David�s first semester at USC is over, and he has learned some hard truths. He needs to accept who he is, which begins with the London World Premier of his James Bond movie. He is famous, and there is nothing he can do to change that. On campus, David vows not to repeat mistakes he made in the past regarding football. He is not going to lie down and let his rival at quarterback beat him out.
Dedication
Our Fondest Memories
David had arrived in London earlier in the day because tomorrow would be the World Premiere of his James Bond movie,
They would also have many of the cast members, including the Bond girls, on the show. David had been asked to do an interview on the BBC. They were doing a special on the franchise, and he�d been slotted into the coveted final twenty-minute segment. He had Frank Ingram with him in his hotel suite. They were supposed to be prepping for the interview. Instead, they were dealing with the fallout from their flight there.
�I want to expose him for the pig that he is! He asked me if I wanted to blow him in the lavatory, for heaven�s sake,� Kristen Todd loudly complained.
�And I said �No� for you,� David retorted, peeved.
Lexi Andon, David�s usual personal assistant, or PA, had bailed on him to go work for Ben Cowley, who was filming in Paris this summer. Ben had worked with David on his three
So, when Lexi called and said Ben needed a PA, David gave his blessing. Besides, for all the work she�d done for him, she deserved a summer trip to Paris. Now, he was regretting that generosity.
At the moment, David also was planning the demise of Kent Crain, the man in charge of assigning PAs and personal managers in his wealth management company. Kent had a pool of people to select from that ranged from a former PA of David�s to others he considered friends. Instead, Kent sent him Kristen.
David suspected that Kent was sleeping with her because she had zero experience doing this type of work. Kristen was H O T hot, and she had previously been a wannabe actress. David had heard that Kent had met her at some bar and tried to launch her career. He called in several favors to get her auditions, but the girl was a bull in a china shop.
The trip had started off with her bitching about having to drive herself to the airport. Since she was Academy Award-winning actor David A. Dawson�s PA, she felt that she should also get a limo. Then she threw such a fit about not flying first class that David paid to make that happen; he was just lucky there was a seat available.
Before they�d even gotten off the ground, Kristen went total fangirl and started asking for autographs. The flight was full of people from the movie, so she felt she had a captive audience and planned to make the most of it.
David was seated across the aisle from Grant Quigley. He was older�probably mid-sixties�and had been in movies for the past forty years. The two of them had gotten to know each other during downtimes while filming. Grant had a wicked sense of humor that always seemed to draw a crowd.
The two men were getting settled when Kristen appeared.
�You�re Grant Quigley. You played M in the movie. Could I get your autograph?�
�Kristen, leave him alone and go sit down,� David ordered. �Once we land and have gotten settled in, I�m sure Grant will be more than happy to give you an autograph.
�That�s okay. Many of my fans want something to remember meeting me by,� Grant said to play it off.
David�s least favorite aspect of his fame was that people would just come up and impose themselves on him. If this had been a fellow flyer or a flight attendant, he would have just ignored it. But this was his PA pestering a fellow actor.
�Do you have something to write on?� Grant asked.
Kristen gave him a stupid look.
�No � I � uh,� she stammered.
�Do you have a pen?� he followed up with.
�I�ll be right back,� she said as she hurried back to her seat.
�I can tell her to forget it,� David offered.
�No, don�t. Like I said, I�m used to it.�
�I know, but she works for me,� David said to voice his inner thoughts.
�What happened to that cute one you were banging?� Grant asked.
While it hadn�t been a secret that Lexi had hooked up with David during filming, he wasn�t about to share details with this old horndog.
�Bite me. You�re on your own with Kristen,� David fired back with a grin.
David looked back to see what was taking her so long and about died when he saw his PA accosting Chubby Feldman.
�Kristen, get over here. I�ll find you a pen,� David hissed.
He stood up and opened the overhead where he�d put his carry-on. He pulled out a pen and handed it to her.
�I still don�t have anything for him to sign,� she whined.
She was on his last nerve as he rooted around until he found a notepad.
�Honey, do you want a memory that will help you remember today?� Grant asked.
Kristen nodded vigorously that she did.
�Why don�t we wait until the seatbelt sign goes off, and then we could find a quiet spot so you could blow me?�
Grant asked for oral sex like he was having a normal conversation, and his request was nothing out of the ordinary.
�Eff me, just sign the damned autograph,� David barked.
�You don�t have to get all territorial with your PAs,� the older man said as he held up his hands like he thought David would punch him.
He signed the autograph, and Kristen made a little happy bounce and then proceeded to harass everyone else.
�Dude, that was not cool,� David complained.
�Back in the day, that worked eight out of ten times,� Grant said to justify it.
�What about now?� David couldn�t resist asking.
�Two out of ten, but it�s still worth it to try,� he assured David.
Now, in the hotel room, Frank was carefully trying to talk David�s PA out of her attempt to start her own personal #MeToo moment. She quite obviously planned to use the press exposure that David and the James Bond movies were sure to generate to help her start it with a bang. Of course, the last thing that the film�s launch needed was that kind of press.
But David also wasn�t in the mood to help cover up Grant�s boorish behavior. Nor was he at all happy with Kent for foisting this particular female disaster on him in the first place. The one big difference, in this case, was that Grant had no influence over Kristen because she didn�t work for him.
David could see that his PR guy was about to burst a blood vessel, so he knew that he�d better step in before Frank said or did something that would escalate things and turn this into a mess.
�What do you hope to gain from all this?� David asked the girl.
Without even batting an eye, she said, �I want a role in Chubby Feldman�s next movie.�
David had to kick Frank out of the room before he strangled her. In David�s mind, it only took one person like Kristen to totally derail the whole #MeToo movement. Brave women, like his friend Halle James, had stepped forward and faced down a sexual predator. She�d done so knowing that it might very well get her blacklisted, and she might never work in Hollywood again.
Kristen was only doing this to further her nonexistent career.
David went and got her a bottle of water and tissues because she had started to fake-cry.
He sat down across from her before he started to talk calmly.
�I just want to be clear. What exactly do you plan to tell the press?�
�That he asked me to blow him.�
�Did you feel threatened?�
�No. It was just creepy for an old guy to hit on me,� Kristen said.
�Had you ever met him before?�
�No, but it doesn�t matter. If I make the allegation, they�ll believe me. I bet he�s done it before, and others will come out in support of me.�
David considered what to say next, but he rejected the first three ideas that jumped into his mind. When he was in high school, his best friend, Tami Glade, had told him that his first thought was ALWAYS wrong. She said he had to stop and think it through before opening his big mouth. Luckily, David had taken that advice to heart.
�You would destroy a man to get a role in a movie?� he asked.
�What does it matter? He should just retire. This won�t hurt him in the least.�
David had heard enough.
�Remember when you had to sign that confidentiality agreement before you could become my PA?�
�Yeah, so what? This has nothing to do with you,� Kristen bristled.
�There was another piece of paper you had to sign. The one that allowed you to be videoed while you were with me.�
David watched as the penny dropped. He was fascinated by the range of emotions that crossed her face. For his craft, he would have to remember and practice those faces. Finally, she smiled.
�Maybe I should just blow you.�
He managed to bark out a fake laugh as he went to the door to get Frank.
�Go confirm that everything�s ready for tonight,� David told her as if nothing had happened.
His plan was to get her as far away from him as he could. Hence, the busywork.
�Sure thing,� she said as she left the suite.
�Is she going to hijack one of your press events?� Frank asked.
�No, but you need to reach out to Grant�s people. They have to get him in hand. Kristen had a point. If she came forward, others would surely follow.�
�What really happened?�
�What she said. Grant asked her for some oral. While I personally don�t think he harassed her, it was an unwelcome advance. In this day and age, he would be raked over the coals and never work again,� David shared.
�Maybe we should help her do it right,� Frank suggested.
�I would agree if she hadn�t made her little extortion offer. She said that if Chubby Feldman were to give her a role in his next feature, she would make it all go away.�
On reflection, David had another worry tickle the back of his brain.
�That also assumes I believe she would back off permanently instead of keeping the whole incident in reserve. She could just pull it out again the next time she wanted something from Chubby, me, or you.
�This also means she needs to be distanced from us and then reassigned as soon as possible,� David concluded.
�You should fire her,� Frank said with some heat.
�On what grounds? That I�m helping cover-up for a fellow actor?�
Frank was the professional who usually kept David out of trouble. Now, he chuckled when he saw his client was a step ahead of him. If she was willing to trash Grant, what mechanism was in place to prevent her from doing the same to David?
Before the day was out, David would have a word with Kent. He was tolerant of most of his staff�s antics and quirks. But having his PA crash and burn the release of a movie as big as
This was the part of being in the public eye that drove David crazy. Because of his celebrity, he had to watch everything he said and pretty much everything he did. That was why Frank had insisted that he handle all of David�s social media. It only took one misstep for half the country to hate you.
If doing this media tour wasn�t part of his commitment to the movie, David would gladly have passed. He was currently enrolled at USC and was on both the football and baseball teams. Thankfully, his college life was somewhat insulated from all this.
David would do what was asked of him, but this was just the beginning of his events for this coming summer. After the Bond film, his rom-com
He predicted that his life was about to get crazy.
◊◊◊
They pulled up to the BBC One studios for the James Bond special. Frank got out first and hurried inside ahead of David. The PR guy wanted to talk to the producers to get a rundown on the questions they planned to ask.
David took a moment to gather himself because he�d been a college student just a few days ago. It had been over five months since he�d been on a movie set, and he hadn�t really thought about this life since he walked onto campus.
�Nervous?� Kristen asked.
David glanced over and was surprised to see genuine concern.
�Not really. I�m one of those rare people who isn�t bothered by something like this.�
�I would be terrified. I mean, you are doing this live, and it will be rebroadcast worldwide. How do you do it?�
He thought about it for a moment.
�I think I misspoke. I am nervous, and I probably have all the fears of what might go wrong that you could guess. And it doesn�t help that this will be live because that means only one take. But I�ve learned that you can�t let self-doubt stop you from doing your best,� David explained.
�But how do you get past the self-doubt?� Kristen asked.
He gave her one of those smiles that earned him so much money.
�It�s not easy at first. Like anything, you have to work at it, or at least I did. My mind still goes in circles when I have to make a decision, and I can be a terrible procrastinator when I know that I don�t really have to decide yet. But when I do decide, I commit to it,� he said and thought of another way to put it.
�My uncle taught me a valuable lesson: how to be a man of my word. Doing that can seem like a double-edged sword. If something better comes along after you�ve given your word, it can suck. But you do what was asked because you said you would.�
�But ��
David held up his hand to slow Kristen down.
�The other side, besides the benefit of people knowing they can rely on you, is that it takes the pressure off. When I signed to do this movie, I was also obligated to do the press junket to help promote it. So, there�s no getting out of it.�
�You said you still get nervous.�
He nodded his agreement.
�I do. A good example is that I usually throw up before football games because of my nerves, but I simply move past it when I set foot on the field. I step into the role and play it. I refuse to let my doubts stop me. If I did, I would never have accomplished everything that I have,� he said.
�But I�m constantly scared of stuff,� she admitted.
David really looked at her and could see that she was serious.
�Admitting it to yourself is the first step in getting past your fear.�
He barked out a laugh when she rolled her eyes at him.
�Sorry. My uncle�s a farmer by day and a psychologist at heart. I must have been channeling him,� David admitted, which caused Kristen to give him a slight smile. �It takes a conscious effort to push past things that make us uncomfortable. To learn to do that, you have to recognize when it�s happening. When it does, stop and ask yourself: Will I let this stop me � or not?�
�And that works?�
�Maybe not at first, but it does get easier. Now, I don�t really have to think about it. I just go ahead and do it,� he explained.
�Then why are we sitting in the car?�
Another car pulled up behind them, and men got out.
�I was waiting for our security.�
�Oh,� Kristen said as she gave him one of those looks like she felt silly.
David sat patiently as he watched Fritz, his head of security, deploy his men. Then a flock of drones was released. When everything was in place, Fritz came to the door and opened it.
�Ready?� David asked Kristen.
�Absolutely.�
He got out of the car. His security had attracted the British stalkerazzi, a particularly nasty strain of paparazzi. He put a fake smile on his face and walked past as they took his picture and shouted out inappropriate questions.
When they made it inside, they were escorted to Studio One. One of the production staff directed him to his dressing room so he could get ready.
◊◊◊
Frank found David in his dressing room, and his PR man didn�t look happy.
�They�re up to something.�
�Oh, my God! Did they find the porn stash on my tablet?� David asked, looking worried.
�Porn stash?� Kristen asked.
�Ignore him. David thinks he�s funny at inappropriate times,� Frank said to his PA and then turned back to his client. �They said they didn�t have any set questions; they would just see where the interview went.�
�If it gets too intense, I�ll show them my new eyebrow trick,� David said as he proceeded to make them dance back and forth.
Frank was having one of his migraines, while Kristen looked jealous of his talent.
�Chill out,� David said. �How long have I been doing this?�
�They also switched who is interviewing you. It�s Harriet Chanson,� Frank said.
�That�s not good,� Kristen worried.
David got a big grin. They�d planned to have Freddie Leister interview him. He was an entertainment reporter who was well past retirement age. Harriet, on the other hand, was relatively new. She�d gotten a name for herself by asking wildly inappropriate questions. The Brits loved people who made snarky, hurtful comments.
What made David smile was that she was currently on his top ten list of women he�d like to spend quality time with in the UK. He�d made the list after finals to kill some time. He had a hunch Harriet was a naughty girl in the sack.
Frank caught his grin, which was immediately replaced with David�s �I�m a little angel� face that he�d been working on since he was five. The PR man had the same reaction his parents did when they saw it: he scowled.
�Relax. Everything will be fine,� David predicted.
◊◊◊
He made a point of not going to the set until the very last moment. He didn�t want to give Harriet a chance to �chat him up� beforehand.
�We are back in four, three, two �� came from the control room.
David took his seat at �two� and saw the relief on Harriet�s face. Then the cameras� red lights came on, and she immediately assumed her professional reporter demeanor.
�With us is David A. Dawson ��
She droned on, giving his credits and the obligatory mention of his Academy Award win.
�David is in the latest release in the James Bond franchise,
�Thanks for having me,� he said, giving her his sexiest half-smile.
Adrienne, the supermodel, as well as David�s friend and modeling mentor, would be proud of that one. Most women found that smile arousing. His friends called it �the panty dropper.� Harriet appeared to be immune.
�The franchise�s sales have been declining since its peak when
David had been taught to go quiet and think through his answer when he was thrown a curveball. He knew they would cut out the dead air in a taped interview, but this was live. Harriet knew that he would have no answer for that because it wasn�t his job to market the film and get butts in the seats.
David sorted through his options and then picked one.
�I wondered why they worked so hard to get me to sign on.�
His answer threw her off her game. After a momentary pause, Harriet asked, �Why do you say that?�
There is a rule when interviewing. You tried to never ask a question you didn�t think you knew the answer to.
�I bring a demographic that�s been a bit on the decline: younger women and older teens,� David said.
�Oh, yes. The cheeky American bad boy, Ian Bond. That must have been an easy role for you to play.�
�I don�t know about the �bad boy� part, but I do like to have fun,� he said and then hurried on. �But they have done their homework. Most women think that the James Bond character is sexy. They are willing to go to an action thriller if there�s some eye candy. The problem is, the actors playing Mr. Bond are getting older.�
�Are you saying older men aren�t sexy?�
�No, I�m not saying that at all. I mean, you were recently seen out on the town with Richard Pendergast. I�ve heard that women are looking for someone mature and stable,� David said.
Trying to make points for both the movie and his fellow actor and �Bond dad,� he continued.
�In fact, there are a lot of women who are attracted to the mature, debonair types such as Stewart Thatcher, but not all women are,� he added.
�What�s wrong with that?�
�Nothing, I guess. It�s just that women in the States are more independent. They aren�t necessarily looking for a father figure. They want someone who�s � well � fun and less inhibited.�
�Richard isn�t a daddy figure,� Harriet blurted out.
�If you say so.�
They decided to go to a commercial break when Harriet looked like she wanted to throttle David.
�You cunt. Are you taking the piss or what?�
An important-looking guy pulled her off the set to �have a word.�
David looked behind the cameras and saw Frank. If the UK didn�t have such strict gun laws, he might have been worried. Frank either planned to shoot him or eat a gun. Personally, he thought the interview was going well. He gave Frank a thumbs-up.
David got nervous when Harriet came back with a smile on her face.
�We are back in four, three, two ��
�Before the break, you mentioned that James Bond was a ladies� man. Does that carry over into real life?�
The evil girl was setting him up. It didn�t matter if he said �yes� or �no� because either would give her an opening.
�I guess you would have to ask one of them. I play his son,� David said.
�But you said they hired you for your sex appeal. I mean, we see reports of you with different women, but it never looks serious. Have you ever fallen in love? Or do you just have serial conquests?�
He ignored the last part and got a serious look.
�I�ve thought I was in love several times, but I�m a hopeless romantic,� he admitted.
�So, you�ve never really been in love?� Harriet pressed.
�Twice, actually. The first was the proverbial �girl next door.� We met in grade school, and we became best friends.�
�Why didn�t it work out?�
�She left for prep school, but she�s still one of my closest friends.�
�What about the other one?�
�She dumped me,� David said and let his head hang. �She said it was her, but we all know what that means.�
�Did you cheat on her?�
He got a surprised look and stared at Harriet for a heartbeat.
�Wow, you must have been in some bad relationships to go there,� he shot back.
Yep, back to a commercial break.
This time, Harriet stormed off without the suit having to have a talk with her. She barely made it back. When she returned, she apparently had decided to play nice.
�Tell us about
David was prepared for that type of question, so he did his best to promote the film. They showed some clips, and the segment was done. When they�d removed their microphones and began to get up, he gave Harriet a smile.
�I�m only in town for a little while. I would love to have a tour guide.�
�Before I agree to that, why did that girl dump you?�
�Her parents moved, taking her with them.�
She shook her head.
�I forgot how young you are. I better go home to my older man.�
�Call him so he�s taken his pill before you get there,� David teased.
�You are a wanker,� was her parting shot.
He was glad that she was smiling as she left.
◊◊◊
Frank gave him mixed reviews for his performance tonight on the ride back to the hotel. He told David he would see him first thing tomorrow morning, the day of the premiere. They had a full schedule of interviews planned throughout the day.
When David got to his room, he found Tami Glade, his childhood friend, sitting on his bed, watching a movie. She�d just had a birthday, and as her present, he�d had her come along on this junket to witness all the shenanigans. During high school, Tami had spent a semester in London. She wanted to catch up with the family she�d stayed with.
He plopped down on the bed next to her. Tami turned off the movie so they could talk.
�How was your day?� David asked.
�Before I forget, your mom told me to get your American Express card. She said we�re going shopping tomorrow.�
David�s mom was a big James Bond fan, and in a moment of weakness, he had brought her along on the trip as well. Thinking back, it was more like she�d invited herself.
Hearing that his mom wanted his American Express card gave him a moment of worry. It had no limit on it. Then he remembered that she was taking care of his kids so he could go to college. He pulled it out and gave it to Tami.
Tami gave him an unreadable look as she pocketed the card.
�I was your first true love,� she said with a twinkle in her eye.
Growing up, Tami had been in and out of his house to the point David�s mother considered her one of the family; basically, the daughter she�d never had. He was convinced that his mom loved Tami more than him most days.
�And I still love you. Spend the night,� he said to watch her squirm.
When she didn�t say anything, he asked, �What�s wrong?�
�What would you do if we were fifteen again?� Tami asked.
David let his mind wander for a moment. It was the classic �what if� game. No good ever came from that. Not that there weren�t a million and one things he would change. It was just that the past was the past, and there was nothing you could do about it.
�I wouldn�t change anything,� he finally admitted.
�Really?�
�If I did, we wouldn�t be the same people we are now, and I sort of like you the way you are.�
She lifted up from the bed so she could look David in the eyes.
�You mean that, don�t you?�
�I do.�
�But when we were that age, you were convinced that we were soul mates. That we would be together forever,� Tami pressed.
�Then we grew up,� he replied.
She lay back down and looked at the ceiling.
�But we hardly talk anymore,� she said softly.
�I don�t think that matters. What matters is that we�re still friends.�
�What about the soul-mate thing?� Tami asked.
David rolled onto his side, ignoring her question.
�Stay the night.�
�But that might be dangerous.�
�With the time change and everything, I�m exhausted. There�ll be no danger involved,� he promised.
�Okay.�
�Okay, what?�
�I�ll spend the night.�
◊◊◊
Something woke her. As she became aware of her surroundings, Tami heard David laughing in the other room. She glanced at the clock and wondered what the boy was doing at three in the morning. Quietly, she got out of bed and cracked the door open to see who he was talking to.
�I�ll see you the Friday before classes start.�
�Thanks for inviting us. I�ll see you then,� a guy said, and then they dropped off video chat.
�What are you doing?� Tami asked.
David almost jumped out of his skin before he turned to her.
�Did I wake you?�
She gave him a slight nod.
�Sorry about that, but I�m contacting all the new football recruits and inviting them and their families to a welcome-to-campus party at my townhouse.�
�At three in the morning?�
�It�s seven p.m. in LA,� he reminded her.
She shrugged and yawned.
�I�m sleep-deprived, so cut me some slack.�
She looked at the table where his tablet was set up on a stand. Next to it was a pot of coffee and what looked like a chocolate croissant. Tami snatched it off David�s plate, shoving it in her mouth before he could object.
�I was saving that for you. You didn�t have to eat it like a starving dog,� he said with an amused look.
She grabbed his coffee to help wash it down.
�Anything else I can get you?� he asked.
�Keep it down. I need my beauty rest,� Tami said to give him a hard time.
�Tami, you know, you�re a unicorn. You actually look better close up,� David said and sounded sincere.
All her old feelings for her �stupid boy� came flooding back. Why did he have to be so sweet to her? She gave him a mock roll of the eyes as if to say,
He went back to making his phone calls. Tami could hear how excited each guy and his family were to get a personal invitation to welcome them to campus. He made it clear that he expected their family to come to the party.
She thought back to when she first arrived at Stanford and what it would have meant to have her mom invited to something like this. She had to remember that he wasn�t a total jocktard like some people assumed. They saw a pretty-boy jock who was also an actor, and they presumed he got by on his looks alone. If they only knew how clever and crafty�and genuinely caring�her boy could be.
Tami had a feeling that David had some kind of agenda for making these calls when he should be sleeping. Not some nefarious plan for world domination; it had to have something to do with turning USC into a winning football program. And not just a winning program, but one that would challenge for national championships.
He�d done something similar in high school when he took his high school team to three straight state championships. David had taken a core group of boys and built them into something undeniably special.
Tami had no doubt that if he decided to do it again, he would succeed. He had no quit in him once he set a goal. She�d seen him do it time after time, whether it involved sports, schoolwork, modeling, or acting. He made it look easy. But the brutal truth was that he worked harder than anyone she knew.
When he finished his last call, David came back and joined her in bed. Tami waited until he got settled before she rolled over and put her head in the crook of his arm.
�I was halfway through my calls when I realized that I messed up,� he said.
�Why�s that?�
�I forgot that Lexi is in Paris this summer, so I don�t have a PA to organize everything.�
Sometimes he didn�t realize what a privileged douche he sounded like.
�What about that new girl?�
�Don�t get me started on what a nightmare she is. Maybe I can get Cassidy to help me,� he ventured.
�Isn�t she the one who likes spaghetti with hot dogs?�
David chuckled at that.
�Yeah, you�re probably right. I�m just spoiled because Lexi would have already known how to make everything come off without a hitch.�
�It�s a family thing, right?�
�Yeah.�
�Let the moms organize it.�
�You�re a genius. If my mom hears that, she�ll wade in and take over. Problem solved.�
�You know that there�s a special place in hell for boys like you,� Tami chided.
�Whatev,� David said in a perfect Valley Girl impersonation. �Now, let me get some sleep.�
She slugged him in the chest, and they both got the giggles. This was why he was her best friend.
◊◊◊
David was out the door before sunup. He had all kinds of press activities to do today for the movie.
Tami spent the day with David�s mom. She warned Carol of her son�s plans to enlist her in planning a �welcome to campus� party for his new teammates and their families. Tami wasn�t surprised when his mom just shrugged it off. Tami knew that Carol was secretly delighted that her son was letting her take charge. That didn�t mean she wouldn�t make him squirm as only a mother could.
The plan for the evening was that they would go to dinner and then travel to the Royal Albert Hall for the world premiere of
Tami and Carol got a text to come to David�s suite, where he�d returned to change for tonight�s festivities. Tami used her key to let them into his rooms.
�David?� she called out.
�I�ll be out in a moment,� he called from the bedroom.
�Look what I found,� Carol said to Tami.
Sitting on the side table was a bottle of champagne and a cheese-and-fruit tray. There was a card from the studio wishing David the best. Tami wasn�t surprised when Carol opened the bottle and poured them each a drink. Tami made herself a plate and found a comfy chair. Carol joined her.
�Did I tell you about David�s dog?� Carol asked.
�What did he do this time?�
Duke was David�s big Lab, who loved everybody.
�He started to disappear for a couple of hours each day, which was strange because he was always in the middle of David�s kids, watching them.
�He came home last week with a note attached to his collar. It said he�d been going to the neighbor�s house each day for a nap. The neighbor lady said that he would come to her door, and she would let him in. Duke would find a quiet spot, take his nap, and then find her so she could let him out,� Carol shared.
�Poor thing.�
�I�m sending him to David�s for the summer. Being surrounded by five two-year-olds has worn the hound out,� Carol shared.
David came out of the bedroom, blinked, and then gave Tami a smile that she swore would knock her off her feet if she were standing.
�This is why the British press is calling you the American Gigolo,� she said to cover her feelings.
�Did you just call me a man-whore?� he asked, feigning shock.
�I didn�t call you a man,� Tami shot back.
Carol toasted her for her witty comeback. The corner of his lip twitched with amusement.
�You�re un-hideous,� David said by way of a compliment.
�When are you two going to act your age and just admit that you belong together?� Carol asked to put a stop to their banter.
Carol was all smiles when they both blushed, which secretly pleased Tami. Maybe there was a chance for their �someday� after all.
◊◊◊
Chubby Feldman hosted the dinner party and had invited all the cast, plus the former Bonds and Bond Girls. David almost sent his PA home when she wanted to take selfies with everyone. Tami later saw his look of amusement as he watched Kristen. His PA apparently became enamored with one of the geriatric former Bonds, and the two of them left the private room where the dinner was to be served.
David grabbed Tami�s arm, saying, �Come on, let me introduce you to everyone.�
David had never met a stranger, and his dad had encouraged him to work a room whenever they went out, so this was nothing new for her. She wasn�t surprised when everyone was happy to see David or excited to meet the new Bond. Everyone said that he might eventually become the next leading Bond in the franchise.
That is to say, everyone was glad to see him until they were approached by Isabel Alexandra, who played Miss Moneypenny in the movie.
�How could you do this to me?�
From there, the conversation went downhill. Isabel went apeshit. Ape. Shit.
Her beef with David was that he�d allowed his PA, Lexi, to go to Paris with Isabel�s boyfriend, Ben, where he was to film a movie. Isabel assumed that Lexi was sleeping with Ben because �everyone� knew that she�d slept with David. Tami was in utter shock when David just stood there and took it.
Isabel was just warming to her task when Rita James, who�d been the Bond Girl in
�That girl is nastier than my neighbor�s pet poodle,� Tami observed.
�She�s actually very nice,� David said to defend Isabel.
Tami connected the dots.
�You slept with her again! Did you do it while on set?�
�I�m not saying anything. If you want to know, you�ll have to ask her,� he shot back.
�She�ll think I�m nosy.�
Tami caught his �and your point is?� look and poked his arm.
�Admit it, David, you let Mr. Happy do most of your thinking,� she said.
He gave her a pained look.
�You know me so well. My normal MO is to hook up with a girl because I rarely ever hang out with them in a platonic way, and there has to be a time limit. When I�m filming a movie, I want to get her in my bed, satisfy my manly needs, and get her out of my room. I can�t be distracted with a relationship,� he said sarcastically.
�I see we are experiencing �classy David� tonight.�
�Just completing my daily asshole-actor quota for today. Wouldn�t want me to give you any less ammo for your assault on my personality, would you?�
It was all softened by his devilish smile. David knew he could get away with murder when he looked at a girl like that, and Tami was no exception. But she had known him since the first grade, so his sex appeal only went so far.
�This sounds like a story you�ve told a million times. Why don�t you give me the real one?�
When he finally spoke, he couldn�t even form a complete sentence.
�You � I � Ahhh!� he said in frustration.
Tami chuckled and mentally patted herself on the back for rendering David speechless. Carol, his mother, would be pleased when she heard about this.
�You�re thinking you shouldn�t have invited me because I see through your BS. That you should cancel my hotel room and ticket back, stranding me here,� Tami said with a straight face.
David rubbed his palm on his forehead. She was impressed that he thought about his answer before blurting something that he would regret later.
�Contrary to what you�re thinking right now, I�m not going to dump you on the side of the road like some kitten in a sack.�
Tami finally smiled at him.
�I know,� she said as she got on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. �But that doesn�t explain why she�s so upset.�
Unlike David�s mom, who could start an argument in an empty house, Tami had a reason for provoking her friend. His habit was to ignore things he didn�t want to see. When David hadn�t fought for Lexi�s honor, Tami knew that he suspected that what Isabel was worried about was true. The kicker was, he didn�t want to admit that to himself.
Tami might have left it alone and played the supportive friend. But something told her that Lexi ultimately wasn�t good for him, and in fact, might be horrible for him. In all honesty, Tami probably should have let it go because David wouldn�t listen to her if she broached the subject. But she plowed ahead because he needed to open his eyes to the possibility that his former PA was just using him. Forcing him to face this just might do that.
�Isabel is just being insecure. Ben can be the typical Hollywood bad boy, and she must know that he hasn�t always been faithful,� David said.
�You�re talking about his pursuit of Halle James?� Tami asked.
�Yeah,� he admitted.
�And you don�t think that Lexi will fall for his charms?� Tami prodded.
David got a pinched look and shook his head �no.�
She knew of his possessive streak when it came to women. If he ever thought that Lexi had cheated on him, he would be done with her. But David wasn�t in a committed relationship with Lexi, so Tami also knew that he couldn�t tell Lexi she couldn�t sleep around.
What was it that he�d said to justify his and Lexi hooking up? That they were young, healthy adults who were just helping each other out? Tami knew him better than that. He�d also admitted that sex changed everything for him. David had feelings beyond friendship for Lexi.
�Then everything should be okay,� Tami said with a weak smile. �Let�s go enjoy your big night.�
It took him a few minutes to get out of his head, but he was soon acting like the guy everyone loved.
◊◊◊
Before dinner started, Rita came in and found David. He excused himself and was gone with her for about thirty minutes. When he came back, Isabel was holding onto his arm and smiling. Tami would bet that Isabel was still mad about Ben and Lexi but had figured out that David wasn�t the one to blame.
He took Isabel to her seat and pulled out her chair. She quietly thanked him before he stepped over to join his mom and Tami. Chubby Feldman nodded to David as if to say, �job well done,� before getting up to speak. Chubby made a short speech to thank everyone before the servers came in with the food.
Over dinner, Carol told David that she would organize his party.
He looked at Tami, and she just shrugged at his unspoken question about whether she�d shared the event with his mom.
Tami noted that David acted a little nervous when his mom had just agreed to help. Tami was sure that he would have to pay his mom back for this favor at some point. It was always the ones that weren�t defined that worried her boy. The thing was, he was no longer the pushover he was growing up. David could actually say �no� if he wanted to. The problem was, he rarely said �no� to his mom.
After dinner, it was time for the red carpet. Tami bailed on that and let Carol face the British press as David�s plus-one. When the stalkerazzi began to shout their wildly inappropriate questions, his mom didn�t disappoint. She�d asked Frank to give her dirt on some of the worst offenders.
�Which cast members are you shagging?�
�Shouldn�t you be more worried about your wife finding out about that little tart you have on the side in Chelsea?� Carol shot back.
�Is it true that ��
�And you! Did anyone find out that you were the one that sold those pictures of Prince Narsan in Morocco?�
The paparazzi had no idea how to handle David�s mom. He bent over laughing when they all went quiet. No one wanted to play �next one up.�
David finally pulled his mom into the theater so they could find their seats.
It wasn�t too long before the lights dimmed and the movie started.
◊◊◊
Among the many things that make a
David had learned that many of those exciting scenes, in fact, happened mostly via movie magic. They used rear-window projection to show a scene in the background of a stationary car in a studio. It made it look like the car was in the middle of a high-speed car chase. They did it that way because it was impractical to take an entire film crew to a busy urban area. Either it would be too dangerous, too costly, or simply wasn�t allowed.
Since those days, technology had made what seemed impossible back then doable now. Chubby Feldman, the director of
This was the last one David filmed. Chubby claimed it was because it was so complicated that he wanted to do it right. David suspected that because he was doing his own stunts, Chubby was worried he would either die or get hurt and not be able to finish the movie.
The ultimate goal was to create the most exciting opening scene since
The tradition of showing a pre-title action scene began with
It didn�t have any over-the-top action, and no one went faster than a walk. Red Grant was an assassin stalking James through the grounds of a huge villa. The tension quickly built as James heard Red when he stepped on a branch.
A game of cat and mouse ensued until Red suddenly appeared behind James and used a garrote to kill him. It was then revealed that the man everyone thought was James was actually someone else, wearing a mask, and this was a test run for killing the real James Bond. Thus, they avoided ending the series.
Chubby had worked with the United Kingdom�s Royal Air Force to accomplish his goal. He�d worked with them to borrow drones, planes, and helicopters to film the whole sequence.
David had yet to see the scene because after filming it, he�d had to hurry to the airport to jump on a plane to New Zealand to film his Star Academy movies. So, when the lights dimmed in the theater, he leaned forward in his seat because he wanted to see how he almost died.
He was a little worried because he was bracketed by his mother and Tami. Either one might kill him after they saw what was to come. The film started, and the James Bond theme music began. David turned to his mom.
�I love you,� he said as a preemptive attempt at preventing her from throttling him.
The scene began with a wide shot of London, with Westminster Abbey and the London Eye observation wheel in the distance. The drone turned and climbed, focusing on a large plane that grew in the picture as the drone angled closer. In a few seconds, it showed David standing on the open back ramp of a C-17 Globemaster cargo plane, flying at 10,000 feet.
All of a sudden, the image split, showing two points of view. The first remained the drone�s view, while the second was from David�s point of view. A �chest camera� mounted just below his throat showed what he saw as he turned to briefly scan the plane�s interior.
This was an �establishment shot,� designed to immerse the audience in the scene in question. Then both cameras showed him turning quickly to leap from the plane.
�Is that you?� Tami asked.
He and his mom locked eyes for a moment before they turned back to the movie screen.
David was wearing a wingsuit with a twist. It was an e-wingsuit built upon BMW�s iEV technology and powered by a chest-mounted rig. He glided for a moment and then fired off the engines. It was like he�d been shot out of a cannon. Chubby later sent David an email letting him know they�d clocked him shooting through the sky at 185 mph.
The military drones had no trouble keeping up with him as he flew over London. Up ahead, there was a helicopter that was his destination.
Chubby had several cameras to capture the action, ranging from the drone to the helicopters to Ian Bond�s �throat camera.� Rita James had given David the movie
Chubby wasn�t totally sold, so David pushed the idea that it would confirm that this was one continuous shot. That would be better than having viewers wonder when they cut the film to show different camera angles. So, when David saw the split screens appear, he felt vindicated. It gave the whole sequence that wow factor that Chubby had been shooting for. Now, if only the camera angles and the editing would do the extended scene justice without making it into a hodgepodge of sensory overload.
The stunt coordinator had been a real wuss because he reminded David for almost three months that bad stuff would ensue if he got near the helicopter blades. He even showed him footage of an old Saturday Night Live skit where they threw a fish into a Super Bass-O-Matic. David made the appropriate head bobs to make the man go away and then pursued the scene anyway.
As David watched the film, he remembered looking down just before the drone came into range and almost chickening out. Now he watched as his character dipped below the helicopter and then popped up right at the door. How he�d managed to actually land on the footrail, he had no idea.
His character opened the door, reached in and jerked a stuntman out, and grabbed a briefcase. With the different angles, you could see the man fall a long way before the screen switched to another camera.
While on the footrail, David stuffed the briefcase into a backpack. Another helicopter appeared, and a door opened. A man with a gun brought it up to fire as David let go and began to fall. David fired up the e-wingsuit and raced down towards the ground with the second helicopter pacing him.
David marveled at what a good pilot the man flying the helicopter was as he watched them fly between London skyscrapers. The chopper kept right on David�s tail as he made multiple turns and twists to try to get away. He then shot to the warehouse district, where a new apartment complex was being built.
David also admired Chubby�s genius as the split camera views shifted several times to highlight different aspects of the chase while maintaining the continuous throat-camera view. Chubby had pulled it off, to David�s eye. The numerous gasps and exclamations that David kept hearing from the sophisticated audience around him seemed to confirm his judgment. This scene would be talked about for a long, long time.
His character swooped down to land on the upper level of the half-completed apartment building, where there were only exposed I-beams. As he quickly shed his suit and helmet, the helicopter hovered, and four lines were dropped. That was followed by the four villains dressed all in black rappelling down the ropes.
The next phase had David parkouring down the exposed structure as he fought the four men. Both his mother and Tami had dug their fingernails into his thighs as they cringed when he almost fell to his death a number of times. While some of that was acting, there were a couple of times when he almost took a tumble�which he did not point out to his mom.
Even David cringed when he saw himself sliding down beams and then twisting and turning to launch himself to another floor. During the action, one of the stuntmen had lost his balance and plunged five stories. David was glad their stunt coordinator had prepared for that sort of mistake, and the man had only minor bruising after the scene.
The final jump was spectacular as David dropped two stories to the roof of a construction trailer. It had been designed to cushion his fall, but he flinched, remembering how it had all but knocked him silly. The three remaining men chasing him were right behind, so his character made a running leap toward the neighboring building. David snagged a railing on a fire escape and began to climb to the roof.
The following sequence consisted of running and leaping from rooftop to rooftop. David used his full range of parkour tricks as he bounced, swung, jumped, and launched himself through, over, and around different obstacles. He loved it because it was like a giant game of super-tag.
The final jump was really long, so his character sprinted full out. As his character flew through the air between buildings, David rocked back into his theater seat with a satisfied grin. The stunt had called for him to come up short and grab the edge of the building. He was to dangle there for a moment to let the bad guys catch up, but by some miracle, he stuck the landing.
Not knowing what to do, David turned and tipped his imaginary cap at the hooligans chasing him and grinned as he aped a line from M.C. Hammer, rapping
He then ran to the far side of the roof, where he jumped down to different roof levels until he reached the ground. David�s character looked back and ran down the street. As he reached the intersection, an Aston Martin raced up, and the door flew open.
The split screen at the end showed David�s view of Stewart Thatcher smiling sardonically from the driver�s seat while at the same time showing Stewart�s view of a slightly winded Ian Bond.
�Get in!�
�Who are you?� Ian asked, as he had never met his father before.
�Bond, James Bond.�
David was both relieved and in awe when he saw how well the opening sequence had gone. Chubby Feldman had indeed succeeded in creating the wow factor that had been missing in recent James Bond movies. As the car raced off, the music cued up, and the title sequence began.
Both Tami and his mom turned and glared at him. David bit his bottom lip and pointed at the screen.
�Enjoy the movie. We can talk later.�
◊◊◊
David wasn�t a big fan of watching himself on screen. But halfway through the movie, he let that go and just thought of his character as Ian Bond and not as himself. When the final credits began to run and the lights came up, everyone in the theater stood and applauded.
While the standing ovation was expected at an opening night, he could tell that people enjoyed the movie. David predicted that they had a hit on their hands.
�Let�s wait until the rush is over,� he suggested.
Tami and his mom retook their seats. David turned to face them as he rested against the headrest of the seat in front of his.
�Did you like it?� he asked, showing a touch of eagerness.
His mom and Tami looked at each other as they decided whether they would give him a hard time or not.
�You�re a real movie star,� Tami finally said.
�I was never a big James Bond fan,� Mom shared. She really didn�t like action films. �But I am a fan of Ian Bond, and it has nothing to do with you playing the part. His personality came across as fun and made me want to watch him.�
�I especially liked the goofy walk. To think how far it came from that horrible strut you did in high school,� Tami said.
David had practiced his Ian Bond walk, and people had captured it and shared his efforts on social media. When he arrived on set, they�d taken the bare bones, and a choreographer had worked with him to perfect his moves.
�David!� Chubby Feldman called.
He was with several studio suits, grinning like he�d won the lottery�which he just may have done. David immediately complimented him on the opening scene and the movie as a whole and then introduced Chubby and the others to his mom and Tami.
�We had a sample audience view the movie, and it confirmed what our testing has been telling us. The Ian character stole the show. We want to refocus our marketing to feature you,� Chubby said.
�What exactly does that mean?� David asked.
�We�re reworking the trailers and commercials to show more of you,� one of the suits shared.
�You should show the towel scene. I would come to see the movie if I thought there was a chance of seeing more of that,� Tami said.
David was certain that Tami felt the daggers his mom was drilling into the back of her head.
�It could be done tastefully,� Tami added.
There was an awkward pause in the conversation.
�Are you all going to the party?� David finally asked.
The suits took that as their sign to beat a hasty retreat. Once they were gone, Chubby chuckled.
�Don�t be surprised when David is running around in just a towel on television come tomorrow. It�s a good thing I cut the one where Mia pulled his towel off, or that would be the one they�d air.�
�It wouldn�t be the first time he�s run around naked. It all started when he was in diapers,� Mom shared.
�What did they think?� David asked Chubby, ignoring his mom�s comment.
�Of course, we will have to wait on the numbers after this weekend, but they�re holding out hope that we have a huge hit on our hands.�
�We�re ready for you,� one of the studio assistants came in and told them.
�Let�s go do our obligatory talk to the press, and then there�s a party to get to,� Chubby said.
�I�m going back to the hotel. I promised your dad I�d give him a full report,� Mom told David.
�I�m supposed to meet my sponsor family for breakfast. I should probably get a good night�s sleep,� Tami said as both she and his mom bailed on him.
◊◊◊
�Harriet, so good to see you again,� David said when he walked into his interview room.
The reporter who had interviewed him for the BBC One special was waiting for him. Frank, his PR man, gave David a helpless look. He looked as shocked as David felt to find her there. All he could think was that BBC One was eager to have them go another round.
They turned on the lights, and the interview began.
�I�m with the star of
David was beginning to recognize that everyone had their favorite action scene in James Bond movies. It wasn�t like there weren�t many to pick from. The franchise had an average of over three car-chase scenes per movie. David gave Chubby props for outdoing all the ones that came before.
�Yes �� David began as the interview continued.
The interview went much longer than the one had for the BBC One special. Harriet played it straight until the end.
�Your mother caused quite the stir on the red carpet. Many think she�s a rock star for standing up to our paparazzi. What was it like growing up with such a gutsy woman?�
David slouched in his chair and looked toward the sky as if to say, �God help me!�
�She and I are a little too much alike, which means we sometimes clash.�
�I have a similar relationship with my dad. My mum was happy when I left for college,� Harriet shared.
