‘Heated Rivalry’: What Is ‘My Dinner with Hayden’? The Bonus Short Story, Explained
Ever since we found out that a Heated Rivalry standalone special may arrive before Season 2, we’ve seen a number of fan suggestions about what the episode should be about. Some think it should cover another couple in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series, which the show is based on. Others think it should explore Scott (François Arnaud) and Kip’s (Robbie G.K.) relationship further. Personally? We want to see a My Dinner with Hayden standalone episode.
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Now, what exactly is My Dinner with Hayden? It’s one of Reid’s several bonus scenes from Heated Rivalry and its sequel, The Long Game — aka moments that didn’t make it into the final version of either book, but the author has graciously shared for those of us who can’t get enough of Shane (Hudson Williams) and Ilya (Connor Storrie). You can find it at the end of your copy of Heated Rivalry, but Swooon is breaking down exactly what happens in My Dinner with Hayden for those who haven’t come across it yet.
why is no one talking about how we might get an extra episode of HR based on ‘My Dinner with Hayden’, that could be an special before season 2?! pic.twitter.com/bTqVaZX84L
— blonn.✦ (Ilya Rozanov’s Agent) (@blonndiec) January 26, 2026
What happens in My Dinner with Hayden?
[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers from Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid.]
Reid describes My Dinner with Hayden as an epilogue prologue of Heated Rivalry. Season 1 ends with Shane and Ilya committing to be together, but leaves their future up in the air — it doesn’t include the book’s epilogue, which sees Ilya and Shane follow through on the plan they made at the cottage. The epilogue picks up a little over a year later, when Ilya has already joined Ottawa’s hockey team. In the final moments of the book, Shane and Ilya hold a press conference to announce their new charity.
The epilogue, which is from Ilya’s perspective, also reveals that Shane’s best friend, Hayden (Callan Potter), knows about their relationship. (He even guards the door while Shane and Ilya make out in the bathroom. He’s a real one.) My Dinner with Hayden gives a bit more context to the immediate aftermath of Shane telling Hayden about Ilya, about a month before the press conference. Ilya and Shane host Hayden and his wife, Jackie (Kamilla Kowal), for a dinner party.
Crave
Hayden and Ilya aren’t each other’s biggest fans, so things get off to an awkward start. It doesn’t help when Ilya tries to get under Hayden’s skin, though Shane and Jackie try to keep the peace. Eventually, they get around to the topic of when Shane and Ilya’s relationship started, which leads to the cutest exchange. Ilya says they were 19 when they got together for the first time, but Shane says they were 18. “I thought the question was the first time we felt, um, sparks,” he clarifies. (Yeah, we need to see this onscreen.)
The short story also gives a little bit of insight into the first 15 months of Shane and Ilya’s official relationship. Ilya is starting to feel worn down by all the sneaking around, and Shane appears to be in the same boat. He wanted to host the dinner party so they could do something “normal” couples do. It’s why Shane gets angry when Hayden gives Ilya the shovel talk, and Ilya gets into it with him.
They work it out after Hayden explains that he’s only hurt that Shane would keep such a big secret for so long. He’s also confused because he thought Shane hated Ilya, but Shane takes Ilya’s breath away when he resolutely confirms that he’s in love with him. With everything out in the air, the tension subsides. After Jackie and Hayden go home, Shane is still a bit mad at his boyfriend, but it blows over when Ilya says something ridiculously romantic. Sexy times ensue.
Needless to say, Reid’s short story provides more than enough material for a Heated Rivalry special. Do you think My Dinner with Hayden should bridge Seasons 1 and 2 as a standalone episode? Let us know in the comments below!
Heated Rivalry, Season 1, Streaming Now, Crave and HBO Max
Heated Rivalry, Season 2, TBA, HBO Max
