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AUTUMN'S LEAVE
by
Ritch Christopher
CHAPTER THREE
I stumbled around in the kitchen trying to make a morning pot of coffee, thinking that last night had been the longest, and shortest, night of my life. At times I had thought it would never end, while at other times I wished it would go on forever. Tom had sensed my fear, nerves, and also doubt as he let still another facet of his personality emerge. He took the sex slow and gentle, letting me familiarize myself with each new action, well, 'new' to me at least. Sometimes I must've appeared dense by some of the things he encouraged me to do. Instead getting angry or impatient, he took the time to demonstrate what he wanted me to do until the light dawned and I completed my task.
I showered again at the conclusion of our sex, but not because I felt dirty, physically, morally, emotionally, or otherwise. I wasn't sure I how I felt. The sex had been both stimulating and gratifying. I had done things I'd never dreamed of doing, but with Tom, everything seemed OK. I had not been repulsed or turned off, I was a bit scared and surprised when I realized I'd taken his male organ in my mouth but the extreme pleasured I'd received when I entered his body during intercourse had delighted me. I wasn't ready or agreeable, just yet, to have him reciprocate the action on me. Maybe in the future. Yes, there would be a future time. I'd made my mind up before I began that this was to be a one shot experiment and I'd never pursue these prurient acts again. But that's like eating one Lay's potato chips and vowing not to eat more than one...or dipping your finger in your mother's divinity icing and saying you didn't want more. I did want more...but only if it involved Tom. I'd hadn't suddenly turned gay in one night. I wasn't going to make a habit of looking at other men or watching the team shower in a new light. No one else interested me. After all, I was married and straight. I was convinced that I genuinely felt something for Tom...maybe the "father/son" syndrome...maybe not. I wasn't sure about the real reasoning but I was glad I had done it.
Now I was toying with the question of should I tell Nina or not. To tell me to do something is one thing, but for me actually to have done it might be a horse of a different color. Hell, she had given her permission but she still had grounds to divorce me. That's the last thing I wanted...to lose a wife such as Nina was not worth all the Toms in the world. If she had slipped down the stairs while Tom and I were engaging in our sometimes "loud" sexual activities, then I ran the risk of lying if I were to deny it to her. However, if she'd gone to sleep before Tom and I began, then maybe she wouldn't know, although she would have unproven suspicions. Shit, the Nina problem made me more ill at ease than the sex with Tom.
I told Tom to play innocence to the hilt at the breakfast table and to not "let on" or give a clue about our adventure unless he and or I got the impression that Nina "knew". That phrase brought a smile to me. There's an old popular standard song called, "Nina Never Knew". Huh! If that were only true because it was Nina who first knew about Tom's and my feelings toward one another...even before I was aware of it. Nina had always been a "smart cookie" with great perception. I suppose that's why I'd never lied to her since I'd known her.
Tom entered the kitchen before Nina came from upstairs. He was holding his uniform he'd brought dirty with him from the yesterday's practice. It was all clean and on a hanger.
"Did you do this after you left me?" Tom asked, holding up the uniform, head-high.
"No, I did." answered Nina as she followed Tom into the kitchen. "I saw it in a bag that Tom left in the den. I woke up around two this morning, came down, saw the dirty clothes, washed. dried, and ran a warm iron over them while you boys must've been sleeping. I didn't see you, Jim, so I just assumed you'd decided to crash in the guest room with our guest."
I was bowled over with her remark. It was one of those rare times when I couldn't tell if she were being sincere or sincerely sarcastic. I looked at Tom to get a reading of his expression. The blood had drained from his face and he looked pallid and speechless, like the kid who got caught with both hands in the cookie jar.
"That was nice of you, darling" I managed to say.
"Yeah, Nina, thanks!" Tom echoed.
"I certainly hope you boys slept better than I," she said. I felt as though she was baiting me or setting a trap for me to make the wrong response.
"Oh?" is all I could reply.
"Yes," she added. "I had this tremendous sinus headache and awoke with my right sinus passage congested."