�My dad sometimes tries to play mediator, but as I got older, he started taking my mom�s side in everything.�
�The only time my dad was ever speechless was when he caught me with a guy. He didn�t say a word as he packed me up to send me to boarding school. Luckily, my mom came home and calmed him down. She said no ten-year-old should be up to what he thought we were up to.�
�Ten?! I have a daughter, and I thought I had a lot more time than that,� David said and then paused. �Ten!�
�It was no big deal. I won�t divulge the little perv�s name � Tommy Baker. He had older brothers and decided he was missing out, so we played �you show me yours, and I�ll show you mine.� I hear he�s still � you know,� she shared as she wiggled her pinky at David.
This was the type of stuff that had made her famous in the UK. David didn�t know if he should laugh or sit in horror as he thought about his little girl. He was firmly in Harriet�s dad�s corner, wanting to send his daughter, Carol, to an all-girls boarding school too.
�Actually, my parents were quite open with my brother and me. I didn�t realize that they�d tricked me into sharing everything with them until I was nearly out of high school. That was when I discovered that the sharing was a one-way street, and they were keeping secrets from us,� David overshared.
�What�s your best mom story?� Harriet asked.
He sat back and thought for a moment. He should have considered where Harriet was coming from rather than the question she asked. If he had, he�d have realized this was how she was able to get people to open up and say things that made for good gossip.
�This happened to my older brother. He was the trailblazer, and I will always be thankful for that. When I was in middle school, he brought his first girl home for dinner. It was entertaining as hell as my mother �put her to the question,� as we call it. She grilled my brother and his girl as my dad and I sat back and enjoyed that show. It can be pretty entertaining as long as you�re not on the receiving end.
�At some point, my mom decided she didn�t like the girl. That was when she began to make observations about the poor girl�s makeup. I can still hear her commenting on her eye shadow and how my brother didn�t like girls who wore so much of it.
�Then she went in for the kill,� David said.
�I hate to ask.�
�As they were leaving, my mother said, and I�ll quote: �If I never see you again, it was nice meeting you.��
Harriet genuinely laughed.
�She didn�t. Did the girl ever come back?�
�Hell, no. But by then, my brother was off to woo another girl.�
At that point, Frank couldn�t take any more and stepped in front of the camera. David closed his eyes for a moment when his brain made the connection that all this was being filmed. She�d won round two.
Harriet was smart enough to figure out the interview was done. She told her cameraman to pack up.
�We have this party to go to. Would you like to come with me?� David asked.
Frank looked like he might get sick. Harriet blinked in confusion.
�I have a boyfriend,� she reminded David.
�I�m not asking you to go behind his back. I just like you and would hope we might become friends.�
He could see the wheels turning in her head. He was ready to chalk it up as a failed attempt when she looked him in the eyes.
�Just friends,� he promised.
�Then I accept. I�ve always wanted to go to one of these.�
◊◊◊
Frank decided to return to the hotel since he had an early flight to New York in the morning. David�s new PA, Kristen, was sitting in the front seat next to his driver. She looked straight ahead when David got in, which made him assume that she wanted to go to the party and was afraid he wouldn�t let her.
�Hey, Kristen. You promise not to be a pest tonight?� David asked.
Harriet glanced over at him, but he shook his head to let her know to stay out of it.
�Yes,� Kristen answered like a petulant teen.
�Young lady ��
�Yes, I promise to not bother anyone,� she said.
He was so getting a new PA when he got home. Although she was a good five years older than he was, he felt like he was the adult in their relationship.
�Then you can come to the party.�
Harriet snickered when she heard the little squeal of joy from the front seat. He had no doubt that she would be digging for dirt on what was going on before the night was over.
The party was being held in Wimbledon at one of the studio executives� homes. It was a lovely night, so they had the party in their large fenced-in backyard. There was a separate cottage at the back of the property. A bar and stage with a drum set and amps were set up next to it.
Everything was very � dignified.
They had waiters in black vests with silver trays of appetizers and champagne milling through the crowd. The press was also mingled. They had a wide array of media, including reporters with their recorders, videographers, and photographers. The guests were a mix of people in the business and their plus-ones, all dressed to impress.
David felt like he�d stumbled upon a fundraiser for some posh charity-of-the-moment.
�I�m going to make a quick circuit to say hello to everyone, and then I�m leaving,� David told Kristen and Harriet.
�I want to stay,� Kristen pouted.
�Do what you want,� he said dismissively.
David spotted his favorite Bond Girl talking to none other than the current James Bond. They were in discussion with two of the original Bonds. Harriet and Kristen tagged along as David put on his best smile and approached them.
�� I will say the gadgets you got to play with were much better than what I used.�
�You had a jetpack that allowed you to fly. I would kill to have been able to do that,� Stewart Thatcher, the current Bond, said.
�David!� Rita James, his favorite Bond Girl, called out to him. She actually played his mother in the current movie and was his mentor in real life.
He put his hand around her waist and kissed her cheek.
Introductions were made.
�David is going to help me get a drink. When I get back, you�d better be ready to dance with me,� she said to Stewart.
They�d been dating for over a year now, and David thought that this relationship looked like it might stick. In Hollywood, that was quite a feat.
David was happy when Harriet and Kristen stayed to listen to the gadget debate. Personally, he agreed with the original Bond. His e-wingsuit kicked ass compared to the jetpack. His stuntmen had filled him in about the one used in the movie,
�How was your first semester at USC?� Rita asked.
�There was a little drama with football, but I�m getting that worked out. I also played baseball,� David shared.
�What are you majoring in?�
�Business, with the goal of getting my MBA. USC is also a great film school. I plan to take some classes this summer to see if I want that to be my minor,� he replied.
�Learning the other side of the camera will only make you a better actor.�
�Someday, I might want to make my own movies.�
�You sound like every actor I know,� Rita said, looking amused.
�Says the woman who is branching out herself,� David shot back. �But unlike most actors, I think I might be able to do it.�
�If you surround yourself with the right people,� she quipped.
�If you keep teasing me, I�ll make you be my leading lady. When my film is panned, you�ll have your first box office failure and never work again.�
�I�m already playing a mom. It won�t be long before they�ll want to trot me out as the old Queen Victoria in a period piece.�
�PBS is way better than ending up on the Hallmark Channel,� David said with a serious face.
They both laughed, knowing that would never happen. Well, the part about his first attempt at producing or directing a movie sucking might be accurate, but America�s Sweetheart would never fall that far.
While they were getting their drinks, a sharp-looking black man made an announcement.
�The party will be starting in fifteen minutes. If the press would kindly wrap things up? We will be sending people around to collect all recording devices. Once that is done, we�ll kick things off.�
David looked at Rita.
�Did they say �all recording devices�?�
�Yes. That means you can have fun without worrying that it will end up in one of the gossip rags come morning.�
While David thought this was a brilliant idea and planned for all his future parties to instate that rule, he worried it might be an invitation to go wild. He was technically on break, he reasoned. Rita bailed on him and went to find her man.
◊◊◊
While the press cleared out, they sent the waitstaff around to collect all cell phones and the like. David had called his security to let them know he was giving up his bodycam for the night. Not because he wanted to, but because they ran this wand thingy over his body and found it. He was given a ticket like people received when they checked their coats to pick up his electronic devices when he left.
His �date� was a huge disappointment. Harriet had called her boyfriend, and he�d hustled his butt to the party to be with her. To top it off, he gushed to David that he was his �biggest fan.� All that kept David from slitting his wrists was that it had to be way past the old man�s bedtime.
The party began with some piped-in music and the handsome black man making a grand entrance with six party hos dancing around him. He held two liquor bottles over his head, and the crowd surged towards him.
�What�s that all about?� Kristen asked.
�That, my innocent American friends, is a Professional Party Starter,� Harriet explained. �His job is to make sure everyone has enough fun, drinks, and drugs � that the music is right � and that the beautiful people are present. Give him twenty minutes, and everyone will be loaded and half-naked and either dancing or shagging. You are about to have your minds blown.�
David shook his head in wonder as the girls handed out shots and other stuff that was probably illegal. He also noticed that the older crowd had all left, and a new group of younger people had flowed in.
He was debating whether he should leave when someone grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the stage. David wasn�t sure who it was because she pushed through the gathering crowd around the PPS, as he was now mentally calling the party starter.
When they broke through the other side, he stopped, jerking the girl who was dragging him, causing her to turn around.
�Pree,� David said as he recognized the terrorist/singer he�d met his senior year of high school. �What are we doing?�
�We�re singing together. Now, follow me,� she ordered.
Well, okay, then.
◊◊◊
Pree Amarnath had sung the featured song for
David knew that he would never be able to do the vocal gymnastics Pree could pull off, but he could play her straight man and let his baritone carry the tune as she went off. That was how he found himself backstage as she joined her band.
�Gather round. I thought I would sing for you tonight,� Pree announced to the crowd.
She had picked a song that David was sure he would fall on his face singing. It was way too high for his voice. It was Pink and Nate Ruess�s
When David had first heard her sing, she reminded him of one of the classic rockers from the sixties, Janice Joplin. Then she showed that she was much more than a screamer and could hold her own with anyone. When she did that, David thought of another singer, Christina Aguilera.
The song was about a woman who suspects that her relationship is over and begs her man to give her a reason not to end it. Pree�s rendition had David near tears as it came time to join her on stage.
�Ladies and gentlemen � David A. Dawson,� Pree announced as he came from the back.
He gave the crowd a wave. While he didn�t have Nate�s range, David dug down and gave a credible performance singing-wise. What he did know was acting and how to sell an emotion. By the end, he had to blink back real tears because he�d fallen entirely into character.
He was slightly embarrassed when Pree picked up on it and gave him a hug.
�You all right?� she asked in his ear.
�Give me a second,� he replied as he released the feelings he used when filming.
When he was ready, they followed with
Everyone was saved when Pree kicked David off the stage.
◊◊◊
David made a mental note that his PA was MIA. He momentarily worried about her, but she was in her mid-twenties and had indeed survived parties like this, so he let it go.
The consensus from his fellow castmates was that he should stick to acting. David decided they were just jealous.
He then decided that he had to find somewhere else to be when two of them�Mia Hilliard, his love interest in the movie, and Isabel Alexandra, Ben Cowley�s girlfriend�suggested they find a room. He made good his escape when the PPS and his assistants plied the girls with more shots.
David slipped off into a back corner of the yard as he watched the two girls try to figure out where he�d gone. He found a girl sitting alone. He might have left her alone if she wasn�t his future wife. David, like most men, had a type. Personally, he liked tall, athletic girls who were smart.
But this girl was none of that, except for maybe the smart part. She looked to be short and had obviously let the freshman fifteen grow to the 'I�m married and don�t give a damn' thirty. What she had was red hair and the requisite pale skin with freckles and blue eyes.
David had once looked it up, and less than two percent of the population had natural red hair. The same article said that redheads were more likely to have devil children, but he wasn�t looking for any more kids.
�Uhhhh, no,� was her greeting when he smiled at her.
�No, what?�
�No. Not interested.�
David knew right then that he also liked her for more than her looks.
�Uh � no, not interested in what?� he asked, playing dumb.
�In whatever you�re selling.�
�I didn�t even say anything.�
�You were about to.�
�I was?� David asked, giving the English rose a confused look.
�Yeah, you were about to give me your best pickup line. Something like, �Sup� and give me a head bob. For future reference, that is neither witty nor charming. Then you would follow it up with the classic, �Can I touch your belly button � from the inside?��
David choked on something as he tried not to laugh.
�Seriously! People have said that to you?� he asked, and she nodded to let him know they had. �Just so you know, I�m not that guy.�
�I�ve been around enough to know that guys cruise parties like this where the girls are encouraged to drink a lot. Since most guys who attend could never get anyone in the light of day, they capitalize on our lowered inhibitions.�
�You�re just crazy enough to be interesting. And for your information, I do just fine in the light of day,� David fired back.
�Then what are you doing here?� she asked.
�I�m in the movie.�
�Wow. That movie was actually good.�
�Thank you. What, pray tell, are you doing here, little Miss Know-it-all? Besides making a sport out of scowling at any man who walks by,� he said.
�Please, scowling can be fun.�
�Look, I have to go. It was nice meeting you,� David said as he turned to walk away.
Then he twirled around and came back.
�Just so you know, all I was going to say was, �My name is David. What�s yours?�
�Then I was hoping we would talk a little, and I would find out that you�re not the kind of girl that comes to parties like this. That would explain why the prettiest girl in the whole place was sitting all alone, glaring at everyone. Because you�re right. Most guys are dirty pervs who would seduce you and leave you. That�s it,� he said.
He turned and began to walk away.
�David?�
He turned back, and she was smiling.
�Colleen,� she shared.
�Nice to meet you, Colleen,� David said and left her.
◊◊◊
David was ready to go and decided that he�d best check on Kristen before leaving. It was a good thing he did because he found her out of her mind, either drunk or stoned or, most probably, both. She was sitting on a couch between two men who were in the process of undressing her.
�Sorry, guys, but that one�s mine, and we have to go,� David said.
They weren�t in much better shape as they turned and gawked at him as he scooped his PA up and walked out of the room.
When he reached the front door, one of the waiters already had their electronic equipment in bags. He handed them to David, acting like it was normal to seeing a man carry a half-naked girl from the party.
When David stepped outside, his driver had already pulled up. David suspected that the host might have planted hidden cameras. He was glad he hadn�t gotten up to more than having a cocktail or three.
◊◊◊
Brook and six of her friends had moved into her grandmother�s Brooklyn condo for the summer. Grace Davenport had hired them all to help start the New York branch of Holistic Wealth Management. Brook had wanted to travel, maybe see Europe, for the summer. But her mother, Ava, had called and asked her to spend the summer in New York.
Brook couldn�t say �no� to her mother because Ava had agreed to manage the new branch after her divorce had become final just a month ago. Ian, Brook�s father, had left for California, where he had accepted a position as a political science professor at Stanford. She planned to visit him later this summer, once he got settled.
It hadn�t been hard to convince her sorority sisters to join her because they were offered top dollar and the promise of many r�sum�-building experiences. Well, that, and staying in a penthouse condo located in the heart of DUMBO�short for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass�the most expensive neighborhood in Brooklyn.
The condo was situated right on the water�s edge. The floor-to-ceiling windows offered NYC skyline, East River, and bridge views from almost every room.
Keira stuck her head into Brook�s bedroom and looked a little overexcited. Today was Holistic�s board of directors meeting. They�d all gotten a chance to help prepare presentations and coordinate everyone coming into town.
While the board meeting was a big deal, what had Keira and the rest of Brook�s roommates excited was that David Dawson was attending. They were teasing her because her ex had admitted that she was one of his true loves. It was all well and good until the paparazzi showed up and staked out their building.
Her roommates had dragged her to see David�s latest movie last night. After the shower and towel scenes, the consensus was that Brook needed to have her head examined for dumping such an outstanding specimen of manhood.
She thought back to that scene and his half-naked, glistening body. Flexing muscles, yum! Brook bit her bottom lip. If she kept her eyes closed and didn�t move, she was afraid that her desire would become all too real.
Brook could almost picture David making his model walk toward her,�a nice, easy gait where his muscles rippled with each step. She could practically feel his breath on her neck as he leaned down to kiss it. Her mouth parted slightly. She licked her dry lips.
�The car is downstairs. You need to get a move on,� Keira said to bring her out of her fantasy.
�How do I look?� Brook asked, trying to cover that she was flustered.
�Way too professional for meeting your ex. You should wear that black dress with the slit up the front. You want to remind David what he�s missing.�
�Give it a rest. He got over me a long time ago,� Brook reasoned. �Besides, I�m seeing Bastian now.�
�Please. Bastian went home for the summer, and everyone knows his ex is lying in wait to pounce on him the first chance she gets. And after seeing your ex, there�s no way Bastian measures up,� Keira said with a look of mischief. �Be honest, which one was better in bed?�
Brook had refused to share any personal information about her relationship with David. This was just another ploy to get her to spill details. She gave Keira a look that communicated her feelings on the topic.
�Okay, fine. Just tell me this. Is he as good-looking in person as he is in the movies?�
�Better,� Brook said.
Keira fanned her face with her hand like some Southern belle having the vapors.
�Do me a favor and talk me up to him,� she begged. �Oh, and don�t let the others get near him. We don�t need a repeat of what Mallory did at our last party.�
They�d had a little get-together after finals that had gotten out of hand. Brook�s sisters had to get rid of all their alcohol, so someone got the bright idea to make the �kitchen sink� of sorority-girl drinks: Long Island Iced Teas. The trouble started when the syph boys had shown up.
There was a fraternity next to their house that had a bad reputation. The girls had started calling them �syph boys� because the rumor was they�d all gotten syphilis over spring break from a bunch of skanks from Wellesley College.
Mallory had started early and made some bad decisions. They�d had to save her from herself when she decided to climb this poor freshman boy in the middle of the party room. The funny part was she denied it ever happened and insisted that all the pictures they took were fake.
Brook had to chuckle because that little stunt would have ended up far differently if she�d climbed up David and stuck her tongue down his throat. He wasn�t some ordinary nervous freshman.
Truth be told, David would never have done anything with Mallory because she was drunk. That was one of the things Brook missed about him. While he wasn�t really a �good boy� in the sense that he was saving it for marriage, he had a solid moral code.
A good example was a New Year�s Eve party where David had lectured some men that you don�t take advantage of a drunk girl; you take her home. Brook had learned the hard way that not many guys followed that code. It was one of the main reasons she�d joined a sorority. The sisters at least kept an eye on each other to prevent anything that would be regretted the next day.
Brook grabbed her bag, and she and Keira rushed out the door to go to work. She groaned when they reached the lobby and saw the sidewalk full of paparazzi. She would be glad when her fifteen minutes of fame were over.
◊◊◊
When Brook had reached work, she�d gone to her mom�s office and promptly been told that she and Mallory were picking up David and his entourage at the airport. They each checked out a town car and headed to New Jersey and Teterboro Airport.
They were almost there when Brook received a text from her grandmother, letting her know they were on the ground and giving her directions where to pick everyone up. Brook was familiar with the airport since it was the main airport near New York City where private planes routinely landed. She�d picked up a few of their wealth-management clients there over the past week.
She spotted David�s mom standing curbside. Brook pulled up and got out of the car to greet Carol.
�Brook!�
The two women hugged.
�How was London?� Brook asked.
�It was a lot of fun. I even got to meet all the men who played James Bond.�
�What does Rob think of that?�
Carol rolled her eyes to let her know that her husband didn�t get why she had a crush on James Bond. The two of them caught up until Brook spotted David pushing a cart loaded down with bags.
�He�s not seeing anyone,� Carol whispered.
David saw Brook and grinned, which caused her heart to skip a beat. Not fair at all. His smile should be licensed as a lethal weapon.
�Mister Dawson!� Mallory called out to get his attention. �Let me help you with your bags. You�re supposed to ride back to the city with me.�
Carol snorted out a laugh when she saw Brook�s reaction to her fellow employee�s attempt at catching David�s attention. Brook had to hide her own smile when David let Mallory take the cart to load their luggage into her vehicle.
�You know Frank,� David said. �And this is my temporary PA, Kristen. Everybody, this is Brook Davis, Grace Davenport�s granddaughter.�
Brook would have to dig into the �temporary� comment about his PA. She noticed that Kristen had caught it and looked concerned.
Mallory was a little out of breath after hoisting all their bags into the car when she came back. Brook introduced her to David�s group.
�Mom, you and Frank go with Mallory to the hotel and get us checked in. I�ll ride with Brook to the meeting and call you when I�m done,� David said, taking charge.
�Adrienne�s partner, Tyler, called, and we made plans to go shopping,� Carol said. �She said that Adrienne is working with Jill Lacier and Kara Tasman today, and they all want to have dinner with you tonight.�
Brook slugged David in the arm when she caught his look of lust as his mom listed their names. He really was a �stupid boy� sometimes. He glanced over at Brook and raised his eyebrows, which caused her to remember that he was her ex, and she had no say in who he spent time with.
�Sorry, that was a knee-jerk reaction,� Brook admitted as she heard the words tumbling out of her mouth, faster and faster, as if she needed to reassure herself.
David�s security took the car keys from her. Kristen joined the security guy in the front seat as Brook and David got into the back. Frank and Carol went with Mallory.
◊◊◊
�Guess who�s in town that I�m meeting tomorrow?� David asked once they got on the road.
�Tony Giovanni,� Brook guessed.
He raised an eyebrow.
�Now that you mention it, that is probably someone I should reach out to while I�m in town � but no. Think crush,� he prodded.
�Darius Rossetti?� Brook asked, and David nodded. �Did you know that he made me go to homecoming so we could crown the next king and queen?�
�Chrissy dumped him, so he asked me for your number. I can�t believe that you blocked him,� David teased.
�If you thought his �special� text was hilarious, you should have experienced some of the other gems he pulled out of his you-know-what to express his feelings,� she all but groaned.
�I�m surprised he hasn�t figured out how to pull a text back yet. I would have bet one of my imaginary beach houses he would have been motivated to solve that little problem.�
�You need to talk to him and explain that not sending a text is probably his best course of action. That way, you don�t regret what you sent two minutes later.�
�He�s no longer working on drones,� David said to floor Brook. �His roommate at MIT turned him on to virtual reality. He says they�ve created something for me to use for football. He wants me to fly them both out to LA for a month so they can prove that it works,� he said.
�Do you still fund his crazy projects?�
�For the most part,� David said.
�Good, because except for his total cluelessness with respect to women, he has some real talent.�
�At annoying you,� he added.
Brook didn�t even bother to say anything about that. Dare had gotten into his head that he was in love with her. The boy was the furthest thing from a person she would ever consider dating, but she had to give him credit for persistence. If he would turn his eye to other girls, she had no doubt he would be dating right now.
�Hey! I have some great news,� David said.
�Do tell.�
�I just logged enough hours to get my jet certification. When I get back to LA, I�ll take the test.�
�How did you manage that with your busy schedule?� Brook asked.
�When I was filming last summer and fall, I told them about my goal, so they let me copilot at first, and then when they saw I knew what I was doing, they let me fly the plane. For the flight from London to here, I had control of the plane the whole trip.�
�Do you plan to buy a jet?� she asked.
She saw his look of frustration.
�I�d set aside money to buy one, but I bought a house for my brother, Greg, instead.�
�But you have enough money to do that, don�t you?� Brook asked.
�I do, and I might in the future. For now, I�ve met enough people who own jets that I can borrow one. Chubby Feldman is going to let me use his for my test,� David explained.
�That makes me want to get my jet certification,� she admitted.
The reason David had started to fly was that Brook had talked him into taking classes with her�not that it took a lot of talking. She�d put all that on the back burner when she went off to college. Now that her dad lived in California, it made sense to do what David had done and get her jet certification.
The conversation lulled for a moment as they were both lost in thought. Then David turned and had a direct and unflinching look on his face.
�Do you ever think about us?� he asked.
It�s funny how in moments like this, random thoughts jump into your head. If she were ever asked, Brook now could honestly say that hair really could stand on end. Also, her heart leaped somewhere up to the vicinity of her larynx.
When she had broken it off with David, she was a senior in high school. Her parents had moved to Cincinnati for many reasons. The most important one was that her dad had been caught cheating, and they were trying to fix their marriage. Hindsight being what it was, Brook would have probably taken her best friend, Cassidy, up on her offer to live with her until she graduated.
Not that the ultimate outcome of them breaking up wouldn�t have happened; it would have. But Brook would have been able to be with him for a few more months.
At the time, she hadn�t handled it very well. She did give David credit for not making her feel worse about ending it. He�d been one of the few people who supported her decision to help try to keep her parents together.
But Brook would be lying if she denied occasionally thinking about what it would be like if they were together. Heck, the �stupid boy� had declared to the world that she was one of his great loves.
�I do,� she finally said.
�After we have dinner with Adrienne, how about just you and I spend some time together?� David asked.
�But I�m dating someone. What about all your relationship rules?� Brook asked in shock.
�For you, I would break all my rules.�
Oh, now he hadn�t just uttered those words, had he? She opened her mouth to say something � well, anything � but when nothing came to her, she quickly snapped it closed. He took that as a signal, leaned towards her, and gently kissed her. She heard a gasp from the front seat, which killed the moment.
David was right. He had to get rid of his PA.
The only thought that came to her head was that his full lips that had softly caressed hers looked oh-so-inviting. She could just hear her roommates coaching her.
At that moment, Brook didn�t have a good answer to that question. That was why she found herself reaching her hand for the back of his neck so she could pull his head down for a real kiss. This one had a lot more heat.
When they finally parted, they were both flushed. Brook looked deep into his eyes and saw all the love that she�d been missing for a year and a half. Tears welled up in her eyes as her emotions got the better of her. David suddenly looked concerned.
�Why are you crying?� he asked softly.
�Because I miss you so much,� she admitted.
Saying those words felt like the elephant that had been standing on her chest ever since she broke up with him was lifted off. She could breathe again, for the first time in many months.
He got that silly little smile that he reserved only for her, which caused her heart to tighten.
�But �� Brook began.
David chuckled.
�I know exactly what you�re about to say. I�m not asking for us to get back together. I thought that we might spend some time together to remind ourselves what we could have if or when we finally get the chance.�
�But it would hurt when you left,� she reasoned.
�I know it would, but without sadness, there can�t be joy. Without pain, there can never be healing. We never got a chance to really say goodbye properly,� he said, waggling his eyebrows at her.
�Quit being a cute, sexy boy for just a minute so I can think,� she scolded him.
�So, you�re thinking about it?� David asked as he batted his eyes at her.
�Stop it, brat.�
�I�ve missed this,� he said, getting serious.
Brook sighed. So had she, but she was afraid to say it out loud. The sad truth was that she compared every guy she met with David.
Bastian had come the closest. She had no doubt that her current boyfriend would be wildly successful once he graduated. His family had all the right connections; he was personable and not too hard on the eyes. But he wasn�t David. And he wasn�t here.
�I can�t,� Brook finally said.
He gave her a sad smile.
�I understand. But I would never forgive myself if I didn�t ask.�
�I�m glad you did. I just wish ��
�Me, too,� David said to let her off the hook.
He took her hand and held it for the rest of the ride into the city.
◊◊◊
As they pulled up to the Manhattan high-rise office building, David rolled his eyes when he saw the paparazzi waiting for him. His security guy was new, and he looked nervous.
David wondered if the man would make it in this line of work because this was nothing. If they�d landed at Kennedy, it would have been a zoo. Then he would�ve earned his keep escorting David to his car.
Brook was on the phone with the building�s security.
�They say we should wait. They�re sending out someone to get us inside.�
Two minutes later, men in blue blazers with the building�s logo walked out and came to the car.
David leaned over to Brook and whispered, �Why didn�t we just pull into the parking garage to avoid all this?�
�My mom was hoping you might mention our new New York office.�
Brook saw the wheels turning and hit his arm. He wondered when she decided that hitting him was okay again.
�You be nice to my mom,� she warned.
�Welp, that takes the fun out of it,� David decided when the back door was opened.
He made a mental note to talk to Fritz because his security guy shouldn�t be sitting in the front seat while others did his job.
David got out first and then helped Brook out. The whole while, he could hear the rapid-fire of cameras and questions being shouted out.
He turned around and surveyed the chaos. He noticed that the paparazzi had begun to draw a crowd.
�If everyone will step back and allow us to stand in front of the building, I�ll give a brief statement and then answer a few questions,� David said.
When that did no good, he barked, �If you don�t settle down, I will simply march inside and avoid all of you during my stay in New York.�
Brook almost blew it when she saw his new look, �stern dad.� His own father wasn�t amused when he learned what his favorite son had been practicing. David gave her a sideways glance when it worked as well on paparazzi as it did two-year-olds�not well at all.
While he dealt with the press, Kristen decided that she should stand on the other side of him to get her picture taken.
�Go upstairs and let Grace Davenport know we�ll be up in ten minutes,� David ordered his PA.
She gave him a dirty look but did as he asked.
�Put your hand on my back, so I know where you are,� David told Brook.
While he didn�t expect trouble, he wanted to be between it and her if it happened. Once she did that, he put on his best smile and walked to the door. The security team created a semi-circle in front of the two of them to hold the crowd back once they were situated.
�Get the f� out of my way!� a woman barked, punching a hole through the crowd.
She obviously had somewhere to go. She pushed past the security team and stepped between David and Brook.
�Move it,� the woman grumped as she pushed past.
David loved New York.
He gave a brief statement that included a plug for his movie and another for Holistic Wealth Management.
�Now, I�m going to take questions one at a time. If you shout over each other, I am done,� David warned.
He pointed at one of the scruffier ones. He�d found they needed the money more than the others and asked the most interesting questions.
�Where�s your mom? I understand she�s now the darling of the UK.�
�Yeah,� David drawled. �I don�t think you guys are ready for my mom. If I were you, I would steer clear.�
He pointed at another one.
�Brook, everyone wants to know why you dumped David.�
David stage-whispered, �Tell them what I told your cousin.�
Brook thought about it for all of a second before catching on. Her cousin had been digging for dirt on Brook, so David had told her it was his fault Brook left him. He might have implied it was because she was scared of his ample package. He was sure that the movie folks would love that rumor to get started.
No, really. David was sure they would.
Brook gave some lame explanation about her moving.
When the following three questions were for Brook, he could see she was about ready to kill someone. He made a wise choice, grabbed her hand, and pulled her inside.
That turned into its own shit show when half the building was in the lobby.
�I�m going to kill your mom,� David said under his breath.
By the time they reached the elevators, Brook understood why he wanted to just slip in through the garage entrance.
◊◊◊
Brook led David to her mother�s office. The door was partially closed, and they could hear Ava talking to someone. Brook tried to grab his arm, but he walked in like he owned the place. He saw that Ava was talking to Phyllis, Grace�s PA, about the board meeting.
�How�s my biggest fan?� David asked Phyllis.
�David, could you give us a minute? We need to wrap this up,� Ava said in a very businesslike fashion.
�Actually, Brook needs to have a word with you,� he replied.
�I do?� Brook asked, clearly confused.
�You do,� he said and saw Brook understood. Then he turned to Phyllis. �I could really use a cup of tea. Please show me where it is so I don�t have to hunt for it later.�
David could see Phyllis was unsure what she should do. He assumed that she was worried he shouldn�t be running for his own tea because he was a big-time actor. What she didn�t know was that he wasn�t
�Go. It sounds like my daughter has to have a word with me. Just come back so we can print off the agendas,� Ava said.
◊◊◊
Phyllis took him to the break room and then begged off because she had work to do. David realized too late that being alone while drinking a cup of tea was an invitation for everyone in the company to �stop by and say hello.�
Ava must have put Brook to work because it was over an hour before she came looking for him.
�Tell us another story,� Keira urged as David spotted Brook.
David was surrounded by Brook�s sorority sisters. When he figured that out, he started to dig for dirt. They were savvy enough to make him tell a few Brook stories in return.
�What�s going on?� Brook asked.
�Did you really pay him to go out with you?� Mallory asked.
�You are not allowed to talk to them � ever,� Brook said to him with a bit of heat.
�Sorry. I forgot that was a secret,� David said, acting timid.
�What else did you tell them?� she asked.
�That I am way better in bed than your boyfriend,� he whispered.
Yep. This whole hitting thing was new.
David really liked Brook�s sorority sisters. She�d made some great friends.
◊◊◊
David had arranged a pre-meeting with his people. Brook took him to a conference room where he found his dad, who usually attended these meetings for him. Also present were Frank Ingram, one of the managing partners of IDC � Public Relations; Jack and Bev Mass, owners of Mass Investment; and Kent Crain, senior manager for Dawson Management. Kent had brought with him Kendal Miller, David�s first PA, and now one of the managers.
They were all part of his original company that Grace Davenport had bought. Everyone was now under the Holistic Wealth Management umbrella.
David wasn�t surprised when Brook took the seat next to his. It really did feel like old times. The only one missing was Caryn Buckley, his former COO and president of Dawson Management. She now ran the California branch of Holistic Wealth Management and hadn�t made the trip. If needed, she would be available for the board meeting via video chat.
�I wanted to get the old gang back together to make sure the buyout was working for everyone. If there are any issues, I�d like to know about them before the board meeting this afternoon,� David said to kick the meeting off.
�Before we do that, you need to be brought into the loop about something,� Rob Dawson, David�s dad, said.
�There has been an offer made to take over Holistic Wealth Management,� Bev Mass shared.
Brook opened a folder and handed David the proposed terms of the takeover. The company potentially buying them was Morgan Fletcher Investments. They were one of the bigger ones and had recently been aggressive in gobbling up their smaller competition.
He would get all of the money he�d loaned Grace from the original buyout, plus an insane amount for his nine percent of the company.
When David saw that, he glanced at his dad.
�Read the next page,� Rob encouraged.
Morgan Fletcher Investments planned to fold Holistic Wealth Management�s clients into their company and not offer the additional services. Those services encompassed what made HWM unique, including personal management that handled everything from paying their bills to managing their careers to PR services to even offering a stylist. Those portions of the company would be sold off, as Morgan Fletcher only focused on managing investments.
�Are they willing to sell your companies back to you?� David asked Frank, Kent, and Jack.
�They would be sold to the highest bidder. I think we would take the money offered and start over,� Frank said.
�I read that they would make everyone sign a three-year noncompete,� Bev Mass shared.
That would put them all out of business.
�So, I am assuming that you all are against this?� David asked.
�We would have to look at this seriously,� Jack said, surprising David.
It was a lot of money.
�It might not matter what we think. Grace owns 51 percent of the company,� Frank reminded everyone.
�That�s not true. She gave my mom 5 percent, and Mom is leaning towards rejecting the offer,� Brook shared.
�Does Grace want to sell?� David asked.
Everyone turned to Brook, who shrugged.
�She�s weighing the short-term gain from selling versus the long-term potential growth and revenue associated with the business,� Brook said.
�Nothing has been decided yet?� David asked.
�No. My grandmother is having lunch with the owner and her counsel before the meeting,� Brook said.
�Tell Grace that I want to dine with them,� David said.
�Why?� Brook asked, looking concerned.
As he glanced around, David saw that everyone, even his dad, looked unsettled.
�I want to learn what all this really means. I didn�t start this company to just make money. If I wanted to do that, I would have simply hired someone to invest my funds. I asked you all to help me find a way to do more than that. We�ve built a business that employs a lot of people. People who�ll be looking for a job shortly if we decide to sell,� David said.
�If you go, you have to promise me something,� Rob said.
Rob had been the driving force behind the scenes for David from the start. While he wasn�t involved in the day-to-day, he was David�s eyes and ears, so to speak.
�What?� David asked.
�Just promise me,� Rob fired back.
David gave his dad a disgusted look because this was so like a parent. He knew there had to be some trick that he would regret later.
�Promise �� Rob said.
�Fine! I promise! I�ll do whatever you�re going to ask me to do,� David relented.
�Go into the meeting with an open mind. Do not let your feeling of losing control stop you from giving them a fair hearing. Allow them to present what they plan and don�t comment. Once you leave, come back, and we will all discuss it,� Rob pressed.
David saw that his dad was afraid he would act like his mother. She would have walked in and told the owner of Morgan Fletcher precisely what she was thinking. His dad was reminding David to slow down when an important decision had to be made.
The �losing control� comment was also spot on. David had sold his business to Grace, and if it had been almost anyone else, he wouldn�t have done it. She had wisely shown him that he wasn�t in a place in his life where he could devote the time or energy needed to successfully run a company. She also had experience growing businesses.
It didn�t hurt that Grace had given him a piece of the new company, so he still felt like it was his. His dad knew that David could become stubborn, especially if he considered something his. He knew that David�s actions had brought everyone together to form the core of the business. Since David had done that, it was only natural for him to try to protect them.
�I promise,� David said to confirm what he�d said earlier.
�Talk to Grace and arrange for David to attend the lunch,� Rob told Brook.
Brook got up to go talk to her grandmother. When the door closed, David turned to his dad.
�How long have you known about this?�
When everyone looked away, David knew that Rob was on his own.
�A couple of months, but I had a good reason for not telling you.�
�I�m listening.�
�The reason you sold the business in the first place was that you didn�t want to manage it,� Rob started, but when he saw David�s look, he stopped before trying another approach. �Honestly, when this first was brought to us, I didn�t think it would go anywhere. We�ve had others sniffing around, but Grace quickly shot them all down.�
�I agree. She basically told Morgan Fletcher that they would have to pay a premium to make it happen,� Bev said to support his dad.
�You had just finished filming, then football took a left turn and you ended up at USC, and then school kept you busy. Since it didn�t look like it was happening, I decided not to tell you,� Rob said.
�Thanks for the explanation, Dad. I�m seriously not mad; I just wanted to understand where and how this originated and how it got so big and involved so fast. The question I need the answer to is, what do all of you want to have happen? I need the abridged version before Brook comes back to tell me that I�ve been invited to lunch,� David said.
�What is it you�re about to do?� Kent asked.
�This is what David does,� Frank said. �Trust him to hold his own in the upcoming lunch. So, for me, what I want is ��
David could tell that none of them had talked about this yet. He discovered that all was not rosy with the new venture. What he didn�t understand was why they hadn�t been talking to Grace about some of the issues they were having. That made it harder for a couple of them to avoid saying they just wanted to take the money and leave.
As David expected, his dad kept everyone on track. He would interrupt if anyone went too deep into the weeds or ask for clarification when he saw that David was confused. The goal wasn�t to feed David all the information he needed to run the business. Grace had described his leadership role as the overall management type who had to understand just enough to grasp the big picture.
◊◊◊
When Brook came back to get David, his dad walked him out.
�Okay, the trick is to forget everything you just heard and really listen to what everyone is saying. When you come back, we can discuss the merits of what you learned,� Rob said.
�Why aren�t you going with me?� David asked.
�Simple: it�s your money.�
That was his dad�s way of saying that David didn�t need him to hold his hand anymore. David felt himself becoming emotional because this felt like one of those moments he would never forget. Not only had his father shown his faith in him, so had everyone else in that room.
He felt the weight of the responsibility. Maybe it was a responsibility that wasn�t meant to be carried by someone so young and inexperienced, but it was there, and it was his. David honestly was surprised that its weight never entered his mind when he took that responsibility on.
In a way, it also confirmed what his uncle had always said: David was a natural leader. That did not necessarily mean he was one who had to have an iron grip on every decision made. Rather, he realized that he was the person they knew would never let them fail. That knowledge, in fact, was freeing.
Well, that, and knowing that Grace Davenport would be there with him. Maybe it wasn�t as big of a deal as he�d just made it out to be in his mind, and that was why they�d let him go into the lunch meeting, but he didn�t think so.
�Lead the way,� David said to Brook.
◊◊◊
It didn�t take Grace long to decide to allow David to join her for lunch with the CEO of Morgan Fletcher Investments and her counsel. Grace felt that the young man had real potential and wanted to encourage it.
She�d made her living finding diamonds in the rough and polishing them into top-flight corporate executives. Her granddaughter, Brook, was the only one in her generation of the family that Grace felt had that potential. It was why she had Brook�s mother, Ava, approach Brook about working with them this summer. Grace wanted Brook to get exposure to the ins and outs of running a business.
The main attributes Grace looked for in her prodigies were a drive to succeed and a tangible demonstration that they could successfully complete the projects she set them to.
Though that wasn�t entirely true. There were different types of driven, especially in high school and college-age kids. Most were the sort who worked diligently to try to mold themselves into what they thought others wanted. These kids focused on grades, extracurriculars, placement scores, and padding either their college applications or r�sum�.
The problem with this type was that many of them, once they graduated, either turned into elitist snobs who looked down on the vast unwashed or became a wild child. New York was teeming with them. They were Ivy League types who were still trying to measure themselves against everyone else. Their typical metric was either how much money they were making or the number of notches on their bedposts. Many times, they tried to do both.
The perfect examples were Brook�s sorority sisters and her current boyfriend, Bastian.
As a side note, Grace wouldn�t be opposed to David deciding to kick the crap out of the boy for his pretentious name alone. She hadn�t felt that way until her investigators reported that he was cheating on her granddaughter while he was back home. Meanwhile, he was repeatedly telling Brook how much he missed her.
Grace had found that the driven �it�s all about me� types had their uses. They made excellent traders, but only if they were properly supervised since they could quickly venture into gray areas. Frankly, that type would get into anything that would earn them a lot of money where they could work without oversight. She found that if she put them together with others like them, their competitiveness could result in better profits.
Where they fell down was in management positions, and especially upper management positions, because they were only focused on themselves. As a result, they were the furthest thing from inspirational leaders to their subordinates.
What made David special was that, at heart, he was just a regular guy. That was a bold statement when you looked at everything he�d achieved in his life. But once you got to know him, David was one of the most down-to-earth people Grace had ever met. He simply figured out how to get stuff done, and he worked brilliantly with others to do it.
With that in mind, she�d also expanded the number of people going to this particular meeting to include her granddaughter. She�d recognized that David rubbed off on Brook. When they were together, they made an excellent team.
◊◊◊
Grace pulled up in front of the hotel. David had gone there to change into a suit for their meeting.
�He�ll be right down,� Brook said a moment after her phone chirped.
�How�s it been, seeing him again?� Grace asked.
Brook gave her grandmother the same response all her grandkids did when asked about their love life. Brook gazed out the window before looking back.
�I wish I�d met him in college,� she finally said and then added, �His mom made a point to tell me that he�s single.�
�Interesting,� Grace said diabolically.
David picked that moment to open the door.
�Grandmother!� Brook complained.
�What�s up with you two?� David asked once he was settled and the car pulled into traffic.
�We were talking about Brook�s love life,� Grace overshared.
�So, when do I get to meet this future breakup and size him up for myself?� he asked.
�Never!� Brook growled.
�I just reminded her that you were single,� Grace said to wind her granddaughter up.
David smiled when Brook didn�t take the bait and changed the subject of their conversation. Grace was surprised at the maturity her granddaughter was showing.
�What should we know before the meeting?�
�To this point, I haven�t met with Morgan Fletcher�s CEO, Rebecca LaPointe. Before I present their offer to the board this afternoon, I wanted to have a chance to talk to her face-to-face. I want to hear in her own words what she plans,� Grace shared.
Grace was surprised when David didn�t say anything. He just nodded and had an unreadable look. She then glanced at Brook, who was staring out the window. Grace wondered why the two of them had gone quiet.
�We�ve arrived, ma�am,� the driver announced.
◊◊◊
Grace had arranged for the meeting to occur at an iconic restaurant, Delmonico�s. They�d opened their doors in 1837, and she�d been assured that it was an old-school steakhouse that had become one of the best places to go for a business lunch. Grace had reserved the Board Room, which was one of their private rooms for diners.
She�d arranged for the prix fixe lunch to be served. The starter was eggs Benedict, and then you either got the Delmonico steak or lobster Newberg. The meal was finished with baked Alaska. Every one of those dishes was claimed to have been invented by the original chef at Delmonico�s.
Phyllis was waiting for them when they entered.
Grace scanned the dining area and thought it was a good choice. The white curtains and tablecloths, chandeliers, and giant paintings on the walls still made it feel like it could have existed in another century. What came to her mind was that this was an institution. Her first impression was that it might be stuffy, but when she scanned the patrons, she saw every type of clothing, from elegant to casual.
The Board Room was just off the main dining room. When they walked into it, all Grace could think was that it exuded power. The walls were covered in beautifully oiled and polished oak paneling. High-backed leather chairs surrounded an elegant wood table.
