Senior Year Box Set

“I also want you to know that I’m not interested in the score. My objective is to see how everyone plays. I will also substitute freely, so I don’t want to hear any complaining if you’re pulled,” he said, looking right at me.

I would rather not risk injury, so I was okay with it if he pulled me in what amounted to another practice. Of course, our fans wouldn’t necessarily agree.

Next, he posted the teams. It looked like Coach still had everyone who’d gone to Mexico on the second team, which was the Blue squad. The only person who was happy about it was Phil. The coaching staff had taken notice of him, and he was starting at wide receiver on our squad. He’d beaten out a junior who’d been penciled in as Ed’s backup.

I walked with Coach Mason to the practice field.

“Do we have anything to worry about?” I asked.

“What do you mean?”

“That everyone who traveled to Mexico has been relegated to the second team?”

“You expected to just step in after missing two-a-days?” Coach Mason asked, closing ranks with the other coaches.

“I guess not, but I want to make sure we get a shot.”

“David, Coach Hope is the head coach. He’ll do what’s best for the team.”

Somehow, I didn’t buy it. I started to get an uneasy feeling that I’d missed something. Until I figured it out, the only thing I could do was let my play speak for itself.

◊◊◊

After practice, I skipped the dojo. Instead, Brook and I drove to Halle’s to pick up Bandit and say goodbye. She would be leaving tomorrow to make Love Letters. They had a six-month shoot schedule, so she wouldn’t be back to finish high school here.

When we knocked, Halle answered the door and had a funny look on her face.

“Thank God you’re here. I need you to … uh … help my mom,” she said, and then turned to Brook. “Sorry, but David has to do this.”

“Do what?” Brook asked.

“David, give me your car keys. Brook and I will go to dinner, and I’ll explain this to her. Text me when you’re done,” Halle almost pleaded.

“What’s going on?” Brook asked.

How do you explain something like this? Rita James needed someone to help her work through what she described as a catharsis. She would have negative feelings build up until she needed a release. The first time I’d done it, I was unsure of what to do. She needed someone to dominate her in a very physical way. Part of the release had been to spank her until she cried uncontrollably. I’d hated that part. I’d been brought up never to strike a woman, and when women cried, I didn’t know what to do.

The second part was vigorous sex. Rita James rated right up there with Adrienne as one of my sexual fantasies. That was true, even though she was old enough to have a daughter my age, who happened to be someone I’d dated.

The question was, how would I explain this to Brook when I didn’t understand all this myself? I could imagine this conversation in reverse. ‘Hey, David, guess what. One of my ex-boyfriends’ dad is having an emotional crisis, and I need to spank him and have sex with him. You’re the greatest for understanding!’

“I’m not sure I can do this,” I admitted to Halle. “If I were to, Brook would break up with me.”

“Okay, someone better start talking,” Brook said as she started to get mad.

I looked at Halle helplessly. If she wanted me to do this, then she had better convince my girlfriend.

“Go talk to my mom. It would be best if I talked to Brook alone,” Halle said.

So, I wandered through the house until I found her in the solarium, looking off into space like she was deep in thought. I sat down in another chair. Rita didn’t even acknowledge me. I took the time to take in her beauty. She was nearly 40 and had the skin and body of a teenager. With the high-definition video they used to shoot movies, she had to look that way, or she’d never get work.

I’d seen plenty of ‘what they look like now’ slide shows on celebrity websites. They would show the celebrity when they were famous and what they looked like twenty years later. It was amazing how only a handful were still attractive.

Rita and I sat there, not saying anything for close to twenty minutes. Then Halle stuck her head in the door and nodded. It was apparent that she’d been crying. I began to get up to talk to her, but she pointed to her mom and walked out.

Rita was sitting in a love seat, so I joined her. She seemed to come to herself, and our eyes locked. It was almost like she could see into my soul. Rita’s eyes widened when she guessed why I was there with her, alone.

“David, why are you here?”

“Halle said you were having a rough day. I came to help you.”

“We shouldn’t.”

“I agree, but we both know you need this.”

“I can’t. The first time was a mistake. The second was just wrong. I can’t do this again. You’re too young.”