"I'm sorry." I said, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"It's all better now. Why don't you boys sit down at the table while I cook breakfast?" she said.
"Nina, let me help you!" Tom offered.
"OK, look in the refrigerator and get about six or seven eggs, break them in that white bowl by the sink and kinda whomp 'em up. Think you can handle that?"
"Sure!" Tom said rushing to get the eggs...anything to get busy and avoid the conversation.
"Jim, I see you've already got the coffee brewing, why don't you start frying some sausage and bacon while I go to the front porch and get the morning paper?" she said, leaving the kitchen.
"Do you think she knows?" Tom asked in a loud whisper after Nina had gone.
"Hell, yes, she knows!" I said. "I know her too well,"
"Do you think she'll say anything?" Tom asked nervously.
"I'm sure she will. It's just a matter of when and how much she'll say."
"Do you think I should make a fast exit before she gets back?"
"Heck, no! You can't walk to school from here, it's too far. She'd stop to pick you up in our car before you ran halfway there."
"I COULD go shower again, I suppose," Tom said.
"No, just act normally and face the music when and if she starts conducting,"I told him as I placed two skillets on the stove and went to the crisper where we kept bacon and sausage.
Nina returned, reading the morning headlines of the paper.
"Anything happening in the news?" I asked, hoping to start a morning conversation.
"Yes," she continued to read, "Seems like the President has warned France that he'll blow up the Eiffel Tower if the French don't give us the terrorists they've captured."
"You're KIDDING!" I exclaimed.
"Yes, I'm kidding, but it wouldn't surprise me if he did." she said, smiling, but not looking up from the paper. She added, "I think someone had better show him how to tie his shoes before he goes off on a foreign affairs tangent."
"He IS an asshole," I said, agreeing with her.
"Here's an item in the newspaper...something that he DID do." she remarked.
"Oh? What?" I asked, with genuine concern. I would keep the topic of morning talk focused on items in the news if it was possible.
"He vetoed the bill that Congress had passed, doubling the funding for AIDS research."
"That stupid son-of-a-bitch! He'll probably ask that that money go to his supporters and make them richer than they already are." I said, putting bacon in the pan. "Boy, the right wing rules this country when it comes to helping others. That makes it even tougher, since AIDS is on the rise once again."
"I suppose people are just going to have to practice safer sex until he gets out of office. Thank God, AIDS is something we don't have to worry about." she said. Somehow, she had managed to turn the topic of conversation from terrorism to sex. I held my breath waiting on her next remark. "Tom," she continued, "pardon my being so personal and blunt, but do you practice safe sex?"
"Yes, maam. Always!" Tom replied, his voice quivering. Now both Tom and I were on edge.
"I just asked because so many young men your age are careless and think that they're immune. They assume the people they go to bed with are trustworthy, but that's often not the case."
"Nina, I've always been careful." Tom replied.
"I'm glad to hear that. That means that Jim is safe then."
"Pardon?"
"Nina?" We asked together.
"Did you two think I was blind or that I'd lost my senses when I discovered you were spending the night together?"
"Nina, please!" I interrupted, "Can't we discuss this when the two of us are alone?"
"Why? Tom is involved. Why can't the THREE of us discuss it now? We have an half hour before it's time to leave for school." she said, looking up and folding the paper.
"All right," I said, turning the heat off under the skillets. "Let's discuss it. Tom doesn't know, but I seem to recall it was your idea that I spend the night with him."
"You're right, it was my idea. I just want to know who profited the most from my suggestion and who profited the least! Did you enjoy yourself, Jim?"
"Yes," I said reluctantly, "it was...it was...'different', if that's what you want to know."
"Wait a minute," Tom interjected, "are you saying I was the guinea pig of some plot or scheme hatched up between the two of you?"
"No," I said, firmly.
"Well, yes and no." Nina corrected me.
"Then I should be let in on as to who is telling the truth." Tom said, staring at Nina and me. pointedly.
"Tom, it's been obvious to me since the first time I saw you and Jim together that something's going on, or at least I saw the way you were looking at my husband."