�You�ve outdone yourself, Phyllis. This is perfect,� Grace said to her PA.
Before they could sit down, the door opened and their guests arrived.
Grace sized up her adversaries. Ms. LaPointe seemed to have covered up suspected freckles with a heavy coat of makeup. Her neck was starting to sag, and her chin had been softened by hints of age. The wages of hard living were evident around her eyes.
Godfrey Trevin, her attorney, had jowls�honest-to-goodness jowls, just like a Saint Bernard. They wobbled beside his mouth when he talked.
�Ms. Davenport,� Ms. LaPointe said as she reached out a hand. �I appreciate that you didn�t keep me waiting.�
She then turned her stern gaze toward David and Brook.
�I know you two from somewhere. Is this �bring your kids to work� day?�
Grace saw Brook�s ire rise, but David gave Ms. LaPointe his winning smile.
�You saw us earlier today. We were the ones who inconvenienced you on your way to somewhere,� David said.
�Yes. There is a time and place for that sort of thing, but doing so when people need to get to work is not one of them. In the future, you need to learn that you aren�t the center of the universe, as young people tend to think,� Ms. LaPointe said.
If anything, David�s smile got bigger. Grace noted that Brook had gone from being angry to concerned when she saw David�s reaction. Grace had a feeling her granddaughter knew that this was about to get interesting.
�I charge by the hour, so maybe we should all sit down and talk,� Mr. Trevin said to ease the tension.
During the appetizer, there was small talk that Grace steered towards David. He shared some witty stories about making
When the main course arrived, Grace got down to business.
�As I shared earlier, we have our board of directors meeting this afternoon. At that time, I will propose the sale of my company.
�Now that we are so close to finalizing this deal, I was hoping you could tell me what you plan to do once you own it,� Grace said.
Ms. LaPointe had a self-satisfied look of triumph, which put Grace�s teeth on edge.
�There will be a transition period during which we will send in teams to assist your people in finding other employment,� Ms. LaPointe began.
�You don�t plan to retain any of the staff?� Grace asked.
�Only long enough to transfer your client base and their funds into our company. Once that�s done, the staff will become redundant. We�ll also break off the peripheral companies and sell them to the highest bidder,� Ms. LaPointe explained.
�We�ve created a niche in the wealth-management business by offering those services. I would think that you would want to expand on them, not sell them off, if for no other reason than to garner additional streams of income,� Grace said.
Ms. LaPointe looked at Grace like she felt the woman was touched in the head.
�It�s fortunate for your clients that they�ll be with Morgan Fletcher because we do one thing: we maximize our client�s wealth. All the other services are simply a distraction. We do one thing, and we are the best in the business at doing it,� Ms. LaPointe said.
Grace was a little shocked when she saw both Brook and David sitting there with blank expressions. Phyllis had a horrified look that disappeared when Grace glanced at her.
�Why is our client base so important to you? I mean, you are paying way over market,� Grace said.
�I think Morgan Fletcher�s long-term plans are confidential,� Mr. Trevin interjected, as lawyers were paid to do.
That was what Grace would have said, so she didn�t feel surprised. She was, however, when Ms. LaPointe ignored her lawyer�s advice.
�Your client base will make us big enough that corporate clients will be interested in us. We are currently in negotiations with some large pension funds to manage their business. Once we have enough �big boy� money to manage, we can use our size to affect the market,� Ms. LaPointe shared.
Price manipulation was illegal. But Grace knew that if you got big enough, such manipulation was easily hidden from any regulatory body. It had become clear that justice wasn�t handed out equally anymore. It was all about who you knew or if you had money behind you.
�I thought you said your company has a laser-like focus on making money for its clients,� David interrupted.
Ms. LaPointe looked confused at his remark.
�Don�t worry, I�ll explain it to him before the meeting,� Grace said to relieve the tension that threatened to arise.
David gave her a grateful look for covering for him.
Ms. LaPointe clearly felt that she had made her case, and having done so, also made it clear that she didn�t have the patience to sit through dessert. Mr. Trevin looked disappointed when he heard he would be missing one of Delmonico�s signature dishes, baked Alaska.
Once they left, Grace fully expected to hear David and Brook loudly protest selling the business to Morgan Fletcher. Grace was more than leaning that way herself now because she had a real problem with financial predators. Several examples of such predations immediately jumped to her mind, including hedge fund manipulations, bitcoin activities, and other stock maneuverings.
Probably the most famous example had occurred over forty years ago when Grace was just starting out in the business world. The Hunt brothers failed in their attempt to corner the silver market. Nowadays, the markets had automatic brakes to prevent wild fluctuations in prices. Those brakes, however, seemed to be triggered more readily if the fluctuations were caused by the �average Joe� investor as opposed to large corporate ones.
As she thought about it, Grace realized she had already decided to vote against the proposed sale. She had also started formulating plans for the time she knew was coming when Morgan Fletcher switched gears from friendly purchase to hostile takeover. Even though she held the majority of shares, she knew that back-channel dealings were a tried-and-true method of wresting the practical ownership of a company from even a majority shareholder.
Grace worried that Ms. LaPointe might have the right political connections to have a regulatory investigation launched against Holistic Wealth Management. The worst-case scenario was an order precluding them from trading stocks or securities until the investigation was settled.
In the old days, that was unthinkable. But recently, the government had shown they had little or no interest in playing fairly.
With her thoughts gathered, Grace finally asked the big question.
�What do you think?�
�That woman is evil. We can�t let her buy our company,� Brook said.
�It might be easier since we don�t have the connections and war chest to fight her,� Phyllis offered as an alternative perspective.
David sat there quietly, thinking. Finally, Grace asked his opinion.
�What if we turned this on its ear and bought them?� he asked. �I mean, I had a valid question. Isn�t handling huge corporate funds a different business from handling the funds of individual clients?�
�Yes,� Grace admitted.
�And what will happen to those clients when Morgan Fletcher switches their focus? If I remember correctly, it was my contact list that was used to find potential clients. How am I going to look them in the eye and explain how we sold them out to this bunch?� David asked.
It had been many years since Grace had been rendered speechless.
She could see that Phyllis couldn�t get her mind wrapped around what he�d just said. Grace�s PA had a brilliant business mind, but she quickly dismissed outside-the-box ideas when they were presented. That was why she was Grace�s PA and not managing one of her business units.
�What would we have to do to pull this off?� Brook asked.
That was what Grace loved about young people. They hadn�t had the stuffing knocked out of them yet and still believed they could do anything.
�The first step is to get out of here and back to the office,� Grace decided.
◊◊◊
David shared what he�d learned in the pre-meeting with his former management team on the trip back to the office. Grace could have kicked herself when she heard their primary complaints because she knew better.
When you tried to grow a company quickly, especially one made up of pieces of other companies, sometimes upper management assumed a little too much. They were used to the processes and methods within their previous organization. What it came down to, from an organizational and communications standpoint, was that the acquiring organization invariably was used to doing things a certain way. But the acquired ones had their own procedures in place.
What the people taking over sometimes forgot was that their way was not always the best. But what always happened was that the acquired peoples� ways were pushed aside because the merger was fitting them into the acquiring company, not the other way around.
Grace�s mistake was that she patterned everything after her former company, L Brands. While it was a multimillion-dollar company that was wildly successful, it was mainly a retail-focused business. Grace had tried to fit wealth management and all the peripheral businesses into that model.
The disconnect occurred because all of David�s former people had bought into the idea that Grace would automatically know how to grow their business into a nationwide going concern. Of course, everyone assumed her existing model was the right one to use, based on her record.
Instead of pointing out its potential shortcomings with respect to the new businesses, they�d simply sucked it up and tried to make it work. But it was now obvious to Grace that that hadn�t happened.
Over time, the frustration had grown.
Grace knew what she had to do: she needed to mend fences and listen to those people. After all, she had no clue how to run a PR company, as just one example.
David assured her that no one would jump ship just yet, but if the problem wasn�t addressed, he wouldn�t blame them if they did.
◊◊◊
Grace called everyone together and shared what they�d learned at lunch. She purposely didn�t reveal what David had asked because she found that if she wanted them to completely buy into the plan, they had to feel that they were a part of creating it.
They quickly came to the conclusion that they wanted to reject Morgan Fletcher�s offer. Not wanting to waste time, since they had a board meeting in an hour, she then shared David�s idea.
�Where will we get the money?� Jack asked to bring up the real sticking point to taking over Morgan Fletcher.
�There are several ways to raise the capital to do this. The bottom line, though, is that we�ll need that capital, which means we will need investors,� Ava said.
�Actually, we can do it most easily with a seed investor with serious resources,� Phyllis added.
�How much are we talking about?� Kent asked.
�Not as much as you might think,� Grace said after a moment�s contemplation. �I would bet that once word gets out to Morgan Fletcher�s current stockholders about the change in course, they might lose confidence in the current management. They might support our takeover bid if we can show how our model will serve clients better.�
�Bottom-line it. At a minimum, how much are we talking?� Rob asked.
Grace quoted a considerably large number, which left most in the room looking defeated.
�I might know someone,� David said.
�Why doesn�t that surprise me?� Grace asked.
�So, this is doable?� Rob pressed.
�If David has a guy who�ll buy in for the seed amount, then yes,� Grace assured everyone. �The most important thing at this point is David and perhaps myself approaching his investor. However, nearly as important is to keep a very tight rein on all information about what we�re thinking about doing.
�This means you don�t talk about it with the press or anybody remotely like them. You don�t talk about it with your staffs. You don�t talk about it with your spouses, girlfriends, boyfriends, or even your mothers. The easiest way for this to become a lot more expensive, or to go south altogether, is for the wrong people to find out about it at the wrong time.�
◊◊◊
The board meeting was anticlimactic since nothing could be said on the record about the potential takeover of Morgan Fletcher Investments. Their buyout offer was tabled for further review.
Grace predicted that Morgan Fletcher would take that as a �no� and potentially begin efforts to initiate their own takeover. David found it unfathomable that they could pull that off, but Grace assured him that she�d seen it done before.
With the business drama out of the way, David had to run and do interviews for the movie. After the board meeting, he had one last meeting with Grace, Ava, Brook, Phyllis, and his dad, Rob.
�So, who�s your guy?� Rob asked.
Everyone wanted to know who might have the seed money for the buyout of Morgan Fletcher.
�Ron Pennington. He�s one of USC Athletics� largest boosters; he usually gives them a hundred million a year. Ron makes his money in the trucking business and now is semi-retired. His daughter, Jennifer Tuttle, runs the day-to-day for her dad,� David said.
�Do you think he would be interested?� Grace asked.
�I know it�s a big ask, and he and I aren�t really friends, but on the merit of what we�re going to do, he just might.�
�He�s just an acquaintance?� Ava asked, sounding doubtful.
�I met him at a booster event, and we made a connection. I keep him updated on both the baseball and football fronts. We talk or text at least once a week. I�m having a �welcome to campus� get-together for our new football recruits and their families, and he plans to attend.
�I also know that he�s not really enjoying being retired. Still, he tries to stay out of what�s happening at his company out of respect for his daughter. Ron only gets involved if something major happens,� David said.
�Let me understand this. You know �a guy� who can stroke a hundred-million-dollar check for college sports and is looking for a new challenge?� Brook asked.
David rolled his eyes.
�Sound like anyone we know?� Brook asked Ava.
They both looked at Grace. David and his dad chuckled at their interplay.
�I�ll call him and let him know to expect your call,� David said to divert Grace from throttling her favorite granddaughter.
�Let me know when a call would work for him,� Grace said.
�Actually, it might be best if you rented a jet and let me fly you all to LA to meet him,� David suggested.
�Don�t let him con you,� Rob chuckled. �His office wizard, Megan, called and left a message that the guaranteed money for the opening of
�Guaranteed money?� Ava asked.
�At different stages of a movie�s production, there are incremental payouts. I received a signing bonus, another payment when the film started shooting, and so on. The last payment of guaranteed money became vested when my films opened in the theaters. Later, I�ll be paid royalties based on my shares in the film. That is based on its gross profits. Fingers crossed, I�m hoping that one�s a big payout,� David explained.
He then smiled at his dad.
�Now I can replenish my jet fund.�
�About that. I tied up all your money in different trusts that you can�t touch until you�re thirty,� Rob said with a straight face.
David knew that wasn�t true, but he wasn�t about to give his dad the satisfaction of having a meltdown. While his dad expected him to be responsible, it was his money, not his dad�s. David knew that buying a jet was probably a bad investment unless he partnered with others to share one. He didn�t fly enough to justify it when he could easily borrow or rent a jet.
�You know what�s best,� David said nonchalantly.
Brook hit him again. She was awful brave for not having Cassidy around to protect her. Brook might end up over his knee if she kept it up.
Of course, that would lead to them making up � David returned from his flight of fancy.
�While I have you all here, I want to make a suggestion and also discuss a possible business we should start,� he said to change the topic.
�Is he always like this?� Grace asked.
�It�s not just him,� Brook chimed in. �David�s grandfather was in politics and known as a dealmaker. Rob took the idea of a field house for Lincoln High athletics and had it done in record time. So, David comes by it naturally. If he says he has an idea, I would listen.�
�Thanks,� David said.
He hadn�t realized that Brook had been paying such close attention. It felt good to have her support him like that.
�Tell me your suggestion first,� Grace said.
�Who handles my investments?� he asked.
Everyone looked at him for a moment. Finally, his dad answered.
�I guess that would be Megan and myself.�
Megan Crowley was his Girl Friday. When they�d all left to move to California, she�d stayed to run the office that oversaw all of David�s personal interests. Those included his farms, restaurants, and acting and modeling jobs.
�I�m not talking about my people. I am asking who at Holistic Wealth Management handles my accounts,� David clarified.
�I don�t really know,� Grace admitted, looking confused.
�I�m sorry. My question wasn�t meant to put you on the spot. I would be surprised if you did know. My point is that
�Tell me what you�re thinking,� Grace said as she finally understood what he was talking about.
�Our potential client pool is finite. I�m talking about people with enough money to invest in a wealth management company. Those individuals also have a lot of choices about who they will allow to handle their money. I know that we work hard to recruit new customers. What are we doing to retain them?� David asked.
�Your mom always says it�s easier to keep a customer than go find a new one,� Rob shared.
�Let me draw another analogy: college recruiting. The coaches work hard to get a player to verbally commit. But until they sign their National Letter of Intent, the school has to continue recruiting them because other schools don�t just give up contacting their players. Even after they sign, they can transfer if the coaching staff doesn�t make the player feel wanted.
�I mean, if I didn�t know what Morgan Fletcher�s long-term plans were, I could be swayed by their laser-focused approach to making me more money,� David explained.
�Oh, dear God, I�m screwing this up,� Grace said when she realized David�s point. �To begin with, I don�t seek out advice from my management team to the point some of them might be willing to bail. Now, I�ve taken our customers for granted as well.�
In the retail business, the salespeople didn�t usually build relationships with their customers. There was a large enough client pool that if one didn�t come back, they weren�t missed.
�Don�t be so hard on yourself,� Rob interjected to assure Grace. �You�re fixing the first issue, and most of our current client base knows either you or David. This is something we can fix.�
�We should hire a customer relationship management company,� Phyllis suggested.
David held up his hand.
�Sorry, but I�ll let you figure that out later. I have to do some interviews before I go to dinner tonight. Let me tell you about my business idea.�
He then told them about his stats class and how Target could figure out if a woman was going to have a baby based on her buying patterns. That had turned into a project where he used data-mining techniques to help his mom�s real estate business.
�My mom now has enough buyer and seller leads that she�s going to hire several new agents to handle them,� David shared.
�What�s your business idea?� Grace asked.
�I look at what we�re doing for my mom as a proof of concept. With big data, you can mine it to find out all kinds of stuff. That information, and the means I�ve been using to get it, are in my control. Today, information is power,� David concluded.
�How would we figure this all out?� Ava asked, bringing up the obvious question.
Grace chuckled.
�I think David just threw this into my lap with the hope that I would figure it out later,� she said.
�You know people who know people who are smarter than we are about stuff like this. Heck, I hired a girl to help me with the data mining for my mom�s business. We just have to come to grips with what�s possible and how it can help us,� David said.
�More importantly, it might be how this could help others. And that leads to the question, how can we sell it to help others?� Rob added.
Frank knocked on the door and then stuck his head in.
�We have to go.�
�Want to come with?� David asked Brook.
�You�ve worked enough for one day. Go spend time with David,� Ava said.
Grace nodded her approval. David had a feeling the two of them had dreams of him and Brook being together someday.
◊◊◊
David was in the middle of his first interview of the day when he excused himself and stuck his head out the door. Brook and Frank were messing with their phones, looking bored.
�Hey, Brook, you got a second?�
She gave him a look that he knew meant he was a �stupid boy.�
�Maybe. Why?�
�Just come in here,� he urged.
Brook looked at Frank, and he shrugged, so she joined David in his interview.
�This is Rylie Dozier with
�Yeah. Uh, people want to know the girl who David A. Dawson said was one of his true loves. I want to get your side of the story. Was he a great guy to date?�
Brook took a moment before she smiled at him.
�He really was. I only have good things to say about him.�
�David tells me that you�re going to Princeton and have joined a sorority,� Rylie said.
�Uh, yes.�
�I guess everyone wants to know what your sorority sisters are curious about. Is David better in bed than your current boyfriend?�
David gave Rylie high marks for asking that with a straight face. He, in turn, used his acting skills to look surprised at the question. Brook wasn�t buying it.
�Of all the controlling, master-of-the-universe, pig-headed�Argh!� she said before storming out.
�Put that down as a yes,� David said to Rylie.
�She must be a great gal to put up with you.�
�She really is. I know that before the day�s out, she�ll get even,� he predicted.
�Okay, I delivered. Now you owe me a story. Tell me something about the James Bond movie that no one else knows about,� Rylie said.
David began to tell her about some of the behind-the-scenes goings-on that reporters loved. Frank had given him a pre-approved list of what he was allowed to share. Rylie learned that David had lost his towel on set during one of the takes of his shower scene. He said that somewhere there was footage of him on full display.
By the look in Rylie�s eye, she would be hounding the studio before he was done with his next interview.
◊◊◊
�Finally!� Brook said when David was done with the reporters. �You better deliver on food, and soon.�
�I�ll see you tomorrow,� Frank said to take his leave.
David gave him a nod and then turned his attention to his ex-girlfriend.
�The driver sent me a message that he�s out front. Let�s go eat.�
Their driver was waiting, so they were quickly on their way.
�Remind me who all will be there,� she said.
�Adrienne and her partner Tyler, along with Kara Tasman and Jill Lacier. If I know Adrienne, there will be other models who show up.�
�Does Jill still have the hots for you?� Brook asked.
Jill had dated David�s younger brother, while he�d dated her older sister. Jill had never been shy about chasing David. His problem was that she wasn�t eighteen yet. Well, that, and the whole dating your brother�s ex taboo.
The problem was that Jill was smoking hot, and Brook used to tease him about her.
Frankly, Brook should have been asking about Kara. She was a year older than David, and they�d hooked up before, and it was good. Really good. If she lived in LA, he had no doubt that they might be going out.
�If Jill gets frisky, remind her that you�re with me tonight,� David said.
�Maybe we should practice, so you�re prepared. Act like I�m Jill, and you�re seeing her for the first time,� Brook teased.
This was the Brook that David loved. She was playful and kept him on his toes.
He got into his role as an international playboy and gave her a smoldering look. He saw her bite her bottom lip as she tried to not laugh at him.
�Hey, David. It�s so good to see you,� Brook said in a whiny voice.
He almost broke character because it did remind him of Jill when she tried to weasel something out of him.
�Sup. How�ve you been?� he asked.
�Good. Good,� Brook/Jill answered and then leaned in close. �I have a little problem that I was hoping you would help me with.�
David felt Brook�s hot breath on his neck. When she squeezed his leg, Mr. Happy shot from half-mast to windblown sails.
�How can I help?� he stammered out.
�Well, you see, I�m practically swimming in my panties,� she teased and then paused for dramatic effect. �Or at least, I would be if I was wearing any ��
David had to turn away for a moment. It felt as if a giant fan had sucked all the air out of the car. He leaned his forehead against the dark car window, welcoming the feel of the cool glass against his suddenly feverish skin.
He turned back to Brook and clearly saw her desire. David tried to remember what she�d just said about not wearing panties. It was like he was unable to process her words. She was going to be his undoing. She was the one that got away. All Brook had to do was ask, and she would claim him.
When he�d said that he would break all his rules to be with her, he�d meant it. All the feelings he�d suppressed when she left came flooding back. He loved her so much that his chest actually hurt as his emotions threatened to overwhelm him.
David�s phone chirped. He struggled with whether to check the message or lean in and shatter his number one dating rule. The one he�d promised his mother he never would: dating a girl who was in a relationship with another man.
David had made that promise when his mother was heartbroken after she discovered that his dad had cheated on her. To this point, it had been an easy promise to keep. Even when he told Brook that he would break it for her, he only half meant it. But right now �
His phone notified him of another message.
�You should check that,� she said.
David pulled his phone out and saw the messages were from Isabel Alexandra, who played Miss Moneypenny in his latest movie. She also dated one of his acting friends, Ben Cowley.
David saw that Isabel had sent him a couple of pictures and a message with the first.
Isabel:
He tapped on the picture, and it loaded. David stiffened when he saw a couple that he assumed was Ben and Lexi. Lexi was with Ben in Paris, working as his PA while he filmed. The girl was on her knees, and it looked like she was giving the guy head.
All thoughts of Brook fled his mind.
By now, his hand was shaking. He opened the second picture, showing the two of them having sex in a hotel room.
�Pull over,� David said to the driver.
�What�s wrong?� Brook asked.
�Please give everyone my regrets, but I have to clear my head,� he said as he got out of the car.
�David!�
He simply walked into the mass of people flowing down the sidewalk and disappeared.
◊◊◊
David had turned his phone off when he got out of the car and hadn�t bothered to turn it back on this morning. He looked outside the hotel window, saw that the city was waking up, and decided he wanted a run.
David was tying his shoes when he heard a card key open his door. He wasn�t surprised when he saw his mother.
�You are alive,� she quipped as she walked in and locked her eyes on his.
�Morning, Mother,� he said, feeling his anger start to rise.
David was thrown off-balance when his mom laughed.
�What�s so funny?� he asked.
�Why don�t we skip the fight, and you just tell me what�s wrong?�
�I�ve learned my lesson on that. I�m not about to discuss my love life with you,� David fired back with a little more heat than he intended.
Then he did a face-palm when he realized he�d just opened Pandora�s Box by revealing that his going off the grid had to do with his love life. He got up because he needed to be anywhere but there at that moment. His mom took a step back to block the door.
David considered forcefully moving her out of the way, but he knew that would be a grave mistake. She wasn�t about to let him leave this room without talking to her. He shook his head and went to get his phone. David turned it on and saw he had like a bazillion messages, so it took him a moment to find the ones from Isabel.
�Here. Look at that one and the next.�
Carol took his phone and looked at it for a long moment, then looked at the second picture. She mumbled a few words, but the only one he managed to understand was �die.� He wasn�t sure who she meant. If David had his way, it would be both Lexi and Ben.
Then his mom looked at him with real sadness in her eyes. The look reminded him of how she�d looked when she discovered his dad had fathered his younger half-brother.
�Do you love her?� Carol asked.
His knees went weak, and he had to sit down on the edge of the bed.
�Is that why this hurts so much?�
His mom went quiet because she knew that David had to process things at his own pace.
What had started out as friends with benefits to help each other must have changed at some point. Every time he�d made a subtle push for more, Lexi had reminded him about what they were doing: just helping each other out. At the time, David appreciated it.
At first, he�d been getting over Brook leaving. Then they�d been busy making movies.
And it wasn�t just about sex. Lexi was his best-ever PA because she�d come to know him so well. She could anticipate his every need and would often have met it before he knew the need was even there. She was also smart and funny and had become a close friend.
Yes, everyone had warned him that she could be a bitch and would take advantage of him at some point. But when David was with her, he never saw it.
Then, a week before he wrapped up his Star Academy commitment, Lexi had admitted her love for him. Looking back, he hadn�t handled that well and sent her home. After he moved to LA, she had said that the reason for the �love� confession was that she was worried that if he went to school at Oklahoma, she would never see him again.
At that point, David had accepted Lexi back as his PA. He�d thought everything was back to normal when she reinserted herself into his life.
He hadn�t actually seen Lexi in over a month, which bothered him. Before, they�d seen each other all day long on set and then weekly at a minimum while he was in school. They�d even acted like a couple over spring break.
When they returned home from break, though, things changed. David suspected that she�d met someone. The two of them had agreed that if either of them ever got serious with someone, they would end it; at least, the sexual part of their relationship.
He�d thought that they would reconnect come summer. Then Lexi took the PA job to help Ben with his movie. The funny part of it was that David knew Ben�s reputation. He�d gone after David�s friend Halle James when they made Love Letters.
But the thought that Ben and Lexi would end up in bed had never crossed his mind. He�d watched many men hit on Lexi, but she�d turned them all away. David assumed she would do the same with Ben.
Then David caught his mom�s eye.
�I think I do love her,� he finally admitted.
His mom gave him a sad look as she slowly shook her head.
�Then you have to figure out what kind of love it is.�
�What do you mean?�
�If you truly love her, you have to do whatever it takes to fix this. If it�s just love, then you have to let her go. And if your ego gets involved, you have to figure out how to let that go as well. The hard part is figuring out what, exactly, you feel for her,� Carol explained.
David looked toward the ceiling, took a deep breath, and then looked back at his mom.
�That�s the problem. I�m not sure.�
�Then that�s your answer. Let her go,� his mom advised.
�It�s not that simple,� he quickly retorted.
Carol gave him a slight smile.
�Believe me when I tell you I fully understand. Your head is swimming with emotions and �what ifs.� When I faced my own �what ifs� with your father, I figured out the bottom line, that I truly loved him. From that point forward, I could see my way through.
�Don�t get me wrong. You are going to at some point start to feel okay again, but the okay days will still be followed by some dark ones. Getting past a betrayal like this can eat you alive. What saved me was that even in my darkest moments, I knew that in the end, your father and I would be all right.
�It will be the same with your feelings about Lexi,� his mom promised. �For you, though, working through those feelings means working past her and moving forward.�
�Should I call her?� David asked.
�Why? So she can wind you up with her lies?� Carol asked.
That struck him as funny, and he actually laughed. It was a quirk of his personality that he would sometimes get the giggles when he was in a stressful situation. His whole family found that amusing, which had helped to break the tension many times.
Just as quickly, a thought came into his head that had him near tears. He�d been well on his way to being worse than Ben. If the night had continued as it had, David knew that he would have slept with Brook. What made it worse was that he had a moral code to guide him that he was willing to shred to be with his ex.
�What�s wrong?� Carol asked.
�I was going to sleep with Brook.�
Initially, his mom didn�t get it, until she did. David expected her to rage at him for almost breaking his promise to her. When she pulled him into her arms, he felt like he was ten years old again and began to cry. It was just a few tears.
How � how had he gotten to this point?
When he pulled away, his mom reached up and brushed the tears away.
�Don�t be so hard on yourself. In the end, you would never have gone through with it,� his mom assured him.
She obviously had more confidence in him than he had. David wasn�t as sure, but she had an indirect point. He hadn�t crossed that line. What he knew was that he owed Brook an apology.
�Go for your run. Darius and his little friend are meeting you for breakfast. I hope he�s calmed down after last night.�
�Last night?� David asked.
�When you disappeared, Brook called. Dare was in our room, looking for you. When Brook heard he was with us, she invited him out. Between her and all the models, I�m betting he had a good time.�
David had no doubt that at the very least, Dare and his friend had plenty of material for the spank vault. David was slightly jealous that he hadn�t gone last night.
He leaned over and hugged his mom tight to his chest.
�I love you,� he said and then added, �and thanks.�
Before she could respond, David got up and left to run.
◊◊◊
While David ran, he returned the important calls. Tyler convinced him to come to breakfast at their condo. She promised to invite Kara and Jill. She said that Adrienne wanted to talk to him, too. He asked if he could invite Darius and his friend, to which she agreed.
When David got back to his room, he found Brook there.
�Your mom called and said you�d come out of hiding.�
He gave her a weak smile.
�Let me take a quick shower, and then we can talk,� he said.
�Want company?�
�You have no idea how much I want to say �yes,� but let�s talk with our clothes on.�
David knew what would happen if they got naked together. His moral code was only so strong when it came to Brook. She teased him when he took his clothes with him to change in the bathroom.
When he came out, he purposely picked the desk chair instead of joining his ex on the bed.
�What happened? I know you received a couple of text messages,� Brook pressed.
David brought them up so Brook wouldn�t keep pestering him. Seeing was believing, after all.
�I�m sorry that you�re hurting, but I don�t understand why you care. Aren�t the two of you just friends with benefits? Wasn�t your deal that it would end if the other found someone else? It looks like Lexi found that someone else,� Brook said.
David didn�t answer her directly.
�Do you know why I put the hard press on you yesterday?� he asked.
�I�m sure there are a lot of reasons,� she hedged.
�I want it all. I want the friend part, and I�m a guy�I want the benefits as well. But when it�s really special is when there�s love on top of all that.�
�Are you saying that you love Lexi?� Brook asked.
�I�m talking about us,� David said, then decided to come clean. �I never wanted you to leave. If you had stayed, I would�ve found a way for us to be together. And I�m not talking about just through high school. I mean the rest of our lives.�
�David, I don�t know what to do with that,� she admitted.
He shook his head.
�Something I�ve learned in the last year is that you can�t live in the past, no matter how much you want to. When I saw you again, I forgot that. I�m sorry,� David said.
�For what?�
�I�m sorry that I have rules in place for myself, and I won�t break them, even for you. Just being with you makes me want you, but it also makes me want to be at my best for you. And when I want to be at my best, I�m reminded of the few rules that make me a better person. It reminds me that I�m not the guy who poaches girls from other guys, no matter how much I want to.�
�Seeing Lexi with Ben reminded you of that?� Brook asked.
�Brook, I came to love Lexi.�
�Then why?�
She�d left the rest unsaid. Why had David gone after her?
�Because I see what everyone else keeps reminding us about. That the two of us are so good for each other when we let ourselves be. I can�t speak for you, but you�re the triple threat and more for me. On top of that, I never felt things ended the way they should have,� David explained.
Brook started to get tears in her eyes.
�You�re right; I�ve never stopped loving you,� she said.
�But we aren�t in the right place to do this,� he said with a sad smile. �You�re with Bastian, and I hadn�t realized it, but I was with Lexi.�
�Earlier, you said you were sorry. I think for us, all the rules went out the window because I was willing to help you break yours. I want so hard to believe we can�t be held responsible because we do love each other,� Brook said.
�I can�t,� David said.
She saw the sadness in his face and was in his arms in a flash. She gave him a hard hug before letting go.
�What are you going to do about Lexi?� Brook finally asked.
�I�m going to let her go,� he said.
�That�s going to be a hard discussion.�
David snorted.
�I�m going to take the coward�s way out. I�m not going to talk to her right now. As much as I would love to stick it to Ben, he is in the middle of making a movie. Lexi and my drama would spill over onto him, and it would hurt the production,� he said.
�I don�t think you�re a coward, but I�ve never seen you run from anything.�
�I�ve made a few movies and have come to realize that there are so many innocent bystanders who work making a film. I have to think of them, and I do think of them,� he explained.
Brook walked to the window and looked out.
�Bastian would never consider everyone else when he makes a decision�when he makes any decision,� she all but whispered to herself.
David stood up and walked up behind Brook. He wrapped her in his arms, leaned down, and kissed her cheek.
�Don�t make a decision about your love life based on me. I�m a mess,� he said.
�The problem is, I compare every guy to you.�
�And you think that I don�t do the same? Like I said earlier, we can�t live in the past. Our lives are in front of us, and what has happened, happened,� David said.
Brook looked over her shoulder at him.
�I get what you�re saying, but you will always be in my heart.�
�As you will in mine,� he assured her.
�I should go.�
David released her as she began to walk toward the door. Brook stopped when she reached it and hesitated. David held his breath, hoping beyond hope that she would return to his arms.
But then she opened the door and walked out of his life once again.
◊◊◊
David received a message telling him that Dare was downstairs.
David smiled when he thought about the scrawny, introverted nerd he�d become friends with his senior year of high school. Dare�s hanging out with David and his friends, specifically Brook and Cassidy, had brought the little dumbass out of his shell. By the time he graduated, Dare had an actual girlfriend who gave him hickeys.
He was much younger than his fellow high school friends because he�d skipped several grades. Dare had been fifteen when he went off to college. In terms of pure mind-power, Darius might be the most intelligent person that David knew.
Dare�s mother had been hesitant to let him go to college early, but she�d talked to David about it. He�d suggested a trial run with Dare attending State and living at home. It must have gone well because he was currently attending MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with other brainiacs.
In high school, Dare had fallen in love with drones. David had agreed to fund Dare�s expensive hobby if he made them work as part of David�s security. From Dare�s call, it sounded like he was onto something new. It hadn�t been lost on David that the little genius had spun the presentation of his latest project to appeal to him: virtual reality football.
David spotted Dare and his friend before they saw him. David felt terrible because they�d dressed up for their meeting with him. Dare had begun to fill out and looked good as he grew into his lanky teen body. Brook had said that Dare�s friend was his roommate and therefore had to be college age. But he somehow was younger-looking even than Dare, in his ill-fitting suit and sporting his gangly limbs, as if parts of his body had growth-spurted at different times.
Dare nudged his friend and pointed at David. His roommate glanced over and then at his shoes. David wondered where he�d seen someone do that before.
David winked at Dare, walked up to his roommate, and thrust out his hand.
�Hello, sir. I�m David A. Dawson.�
�My name is Corvus,� he greeted David without looking up.
David couldn�t help but laugh, which caused Dare�s friend to blush.
�Really? Corvus? Isn�t that Latin for crow? Very dramatic. With a name like that, you must dress all in black and listen to moody theatrical or classical music,� David teased.
Corvus glanced over at Dare, who rolled his eyes.
�God must love idiots; that�s why he made so many of them. David is a prime example,� Dare said.
�If I remember correctly, both Gina and I got a better grade in math than you did,� David shot back.
Corvus was so shocked that he forgot to stare at his shoes.
�Shut up,� was Dare�s witty comeback.
David reached his arms out, put his hands on each of their backs, and gently directed them to the door. Corvus looked like he was about to bolt.
�Let�s go eat. I�m starved.�
◊◊◊
David sat up front with his new security guy/driver while the two entrepreneurial nerds had a heated, whispered conversation in the back seat. David put in his earbuds to listen to music to give them their privacy.
By the time they reached the condo, David had a greater appreciation for Daytona 500 drivers. Riding in cabs through New York City was bad enough, but this driver thought they were late or something. They wove in and out of traffic to the sound of car horns blaring and screamed insults.
At one point, David�s driver realized that he was in the right lane and had to make a left. So, he cranked the wheel and cut across five lanes of traffic without slowing down. That even had seasoned New York drivers slamming on their brakes with looks of horror. The G-force he achieved with that turn was incredible enough that David was sure his face had stretched like a cartoon character. Or maybe it only seemed that way since he�d been plastered against the door, hanging on for dear life.
When they came to a stop, David fumbled for his door and seatbelt. He all but fell out of the car to reach the safety of the sidewalk. Both Corvus and Dare exited the vehicle with excited looks, like they�d just gotten off the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags.
David was on the phone with Fritz as they walked into the building. This new security guy was worthless.
◊◊◊
The doorman remembered David and sent him up without calling first. When they got to Adrienne�s floor, they found the door open. David spotted his mom and dad sitting at the dining room table.
They�d just cleared the doorway when a girl came huffing through the door. She must have run up the stairs from the condo where Tyler housed their resident models. She introduced herself as his biggest fan. Her tits were fans, too, apparently, since she kept pushing them against his side.
David�s dad pried her off of his son and pulled him into the kitchen where Tyler was. Darius could be heard telling the girl that he was David�s best friend as they were leaving the room. Both Dawsons chuckled at hearing Dare hit on a girl.
�Hey, stranger. You never come to see us,� Tyler said as she came over and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
�Every time I do, you put me to work,� David complained.
�Speaking of which, we have a new model �� Tyler started.
�Uh, no,� he said emphatically.
She smiled, which worried him.
�Hello, David,� Adrienne said, coming up behind him.
David turned around and took in one of the most gorgeous women to grace this earth.
�What if I asked and sweetened the deal?�
�My dad is standing right there,� David pointed out as he waggled his eyebrows.
His modeling mentor wasn�t fazed. He was sure she�d heard better pickup lines, probably a few last night. But she was in love with Tyler.
�I know I can�t pay you for your time. What if I donate the money to charity?� Adrienne asked.
The NCAA had strict rules about receiving compensation for his likeness. David had to have them sign waivers so he could promote his movies. Part of the agreement was that he couldn�t do any further work.
�I already talked to Mr. Morris,� Rob said. �And he said that as long as you didn�t pick the charity, it would be okay.�
�So, now you have no excuse,� Adrienne pressed.
�Fine.�
�Dang it!� Tyler grumped.
From the satisfied look on Adrienne�s face, she�d just won a bet as to whether David would do a modeling gig or not.
During breakfast, David met all the models that Adrienne had staying in her two additional condos. He was also able to catch up with his friends Kara and Jill.
Kara�s career had skyrocketed, and she was up for next year�s Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. Jill wasn�t meeting with as much success. She was a bigger girl than ninety-five percent of models, as far as traditional gigs went. If she were eighteen, then other avenues, including men�s magazines, would be available. Adrienne hoped that with the new PC climate, Jill�s healthy look would become an asset.
◊◊◊
After breakfast, David took Darius and Corvus into the downstairs bedroom for some privacy.
�You have five minutes,� David said.
�But �� Corvus said with a panicked look on his face.
�Remember when I told you David�s an idiot? He has a short attention span. So if we try to explain it to him properly, he�ll get lost in �the math,�� Darius said with a bit of a smirk.
David raised one eyebrow to communicate that Dare better get with it.
�Four minutes,� David said as he glanced at his phone to check the time.
�We can film your football practices and make it so that when you review it with virtual reality headgear, you can see the whole field. I mean, not just what you looked at while running the play in real time,� Dare said.
�I�ve never tried it before, but I�ve seen videos of games. Are you saying I can stop the play and turn my head and see what my other receivers are doing?� David asked.
�Yes, and more. We place cameras along the edges of the field, then combine the video feeds so you can see the play from each angle,� Dare offered.
�How about from overhead?� David asked.
�We hadn�t thought about that,� Dare admitted.
�No problem,� Corvus said eagerly.
�I assume you would want to strap a camera to my helmet so you could see everything from my point of view. The only problem is that I might not be taking every snap,� David said.
Dare and Corvus both smiled.
�Corvus thought of that. We would need one handheld camera. We could attach it to a pole, and they could hold it over your head and behind you,� Dare said.
Corvus tugged at Dare�s arm as he looked at the clock on his phone.
�Don�t worry. He didn�t get up and leave yet. David will take as long as it takes, now that he�s interested,� Dare explained and then turned to David. �You are interested, aren�t you?�
�If you have a business plan for Megan and schematics for USC, I am. But I need to clear this with USC�s athletic department. It would be best if what you have planned wouldn�t cause any permanent damage to anything or interfere with what the coaches and other players are doing,� David said.
�It can be put up and taken down for each practice, and we can minimize the footprint,� Corvus said.
�If I pay for all this, what do I get out of it?� David asked.
�What do you want?� Dare asked.
�First, let me find you what
�Two weeks �� Dare said.
�Four,� Corvus jumped in.
�� six or eight weeks,� Dare settled on.
�What if I invited Brook out at the same time?� David asked.
�One day,� Dare decided.
�No way, man. For that, you would need a year,� Corvus pointed out.
Dare thought about it for a moment, then nodded.
�For my side, I want to be able to see and use the results and to share them with teammates and coaches. And, of course, I want any product that results from this to be developed and sold under an arrangement like what we have with the drones. My only other condition is that the system won�t be marketed or sold to anyone that I might play against until I am out of college,� David added.
�We could sell this?� Corvus asked Dare.
�He would help us with that,� Dare explained.
David nodded his agreement.
�That�s our cue. When David agrees, it�s best to leave so he doesn�t change his mind,� Dare said.
�We have time to go to the National Museum of Mathematics,� Corvus said excitedly.
David had no words for that. On the list of things to see in New York City, that was one he would never have thought of.
Dare got up and surprised David when he hugged him.
�I miss you,� the little dumbass shared.
�Me too. School starts in a couple of weeks. Would that work for you?�
Dare and Corvus both nodded.
�You know the drill. Call Megan, and she�ll book your flights and give you any money you need. You can stay at my townhouse, which is just a couple of blocks from the practice fields. And we have two cars that you can use if you need to go somewhere.
�Just tell me that you don�t need any cryptocurrencies. Megan yells at me when you do that,� David shared.
�I won�t have to buy anything off the darknet. Everything we need is readably available,� Dare shared.
�Darknet?� Corvus asked.
Dare glared at him and then smiled at David. The little shit was too smart for his own good.
Once done, they left to learn more about the history of math.
◊◊◊
The shoot turned out to be for a spinoff of a men�s magazine. This one was called
David should have been clued in to what kind of shoot it would be when ALL of Adrienne�s models showed up to �see a professional at work.� His first hint was when they used the same exact wording when he asked why they were there.
While it turned out to not be quite full-on nudity, it was damned close.
Halfway through the shoot, Adrienne pulled him off the set.
�Feel free to say no ��
�No!� David said without even needing to hear what she had to say.
�But �?�
�You�re about to bring in a male model, aren�t you?� he asked.
�I just learned that fifty percent of their readership is gay,� she admitted.
David gave his friend a shark smile�or maybe it was the smile prey wore when they got away from the shark.
�I can sympathize, but Frank has worked hard to make my image what it is. I also have my movies to consider,� David explained.
�Bi guys are sexy,� Adrienne teased.
�As are bi girls.�
Then David got to the point.
�I don�t sit around at night worrying about who�s looking at my pictures. What I don�t want to be is dishonest. I�m not that guy.�
�I�ll let them know,� Adrienne said. �And so that you know, you are raising a lot of money for charity with this shoot.�
◊◊◊
They went to the airport to fly home. David planned to spend time with his kids during his remaining time off. He also had a few odds and ends to handle before school started.
He hated boarding first, especially now that people recognized him. They all wanted to stop and say hello, which only served to make the boarding process take three times longer than usual. Even if David got on last, the flight crew all met him at the door and wanted to take pictures and have him sign autographs.
When he was finally seated, the airplane began to back away from the gate. David put in his earbuds and tried to relax. His goal was to get some sleep before they reached LA.
They finally worked their way to the front of the line for takeoff. The engines wound up before the pilot released the brakes. David was pushed back into his seat and suddenly found a hand clasped to his. When they started to level off, the acceleration reduced. The girl next to him jerked her hand away.
�Not a fan of flying?� he asked, offering a smile to the pretty blond.
�What gave it away?� she asked, forcing a fake chuckle.
�Just a feeling.�
�I�ve never flown alone,� she said, her eyes still fixed on the seat in front of her.
�Well, you aren�t alone. I mean, aren�t you sitting here with me?� David said.
The girl looked at him, and something changed.
�I know you,� she said.
David tried not to look disappointed. Recently, everybody knew him. The last thing he wanted to do was spend the next five hours hearing how he had a new biggest fan. Maybe he could convince his mom to change seats with him. Better yet, he could make his worthless PA do it.
