On his way to realizing his Olympic dream, Tom Alan Baranowski finds himself in the midst of a dilemma. His traditional Japanese coach is insisting upon an arranged marriage between his biological daughter Erika and adopted son Tom Alan, who are partners on the ice. Tom Alan loves Erika, and his coach literally saved his life, rescuing him from an abusive home. How can he say no?<br><br>Somewhat resigned to his “not so bad” fate, everything changes when Tom Alan meets British ice dancer Milo Fisher. The spark between them is almost hot enough to melt the ice beneath their blades, and the two fall into an affair.<br><br>What about Erika? What about loyalty? What about gold? For Tom Alan, the impossible throw quadruple jump is suddenly the least difficult thing in his life.

Quadruple Flip

Masculinity—not that many gay men don’t possess that trait in bucketsful—was revered. Therefore, many gay men, Tom Alan read over and over online, led a double life; married with children, hetero by day, gay at night. More so than even in the US. It was almost expected over there to do it that way. Affairs in Japan were commonplace. The culture seemed quite adept at separating love and sex, be it men and women, women and women, or men and men. Tom Alan often wondered if his papa expected him to lead that sort of double life. Maybe he did. Maybe that’s what he would say.


Chapter 22