"Nina, I don't think that..."
"Don't deny it, Tom. Jim was looking at you the same way, although he didn't know it until I made him aware of it last night after you had gone to bed."
"Nina, please!" Once again, I pleaded.
"I would just like to know if my little experiment worked or not?" she asked.
"What experiment?" Tom exclaimed.
"I wanted Jim to find out if his gay desires were real or if it was just a whimsical fantasy a man often gets in his seventh year of marriage."
"Nina, I don't think that the seven year itch refers to homosexual encounters." I said in defense.
"Jim, darling, this is the 21st century. Mores have changed and illicit affairs are more open now. Who knows? I might decide to have a Lesbian fling myself."
"Nina, this is ridiculous!" I said. "If you want to know what happened between Tom and me, I'll tell you. Please let's not make some MGM spectacle out it. Do you want to know the details? I'm afraid I can't tell you those with Tom standing here."
"I don't need any lurid descriptions. I'm just trying to learn what you had found out about yourself once the night ended."
"Nina, this conversation can do no good. All I can say is that it was a first time experience as if I'd taken my first plane flight or stood up on a surf board. I really had nothing to compare it with. Going to bed with a male is totally unlike going to bed with you or any other woman. When I said it was 'different', that's exactly what I meant. Yes, I enjoyed it. I'm not sure I could stand a steady diet of it, but I'm glad I tried it. Now can we go on with breakfast? The rate we're going, all three of us will be late."
"Very well," she replied, "I just want both of you to know that I'm not jealous. I hope neither of you was disappointed with the other. Tom, I'm sorry if you felt you were victimized. That was not the point of the experiment...and, Jim, I apologize to you also, if you think I forced you into something you already had a yen for."
I was angry that she had brought up the subject. I was even more embarrassed to have this conversation in front of Tom. Two nights ago I'd gone to him in his grief. Last night I had gone to him to satisfy my curiosity, so in a way, I suppose he had been a victim. I wished I had had a longer talk with him before breakfast because after Nina came into the kitchen I still hadn't weighed the thought of how I felt about him now. I honestly couldn't say that Tom and I had made love. We'd had sex...and how! But making love was not my intention. The litmus test of how I felt could only be found during my next shower session when I was alone with my thoughts. While I was showering, just before I went to his room, I had truly desired his body and his sex. That was something I wasn't prepared to admit to Nina or to Tom for I was barely sure of it myself. I think the thing I remembered most about last night's escapade was feeling the weight of his balls when I held them in my hands. They were young, healthy, full of life, and large. I marvelled how they contracted upward into his scrotal cavity just before he reached a climax. I'd never seen anyone's semen that close except mine. It was odiferous like some aphrodisiac. I yearned to taste it and I did. I'd never tasted my own, but his was sweet like flavored yogurt. Once I had just a tiny bit of it on my tongue, I wanted more and I leaned forward and licked up every drop he had emitted. I couldn't seem to get enough of it...or him, for that matter.
I had worn a condom when I entered him, but I had longed to know if he was free from disease or infection because I wanted to explode my milk of manhood into his naked orifice and claim it as mine, the way you'd plant a flag on newly conquered territory. In recent years I always climaxed inside Nina, knowing it was safe from disease and her getting pregnant due to her abortion which had left her sterile.
Once the verbal battle had been called a truce, we commenced cooking breakfast. We ate in haste because of the time we'd wasted and left for school, arriving with no time to spare.
I didn't see Nina for the rest of the day, primarily because the language and science departments where we taught, were housed in separate buildings. Nor did I see Tom until after the final bell when the team met for after school practice.