�My dad is your coach.�
�Who�s your dad?� David asked as he tried to wrap his brain around the odds of this happening.
�Coach Farrow. I�m Rachel.�
Coach Farrow was USC�s defensive coordinator and the man responsible for David playing ball there. When he showed David around campus, the coach had mentioned he had a daughter who went there. David was surprised their paths had never crossed.
�What were you doing in New York?�
�That�s where my mom and younger brother live. He�s a junior in high school, and my parents promised him that he wouldn�t have to change schools again, so we kept the house there.�
�Why aren�t you spending your summer in New York?� David asked.
�That was the plan, but my dad offered me a job for the summer.�
�In the football offices?�
Rachel and David talked the whole flight. It was the quickest five hours of his life. Happily, during that window of time he�d forgotten both Brook and Lexi.
They�d talked about everything. It reminded him of the way he and Tami had been when they were growing up. So, when the pilot announced that they would be landing, David wanted to be sure to keep in touch.
�I�m having a get-together the Friday before summer school starts for all the new football players and their families. You and your dad should come.�
For the first time, he saw something in her eyes he hadn�t expected: regret.
�I�m dating someone.�
Why was it when you found a girl who might be perfect for you, you discovered that they were with someone?
�Bring him,� David was able to choke out.
�Yeah?� Rachel asked hesitantly.
�Yeah. Why not? My whole family will be there. I planned to ask your dad anyway, so I�m hoping he�ll be there. It would be a great way for you to meet all the new guys,� David said with more confidence.
�Give me your number. I�ll call you and let you know.�
�Can I have yours?�
�Sorry, but it�s against athletic department rules to give out staff numbers to athletes,� Rachel said.
He barked out a laugh.
�I call bullshit. I bet it was your dad who told you that.�
David showed her his contact list to prove he wasn�t pulling one over on her. Lexi had gathered all the numbers and put them into his phone.
�Why, that sneaky � yes, he did,� Rachel confirmed.
Without saying anything more, she entered her number.
�Be sure to put mine on speed dial,� David said.
�Why?�
�So when you break up with your boyfriend, you can call me, and I can set you up.�
He could see that she didn�t know what to say to that.
�I don�t plan on being your rebound guy. When your heart heals, then you ask me out,� David explained.
�You expect me to ask you out?� Rachel asked, her voice rising in disbelief.
�Why not? It�s my understanding that you�re a woman now. Women are capable of asking a guy out on a date, aren�t they?�
Her eyes narrowed, and she didn�t say anything.
�If you can�t bring yourself to ask me out, have one of your girlfriends pass me a note instead.�
The woman across the aisle began to chuckle, which seemed to allow most of first class to join in. That was Rachel�s first clue that they�d all been listening to them talk.
�Fine,� Rachel harrumphed.
When they reached the gate, David helped her get her bags down from the overhead. Then he walked her out and said his goodbyes. He felt sure he would see Rachel again, and he was looking forward to it.
◊◊◊
�Kyle, put the kitty down,� Greg said softly so as not to startle Precious, the �cat from hell.�
Kyle had wrapped his arms around the oversized cat�s chest, and she now hung from her front armpits, eyeing her newest nemesis, Greg. For some reason, Precious tolerated the rest of the family, but she tried to bite or claw Greg every chance she got.
David had coerced Greg and Joey into cat-sitting until Cassidy returned for summer school. At least his brother had tried to get their mom to take Precious, but she�d sent him to Greg. It hadn�t taken much arm-twisting because David had provided him and his family a home, an oceanfront fixer, in Venice Beach.
David had bought it and then rented it to them at a way-below-market rate for two reasons. First, they had to put up with the renovations that were still going on, and second, David wanted a nice place for Greg and his family to live in. One that was convenient to the USC campus.
There might have been a third. David loved to surf, and Greg found a board in their garage that he assumed was his brother�s.
When Joey got the job as USC�s baseball strength-and-conditioning coach, it was the impetus to go house hunting. It became apparent that prices in LA were astronomically higher than back in central Illinois. There might be a one-bedroom cardboard box under a freeway in their price range.
So, taking a cat for three weeks seemed reasonable at the time.
Precious began to wiggle free.
�Bad kitty,� Kyle said.
To Greg�s amazement, Precious stopped trying to get away.
�Go put Precious in her crate, and I�ll take you and your sister and brother to the beach,� he suggested.
�She doesn�t like her crate,� Kyle said.
Greg smiled at his four-and-a-half-year-old son. He�d grown up so fast. He and his sister, Mac, were too young to start kindergarten this year. But California had this transitional kindergarten program, or �TK,� for kids whose birthdays were after September first and before December second. It was a two-year kindergarten program. Greg looked at it as a way to get the little monsters out of the house so he could cut back on his Mister Dad duties.
�Last time we left her loose, she peed in Daddy�s bed,� Greg reminded his son.
�Joey told me to be sure not to leave Precious out of her cage,� Kyle remembered helpfully.
It was funny how his girlfriend could get his kids to mind better than he ever could.
◊◊◊
When Greg brought the kids home, Nate needed a nap. While Greg went to put him down, Kyle ran into his brother�s room.
�Dad! Dad! Dad!�
�What�s wrong, buddy?�
�Precious is gone.�
�Ffffudge.�
His mom had warned him that no one would find her if Precious got out and decided to hide.
His son teared up, so Greg wrapped him in a hug.
�It�s okay, buddy. Precious is just playing hide-and-seek. Your Nana Dawson says she is the best hide-and-seek cat she ever saw, so it might take us a long time to find her. Why don�t you get your sister, and we�ll start looking?� Greg suggested.
�Otay,� Kyle managed between sniffles.
◊◊◊
Greg spent the afternoon hunting for the damned cat. It went without saying that he wasn�t in the best of moods when his girlfriend got home.
�Guess what we got today?� Joey asked, obviously excited.
Greg cringed because he knew exactly what it was.
�Your brother bought us plane tickets to Hawaii and booked us into a five-star resort for a week for watching that stupid cat. He even volunteered to watch the kids while we�re gone.�
Greg had told David that he planned to ask Joey to marry him, so David had offered to help him make it memorable. Unfortunately, the cover story that they�d agreed to watch Precious was about to hit a speed bump. Granted, after the first week, Greg was sure that a Hawaiian vacation might not be enough.
Mac came in looking dejected, which Joey picked up on.
�Precious wins. We can�t find her,� Mac shared.
�What are you talking about?� Joey asked.
�Precious wasn�t in her crate when we returned from the beach this morning. She�s playing hide-and-seek,� Greg explained.
�Shhhugar. What are we supposed to say to your brother?� Joey asked.
�She�ll come out eventually,� Greg said hopefully.
�Maybe we should give the trip to your mom and dad. We can�t accept it if we lose that stupid cat.�
�Look. I�ll just call David and tell him,� Greg said.
�Okay. Do it now, so he has time to change the tickets � and put him on speakerphone,� she said.
Greg prayed that his brother wasn�t a jerk as he hit his speed dial to call him.
�What�s up? Oh, I talked to Cassidy. She asked that you take a picture of Precious and send it to her. For some reason, she loves that cat,� David said when he answered.
�Greg lost her,� Joey jumped in.
�Really?! Cassidy is going to kill me,� David said.
�I�m sure she�s in the house somewhere,� Greg said.
�I hope so. If Precious gets out, she might start killing all the neighborhood dogs. I don�t want my niece and nephews to see the carcass of that little Chihuahua from next door. That�s a lawsuit just waiting to happen,� David said.
�We�re so sorry. Why don�t you give that trip to Hawaii to your mom and dad?� Joey asked.
�Uncle David! Uncle David! You found her!� Kyle could be heard over the speaker.
David hung up, and Greg looked at Joey. She had an ear-to-ear smile on her face.
�Yes.�
Greg all but forgot that his brother was dead to him as he wrapped Joey into a bear hug and soundly kissed her. Their kiss broke when Precious yowled at him as David walked in carrying her. It was apparent that his girlfriend and brother had just pranked him. They both looked pleased with themselves.
�Boy, she doesn�t like you,� David said with a chuckle, referring to Precious. �I brought everything to make burgers. Why don�t you show her the ring up in your bedroom while I get the little wiggle-worms to help me?�
�Go ahead and start dinner if we take too long,� Greg said.
�I�ll see you in ten,� David said with a smirk.
�Come on and show me the ring,� Joey said.
Greg grabbed her hand and pulled her upstairs.
�How did you know?�
�I found it when I put your laundry away three weeks ago.�
He had hidden it in the back of his sock drawer. He usually did the laundry, so he never thought about it.
�Let me get it,� he said.
Joey showed him her hand. She already had it on.
�I see you couldn�t wait.�
�I had to show it off to everyone at work,� she said with a cute little pout.
Then her eyes got smoky with desire.
�Come show me how much you love me. We only have six minutes left, so try to last,� Joey teased.
◊◊◊
David fed and entertained the kids. He even gave them their baths and had put them to bed by the time Greg and Joey reappeared.
�I�m starved,� Joey announced.
�I�ll go heat up the leftovers,� David offered.
�No, you stay there and catch up with your brother. I�ll get it,� she said.
They got comfortable in the living room.
�I see you fell asleep,� David teased.
�Little brothers often have inferiority complexes when it comes to their big brothers. The honest truth is that they are.�
�Fuck you,� David said with a smile on his face.
�At least I can hang on to a girl,� Greg joked.
�I�m guessing you talked to Mom.�
�Dad, actually. He was surprised that you had such deep feelings for Lexi. He said you also talked to Brook. How did that go?� Greg asked.
�Can you believe it? She�s dating some douche named �Bastian.� I told her I was willing to break our rules to spend time with her,� David admitted.
�Obviously, you didn�t.�
David looked surprised.
�How do you know?�
�You�re back in LA. If you and Brook had reconnected, you wouldn�t be back until summer school started,� Greg said.
�You�re probably right. But Mom said something that set me straight.�
�She usually has a good one every now and then.�
�She said that if Lexi was the one, I should do whatever it takes to fix things. Otherwise, I should let her go.�
�You would forgive her?�
David shook his head.
�Forgiveness isn�t weakness. Look at what Mom did after she learned about Phil. It took a lot of strength to save their marriage.�
Greg took a moment to wrap his mind around that. What his brother said made sense and explained why some marriages survived infidelity. He wondered if he could forgive Joey if he discovered that she�d been with someone else. The short answer was that he wasn�t sure he could.
�What about Brook?� Greg asked.
�In the end, I let her go, too. But to be honest, I needed closure. I know we said the words when she left to help her parents, but it never felt real.�
�What are you going to do now?�
David shrugged and looked a little sad.
�The quickest way to get over a breakup is a hookup,� Greg mused.
�You suck at pep talks. That was awful.� David said.
�Really?�
�I�ll admit I was on board with that when I was younger. I actually did that, but now � not so much.�
�Why, because you�re a dad?� Greg asked.
�Says the dad who gave me the crap advice.�
�I can still kick your ass,� Greg boasted.
�In your dreams. Now tell me what you really think,� David said.
Joey joined them and handed Greg a plate of food.
�What are you two talking about?� she asked.
�Your fianc� is giving me relationship advice,� David said.
�Fianc� � I like the sound of that,� Joey said.
�When he catches up to me, I�ll start listening. First, I�d like to hear what Joey has to say,� David said.
�What�s he talking about?� Joey asked.
�He�s asked Pam to marry him like four times. But, unlike me, the sophisticated one who is batting a thousand, he keeps striking out,� Greg said.
It took Greg a beat to catch his misstep, and Joey gave him her raised-eyebrow look. David chuckled at his brother�s discomfort. Then he bailed Greg out and brought his future sister-in-law up to speed.
�It wouldn�t be hard for you to hook up. Have you seen how big the social-media hashtag �Ian Bond�s bulge� is trending right now?� Joey asked.
David groaned.
�Seriously?� Greg asked.
�Oh, yeah. This is my favorite,� Joey said as she pulled out her phone.
It wasn�t lost on either Greg or David that she had the picture cued up. She handed it to Greg.
�It doesn�t leave much to the imagination,� he commented as he handed the phone to his brother.
It was a picture of David climbing out of a pool with his clothes on. The white silk pants had clung to him in a very inappropriate way. They�d had to reshoot the scene for fear of an NC-17 rating. He was sure it was one of the photos the studio had released to hype the movie.
�The water was cold,� David remarked.
�It wasn�t in the next one,� Joey said mischievously.
�Fuck,� he complained.
It was a full-frontal shot of the shower scene. David pulled out his phone and sent Frank, his PR guy, a text to give him a heads-up. Of course, there was no pulling the photo back now that it was on the Internet, but he still had a few interviews to do and would need talking points.
Greg leaned over and laughed when he saw it. At least David didn�t have a raging boner.
�Dude. Mom is going to kill you.�
�Who do you think sent it to me?� Joey asked.
Both brothers cracked up, realizing it didn�t surprise them in the least.
�That might end up being her Christmas-card picture this year,� Greg guessed.
To his credit, David didn�t even blush.
�Back to your relationships. I would take a step back. With the James Bond movie and the two others you have coming out this summer, think of any poor girl you decide to hook up with. Her face will be plastered on every gossip rag all over the world,� Joey rightly pointed out.
�Besides, with your dick pic out there, you should lay low,� Greg added.
�The newest wrinkle to all this is that people have started sending me stuff,� David complained.
�Like what?� Joey asked.
�Let�s see,� David thought as he started to list items off. �I mentioned I liked Cookie Butter, and I guess people have been shipping that to the studio. I�ll have to figure what to do with all of it. I might donate it.�
�How much are we talking?� Greg asked.
David pulled his phone out and showed Greg and Joey a considerable pile.
�I�ve also received cases of Mountain Dew. Frank told me that if I were one of those social media influencers, I could make a fortune,� David shared.
�Is that all?� Joey asked.
�I receive a lot of undergarments and pictures. I�ve even received offers to be in people�s weddings or be someone�s prom date. The sad part is, those are the tame ones. Frank said a few would curl my toes, and I believe him. He�s secretly a perv,� David said.
�Do you think you�ll have to get security for when you go back to school?� Greg asked.
David scowled.
�If you even think that in front of Mom or Dad, I will end you,� he said seriously.
�David,� Joey said in a concerned voice.
He sighed.
�I�m meeting with my security team this week. So I�ll talk to them,� David promised.
�It only takes one,� Greg reminded him.
�I know. I�m hoping that people on campus will understand and let me live my life,� David said.
�Me, too,� Greg said.
Greg had seen the circus that could surround his brother. He was simply amazed that David hadn�t let the fame go to his head like so many before him.
◊◊◊
As David filled out the guest list for his family-oriented �welcome to campus� party, he could see it was growing.
�I want to invite the coaches,� Carol said.
David took a moment to ponder his mom�s suggestion.
�I don�t think my townhouse is big enough.�
�It�s not. That�s why I�ve ordered a tent that will cover two-thirds of the parking lot,� she said.
That made many logistical-type questions pop into his head, but he decided to just leave it to his mom.
�Does that mean we�ll have room for the coaches and their families?� David asked.
�Yes.�
�I�ll call them,� he agreed.
�And you might want to call your athletic director and a few boosters.�
That was his mom�s not-so-subtle way of saying that she and his dad wanted to meet Ron Pennington, the man David got Grace in touch with to save their company.
�I�ll call Ron and his daughter and ask them to come,� David said.
�And Gabe Francis.�
Gabe was also a big-time booster who happened to be the studio executive that made David�s
�Fine. Anybody else?� David asked.
�You might find a date.�
�Why don�t you just tell me who to call?� he asked sarcastically.
�Don�t take that tone with me. I�m only volunteering my time to organize a party for you,� Carol fired back.
David raised one eyebrow in response.
�Call Halle James. I talked to Rita, and she said that she and Trip could make it but thought you should probably call Halle.�
He was impressed. She�d said all that with a straight face.
He gave up.
�Just give me a list of who I need to invite.�
His mom handed him a piece of paper with names and numbers on it. Why they�d had to go through all this was beyond him.
�And I expect you to call and personally invite everyone. No mass text messages,� Carol added.
When David didn�t make a snarky comment, his mother smiled.
�I think you�re starting to grow up.�
It might have been wrong to flip his mother off, but he wasn�t all grown up yet.
◊◊◊
�Halle James, please.�
�May I ask who is calling?�
�Kendal, it�s me, David.�
Kendal Miller had been his first PA, and now she was Halle�s personal manager. Halle must be on set if Kendal was answering her phone.
�I hear you�re having a party.�
�No. You can�t come,� David said to beat her to the punch.
�Why not?�
�If I ask you, then I�ll have to ask everyone you work with. Then, before I know it, Frank and his minions will find out about it, and I�ll have to ask them too,� David explained.
�I heard Lily is coming,� Kendal said to blow a hole in his argument.
�Lily does my social media, and I asked her to work the event.�
�Aha! I talked to Lily this morning, and she said you hadn�t asked her.�
David suddenly remembered the old saying about assuming things.
�Fine. You tricked me, but you�re still not coming,� David said.
�It probably would be a good idea to ask Lily,� his former PA suggested.
He agreed.
�Halle said to swing by for lunch. You�re to bring your kids because she�s filming with ten-week-old golden-retriever puppies. The studio is hoping for some B-roll footage of them playing together.�
�If you�d led with the puppies, I would have said �yes,�� David teased.
◊◊◊
The kids were excited that their dad had sprung them from daycare. It was hit-or-miss with two-year-olds, whether they were going to be happy or have a meltdown. David had discovered that his baby-whisperer superpower had little or no effect when they went into crying mode. He simply had to endure it to a point.
By �accident,� his dad had discovered a way to distract the little ones from being upset. David wasn�t sure if it would earn him grandpa of the year or not, but it was a godsend. His dad was cooking on the barbecue. David�s daughter, Carol, had been talking to her grandfather as best she could and got frustrated. That was when the waterworks started. Without thinking, Rob had used the squirt bottle that was intended to put out flare-ups. The startled little girl had stopped crying.
That led to the adults all getting squirt guns in case of emergencies. Coby, the devious little shit that he was, had figured it out. David�s mother had been called to daycare because Coby had used it on a little boy who was crying. When his mom got there, they admitted that it�d worked but that �guns� of any kind were prohibited.
Ashley bought them alternative toys that squirted water. With the kids policing the crying, it had improved life for everyone. David thought they might actually survive the terrible twos. The only downside was that half the time, the kids were soaking wet. David was sure that Coby would cry just to get sprayed.
That meant that on the ride to the studio, he was busy putting his little darlings into dry gear.
Since he was no longer a rookie dad, David had hired a watcher for each kid. With five of them, it didn�t take much to lose one.
�Okay! Everyone, listen up. We are going to eat in public, so you have to use your table manners. It also means that you don�t wander off and visit other tables. Finally, I want you to remember to use your indoor voices. We�re going to meet Miss Halle, and she has promised that if you�re good � you�ll get to play with puppies.�
�Ice cream!� Carol called out.
�I�ll make you a deal. If all the puppies survive, I�ll take you to get ice cream on the way home,� David promised.
When he first was a dad, David had all these ideas about how he would raise his kids. Now he was willing to spray them down and bribe them to behave. He gave the whole afternoon a ten percent chance of nothing happening. With five two-year-olds, those were pretty good odds.
When they reached the movie lot, David became nervous because Halle had obviously spoken to someone about him showing up with his kids. Word must have spread like wildfire because it was standing room only when they entered the studio cafeteria. The studio also had a photographer snapping pictures and a videographer.
Halle made a grand entrance and rushed to David. Before he even realized it was happening, she had him in a lip-lock as the camera ripped through several dozen pictures. He had no doubt that she had just marked him as hers in front of all the women there.
Then again, this was Hollywood. He had no doubt the studio would be releasing a few shots to help boost sales of something somehow.
�Nice to see you, too,� David teased.
�Come on. We have a private dining room,� Halle said as she led the way.
David held his breath, but they made it through the throng of people without an incident. His kids all had big eyes at the number of people, so it kept them distracted from causing mischief.
When they walked into the dining room, he saw they had a buffet set up. David read the little signs on the trays and knew the meal was a nonstarter for two-year-olds. While he loved smoked salmon on lemon brioche, his clan was more into mac and cheese and chicken nuggets.
David stopped himself, though, and looked at today as a new adventure. He could always feed them when he got home if need be.
◊◊◊
Coby ended up saving the day. When he didn�t spit out the saffron-poached halibut with baby vegetables, the others got brave and dug in.
While they ate, David got a chance to catch up with Halle. She was currently filming a family-oriented movie, hence the puppies.
�Brook called me,� Halle finally said. �How are you doing?�
�I�ve been better,� he admitted.
�She said you put a serious press on her to get back together. Is that something you�re thinking about?�
�That was a mistake. Brook has a boyfriend. It was just that when I saw her, all the old feelings came back.�
�If she wasn�t seeing anyone?� Halle asked.
David thought before answering.
�There is still the issue of her living clear across the country. It wouldn�t work.�
�Just so you know, she found out that her boyfriend was spending time with his ex. I think if you asked, Brook would want to give it a try,� Halle said to stir the pot.
Back in high school, David dated a group of girls, of which Halle and Brook were a part. He learned early on that they all got together and compared notes. When they found out that David wasn�t playing favorites, the girls had become close friends. That meant that they shared
�When we parted, I finally was able to get closure. Brook is my past. I�m sure I�ll find someone.�
�So, you don�t worry that she�ll find someone?� Halle pressed.
�I�m sure she will. Brook has never been one to sit home at night. She can get just about any guy she puts her mind to. I only wish her the best,� David said, and for the first time, he believed it too.
�I bet you�re glad to have found out about Lexi. She had been seeing Ben for at least a month before they left for Paris. I�d thought she�d gotten him out of her system because she felt so guilty about hooking up with him. She�d discovered what I learned: spending time with Ben doesn�t come close to spending time with you,� Halle said.
�What are you talking about?� David asked.
�Lexi and I had lunch at the studio cafeteria one day. Ben came in and was on the hunt for a bit of no-strings afternoon fun. He tried to get me to have it with him, but I turned him down. He ignored Lexi because he knew that the two of you spent time together.
�We were talking about girl stuff, and I told her she should take him for a spin as a joke. I guess she thought I was serious because she had me call him back to our table. When I saw her later, she broke down in tears over what she�d done.
�She must have gotten over it if what Isabel told me is true,� Halle said.
David kept his expression neutral, but inside, he was livid with Halle. He couldn�t believe she�d played a role in getting Ben and Lexi together. Friends didn�t do that to one another, or so David thought. Some days, he hated Hollywood. Because of what Halle had done, she�d ruined three friendships for him: Ben, Lexi, and now Halle.
◊◊◊
After lunch, they went to a set made to look like a park. The kids were running off their energy playing when David heard a squeal from Dawson. That alerted the rest that the puppies were bounding out from the back.
Seeing the joy as they played together almost made David forget how mad he was at Halle.
After a half-hour, the director came on set, and Halle had to get back to work. David made good on his promise of ice cream.
When they got home, he told his mom that Halle wouldn�t be his date. He had to rehash why, but she understood once he was done. It seemed like his personal life had taken some severe hits in the last week.
◊◊◊
David wanted his jet type rating. He�d borrowed Chubby�s jet to get his check ride taken care of, which was the last item on his list for his license. Once he�d passed, David could now fly jet-powered aircraft on his own.
He was itching to try out his newly minted freedom. So, he made dates with the three baby mamas living in his Malibu home. It opened up a whole new level of awesome when he could say, �Hey, want to jet to San Diego for dinner?�
With that in mind, David decided to kill two birds with one stone. He wanted to get some one-on-one time with Peggy, Ashley, and Scarlet. When he broached the idea, the girls were enthusiastic. Peggy picked Palm Springs; Ashley, Las Vegas; and Scarlet chose Monterey.
Things didn�t quite go to plan. First, Peggy wanted to invite some other people. By �other people,� she meant her boyfriend, Walker Ames, and another couple. Peggy�s guy was in his last year of law school.
Her intention was for David to meet Walker because they were starting to get serious. She was going to be a senior at Pepperdine, and with him also finishing up school, David could see that this might be the guy she ended up with. But what was planned as a way for the two men to bond turned into David feeling like a fifth wheel.
The other couple were old friends of Walker�s and announced their engagement. The rest of the trip was focused on couples. When they got back, Peggy said that she was going to spend the night with her guy, so David didn�t even get to talk to her on the ride back from the airport.
Ashley�s trip to Vegas was a little better. She told David that she�d signed up for a poker tournament. For her to make it on time, they would have to grab a quick bite to eat. She told him at dinner that she planned to spend an extra day, so he didn�t need to wait for her to finish playing cards that night.
Dinner with Scarlet was without any surprises. They had a pleasant flight and then went to a romantic restaurant. But it was evident that the two of them were now living in different worlds. David was a college football player, and Scarlet held down a 9-to-5 job in the �real world,� as she pointed out.
Scarlet did ask that David come home to Alabama with her and Ashley for Christmas so the grandparents could have the holiday with their grandkids. She used her dad�s hunting lodge to sell him on the trip.
◊◊◊
David�s mother had been working with Alyssa Timmons, the computer girl who�d helped David with his stats project last semester. His mom had hired her for the summer to expand on using real estate data to figure buyer and seller leads. David had asked to sit in on their next meeting.
His mom had rented a place in the Malibu Country Mart for her real-estate office. The Country Mart was a six-acre shopping center in the heart of Malibu that had a lot of foot traffic from its restaurants and an eclectic mix of high-end retail stores. There were also gardens, unique sculptures, outdoor dining and picnic areas, and the popular children�s playground�which his kids loved.
His mom and Alyssa were in a conference room with papers spread out all over the table when David walked in with coffee.
�Good, you remembered it was your turn,� Alyssa said as he handed one to her and another to his mother.
�Turn?� Carol asked.
�Our Financial Accounting class started at 8 a.m. David and I traded off who had to bring the coffee,� Alyssa explained.
�I didn�t think you liked coffee,� his mom said to David.
�You know I normally drink tea,� David said to Alyssa and then answered his mother, �You heard the 8 a.m. part? College students?�
�You don�t have to convince me. You were the one who was always talking about the evils of coffee,� Carol shot back.
�I hadn�t fully grasped the full benefits when I was in high school. What they really need is some of that Cuban coffee. That stuff has a real kick to it,� David said.
�Before he gets off on a tangent about going to Cuba, let�s focus on the task at hand,� Alyssa interjected.
David was happy to see that Alyssa was confident enough to be herself. She�d never cut him any slack in class.
�By all means,� he said.
�I was talking to Ashley, and she was telling me about the attorneys she has been working with to sell property that�s in probate. She said that when the attorney�s ready to sell, they may or may not contact her. What if I could give you a list of recent deaths with real estate ownership?� Alyssa asked.
�Stop the dramatics and explain what you did,� David said with a slight smile.
�Fine,� she said. �In LA County alone, there are over five thousand deaths per month. The homeownership rate is about 49%. So, a rough guesstimate is a potential of 2500 properties a month.�
�That�s a good starting point, but we know it can�t be that many,� Carol said.
�I know, but I wanted to see if it would be worthwhile to dig into. You said if I could come up with a couple hundred hidden leads a month to investigate �� Alyssa said.
�What criteria did you decide on?� David asked.
�The property either had to have no mortgage or a low one.�
�Good call. That leaves more room for negotiations if the bank doesn�t drive the price up,� Carol said.
�They had to be properties that were titled solely in the decedent�s name or held as a tenant in common, meaning the same thing�that there are no other owners.�
�I take it you think you can get these properties at a discount. What�s the seller�s motivation?� David asked.
His mom took that question.
�Heirs often live outside the area, which means it�s a pain to deal with. They might not want to spend money on insurance, maintenance, taxes, and the like. They could be looking for an easy way to make a quick buck.�
�And you have buyers that would pay cash?� he asked.
�I sure do,� Carol said to David and then asked Alyssa, �How many did you find in LA County?�
�About 600 per month.�
David recognized the look on his mother�s face. Alyssa had potentially just made her a lot of money. He had once thought that you could figure out almost anything by using statistics. If Target could uncover women who were pregnant just by buying patterns, he�d reasoned his mom could do something similar to find buyers and sellers of real estate.
When he�d been in New York, he�d asked Grace to dig into doing something nationwide. She�d already forwarded a memo from one of her worker bees. They�d found that Google earned several billion dollars a year by doing something similar with targeted advertising.
Amazon and eBay sorted your searches by showing �featured� products first by figuring out popular search terms. They knew that most people didn�t scroll down to find what they wanted; they clicked on the links at the top of the page.
David reasoned that the folks at Target, Google, Amazon, and eBay were intelligent people, and they wouldn�t be doing this if there wasn�t money to be made. It was only a matter of time before someone put it all together into one giant data repository. Once that happened, you could find out almost anything about anyone.
Before he left, he had a private word with his mother.
�If any of Alyssa�s ideas turn out to be big, we need to make sure she shares in the benefits.�
�I agree. I put your dad in charge of figuring out what�s fair. I know you don�t want to �steal� a big idea like many corporations have done in the past. We�ll make sure that she gets compensated. I just have to confirm that the ideas are moneymakers before I pay them out,� Carol said.
David couldn�t argue with that. But he also believed that people should share in the rewards when they did well.
◊◊◊
David had one more meeting today that he�d been putting off. He was meeting with Fritz, the man in charge of his security.
�What�s the deal with your new security guys?� David asked.
�We have some training opportunities,� Fritz said diplomatically.
�I�m not sure I want the guy you sent to the UK with me.�
�Don�t worry about it. He has moved on to �better opportunities,�� Fritz promised.
�Don�t BS me. Do I need security at school?� David asked.
�I think we get someone to live in your townhouse through the summer and see how it goes from there,� Fritz suggested.
David hated to agree, but the James Bond movie had started to make his life crazy. It also didn�t help that the studio had released pictures, and then, like an idiot, he�d done that magazine shoot for Adrienne. She texted him to let him know that they�d had to make two additional runs to meet demand. He was glad some charity had made money, but he should have known better.
�I already have Cassidy living with me.�
�She quit.�
�What?!� David asked in surprise.
�She told me that she wanted to focus on school and rowing.�
David thought about it for a moment. Those were valid reasons, but he knew Cassidy. She would miss the paychecks.
�Do me a favor. Leave Cassidy on the payroll, but tell her she�s only my security for emergencies. I don�t want her to have to come to me for money,� he decided.
�She said that she had a training business,� Fritz said.
That she did. David had forgotten that she�d figured out how to make money off his friends who lived in his dorm, the Palace. The girls she hadn�t run off as being wimps had shown excellent results. Cassidy had declared them all ready for bikini season.
Cassidy had also trained the USC football players preparing for the draft. Ridge Townsend was still singing her praises.
She must have talked to his brother about doing massages because Greg wasn�t looking very hard for work this summer. His brother would start grad school in the fall and wanted to get his kids settled in their new home, so he wasn�t seeking full-time employment. David was a bit jealous of the slacker.
�I guess she figured it out. Do as she asked,� he decided.
�I have someone in mind to be your on-site security. They might even be able to run you into the ground on your morning runs,� Fritz said.
�We�ll see,� David said, not believing him.
�I�ve gotten the background checks on all the new recruits. All but two came back clean,� the security guy said as he handed David two folders.
David planned to work with the 13 new football players and had followed his own advice. If he planned to spend a lot of time with someone, he would take the precaution of having them checked out. He opened the first one a quickly scanned it.
The first player was Nick �Big Cat� Collins.
His father had died of cancer last fall before his final football game. This was the same father who had beaten him at the age of seven so severely he spent a week in the hospital.
Nick had grown up in Baltimore in one of the roughest neighborhoods in the country. At the young age of his hospitalization, he was only one year away from his stepbrother going to jail for the first time for drug possession. He was only nine years away from having his best friend gunned down in front of him and dying in his arms.
Nick�s salvation was his mother. She�d kept him out of trouble and the gangs that ran their housing project. He was the youngest of seven children, with five sisters and one stepbrother. The neighborhood worked to keep him on the straight and narrow. Their dream was that someday he would get his college education, become an NFL star, and help his family move out of the war zone they were currently in.
Nick had fought the odds where only half of the kids that started high school graduated.
There was a picture attached of a determined-looking black man with multiple tattoos and tight cornrows.
The second file was for Oliver Shaw, a 25-year-old punter from Australia.
He had a long rap sheet of bar fights, petty theft, and something disturbing: he�d been accused of having sex with some underage girls�15 to 16 years old. The girls had attended parties and may or may not have willingly agreed to be with him. He was in his early twenties at the time. The girls had all been drunk out of their minds when the acts occurred.
Officially, the charges had all been dropped. The investigator had uncovered that Oliver had gotten them all pregnant and offered to pay for abortions. Once that was done, their parents just wanted it all to go away.
David nodded and handed the folder back to Fritz.
�And that other item you asked for,� Fritz said, handing him another folder.
David opened it and cringed. He�d asked him to look into the Lexi and Ben mess. He didn�t want to accuse Lexi of anything solely from what Isabel had sent him. Over the past week, it was confirmed that there were at least five �encounters,� as the report called them.
�I have pictures and video if you need to see it,� the man said.
�I�d rather not,� David said.
He forced himself not to go to that dark place and then shook his head to clear it. Then he surprised Fritz when he chuckled.
�What�s so funny?�
�I was trying to remember the last time I�d had sex.�
�Over two months ago,� Fritz supplied.
David had gotten over the creepy feeling of knowing that Big Brother, aka his security team, monitored him twenty-four/seven. If anyone would know, it was Fritz. David prayed that the NDA he had in place with his security company was bulletproof.
�We have a pool as to how long you�ll remain celibate. I lost when you didn�t hook up with Ashley in Vegas,� Fritz shared.
David called him a bad name, and they both laughed.
�I might have to get in on that,� David suggested.
�All kidding aside, I�m sorry about Lexi. I know you cared for her,� Fritz said.
◊◊◊
Head Coach Clayton had called everyone off the recruiting trail for a quick meeting. Summer school was starting next week, and they had thirteen new additions to USC football arriving on campus. Fourteen, if you counted David Dawson.
This year�s class was small because Coach Clayton had signed a big class his first year, causing class sizes to be out of balance. A typical recruiting class would have been twenty to twenty-five new players. Nevertheless, though this class was small, the recruiting services had ranked them in the top ten nationally once again. With so few scholarships to offer, they�d had to be picky about who they brought in.
With a class size that was close to average, they would have offered a handful of players who weren�t four- or five-star rated. Every program needed three-star athletes to balance out their roster. Those were the ones who didn�t receive all the press but who typically worked their asses off to make the team and who eventually earned playing time.
What had Coach Farrow confused was why they were called back to campus. This was an open recruiting period for next year�s class. All the coaches should be on the road meeting potential players. He�d been scheduled to be back on campus on Saturday.
Coach Farrow had a few minutes before the meeting, so he went to the office of USC�s recruiting coordinator, Bryant Franzese, to update him on what he�d been up to.
�Coach?�
�Hey, Bryant. How�s everything going?�
�Not so good. I just got word that the quarterback from Clemson decided to transfer to Michigan. So with Travis Barry going to Western Michigan, we�re left with Jaden Ponder as our backup QB,� Bryant shared.
�I bet Matt�s relieved,� Coach Farrow said and immediately wished he hadn�t.
His opinion was that the Clemson kid was much better than Matt Long, their current starter. Matt would have likely been their backup for another year if Coach Clayton had held an open competition during fall practice.
�The Clemson guy was told that he would back up Matt,� Bryant shared.
That would explain why he decided to go to Michigan. They were in desperate need of a quality quarterback.
But as Bryant said, that left a junior, Jaden Ponder, as QB2.
During spring ball, Jaden�s throwing mechanics had steadily gotten worse. Coach Farrow believed it was because Coach Clayton, deliberately or not, had gotten into the kid�s head and messed him up. By the end, Jaden had been overthrowing every receiver. When the ball sailed, defensive backs quickly figured out to play behind the receivers and intercept the wayward passes. When that happened, Coach Clayton would lose his mind, making things worse.
The vicious cycle had gotten so bad that Coach Farrow was shocked when Jaden hadn�t transferred out. The only reason he didn�t was that the kid could read a depth chart. With Travis leaving, two lightly recruited redshirt freshmen were his only competition to back up Matt Long.
Bryant looked at the clock.
�We have to go.�
◊◊◊
Coach Farrow was almost to the coaches� conference room when he came up short. Waiting by the door was someone who looked sort of like his daughter.
�What did you do to your hair?�
�I got a perm. Do you like it?� Rachel asked.
The earnest look on her face made him swallow the laugh that begged to come out.
�It�s just different. I�m used to your straight hair,� was the best Rachel�s dad could come up with.
He could tell his daughter wasn�t amused. She shoved a stack of sticky notes into his hand.
�Here are your messages,� she said and stomped off.
He planned to talk to her after the meeting and apologize.
He took his usual seat next to Coach Clayton�s spot at the head of the table. Across from him was his counterpart, Offensive Coordinator Wyatt Thomas. On his side of the table were his defensive position coaches.
Coach Clayton walked in and took his seat. Two of his staff handed out stacks of paper.
�Gentlemen, we have a major problem. With Travis transferring to Western Michigan, our only viable backup for Matt Long is Jaden Ponder. Matt was already injured this spring; we�d be crazy not to have a backup plan.
�I don�t see Jaden as that backup,� Coach Clayton continued. �I�ve been working with Jaden, and he�s just not going to get there.�
�Coach, I think you were too hard on Jaden,� Coach Thomas stated. �Jaden isn�t Ridge Townsend. Nor is he Matt Long. You�re not going to be able to mold him into something he�s not, no matter how much you may want to. Trying to do that is just frustrating both of you and seems to be making Jaden worse.�
�That�s why I called this meeting and insisted you all attend. While everyone gets settled, you are getting a list of every available quarterback in the transfer portal.�
�I thought we were getting the kid from Clemson,� Coach Thomas said, looking upset.
Coach Farrow ducked his head. Coach Clayton would have to clean up his own mess.
�That fell through. He�s going to Michigan,� Coach Clayton said.
�But I talked to him yesterday, and he was making arrangements to sign his financial aid paperwork this morning. It was a done deal,� Coach Thomas pressed.
�I don�t think it was as done as you thought,� Coach Clayton shot back irritably.
�Did Michigan offer him something?� Coach Thomas asked.
�They guaranteed him a chance to start. I had to explain that it would be an uphill battle to unseat Matt Long,� Coach Clayton said.
�But if he is better �� Coach Thomas began.
Coach Clayton slammed his hand on the table. Every coach in the room froze in their seat.
�Matt Long is my starting quarterback, and that�s final. Do you have a problem with that?�
Coach Thomas tentatively shook his head �no.�
�Then let�s get busy. First, we need to go over this list again and see if there�s anyone better than Jaden Ponder who is interested in USC.�
It took three hours of discussion for Coach Clayton to finally admit that anyone better than Jaden would also want assurances of a shot at playing time.
�What about Dawson?� Coach Thomas asked. �He�s already starting the first game. I say we move him to offense and let him play his natural position.�
The room went quiet as all eyes turned to see how bad the blowup was about to be.
�That might work,� Coach Clayton said, shocking everyone. �I�ve got him so confused that he wouldn�t dare challenge Matt for the starting job. Do you think he would accept being a backup?�
�I have him penciled in as starting at outside linebacker,� Coach Farrow said.
Coach Farrow had thrown that out because privately, he was still pissed off at how much David Dawson had been jerked around during the spring. Coach Farrow felt responsible for talking him into coming to USC. He also knew that David wasn�t cowed by Coach Clayton, despite Clayton�s remarks about confusing the boy. David wouldn�t be the obedient lapdog his head coach was looking for.
Coach Farrow didn�t have to think too hard to see how this would play out. If he became the backup quarterback, David would start the first game against a weak UNLV team due to Matt�s one-game suspension. USC would handle them easily, and David would look good playing that position. USC�s next game was against a respectable Stanford team in a nationally televised contest. If Matt struggled, they would have a full-blown quarterback controversy.
God forbid they lost the following week at Texas, which was very likely. But, of course, that was also going to be nationally televised. That would make them a below-.500 team, and that would have everyone clamoring for the guy who led them to their lone victory.
If he thought that might have changed the outcome, Coach Farrow would have helped Coach Thomas salvage the Clemson kid situation. But unfortunately, in all likelihood, they would be one and two, regardless of who the starting quarterback was.
�We can use the open scholarship to find a transfer to fill David�s position on defense,� Coach Clayton offered.
Coach Farrow was still trying to catch up with the change in direction when Coach Merritt, their defensive backs coach, made a suggestion.
�How about that kid from Alabama � Todd Davis?�
�Who�s that?� Coach Clayton asked.
�He was a five-star linebacker until he blew his knee out his senior year of high school. Alabama still offered him, but he took a medical redshirt his freshman year. His sophomore year, he didn�t start but got onto the field for every game for �Bama. He�s looking for somewhere he can play right away,� Coach Merritt said.
�I�ll make some calls and check on his knee. Then, if all is good, Coach Farrow can get him in for a visit,� Bryant said.
�Make it happen,� Coach Clayton decided.
That ended the meeting. The assistant coaches all hurried out of the room with phones to their ears. They had to get back on the road to visit possible recruits for next year.
◊◊◊
They�d finally made arrangements for Todd Davis to come onto campus for his official visit. He had a short window of time to make a decision because summer school was starting Monday. Coach Farrow didn�t want to miss his chance to enroll him now. If this dragged on, the kid would have to wait until the fall to register.
Rachel stuck her head in the door.
�Todd is here with his dad.�
�Tell them I�ll be right out.�
She nodded and left. As the coach shut down his PC, he heard a commotion in the waiting area.
�Ah, hell, no! We can�t have you coming here.�
�Man! USC came begging when they realized that you might be starting at linebacker. They told me that they had to have a serious upgrade before the season started.�
Coach Farrow hurried out to find David Dawson and Todd Davis glaring at each other. He did a mental face-palm because Coach Clayton had obviously not told David he was moving to offense. He could see this whole mess blowing up in his face.
Then he saw Todd�s dad smiling.
�Coach,� David said, not looking away from Todd, �go get the paperwork because Todd is coming to USC. There�s no need to drag this out.�
Todd cocked his head in confusion.
�What makes you think I�m coming here?� Todd asked.
�Because you went to Alabama to win national championships. With you, me, and Percy Wilkes all starting next year, we�ll win it all.�
Todd turned to his dad.
�What do you think?�
His dad looked at the two of them.
�Why not this year?�
David smiled.
�I guarantee you that we�ll go to a bowl game, but we�re set up to run the table next year. So, if we can keep everyone together, we can do it again the following year,� David said.
�What do you think, Son?�
�If David says we can do it, then I believe him,� Todd told his dad.
�Then sign the paperwork.�
�Can we do that, Coach?� Todd asked.
�Of course. Welcome to USC,� Coach Farrow said.
�Hey, before you take off, I�d like to buy you lunch or something,� Todd said to David.
�I can�t. I�m meeting with Bryant Franzese to get a list of priority recruiting targets so I can follow them on social media and encourage them to come to USC. Then I�m sitting down with Jaxson Pettis, our athletic director, to talk about something I want to try. I was told I had to talk to him to get permission,� David said.
�What about after?�
�I�m meeting with a couple of boosters for a late lunch.�
�Who are you meeting?� Coach Farrow asked.
