I considered another end for Reg. I am aware that some of you have suggested that Reg should not have come away from this story “clean.” He got the franchise bid and never really “paid” for using team mates and lovers for his own purpose. I thought about this situation, but realized that in real life, bad people often do well, get rich, and become famous—particularly if they are photogenic self-promoters who can claim fame. Very simply, they get away with using other people—of the same or different sex. Society seems ready to forgive exciting, “beautiful” people almost immediately—or they simply look the other way. That’s life. So in this scenario, I decided to leave him alone. Someday, if justice prevails, he’d get his—but probably not before destroying a few more lives.
I have had a few comments suggesting that the “color” angle of the story was inappropriate. I did not set out to make Reg the villain. I was more influenced by the fact that at this point in history attractive god-like black men are the idols of the moment in the fashion and cosmetics industries. I saw Reg as one of those aggressive metro-sexual men—not as a black man. As to the discussions of the implications of affirmative action, that just happens to be an important topic of the moment. Apologies if that offended some of you. BD