Tom was either brave or a true gentleman. He listened to all my coaching and responded accordingly to a tee. He seemed more relaxed at practice and with the guys than he had demonstrated the day before. Two things were for certain...the kid was a natural quarterback and he knew how to play the game of football. He took to the playbook as if he'd written it. Dan and Bud only had to show him the play and number one time and he followed every letter of the call. The rest of the team was pulling for him because they knew they finally had a winner playing with them. The guys showed more teamwork, cooperation, topped with spirit and enthusiasm, more than I had ever seen them display. I only hoped there wouldn't be a problem about showering as I had anticipated from Tom's action twenty-four hours before. I worried even more when Harm slapped him across the buttocks and said, "Great practice, buddy, let's go shower!", because I had remembered how Tom had queried me about Harm's sexuality, so Tom might have an attraction there that neither of us was aware of. I was even more surprised when Tom agreed to go to the showers with Harm and the rest of the team.
I wanted to go spy, but I ran the risk of Tom's thinking I was checking up on him, while at the same time, if Tom found himself getting aroused in the shower. I wondered how would he cope with the ribbing and teasing the team would give him. I needed to be there to protect him, just in case. I slowly sauntered into the locker room and pretended to check on some of the equipment that needed repairs before Friday's game. Most of the team had already showered and gotten dressed before I arrived. Tom was still at his locker in his uniform. I supposed that the object of his plan was to wait until everyone had left, then he would enter the shower by himself. All the team left except Harm, Phil, Howie, and Wiley, the three I had invited to dinner Saturday. They were stragglers and always took long showers, as well as being close buddies. The four of them were involved in their usual horseplay when Tom joined them in the shower. They had either forgotten I was in the room or had chosen to ignore me as they slapped each other on the butt and grabbed at one another's crotch. Tom got under a shower head completely on the other side of the shower for safety and to watch them and their water shenanigans.
"See, Phil," Wiley said, "I told you Howie had the hots for you! Look, he's getting hard."
"On your life!" Howie yelled, "I was standing here thinking about your mother. Does she still put out for the mailman like she does for me, Wiley?"
"Hey, look!", Wiley shouted, "Phil's getting a boner too! Who's mother is that for, Phil?"
"None, Wiley, this one's for you, kid!" Phil joked.
"Oh, no!" Wiley replied, "I don't like 'em that little! How the fuck can you stand up to pee with that little dick, Phil? You oughta squat so you don't pee on yourself."
"Shit, man!", Phil replied, "When it's all the way up, it's more than you can handle!"
"You mean you have another inch to go with one you're already showing?"
Tom was eyeing the naked teammates across the long shower stall and amused by their conversation. Two of the four already had hard-ons so if he should get aroused accidentally, then no one would think anything about it.
"Come here, Wiley," Phil commanded, "and watch this!" Phil reached down and began manipulating his organ until he had about a seven and an half inch erection. "Top that!" he said with pride.
"Fuck, that ain't nothin'" Howie answered, "look, here!" Howie had squeezed his manhood until it was longer that the one Phil was touting. "Now, what you got to show us, Wiley?"
"Sorry, guys, I concede. I can't even come close to matching either of yours. I guess when you were born the doctor must've pulled you out of your mother's womb...dick first. Me? I was pulled out head first. That's why I've got more brains than you idiots." Wylie replied.
While the three of them were bantering, Harm kept his back to them about six shower heads farther down the shower room. Tom was still a good twenty feet away from all four of them. He watched as the three exhibitionists tiptoed up behind Harm. Suddenly they grabbed Harm from the rear and spun him around.
"Let's see what the center has to offer!" Howie said.
"Hey, get away from me, you perverts, I don't like these games!" Harm said, halfway seriously.
"Kootchy Koo, let's tickle under Harm's balls and see if he's got anything to show off."
"Now, look," Harm said, "I'm warning all three of you..."
That's all it took to egg them on. The three of them tackled harm and he landed on his back. Phil straddled Harm's knees while Wiley pinned Tom's shoulders to the floor with his knees. This left Howie free to do anything he wanted to Harm as he reached and gripped Harm's penis and began whacking him. Naturally, the more Wylie stroked, the longer Harm's penis arose in Wylie's hand. No one had a ruler or measuring tape, but the three pranksters were sure that Harm's rod was at least nine inches, maybe longer.
"Good God Almighty!" Wylie exclaimed, "The Dick of Death!!1"
"Shit, man!" Phil chimed in, "Do you ever use that thing on Shirley?".