�Ron Pennington and Gabe Francis,� David said and then turned to Todd. �You�ll be tied up with a tour and meeting with the academic people. I�m having a little get-together tonight to welcome the incoming recruiting class and their families. It would be a great way to meet some of your new teammates and the coaching staff. Why don�t you and your dad swing by my place and have a steak? It�ll give us a chance to catch up, and you can meet my family.�
�We�d love to,� Todd�s dad said.
They exchanged contact information, and then Todd and David hugged it out.
Coach Farrow brought the Davises into his office after David left. He pulled out a financial-aid packet for Todd to sign. In all his years of coaching, he�d never before signed a player within five minutes of meeting them.
He�d also never had one of his players flat-out tell a recruit to sign. If David could pull that off, then Bryant would look like the best recruiting coordinator in the country. All he had to do was let the young man help pull in talent.
�I take it that you and David are friends,� Coach Farrow said after all the paperwork was signed.
�I owe him for getting me into Alabama.�
�Why�s that?�
�We played David�s team in one of those made-for-TV high school games that ESPN does. During the game, one of my teammates tried to take David�s knees out in a dirty play. David avoided him, but I got clipped, which meant my season was over, and I had to have surgery on my knee.
�When Alabama backed out on their offer, I thought I might be through with high-level football. David called to check up on me. When he heard what was going on, he called Alabama on my behalf. Whatever he said worked because they decided to honor their commitment to me,� Todd explained.
�Have you two kept in touch?� the coach asked.
�No, not really. I mean, David will send me a message if I have a good game or for silly stuff. For example, he sent me one this week bragging about his impressive bulge. Personally, I would have been freaked out if my dick was trending on social media. But David just shrugged it off and made light of the whole thing,� Todd said.
Coach Farrow didn�t know what to say to that. He would have to talk to his daughter to see what Todd was talking about. But, on second thought, maybe not his daughter. He might just let the whole discussion of David�s package fade from his memory.
�With David and me, our friendship is more about us respecting one another. We also share a bond from knowing what we�re going through for football. He�s just got so much more on his plate than I do. So, I try to respect his time,� Todd said.
Coach Farrow took a moment to reflect on what Todd had just said. When he�d walked through the building, he�d only seen a handful of players. David had been in the coaches� offices; planned to lend a hand with recruiting; had some mystery project he wanted to talk to the AD about; and later would meet with
When you added the party tonight, he started to see what had made the young man the number one recruit coming out of high school. David was a leader.
The coach took Todd and his dad on a tour of the facilities. He figured that the young man was on the verge of a breakout year. When Todd had come out of high school, he�d been a five-star player. Those were thirty of the most sought-after football players in the land. Yet, most college football teams rarely had one on their roster, though USC had done considerably better than all but a few. Davis and Dawson added two more to USC�s existing stable of five-star recruits, with a solid team around them.
Coach Farrow predicted that Davis and Dawson would make a real difference in USC�s prospects this coming season. Things were definitely looking up.
◊◊◊
�Cassidy Hope, how the heck are you?�
�I go home, and you plan a party? You would think you were in high school. My dad warned me about living with you this summer,� Cassidy said as she pulled David in for a hug. When she released him, she asked, �Where�s my cat?�
�Greg is bringing her to the party. Precious told me that she missed you.�
Cassidy didn�t even entertain listening to that. Precious was all about Precious.
�Who�s the girl moving into Pam�s room?�
�That would be my security. Fritz and I decided that we would err on the side of caution with everything going on with my movie. It�s just for the summer.
�I haven�t met her yet. Want to join me and say hi?� David asked.
�I talked to her briefly. I�m not sure what Fritz is thinking,� Cassidy said.
David�s mom and Rosy, their cook, walked in the back door. He slipped up the stairs before he was put to work. He went up to the third floor and found the door open. David understood what Cassidy was talking about. His security looked to be five-one, and she�d be lucky if she weighed a hundred pounds.
While she was no raving beauty, she certainly wasn�t a dog-show contender either. David was worried that he might have to protect her if anything went down.
She saw him and stood stiffly, like she was at attention.
�Mister Dawson, I�m almost squared away. I understand we have a social gathering tonight.�
�Please call me David. Even my dad doesn�t answer to Mister Dawson.�
�Yes, sir. I will try to remember that. I am Miss Bettis.�
�Is there anything you need or want to tell me?� he asked.
�Additional security will arrive at seventeen hundred hours and will be tasked to guard the perimeter.�
�Well, okay then,� he said since he couldn�t think of anything else to say.
David went down to the second floor, where his bedroom was. He wanted to take a shower and get dressed. He knew that as soon as his mom saw him, he would never have the time to do so.
When he entered the room, he smiled. While he was in the UK, he�d called his friend Cindy to do a minor makeover of his room. He�d tried a daybed and rejected sleeping on that. The room now had a California King Murphy bed, three desks so the girls could still use the space for studying, and an oversized comfy chair for reading.
When David returned from his shower, he dried his hair with a towel but didn�t bother dressing yet. He came up short when he found his new security standing by his door.
�What the � what are you doing?� he asked.
�I was told that while on duty, I should keep you within my line of sight at all times, sir.�
�Well, okay, then,� David said as he realized that might be his new go-to phrase with this girl.
He had a party to get to, so he would put off talking to her about personal boundaries until tomorrow. Then he thought better of it because if a miracle happened and he got lucky tonight, he didn�t want an audience.
�In the future, if my bedroom door is closed, you are to remain outside unless you think I�m in danger.�
�I�ll make a note of that, sir.�
When she didn�t move and didn�t seem scandalized, David decided to ignore her and got dressed.
◊◊◊
David discovered that his mom had hired people to put on the party. He sometimes forgot that he had the money for stuff like that. That meant he was free to do whatever he wanted.
He went out back, grabbed a Mountain Dew from behind the bar, and found a seat to relax in. He spotted Coach Farrow and Rachel as they came in. When they saw him, they joined him at his table.
�Oh, my. If you want, I can call someone to help you fix your hair,� David said.
Rachel swung her beautiful eyes toward his. He saw the amusement in them and a smirk dusting her pouty lips.
�You get a free one tonight for helping my dad sign Todd Davis. But if you make fun of my hair again �� She left the rest unsaid.
David just gave her a hint of a grin to show he wasn�t afraid of her threat.
�I�m just saying that it was a classy move to encourage Todd to come to USC to take your spot on the depth chart. I overheard the coaches talking about bulking you up and letting you play defensive tackle,� Rachel said to up the banter.
That earned her a little bigger grin. David might have to figure out how to rid her of her pesky boyfriend.
�I thought you were bringing your boyfriend,� David said.
�He hated to miss your party, but he had to take the wife to get her mole removed,� she said and then got up and walked off.
�What was that all about? Rachel doesn�t have a boyfriend,� Coach Farrow said.
David gave his coach a noncommittal shrug, not showing he was secretly happy to hear she was single. Before they could talk anymore, David�s family showed up. Allen looked upset, so David scooped him up and received a fierce hug from his son.
Then it was as if the floodgates had opened as everyone arrived at once. David saw his mom say something to the caterer. A flock of waiters descended upon the crowd, passing around enormous trays of appetizers. David realized that he was hungry, and the food looked delicious. He and Allen managed to eat their fair share.
◊◊◊
With Allen in a better mood, David put him down to harass his siblings, who were being entertained by their cousins. With no adult supervision, David wondered how long it would be before something happened. For now, they all seemed in good spirits.
He started to make the rounds to meet his new teammates. He scanned the crowd and spotted his new best friend. David walked over to introduce himself to one of the largest human beings he�d ever seen.
�Jerry?� David asked with his hand out.
David had big hands, but when Jerry Barber shook his, it looked like his hand had been engulfed. Jerry�s fingers were the size of bratwursts. That went with a body that was reported to be six-eight and weighed 330 pounds. When he�d read those stats, David had envisioned a giant of a man on the heavy side. What he saw looked like a hard-muscled lumberjack.
David had just found his left tackle who would protect his back. He couldn�t wait to see Jerry smack down Percy in practice.
�My friends call me �Bear.� I want to introduce you to my brother. We call him �Cub.��
David could see the two brothers liked each other. Cub, aka Steve, was every bit as large as Jerry and a year younger. Steve made sure to tell David that he was the much better football player. David made a mental note to make sure Jerry�s brother was on their list of recruits for next year.
Mr. and Mrs. Barber were a delight. They were thrilled that David had welcomed their son to campus. He assured them that he and Jerry would become good friends before heading off to meet other players.
The next one was Nick �Big Cat� Collins, a slot receiver, and his mother. They were standing off to the side, taking in everything. David could see that they felt out of place at a party with waitstaff, which he could relate to.
�Welcome, Nick, Mrs. Collins. What do you think of USC so far?�
�New town, new school, new team � new everything. This is a total change of scenery, a new life, a second chance for my son,� Mrs. Collins said.
�I like to think that Nick has found a new family. He�ll be spending time with a great group of guys who will have his back. We all take care of each other,� David said.
�I�d like to meet your mother while you boys get to know each other.�
�I think that�s a good idea,� David said.
He took them to where his mom was talking to one of the staff. When she saw David with Nick and his mom, she gave them a big smile. Introductions were made, and Nick and David left to talk.
�Are you moved in?� David asked.
�Almost. I�m rooming with Jes�s Diaz,� Nick shared.
Jes�s, better known as �Chuy,� was another player David was eager to meet. They�d recruited him to be an H-back, a hybrid between a tight end and fullback. He was supposed to be a real bruiser who loved to hit people.
�There he is,� Nick said, getting a little excited.
David looked to where he pointed and spotted a buff Hispanic boy with long, dark hair that hung to his shoulders. He was also sporting a beard. David predicted that the girls were going to love him.
Nick led David to where Jes�s and his family were.
�Jes�s, hey, you made it.�
David could tell that Nick liked his roommate.
�Only my family calls me Jes�s. My friends call me Chuy.�
David saw a flash of hurt cross Nick�s face.
�It�s a good thing we�re all family then. Welcome to USC, Jes�s,� David said.
Jes�s rolled his eyes at his family, who were all sporting giant smiles. He knew right then that everyone would be calling him by his given name, no matter how much he protested.
◊◊◊
David quickly gathered all his new teammates, including Todd, at a huge round table near the stage. The parents were in the process of getting to know each other with David�s father�s and his brother Greg�s help. They were used to networking and quickly had everyone laughing and having a good time.
David found he liked all the new players except one. He was on the fence about how he felt about the Australian punter. Oliver Shaw was twenty-five and acted like he was better than everyone else, like he was a suave, older guy surrounded by kids. Oliver had one of those punchable faces, all twisted mouth from a constant smirk.
David sat back and took in his surroundings. The dying rays of the evening sunlight painted the sky in a dark hue of violet. Orange clouds lazed above, seemingly unaffected by the turbulence of humanity below. The smell of steaks being grilled promised a great dinner, in David�s humble opinion.
His mom caught his attention. It was time for him to welcome his guests.
�I�ve been summoned,� David said as he got up and jumped on the stage.
�Welcome, everyone. If you could find your seats, it smells like the steaks are about ready,� he said and then waited until most everyone was settled before continuing.
�I wanted to welcome all the new football players to the USC family. When I call your name, you and your family please stand so you can be recognized,� David said.
He then called out each player�s name in turn, and the crowd all clapped.
�Next, I want to introduce some special guests. First are Ron Pennington and Gabe Francis. Without these two men donating as much money as they do, our athletic department would be a shell of what it is today. USC has the best facilities in the Pac-12, and we can compete nationally because of them.
�I want you all to take the time and speak to these two men before you leave tonight and thank them for everything they do. It has been my pleasure to call them my friends, and I would hope that you will feel the same way,� David said.
After another round of acknowledgment, David introduced USC�s Athletic Director, Jaxson Pettis. He then switched to the coaches.
�Unfortunately, most of the coaching staff is on the road recruiting this weekend, but their families are all here. When I call out the coach�s name, I would like his family to stand and be recognized.�
He ran through all the coaches that were on the road. Then he started on the ones that had shown up to give them recognition.
Coach Clayton hadn�t bothered to come or take David�s call.
�Lastly, I wanted you all to meet our head coach and his family, but apparently, he was too busy,� David deadpanned.
His comment wasn�t lost on those that mattered to USC football.
�Now, I want to bring up three people who are going to be critical to your success here at USC, and the sooner you get to know them, the better. First, I want to introduce Dr. Carter, who helps all our football players achieve academic success through the Stevens Academic Center for student-athletes.
�Next is Tank Bryce, our strength-and-conditioning coach. And third, Chari Wylie, our nutritionist, who will get you fueling your bodies correctly,� David said. The three of them joined him on stage.
�While I have these three up here, let me share some truths that I�m sure you probably already know, but I�d be remiss if I didn�t repeat them. When you were in high school, you all were the big dogs on campus. You need to forget about that and not get caught up in living in the past. You�ve been given an opportunity to play in one of the most storied programs in the country. You are going to discover that playing college ball is nothing like you�ve ever experienced.
�The one advantage you�ll have over other freshmen this summer is that you joined a family here that will support you. That includes these three people on stage and everyone else I introduced tonight. You can also add the rest of your teammates and USC�s support staff when you meet them in the next few days.
�If I could give you some advice, it is to be consistent. I know it sounds simplistic, but I want you to think about this summer as stacking days. Build on each day, and get the most out of it. Don�t look back. Focus your eyes forward.
�What am I going to do today to become the best me possible? Be that way when you are going to your tutoring sessions, working out, getting plenty of sleep, putting the right stuff in your body, or doing whatever else is needed. Then do it all over again the next day.
�Start with working with the strength-and-conditioning staff. They�ll take all kinds of measurements, including body composition, stretching, flexibility, movement, and the like to give them a starting point. When workouts begin, they�ll be for an hour and a half. You�ll want to come in fifteen minutes early and hit the hydration and fueling station to get something in your body to prepare you for your workout.
�The staff will help you transform your body into what it has to be to play Division I football, and also with an eye to injury prevention. Honestly, this is your number one goal this summer. I want to be clear that it�s not about strapping a weight to your body or pushing weights. It�s about building balance in your body.
�It�s vital that you listen to these guys because there are no shortcuts and more is not always better. They�ll talk to you about stuff like recovery and proper nutrition. They�ve scienced the hell out of things. They�re pros, and their profession is getting you ready physically to play at your very best.
�You�re not going to skip a step, but like you, they want to get you in the best shape now. We want to win at USC,� David said as he noted that Coach Farrow was nodding his agreement.
David took a breath and smiled at his guys.
�Something you have to realize is that football is a team sport, and you can�t do it all on your own. The lifeblood of every college football team is recruiting. We need to show potential teammates that we�re a family of like-minded players and encourage them to join us. Early next week, I expect each of you to go to USC�s recruiting office and ask how you can help out. Get them to give you graphics you can send to prospects via social media.
�And just as a hint, someone�s brother should be made to feel welcome,� he said, smiling at Steve Barber.
David thanked everyone for coming again and took his seat. His mom had the waitstaff start to bring out the meal.
◊◊◊
After dessert, USC�s athletic director got up and welcomed the new players to campus. That was followed by the ambassadors of the University of Southern California�the Song Girls. They did a dance routine that had the boys excited.
These girls cheered and danced at Trojan athletic sporting events, including �jock rallies� at Heritage Hall on Friday afternoons before all USC home football games. They also did other activities for alumni and the university. The girls were involved in charity work, so they were easy to convince to come out and help.
After their dance, two of them came over to David and whispered in his ear to ask if they could stay for the next phase of the party. Dawnseeker was playing, and the girls wanted to hear them. When they bounced off as happy girls, all the guys looked at him.
�Did they offer you a threesome?� Oliver asked with his patented smirk.
�It�s a whole lot of none of your business,� David answered.
�You know them, though? So, you should help your friends out and hook us up, mate,� the punter pressed.
�You can�t pull the friend card on day one,� David pointed out. �That�s like asking to be a starter the first day of fall practice.�
�So, what you said about family was a bunch of bullshit?�
�Let me ask you this. Would you want me to set you up with some crazy bitch who might cut your dick off in the middle of the night?� David asked.
Oliver looked confused.
�What does that have to do with anything?�
�Until we get to know each other better, I�m not about to unleash someone I just met on my friends. After we all get comfortable, I would have a better idea of who would be a good fit.
�But nothing is stopping you from striking out on your own. I bet you all have the skills to chat a girl up; don�t let me stop you,� David added to not look like a complete jerk.
�You should listen to him. At the very least, he invited some exceptional talent to this party. I would bet that Dawson has dropped more dimes than any of us will ever meet in person,� Jes�s said.
�Dimes?� Jerry asked.
�Tens. Hot chicks,� Nick clarified.
Oliver was still grumbling, but David was glad that Fritz had clued him in on the Aussie�s dubious track record with women. Even though David didn�t really know all the Song Girls, he wouldn�t want them to think he would recommend someone who might hurt them.
◊◊◊
David�s little ones enjoyed the music. Their cousins talked him into dancing with them. Mac must have been paying attention when the Song Girls did their routine because she showed some serious moves for a four-year-old.
It didn�t take long for them all to wind down so their moms could take them home. That allowed David to dance with more age-appropriate women. He became quite popular when the Song Girls remembered that he could actually hold his own.
During a break, he found his new security girl waving him over.
�Sir, we have a situation,� she announced.
�And,� David prompted.
�One of the football players left and tried to come back in with alcohol.�
�Oliver?� he asked.
�Yes, sir. What do you want us to do?�
�Tell him that he can come back in if he surrenders the alcohol. You can give it back to him when he leaves. Or he can go home. This was billed as a family event, and most of the parents are still here.�
�Yes, sir.�
Later, David was somewhat happy that Oliver had decided to bail on his �fucking lame party,� as his security reported.
David then made the rounds once again. He was happy to find that everyone was having a good time. He did find his grandmother chatting up one of the big boosters, Ron Pennington.
�What are you two doing? Plotting the takeover of the world?� David asked.
�We�ve just been talking. Your grandmother is a delightful person,� Ron volunteered.
Grandma Dawson gave her grandson an unreadable look. He decided they were both old enough to figure it out, so he smiled and left them alone. Could there possibly be a budding romance? David decided it would be a good time to check in with his dad.
�Dad.�
�David.�
�Congratulations.�
Rob gave his son a curious look.
�For what?�
�For getting a new daddy,� David teased as he pointed toward his grandmother.
�You do know that my mom can be way scarier than yours, don�t you?�
�What?! I�m grandma�s favorite,� David tried.
�Mess with her love life, and you might find out differently.�
David gave his dad an amused look and moved on. He�d done what he intended, giving him a heads-up. Not that he was worried about Ron. It was just so his dad wasn�t blindsided if his mother did, in fact, begin to date.
Then David went to find his fellow players. A few had gotten brave and were talking to some of the Song Girls. He did notice that Nick was holding back. He seemed to be using his aloofness on the exterior as a shield. Underneath his liquid brown eyes, there was a hint of sadness. The guy had suffered plenty of tragedy in his life to this point, so it was understandable.
Then he would join in, and a part of his authentic self would emerge. His whole persona would change when he laughed, even though the sadness remained.
David�s observations were interrupted when Rachel appeared at his side.
She was about to say something when Todd and his dad came up.
�We have a plane to catch. I have to go home and pack and be back by Sunday night,� Todd said.
�Just pack what you�ll use the first week. Have the rest shipped,� David said to give him a pro tip for traveling.
�That makes sense. I was worried about lugging everything here,� Todd said.
�Thank you, David. This was nice,� Mr. Davis said.
�I�m glad you had a good time. Call me when you get settled, and you can take me to lunch,� David said.
�Will do. I�ll see you Monday,� Todd said and then left.
�My dad sent me over. He wants to have a word,� Rachel said.
David followed her to where her dad was saying goodbye to the other coaches. David said his farewells, too. When it was just the three of them, Coach Farrow told him what was on his mind.
�This was nice. We need to do this each summer.�
�I figured why not welcome them to campus while letting their parents know that they�ll be okay?� David asked.
�I was surprised you invited the boosters.�
�Really? I would think you would want to make nice with the two men who have the greatest influence on your boss�s boss.�
David saw him think it through, and then he gave a slight nod that he agreed.
�Can I tell you something, and it stays between us?� Coach Farrow asked.
�Sure.�
�Coach Clayton is moving you to quarterback.�
�Whatever�s best for the team,� David said with a straight face.
�Did someone tell you?�
David shook his head.
�Nope. But with Travis leaving, it was the only option,� David reasoned.
�What about the Clemson kid?�
�Please. Coach Clayton would never let his pet feel threatened.�
�Pet?�
David realized that he might have let too much of his true feelings come through.
�I guess. What would you call it?� David replied.
�Yeah, you�re right; I think that pretty much sums it up. You do realize that Matt will start as long as Coach Clayton is around.�
David just shrugged. They would see.
◊◊◊
When the party wrapped up, David found his new teammates getting ready to walk to their dorms.
�We�re taking off. Umm, feel free to take your time coming home tonight,� Jes�s said to Nick with a wink.
�Great, now I�m sex-iled.�
�Crash here. We have an extra room,� David offered.
�You don�t mind?� Jes�s asked.
David was glad that Jes�s didn�t just abandon his new roommate for a hookup. David thought
�Just for tonight,� David said to let them know that this wasn�t to become a regular occurrence.
�Thanks, man,� Jes�s said and gave David a bro hug, then turned to Nick. �And thanks for being cool about this.�
�No problem. I�ll be home around eleven tomorrow morning,� Nick offered.
Jes�s was all smiles. David said goodnight to the rest of the guys and then showed Nick where he was sleeping.
When David got to his bedroom, he found Cassidy in his bed.
He got undressed and joined her without a word. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her forehead.
�I missed you too,� he said.
Cassidy looked happy as she snuggled against David. This was just two friends�well, more than friends�telling each other how much they meant to each other. For the first time in several months, he had a woman in his bed that he deeply cared about.
It didn�t take long for him to fall into a contented sleep.
◊◊◊
Over the weekend, David had taken Cassidy home with him to resume ninja training with the ankle-biters. It also allowed him one-on-one Daddy time with each of his children.
Finally, on Sunday evening, it was back to school, with classes starting Monday. Cassidy and David had one additional occupant in the car: Duke, who would spend the summer at the townhouse. Being constantly around five two-year-olds had worn the boy out, and he needed a vacation.
�I have a question,� David said, darting a look at Cassidy as he drove.
�Is this going to be something stupid? Because if it is, I�m in no mood for it. After spending two days with your kids, I want to just go home, take a nice long hot bath, and then crawl into bed.�
That sounded way too girlie for his little ninja.
�In fact, my question has to do with the last part of your plan. Do you plan on continuing to sleep with me?� he asked.
He could all but read Cassidy�s thoughts as clearly as if they were written on her forehead. She was thinking how hard she could hit him and them not die in traffic. Then she looked out her window. What had he said to make her go from contemplating his demise to turning inward?
�What�s your problem?� David asked.
�Instead of being so judgy, maybe you should have some sympathy for people who have to deal with you,� Cassidy said.
�Are you implying that I�m hard to deal with?�
�No, I am outright telling you that you�re hard to deal with.�
�Do we need to stop and get you something for your PMS?� he asked. �Ow!�
Okay, he probably deserved that, but it earned him an upward twinge at the corners of her mouth.
�I just needed you to hold me,� Cassidy finally said.
�So, this wasn�t some plan to get me to ask you to marry you or something?� he asked.
�No. I was feeling lonely and wanted to be with someone who cares about me.�
�I don�t have a problem with that. I just didn�t want to make any assumptions.�
David waited for a beat before asking his next question.
�What happened at home?�
Cassidy glanced over, which made David realize that he�d hit on the problem.
�My brother was acting like a jealous ass. Brad said that I was sponging off you by living in your townhouse and only having to help pay for utilities. You basically pay me to go to school when I don�t really do anything to deserve it. He made me feel like I�m taking advantage of you.�
�I also buy your groceries and have a maid come in to clean the place,� David said with a teasing smile.
�See. Even you are out to destroy my self-esteem,� she grumped.
He�d gone through similar conversations with almost all of his
�You know
�I guess, but Brad just wouldn�t shut up about it.�
�Brad�s always been a jerk, and this is between you and me. I think you know me well enough to know that I would talk to you about it if I had a problem with anything. As a matter of fact, one of the things I like best about you is that I can do stuff for you and not feel like I�m doing something wrong.�
�Like Wolf makes you feel?�
�Exactly. So, next time you see Brad, you�re allowed to kick him in the nuts.�
That made her smile.
�Can I get my security job back?� Cassidy asked sweetly.
�I�m going to get up early in the morning and go running. Do you plan to go with me?�
�No.�
�Then, no.�
�Okay. But I get to sleep with you whenever I want?�
David smiled.
�I�ll agree to that.�
◊◊◊
Dawn was dusky pink, and you could almost hear the city coming alive with activity. It was a perfect California morning for a run.
When David had come downstairs, Miss Bettis, aka Ruth, had a water bottle and banana waiting for him. Duke remembered their routine and was eagerly sitting by his leash at the front door. David put it on his hound and then let him do his business while he and Ruth stretched.
�Do you want to set the pace?� David asked.
�Sir, I am confident I can keep up,� Ruth assured him.
David didn�t intend for this to be a serious run because he was meeting his new teammates at the weight room this morning to start stacking days. Cassidy said she would meet him there so she could be with him when Tank gave him his new lifting program for the summer.
After they�d gone only a mile, David saw that Duke was out of shape. He decided that they should make a stop at the coffee shop near his dorm. He hoped to catch up with Kat, the Goth Barbie barista he�d dated for a short time during the spring. They�d hooked up several times after their �breakup,� and quite frankly, David was horny.
When they entered, they found themselves the only customers in the place. The music was pumping, and he saw no one at the counter. David walked behind it like he worked there.
�What do you want?� David asked Ruth.
�I could go for a large coffee and a blueberry muffin, sir.�
Ruth might turn out to be okay. She hadn�t even questioned him helping himself.
�Lordy, there�s my fine-assed big boy. Come here and give me a hug,� Doreen, the owner of the coffee shop, said as she pulled David close. �I see you brought me two new customers.�
�Doreen, I would like you to meet Ruth and Duke. They�re my running partners.�
�Any friends of David are welcome.�
�Is my favorite employee around?� David asked.
�No, she up and quit. She�s out east, going to school.�
David knew that Kat was going back to Yale but had hoped she would wait until the fall. While he was disappointed that she hadn�t called him and told him, he realized he�d been just as bad by not calling her. He would remedy that later today.
David made his tea, got his dog a bowl of water, and joined Doreen and Ruth at a table. He talked to Doreen until Ruth had finished her coffee and muffin. By then, Duke was ready to run home.
◊◊◊
Cassidy drove David and Ruth to the weight room. He was happy to see that all the new guys were already there, except for Oliver. Tank had his whole staff busy testing each player. When he saw David and Cassidy, he broke away from his supervisory duties.
�Do you plan to have Cassidy be your personal trainer over the summer?�
�No, the gym we used is closed this summer,� Cassidy jumped in. �David will be working out here with you. I�m here because I want to learn from you.�
Tank was pleased.
�Frankly, we�re swamped right now. Could you put David through his normal routine?�
�I think I�ll take it easy on him since he�s been a total slacker while on break,� she said.
�Let�s not injure him the first day back. I�ve got some free time this afternoon if you want to swing by so we can talk,� Tank offered.
Cassidy was happy, so David hoped she was feeling laid-back. She quickly made him aware that was not going to be the case.
After an hour, he�d sweated through his clothes and was glad he hadn�t eaten much that morning. She finally took pity on him. He�d grabbed a towel and a bottle of water when Oliver appeared.
�Hey, mate. I wanted to apologize for the way I acted Friday.�
�That was acting?� David asked.
�Look, you don�t need to be a knob about it �� Oliver got out when he made the mistake of touching David.
The next thing Oliver knew, he was face down and worried his right shoulder might be separated. David glanced over at Cassidy, who looked as stunned as he did. Ruth had taken down their Aussie punter�who was twice her size�so fast that neither of them had any idea how she�d done it.
David was glad that she�d exposed her talents because he had no doubt Fritz would suggest that they spar. To date, David had bested all of Fritz�s security people, even knocking him silly on more than one occasion. Ruth might provide more of a challenge if she was that lightning quick. Now, he would actually pay money to see her spar with Cassidy.
�I would advise that you
She then released Oliver. David reached down and helped him stand.
�How about we start over before this becomes a thing?� David suggested.
Oliver ignored him and smiled at Ruth.
�Where did you come from? You�ve got some spunk.�
It took a moment for David to realize that the guy was hitting on his security. If he�d just had his ass handed to him by a girl, that was probably the last on the list of things David would have done.
�Why don�t we talk later? I have to take a shower and get to class. Could we meet for a late lunch?� David asked Oliver.
�This little sheila is a firecracker, mate. Is she going to be with you?�
�She goes where I go,� David answered.
�Then I�ll be there. Text me the details,� Oliver said.
Once he left, Cassidy leaned in close to Ruth.
�David has a rule about only hurting one boy per week. For that one, you can do it as many times as you think necessary.�
David shook his head as he began to walk away.
�David?�
He turned back to Cassidy.
�Text me the details, too. I want to be there the next time they meet.�
Oliver might have just stepped in it.
◊◊◊
The USC School of Cinematic Arts was the oldest and best film school in the country. David had decided that he should take advantage of the opportunity and make film his minor. He wanted to learn not only how to act but also how to make movies.
It was one of the most challenging schools at USC to get into since it was taught by industry professionals. It was considered a feeder school for Hollywood. USC bragged that if all their alumni decided to take the day off, it would shut down the television and film industries. Their alumni list was impressive and ranged from directors and producers to technical fields and even to agents and studio executives.
When David told Dr. Carter what he wanted to do, she�d gone to bat for him to secure a spot without having to go through the rigorous admission process. That included writing and media (video) samples and three letters of recommendation. This was one time when being an Academy Award-winning actor had opened doors that mattered to him.
When David arrived at his first class, he found the room packed and had to hunt for a seat. By now, he was used to half-empty classrooms in the business department. David hoped that meant students were excited about this course. When he did find a seat, it was front row, center. He made a mental note to arrive earlier for the next class.
David looked around the room and spotted a man leaning nonchalantly against the wall, watching him. The man continued to stare unapologetically, not appearing at all fazed by the fact he�d been caught intently watching David.
The man�s clothes were dark and nondescript, allowing him to almost blend in with the shadows. But it was his hair and eyes which really caught David�s attention. He was smoothly shaved, with the face of a man perhaps in his early thirties, and yet his hair appeared to be pure white, like that of an old man. His pale gray eyes looked unnatural. David wondered if they were contacts.
At the top of the hour, David�s stalker pushed off the wall and walked to the front of the class. He stood still until he had everyone�s attention.
�Welcome. I am Professor Norman Blum, and I�ll be teaching this class. Unfortunately, my TA was otherwise engaged. I will introduce her when we meet on Wednesday.
�For this class, you will be graded solely on a media project. It can be anything from big screen to television to something for the Internet. For example, you can make a short film. Or you could do one of those special-interest pieces you see on the local news. You could produce a web video or an episode for a vodcast. A webinar of some sort would also be acceptable, or even an educational video, called an Instructable.
�I�m sure at least one of you will come up with some other option that I haven�t mentioned. In any case, I want your project ideas ready for approval by our next class. If I find that several of you have similar ideas, I may ask you to team up.
�Based on what your projects are, we will have guest lecturers who are currently working in the industry. They will give a brief talk, and then we�ll open it up to questions or discussions to help you improve your projects.
�Are there any questions?�
He pointed at someone in the back of the room.
�I know what the other things are, but what�s a vodcast?�
�VOD is an acronym for video on demand. Combine that with broadcast, and you get vodcast. It�s just a video podcast,� Professor Blum explained.
He pointed to someone behind David.
�If we have an idea of who we want to work with, can we suggest teammates?�
�As long as I approve.�
�Can we get outside help in creating our project, and do we get a budget?�
�If you come to me with a reasonable request that can�t be fulfilled within the department, then you can seek outside help. As far as budgets go, you can use the university�s equipment, which is state-of-the-art. Anything beyond that will have to be out-of-pocket,� Professor Blum said.
The questions continued in the same vein over the next half hour until they finally petered out.
�If that�s all, we�ll let out early today. But before you go, I want to point someone out. David, would you please stand up for a moment?�
David did as he was asked and turned to the class before sitting down.
�As you know, David A. Dawson is a student at USC and has been involved in several highly successful movies. I just read that he is the most successful actor under twenty, based on ticket sales.
�Since having David on a team would be an unfair advantage, he will be doing his project on his own.�
There was an audible groan from the class. David had no doubt that some of them had already thought of him as a potential ATM for their project. With that parting groan, the class was let out.
Professor Blum asked David to follow him to his office so they could talk. When David took a seat, his teacher explained himself.
�You were the topic of conversation at last week�s kickoff meeting for the department. Having been on so many movie sets would give you an unfair real-world advantage, so I want to make you a deal. If you give me a list of technical help you might need, we�ll assign teaching assistants, professors, or alumni to assist you. Their job won�t necessarily be to do the work but teach you how,� Professor Blum explained.
�That limits what I can do.�
�How so?�
�An easy example is that if I want to have multiple camera angles, it won�t be possible if I have to run the cameras myself.�
�Fair enough. Why don�t you think about what you want to do and we�ll talk about it on Wednesday? My goal is not to hamstring you but to level the playing field. So when your needs are legitimate, we�ll make it happen.
�Does that work?� Professor Blum asked.
David nodded his agreement and left.
◊◊◊
David picked Verde in the Ronald Tutor Campus Center for lunch because he was hungry for Mexican. While it wasn�t the best place to eat, it was convenient. He smiled when he saw someone he knew coming out of the restaurant. It was Taylor, Milena�s sorority sister in Alpha Mu. David had always found the cute redhead amusing.
She was intently texting on her phone, so she didn�t see him.
�Hey, baby, how much for a quickie?� David asked in a deep voice.
�Keep walking. You can�t afford me,� Taylor said and then looked up. �David!�
�Hey, Taylor,� David said as he gave her a friendly hug.
�I was just texting my girl. She�s all bummed out that she wasn�t able to come for summer school.�
Inwardly, he groaned. The two girls he�d looked forward to spending some quality time with wouldn�t be on campus this summer. His dry spell might last him until school started back up for the fall semester.
�I understood that she was living with Matt and Crystal so they could all afford an apartment. What happened with that?� he asked.
�I�m the third wheel,� Taylor grumped and then leaned in as if to tell David a secret. �Between you and me, I don�t think Crystal and Matt will make it through the summer.�
David honestly couldn�t care less about those two because he considered Matt to be Coach Clayton�s primary butt-kisser. And Crystal seemed to pick her boyfriends based solely on how they made her look. Not that she wasn�t smoking hot; she was. He just had no interest in a gold digger.
�What are you going to do if they break up?� David asked.
�I can afford the rent if they move out. I just wish they would decide if they�re going to fight or make up. I�m tired of the drama, and it�s only been a weekend.�
Most of the students who went to USC came from families with money. It sounded like Taylor was one of them.
They exchanged contact information, with Taylor promising to let him know if Milena planned to visit this summer.
David and Ruth found Cassidy waiting for them. She�d made a good call by ordering nachos so they could snack before they ordered.
Oliver joined them a few minutes later.
�You�re buying, right?� were the first words out of his mouth.
�A free steak Friday night wasn�t enough for you?� David shot back.
�Don�t be a drongo, mate. I�m just saying you�re rich, and you should defo hook your friends up,� Oliver tried.
David�s new teammate got an upgrade. David wasn�t going to slap him down for suggesting this; he was going to kill him, and with Fritz�s help, he could hide the broken body. He took a deep, cleansing breath because he knew he was reacting like a petulant teenager, but Oliver brought out the worst in him.
�Okay, I�ll buy lunch, but don�t ever ask again. I�m not looking to hang with people who expect me to pick up the tab.�
Oliver held up his hands.
�Seriously, mate. Don�t get your knickers in a twist. I was just joking around.�
David had heard enough.
�Get whatever you want, but I�ve got better ways to spend my time,� he said as he dropped a large bill on the table.
Oliver looked surprised when Cassidy and Ruth got up with David. Then they went down the street to the Korean barbecue place.
◊◊◊
In the late afternoon, David met about twenty football players on the practice field. He wanted to implement something similar to what they�d done in high school, where they learned the playbook on their own time.
The first meeting was more of a get-to-know-you session, and they just had fun playing touch football. It felt good to get the kinks out and actually throw a pass. Everyone had a good time, so David considered that a good start.
◊◊◊
David had invited Frank Ingram and Kent Crain to dinner at his townhouse. These two were key members of his team: Frank handled all of his PR, while Kent, who reported to Frank, was responsible for hiring his personal assistants. The three of them were eating on the rooftop so that David could use his new grill.
�There are beers and sodas in the fridge. I hope you�re hungry because I�m making fish tacos on the grill.�
The three of them were comfortable with each other, and they all quickly relaxed as David cooked. Ruth and Cassidy had joined them for dinner, and the guys caught up and shared small talk. The two girls cleared the table and left so that David could have a private word.
�I�m considering terminating my contract with the management company. Because of our relationship, I wanted to give you the heads-up before I went elsewhere.�
Frank had been made president because of his management skills, while Kent ran the day-to-day. Frank glared across the table when Kent suddenly looked nervous.
�Is this because Kent sent his girlfriend to the UK as your PA?� Frank asked.
�That, and I don�t ever want Lexi to be my PA again,� David said.
Of all the things he could have said, none of them would have surprised the two men more. After all, David had claimed on numerous occasions that she was the best PA he�d ever had.
�Why? What did Lexi do?� Kent asked.
�It�s not my place to say. You should ask Lexi,� David said.
�And you�re mad enough that you want to fire us?� Frank said.
�The UK trip was a disaster.�
David spent the next ten minutes highlighting everything Kristen did that was unprofessional, embarrassing, or borderline illegal. He covered in that analysis all that she�d done that could have, or would have, had disastrous consequences for the movie or the people involved in it. David noted that that included high-level movers and shakers like Chubby Feldman as well as David himself.
�I pay you good money for support, and I, by God, expect professional assistance. I held back from talking to Grace Davenport directly about this while I was in New York because we�ve been friends for the past few years. But Kent, I�m wondering if I can trust you anymore,� David said.
They both knew that if David had talked to her, they might very well have been fired. Frank had been around and witnessed Kristen in action but had focused his efforts on PR without exercising any oversight at all over Kent. And Kent would have been fired simply for thinking with his dick. It didn�t matter that the girl was gorgeous, and it didn�t matter whether she was exceptional in bed. Kent had spent most of his life around beautiful and ambitious girls who used their bodies to get what they wanted. He was hired to be a professional who wouldn�t succumb to that kind of manipulation.
�David, I�m so sorry. Moving forward, I will only supply you with seasoned personal assistants,� Kent said. �Are you sure Lexi isn�t who you want? I could pull her from Ben Cowley for your press tours for
�Let me be clear so there are no misunderstandings. Lexi Andon is never to be sent to be my PA again. If she is, I will publicly announce to the world my lack of confidence in both of you and say that is why I�m moving my business.�
�What the hell did she do to make you so mad?� Frank asked.
�I�d like to know too because I�ve never seen you this angry,� Kent added.
�Can we just say it�s personal and leave it at that? I know that I sound harsh, but I mean every word I�ve said. If I never see her again, I�ll be fine,� David said.
Both men looked at each other and let it go. David was sure Lexi would hear about it before the night was out. In some ways, he felt like a coward for not calling her directly. But the truth was that if she talked to him, David might forgive her. If he did that, he would hate himself.
◊◊◊
Ten minutes after they left, David�s phone began to ring.
As he was going to bed, his phone buzzed on his desk for what felt like the twentieth time over the last two hours. It was Lexi. This time, he picked it up and rejected her call. Then he blocked her.
David checked, and he had fifteen messages. He deleted them all.
◊◊◊
She could hear David shuffling around in his bedroom. Something must have happened after she�d left him with Frank and Kent because he usually went right to sleep. She heard his door open and then footsteps as he went up the stairs to the roof.
Cassidy got out of bed to see what was up. She found David sitting on the couch, so she sat next to him. The cool night air was a jolt to her system, sending any of her own desire for sleep fleeing. She shivered. He must have felt the movement because he slipped off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.
�What are you doing here?� he asked with counterfeit indifference.
David�s arm felt warm and comforting around her waist. She burrowed into his side, suddenly feeling very safe and sleepy.
�Come to bed,� Cassidy encouraged.
�I made an ass out of myself tonight.�
She knew that his typical MO was that when he got mad, you left him alone. If you did that, he usually calmed down and saw reason. But if you ignored the signs, he would lash out. It sounded like he was at the reasonable stage and wanted to talk.
�What made you upset?�
He chuckled.
�You know me too well.�
�Just tell me,� Cassidy ordered.
David recapped his conversation with Frank and Kent.
�You should have fired them. Kent is using company resources to get laid. She obviously either had no training or is incompetent, and she might have caused you and your friends a world of hurt. In either case, she should have never been your PA,� Cassidy said.
David didn�t say anything for a minute.
�But that�s not what you�re really mad about, is it?� she asked.
He looked over at her.
�It�s Lexi cheating,� she guessed. �And that�s why you feel guilty for yelling at them.�
David nodded.
�Did you mean what you said?� Cassidy asked.
He sighed before answering.
�I could have been more � diplomatic.�
�You are such a people-pleaser,� she said as amusement touched her eyes. �There are times when you should tell it like it is. Just like you telling Oliver where to get off. He�s bad news, and you don�t need someone like him in your life.�
�The difference is that I don�t have anything invested in Oliver.�
�Do me a favor and don�t apologize tomorrow. They need to fix their internal problems, and having them think that you plan to give them a pass will never solve anything. In fact, it would do more harm than good,� Cassidy warned.
David nodded his agreement and then pulled her closer.
�You�re a good friend.�
�I�m glad you think that because I have a favor to ask.�
�If it�s within my power to help, all you have to do is ask, Buttercup,� he said softly.
�My dad told me that you would eventually get your head out of your butt and take over the leadership of the football team,� Cassidy said. That earned her a raised eyebrow, but she ignored the warning and pushed forward. �I�ve been watching what you�ve been up to and was hoping you would teach me to do the same with the rowing team.�
�Do you have a plan?� David asked.
�What�s yours?� she shot back.
He was smart enough to know that meant �no,� so he let it go for now. Cassidy knew David and his �plans.� That meant that he would make her do stupid stuff like �envision what outcome she wanted,� create goals and timelines, and so on.
�My overall goal is to win a National Championship. The soonest that can happen is the season after this one because I know that Coach Clayton is a stubborn ass and won�t even consider me starting this year.�
�You really think that? Shouldn�t it be that the best player plays?� Cassidy asked.
�You would think,� David said, clearly disgusted. �But your own dad wanted to start your brother.�
She scrunched her nose as she realized that he was right.
�And you think that you�ll start next year?� Cassidy guessed.
�There�s no thinking about it. I will,� he said with a confidence that left no doubt it would happen.
Something she knew about David was that if he set his mind to something, it got done.
�I take it that you have a plan for that?�
He nodded.
�But you don�t need to know the details because your situation is different. Your coach has already penciled you in as the lead rower, right?�
At her nod, he went on. �What you want to do now is win. If that were my goal, then I would be doing things differently,� David suggested.
Cassidy gave her friend a confused look. They had been friends long enough that he didn�t need to know what her question was; he just answered it.
