‘Heated Rivalry’: What Is ‘My Dinner with Hayden’? The Bonus Short Story, Explained
What To Know
- Heated Rivalry author Rachel Reid said that showrunner Jacob Tierney is interested in adapting “My Dinner with Hayden.”
- The short story, which is included in Heated Rivalry as a bonus chapter, occurs before Heated Rivalry’s epilogue.
- Swooon breaks down what happens in “My Dinner with Hayden.”
Heated Rivalry Season 2 will expand on what’s included in author Rachel Reid’s books. In addition to depicting Shane’s coming out to his hockey team, we now know that showrunner Jacob Tierney is interested in including a bonus scene that didn’t make it into the Heated Rivalry book‘s final edit.
At a Barnes & Noble Q&A on May 15, Reid shared that Tierney wants to put her “My Dinner with Hayden” short story into the show. “I haven’t seen the scripts for the upcoming season at all, so I don’t know if it’s being worked in or anything, but I’m kind of secretly hoping that’s what’s going to happen,” she explained. “But I don’t know.”
So, what exactly is “My Dinner with Hayden?” It’s a pivotal interaction between Shane (Hudson Williams), Ilya (Connor Storrie), and Shane’s best friend and teammate, Hayden (Callan Potter). It’s included as bonus chapter at the end of Heated Rivalry, but whether you missed it or haven’t read the book yet, Swooon is breaking down exactly what goes down below.
JACOB WANTS TO FILM MY DINNER WITH HAYDEN YES GODDDDD pic.twitter.com/qcXNb4Wtdl
— bea 𐙚 (@snoopybuddiee) May 16, 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. A little over a year later, Ilya has joined Ottawa’s hockey team. Shane and Ilya also hold a press conference to announce their new charity, revealing their friendship to the world.
The epilogue, which is from Ilya’s perspective, also reveals that Shane’s best friend, Hayden, knows about their relationship. (He even guards the door while Shane and Ilya make out in the bathroom. He’s a real for that.) “My Dinner with Hayden” gives a bit more context to the immediate aftermath of Shane telling Hayden about his relationship with 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 an argument 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 resolutely confirms that he’s in love with Ilya. (He takes Ilya’s breath away with his statement.) 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 is a worthy addition to Season 2. Some fans have even speculated that the short story could be the basis for a Heated Rivalry standalone 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 2027, HBO Max
