Chapter Twenty-Six
Brent
As much as I ached to be next to Renny, I knew there would be no blow jobs and no touching between us this morning. At least, for now. I’d have to make do with sitting at the end of the bed with him just mere feet from me.
“You’re welcome,” I said in response to his appreciation for the signed Beverly Jenkins novels. “I’m glad you like.”
“I do.”
We caught eyes for several seconds before I said, “I’ll let you finish eating. Then we can shower and, only if you want, we can walk over to campus for the athletes’ retreat kickoff. There might be time to drive around the area so you can get familiar.”
The morning fog and clouds had yet to burn off on the twenty-minute walk from Merced Manor to campus.
I showed Renny the markets, dry cleaners, one of Macy’s and my fitness and wellness centers, and restaurants nearby that made up the commercial district near the university.
Even with gray surrounding us, he marveled at the views of Lake Merced, the Pacific Ocean, and all the greenery and flowers.
As we passed the campus president’s residence, I could also hear Renny’s breathing pick up as we ascended and descended the hilly streets to campus.
“That building there,” I said, pointing to Merced Hall, the main administration building on campus, “is where the president’s office is. I think that’s where you’ll be working, too. You and Taylor will discuss that.”
“Looks impressive,” Renny huffed. “I’ll have to get used to these up-and-down roads, though. I feel all sorts of outta shape.”
“Remind me to get you a gym membership,” I said as I slowed down to let Renny catch up. “Remind me, too, that I’m taller, my stride is longer, and I’m used to this terrain. Sorry. We’re almost there.”
“All good.”
When Renny and I arrived at the campus gymnasium, he took a seat on the courtside sidelines, where I planned to speak.
Once situated in front of the five hundred student athletes, my keynote and welcome address focused on staying positive in this year of campus budget cuts, including losing four teams by this time next year.
Next theme focused on wanting everyone to experience college as multidimensional students, appreciating athletic and non-athletic interests.
My goal was for them to see themselves as one C.U.
Lake Merced athletics group, rather than members of fifteen individual sports.
I shared with them the intentionality of seating them with athletes not on their teams, and recounted my days as a student athlete when spaces like the one we were in divided off by race and class, depending on the sport we played.
I reiterated my stance on a bully-free, violence-free, and sexual assault–free athletics program, and the consequences of violating the department’s values.
I emphasized the importance of academics first, plus the values of inclusion, acceptance, competitive fun, mental wellness, and getting involved on campus outside the sport and the classroom.
I pointed to Renny and asked him to stand, which he did.
While he looked embarrassed, I could see he was happy for the recognition of his artistry and writing.
“This is Renny Ross, a best-selling romance author centering queer characters,” I said.
“Some of the seniors might remember the Athletics Department book club pick about the gay basketball teammates on competing NBA teams falling in love. This is the author, and he’s starting work here on campus with the president’s office. ”
The students clapped as I gave Renny his flowers publicly, and I continued as he sat back down.
“He was also my summer orientation leader and tutor in college back in the day, and as you can see, we’re still in touch.
He influenced me to embrace reading for fun and critical thinking as a student athlete, and that’s partially why I started the community reading experience for our teams.”
As I wound down my remarks, the coaches and their assistants handed out the two books I wanted the student athletes to read over the summer before fall classes started.
The first was Loving Sports When They Don’t Love You Back by Jessica Luther and Kavitha A.
Davidson, a nonfiction academic book exploring the dilemmas sports fans have when athletes, coaches, and teams make questionable choices.
I selected this one because I didn’t want my athletes letting down anyone who looked up to them as role models.
The second, Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan, was a second chance romance novel set within college and professional basketball with themes of toxic masculinity and relationship violence within the characters’ lives, all leading to the kind of happy ever after I wanted for the students in their personal and professional lives.
I’d selected this one because I had seen and heard firsthand the ways in which some athletes perpetuated or endured romantic situations that turned dysfunctional.
I enjoyed watching the students and their coaches looking over their assigned reading as I concluded my part of their retreat day.
An hour later, as Renny and I began to walk back to my place from campus, he spoke words that meant more to me than he could know.
“If this is how Dr. Taylor James lets you run the athletics department here, I can tell I’m going to like working at this university.”
“Oh yeah? What do you mean?”
“It’s so liberating. I think that’s the word I’m looking for. I can’t imagine any other athletics director doing what you do without having a campus president who gets your vision and intention.”
“Being part of President James’s team is cool. We don’t have any problems at all. He’s a good person, as you’ll come to know.”
“I appreciate that you’re a smart, well read, and enlightened leader, Brent. I like learning about you as you are today by seeing you in action. Actions definitely speak louder than words.”
“I appreciate you noticing and your kind words. I wouldn’t be the man I am today if it wasn’t for you lighting the fire in me to seek truth and knowledge and books.”
“I’m sure your master’s degree in sports management and leadership had a thing or two to do with it, too.”
I gave Renny a one-armed hug as we continued our walk through campus back to my place. I hoped it didn’t come across as too platonic or brotherly.
“I’m trying not to get sucked back into anything with you or anyone else, so don’t read into this,” Renny said. “But watching the way your student athletes respect you and seeing the environment you’re trying to create for them makes me admire you in a way I can’t describe. That’s all.”
I wanted Renny to know that none of what I said or did with the athletes was for show for him, but thought more words weren’t necessary. What Renny shared just now, as we walked the rest of the way in silence, was all that I needed at the moment.