�Remember our sophomore year when the juniors and seniors tried to freeze us out?� David asked, and she nodded. �I took the underclassmen and a handful of backup juniors and created a core group that went on to win three state championships. I plan to do the same with the freshmen and pull in a few upperclassmen to work with this summer.�
�I hope you aren�t thinking of including Oliver in all this,� Cassidy said.
He smiled.
�You�re learning, but I don�t think Oliver�s a bad fit just because he�s an ass.�
�That would be enough for me,� she admitted.
�Did you know that Oliver is probably the best punter in the conference, and he hasn�t even played a down of American football?�
�If he�s so good, why don�t you plan to include him?� Cassidy asked.
�First, he�s just a kicker. That group goes off to the side in practice and does their own thing. They never really get involved with the rest of the team. The second is because he is so much older than all of us, even the seniors. Along with his bad attitude, Oliver won�t want to listen to anyone. He�ll discount what we try to tell him, and frankly, I worry that he�ll work against me. I don�t need someone like that poisoning the minds of my key players.�
�We could have Ruth ambush him, stick him in a crate, and ship him back down under.�
�You still haven�t hurt any boys this week. Maybe you could make him squeal like a little girl for me,� David suggested as they jested about Oliver�s demise.
�I already told Ruth about the one boy a week rule, but I made it clear that it didn�t apply to Oliver.�
�I�d almost forgotten how much fun it was to watch you take down big tough high school boys. I still have no idea what Ruth did to Oliver,� David admitted.
�About Ruth: she has a big crush on you.�
His head fell back as he turned his face heavenward and moaned.
�Please tell me that�s not true,� he worried.
�Well, I am your best friend, after all. I exist to tell you the truth, even if it won�t make you feel good. Deal with it.
�I told you that she and I talked before you first met her. She confessed it then. I explained that she was here to do a serious job. I shared a few of your dustups and about Trip being shot. I advised her to treat you formally and not let on about her true feelings,� Cassidy said.
�And here I was trying to get her to loosen up. Having her call me �Mr. Dawson� might not be such a bad idea,� David decided.
�I�m not sure that wouldn�t bug the hell out of you. I think her calling you �sir� is probably the right compromise,� Cassidy suggested.
Then a yawn hit her.
�I�ve kept you up late enough. Let�s go to bed,� he suggested.
�Can I sleep with you?� she asked.
She�d asked that because David slept better when she did, and he was still keyed up about Lexi. Cassidy hoped that by changing his focus to football and helping her, he might get to sleep. If that didn�t work, she might have to let him have sex with her. A good orgasm always seemed to cause David to nod off.
The only problem was it would open up feelings that Cassidy wasn�t ready to face.
◊◊◊
Cassidy�s appointment with Tank, David�s strength-and-conditioning coach, had been postponed until today. As she walked to his office, she reviewed what she wanted to talk about. She�d decided that she wanted to become a leader for the women�s rowing team.
Part of Cassidy�s leadership plan was to get the girls in better physical shape than their competition. Currently, her team primarily worked out on rowing machines. While they mimicked actual rowing, she had seen the variety of exercises David did. She thought that with Tank�s help, she could come up with a routine to help her girls.
She�d also done some homework on Tank�s career. He�d graduated high school at seventeen, gotten a full athletic scholarship to Penn State, started varsity all four years, and carried a three-six GPA, graduating cum laude.
After college, Tank had gotten a job with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Within two years, he�d been promoted to the number two position in their strength-and-conditioning staff. He was quickly recognized as one of the bright young minds in the industry. That was when USC had come calling and hired him to head their football program�s sports and conditioning team.
Tank had hired a diverse group of trainers and nutritionists to catapult athletes to their highest potential. They did this while at the same time getting the players� bodies to the point where they could better resist injury. David had commented that Tank�s group had scienced the shit out of it, and from what Cassidy could see, that was true. Tank was on the cutting edge of the industry, and he was only twenty-seven.
She figured that she would need to barter something, so Cassidy had brought all of David�s records from high school that the trainers had put together. She was sure that her friend had selective amnesia about many of his injuries that Tank would want to know about.
Tank was receptive to her request and offered to help the rowing team.
�What do you have there?� he asked when Cassidy put the thick folder on his desk.
�I�ve been working with David for nearly five years. Since you�re going to take over this summer, I thought you might want to see his high school records. The trainers kept track of his progress, and this also has all his injuries documented,� Cassidy explained. �By the way, one of his trainers just joined the baseball training staff here.�
Tank flipped through the folder and frowned.
�How many concussions has he had?� the coach asked.
�At least two.�
�We�ve been learning a lot more about the hidden damage of head trauma. I�m going to have our team doctor, Doctor Liao, check him out,� Tank said, and then he paused before asking, �Can I keep this?�
�Let me ask David,� she said and then gave him a quick call.
David wasn�t thrilled that he would have to get his head tested but gave Cassidy permission to let Tank have a copy.
Turning her attention back to Tank, Cassidy studied his shock of curly brown-black hair, his stubbled jawline, and his broad shoulders. She decided he was handsome. It wasn�t a stretch to imagine what was underneath those shorts with the way they clung to him in all the right places. She tilted her head to the side and made an appreciative face.
After they�d talked about David, the conversation changed as they began to get to know each other on a more personal level. Cassidy unexpectedly found that she was attracted to Tank in a very unprofessional manner.
Tank must have felt it, too, because he came out from behind the desk and held out his hand. Cassidy took it and stood up. She worried all this was happening too fast. One moment they were having a conversation about strength and conditioning, and the next, she was contemplating what this man would look like in her bed.
Cassidy was no blushing virgin, but she�d never been one to spread her charms around either.
�If you want to be naughty, sweetheart, I�m your man. I can lead you into temptation and show you the time of your life. We�ll both have some fun memories,� Tank said as he put a hand on her hip and pulled her closer.
Cassidy couldn�t believe she was contemplating this. He wasn�t asking her for a date or a relationship. It was an opportunity to spend some time with a real man. A chance to relieve an itch, so to speak.
�But if you�re really not sure, you say so,� Tank said sincerely. �You�re safe with me. If you say �no,� we can just forget about this. All you have to do is tell me what you want.�
What did she want? Cassidy wasn�t sure � had no idea.
Then she thought,
�Cassidy. You have to verbalize what you want, girl. Use your words,� Tank said softly.
Tank was intently looking at her. She felt his inner need as if it was something physical. He was breathing hard, his eyes squinted, and the tip of his tongue parted his lips.
�Words?�
Tank slid his hand on her waist up under Cassidy�s t-shirt and ran his fingers across her stomach until he reached her belly button. Then he slid them down into the waistband of her shorts and inched them down until he touched her panties.
�I hope we�re on the same page here. If you have any hesitation, tell me �no.� I�ll only do this if you are sure and willing. I�ll completely understand,� Tank said gently.
With his words, Cassidy began to feel more confident in the situation. The honest truth was that she did want him. When Cassidy had dated before, no one asked her what she wanted; she�d just gone along with it. And it wasn�t as if Tank was trying to make this more than it was. If she did this, it would just be sex.
In the past, she�d enjoyed her boyfriends. She liked to kiss them and have them grope under her shirt. The few times she�d had sex, it had mostly been somewhat enjoyable. She�d felt unsatisfied when the act was done. The lone exception was David. That man-child rocked her world.
But the mere proximity to Tank made her feel � so much. He was so big, so hard, so unexpected. He was confident enough to ask for what he wanted. It was freeing to know precisely where she stood. He�d asked her to have sex with him and nothing more. Tank had done it in such a way that he wasn�t a jerk about it. She had to respect that and, honestly, really wanted to.
�I want to say yes.�
�Then do,� he encouraged.
�Uhm,� Cassidy hedged.
�What aren�t you sure about?�
�Everything. You. This. What I want. What I should do.�
Tank chuckled.
�Only you can figure that out, honey. If you are having this hard of a time deciding, then don�t leave me hanging. Put me out of my misery and say, �no.��
Cassidy squeezed her eyes closed and was about to tell him just that. When she opened them, she saw his kind face smiling at her. She knew he would be okay if she said �no,� but was that what she really wanted?
�I�m sorry,� she said and saw the flicker of disappointment touch his eyes, so she added, �I�ve never done something like this. Whenever I�ve spent time with someone, it has been in some form of a relationship or with someone I loved.�
As Cassidy said the words, her hand shot out, and she touched his chest. Under his university polo shirt, she felt warmth. His chest felt powerful and firm.
�My dilemma is that I�m very attracted to you, and I am more than halfway there. I want to throw caution to the wind. But I�m not � I don�t �� she stammered.
�You�ve always been a good girl.�
Cassidy nodded, unable to say the words.
Tank took a chance and used his fingers in the waistband of her shorts to pull her closer to him. He then began to slowly make circles as he gently rubbed her skin above her bikini line. With his other hand, he touched her cheek and ran his fingers back, catching her hair so he could tuck it behind her ear.
�Honey, no one would ever think you weren�t a good girl,� Tank assured her.
Cassidy thought her heart might burst out of her chest. He was so honest and achingly direct that all her doubts melted away. She found herself closing the gap between them as she grasped his polo and lifted it over his head. They both frantically worked to remove the other�s clothing. Cassidy groaned when she finally felt skin-on-skin.
Tank reached behind him, and, with a wave of his arm, everything on his desk crashed to the floor. They were like two sex-starved teenagers. She had forgotten how this could make you feel when you were with the right person. How intimate and special, how achingly sexy it was just to feel someone�s body on hers.
She found herself being picked up and deposited so she was sitting on the edge of the desk. Their lips finally met as they each caressed the other. It was as if Tank was using the Braille method to burn the memory of her body into his brain. He was driving her crazy with lust.
Cassidy grabbed the back of his head, and their kisses deepened. Everything ramped up, became more intense. She could feel her desire building as her core tightened with need, as they both breathed heavily.
Cassidy decided to do a little exploring of her own. She�d expected him to be fit, but she found he was ripped. Tank had broad shoulders and firm abs, the bulges in his arms, and the small tuft of hair across his chest and sent liquid heat straight to her center. Then her hand traveled south, and she felt the hair just above his manhood.
Cassidy discovered that he was a real man. Solid, robust, and firm. Nothing like she imagined the childish boys who haunted the area frats would be.
Tank�s fingers dragged across her thighs, igniting a small series of explosions of erotic joy as he parted her thighs and found her center. Her breath caught in her throat as his lips traveled south. He knew just the right amount of pressure to exert on her sensitive nipples. This was not the inexperienced fumblings she�d learned to expect of anyone other than David.
And then, finally, finally, his fingers began to pleasure her sex.
Cassidy whimpered in frustration. With Tank moving around, she�d lost her grip on his manhood. She would have forcibly pulled him to where it could do the most good if it were within reach. Cassidy looked down between them and saw that he was ready. It was curved upward as if pointing where it wanted to be.
Then Tank did something with his fingers that caused her to suck in her breath.
�Do you like when I touch you there?�
He did it again.
�Does it feel good?�
Cassidy�s entire body tightened like an overstretched string waiting for release. Then it was as if that string snapped, and she came harder than she�d ever come before.
Tank chuckled as she convulsed on the edge of the desk. The intoxicating sensations rolled over her body again and again. She slumped forward as her forehead found itself against his shoulder.
His hard cock touched her inner thigh. Cassidy�s hand darted down and grasped it. Like every other part of him, it was thick and long with the promise of never-ending pleasure. He let her guide his movements. She placed the head against her clit and rubbed it in circles for a moment. Then she slid it between the lips of her pussy.
�I take it that it�s been a while since you were last touched. I�ll be gentle,� Tank promised.
He pressed the head of his dick into her opening. Still, he didn�t push forward but instead gave her a teasing kiss on her neck and then collarbone. Then Cassidy felt his lips caressing her earlobe.
�Tell me what you want. I need your permission,� Tank said as she felt the head of his dick throb.
Even now, in the throes of passion, he was concerned about her well-being. He was beyond any fantasy she�d ever imagined. Cassidy looked him in the eyes and smiled. If all she�d ever seen was his sexy smile in return, she would have instantly been wet.
�I need you to fuck me. Fuck me hard,� Cassidy said.
Euphoria seized her as she wrapped her legs around his waist, and Tank positioned himself right over her. The press of his cock, stretching her, stole her breath away. He moved slowly but confidently until their pubic bones rubbed together.
As he began to move, Cassidy finally understood why David was a slut. This was what sex really was.
◊◊◊
Cassidy came home, rounding the corner into the kitchen. She pulled up short. Standing before her was David, who suddenly had the biggest smile she had ever seen on his face.
�Someone got lucky.�
She gasped.
�How � no �� Cassidy stammered, not knowing what to say.
�Next time, take a comb with you. It will fix that just-fucked-looking hair.�
�David!� she whined.
He got a superior look on his face.
�Don�t act like that. I want you to remember all the times you called me out on my walk of shame. It�s payback time.�
Cassidy tried to step around him, but David blocked her way. She was contemplating putting him down when she saw Ruth raise her eyebrow in warning. Cassidy�s shoulders slumped in defeat.
�Who�s the lucky guy?� he asked in a sing-song voice as he danced around.
�You keep teasing her, and I won�t be held responsible, sir,� Ruth said to make Cassidy�s day.
�See. Even Ruth doesn�t think I should tell,� Cassidy said defiantly.
�I didn�t say that, ma�am.�
David stuck his tongue out at Cassidy. He was a brat.
�You might not like it,� she warned.
He groaned. She knew he thought it was either Matt or Oliver.
�Just say it.�
�Tank.�
David blinked a few times as his head wrapped around her announcement. Then he shrugged, as if to say he was okay with her choice. Then David did a very David thing: he pulled her into a hug.
�Are you okay?� he asked seriously.
�Yes. He was wonderful.�
�Are you two together?�
Cassidy pulled David down and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
�No. We were clear that it was just sex. I would be open to it happening again, though.�
�As long as you�re okay. That�s all I care about,� David said and then added, �Just tell me if I need to have a word with him.�
She hugged his neck hard. It was hard enough to find one man to treat her right. Now she had two.
◊◊◊
David A. Dawson was Colleen�s make-believe boyfriend. Oh, he was real enough. He just didn�t know he was her boyfriend. Yet.
Why a make-believe boyfriend? The best answer was that she wasn�t ready to have a real one, and her grandfather used to tell her to dream big or go home. So why not pick the best one you could imagine?
David was drop-dead gorgeous. His abs should be put on display in some sex-god museum. As far as male posteriors went, his was borderline perfection, halfway between Adonis and Michelangelo�s David. His pants rode his lean hips that tapered down into a pair of muscular legs. And if the pictures on the internet were real, the rest of him was even more impressive.
Colleen had decided on a make-believe boyfriend because she was done with men. Dreaming about David helped her start to move on and get over a near-legendary heartbreak.
And how sad was that? Colleen was twenty-two years old, and she�d only loved one man. Bart had been her college sweetheart. He�d been her TA her freshman year. After four years, Bart was getting his Master�s in Fine Arts as she was in the home stretch of obtaining her BA. They were both enrolled in USC�s School of Cinematic Arts. More specifically, the Film and Television Production Program.
After dating throughout college, Bart asked Colleen to marry him the summer before her senior year. Half a year later, he dumped her on Valentine�s Day. There�d been a massive blowup in the middle of a fine restaurant, which they were asked to leave. It had only been four months, and it still felt like part of her was dying every time she looked at her bare left hand.
Looking back, Colleen had never been very successful with boys. During her junior year of high school, she was convinced that she was deeply, madly in love with Dan Kilroy. He was this nerdy sophomore who somehow got the nerve to ask her to the homecoming dance. Three months later, they were contemplating doing the deed.
Colleen�s mother had to work late while her dad was off casting a movie, so plans were made. It was going to be everything a girl dreamed of for her first time. The problem was that Dan had no clue what he was doing. That afternoon, Colleen came to understand why teenage girls liked older boys for boyfriends.
Dan got frustrated with her bra. He was jerking on it, and it had begun to hurt. Colleen remembered the look on her mother�s face as she came home early. Her teenage daughter was close to tears because a red-faced boy had been trying to tear her bra off. Colleen still had nightmares from that encounter.
As can happen in the aftermath of a situation like that, new draconian rules were implemented that prohibited dating boys. By some miracle, she avoided going to an all-girls school when her father saw reason. Later, she figured out that the cost of a private school was why he had caved.
The rules were lifted for her senior prom when Mitch Jacobs, the minister�s son, asked her to the dance. On the fateful night, he had reserved them a hotel room to �change in.� He had just as much experience as Colleen had with the opposite sex, so when she insisted that Mitch get undressed first, he obliged. She made the mistake of touching him, and everything ended prematurely � all over her prom dress.
By the time Colleen started college, her plan was to wait for the right man.
She found that she was very popular. The boys either wanted to sleep with her or�like the girls�they wanted to get close to her dad for his movie connections. Hollywood was a close-knit community, one where knowing the right people could make a real difference in your career path. Colleen�s father was the casting director for many successful films, which meant he knew almost everyone in the business.
Luckily for her, Colleen�s roommate was Gail Peck. She clued Colleen in as to why she was suddenly attracting so many �friends.� That bit of knowledge allowed Colleen to start to figure out who was genuine and who was not.
In the end, the kicker was that four years later, her dad actually helped her ex-fianc� get a production assistant job on a film being made in France. It just proved that sleeping with her really did pay off.
Her father, realizing that he�d stepped in it when he got Bart the job, had taken Colleen with him to the premiere of the James Bond movie he�d cast. That was the first time her make-believe life and real life collided.
It was at an after-party for the movie premiere. Colleen loved the movie because one of the main characters was her imaginary boyfriend. It simply confirmed what she already knew: he was perfect.
At the party, she was thinking about how much Bart had hurt her and how David never would when her imaginary boyfriend walked up to her and said, �hi.�
What did you do when your fantasy became a reality? Did you drag him off somewhere and do all the naughty things you�d imagined late at night?
The problem was, she acted like some sixteen-year-old virgin from Dorksville. She�d blown her chance and all but chased him away. The only saving grace was that Colleen would never see him again.
◊◊◊
Colleen had a conflict the first day she was TAing for Professor Blum�s film class. As an undergraduate, this was her favorite class because it was designed to help film students figure out what path they wanted to take. It was project-based, where they created a film, short, or TV show.
The medium wasn�t critical. It was the whole process that the professor wanted his students to learn about in a firsthand, practical manner. Doing projects like this touched on everything from writing a script to dealing with actors to setting up cameras, lights, and sound. After they had the film in the can, they got to piece it together into a polished product.
When Colleen had taken the class, she was teamed up with a local boy who loved to surf. He�d talked her into creating a short about a surfing term�they called it �The Blue Room.�
He described it as catching the perfect ride where you hit the sweet spot of the wave. As it topped out and began to roll over, the wave�s lip would reach out and touch the water in front of it. The rolling wave created a tube of water all around the surfer; it looked like a blue room. If you timed it correctly, you would shoot out of the beautiful blue room at the last possible moment, emerging safely into the bright sunlight.
By the time they were finished, Colleen knew that she wanted to make movies for a living.
Today, the class was supposed to turn in their ideas for their project. All Professor Blum really cared about was that the project not be so big that it wouldn�t be completed before summer school ended.
Colleen hurried to catch up with the professor as they entered the room, eager to help her students. That was all fine and good until it suddenly got � awkward. Sitting front and center was David. Colleen hadn�t realized that her boss had suddenly stopped and all but knocked him down.
The commotion caught the attention of everyone in the class, including David. She about died when he recognized her with a smile and a small wave.
◊◊◊
After class, Colleen tried to remember what had happened, but all she could think about was that David A. Dawson was in the class she was helping teach.
Professor Blum had tasked her with reading through all the project proposals, so she�d gone back to his office to work. He had some faculty function to attend, so she was left all alone.
As she began to sort through the proposals, Colleen found she couldn�t focus. She wanted her best friend and roommate to talk some sense into her, so she called Gail.
�I need you to bring me over a change of clothes,� Colleen said as soon as Gail answered.
�Did you have another mishap at lunch?� her roommate guessed.
While that had happened two years ago, Gail brought it up whenever she could to needle her.
�I look like something the cat wouldn�t bother dragging in.�
Colleen could hear Gail suck in her breath before saying, �You met someone!�
�I have not!� Colleen whispered into the handset.
�You have!� Gail cried out gleefully. �You used to care what you looked like when you were with Bart. Now you just put on whatever�s at the top of your drawer.�
�I�m not that bad.�
�Please. Remember our conversations? You were going to wear such-and-such a dress to please Bart. You were going to go to the whatever-it-was restaurant because you thought he�d like it.�
�That�s crazy talk! I certainly didn�t wear my sweats and faded t-shirts on Sunday mornings because I thought David would like them.�
�Who?!� Gail asked.
�I meant Bart.�
�No, you didn�t. Who�s David?� Gail pressed.
�Just an actor in my production class. I have a meeting with him this afternoon to discuss his project.�
Gail could always tell when she was omitting something important and waited Colleen out.
�Okay, fine. He�s David A. Dawson.�
Colleen could hear the phone clatter on the floor and Gail scrambling to pick it back up.
�You lucky bitch! You so have to bone him.�
�Gail!�
�You know what I mean.�
She did, but Gail was wrong. David A. Dawson wasn�t a hookup. He was her make-believe boyfriend. Well, no longer make-believe. He was the man she was going to meet one-on-one this afternoon.
To throw Gail off the scent of any possible romantic feelings she had for David, she said, �I�m not �boning� David. He�s one of my students.�
�And you�ve never heard of an interoffice romance?�
�He�s my student,� Colleen repeated. �I have a moral and ethical obligation to not sexually harass him.�
�And he�s drop-dead gorgeous,� Gail countered.
Colleen could see Gail�s pleased expression in her mind�s eye. She should have known her roommate would give her a hard time. And Colleen didn�t need to be traumatized today. What she needed was for Gail to bring her a change of clothes.
�I�m not going there.�
Gail only laughed.
�I�m hanging up on you now! I�m going back to work!�
But Colleen was laughing, too. Before they hung up, Gail promised to bring her a change of clothes.
◊◊◊
Colleen heard a knock at the office door.
�Come in.�
In walked David, his hair still damp from a recent shower.
�Sorry. I was working out and lost track of time. I hope I�m not late,� David said and then smiled when he saw it was her. �It�s good to see you again.�
Colleen had every intention of returning his greeting. She even opened her mouth with the expectation of saying something, but her tongue stuck stubbornly to the roof of her mouth like she�d just eaten peanut butter. He may have just seen her impression of a carp, but she at least nodded her head and pointed at a seat.
�I was surprised when I saw you in class. I had to wonder if you were stalking me,� David said as he got comfortable.
�Do you think all women stalk you?� Colleen asked a little too aggressively.
�Sorry. I was just commenting on the coincidence of meeting you in Wimbledon and again here.�
She closed her eyes for a moment so she could focus.
�No need to apologize. It�s just been a long day.�
�I bet you�ve been the dream-crusher today,� David said with an understanding look.
Somehow, that made her relax.
�There have been some issues with the scope of a lot of these projects that�ll need to be worked out,� Colleen admitted.
�So, what did you think of my project? Is it too aggressive?�
She pulled out his proposal so they could get down to business.
�You want to do a podcast about USC sports?� she asked.
�A vodcast, actually; a video podcast. I plan to call it �Trojan Inquirer� and feature players and alumni each week. I want to shoot it like it�s a TV sports show,� David explained.
�Weekly?� Colleen asked doubtfully. �All you need is to do one episode for the class. Why not just do that but do it very well?�
�But I need to sell advertising, and I can�t do that unless I build up a following,� David countered.
�Advertising? Why would you want to do that?�
�To pay for the production, of course. Professor Blum said that I would have to use TAs or other USC staff to film my shows. I have to pay them somehow,� he said, as if that made sense.
�I think he meant that they would volunteer.�
Now it was David�s turn to look confused.
�I�ve found that you get what you pay for, and I want this to come across as professional.�
�Who�s going to pay them?� Colleen asked.
�Why, USC, of course. I would expect they would want everything done aboveboard.�
�But I�m sure they don�t have it in their budget to pay for your production.�
�Remember the part about advertising? I wouldn�t expect it to cost the university anything.�
�I wouldn�t even know where to begin to get something like that approved,� Colleen finally said.
�Well, in my experience, I find it works best if you talk to whoever�s in charge.�
�I can�t just pick up the phone and call the executive director,� she said.
David rolled his eyes at her.
�Call and put them on speaker. I�ll talk to them,� he said.
Professor Blum was so going to kill her, but Colleen wanted to see how this played out.
She sat in shock as David talked his way into doing what he wanted. The clincher was when he promised to cover any costs that his advertising didn�t cover.
When he was done, she still felt that a weekly vodcast was too aggressive. But she wasn�t about to turn him down after he�d gotten approval from the woman in charge of the School of Cinematic Arts.
◊◊◊
When Colleen got home, Gail was waiting for her.
�I ordered pizza and picked up a couple bottles of wine. We�re having a girl�s night in.�
At least Gail had waited until she�d eaten and had three glasses of wine before the interrogation began.
�He was sitting right there, and at first, I couldn�t even talk,� Colleen admitted.
�Is he really as handsome as he looks on the internet?�
Colleen dropped her head and groaned.
�Oh, dear God, Colleen. You�re a mess.�
�He just � ahhh!� Colleen threw her hands up in frustration. �Trust me, I know. And now I have to face the guy once a week!�
�So?� Gail asked.
�So?� Colleen fired back and stared her friend down.
�So, now what?�
Gail�s face broke into a devious smile before taking the conversation to the gutter.
�So, now you tell me all about it. I know you checked. Is David A. Dawson hung like a donkey or a small pony?�
Colleen�s face flushed bright red.
�I don�t want to talk about it.�
�Well, I do,� Gail insisted. �I bet it�s donkey. Those pictures couldn�t have been Photoshopped. He�s got a big one, doesn�t he? Admit it. You totally checked him out.�
�Bite me.�
Usually, Colleen was up for a bit of dirty girl-talk, so she wasn�t really mad at her friend. It was just that she didn�t want to jinx it somehow by admitting that she might really like David. Watching him work out what he wanted from the university made her realize that he was unlike anyone her age she�d ever met.
�And besides, it wasn�t like he whipped it out in the office.�
Gail burst into fits of giggles. Colleen tossed her napkin at her, which Gail easily swatted out of the air.
�As long as we�re talking the kind of hung that makes you ache for a week. The kind that you can�t really walk right after, looking like you just rode a damn donkey,� Gail added.
Colleen realized that she wouldn�t get that image out of her mind anytime soon. She was screwed.
◊◊◊
Colleen had an early morning meeting with Professor Blum. She�d promised him coffee and a slice of coffee cake. She walked into the coffee shop and discovered David behind the counter, pouring coffee for a small girl who had a big brown Lab sitting by her side.
�This is Colleen � uh � this is the painful part of the conversation when I have to admit I don�t know your last name,� David said.
�Colleen O�Connor. So appalling, really. It is so like the talent to not remember the little people behind the scenes.�
The girl took her coffee and muffin but didn�t seem at all interested in not watching this little byplay between David and Colleen.
�Right. Sorry about that,� he said with a half-abashed, half-amused look. �I think the real question is, are you stalking me?�
Colleen acted wounded by his question.
�Yeah, right. Try again. See, the problem with actors is that they are too full of themselves,� Colleen said to the girl.
The dog�s tail wagged in agreement.
�You�re tough.�
�People don�t want an act. They want someone real. So, David, Mr. Actor man, what is it with you?�
�Well, Colleen, I guess I just find that on Monday mornings, most people are dragging, so a little coffee is needed.�
�Why is that, exactly?�
�Because they�ve generally gone out on the weekend and done something they regret.�
Colleen wasn�t quite sure what happened next. All she knew was that before she could even stop herself, her mouth was spewing word-vomit.
�Or not something they regret. Follow me here, David. It is possible to feel more regret for the things they haven�t done than those they have. Like, say, failing to get someone�s phone number,� Colleen said.
�I would have to agree with you there. Unless the girl�no, excuse me, woman�had blown you off majorly in the last social interaction you had with her,� he said with a big smile, putting the ball firmly back into her court.
The owner of the coffee shop came from the back and kicked David out from behind the counter. He went and sat down with the girl and the Lab.
After Colleen got her order, she walked up to David�s table, handed him her phone number, and left.
◊◊◊
To her amazement, David called and invited Colleen to his townhouse. A very fit girl answered the door, accompanied by a good-looking dog and a giant cat.
�I recognize him,� Colleen said, pointing at the dog. �So, I�m assuming I am at the right place, but I didn�t realize that David had a girlfriend.�
Before she could make good her escape, the girl gave her a big grin.
�You must be Colleen. I�m Cassidy. And David doesn�t have a girlfriend.�
Cassidy invited her in, and she and Colleen awkwardly checked each other out.
�David is up in his room studying. Go on up. It�s the door on the left,� Cassidy said.
David was at his desk, reading.
�Give me a minute to finish this chapter.�
Colleen couldn�t help herself as she began to snoop around.
�So, this is where you take all your conquests.�
He glanced up and shook his head.
�Not everything is a conspiracy to get into your pants. I just thought you would like to go somewhere we could talk without an audience.�
�But you brought me to your bedroom.�
David could see that he wasn�t going to get any reading done, so he closed his book.
�I invited you to my townhouse. It�s your fault that you�re in my bedroom.�
�I only wanted to see the perpetual playboy in his natural habitat,� she shot back.
�I hate to be the one to blow your mind. You are about to truly understand, perhaps for the first time in your entire life, that not all guys are playboys. At that point, your entire worldview will change when you discover that not all guys are alike,� he said with a serious look.
Colleen gave him points for that comeback. She liked that he was able to spar with her verbally.
�And you�re the guy who�s going to convince me of that?�
�Of course I am. It�s my job to stand up for all men.�
Colleen walked over to where David had turned his desk chair to her. As she got closer, she put her hands on his knees, pushed them apart, and leaned in and kissed him.
�I came here because I was hoping you were a playboy,� Colleen said as their lips parted.
�That works for me,� David said as he kissed her back.
◊◊◊
Later the following morning, David still had a goofy smile plastered across his face. It was the smile of a man who had been thoroughly satiated, and he doubted it would leave his face any time soon.
There was nothing like a night in bed with a very willing woman to put a little zip in his step. Never mind the fact that less than an hour ago, Colleen had been screaming his name when she woke up to the sight and feel of his mouth pressed to her sex. And also, never mind the fact that less than a half-hour ago, he had her bent over in the shower while he took her from behind.
Sex with Colleen was a lot of fun. David�s typical type was thin and athletic. Colleen was a good thirty pounds overweight but in a good way. She had more junk in the trunk, which jiggled each time he thrust deep inside her. She was also soft. What came to mind was that it was like squeezing a marshmallow.
David would admit that he�d spent quality time with many women, but Colleen was unlike most of them. She was an animal in bed. This quiet, almost shy girl simply worshiped his body and was up for anything. Colleen liked it rough just as much as she enjoyed it slow and loving. She wanted him to talk dirty to her, but she also liked it when he showed her respect.
They both agreed that they wanted to enjoy each other�s bodies again�very soon. After David�s extended dry spell, the thought of regular sex was a �hell, yes!� He sighed contentedly at the memory as he exited the townhouse to go about his morning.
◊◊◊
David woke again later that afternoon to a commotion.
�Oh God � oh � oh my God,� Colleen cried out as she jumped out of bed, looking both adorable and frantic.
�What did I miss?� he asked.
She was running around his bedroom, hunting for her clothes. After his classes had finished, she�d shown up as David was planning some activities for the evening�s voluntary football practice. It was a practice he�d arranged, and he wanted to be on top of things for it, but she�d somehow lured him into bed.
Honestly, it hadn�t taken much luring, as they�d both jettisoned clothes in a race to get naked. After three rounds, they�d drifted off to sleep.
�What time is it?� Colleen asked.
�I don�t know. Five something,� David said as he tapped his phone, which was on his bedside table.
�Shoot, shoot, shoot, why did you let me fall asleep?�
He was confused.
�I wasn�t aware that we were on some kind of clock.�
�I can�t believe we did this,� she added.
�Did what?�
�Did this � Were you not listening to me when I was complaining about all guys want is sex?� Colleen griped. �I need my shoes. Do you see my shoes?�
David vaguely remembered something about that, but that was right before her top had hit him in his face. He thought she was joking.
�Where did you have them last?� He asked and instantly cringed.
He sounded like a dad.
�I�m late. I�m supposed to be meeting my friends now. They�re going to be pissed.�
�I�m sure they�ll understand,� David offered.
�No,� Colleen said and frantically looked everywhere. She even got onto the floor and looked under the bed. �Can I borrow your shoes?�
He really tried not to laugh, but he could just imagine her feet in his shoes. It would make her look like a clown.
�They won�t fit,� he said reasonably.
David swung his legs out of bed as she went to look under it. She fell back onto her butt when she saw he was naked.
Colleen looked just like little Carol when she had a meltdown. So David did what he would have done for his daughter as he crouched down next to her.
�Slow down. Easy. Take a deep breath,� he said in a soothing voice.
�What?�
�I�m not going to act like nothing happened here, and you shouldn�t either,� he said, giving her his sexiest smile.
Colleen froze for a moment, stood up, and pushed him back into bed for round four.
�I thought ��
�Shut up and kiss me,� she ordered.
David guessed that her friends would just have to understand. Luckily, his teammates wouldn�t be aware he hadn�t planned practice as thoroughly as he�d have liked.
◊◊◊
The next day, despite a very rewarding practice, David�s teammates were giving him crap. Cassidy had obviously been talking because he found all the freshmen surrounding him as he prepared to do the bench press.
�I heard you hooked up with your TA yesterday, and you didn�t even say anything last night,� Jes�s said, kicking off the post-mortem festivities.
�Why don�t you introduce your top lip to your bottom one and shut it? I think they�d be the best of friends if you gave them a chance,� David shot back.
�Didn�t you admit to a vow of celibacy just a few days ago?� Bear asked.
David stood up and popped his chest.
�Listen, I�m easy to fall in love with, all right? I mean, who wouldn�t want all of this?� he asked, obviously joking.
�You�re such a Hollywood douche,� Oliver offered.
He glowered at Oliver like he wished Oliver would inadvertently stumble into a nest of angry fire ants.
�Well, aren�t you a little ray of pitch-black today?� David shot back.
�Give it a rest, knob,� Bear said to Oliver.
The punter flipped them off and mumbled something about having better things to do as he stomped off.
�Is it even allowed for you to bone your TA?� Jes�s asked with a smirk.
�I never said I did. That was just Cassidy making assumptions,� David said.
Then again, he never said he didn�t.
�Bitches always be trippin�,� was Nick�s opinion.
�Ain�t that the truth,� Jes�s agreed.
◊◊◊
David felt his first vodcast was going well. His first segment had been with Cassidy as she shared how women�s rowing was going. His next guest was Oliver. Everyone else on the football team had been too chicken to show up, so David had resorted to bribing the Aussie.
Oliver hadn�t made it easy. He�d demanded David provide an Australian lager named Victoria Bitter, or VB. When he�d filmed down under, the locals working on the film called it �Vomit Bomb.� David had been smart enough to avoid it, but his buddies, Tim and Wolf, had tried it, and they�d proved that the nickname was accurate.
David had finally found VB online in Ontario. He paid an astonishing amount to have a six-pack overnighted. Oliver,
That was a whole different issue in David�s mind. He�d gone out and obtained advertisers to help pay for professional camera operators and the like.
Getting the commercials had only taken him a couple phone calls. First, the studios were more than willing to have ads for the movies he was in shown on his vodcast. Then his grandmother had told Ron Pennington about it, and Ron was incensed that David hadn�t called him for ad time. David sold all but one of the remaining commercial slots to Pennington Trucking.
The final slot he�d given to Doreen, his favorite coffee-shop owner, as a thank-you for all the free food and tea she�d given him.
One of the other groups had decided to do commercials for their project. David talked them into shooting one for Doreen, and it turned out pretty well.
Back to the �volunteers� and why David had a problem. Some idiot in the USC bureaucracy had written into the contracts that the ads would pay for people�s time that they put in to create his project. That is, unless those funds weren�t used, in which case the extra money would go into the general fund of the USC School of Cinematic Arts budget.
However, it turned out that getting skilled people to volunteer their time wasn�t all that hard when they found out that they would be working with David A. Dawson. Professor Blum had assured David that it was sure to be added to their r�sum�s when they applied for jobs.
David had meant what he said about you got what you paid for. He didn�t mind that TAs and other staff got experience. What he cared about was that if they did a good job, they should be compensated.
Since they were working for free, the professor suggested that David might want to have food available, hence the buffet. David wasn�t about to spend his own money, so he used USC�s food services. They were more than happy to cater, so David had it billed to the department. When Professor Blum saw what he�d done, he just smiled and signed for the food.
◊◊◊
The vodcast was divided into thirds, with Cassidy doing the first segment and Oliver slotted in the last two. Oliver�s first segment focused on his journey to the US to play American football. They�d shown a clip of him playing in the Rugby League and then another of his tryout with USC to be a punter.
Then they�d taken a break to prepare for the last segment. David learned a valuable lesson: don�t have the food delivered until you are done shooting. When offered a choice between volunteering or stuffing their faces, college students would pick the latter option every time.
That meant there was a forty-five-minute delay. When they were ready to go again, Oliver was in the bathroom. It seemed he�d polished off three of his beers while they�d taken their �break.�
�Careful. Careful,� David warned as Oliver plopped down on the couch and put his arm around Cassidy.
David looked at her as he mentally begged her not to hurt the punter before the segment even began.
�We look a bonza pair, don�t you think?� Oliver asked.
David could smell the beer on his breath from where he was seated.
�You look very sexy together. If you want, you can kiss her,� David offered.
David wasn�t quite sure where that came from, but the look on Cassidy�s and Oliver�s faces was worth it.
�No way. What are you saying?� she complained.
She was being a good sport, so David didn�t feel bad for his antics of egging Oliver on. But he knew this was his first vodcast, and he might want to tone it down a bit.
�That was aggressive. You probably shouldn�t use tongue on her while we�re recording,� David said.
�Come on. Just snog me a little,� Oliver said to Cassidy.
Cassidy giggled. So David relaxed, recognizing she might not kill them both. He tried to get the interview back on track.
�From reading your bio, I was surprised to see that you�re a champion kangaroo racer. Is that really a thing?�
��Roo racing can be a real dog�s breakfast if the mongrels aren�t trained up to scratch. This one time while �roo racing, I smashed my uh � can you say �knob� over here?� Oliver asked as he pointed at his crotch.
�I guess,� David hedged.
He�d have to ask after they were done filming. He was sure they could bleep it out if need be.
�It�s pretty big, so my old fella was stretched out to my hip bone �� Oliver paused to give Cassidy a wink. She bent over in her seat and covered her face, trying not to laugh. �� I fell off the �roo onto my stomach and hit my dong. When I landed, I screamed, �Struth! Me knob�s on fire!��
The look of pain on his face sold the story. Cassidy about fell off the couch as David tried to keep it together.
�My mates were dicks. They called me �knob on fire� for over a year.�
Cassidy was having trouble breathing. At that point, Oliver got a serious look on his face.
�Make her kiss me.�
She couldn�t stop giggling.
�No tongue; I swear you can trust me. I�m a proper upright bloke,� Oliver said with a devilish grin.
David had no doubt that this Aussie could talk most girls out of their panties, if a blushing Cassidy was any indication. He would bet his imaginary beach house that she would have hurt almost anyone else who said that to her.
�I don�t know. David told me some stories about you,� she said.
�Just make out with me. You�ll like my Aussie kissing.�
David could see this segment was golden, so he decided to jerk Oliver�s chain.
�Do you have a tramp stamp?�
�No. Not likely. But I do have the monikers of a few people on my bum that I lost bets to,� Oliver said, and then he turned to Cassidy. �You probably have one.�
�No! Hold up!� she complained.
�Want to see the monikers on my arse?� Oliver asked, and when both David and Cassidy gave him looks, he added, �No?�
�No. No, no,� David said before the idiot showed his butt on camera.
�Why not? Live a little.�
�Well, on that note, I think this might be the end of our show,� David said, and then he had a thought. �I think you�ve been kind of mean to Cassidy. You should let her drop you on your knob like the kangaroo did.�
�I apologize. I didn�t mean to imply you were a tramp,� Oliver said to her.
�Don�t you think she should be able to get a little payback here?� David pressed.
Cassidy had a big smile on her face and nodded.
�Yeah, I do,� she said.
�It wouldn�t be the first time a sheila has done that. I�m up for it,� Oliver said, shocking the two of them.
David cringed when Oliver stood up and spread his legs. Cassidy launched herself off the couch and split his twins.
�Me knackers!�
David chuckled as he realized that Oliver now had a new nickname. David let him lie there, twisting in pain, for a beat longer.
�And cut!�
Professor Blum and Colleen rushed out from behind the camera.
�That was fantastic,� Professor Blum announced.
�I think that last segment will draw an audience,� David admitted. �We could make it a weekly bit where Cassidy kicks Oliver between the legs to end the show.�
�Piss off,� Oliver said as he rolled up onto his knees. �Mate, give a hand.�
David leaned down and helped him up.
�I might have to chuck a sickie tomorrow,� Oliver said as he bent over and then looked over at Cassidy. �You owe me a date.�
She nodded �yes,� which made him smile.
Good lord. He might be winning them both over. Maybe Oliver wasn�t as bad as David had first thought.
◊◊◊
Professor Blum had volunteered to help David edit his vodcast. David had gotten the Song Girls to dance to USC�s traditional song,
The next task was graphics. They created a title for the vodcast,
They were adding music for when a segment ended when David�s phone chirped a notification. It told him that an article about one of his friends had hit the internet. He saw it was about Alex, his roommate last semester. David read the story.
According to officials, Colombian winger Alejandro Sandoval was conscious in a hospital Monday after the 20-year-old collapsed during his side�s World Cup opening match with Brazil.
It happened suddenly in the 39th minute of the match. A hush fell over the crowd. Sandoval�s teammates gathered around him, and one of them appeared to stick his fingers in Sandoval�s mouth to clear his airway.
He was then given CPR on the pitch by medics.
People gathered outside bars in Bogota, many in tears, during the period when Sandoval�s condition remained unclear.
The scoreless game was stopped for 27 minutes while Sandoval was tended to and then placed in an ambulance and taken to a nearby hospital. His condition was unknown as of the end of the match.
In the end, Brazil claimed a shocking 1-0 victory over Colombia.
David showed it to his professor. He explained that he and Alex were friends.
�Do you want to table this for now?�
David thought about it for a moment. Alex and his family would be wrapped up right now. Stopping to call would only interrupt their family time. He could wait since it looked like Alex was alive.
�No. There�s nothing I can do, so let�s get this done,� he decided.
David did send a text to Alex�s sister to ask that when she knew something, to let him know. In the meantime, having real life pierce his college bubble took all the fun out of working on his vodcast.
◊◊◊
�Just so you know, this is not going to become a regular occurrence,� Colleen declared as she walked into David�s room.
David looked up with a smile. He�d just gotten home from class and was emptying his messenger bag so he could study.
�What�s not?�
�Me calling; me just showing up in the middle of the day like this,� she said.