"I'm not telling you anything, you assholes, just let me up!" Harm yelled.
"My God, if you did, I'll bet her pussy's stretched so far out of proportion, it must sound like a waterfall in a cave when she goes to pee!" Howie added.
The three of them turned around and noticed their new quarterback way down at the end of the showers.
"Hey, Tom!" Howie yelled, "Come get a look at this thing that could attack your hands when you take the snap between his legs!"
"That's OK," Tom replied, "I'll take your word for it!"
"Aw, come on," Howie added, "You may never get a chance to see the eighth wonder of the world again!!"
The whole time while the boys were yelling back and forth, Wylie had continued stroking Harm. Harm had stopped his resistance and was lying in the floor, enjoying the hand massage. Suddenly Wylie was aware he'd gone too far as he felt the rod about to spring forth in his hand.
"Hey, meathead! You're not going to cum on me, are you?" Wylie screamed.
"Too late!" Harm shouted back at him.
Harm's eruption would have challenged Mt. Vesuvius. Never had any of the three on-lookers seen such an array of spurts. The sperm went approximately four feet in the air, stream after stream, spew after spew, hitting all three of their chests and faces. One large dollop landed on Phil's nose. Wylie used his second hand to cap the geyser which completely covered his palm.
"Good God!" Phil exclaimed, wiping his nose and face, "Harm's a walking sperm bank."
Wylie quickly added, "Never have so few strokes emitted so much to so few."
All of them began to laugh, including Harm who laughed the loudest. None of them realized I had witness the entire episode until I laughed hard enough to fall against one of the metal lockers. The Three Stooge's routine had saved Tom from any embarrassment he might have suffered from his erection problem, otherwise, because he was laughing just as hard as they.
"Harm, you've just declared war!" Wylie hollered. "Come on guys, let's pay him back...You, too, Tom. Come over here!"
Tom didn't know what was going to happen but it seemed harmless enough. Wylie quickly positioned Phil to stand on Harm's right hand with his bare foot, while Howie took the left hand. Wylie sat on Harm's naked thighs and the three of them had him harnessed to the floor. Tom walked over to Harm's side and looked down at the captured prey.
Wylie looked at the three captors and said, "All right guys...on three...start jerking!...One...two...three.
On Wylie's cue, Phil, Howie, AND Tom starting masturbating with their penises all pointed downward at Harm's prone body.
"Last one to cum is a fairy!" Wylie said, as he joined the his teammates in the manual exercise.
Phil yelled into the locker room, "Hey, Coach! Wanna come cum on Harm?"
"No thanks, I learned years ago never to stand in harm's way." I joked.
"Oh, God!" they all groaned, "Coach, that was a pretty bad pun."
"Well it was all I could cum up with." I replied. "You boys go ahead and have your fun...Just make sure all the shower heads are turned off when you get through."
"We will, Coach!" one of them yelled.
I knew it was time for me to leave, but for some reason unbeknownst to me. I wanted to stay. I was suddenly interested in looking at their naked bodies and their erections about to achieve orgasm. Tom was following suit, emulating them, but he kept his eyes locked on me as he jerked himself.
Phil was the first to ejaculate. He sprayed half of Harm's chest with his jism as Phil did the same thing to the other. Wylie, all but straddling Harm's crotch was the next to shoot. His semen went all over Harm's waist territory and beyond. To prove he was one of them, Tom shot his load onto Harm's midsection.
"OK, Guys!," Wiley added, "Now the four of us are going to give Harm a skin treatment. Get on your knees and lets spread him with that teen cream, fortified with protein so that hair will grow all over his body."
The four teammates knelt around their center as four hungry lions would to a zebra, and rubbed their liquid deposits all over Harm's body until he was sticky and gooey from head to do. Harm didn't stop them as he relished the attention they were reeking on him.
"I hope you guys had your fun," Harm said, "but you won't know when or where you'll be when I decide to get even with you. It may be in a group or individually, but you'll know when it happens."
