“No,” Quin says. “But like Zarek said, it’s a different situation. My department and theirs have no interaction.”
I sigh. “This is?—”
Zarek shakes his head, his eyes looking over my shoulder. I stop talking and take a bite of my sandwich as Frosty stops at the edge of our table.
“Hello, boys,” he says. “What’re you over here gossiping about?”
I swallow my bite before I say, “We’re just comparing romantic gestures. Oscar bought me a hundred long-stemmed roses for our ten-year anniversary a few months ago.”
“Deck bought me a star,” Zarek says, giving Declan heart eyes.
“That’s romantic?” Frosty says, his face scrunched. “Owning a star that you will not only never see in the sky, but you can’t hold it or… anything. And flowers die. Like right away.”
“Don’t be bitter,” Zarek says. “It’s very unattractive.”
Frosty rolls his eyes. “This is all very… dull.” He turns and saunters off.
Lemon Frost, AKA Frosty, is our pint-sized, loudly dressed,flamboyant football coach. He’s fond of leggings, tutus, tiaras, and glitter. He’s also a kickass coach with a boast-worthy roster that sees more athletes drafted into the NFL than any other university in the country every year. He may not win championships, but he still makes headlines.
Because of this, he thinks very highly of himself. RDU spoils him, and it’s kind of disgusting how much he’s coddled. He’s also brash, vain, and has no sense of boundaries or the word “no.”
“Did you really buy Zarek a star?” I ask when Frosty’s moved away.
“Yep,” Declan says with a smile.
“Did Oscar really buy you a hundred roses?” Zarek asks.
I snort. “Yes, but not for our tenth anniversary. Last year, for our ninth. Honestly, Frosty isn’t wrong. There were rose carcasses all over our house for ages. Oscar immediately regretted his decision.”
We chuckle.
“You were saying?” Quin prompts.
Oh right. I sigh again. “I think the best course of action isnotto hide it. To be forthcoming and honest. We’ve put all the measures in place to show that I’m not showing him favor. We have proof that this relationship began weeks before he was even accepted to RDU. There’s even proof that he submitted the application before we met and that Harper accepted him onto the team without me knowing. I’ve looked through the rule book, and it’s ambiguous. Quid pro quo is obviously against the rules, as it should be, but I’m not grading him. I’m not giving him extra game time; I’m not even giving him game time at all. That’s Harper’s responsibility now.”
“You’re afraid of what your superiors are going to do,” Quin says.
I nod.
“You remember a couple years ago… A kid on Frosty’s team got together with the provost of the university,” Zarek says. “Remember?”
“Ah,” Quin says. “A very different set of circumstances, but that’s still going to work in your favor.”
I remember that. One of Frosty’s athletes, Brevan Skeeter, was selected as an ambassador for the school in a program where they visit different countries and work with different universities to create sister schools to RDU. Brevan went on the first trip to somewhere in Europe and came back as the provost’s lover.
They’re married now. Brevan played pro for a couple of years, but he doesn’t anymore. At least, I don’t think he does. I play the only football that’s worth keeping up with.
“Okay, then my first course of action will be to suggest a sabbatical until he graduates,” I say.
“No,” Zarek says. “Wait until someone approaches you about it. Don’t just offer to leave. Present your proof of a relationship before RDU then show what you’ve done to make sure you don’t show him any favor over your other athletes.”
“So I should keep this a secret?” I ask.
“No,” Quin says, while Zarek shakes his head. Declan is just listening. “I think it’s a good idea to say something.”
“Begin with my dean or…?”
“I think your team,” Declan says. “I think if they have your back, administration will be more accepting.”