�Yeah, but you didn�t just show up. I had enough time to grab us a couple of Italian beef sandwiches,� David said as he pulled the bag out and set it on the desk. �These are the closest I�ve found to Portillo�s, my favorite place in Chicago.�
Colleen noted that his dog, Duke, sat next to him, expecting to get some. David told him to go lay down. She took her sandwich and unwrapped it.
�Chicago; is that where you�re from?�
�Not exactly,� he said, clearly focused on his sandwich.
�Well, uhm, where, exactly?�
�Do we really have to talk about this right now?� David asked as he was busy using a napkin to stop the juices from running down his hand.
�Yes. Because we have been � uh, whatever � for a couple of weeks now, and I feel like I don�t know the most basic stuff about you.�
�Sure, you do,� he said, looking confused.
�Where did you grow up?�
�All over.�
�Where did you go to high school, then?�
�Lots of places.�
�See? That�s what I mean. These are not real answers,� Colleen complained.
�So? The real answers are boring,� David said with one of his sexy smiles.
�So, you�re saying you provide girls you sleep with only what they need to know?� she asked.
�Yep.�
By now, he had finished his sandwich and leaned over and tried to kiss her. Colleen put her hand out to ward him off. He sighed, seeing that she insisted on getting some info.
�I grew up in a small community in downstate Illinois. Not exactly what people here consider cool.�
�There. That wasn�t so hard, was it?� she asked.
�It was torture,� he said and then winked at her. �Now that I�ve eaten, it�s time for dessert.�
Colleen had a third of her sandwich left. She waved it at Duke, who hurried over and snatched it out of her hand. David kicked his dog out and lured her into his bed.
◊◊◊
Colleen was gasping for breath. David�s tongue seemed possessed as it darted about and teased, tasted, pleased, and punished her sex. She gasped each time he brushed against her swollen clit, never giving it the full attention it deserved.
David chuckled as she called out his name once again in frustration. She grabbed his hair and pulled him off her so she could look him in the eye.
�No more stringing me along by teasing my button,� Colleen said with some heat.
She pushed his head back down where she wanted it. David was no pushover, which he proved when he grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands out of his hair. Colleen tried pushing her sex onto his lips to help her get over the edge. She was so close.
David put his lips firmly over her pearl and sucked lightly while his tongue flicked back and forth across it. When she began to quiver, he deftly denied her release. She struggled to get her hands free, but he held them firmly, transferring his hold so he could restrain both her hands with one of his own. Such big hands! He blew his hot breath across her moist folds, causing her to groan.
David�s fingers opened her, readied her for more, ensured her juices were plentiful. He didn�t push his fingers into and out of her, though, as if the tiny pretend members were supposed to bring her satisfaction. Rather, he eased two into her and slowly separated them. Colleen felt the sides of her channel open up enough for him to insert a third and then fourth fingers, stretching her to the limit.
A deep, guttural sound rumbled from her depths. The pitch of her moans went up a few octaves as her legs began to tremble.
Once more, David backed off.
�If you don�t stop teasing me, I will bite off that lovely dick of yours,� Colleen warned.
�Patience.�
Again, he started, and his fingers filled her, stretched her, while his mouth and tongue teased and tempted her release. Her legs jerked back to give him full access. This time, when she managed to free her hands and reach for his head, David didn�t fight her off, but he didn�t yield to her evident desire.
Colleen growled in frustration as she sought her release. Her pleas for an orgasm grew more vigorous, more adamant.
�Do me; just please fuck me, David,� she begged and then demanded, �Now!�
He lifted up and placed his hands on her thighs and held them apart as he licked his lips.
�Don�t move.�
Colleen whimpered and looked down to see him tearing open a condom and carefully rolling it down his cock. His oversized love muscle. Donkey large. When she�d first seen it, she�d worried whether it would fit, and if it did, how much it would hurt.
With his condom in place, David covered her body as his lips found hers.
�Don�t hold back,� he said.
Colleen�s bottom lip quivered as she worried what he meant by that. He went back down her torso as he licked and kissed his way south. He finally landed on her pussy as he brought her right to the edge once again.
By now, Colleen knew that David could read her body. When she began to beg, accompanied by the involuntary twitching of her legs, he pulled his mouth off of her. He gave her a smoky look that promised so much.
David knelt between her thighs and brushed his bat against her clit, moving it around, slapping his cock down against it, until she gasped and pushed back.
�Oh, God! I�m gonna �� Colleen announced.
He slid his knob down until it found where she wanted it. She arched up and captured the first inch. He took it from there. Colleen cried out as he took her. David thrust forward and drove into her until he was balls deep, his pubic bone pressing against her clit. He dropped down onto her body, grasping her head, kissing her deeply, while he ground against her.
The orgasm hit Colleen in waves as it washed over her. David�s perfect cock filled her to the brink as he growled sweet nothings in her ear. After the teasing she�d taken, growls were all she could give in response.
His cock twitched and felt like it expanded as he ground it as deeply as he could. Her clit was doing a happy dance of pleasure as David pressed down on her most sensitive parts.
Another orgasmic wave engulfed her, which caused Colleen to scream in rapture. She gasped as it took her breath away. Her mind went blank. She couldn�t do anything as the tsunami of all orgasms crashed through her system.
Colleen threw her head back and screamed again. Her heart raced so fast she feared it would burst. Her arms and legs wrapped David in place for fear he would move, as yet another earth-shattering orgasm rocked her world.
David was a man on a mission. He went up on his toes and began to pound his cock into her, grinding at the end of each stroke. He held her down, ignoring the pain from her fingernails as they dug into his back.
Colleen tentatively opened her eyes, but everything was out of focus. She saw only black spots as she gasped for air. David�s hard-driving cock sped up as he drilled into her again and again. It felt like an eternity, as time ceased to have meaning. Colleen�s whole world was focused on him fucking her to death.
She heard the telltale grunts as he began to get close to his own release. Colleen suddenly needed to feel him finish, to know that she�d given him as much pleasure as she�d received.
David hunched over her, one arm behind her neck, grasping her shoulder, holding her in place while he fucked her as hard and fast as he possibly could. A bellow escaped his lips, then a deep groan and a desperate growl. David cried out her name as he once again slammed into Colleen. When his eruption came, it looked almost painful as he thrust over and over until the spasms stopped.
David rolled off of her and flopped back as he worked to catch his breath.
�Life is good. Eat, fuck, and take a nap,� he announced.
�No nap. We have to edit your latest vodcast,� Colleen reminded him. She was oddly pleased that she�d worn him out.
�I promise it�ll only be a short nap.�
She smacked his chest.
�Get out of bed, and let�s take a shower together.�
His dick twitched in seeming agreement with her plan. He was such a guy.
◊◊◊
As they made their way downstairs, Colleen heard David mumble, �Aw, shit.�
Waiting for them was what looked to be the whole USC rowing team, with a mix of emotions on their faces. The older girls had knowing smiles, while the younger ones either wouldn�t look at them or blushed.
�David Allen Dawson,� Cassidy announced.
�What�s up, Buttercup?� David asked in an obvious ploy to head off his roommate�s anger with a cheeky look.
�I can�t have you interrupting my team meetings with � with �� Cassidy sputtered.
She moved towards David but was suddenly face down on the floor, slapping her hand against the hardwood.
�Stop!� David called to his security girl.
Colleen blinked as she wondered what had just happened. Cassidy glared at David, who knelt down and offered her his left hand.
�Whatever you want,� he said seriously.
Cassidy�s frown turned into an evil grin. The two of them obviously had history.
�You and Colleen have to go to her place to � to � you know � during the day. I plan to have my teammates over, and I don�t want to have to explain what you�re up to,� Cassidy said.
�It sounded like you were killing her, sir,� Ruth added.
Colleen felt her face heat up, which caused the other girls to giggle.
�I was fine,� Colleen said and then gave Ruth a smirk. �More than fine.�
Colleen was pleased to see the diminutive security girl blush.
�Let�s go before this bunch wants details,� David suggested.
Groans of disappointment filled the room as he took Colleen�s hand and pulled her to the front door, with Ruth following the couple. Duke came bounding to the door and sat.
�Do you think he can come with?� David asked.
Colleen shrugged, and David took that as a �yes� and put his dog�s leash on.
◊◊◊
On David�s last vodcast, he�d had Channel 10�s sports reporter, Chip Wagner, along with Cassie Krieger of
Chip and David spent half the show talking about USC football. Toward the end, Chip had turned the tables on David.
�I wouldn�t be a good reporter if I didn�t get to ask some questions.�
�If you get out of hand, I�ll just cut this part,� David responded good-naturedly.
�In high school, you won the Elite Eleven quarterback competition your junior year.�
�Actually, I was the co-winner,� David corrected.
Chip ignored him and continued.
�You were an All-American, were named Gatorade�s Male Athlete of the Year, and received numerous other honors. In essence, you were the best quarterback prospect in the country. And in typical fashion, USC decided to have you play defense. Why did you go along with that?�
�Coach Clayton asked me to.�
Chip looked shocked.
�And you went along with it?�
�Of course. Coach Clayton is supposed to know what�s best for the team. If he feels me playing defense does that for us, then I will,� David said.
What surprised Colleen was that David sounded like he believed every word.
�But you�re a five-star quarterback who outplayed Matt Long by a wide margin in spring ball. I think it�s obvious that it would be insane to not play you,� Chip said.
David shook his head.
�But I will get to play. I�ve been told that I�ll start at quarterback for the first game. I look at it as an opportunity to show Coach Clayton what I�m capable of, and from there, we shall see.�
�What I understand is that Matt was suspended for the first game, and that�s why you�re starting. What was that all about, anyway?� Chip slipped in.
�Nice try, but I�m a team player, and Matt�s suspension is an internal team matter,� David said.
�Will Matt be the starter in week 2?� Chip pressed.
�Could be. I could be sent back to play defense. Those are the types of questions that only Coach Clayton can answer,� David said.
Professor Blum stopped the video.
�I think we should cut it here. The rest is just Chip trying to get you to say something inappropriate about Matt and Coach Clayton.�
�Did I sound believable?� David asked.
�You mean the part about being a team player?� Professor Blum asked. David nodded. �I find it hard to believe that you would willingly roll over for whatever is going on, but the interview looked like you�re doing whatever the coach tells you.�
David smirked.
�My plan is to force Coach Clayton to reconsider starting Matt. Still, you�ll want to be at the first game. It might be the only time you see me play quarterback at USC,� he confessed.
◊◊◊
Friday night, Colleen had finally put her foot down. She was of the firm belief that all they did when they got together was spend their time in bed. She�d made David promise her that they would spend at least twelve hours on Saturday doing anything but sex.
Saturday morning, Colleen found David had slipped out of bed and was missing. She grabbed her phone and was about to text him when David opened the bedroom door with two coffees, assorted bakery goods, and the campus paper.
He handed Colleen her favorite plum Danish and coffee while he leafed through the paper.
�The Ray Stark Family Theater is screening a film for industry professionals to critique. That would be something that normal film students would do that doesn�t involve sex,� he said.
�I have no desire to sit through some self-indulgent piece of crap,� she decided.
�So, you�re saying that all film-school movies are terrible? You do know that I may someday make one.�
�When you do, I�ll be sure to attend,� Colleen promised.
David rolled his eyes.
�No. This is what I was talking about: us getting to know each other naturally. I learn a little something about you; you learn a little something about me. Before you know it, our twelve hours are up. Then we can have sex again,� Colleen said as she offered him that carrot for playing her game.
�Okay, fine. We don�t have to go see some movie, but we are going to get to know each other out of bed. What�s your favorite color?�
�Red.�
�Green.�
They took turns asking similar questions. It started to become evident that they didn�t have much in common outside of bed.
�How about we play a video game?� David suggested.
�No, not until we find something we have in common,� Colleen said, letting her frustration come through.
�But we do. Sex.�
�Ahh!� she cried out in frustration.
�Settle down. Sex is a huge thing to have in common,� David reasoned.
�But you can�t base a relationship solely on sex.�
�I beg to differ. Sex is a pretty big deal to have in common. I mean, what exactly are we trying to prove here? What possible reason could there be for responsible, intelligent people who just happen to have an overwhelming sexual attraction to each other to deny that attraction?� he asked.
David got up as he gave his speech and slowly moved toward Colleen.
�Why are you leaving your side of the room?�
�Because reasons,� he said as he leaned in and kissed her.
�But this doesn�t mean that we�re going to give up on finding something we have in common,� Colleen added.
�Agreed.�
�I mean, at some point, this relationship has to move out of your bed.�
�Agreed.�
�I�m sure that this is just a phase, and as long as people who are intelligent and responsible �� she trailed off.
David moaned in frustration, causing her to stop talking.
�What?�
�No condoms. We used the last one last night,� he revealed.
�You�re kidding me? Well, go find one. Go borrow one. Go get one,� Colleen said in a panic.
�Trust me when I say that your roommate, Gail, is not going to allow me to �borrow� a condom. She would give me no end of grief when I tried to give it back to her,� David said mischievously.
�You�re useless.�
�Come on. We�re about to take this relationship outside the bedroom. While we�re out, we can stop and grab some breakfast,� he offered.
�Then we can go to Costco and get a million-pack of rubbers so we never run out,� she suggested.
David smiled as he pulled on his pants.
�I hate to say it, but Costco only carries regular-sized condoms,� he shared.
�Do I even want to know how you came upon that piece of information?�
David just shrugged. Colleen had no doubt that he would figure it out.
◊◊◊
David and Ruth came strolling in after being out all night once again.
�Did you shower?� Cassidy asked with a scowl.
�Stop glaring at me like that. You�ll catch ugly that way,� David quipped.
�Okay, smartass, don�t get all put out when everyone teases you because you smell like you spent the night at a brothel.�
�Cassidy Hope!�
�What?� she shot back. �Someone should be an island of sanity in your collective sea of delusion. I honestly don�t get what you see in that girl. She�s not your type.�
David sighed.
�Are we really doing this right now?�
�You know it. I know it. Everyone knows that Colleen is just a summer fling, and I�m okay with that. What I�m not okay with is that she�s distracting you from what you�re doing. Just because you had a dry spell doesn�t mean you have to make up for it all in only a few weeks.
�Is the sex really that good?� Cassidy blurted out, asking the question she�d promised herself she wouldn�t ask.
�The neighbors were pounding on the wall to tell them to quiet down. If I hadn�t seen Colleen looking happy when she left the bedroom between rounds, I would have thought David was killing her,� Ruth commented.
Cassidy felt a slight smile start to creep onto her face but shut it down because she was mad at him. But she was beginning to like Ruth. The diminutive security woman wasn�t afraid to tell it like it was.
�It wasn�t that bad,� David said.
�I think the couple next door is going to split up over it. I could hear her yelling at her boyfriend that she couldn�t remember that last time he made her scream like that,� Ruth added.
David glanced at Ruth, who ducked her head.
�Sorry, sir.�
�Leave her alone. It�s just us talking,� Cassidy said as she turned her eyes to David.
�Yes, ma�am.�
�You made me a promise,� she reminded him.
�What was that?�
�Well, two, actually. The first was that you were going to help me with the rowing team.�
�And the second?�
�That I could sleep with you whenever I wanted to,� Cassidy said and then turned to Ruth. �Just to sleep.�
�Does that mean no screaming, ma�am?� Ruth asked.
David chuckled.
�I don�t blame you, ma�am. Personally, I like my beer and my showers cold, and my coffee and my men hot,� Ruth told Cassidy.
�You don�t think I�m hot?!� he asked in shock.
Cassidy held her breath to see how Ruth would answer that. It took a moment before the security girl responded.
�I would compare you to a space heater, sir,� Ruth said seriously. �You only use one when it�s needed. It�s sort of like when Cassidy hooked up with Tank. He was the guy who was available when she wanted to scratch her itch, sir.�
Cassidy realized that Ruth saw and heard more than she let on. Usually, she blended into the background. David gave Cassidy a confused look. She rolled her eyes at him because he obviously questioned her telling him earlier that Ruth had a crush on him.
�You�re blind even with your eyes wide open,� Cassidy said as a cryptic answer to his unasked question.
There! Hopefully, that would add to David�s confusion. Apparently, it worked. The stupid boy looked even more baffled than before.
�We�ll talk later. Now go take a shower. We have to go work out,� Cassidy ordered.
Once he left, Ruth nodded to Cassidy.
�Thank you, ma�am. I don�t mind sleeping rough, but that couch has rocks in it. I need a shower, too. Don�t let him leave until I get back.�
�Have either of you eaten?� Cassidy asked.
�No, ma�am.�
�I�ll make some egg sandwiches that you two can take with you,� Cassidy promised.
Ruth smiled and rushed upstairs. Duke and Precious followed Cassidy to the kitchen. They knew she was a soft touch and would make them each an egg, too.
◊◊◊
When they walked into the weight room, Cassidy noted that the football players perked up at David�s arrival. He was soon shooting the shit as everyone got busy lifting.
Cassidy went and found her girls busy checking out the guys. She predicted that it wouldn�t be long before their two groups began to pair off. She�d noted that the football players kept glancing over. Cassidy spotted the crew team captain, Andrea �Andy� McNally.
When all the senior leadership had left last semester, the team had picked an incoming junior to be in charge. Andy recognized Cassidy would be the stroke, or lead rower, on the eight-woman squad, so she�d befriended Cassidy.
�It was a genius idea to get Tank to help with our training.�
�I liked his fan idea,� Cassidy admitted.
In their rowing room, Tank had them install a large fan behind the rowing machines. They set it on low to mimic them moving over the water. It made it feel much closer to actual rowing and cooled their clothes and hair�issues that cropped up in competition.
Cassidy had also been impressed by how Tank customized their training to their sport. When she�d been at Lincoln High, she�d started out conditioning the football team. She�d modified a Marine training program meant to get young men into fighting shape and developed a routine David had named
From Joey, David�s trainer in high school and future sister-in-law, Cassidy had learned that you tailored the training to the individual. That lesson had come about when they�d prepared him for baseball in his senior year. While much of what Joey had done with David translated to football, specific exercises were done to help his hitting and the like.
For the girls, Tank had added to their rowing machine work by doing some lifting. He�d focused not on over-bulk or twitch muscle (speed) exercises but on developing high-stamina power rowers.
Tank knew that there would be times when Cassidy trained David, so he�d explained to her what he wanted to do with him. Now that David had switched to quarterback, the need to bulk up to play linebacker was rolled back. Tank had explained the difference as he compared what he was doing with Bear, an offensive tackle. With Bear, he was developing brute explosive strength that would be needed to play his position. David-the-quarterback, on the other hand, had to be more agile but still strong enough to take a pounding.
There was something that did surprise her. Cassidy had always been told that the forty-yard dash was the standard for comparing speed between football players. When she�d been training the professional prospects, they�d all been focused on improving their time at that distance.
Tank had gotten all �sciencey,� as David called it, and explained how football really worked. On most plays, what mattered was how fast they could move over a five-yard area. Getting off the ball with power and speed faster than their opponents won games. So Tank had banned forty-yard runs. He only allowed ten- to twenty-yard sprints.
The other reason was that the longer you ran, the more your running style changed. Tank was of the mind that players were more likely to pull a hamstring on a longer run, so he didn�t allow them in practice.
�Did you ask David if it�s okay if we use your place for off-campus activities?� Andy asked.
�Not officially, but he�s on board with me stepping into more of a leadership role. He�ll support me on having the women over,� Cassidy assured her.
�Do you think that some of the football players might also show up?�
�Are you asking if
David�s vodcast had spread like wildfire on campus, making Oliver a minor celebrity. His goofy, Aussie-accented, bad-boy persona had made him a popular guy. When he�d let Cassidy kick him in the nuts, it put him over the top as far as the rowing girls were concerned.
While none of them wanted him as their boyfriend, he did seem like the perfect �date.� Especially if you were looking for fun in more ways than one.
�I didn�t want to presume � but �?� Andy asked.
�I�ll make you a deal. If you go on the date I promised Oliver, then I�ll make David ask him to come,� Cassidy offered.
She took squealing, clapping of hands, and dancing around as a �yes.� Of course, that stopped the other girls from working out, as they wanted to know what was going on.
�Cassidy is inviting us all to her and David�s place on Friday night,� Andy announced.
While they all looked happy, there was no dancing.
�And he�ll invite the football team!� Andy added.
Cassidy ignored them as she went to lift. They were worse than David�s kids when you said the words �ice cream.� Unfortunately, and also like with his kids, Cassidy knew she�d better deliver.
She was impressed that so many of the girls had shown up for this workout. Last year, group workouts had been sporadically attended at best. Then again, most of the key rowers were seniors and knew what they had to do to prepare.
The one noticeable missing teammate was Veronica Price. She was going to be their problem child. Last spring, she and a group of townies had harassed and pranked David and his friends. Veronica was more interested in finding the next party where she could be seen than she was in rowing.
Her sister, Chloe, was a freshman and wouldn�t enroll until the fall, but at least she showed up for workouts. Cassidy hoped that she was different from her older sister.
◊◊◊
After her workout, Cassidy went to find David. He was at the hydration station, talking to Bear, Jes�s, Todd, and Percy.
�Don�t be mad,� Cassidy said as she walked up.
David gave the guys a look.
�Nothing good ever came from those words,� Percy predicted.
�Truthfully, their use together should be stricken from the English language,� Jes�s offered.
�What did you do?� David asked.
�I invited the rowing team over for Friday night.�
�How is that any different from, say, Thursday afternoon?� David asked.
Cassidy stuck her tongue out at him. He did have a point because she basically told them they could come over whenever. David had encouraged it to help them build team spirit, so she didn�t take his comment seriously.
�I told them that you would invite the football team,� she said.
�No,� he said without hesitation.
�What?� Bear asked, saving Cassidy from having to do it.
�One of the best parts of being an adult is realizing you can stop a bad situation before it happens,� David said.
�And inviting us to a party is a bad idea?� Bear asked.
David just shrugged.
�I could blackmail you. We could play �Welcome to Thoroughly Embarrassing Theater,� where this morning�s guest will begin to wish he were dead,� Cassidy said.
�Remember this one?� David asked and then mimicked her to perfection.
At that moment, David cringed when he saw Matt Long and his girlfriend, Crystal Knaggy, come storming up.
�What the fuck, jock-tard?!�
�Oh, boy. Here we go again,� Percy mumbled under his breath.
�What�s going on?� Todd asked.
�Matt has anger issues. Somehow, I got my ass suspended for one game because he decided to have one of the linemen try to kill David for him during spring practice. He wasn�t man enough to face David himself,� Percy said, clearly still mad about it.
�Fuck you, too,� Matt said.
David put his hand on Percy�s chest to let him know that he would handle this.
�What�s your deal?� David asked Matt.
�I haven�t been able to get any sleep because of the noise you and �� Matt started when Crystal grabbed his arm, which caused him to turn and bark at her, �What?!�
�Don�t you talk to me like that!� Crystal screamed back.
David turned and walked away. Cassidy hurried to catch up while the other guys had smiles on their faces as they watched Matt and Crystal argue.
�So �� Cassidy said.
�A party is fine. I�ll ask the guys. How many did you want to invite?� David asked.
�However many you want to.�
�I�m not having a sausage fest. We�ll need more girls,� David complained.
Cassidy thought for a moment.
�Ask the Song Girls. Isn�t Jes�s seeing one of them?� she asked.
�I�m not sure if that�s still going on, but I can call and see.�
�If you want to have some fun, invite the Alpha Mu sorority,� Cassidy suggested.
David stopped and hugged his friend.
�You are an evil little girl, and that�s why I love you,� David announced.
Crystal, Matt�s girlfriend, was an Alpha Mu. While Matt would never come to David�s party, Crystal might show up just to piss Matt off. Cassidy knew that David would call Taylor, Crystal and Matt�s roommate, and have her invite all her sorority sisters who were either in the area or attending summer school.
�Do you think Milena might be able to come?� Cassidy asked.
David�s face clouded.
�You really don�t like Colleen, do you?�
Cassidy shrugged.
�Like I said, she�s just a fling. You need someone like Milena to remind you of the type of girl you should be dating.�
He shook his head.
�Don�t try to deny it. You know I�m right,� Cassidy pressed.
�That doesn�t mean that I�m going to quit seeing Colleen,� he shot back.
�I would hope not. As far as flings go, she�s fine,� she conceded. �Just remember, though, that that�s all she is and all she should ever be.�
�Quit calling it a fling,� David complained.
�What would you call it then? Is she your girlfriend? Fuck buddy?�
�What about you and Tank?� he fired back.
�Exactly. I have no idea, which means it isn�t serious. I think summer fling fits for him too.�
�You�re probably right,� David finally admitted.
�Good. I was just checking that you weren�t pulling your normal �David� and falling in love just because she screams your name,� Cassidy said.
�You�re a brat. You know that, right? Using what you know about my past against me? That�s a low blow,� he said with a chuckle.
�Are we good?� she asked.
�You have to plan the party and clean up,� David said.
�Fine,� Cassidy said, acting put out.
She knew that he�d agreed and wouldn�t be able to help himself from helping her when the time came. She made a vow not to point that out when it happened.
Cassidy sent a text to Andy to confirm that the party was on and football players would be there. She got one back that asked if Oliver was coming.
�One more thing � you have to invite Oliver,� Cassidy said.
�I planned on it. By the way, everyone calls him �Knackers� now. It�s Aussie slang for �testicles.� When I was filming in Australia, the locals used the term freely when referring to each other. I was told that it was originally a derogatory term of reference for travelers but nowadays covering a whole spectrum of degenerates.�
�That�s a good nickname for him,� she decided.
�It is.�
�We good?� Cassidy asked.
David put his arm around her shoulder.
�We�re good. I want you to always call me on my bullshit. I might not like it, but I know you are only looking out for me,� David said. Then he added, �And maybe the only one I can count on to do it when I need it.�
�Anytime. Just remember what you just said about me doing it when you need it. I�ll try hard not to remind you of that.�
◊◊◊
Pink hues kissed the clouds as the sun began to go down. It settled into the treetops as Cassidy relaxed on the rooftop.
What had David called it? Stacking days? Cassidy had done everything she planned for today. If David was right, she was one step closer to her goals.
Speak of the devil; Duke came bounding up the steps with his master right behind him. David joined Cassidy on the couch as he pressed up against her. She noted the hardness of David�s body as she had a sudden desire to snuggle in closer.
From there, Cassidy had only meant to take a quick whiff of his neck to see if he smelled like Colleen. She smelled the scent of his sandalwood aftershave, which seemed to have a dizzying effect on her.
It was supposed to be harmless. How Cassidy�s mouth became involved was beyond her. Somehow her lips found the soft, warm hollow where his neck met his shoulders. Even her tongue decided to join the action, experiencing the subtle salty taste of his skin.
At first, Cassidy thought she�d imagined the whole thing until David�s sharp intake of air, followed by a reflexive stiffening of his arms, caused her to be pulled closer to him. Her eyes met his as he examined Cassidy keenly.
She wanted to drop dead.
She couldn�t believe she�d actually licked him. There would be no end to her embarrassment.
�This is going to be the best summer ever,� David announced.
◊◊◊
After Cassidy had done whatever it was to his neck last night, she�d bolted to her room and hidden.
This morning she refused to come out and say good morning before David�s regular morning workouts. What she didn�t know was that he was skipping them this morning because his first alum, defensive end Marshall Davidson, was meeting him to do his vodcast.
�I need to trick Cassidy into thinking we left,� David told Ruth as they ate their breakfast.
�Why is that, sir?�
�There was some inappropriate touching last night, and she freaked out.�
�Sir?� Ruth said, looking concerned.
�It wasn�t me! She licked my neck,� David said before Ruth got the wrong idea.
�I understand. I agree to assist you in your subterfuge.�
After they�d cleaned up, David went to the front door and opened it.
�I�ll see you later!� he called out and then shut the door.
He and Ruth went to hide in the pantry. Duke whined when they shut the door on him. Frick!
Cassidy must have come out of her room because he heard toenails clicking on the hardwood floor. A moment later, they returned.
�What�s wrong, Boy? Did David close the door on your ball?� Cassidy asked Duke.
She opened the pantry door.
�Gah!�
David smiled at his surprised friend.
�I � uh � I � uh �� she started as she began to back away.
�Listen to me,� he interrupted, putting his hands on Cassidy�s shoulders. �Because this is all actually like, stupid-simple, and you�ve overthought it all to hell.�
She gave him a wary look to see if David was teasing her.
�If you weren�t the biggest mess of awkward-sauce right now, you would know that everything is fine,� he said seriously.
�But I don�t know what came over me,� Cassidy mumbled.
�If I thought it was a big deal, we would probably have to talk about it. I care about you more than just typical friendship, and I know that at some point, we�ll figure it out. But if something like this happens again�I mean heck, I might be the one sucking on your neck�let�s agree not to blow it out of proportion. We need to check in to see what the other thinks,� David rambled.
�What if �� she started and then blushed.
He gave her a smoldering look.
�Pam and Tracy have no problem dragging me upstairs. You know all you have to do is ask.�
Cassidy slugged him in the chest.
�Hey! I thought you were supposed to protect me,� David complained to Ruth.
�Sorry, sir, but you deserved that one,� Ruth said.
Cassidy seemed to relax, and he really did have to go.
�I left you eggs and bacon in the oven. I have to go do my vodcast,� David said.
�Take Duke. He�s used to having people around, and I don�t think he likes staying at home alone,� Cassidy said.
David decided not to argue and grabbed Duke�s leash.
◊◊◊
David was getting set up in one of the Robert Zemeckis Center�s sound stages for his vodcast,
�I�m looking for David Dawson.�
David looked towards the door and spotted Marshall. David�s first impression was that he had to thank God he wouldn�t have to face him this season. David remembered his stats said the man was six-four and weighed 300 pounds. David chuckled when he saw he was in a suit and tie.
�Marshall?�
They shook hands. David was surprised when Marshall looked nervous.
�I�m a big fan. My wife asked that I get an autograph.�
�No problem. Which movie is your wife�s favorite? I can sign a poster and send it to her,� David suggested.
�
�Yeah, no sequel to that one,� David said and then changed the topic. �This is just a student vodcast. You don�t have to be all dressed up. If you�d prefer, I could get you a USC polo shirt.�
�My agent insists that for any sit-down interviews, I dress up. We�re trying to rehabilitate my image. When I first came into the league, I went a bit wild. I had no idea that my personal image mattered. We�re trying to get some endorsement deals.�
�If you want, we can work what happened into the conversation, and you can talk about the importance of your image. I can make it look as if I�m asking for your advice,� David said and then had an idea. �Better yet, talk to my PR guy. He can give you some strategies and talking points for the interview.�
�That would be helpful. My agent has a bunch of flunkies that claim to know what they�re doing, but they�re used to working with rookies and their fuck-ups.�
�Let me give you Frank�s number and tell him that this is a favor to me. You can relax on the couch while I get everything set up,� David suggested.
◊◊◊
For each episode of
David should�ve caught on that something was up because the professor usually sat in on the training sessions. Plus, there was the cryptic �good luck� comment.
He found the �sound guy� and discovered he was a professor at USC. He taught a course that he planned to condense to a thirty-minute lecture. David�s eyes began to glaze over after only five minutes. The man talked in a monotone and was in no mood to answer any questions. If it hadn�t been for David�s catalog modeling work, he would have been taking a nap at the fifteen-minute mark.
�David Dawson. You�re needed on set,� was announced over the sound system.
�That was fascinating,� David said with a straight face as he bolted.
When he walked on stage, he found Duke on the couch with his head in Marshall�s lap, getting his ears rubbed.
�I see you�ve met Duke,� David said, shaking his head.
�Is he yours?� Marshall asked.
�Yep. In fact, he�s famous. Duke was the mayor of my hometown.�
�If it�s okay with you, I wouldn�t mind doing the interview with his help,� Marshall said.
David figured, what the heck? If Cassidy could kick Knackers in the nuts, why not have a dog on set? What was the old Hollywood saying? Never work with children or animals? What could go wrong?
◊◊◊
�With me today is Marshall Davidson, defensive end for the New York Giants. Later today, Marshall will be talking to the USC football team, so I wanted to get a quick interview before that. Welcome back to USC,� David said to kick off the show.
�It�s good to be back on campus. I have some fond memories of going to school here.�
�Tell me about your career at USC,� David said.
�My freshman and sophomore years, I played defensive tackle. They asked me to move to defensive end my junior season.�
�Was changing positions a hard decision?�
�At the time, I wasn�t sure at all that I could manage the transition. I appreciated that my coaches left the choice up to me, but they also helped me see that my pro potential was much better as a defensive end. So I agreed to give it a try. I�m glad it worked out,� Marshall said.
�Speaking of the draft, you were taken at number four overall the year you turned pro. What advice could you give me about the importance of the Pro Day and Combine?�
�Those are just part of a 100-piece puzzle, with Pro Day and the Combine only two of the pieces. Teams will also look at all your game tape � I mean, how significant is a vertical jump in a non-game situation? What does a bench press tell them? The Combine is a show now. The NFL has commercialized just about everything. College football is getting more and more that way as well, especially with NIL just down the road,� Marshall explained.
�Explain to the audience what NIL means,� David said.
�Name, Image, and Likeness. At some point soon, college players are going to be paid for stuff like that. I know that you know this, but I wish I�d been clued in to the importance of my social media when I was in college. Honestly, I might have started building my brand when I was in high school.�
�What advice would you give me? Maybe a personal story?� David prodded.
�When I joined the NFL, it was the first time I�d ever had money, and I went wild. I hit every club, was seen with the hottest women, had to have the fancy car and the hot bachelor pad. Then, in my third year, we were in the divisional championship game. As you know, some words were said,� Marshall said, looking down in embarrassment.
�I hear you. What people don�t realize is that many times it�s the fans who are the worst,� David sympathized.
�Anyway, I lost my shit. I went after Buffalo�s offensive tackle. Somehow, their quarterback, Kegan Mayhew, mouthed off, and I punched him.�
�No shit! That was you?� David asked, and Marshall nodded. �You�re a dick.�
�Now you feel me? Who knew a white boy could bleed that much?� Marshall asked.
�What happened?� David asked.
�I became public enemy number one. I was fined like fifty grand, all my sponsors bailed, and the Giants were talking about cutting me.�
�That had to be a wake-up call. But I know you turned it around because the Giants just put the franchise tag on you. I understand that they offered you a three-year, seventy-million deal,� David said.
�After that wake-up call, I worked on getting my life right. I was lucky enough to marry a truly lovely woman, and we now have two little ones. Boy, kids can make you realize pretty quickly that there are other things that are far more important than yourself,� Marshall shared.
�I know. I have my own horde of ankle-biters.�
Marshall turned out to be a great interview. He acted as a mentor to David and spent the interview telling him what to expect in college and the NFL.
Two pearls of wisdom really stood out. The first was:
The second resonated with David:
And Duke � just soaked up Marshall�s loving. David would take that win.
◊◊◊
After the vodcast, David took Marshall to the coaches� offices. Specifically, David took him to see Coach Farrow.
Rachel was at the outer desk, studying something.
�It�s lucky your dad�s the boss,� David said to announce their presence.
�Bite me � oh, sorry. I didn�t realize ��
�This is Marshall Davidson, and we have an appointment to see your dad,� David said.
�They�re in the defensive coaches� room.�
�Can you take him? I have a class I need to get to,� David said to Rachel. She nodded, so he turned to Marshall. �I have to go be a student. After you�re done talking to the coaches, Ron Pennington and Gabe Francis want to take you to lunch. I�m sure they want to put the squeeze on you since you signed that big contract. I hope you brought a check for the boosters.�
�It�s probably time I gave something back,� Marshall considered.
�I�ll see you at the practice field to meet the team.�
David, Ruth, and Duke started to go, but Marshall stopped them.
�If I don�t get a chance later, thanks for asking me back. I bet if you asked, there are many alums who would love to have a day like today. It�s reminded me why I loved going here.�
�On behalf of the team, I know we can�t wait to hear what you have to say. My uncle always said that doing something like this was important for third-party validation. I�m sure that you�ll basically tell them the same stuff they�ve heard from the coaches, but when you say it, I hope it finally clicks,� David said.
�That makes sense,� Marshall said as Rachel led him to his next meeting.
◊◊◊
�Thank you all for coming out. Marshall Davidson was All-Pac 12 and second-team All-American his senior year. When he was drafted by the Giants, it was at number four. He�ll begin his eighth season with the Giants this fall with the franchise tag, making him one of the top-paid defensive ends in the NFL.
�When I talked to Marshall about coming and talking to the team, I asked him to talk about what it takes to be an elite pass-rusher,� David said.
�Thank you, David,� Marshall said as they shook hands, but Marshall pulled David into a hug.
Then he looked at Bear, who David drafted to act as the blocker for Marshall�s demonstration.
�Who�s this big fella?� Marshall asked.
�Jerry Barber, sir. I�m a freshman offensive tackle. My friends call me Bear.�
�I can see why. Let�s keep this friendly so no one gets hurt,� Marshall suggested.
�Yes, sir, but sometimes, I don�t know my own strength,� Bear said.
Marshall gave him a wary look, shook his head, and then turned to the other players.
�I expect you are all interested in what it takes to get to the NFL,� Marshall said and waited for them to agree. �First of all, it�s all about three factors: size, speed, and strength. David shared with me his philosophy of stacking days. It all starts in the weight room and consistently working on those three things.
�David, you line up as the quarterback, and Bear, you�re the offensive tackle. The first key is your stance and your ability to get out of the stance. You�ll see guys take different stances. That�s not what�s important. It�s the explosive move when the ball is snapped.
Marshall demonstrated by getting into a three-point stance as he lined up on Bear�s outside shoulder.
�Note that I put the hand closest to the ball down, and my eyes are laser-like on the ball. As the center starts to squeeze the ball to snap it, that�s when I jump off,� Marshall said as he stood up and looked at the team.
�First is the stance, second is get off the ball,� Marshall emphasized.
He looked over at David.
�For this next part, I want you to simulate snapping the ball,� he said, then turned to Bear. �I want you to do your normal pass-protecting drop. We are going to do this in slow motion, so go easy on me, big fella.�
�Got it,� Bear said.
David simulated the snap.
�As I explode out of my stance, I am going to sprint four steps. I�m racing the tackle to that point. What I do next is all based on the reaction of the offensive tackle,� Marshall said as he looked back at the team to make sure they understood.
�Now, if I beat him, I�ll use my outside arm to club the tackle as my outside leg steps to the quarterback. Note that my hips have turned at a ninety-degree angle and are now pointed right at the quarterback. From there, I am tracking the quarterback�s launch point.�
He stopped and looked at the team.
�That right there is the difference between a $37-million payday and being a free agent.�
David smiled because Marshall had said something his college coaches had never mentioned: how to get paid. That subtle difference had all his teammates hanging on Marshall�s every word.
�Next, let�s assume Bear keeps up with me as I sprint to my point, but he has low hands,� Marshall said.
He had Bear lower his hands so they were in front of him but at waist level.
�Boom! I�m going to use my inside hand and pop him in the chest. I�m going to bull-rush Bear while I also engage him with my other hand,� Marshall said and then paused. �Check where I put my hands. They are on his upper chest because I want to force him to get back on his heels. My goal is to plant his broad backside right into the lap of the quarterback.�
He gave Bear a shove, and the massive man-child stumbled back. David skipped out of the way as Bear landed on his ass.
David noted that no one chuckled at Bear�s misfortune. They�d all seen him in beast mode, lifting, and knew he could potentially do some serious damage if he got riled.
�The first rush was about speed. This one is all about strength. That is a power rush, and to move a mountain like Bear, you better have the lower body strength to handle it.�
�What if I get my hands up?� Bear asked.
�Good question,� Marshall said. �This is where you will see the o-linemen battling with their hands to get leverage. I call this chicken-fighting. Do not! � Let me repeat that � Do not get stuck doing that. If you do, Bear wins. What I suggest you do is called �side scissors.�
�Swing both your arms outside his. Slam them both into his outside arm to pin it away from your body. I step around him and accelerate to where? The quarterback�s launch point.�
�But won�t Bear figure that move out?� Percy asked.
�Another good question. Set them up. Go outside four or five times, and then when it counts, make the same move but inside,� Marshall coached.
�What you have to understand is that my eyes are trained to look downfield,� David commented. �When you have an elite edge rusher, I am aware of where he�s at. When we played Percy in high school for that ESPN game, I made sure I checked where he was lined up on each and every play.
�I know there were a few times I would move away from him in the pocket to help my tackle,� he continued.
Percy smiled at the compliment as Marshall nodded his agreement.
�Let�s recap,� Marshall said. �One, get into a good stance. Two, sprint three to four steps upfield, and three, react to what the tackle does.�
�Can I add one?� David asked.
Marshall gave him a look, so David said what he wanted.
�Never, ever run by the quarterback. As soon as that happens, I will tuck the ball, and you�ll never catch me.�
�Want to bet?� Percy asked.
�No, David makes a good point. Someone like David will kill you with his legs,� Marshall said and then held up a finger. �That reminds me. There is one more thing I want to show you.�
He had David simulate a snap as he and Bear raced to the four steps.
�If you either find yourself chicken-fighting or you�ve started to go past the quarterback�s drop, you need a counter. I like to make a spin move to free myself. Unless the quarterback holds the ball too long, you probably aren�t going to get to him if you must do this. What it does do is keep him contained, and he still has to account for where you�re at, especially if he�s thinking of tucking and running.�
Marshall felt he�d gotten his point across.
�What do you do when I finally throw the ball?� David asked.
�Get your damn hands up and swat it back into his face,� Percy answered.
�Exactly,� Marshall said.
◊◊◊
About five minutes into Dare�s first football party, he�d decided they were not his scene. The ground was sticky, everything smelled like beer and sweat, and the DJ played the music too loud for his taste.
�Is this what we can expect the whole time we�re here?� Corvus asked in wonder.
Dare glanced over at his roommate, and he looked more nervous than Dare did. At MIT, a �party� might top out at ten people. Nerdy engineer types weren�t exactly social. There had to be at least twenty times that number in the parking lot behind David�s townhome.
When they arrived from the airport, they�d had to go through tighter security than TSA had put them through. The security people had checked that they were on the list and then made them both eSign a nondisclosure document and consent to be videotaped.
Dare now knew what David was talking about when Range Sports would make him sign one of those �death thingy� documents. Those were the ones to hold the company harmless if he died testing one of their products. It made the whole event feel taboo and made them both want to attend even more.
Corvus about had a meltdown when the security people wanted their cell phones and car keys. Cassidy had saved the day when she found the two nerds. She escorted them to David�s unit, where Corvus almost died when Precious decided he wasn�t supposed to be there. Duke had body-checked the �cat from hell� before she could take a chunk out of his friend.
Cassidy joined them.
�Corvus wanted to know if we should expect this all the time,� Dare said.
�David rarely throws a party, but when he does, it�s a lot of fun,� she explained.
Corvus�s head was on a swivel as his mouth hung open.
�We aren�t used to seeing such attractive women at MIT,� Dare said to explain his friend�s pervy behavior.
�One of the girls in our study group has a beard,� Corvus shared.
�He�s kidding, right?� Cassidy asked.
�I wouldn�t call it an actual beard. More like peach fuzz,� Dare shared.
Cassidy looked aghast.
�No, no. It�s no big deal. We have a lot of international students that where they come from, women with facial hair is no big deal,� Dare explained.
�French women are hairy. They don�t shave their legs,� Corvus said.
�I�ve told you thirty-six times that�s a myth. But I do think they�re all slim and rude,� Darius admitted.
�Colette got a higher grade on a math test than Dare,� Corvus told Cassidy.
