It felt peaceful.

Dom felt like he'd been going non-stop for weeks and he was looking forward to things quieting down for a while.

When they stopped in front of a modest brick house, Dom was glad to get out and stretch.

Though, thankfully, his back felt fine.

Dom glanced over at Reggie as he unloaded the Cup's case from the back of the SUV, clearly intending to carry it into Shea's parents' house that way.

Dom froze, an idea forming in his head.

He stopped Reggie with a motion of his hand, then glanced over at Shea. "Do you want to carry it in? Just the Cup. No case."

Shea looked stunned. "Would that be okay?"

"Sure," Dom said with a shrug. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Well, I didn't exactly win anything myself ," Shea pointed out.

"You helped me get back to my team," Dom said simply. "You helped me be in a position to play my best and support Colton. I couldn't have done it without you and this is the least I can do to show you how much that means to me."

Shea nodded and reached out, brushing his lips against Dom's temple before he stepped away.

His hands were reverent when he touched the Cup, carefully gripping it by the bowl and base. He lifted it, but only chest high as was appropriate for someone who hadn't won it, and carried it up the walk while Dom hung back.

Someone must have been waiting by the door because it opened and a woman—blondish and only a bit older than Shea—came flying out.

It took Dom a moment to realize she was in a wheelchair and that it was Shea's sister, Emma.

"Oh my God, Shea," she whispered when he crouched down, carefully balancing the Cup on his knee to show it to her. "I can't believe …"

"I know." He grinned. "I brought home my boyfriend."

She snorted, a few tears trickling down her cheeks as she gently touched the metal. "Yeah, that too."

A moment later, Shea's parents stepped outside too and when Shea's dad hugged him and the Cup, Emma glanced toward the driveway and smiled at Dom.

‘Thank you', she mouthed and he nodded. It was the least he could do.

Dom didn't know what most people did when they brought home their boyfriend to meet their family for the first time but as it turned out, carting along the Stanley Cup wasn't a bad icebreaker.

He immediately liked Shea's sister and her partner, Alex.

It was easy enough to talk hockey with Shea's father and his mother kept trying to feed Dom and talk to him about Pilates so Dom passed a pleasant afternoon and evening in their backyard with his family and their neighbors and friends.

He signed some autographs and posed for some pictures and all in all, it was an enjoyable way to spend the day.

The last thing he'd wanted was a huge celebration.

Dom drank sparingly this time and he was clear-headed when he carried the Cup up the stairs to the guest bedroom later that evening.

Reggie looked a little put out when Dom insisted that the Cup was staying with him and Shea and not in its case in the spare room he was sleeping in, but Dom looked him straight in the eye.

"It's my last chance to enjoy this."

"No dropping, denting, or otherwise damaging it. And if you get anything on it, you clean it up," Reggie said, his tone threatening.

Dom raised an eyebrow, wondering if there were any stories behind that comment, then decided there probably were and he was better off not knowing about any of them.

He shut the door behind him, set the trophy on the dresser, then wrapped his tired arms around Shea. Fuck, he was actually a little sore from carrying the thirty-five-pound hunk of metal around all day.

But what a sweet pain.

"Love you," Dom whispered and he wasn't entirely sure if he was talking to his boyfriend or to the trophy and decided it didn't matter.

He loved them both.

Shea sighed, sinking against him, but there was something melancholy about it.

"This could've been me, maybe," he whispered.

He ran his fingertips across the metal where Dom's name was etched from the Fisher Cats' win in ‘21 and when he turned his head to look at Dom, the naked, aching longing and sorrow in his eyes made Dom's heart clench.

"I know," Dom whispered. He wrapped his arms around Shea's waist, pressing his lips to his shoulder. "And I'm not going to pretend it's the same because I know it isn't, but I couldn't have done my part this time without you."

"It's not the same," Shea said, his voice still soft and a little raw. "But I appreciate you saying that."

"I mean it," Dom assured him.

"I know. That's why I appreciate it." Shea turned in his arms, brushing their lips together. "And I love you too."

Shea was quiet as they got ready for bed and Dom imagined if he'd been in Shea's shoes it would feel a little bittersweet.

So when they crawled into bed, he pulled Shea close, wanting to offer him comfort.

Shea kissed him, softly at first, but it grew deeper after a while. When Dom slid a hand across Shea's stomach, intending to let it wander lower, Shea tensed and pulled back, shaking his head. "Not tonight. I …"

"Okay," Dom said easily, because if Shea wasn't in the mood, he wasn't in the mood. Maybe he felt uncomfortable having sex in his parents' house. Maybe he was still sad about the fact that he'd never had a chance to play in the NHL.

In the end, it didn't matter why unless Shea wanted to talk about it.

Rather than press the matter, Dom gently wrapped his arm around Shea and kissed his cheek. "Love you. Sleep well."

Shea sighed, the last of the tension leaving his body. "Love you too, baby."

And in the morning, when Dom awoke to Shea's mouth on his cock and the Cup across the room, bathed in the light of the rising sun, Dom decided that life probably didn't get better than this.

The hockey gods had blessed him indeed.

A week later, Shea slipped his key into the lock, letting himself into his old apartment in Leslieville. He stepped inside, feeling a pang of nostalgia.

God, he hadn't been here in so long.

As he looked around, he realized it no longer felt like home at all.

He blinked when he got to the living room. And it definitely didn't look the way he'd left it.

There were boxes stacked along one side, the area rug had been rolled up and leaned against the wall, and Audra sat on the bare floor on a throw blanket, a few cushions scattered about.

"Uhh, what the fuck?" Shea said. "What's going on? Are you moving out? Is that why you wanted me to come over tonight?"