This was nothing new for Harm and his three regular compatriots. They played jokes on each other all the time. Tom was glad he'd been accepted enough to join their inner circle of friendship. While standing in the locker room observing, I got the same pleasure in watching Tom unofficially join the team.
When I was satisfied that there was to be no problem or fights, I left the four of them, still in the shower having fun heaping havoc on the fallen Harm. This was also a sneaky way of making my escape from Tom. Even though I wanted to talk with him privately, I didn't want to put myself in the situation of his wanting to go home with me for a third consecutive night, for, at the moment, I didn't like the idea of repeating last night's performance. I needed time to be alone with Nina and iron out any harsh feelings she might've had. I saw Jerry, the custodian, and asked him to lock up the locker room for me when the guests were finished getting dressed. I drove to the entrance of the language lab and saw Nina waiting for me. I rolled down my window and gave her a wolf whistle and a wink.
"Hiya, toots! Wanna go for a spin in my jalopy?"
"Whacha got in mind, Jughead?" she replied, getting in the car.
"That's not fair," I whined. "You're not playing fair. You've always called me Archie. What's with 'Jughead' all of a sudden?"
"I don't know, it just seemed right at the moment. I didn't mean anything by it. If I had, I'd've called you Reggie, the obnoxious roue."
"Ouch! Do I detect venom seeping from the tongue of the viperess?"
"No, darling, I said all I had to say at the breakfast table this morning. As far as I'm concerned, the incident is over and the matter is closed...That is, unless you decide to bring the topic up again."
"Don't forget, Nina, it was your idea, not mine!" I said, in defense.
"Well...maybe I was wrong. It would be the first time, though," she teased.
"You know, Nina, I'm beginning to see a streak of jealousy in you. You've never shown that before."
"That's because I never had Goldilocks sleeping in Papa Bear's bed... WITH Papa Bear before!" she snapped.
"Things are becoming clearer. You gave me permission to sleep with Tom, thinking that I wouldn't, and since I did, all of a sudden I betrayed you. You're jealous of a boy!"
"That's what's so goddamned ironic, I'd feel better if you'd slept with that girl...your student that chased you for a whole year. I never dreamed it would be so demoralizing for a woman to find out her husband went to bed with someone of his own gender." There was a tiny quiver of hurt in her voice. "How do you think you'd feel if I had gone to bed with a woman."
"I'm not sure," I replied, "but it wouldn't affect me in the same way that Tom did you. At least I would be relieved in knowing that you wouldn't get pregnant."
"Oh? Are you telling me that you or Tom will be missing your period this month?"
"No, dammit! You know what I mean!" I said.
"You DID use a condom, didn't you?" she interjected. "That is...if you did anything where you might have needed one." She was fishing for details and I knew it!
"Yes, Nina, I used a condom! Are you satisfied."
"That means you fucked him!"
"Not necessarily!"
"But you did!" she said, topping my volume. "Did he use one with you?"
"NO!"
"He fucked you unsafely?"
"No, Nina, he didn't. I didn't let him. I didn't want to." I said, almost regretfully.
"Then, what did you do?...NO!! Don't answer that! I don't want to know!" she added, quickly.
"You do, or you wouldn't've asked." I said.
"Oh, Jim, don't tell me you went down on him..."
"All right, I won't!"
"But you did, didn't you?"
I didn't answer her.
"Jim, how could you?...The very idea of that revolts me!"
"Why? You used to go down on me when we first married."
"But that was different."
"In what way? Let me ask you something. Would you ever go down on another woman?"
"Heavens, no!"
"Why not?"
"Even though I have a vagina, putting my mouth on someone else's would make me sick to my stomach."
"And putting a penis in your mouth doesn't?"
"Not as much."
"Well, maybe my feminine side erupted and I found the male sex organ more attractive than the female's. You do...or did!"
"I see your point, although I don't completely agree with it."
"Nina, I thought you didn't want to discuss this any more."
"I don't!"
"Then enough's been said. All right?"
"All right."
