Casting a glance over his shoulder at me, Jayden shrugged, his brows almost touching his hairline. He pulled out a chair and indicated that I sit, my heart pitter-pattering at the gesture. I took the seat next to him.
“Thanks for coming,” Jonas started, smiling at us. While the smile seemed genuine, I wasn’t quite prepared to relax just yet. “I’m sure you’re both exhausted.” He focused on Jayden. “You doing okay? Head and hand okay?”
“Yeah. I’ll be good for training.”
Jonas nodded. “Excellent. Make sure you book in to see Doc Marlow in the next forty-eight hours, okay?”
“Sure thing.” Jayden’s voice was friendly, confident. No one would be any the wiser that it had taken a hand job in the shower to calm him down and stop him from having a meltdown about the meeting.
“So, we’ll try not to keep you long. Today was the only day to get us all together, knowing you both were flying in. Let me introduce you all.” Jonas glanced first at Coach Jenkins. “Sid Jenkins here is the coach at Montview.”
“No shit,” Jayden interrupted, receiving a chuckle from Coach Jenkins.
“Yeah. I took over five years ago. Best decision I ever made.”
Jayden being Jayden, grinned, saying, “Makes sense. You were hard-pressed getting the quality on the court you witnessed in my four years.”
I rolled my eyes, my lips twitching.
“Uh-huh. Sure, let’s stick with that story,” Coach Jenkins said.
Through the exchange, my brain was ticking over. Montview hosted an elite summer college program for athletes. I knew they had guest coaches step in a few weeks every year, but the summer program was already in session as far as I was aware.
“This here is Emily Meadows. She’s Montview’s outreach director.”
The middle-aged brown-haired woman smiled at us. “Nice to meet you both.”
“And finally, this is Harry Powell. He’s the athletic administrator for QSA over in Indiana.”
I had no idea what QSA was. Jayden beat me to the punch, asking, “QSA?”
Harry’s grin was wide and bright. “Queer Sporting Association.” He made eye contact as he spoke, his gaze unwavering, possibly curious.
My brows shot up, and I cast a look at Jayden since I saw his head whip in my direction. Somehow I managed to control my laugh at his bug-eyed expression. This was all surreal.
For barely a blink of time, I’d been in love with my friend, a man. Hell, I hadn’t even considered a label, beyond clearly not straight and happily loving on Jayden. Yet here we were, in an out-of-the-blue meeting with someone from a queer association.
And fuck if I didn’t feel like a fraud.
But here we were.
Becoming aware neither Jayden nor I had responded, I offered a small smile. “Good to meet you.”
“And those are the introductions of people perhaps you didn’t know. So, let’s get down to business, shall we?” Jonas indicated toward Harry and nodded in his direction.
That appeared to be Harry’s cue. “This year we’ve been working with Montview, specifically providing low-key educating opportunities to raise awareness, and honestly, cut through the bullshit involved in being a queer athlete. Our aim is to promote healthy conversation at college level with those players who will likely be drafted. You know, try to create an even playing ground for queer players so they can be out, should they wish to be, and hopefully establish an environment where their teammates are supportive and that all players feel safe. There’s a counselor already involved, someone who’s been there for a few years. We’re just lucky he specializes in LGBTQ+ health.”
I swallowed hard at his words. What they were doing was amazing. I thought of Pearce, who’d told us on one of our few calls over the past couple of weeks that he’d known for sure he was gay since he was twelve. That programs like this existed so that younger, hell, all players, like him—likeme—had that support was incredible.
“We don’t have any out pro players in the program yet,” Emily said. “We think it would be an amazing opportunity for college kids to meet seasoned players, and with your recent news—congratulations, by the way—we’d love for you to spend six weeks out at Montview as guest coaches.”
“We know this is short notice. Heck, it’s no notice, as we’d want you there in four days, but I think you guys could really make a difference,” Coach Jenkins added.
I was rendered speechless, overwhelmed by the opportunity, and heck, the privilege. But beneath all that was a layer of discomfort. This seemed too soon. Shit, I hadn’t even seen my parents since being in a relationship with Jayden… being out. And even thinking in terms of being “out” was a concept I was struggling with.
I loved Jayden, all of him. The good, the stressful and painful, his heart, and his mouth and cock most recently. I wanted a future with him.
Did that make me bi? Queer? Something else?