She rose to her feet, smoothing down her sundress. "Yeah. I wasn't sure how to break it to you so I figured I'd go for the most dramatic option possible."

Shea laughed and stepped closer, skirting around the takeout bags from their favorite Mexican restaurant, pitcher of margaritas, and salt-rimmed glasses. "Well, congrats, I guess?" he said, confused.

"Thanks." She smiled, looking nervous. "I'm no longer working for Select."

He frowned. "Your choice or theirs?"

"Mutual?" She shrugged. "The whole thing with Mark and you getting blackmailed by Joe was kind of the last straw for me and for them. I … I'm ready for a fresh start. I loved working there but I want—I want something new. Something different. There's so much of the world to explore still, you know?"

"Yeah, I get that. It's just … wow. I can't believe you're leaving." Shea reached out, pulling her in for a hug.

Audra hugged him back tightly, then smiled. "It was time for me to find something new anyway. I'm not getting any younger, you know."

"You would have been a stunning escort at eighty," Shea said.

She laughed and rolled her eyes. "I want to leave while I still enjoy it."

Shea nodded. He understood that.

"Besides, I can hardly turn down a fashion job in Paris, can I?" she said brightly.

"Paris?" he echoed.

"Yes." She pursed her lips. "Someone high up in Select has connections. She got me a job as a buyer for Dior."

Shea whistled. "Swanky."

"Quite." She shrugged. "Plus, it gets me out of the company and away from this situation. I know everything's been pretty quiet but I feel better knowing I won't have to keep looking over my shoulder."

"I get that. That's smart and the new job is obviously a great opportunity. It's just, I'm going to miss you."

She smiled and cupped his cheek. "I'll miss you too. But I thought we'd go out with a bang and enjoy some burritos and margs before I leave. One last hangout before our lives go in different directions."

"I'm glad you asked me to come over."

"Well, I needed someone to take care of the plants." She gestured around.

Shea laughed. "I can do that. I don't know what I'm doing but Jonah's an expert, apparently. I'll have to ask him."

"Perfect. Dom won't mind?"

"Nah. He told me to make the condo my home."

"I'm glad I was wrong about him. I like him for you," she said.

"Me too." Shea smiled. "So, when do you leave?" he asked, taking a seat on their makeshift picnic blanket.

"Tomorrow." She sat next to him and reached for his glass, pouring some of the cocktail into it.

"Way to wait until the last minute to see me," he huffed, rooting around the bag for his usual chicken burrito with extra guac.

Audra bit her lip. "I know. I kept putting it off. I felt like it would make it real."

"Were you worried about what I'd say or are you apprehensive about the move?"

"A little bit of both. It's a big change." She poured herself a drink.

"And here I thought you were fearless about everything," he teased.

"I'm good at making people believe that." She squared her shoulders. "But I am excited. Nervous but excited."

"I get that. It's the end of an era."

"It is. But hey, there are some things to look forward to."

"Like French men," he said with a wink.

Audra laughed. "I am looking forward to sampling all sorts of European delicacies. And maybe finding someone more serious eventually."

"Yeah?" He raised his eyebrows. "I didn't think you were looking for that."

"I wasn't. Not while I was working for Select, anyway. I mean, what were the odds of finding someone who would be supportive of me continuing to work as an escort?"

"Dom would have been, if I'd wanted it," Shea said confidently.

"Okay, well, he's apparently a very special man," she said.

Shea nodded. "He is. And maybe this is me stereotyping but I kinda think the average straight guy wouldn't be as accepting."

Audra stared over the rim of her margarita glass. "Who says I would be dating a straight man? Or a man at all?"

"Fair," Shea said, toasting her. "I shouldn't have assumed."

"You shouldn't have," she agreed with a smile. "What about you? Have you settled on an identity that feels right?"

He shrugged. "It might still change, but after talking with Dom's teammates, with the other SAPs … I think maybe queer."

"Yeah?" She looked surprised.

"I think for me it's about the person and the connection more than anything," he said slowly. "And maybe I do lean more toward women overall, but Dom … Dom is the love of my life. He's my person, you know?"

Audra nodded.

"And bi works and so does pan, I guess? I know some people think they're different and that's fair, but for me, they feel pretty interchangeable. But queer kinda covers it all. I'm not straight, I know that for sure. And maybe it started out as ‘gay-for-pay' but I'm deeply in love with a man so … queer. Queer works for me."

"Hear! Hear! To queer," she said, clinking glasses with him.

Shea smiled and took a drink.

"It seems like the whole team is a good fit for you," she said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, they're pretty incredible," Shea agreed. "I mean, despite having to tell my family that I worked as an escort, we're doing okay. But having this huge, extra hockey family? Well, I kinda love that too."

"Good." Audra gave him a small smile. "That makes me feel less guilty about leaving you."

"Hey, none of that," he chastised. "I'm going to miss you, but this is exciting! I'm happy for you. I think you should go live your best, most glamorous life in Paris."

"Thank you." She sighed, staring off into space. "I think I will."

"And hey," he said, smiling. "Guess where Dom's taking me this summer? It's that place with the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre …"

"Yeah?" Her face lit up. "Does that mean you'll come visit me?"

He scoffed. "Try to keep me away."

She frowned down at her burrito which still rested, untouched, in her lap. "I bet these won't be as good in Paris though."

"True." Shea frowned. "But the baguettes and red wine will probably make up for it."

She laughed. "Probably."

"So here's to new beginnings," Shea said, holding out his glass again. He was going to be so shitfaced by the time they were done toasting but he'd already warned Dom he was going to have to come pick him up.

It was Dom's turn to take care of him when he got messy.

Audra's eyes sparkled. "To new beginnings, rich, sexy hockey players, and Paris!"