We remained silent the rest of the way home. We fixed a light dinner and took it into the den to watch TV rather than creating a different topic of dinner conversation. When we were finished eating, I gathered the dishes and put them in the sink to soak. When I returned to the den, Nina had gone to the bedroom to put on her nightgown and robe.
"Hey Nina!" I called from downstairs.
"Yes?"
"You wanna watch that Bruce Willis movie on Cinemax? You know, the one you've been dying to see?"
"You mean the one where he plays the transvestite?"
"Yes."
"No, thanks. There's been enough perversion in this house during the past twenty-four hours...I'm tired and think I'll go to bed."
Jesus! She didn't want to talk about what happened, but she keeping bringing up the subject with her insinuating remarks. I went to the bar and made myself a stiff drink. I wasn't ready to shower yet, so I would use alcohol to rid my tension. I opted not to watch Bruce Willis. Instead I surfed the channels until I found and old "B" movie starring the "sexless" sexpot, Tracy Lord. Watching her would turn Jerry Falwell gay...but the film was diverting, if not stimulating.
It was nine-thirty and thoughts of Tom had crossed through my mind as I'd watched the sex scenes. I wondered what he was doing and what he was thinking, alone in his dorm room. Fifteen minutes later, I called the dorm monitor.
"Hi, Harry, this is Coach Kerr. I'd like to speak to my new quarterback, Tom Summerfield. Would you go to his room and call him to the phone?"
"Yessir." Harry replied, "just hold the phone and I'll go get him."
Three minutes passed before Harry returned to the phone,
"Coach?"
"Yes,"
"He's not in his room."
"Oh?"
"No, sir. One of the guys said he'd seen Tom go out to dinner earlier with Harm Lewis and they're not back yet."
"All right. Would you leave him a note or if you see him, would you ask him to give me a call? My number is on the faculty emergency phone list in your directory."
"Yessir, I will."
I went back to the TV and flipped a few more channels. A movie was coming on the Movie Channel called, "Making Love" with Kate Jackson. That sounded tolerable so I began to watch and became more and more engrossed as her husband, played by Michael Ontkean began to doubt his sexuality and became infatuated with Harry Hamlin from "L.A. Law". Forty minutes into the picture, Michael and Harry were locked in a kiss and were naked in bed together. My hand slipped between my legs only to discover I was fully aroused. The movie ended at midnight and Tom still hadn't called.
Once more, I called the dorm and Harry answered.
"Harry, did Tom ever return to the dorm?"
"I didn't see him, sir."
I panicked with fear that Tom had returned to the bar where the police had found him Friday night. There was so much at stake, especially the upcoming game, Friday night, as well as the police putting Tom on "partial watch" which amounted to a form of probation. Damn! If Dean Connelly found out, he'd have my ass!
Not telling Nina I was going out, I quietly went out the door, started my car and headed toward the dorm. The first place to check would be to talk with Harm. Harm knew how strict I was about players' curfew, especially during the week before a big game. I parked the car and went to the monitor's desk where I saw Harry.
"Hi, Harry!"
"Coach."
"Still no sign of Tom?"
"No, sir."
"Can you tell me Harm Lewis' room number?
"Two-fourteen, sir."
"Thanks, I won't be but a minute. I have a couple of new plays I want Harm to look at before practice tomorrow afternoon."
"Go on up, sir."
I climbed the stairs by twos and quietly raced down the hall, counting room numbers as I sped.
I tapped lightly on two-fourteen and waited a couple of minutes before I heard the door lock unlatch. Harm greeted me, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around him.
"Coach! What are you doing here after midnight?"
"I..uh..had a late meeting and dropped by hoping to see if Tom was all right after his first full day of school and football practice, but he wasn't in his room. Harry, at the front desk, told me you and Tom had gone out for dinner and..uh..I..uh..was wondering if you'd seen him?"
"Well, uh..sure, Coach,...I...uh...saw him around seven o'clock."
"Do you know where he is now?" I asked with urgency.
"Uh...well.." Harm stammered.
"COACH! IS THAT YOU?" came Tom's voice from inside Harm's room.
"TOM?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you OK?"
"Never better! Come on in." Tom called.
