Epilogue
Brent & Renny
A year later and beyond
Eager to not let another twenty-plus-year third-act breakup pass them by, and secure they’d last another twenty years or more together, Brent and Renny held a small morning ceremony at the courthouse in downtown San Francisco.
Though they were allowed only six guests, per courthouse rules, Taylor was able to finagle a few extra guests from a former student who presided over the ceremony as judge—much the same guests and crew as the surprise birthday party, plus a few of Brent’s colleagues from the Valkyries and Warriors.
After the ceremony, as a group, they planned to watch whatever remained of the San Francisco Pride Parade, eat a late lunch in the private dining room at a restaurant co-owned by one of the Golden State Warriors, and then take a sunset yacht cruise of the San Francisco Bay.
As Renny took some alone time on the boat deck to look at the bridges, water, and mountains that had fascinated him since moving to California, Brent walked up behind him and held him in his arms.
“What are you doing out here by yourself? It’s chilly out here.”
“Just thinking.”
“What about?”
“How lucky we are we found our way back to each other.”
“I give thanks and praise every day.”
“About how fate intervened and put us in each other’s lives. The fact that we both chose a random college in the middle of nowhere Missouri. That I chose to be active on campus. That you ended up in my summer orientation group.”
“Indeed, the stars aligned for those kids, B.D. King and Larenz Ross.”
“And now we’re the Ross-Kings.”
“Um, the King-Rosses,” Brent said, hugging Renny again. “What else are you thinking about?”
“Naughty thoughts.”
“Oh yeah?”
“About how I’m ready to get you in the chair when we get to our penthouse honeymoon suite later.”
“Hmm. I was hoping to get you on all fours or get you all folded up around me like a pretzel.”
Brent pressed into him, his dick coming to life and rising against Renny, who leaned into the hardness of Brent’s body and security of Brent’s arms around him.
“I’d be down for that, Brent.”
“I hope you’re this scandalous in another twenty years when we’re in our mid-sixties, facing retirement, planning month-long cruises.”
“I don’t know if I want to acknowledge that stage of life. Feels like we were just two horny college kids having a secret love affair in my dorm room.”
“The stories we’ll tell the grandkids one day,” Brent said, chuckling. “Grandkids. Man.”
“In the meantime, it will be my pleasure to have you in the chair every day for as long, and hard,” Renny said, reaching behind him to feel Brent’s dick rising in his suit pants, “as we’re together.”
“I’ll look forward to that,” Brent said, “and to making sure you’re completely satisfied in every way you want and deserve to be. I want you to feel unconditional, magical, whimsical, unabashed love every day, just like the characters you write about.”
Brent kissed the side of Renny’s neck as the downtown San Francisco skyline floated past them. On the side of five of the taller buildings, they noticed Renny’s C.U. Bay Area “Love Of” campaign emblems spanning roof to street on the skyscrapers, and smiled.
Renny turned around, still in Brent’s embrace, back against the railing of the boat.
“Speaking of which, I got another email from Rashid, my literary agent. Now that my books are selling again and we’re making money again…”
“You did? What did he want? More negative vibes for my guy?”
Renny pulled out his phone to find the email, then text that followed from Rashid.
“Quite the contrary,” Renny said and turned the screen to Brent. “Looks like this writer and producer reached out to Rashid about my books for his production company. Possibly TV shows or a series of films. All to be determined. You never know with Hollywood.”
“That’s wonderful news. We’ve gotta tell everyone.”
“We will, in time. I want to iron everything out with him first, see the details of the option, and go from there. I don’t want to make any announcements before they’re officially official, you know?”
“Understood. I’m so proud of you. Congratulations.”
After a long kiss, Renny continued.
“Your son’s TikTok following. I swear.”
“That L.B. is something else. Who knew I’d end up with a queer college athlete son. The irony. Is that the term?”
“Something like that, Brent.”
They hugged and shared a kiss as the sun set between and over them on the San Francisco Bay.
“I have something else to share with you, Renny,” Brent said and pulled out his phone. “A wedding gift for you.”
Renny scrolled the screen and read the email Brent shared.
“No way,” Renny said, tears welling in his eyes. “You did not buy my mom’s condo…and my childhood home, too?”
“I figured L.B. and his friends could use the condo during weekend trips to Detroit so they don’t have to drive all the way back to East Lansing after a night of partying,” Brent said.
“Then we have your family home if we ever want to visit, relocate, or even retire there one day. Who knew you could get two properties in Detroit for less than the price of one out here in California?”
“You’re so amazing, Brent.”
“It never sat well with me that you had to give up the condo. I’ll make sure you never lose it again. I want you to have an asset or two in your name. We have to think about these things now…together.”
“I love you.”
“I love you more. Now, what do you say we speed up and bring this little cruise to an end so that we can celebrate each other in private,” Brent said, planting more kisses up and down Renny’s neck.
“Unless you want to sneak into one of the bathrooms below deck for a little scandalous and secret contact before we make it to shore.”
In June the following year, still together and celebrating another anniversary together, Renny’s new publisher sponsored a series of West Coast book release parties, complete with catered food, beverage and bar service, and gift bags and giveaways, for Renny’s recently published romance novel, featuring his signature Black and gay characters being the prize and being loved unconditionally.
Brent, proud to be a supportive partner and husband of a creative, sat eagerly and proudly in the audience at each of Renny’s book events that he could fit into his schedule, and cheered him on with each best-seller list that his new book started to appear on after years of being in the industry.
Indeed, the happily-ever-after ending that Renny and Brent wanted, waited for, and worked for.