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“Gravy capital of the USA,” I joke.
“Is it really?”
I can’t help but laugh. “No, but it probably should be. Around here, gravy is practically its own food group.”
When we’ve both ordered a couple of salads, we hand our menus to the waitress and sit in silence for a moment.
I’m the first one to speak. “Okay, Coach, I know you didn’t just make your way out here to this tiny map dot just to say hi. What’s going on?”
“I’ve been worried about you,” she begins. “You weren’t doing so great last time we saw each other. Are things better?”
She seems to be almost skipping over getting to the point, but I guess I’ll play along. “I’m doing better. Shit was rough for a while, but I made it through.”
“With your fighting spirit, I’m not surprised. You’ve always been tough.”
I don’t go into details about exactlyhowrough things got. I’m not sure that’s a path I want to go down. Instead, I just give an awkward nod.
She says, “It looks like things are going pretty well here, but I have a proposition for you if you’re interested.”
“Oh?” I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little intrigued. “I’m listening.”
“Yes. See, we seem to be short one assistant coach, and I told the school that I had someone who would be perfect for the job.”
“What?”
“Sandy had some family stuff going on, so she quit a few weeks ago. You know I can do it by myself, but it’s always easier when I have help.”
My mouth hangs open because I have a million questions but no idea which one to start with.
She starts speaking again, so I don’t have to. “The school would provide housing for you if you want it, and you’d still get a paycheck. And I’ve worked it out with the university that you could finish your degree at a severely discounted rate. I know coaching isn’t the same thing as playing, but I think the team would benefit from having you there. You had a knack for it like no one I’ve ever seen.”
My mind is running a million miles a minute. What question should I ask first? I settle on, “How much of a time commitment is this? Would I have to live there full time?”
Part of me already knows the answer to this question because I know firsthand how much the players practice and train.
Coach says, “Well, during the season, it’s pretty full-time, but I guess during the off-season, it could be more of a part-time gig.”
A month ago, I would have jumped at this opportunity, and I would already have my bags packed and be out the door. But now? Now, everything is different.
The life I left behind now seems so far away. It seems like a lifetime ago. Do I really want to give up what I have now to return to that? Not long ago, I wouldn’t have had to think about my answer.
But now, I do.
“Can I think about it?” I ask.
“Uh, sure,”
“When do you need an answer by?”
“Well, Jen, I thought I would be leaving here with one.”
“I just,” I begin. “Things are different. I have a lot of factors to consider now.”
“Does one of those factors happen to have a penis?” She jokes.
“Maybe,” I blush.
“Look, I get it. Please take a couple of days to think it over. I just think it would be a great opportunity for everyone involved. And just because you take the job doesn’t mean things have to end between you and him.”