"Coach, let me explain..." Harm said, blocking his doorway.
I ignored Harm and moderately pushed past him and went into the room. Tom was lying in the only bed, totally naked, looking happy, but surprised to see me.
"Harm and I had dinner and then we came to his room to watch DVD's and discuss a few of Friday's plays. It got late so I just decided to spend the night with him." Tom explained. He wasn't at all embarrassed because he didn't attempt to cover his nudity.
I wasn't sure if he was trying to make me jealous or if he was trying to brag that he'd convinced Harm to go to bed with him. Poor Harm was standing in the middle of the floor, not knowing what to say to me. His face was flushed because he felt I'd discovered his most hidden secret. Apparently, Harm HAD wriggled his butt when Tom took his snap.
"Coach..I..uh..." was about all Harm could say.
"Don't worry, Harm. If you have anything to hide, your secret is safe with me." I assured him,
"But, it's just that...well...I..." Harm tried, once again.
"Let me interpret what he's trying to say, Coach." Tom said. "He says that he's been in the closet for years but he's finally glad that you found out what a great cocksucker he is!"
I thought Harm would explode as I broke into laughter over Tom's translation. Tom was laughing, too.
"Relax, Harm," Tom said. "Coach knows all about me and it's OK if he knows about you. Coach is a great guy and very understanding. He knows about guys like us and doesn't give it a second thought."
When Harm could phrase a whole sentence, he pleaded, "Coach, promise me you won't say a word to any of the rest of the team. Some of 'em are red necks, you know, and they'd either quit the team or make my life hell."
"You mean no one knows?" I kidded.
"Well, just Tom...and you."
"Jesus! It seems to me that the last time I saw you, you were covered in gobs of jism from Howie, Phil, and Wylie...and they didn't seem to mind," I said.
"Yeah, but they were just kiddin' around. They didn't mean it for real. If they'd known I was enjoyin' what they were doin' to me, well...I don't know what would have happened."
"Well, you found out when Tom came to your room, didn't you?"
"Yeah! He nearly shocked the shit out of me!" Harm said.
"Then I fucked the shit out of him!" Tom added.
"Damn, man! Do you have to tell everything all at once?" Harm asked him.
"I told you, Coach doesn't care. Do you, Coach?"
"Not as long as it doesn't interfere with the game." I said.
"Well, we were just following your instructions." Tom said. "You told us to get to know each other."
"I'd better be careful what I say, next time." I added, trying not to smile.
"Coach, you wanna take off your clothes and go a round with us before you go home to your wife?" Tom asked, innocently.
I gave Tom a warning look. I hoped and prayed he hadn't told Harm about his and my escapade.
"No, gentlemen, I appreciate the invitation, but I'll respect your preference if you'll respect mine."
"Yessir!" Harm said.
"Then, now that I know that you're OK, Tom, I'll be off." I said, leaving, "You guys better knock it off and get some rest. We gonna have a heavy-duty practice this afternoon."
"We'll be ready for it!" Tom said.
"Well, good night, boys"
"'night, Coach" they said in unison.
I closed the door and stood there holding on the the doorknob behind me trying to regain my composure. I was shocked and as I walked down the hallway of the door, I began to feel betrayed. Tom had been unfaithful to me. Fuck! UNFAITHFUL TO ME? Tom and I didn't have a relationship. What promoted this feeling? Why did I suddenly resent Harm? Harm was in the arms that had embraced me, some twenty hours earlier and I was jealous as hell.
I was angry and depressed when I drove home. Boy! Nina would love to know what I'd just seen. She would be delirious with delight. Goddammit!! If I had only brought Tom home with me for dinner, none of this would've happened. It was partially my fault for rejecting my feelings... but at the time, I wasn't aware of my true feelings. I had a crush on my quarterback and the idea of it was driving me insane. I knew I'd have to jerk off at least three times in the shower when I got home, just to relax. That's when I discovered I'd been so preoccupied with my thoughts, I'd completely driven past my house and never noticed it.
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(To be continued in Chapter Four)