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We spent a few months hooking up, then eventually got together. I woke up one morning and realized she wasn’t really leaving, and we kind of fell into this. It just happened. We recently got serious, and sometimes she hints at getting married. I can’t even fathom having to be financially responsible for her lifestyle, even with a full-time job. Coaching a high school football team doesn’t even pay enough for her trips to the salon every month or her “refreshers,” which, I have learned, are her various therapies. Botox, lasers, and some other things I wish I hadn’t learned about what my girlfriend does to keep looking the way she does.
The cost of being a woman, today, I guess. There’s nothing wrong with that. When you love someone, you accept them for their flaws, right? She’s definitely not without those. Same for me.
The head coach at El Dorado Union is Thomas Greenfield. He has been the footballandbasketball coach for the last twenty or so years. He wasn’t looking to retire, but I heard he was looking to give up the football team, so he didn’t have to travel as much. Something about spending more time with his family. Honestly, I don’t know how one would handle that much responsibility, but it’s a smaller high school.
He barely gave me an interview when he realized who I was. It wasn’t even an interview, per se. He called me after he read my resume and wanted to clarify if I wasthatLucas Kennedy he knew from Bear Valley.
He was happy to have someone local join the team. He said he remembered when we were the only team to actually beat his when I was playing and mentioned he tried negotiating a trade with my coach, Matheson. It’s kind of flattering, actually.
I didn’t think that was a thing, but it made me laugh. I like this guy, though. A lot. We’re going to get along great.
After I confirmed who I was, he basically said the job was mine and emailed me the contract they had prepared. For a recent college graduate with fresh teaching credentials and little on-the-job experience, this was a good gig for me to land. Especially since it wasn’t like they could draft me into the NFL. I made my peace with that, though, after my first season in college.
Professional football wasn’t really something I wanted to do, but I still wanted to encourage others to grow and play a sport they love. Coaching high school football is where I want to be. So I worked hard the rest of my way through school and studied pretty hard to finish. After seeing some of my friends settle down, even during college, I realized I wanted that too. A house, family, all of it. Kids down the road, but not too far down.
I pull into the driveway in front of my house. My dad and his wife just sold his mechanic shop a few months ago, then retired early and moved to Arizona to spend their life doing whatever people do in the desert. Jen, his wife that he met while fixing her car, had a husband who passed away about ten years ago, but he left her a lot of money to make it the rest of her life, so they live comfortably. I’m glad to see them happy together. When my dad got a house in Arizona, he left his house for me, so I didn’t have to worry about renting.
I notice Kat’s car in the driveway and quickly realize why she didn’t answer my calls. She is either drunk and lost her phone or passed out. I get she is fun and wants to party all the time, but as much as she brings up getting married, she needs to grow up a bit. Maybe it’s just my issues. I don’t particularly like not being in control of my body, where Kat likes to let loose often.
I can’t blame her for the way she is. She’s her dad’s princess, and I’ve seen Mark, her father, give in to her plenty. Yeah, she’s spoiled. Still, she’s one of the most beautiful girls I have known, and when she’s not completely wasted, we have a lot of fun. To top it off, she knows exactly how to please me.
“Kat?”
Just as I suspected, she’s lying on my bed completely sprawled out in one of my shirts and nothing else. I used to just jump her when I walked into the room with her like that, but she used to be awake and would do it to welcome me back from class. Now, it’s just her way of sleeping off a hangover.
Once I get her settled under the covers and set down a glass of water and some aspirin for when she wakes up, I head into the garage to work on my old Charger. I left it behind when I went to college since I wouldn’t need it while I lived on campus. Lots of fond memories in it, though.
My phone rings while I’m on my back under the car. Sliding out from underneath, I hit my head on the bumper from getting up too quickly. “Fuck!”
Fortunately, I get to the phone just before it stops ringing, answering it out of breath. “Hello?”
“Hey Lucas, it’s Tom. Listen, I’m having some tryouts for the freshmen and sophomores that want to get onto the junior varsity team this weekend. I know the contract hasn’t gone through just yet, but if you’d like, you can come and observe. Maybe meet some of the other coaching staff and the players already on the team for next season.”
Small giggles and then a screaming laugh carry through the line. It sounds like a kid. Tom keeps shushing them while on the phone.
“Sorry, I have my grandson tonight while my daughter is out.”
“That’s fine,” I chuckle. “Yeah, that sounds great. Just send me the details and I’ll be there.”
“Sounds good. I’ll send it over tonight. It starts at seven tomorrow morning. Coaches are usually there about thirty minutes early.”
“Grampa! Look at me!” that little voice yells in the background.
“Alright, I gotta go. He’s a climber, and about to jump from the fridge to the floor.”
He hangs up before I can say anything. I heard, back in high school, he had a daughter around my age. Everyone said she was really pretty but that no one could touch her because of Tom. Pretty young to have what sounds like a small kid.
Apparently, he let somebody touch her.
Whatever, it’s none of my business.
Chapter7
Lucas
The screaming laughter in the living room from Kat and some of her friends woke me at 2am. I stayed in bed instead of going out there. Her friends can get handsy and I didn’t need it today. Despite the interruption, this morning hit me with a burst of energy. With a kiss to Kat’s head while she slept, I left her a note on the nightstand letting her know where I would be. She crawled into bed around 4:30am, so she’ll be out until after I get back.
Once I’m on the road, I pull out my sunglasses and head for the school. Summer vacation just started for the students, and the bright morning sun is killer already. It’s a good thing they’re starting somewhat early.
