She sighed and hesitated briefly.
“Coach Ward came to my office a little while ago with some information he thought would be damning to you.”
“Oh yeah?”
She nodded.
“He shared that you’re dating one of the players’ mothers and that you tend to give that player special treatment. I asked for examples, and nothing he shared sounded like special treatment. He believes your relationship is a conflict of interest, and he’s not wrong.”
“Dr. Stackhouse, I am dating Nyomi Kurrie, Nyeem Kurrie’s mother, and the director of the university’s library. We began seeing each other before I knew Nyeem was her son.”
“I’ve conversed with Miss Kurrie numerous times at different campus-related events. She’s a gorgeous, intelligent woman with a great personality, so I understand why you’re drawn to her. Personally, I don’t have an issue with it. I’m very well-versed in the NACS and university rules. Lucky for you, neither has a policy that explicitly states that coaches can’t date the parents of athletes. However, if this gets out, I have no doubt the public will perceive your relationship with Miss Kurrie as a conflict of interest.”
“You’re right.”
“I’ve been reading articles about Nyeem since he was in middle school, and his talent can’t be denied. When he continues to soar, he will have haters and naysayers, and some may think he’s undeserving and is only thriving because of the opportunities you create because of your relationship with his mother. I know you have integrity and wouldn’t jeopardize the greater good of the team over your relationship, but outsiders don’t know that. Be prepared for backlash.”
“I will. Thank you for coming to me with this.”
“I thought it was important for you to know that someone you think is on your team is behind the scenes working against you. Unfortunately, we’re stuck with him for at least one season.”
“Unless he does something that violates his contract.”
“Yes . . . or quits. Let’s start praying for the latter. Have a good day.”
“Thank you. You do the same.”
We stood, and I walked her to the door. Once she was gone, I called Knox and asked him to come to my office. I was alreadyreturned to my seat, and when he entered, he sat where Dr. Stackhouse had been seated.
“You look pissed,” was the first thing he said.
“I am. Ward is a bitch.”
“Hold up. Let me close this door.”
I waited for him to close the door and return. He looked at me expectantly, and I shared my conversation with Dr. Stackhouse.
“He’s the true definition of a bitch ass nigga. He was trying to get you caught up and failed miserably.”
“I really fucked up hiring him without vetting him more.”
“He was your boy from back in the day. Nothing negative has been said about him publicly, so it was an honest mistake.”
“Between this and the shit the other coaches have said about him, I can barely look at his ass without being tempted to throw blows. Keep me in prayer.”
We laughed, but I couldn’t have been more serious.
“You know I got you,” he said before leaving.
Before I became engrossed in my work, I ordered lunch for myself and Nyomi, scheduling hers to be delivered at noon. Although I’d told her a few times that she didn’t have to thank me, she still sent me a text doing so, promising to show me later how much she appreciated me.
For the rest of the day, I worked on a rough draft of the camp schedule and planned to meet with the other coaches tomorrow for suggestions or changes. When I finished, I stretched and yawned before picking up my phone.
I smiled when I looked at my screensaver, which was the baby’s ultrasound picture. Not knowing for certain if Nyomi was carrying more than one baby was crazy, but I was excited either way.
I’d only been in Black Elm for a few months, and already my life had changed for the better. I wasn’t sure what it was aboutNyomi that had me gone so quickly, but this was the happiest I’d been in my adult life.
Before leaving my office, I made reservations for us at Elm Street Blues. We still hadn’t had a real date, and I had a problem with that. I sent her a text about our plans, and she sent back several hearts. Once I was in my car, I called my father to run a few things by him.