�Ow!� �Ow!�
Cassidy put them both into headlocks as she chuckled.
�I can�t wait to see David when you two start bickering. He�ll bleed out of his ears.�
◊◊◊
Cassidy led the two boys through the party to find David. She seemed to know everybody and introduced Dare and Corvus around.
Dare was impressed with the variety of outstanding women. Cassidy�s rowing teammates were all extremely fit, which caused his dick to twitch. The Song Girls were gorgeous, with curves in all the right places. MIT�s cheerleaders all looked like the girl next door or a bit nerdy. But these were women who could easily grace the cover and centerfold of men�s magazines. If that wasn�t enough, the sorority girls were varied but all smoking hot in their own way.
When the three of them found David, he was talking to two girls. One was a curvy blond who looked like a movie star. The other was thin as a rail with black hair that had bangs cut square across her forehead, and then on the sides hung straight down.
Cassidy stopped Dare and Corvus so she could tell them who David was talking to.
�Those are the Price sisters. Their mother stars on a sitcom. The blond is Veronica and not one of David�s favorite people. But he�s making an effort because I asked him to. She�s one of those who does the bare minimum in what counts but loves to party and be seen. You�ll run into those kinds of people in LA,� Cassidy said.
Corvus just froze at seeing such a good-looking girl. Dare wasn�t surprised when his roommate mumbled something and went back to the townhouse. He bet that the blond had caused him a stiffy.
�She might be better looking than Brook,� Dare said.
Cassidy looked shocked that he would consider anyone better looking than his high school crush.
�I�ll give you credit for reaching for the stars, but I�m warning you, Veronica would eat you alive.�
Dare simply nodded. Cassidy made an exasperated sound, knowing that nothing could break his focus if her nerd friend fixated on something. Just saying the word �drones� around him would get you a half-hour lecture.
�The dark-haired girl is Chloe, and she�s a lesbian,� Cassidy shared and then leaned in close. �David doesn�t know that.�
�So, if he lets me pick first, I grab Veronica?� Dare asked.
Cassidy laughed so hard she had to hold her side. Dare looked confused, but she waved him off.
�Sorry, it�s just that you say the funniest things sometimes and don�t even mean to.�
�Did I say something wrong?� he worried.
�No. It was perfect. I think you should take David aside and tell him that you get first dibs since you�re his guest,� she suggested.
Dare�s eyes got big.
�You think he would let me?�
�Oh, yeah,� Cassidy said, nodding enthusiastically. �Maybe you can offer to get the girls a drink and take David with you to help carry everything back. I would suggest getting them the punch.�
Dare wasn�t sure if he believed her, but David�s brother Greg had taught him how to talk to women. Greg was responsible for David�s success with women. So, when Dare was able to get a girlfriend in high school, he strung the data points together and concluded that he was all-in with everything Greg taught him. He could do this!
He saw Cassidy do a little happy dance out of the corner of his eye when he walked toward David and the girls. That had to mean she wished him luck.
�Darius Rossetti, how the heck are you?� David asked as he pulled Dare into a hug.
�Good. Help me get these ladies another drink,� Dare announced.
All three of them gave a confused look, but David smoothed it over.
�That�s a great idea. We�ll be right back.�
As they walked to the bar, Dare gave David a serious look.
�I get the blond.�
David actually stumbled before coming to a stop.
�Come again?�
Dare suddenly became unsure of himself.
�Cassidy said that since I was a guest, I got first dibs.�
�Did she?� David asked as he looked around for her.
Dare spotted her trying to hide behind some giant man, but he didn�t think he should point her out to David.
�She also told me that Chloe�s a lesbian and that you didn�t know.�
�Nice. I get the girl that plays for the other team, and you get the hot blond,� David quipped.
Dare realized he probably shouldn�t have shared that, but you told friends the truth even if it meant you lost out on the girl. Then Dare had a thought. David was super competitive.
�Maybe you could turn Chloe bi.�
David laughed.
�God, I�ve missed you,� he said and then began walking to the bar. �So, you like Veronica?�
�Yes. I think she might be lovelier than Brook.�
�Dude. Guys don�t call girls �lovelier.� You say she�s hot,� David coached.
Dare felt his face get warm. David cocked his head and gave his friend a reassuring look.
�Cassidy�s right. You�re my guest, so I�ll give you dibs on Veronica, but you�ll owe me.�
Dare shook his head �no.�
�Nice try. Cassidy told me that you were only being nice to Veronica because she asked you to.�
�Cassidy is a little blabbermouth. Remind me to spank her later.�
Dare made a mental note to do just that.
◊◊◊
When they returned, Veronica only had eyes for David. Dare was pleased when his friend began to talk him up.
�My buddy Dare is one of the smartest people I know. He has already turned a drone concept into a business. Now he�s working on this VR idea that will make him a pile of cash. He flew in so that he could work out all the bugs. It won�t be long until some supermodel becomes his first trophy wife.�
From that point, Veronica slowly began to warm to him. It was either that, or the Everclear punch was kicking in.
By the end of the party, she was sticking her tongue down Dare�s throat and grabbing his package.
David had suddenly appeared and pulled Veronica off his friend and handed her to the giant, who Dare learned was called �Bear,� so David could talk to him.
�You take a drunk girl home around here,� David said seriously. �The last thing you want to do is get in a situation where she can say she was too drunk to consent and was date-raped.�
And that made his earlier excitement begin to deflate like a leaky pool toy.
�What should I do?�
�She�s too drunk to drive, so take her upstairs and put her to bed. Let her sleep it off. Tomorrow, ask her out on another date, then find the courage to kiss her at the end of it,� David said.
Dare thought about it. On the one hand, Veronica had kissed him and grabbed his dick, which she begged to see. But �
�You know � that doesn�t sound so bad,� he decided.
He could play the long game. Greg had told him that if you wanted something more than a quick hookup, you had to think of the girl first, not what your dick wanted.
�Girl down,� Bear announced.
Veronica was slumped against him.
�Dare, show Bear where to carry her,� David said.
Dare was relieved that he was getting help to carry Veronica up to the third floor, where his and Corvus�s bedroom was. When he saw Bear carry Veronica into their room, he mumbled that he would sleep on the couch downstairs.
�I really appreciate the help,� Dare said to the big man.
�No problem,� Bear said and then got a stern look on his face. �I�m trusting you�re a gentleman.�
Dare blanched because if Bear threatened someone, they took it seriously.
�I promise to only take her shoes off.�
�Good answer,� Bear said and left, shutting the door on his way out.
Dare stared at Veronica lying in his bed. It seemed that whenever he was around David, good things happened.
Dare removed Veronica�s shoes and turned her to her side. He grabbed a garbage can and put it within easy reach before he went into the bathroom to take a shower. It had been a long flight, and someone had spilled beer down his back.
In the shower, he closed his eyes and let the warm water do its work. He soaped up his hand, wrapped it around his member, and began to slowly stroke it. His one real girlfriend, Chrissy, had been the only female to ever see it. She�d been surprised at his size.
Dare knew that he was larger than average�seven inches, but nothing outlandish. It did look huge when his ex saw it because of how skinny he�d been. Since then, he�d grown. He was still a skinny nerd, but he thought he didn�t look like a complete freak with his gained height.
Once he�d calmed the beast, Dare put on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt to sleep in. He found Veronica lightly snoring, so he climbed in on the other side of the king-size bed. Even with the time change, Dare was exhausted and quickly fell asleep.
◊◊◊
Houston! We have a problem!
While Dare was no stranger to morning wood, he wasn�t used to having a hand wrapped around it. A hand that wasn�t his.
His eyes sprang open, and he discovered that Veronica had obviously gotten up during the night because she was stark naked. She wasn�t gorgeous the way he�d thought she was. She was breathtaking. Veronica was so far out of his league that Dare couldn�t hope to be with her, let alone deserve to be in her company. She was too hot. She had too much beauty, too much � everything. Her overall magnificence had thrown his confidence out the window.
Dare hesitantly extracted himself from the death grip she�d obtained and slipped out of bed. He�d never much enjoyed dating in college. It wasn�t the dating itself that disagreed with him; it was more the inevitable self-doubt the next day. Right now, the self-doubt was kicking his ass. He wanted to talk to his roommate.
He made his way downstairs, where he found Corvus lying on the couch. Precious stood on the boy�s chest, and their eyes were locked on one another.
�Shoo,� Dare said.
Precious switched her eyes from Corvus to him. She hopped off the couch and slowly walked away.
�That cat hates me,� Corvus said to state the obvious.
�That was my first college hookup. Is there some kind of follow-up protocol?�
Corvus couldn�t help but laugh at his roommate�s confusion.
�I don�t think so. Some obvious things jump to mind. Don�t be a stalker, don�t be creepy, and don�t be weird. Also, I heard that you should wait for her to text you, not the other way around.
�But I don�t think you have to worry about it. Veronica is too hot. The Principle of Comparable Hotness says it will never work,� Corvus said.
Being MIT engineers, the two of them had come up with the concept to help explain the rules of getting girls. The Principle of Comparable Hotness�which said a relationship worked best if both parties generally had the same level of physical appeal�had proven to be true. Anytime one of their nerd friends had reached for a cute girl, it hadn�t ended well.
�I�ve told you before that that theory is bullshit. Mainly because you can�t quantify subjective hotness. It�s all based on the perceptions of the parties involved, and you can�t know another person�s perception,� Dare argued.
�Says the guy who helped formulate the principle,� Corvus shot back.
�I guess I should cut my losses before it turns ugly,� Dare moaned.
�So, you�re using our crap science to justify not taking your shot at proving the concept wrong. Which is fine, I guess, if you want to spend the rest of your life growing old with your goldfish, watching streaming video, and eating frozen pizza,� his roommate observed.
Dare liked streaming video and frozen pizza. Then he thought about Veronica lying naked in his bed right now, and his shorts began to tighten. What the fuck was he doing talking to Corvus? As he hurried back upstairs, he heard his roommate chuckling.
As he entered the room, Veronica sat up and stretched her arms over her head. Dear Lord, that did wonderful things to display her breasts.
�Morning,� she said sexily.
�The way you look right now has shaved about thirty points off my IQ,� he admitted.
�Why do you have clothes on?� Veronica asked.
Maybe she was more intelligent than he was because Dare had no good answer for that.
◊◊◊
Once Veronica had wrapped her lips around his manhood, Dare had been struck dumb. He was grateful that she�d had the common sense to suggest a condom. Dare thanked the gods when he found a box in the nightstand.
When Veronica had straddled his hips, and he sank into her, Dare was lost. He could not imagine a better way to lose his virginity as he watched her gently ride him with her magnificent breasts swaying. He�d always been confused as to why David was such a man-whore. Now Dare knew what he�d been missing.
As all first-time virginity-losing orgasms seem to go, Dare�s was quick on the trigger.
�Sorry, but that was my first time.�
�I bet we can do it again,� Veronica suggested.
Dare predicted that coming to spend a few weeks with David was going to be the best decision he�d ever made, if this was an example of what he could expect.
◊◊◊
David and Duke came downstairs to find Cassidy and Corvus eating doughnuts and drinking coffee. Cassidy had Precious in her lap. The stupid cat was eyeing Corvus like he was a midmorning snack.
�Veronica is jetpacking on Dare,� Cassidy shared.
�Jetpacking?�
�Spooning, but the smaller person on the outside,� she said like that was something he should have known.
�Wait? What?� David asked, suddenly very confused. �Dare and Veronica �?�
�I had to sleep on the couch last night. I want to go take a shower and change, but I�m afraid I�ll walk in and see my roommate�s vinegar face,� Corvus said.
�Is that what I think it is?� David asked.
�If you mean the face a guy makes at the point of no return, then yes,� Cassidy explained.
Precious apparently decided to snack on a terrorized human another time and slunk off Cassidy�s lap. David smiled. He knew better.
�Pull your feet up!� David warned.
Corvus wasn�t yet wise in the evil that Precious truly was and yelped when she drew blood from his calf.
�I have a first-aid kit in my bathroom. You can use my shower,� David offered Corvus.
�Is that cat always that mean?� Corvus asked.
Both Cassidy and David agreed that she was.
Once Corvus left, David now had Cassidy alone.
�Young lady,� David said in his dad voice.
Her eye roll almost made him grin.
�You are going to be the one who deals with the mess when Veronica breaks his heart,� David warned.
He saw his friend start to get mad, and then it dawned on her who he was talking about. It was sometimes easy to forget that he was so much younger. Add in what a socially awkward introvert he�d been when they first met, and she realized what a disaster Veronica would be for the brilliant twerp.
�Your mom said he had to toughen up,� Cassidy finally managed.
Speak of the devil, Darius and Veronica�not David�s mother�came down the stairs all giggly and kissy-faced.
�I�m walking Veronica home,� Dare called out as they went out the front door.
�Fuck me sideways,� Cassidy moaned.
�Yep. You get to deal with it,� David said.
He bet they wouldn�t see Dare for the rest of the day.
His phone chirped. It was a text from Colleen saying she was back. She�d not wanted to go to David�s party. Instead, she had gone home to see her parents and do her laundry. David took that as code that her mom was washing her clothes. He hoped she hadn�t taken her sheets.
�Hey, Duke,� he said as his dog looked up at him. �A girl�s coming over.�
By his tail wag, he agreed that was a good idea.
�She�s not coming over here. I don�t want to listen to you two having sex all day,� Cassidy said.
David had an evil thought.
�What are you thinking?� she asked, suspicious.
�Matt lives next door to Colleen, and apparently, the walls are thin.�
�Boys really are stupid,� Cassidy said as she scooped up Precious and went upstairs.
◊◊◊
David was making a grocery list when his phone rang. It was Alex Sandoval.
�Alex!�
�Squeak told me you sent her a text.�
David had gotten in touch with Alex�s sister as soon as he�d heard about him collapsing during a soccer game.
�How are you feeling?� David asked.
�Not great. I just learned that I�m done playing soccer.�
David knew how devastating that news was for his friend.
�I�m so sorry,� was all he could think to say.
�They say they found a heart abnormality, and since I almost died �� Alex trailed off.
�What does that mean?�
�I should be fine as long as I don�t try to run a marathon.�
David could hear in Alex�s voice that he was stressed out.
�Is there anything I can do to help?� David asked.
�There is something. Could you call Kirk and see if he�d be willing to take the single next to our room? I want to come back to USC and room with you,� Alex said.
Kirk would be a senior next year. David was sure he could talk him into the single. It wouldn�t be much different from living with David since he, Jamie, and Lindsey pretty much lived in David�s dorm room anyway. It would be good to have Alex back.
�I�ll take care of it,� David promised.
�I also want you to fly down for Squeak�s and my birthday. It�s the big two-oh.�
�I just got my jet type rating. I�ve been wanting to plan a longer trip.�
�And David ��
�Yes.�
�Squeak may make a personal request of you for her birthday present.�
Red flags popped up. From what he knew, Alex and his dad would kill him if he touched Nat. They were devout Catholics, and premarital sex was supposed to be taboo.
�And you�re okay with this?�
Alex laughed.
�It would be best if I never hear what happens,� Alex said and then got serious. �Just make sure you treat her right.�
�I�m not making any promises.�
�What?!� Alex asked.
�Not about treating her right. You know I would never do anything like that. I might not be able to help her.�
Alex laughed.
�I�m not going to try to convince you to sleep with my sister, but she has made it clear that she wants you to be her first.�
�Fuck. What about your dad?�
�Camilla will keep him occupied,� Alex swore.
�She�d better,� David worried. �I suppose I�m responsible for finding you a girl to relieve you of your V-card.�
�Wouldn�t my dad love that? He might call my uncle to have you taken care of,� Alex joked.
�I�m starting to have second thoughts,� David admitted.
�My uncle would tell my dad it was about time we got laid. You have nothing to worry about.�
�Tell Nat that we shall see. I want to make sure she knows I�m not looking to get married or anything.�
�She knows the score. But it wouldn�t be so bad having you as a brother-in-law,� Alex teased.
�You just got a downgrade on the quality of woman I�ll be bringing you,� David fired back.
�I�ve been cooped up in a hospital for so long I don�t think it matters as long as she�s willing.�
�TMI, Dude.�
�I need to make some other calls before they take my cell away from me. When it gets closer to my birthday, I�ll get you the details,� Alex said.
After they hung up, David was relieved to hear Alex would be okay. He was also looking forward to flying to South America.
◊◊◊
While David was talking to Alex, his mom had tried to ring through, so he called her back.
�Who all do you want to come to your birthday party?� Carol asked without preamble.
David counted to ten before he made a smart comment.
�I guess whoever wants to come.�
�What about your cousins?�
�That�s fine.�
�What if they can�t afford to fly?�
�Then I guess, pay for it.�
�It sounds like you just want me to handle everything,� Carol said.
David found his forehead in his palm. His mom was just winding him up. Plus, giving her a blank check was a recipe for disaster. On the other hand, he didn�t want to deal with it.
�Mom, you have free rein. Do whatever you think is best. Invite anyone you want, and spend whatever you think is needed. Just keep in mind that both of my movies are premiering that weekend. You might want to talk to Paul Andon. He could probably make arrangements so everyone can watch them.�
�I thought
�I just received word that it got pushed to the fourth because of the hype from the James Bond movie. The marketing people are banking on bigger numbers, so we got it slotted for the holiday weekend,� David explained.
�Oh, and your youngest is convinced he wants a puppy. Bring Duke home tomorrow so Coby gets that out of his head.�
�For good, or just a visit?� David asked.
�For good. I miss having him around,� his mom admitted.
�Will do.�
If his mom hadn�t said Coby missed Duke, David would have pushed back. He enjoyed having the goofy pup around. Plus, Duke kept Precious in check most days.
◊◊◊
Dare sent him a text that he and Corvus were ready to test their equipment at USC�s practice field. David, Ruth, and Duke found the two boys talking to the head of the grounds crew.
�Hey, Hank. Thanks for coming in on a Saturday,� David said.
�No problem. When I read the work order, I thought I should probably show up.�
�Where should we set up?� Corvus asked.
USC had three practice fields for football, two outside and one underground. The main outdoor field was full-sized, while the second one was turned ninety degrees and was only fifty yards long.
�If we�re just testing, let�s set up on the short field,� Hank suggested.
The boys had three large square cases accompanied by telescoping poles. Inside the cases were three gadgets that looked similar to the death star in the original Star Wars movie.
�What the heck is that?� David asked.
Corvus began to explain, but Dare stopped him.
�He�ll get lost if you explain it.�
David remembered why people wanted to stuff the little dumbass in his locker in high school.
�He looks like he might punch you,� Corvus warned.
�Cassidy said that Ruth would prevent him from doing that,� Dare said.
�What say you, Ruth? Can I pound the little shit?� David asked.
�If he keeps it up, I might have to go on break.�
�Sorry,� Dare said.
The problem was he didn�t look sorry.
�Just tell me,� David said.
�This is a top-of-the-line VR camera system. There are 42 linked micro-cinema cameras that professionals are using to make Hollywood movies,� Dare said.
�How much is all this?� David asked.
�All three cost just under a half-million dollars,� Corvus said.
Dare saw the look in David�s eyes.
�We rented them!�
�If the equipment is this expensive, our market is going to be limited,� David warned.
�We only need these for a week or two. Once we figure out the angles and such, we can get more affordable single VR cameras,� Corvus explained.
�We showed you the budget,� Dare said defensively.
�But we need some �� Corvus started, but his roommate shushed him.
David debated whether to send them home or not. But the inner geek in him wanted to see what they could come up with.
�Let�s do this,� he decided.
◊◊◊
They had David throw Duke�s tennis ball for fifteen minutes as their test. Duke was a big fan of VR filming.
They had a laptop hooked up to VR headgear. Corvus snatched it out of Dare�s hands to go first.
�Turn it on,� Corvus said.
He suddenly stood up straighter and froze. His head began to jerk around as he teetered back and forth.
�Uh oh,� he said as he ripped off the headgear and vomited.
Obviously, their first test was unsuccessful if throwing up while wearing the gear was the result.
�If you want to go next?� Dare asked David.
David saw through Dare�s attempt. He wanted to see David get sick.
�I could do that. Or maybe monkeys will fly out of my ass. The two possibilities seem equally probable,� David said.
He left the two of them to figure out what went wrong.
�You stay with the equipment for now. Call Fritz because we need to find somewhere to store it and then people to guard it this week,� David told Ruth.
�But ��
�I have Duke with me. He can lick my attacker if they get too close,� he said as he turned to walk his dog back to the townhouse.
◊◊◊
When David got back, he found the groceries had been delivered, and his housekeeper was putting them away.
�You have a message,� she said as she handed him a sticky note.
It said that Coach Trent from Elite 11 wanted him to call back.
David went up to his room and returned the call.
�Thank you for calling Nike, where we say, �Just do it.� How may I direct your call?�
�Coach Trent, please.�
�May I ask who is calling?�
�David Dawson.�
�One moment while I connect you,� the pleasant-sounding woman said.
David listened to some canned music for a moment.
�David! How�s it going?� Coach Trent asked.
Coach Trent was the face of the Elite 11 quarterback competition. It was designed to offer high school quarterbacks the opportunity to attend camps and receive some of the best available coaching. At these camps, the prospects for college ball would be invited to regional events across the country.
There they would go head-to-head against many of the best players in high school. The nation�s top signal-callers were then invited to the Nike campus in Oregon for the finals. Eleven of those would receive the title of Elite 11. When David attended, he was the first junior and had been named Co-MVP.
�I�m doing well. I�m in summer school, getting ready for the season,� David said.
�Remember when you were at camp, and we had former participants come to give the guys a talk?�
�Yeah. That�s one of the highlights of camp.�
�Two of our guys have run into conflicts. Could you maybe come up Wednesday and fill in? We would pay to have you come up and cover all your expenses,� Coach Trent said.
�I�m fine with that. Let me just check with my head coach to make sure it�s okay.�
�Thanks. I�ll owe you one,� Coach Trent said as he rang off.
David called Coach Clayton but just got voicemail. He hung up and called Jaxson Pettis, USC�s Athletic Director. David shook his head when it was easier to get through to Coach Clayton�s boss than to him.
David gave Jaxson a rundown of what Elite 11 had offered. He suggested that David not accept anything, but he would clear it with everyone if he wanted to go.
�Could I maybe take a crew to do my vodcast from there?� David asked.
�I�m not sure I could authorize paying for that,� Jaxson said.
�I have a budget from the advertising I sold. Maybe you could coordinate with the cinematic department and get it approved.�
�Why don�t you do it? Jaxson asked.
�Well � I think they want to spend my funds on internal stuff,� David admitted.
�And if I call, they can�t say no?�
�It would make a stronger case,� David said.
�I will if you�ll do me one favor.�
�Maybe.�
�Ease up on Coach Clayton. I am aware of the situation, and that�s the last I will say about that,� Jaxson said.
�Yes, sir.�
David called Coach Trent back and told him he was coming. He also would have a film crew with him, and Coach Trent would be one of his vodcast guests.
◊◊◊
David and Professor Blum had flown commercial to Oregon for Elite 11. David was unable to get either a first-class upgrade or an aisle seat. Since he was a touch claustrophobic and had long legs, the flight would be uncomfortable.
The wheels had barely touched down when David powered up his tablet and then began to scroll through his emails.
�Young man, you�re not supposed to turn that on until the plane has come to a stop,� the woman in the aisle seat complained.
He bit his tongue to halt the sharp retort that wanted to come out. It seemed nowadays everyone felt it their duty to impose their will on you, even if it was misguided. David was a fricking pilot, after all. He knew the risks. He would bet that in the next minute, the flight attendant would be on the PA system welcoming everyone and saying that they could now turn their devices on.
Sure enough, the announcement came, but the old biddy just huffed her frustration at not being able to control him for the whole fight.
The woman, who looked to be his grandmother�s age, had been on him since they took off.
David�s messenger bag had been the first issue. He�d made the mistake of putting it in the middle seat when he sat down. She�d scolded him and told him he could either stow it up above or under the seat in front of him, which was what he planned to do before takeoff.
He�d brought his books to study, which got him a lecture on him being an enemy to the environment, and how he should have gotten electronic versions. She didn�t want to hear that he highlighted key text and wrote in the margins. She pointed out that it was possible with electronic books, too.
Before they left the gate, David had put his phone in airplane mode to disable the Wi-Fi and turn it into just a device. To prevent more lectures, he�d plugged his earbuds in and played music. That caused her to tattle on him, and David had to show the flight attendant that he had it in the correct mode.
The woman was convinced that he would damage the plane and they would all crash.
When his legs began to cramp up, he�d had to get up twice to stretch them out. David was told that he should have gotten an aisle seat if he planned to get up so much. The irony was, he�d all but begged her to trade with him before they took off.
The kicker was when they went to get off. She�d made him get her bags down and help her carry them to baggage claim, where she began to boss around her family, who�d come to pick her up. That was when some of the other passengers got brave and wanted pictures taken with him.
Professor Blum went to grab a taxi, leaving David to deal with his fame. The lady made him take a picture with her and her family before he could leave. He had no doubt that she would trash him on social media before he made it to the cab.
◊◊◊
On the ride to the Nike campus, the professor wanted to talk.
�I still can�t believe you got the okay from the department to pay for this trip. They even gave me money for meals.�
�Be sure to pay for your meals, even if they offer you free food at the training center. I don�t want to run into trouble with the NCAA,� David reminded him and then focused on the trip. �They know they pulled a fast one when they made everyone volunteer their time to film
�You doing that is the talk of the department. They might go out and get actual advertisers for shows similar to yours, but they floated ideas for public service announcements or notices of upcoming events. We can do all of those in-house,� Professor Blum shared.
�USC has their own restaurants and catering. I would bet they have an advertising budget for those. I know the athletic department does. If I were running things, I would reach out and see if some of those dollars couldn�t be pulled to the School of Cinematic Arts.�
�You should come to our next staff meeting.�
David shook his head.
�How about I give you the ideas, and you take credit?� he suggested.
�When I say something, they ignore me, but if I use your name ��
�Then give me credit. As long as you get what you want,� David said.
That was why he�d asked the athletic director to call. With a third party involved, it made it easier to say yes.
�So, what�s on the agenda?� Professor Blum asked.
�We arrive at noon when they take a break. I�m meeting with Coach Trent to find out how he wants to handle today. I should have a schedule once that meeting is done.
�I got us permission to film and interview the participants. Maybe you could get some B-roll footage and ask some general questions at lunch. What you can�t do is video anything where you see their cameras filming. Examples are when I talk to the campers, or the coaches give them instructions. What you can film is general stuff, like someone throwing a pass,� David explained.
They arrived at the hotel and checked in. Jaxson, USC�s athletic director, had called and reminded David that he represented the university on this trip. So he changed into his USC gear: a polo shirt, baseball cap, and khaki shorts, all with either �USC� or the Trojan logo. Even his sneakers were cardinal and gold.
When David arrived downstairs, he noted that Professor Blum must have gotten a similar reminder. He had on a cardinal blazer and wore a cardinal and gold striped tie.
The hotel had a shuttle ready to take them to the Elite 11 camp.
◊◊◊
Coach Trent introduced David to all the other coaches. They were eating lunch and making notes about their charges. Each evening, the whole coaching staff got together and ranked the signal-callers.
Coach Trent took him aside so they wouldn�t bother anyone.
�When are you going back?�
�Our flight�s at eleven tomorrow,� David said.
�Good. I was wondering if you wanted to show off that cannon of an arm of yours.�
�It�s not really fair for me to show up these guys. I�ve had three years to work on my strength and conditioning. Most of these guys haven�t had proper strength and conditioning yet,� David said to push back.
�Well, it�s something more than that. We�re having issues with kids not following the proper read progressions. I�d hoped I could give you the playbook and you learn it. Our NFL defensive coaches arrive today, along with the additional receivers and defensive backs for the seven-on-seven tournament on Friday.
�I thought you might want to get some live snaps first thing tomorrow morning,� Coach Trent offered.
�And you want me to smoke the defensive coaches,� David added with a grin.
�We�ll make it a voluntary session before practice starts. It�ll help us see who�s dedicated.�
David remembered the trouble many of the guys had had getting up early. They were teenagers about to enter their senior year of high school. Sleep was something they all felt they deserved over summer vacation.
David also remembered Coach Trent harping on �everything counts.� The ones who didn�t show up would be penalized.
�Could we split it up? Could I use the first half to lay down some knowledge and the second to make the NFL guys fear when I get to the league?� David asked.
�Can I tell them you said that?� Coach Trent asked.
�Sure,� David said with confidence.
�Then I�m all for it. We�ll have you do this at seven tomorrow morning. That will give you enough time to get to the airport,� Coach Trent said. �And David, thanks for this. Looking back, I should have pushed for you to be the sole MVP.�
David was surprised that the coach saying that meant so much to him.
◊◊◊
He walked out to the practice fields with Coach Trent.
�Okay! Gather around and take a knee!�
It was as David had remembered. The twenty quarterbacks made a semicircle around the coach while all the receivers and defensive backs fell in behind them. The other coaches were all standing behind Coach Trent.
The first guest up had gone to college at Clemson. Coach Trent listed off his impressive accomplishments. He�d been selected first-team All-ACC and named player of the year for the conference. He was drafted in the third round of the NFL draft and made a living as a career backup. He talked about what winning Elite 11 had meant to him.
David was up next, and Coach Trent read off all the awards and accolades he�d garnered in high school. Hearing them all took some time. Then it was his turn to speak.
�Talent is your greatest nemesis when it comes to your mindset, especially when you first walk onto campus. You�ve always been told you�re the best player on your team, and now all of a sudden, you have to pay attention to details and compete with other people. And you don�t really know how. But you can learn how. It�s a choice; it�s a decision you can make. Don�t let your talent be your enemy.
�Starting out, you might not be the man to take the reins of the program. No college coach who wants to keep his job will start a true freshman unless he has to. Your goal will be to get better each and every day. At USC, we call this �stacking days.� You listen to your coaches, learn the playbook, eat right, work out, get your proper rest, and get your education.
�If you do your job, you�ll get your shot. When you do get that shot, don�t try to
�Once in college, no one is going to hold your hand and make you do what�s right. You have to step up and get in the right mindset. When you�re asked to run ten-yard sprints, do you run eight, or do you run ten? If you have to run 60, do you run 58, or 60? Again, it�s a mindset; it�s a habit you create. It�s not really about what you want; it�s what you are willing to do to get it.
�Maybe you have to give something up that may not be a good habit to replace it with a better routine. Whether it�s how you recover, how you sleep, how you spend your free time. Everybody has to make that decision. It�s not just about the freedom to goof off. As a college football player, you have to earn playing time. That�s what it all comes down to.
�If I ask you if you want to be number one, all of you will raise your hands. Nobody says they want to come in second. But are you willing to do what the best do? Your hardest task will be staying motivated and doing what you know you need to do to become that best instead of just doing what you want to do. That�s why high achievers don�t like mediocre people, and mediocre people don�t like high achievers,� David said and looked at each of the twenty signal-callers.
�I think you get what I�m trying to say about college, but let�s talk about the next two days. Up until now, you�ve been working on improving yourselves at Elite 11. I hope you�ve all taken advantage of the world-class coaching that you�re getting. But come Friday, you�ll be competing against each other.
�The biggest tip I can give you is to remember what you�ve learned this week. Coach Trent has created a playbook that will have these pro coaches scratching their heads. Play within yourself and run the plays as drawn. If you do that, I guarantee you�ll succeed,� David said.
◊◊◊
It didn�t take him long to figure out who the best quarterback was this year. It turned out he was the first junior invitee since David had been invited three years ago. His name was Colt Macklin, and he was from Long Beach, a suburb of Los Angeles.
Colt was six-six but only weighed 185 pounds. He wasn�t that strong and not very quick, but David recognized an exceptionally accurate throwing motion when he saw one. That was, until David walked over and stood behind his coach to watch the drill they were doing.
Colt kept glancing back at David while waiting his turn, and once he was up, he began to overthrow everything. It didn�t help that the camera crew was suddenly in his face, drawing Coach Trent�s attention.
�I think I make him nervous,� David told Coach Trent.
�Good. Colt has yet to fail. I want to see how he handles it.�
David kept his opinion to himself, knowing that Elite 11 had their process. It was designed to push quarterbacks past their capabilities. They wanted to see if Colt would melt down under pressure or work through it.
�He�s your number one, isn�t he?� David asked.
Coach Trent gave him a sharp look.
�Who told you that?�
�No one. I have eyes,� David said.
The coach relaxed once he found out that none of his staff had shared that information.
�He is. If he puts on fifteen pounds of muscle, Colt will be the best prospect we�ve seen since you were here,� Coach Trent admitted.
He threw an interception, which had the coach in charge of the drill yelling at him.
�What the hell is wrong with you? You�ve made that throw since day one!�
�Get over here!� David barked.
Everyone turned to see what Coach Trent would say to David interfering.
�You heard the man,� Coach Trent said.
Colt jogged over and looked like he thought David was about to take his head off. The cameraman rushed over to listen in.
�Look, it�s easy to bounce back when you�re down if you�re in the middle of the pack, but not elite. When you�re at the head of the pack, it�s a lot harder to keep pushing to get better. You know that you�re the man to beat, and you let yourself lose focus. Just relax. You have to concentrate on what you�re doing.
�Offensive football is execution and assignment football. Know your job. Carry out your assignment and get it done. I�ve watched you run twelve plays, and you�ve had four bad ones. We both know that you�re better than that,� David said.
�You�re right. It�s just that I�ve always looked up to you, and when you came over, I began to press,� Colt admitted.
�I�ll tell you what. After you�re done today, we can hang out. But you have to get your head back into the game,� David said.
�I�d like that.�
Colt took a moment to gather himself and went back to the drill. Coach Trent was all smiles when he saw Colt throw the next ball flawlessly.
◊◊◊
David met with Colt and his parents after practice. David asked if USC had offered him yet, and was surprised when they hadn�t even contacted him.
David remedied that by calling Bryant Franzese, USC�s recruiting coordinator, with them listening in.
�Bryant, I found our next quarterback at Elite 11. He tells me that we haven�t even offered, and he lives in Long Beach.�
�You mean Colt Macklin?�
�That�s the one.�
�I thought he was a strong Alabama or Clemson lean,� Bryant said.
�That was before David Dawson came to USC,� Colt said.
Bryant called David a trigger word for not warning him that the kid and his family were listening.
�Before my mom has to swing by and pay you a visit, why don�t you talk to Colt�s dad and get the process started,� David suggested as he handed over his phone.
◊◊◊
Coach Trent�s talk went well. He was used to being on TV for the Elite 11 broadcasts and had done thousands of interviews.
Well, it started out that way but devolved into two guys talking football.
Later, Professor Blum suggested a lot of it would have to be cut because they�d gone too far into the weeds for the average fan to follow. But he assured David there was more than enough to make his next show.
David took the professor out to dinner to thank him for his help today and all summer. This class was by far his favorite.
◊◊◊
David showed up forty-five minutes early the following day to stretch and warm up. Thirty minutes into his preparations, the other quarterbacks began to show up and watch. He had a good sweat going when his receivers arrived five minutes before they were to play.
�Did you want to throw us some passes before we start?� one of them asked.
�What�s the point now? I guess we�ll see if you know the plays and can catch a ball. I�ll warn you up front that I�ll be aiming for your face mask, so get your hands up and catch the ball.�
The NFL coaches that had been hired to make life miserable for the Elite 11 signal-callers brought their defensive players to the field. They all looked sweaty and ready to play. David predicted that this wasn�t going to go well for him.
He huddled his team up and called the play.
�Trust that the ball will be there,� were his words of warning as the huddle broke.
�Set! Hike!� David called out.
He�d called an easy crossing play over the middle. When his slotback made his break, the ball was in the air. It hit the kid square in the facemask, all but knocking him off his feet. The ball popped straight up, and the defense was able to intercept it.
David turned his back on the field of play and addressed his fellow quarterbacks. He didn�t let them see his disappointment. Instead, he went into teaching mode.
�When you start winning, human nature, especially when you�re young, is that you get comfortable. We can�t allow ourselves to get comfortable. We have to keep pushing to get better. Each play relies on every player doing their job.
�The offensive line�s job is to protect the quarterback, which I think everyone would agree with. What most people don�t realize is that the wide receivers are also tasked with protecting the quarterback. Lack of interceptions isn�t by accident.
�When an interception�s made, you�ll find the following: 50% of the time it�s the quarterback�s fault, 30% falls on the wide receivers, and the final 20% is due to protection breakdowns. In this case, it was mine because I threw the ball too hard for these receivers,� David said.
He could feel the dirty looks, so he turned around and gave them a wink to indicate he knew that they would catch the rest of his balls.
�When it�s the quarterback, he overstrides, throws a bad ball, or makes a bad read. The receiver runs a wrong route, tips the ball, or doesn�t get open. The quarterback and receivers HAVE to be on the same page. It all starts with coverage recognition,� David said.
He waited until he was sure everyone had heard what he had just said.
�In zone coverage, our job is to throw away from a defender. The wide receiver is responsible for creating space or running to a landmark. All the defenders are looking at the quarterback. That means you can�t stare down your target. If you do, they�ll know where you�re going to throw the ball, and they�ll be there to either disrupt the play or make the pick.
�What that tells us is that you can move the defenders with your eyes, which can create the space to make a throw,� David said.
�What about man coverage?� Coach Trent prompted.
�Our job is to throw to the receiver. The receiver�s job is to win his matchup. The difference between man and zone is that only one guy is really watching the quarterback: the high safety. All you have to do is use your eyes to move him to one side of the field. Then you can come back to the other, find your one-on-one matchups, and pick the open one.
�To understand man coverage, you have to know that a receiver will run one of two types of routes. The first is to run away from you. The ball has one trajectory. That�s a post, that�s a corner route, or that�s a streak.
�In this kind of route, the receiver�s job is to do what�s called �stack.� If you are on the left-hand side of the ball, get inside position and then get your left arm and leg in front of the defensive back as you run down the field. With them pinned or stacked behind you, the defensive back can only stop you with pass interference or let you score a touchdown.
�The second type of route is plays coming back to the quarterback. This is more of a downhill throw. The key is that the receiver has to get leverage on the defensive back. If he doesn�t, the defensive back will be between the quarterback and receiver in position to intercept the ball.
�If you don�t have leverage, then the receiver has to create it. They should run to the defensive back like they plan to run past him. Then they use two hands to move the DB out of the passing lane as they cut to create space,� David explained.
David lined his team up to run another play. He threw a twenty-five-yard down-and-out. This time, his receiver caught it.
David again stopped everything.
�That pass right there is the difference between an average quarterback and a superior one. Being able to complete that pass puts the defense on notice that they have to cover the whole field. After you hit a couple of those, the rest of your passes will be easier,� he shared.
On the next snap, David ran the same play with a wrinkle. The NFL guys were crafty, and he knew they would jump the route. On a down-and-out that deep, the ball had to cover a good distance, making it easier to intercept if you knew it was coming.
David pumped his arm, which caused the defensive back to make his move. The receiver cut straight up the field, and there was a collective gasp as he ran free. Normally, David would have let the ball go right then, but he wanted to show off. He held it a beat longer and launched a bomb. The ball traveled about sixty-five yards in the air.
He held his breath because he would look foolish if the receiver dropped it. He let a slight smile touch his face as his man hauled it in for the score. David made a point to look like he expected the outcome.
Towards the end, one of the receivers made a nice run.
�All the way through. All the way through. Good effort running, number 83. But I just have one question. If you ran the last one faster than the other five, what�s holding you back?� David asked.
The kid gave David a sheepish look. He knew David was right to call him out.
�I�m not asking you to do something you can�t do. I�m not asking you to grow two inches or run twice as fast. I�m asking that you do things that you can control. As our competition gets tougher, the margin of error will become smaller. Our detail and exactness have to be there. Just do your best on every play,� David suggested.
�With that, we have to get to work,� Coach Trent said.
◊◊◊
David returned home to a mixed bag. Cassidy looked guilty, Dare was moping, Corvus was excited, and Ruth looked pissed. It was no surprise he decided to talk to Corvus.
�We fixed it!� the young man shared.
�No more getting dizzy and losing your lunch?� David asked.
�Using 135 synchronized cameras was too much for the VR software to handle all at once without a lot more processing power. But it did help us figure out some stuff.�
�Like what?�
�The best placement of the three cameras is at 120-degree separation at a 60-degree down angle. When placed like that, the VR software gives us a flat eye-level view,� Corvus explained.
�You�ve used Google Maps?� Dare asked as he finally warmed to their conversation.
�You mean where you pick the little guy to walk you down the street?� David asked.
�That�s the view we�re talking about, but far more sophisticated. Now that we have the camera angles worked out, we�ll add multiple single 360-degree cameras around the field from above to allow for amazing VR eye-level images,� Dare shared.
�But we need more processing power,� Corvus blurted.
�We can keep the cost down if we build a PC ourselves,� Dare quickly added.
Corvus nodded vigorously. Cassidy raised her eyebrows at David to ask if he was really falling for their ploy to build a kick-ass PC. David was enough of a guy to be sucked in because he could only imagine how he would rule the gaming world if he had one.
�If you made a second PC for me, would it give me an edge in gaming?� David asked.
�If you let us have some bitcoins, I could get you AMD�s experimental Atomic Threadripper. There�s talk that they may only sell this model to the military, but we found a Chinese source on the darknet that claims to have access to the processor. It�s rumored to have more than twice as many cores as the current state-of-the-art and double that many threads, and ��
Corvus started to talk about multiple GPUs, but Dare held up his hand to stop him and then turned to David.
�Not too long ago, this kind of processing power would have cost millions. It would make your gaming opponents look like they were all on dial-up modems,� he said to dumb it down. �Old ones.�
Cassidy walked out of the room when David started dancing an excited little jig. She knew that Dare had just talked David out of more money.
◊◊◊
�You realize that Darius is playing you, right?� Cassidy asked when David came to find her.
He chuckled.
�It makes him feel superior, so I play along.�
�His ego did need a boost,� she shared.
�Veronica?�
�Yep. She got invited to sail on some rich USC donor�s yacht to Cabo San Lucas for the next three weeks. She told Dare that he was a nice distraction, but she couldn�t miss an opportunity like this.�
�Distraction?� he asked, and she nodded. �That sucks.�
�It gets better. Dare and Corvus wanted to get some
�The one in the sketchy neighborhood?� he asked with a bit of worry in his voice.
�They got propositioned. I�m pretty sure Corvus took the girl up on her offer.�
�You don�t know for sure?�
�I wasn�t about to go into the alley and watch,� she said to draw him a graphic picture.
David rubbed his temple, trying to make the sudden headache go away. He understood now how his mom used to get them when he did something stupid. The two boys were old enough to make their own decisions, but he somehow felt responsible for keeping them safe.
�Did Dare?� he asked.
�No. This was before Veronica told him about her trip.�
�No more tacos for those two,� he ordered.
�Maybe the housekeeper could ��
�No! They can use their hands like most guys do while they�re here.�
When they�d lived in the dorm, Alex had paid their housekeeper extra for special services. David had walked in on his roommate getting head more than once. Alex was much more worldly than these two, even though it didn�t sound like it right now.
�How did that work for you once you started to have sex?� Cassidy asked.
He gave her a dirty look and left her chuckling. David might not be the best example of circumspect behavior.
He did have one evil thought. When he lost his virginity, his mom had quickly found out. David still shuddered when he relived her taking him to buy condoms. Added to that, the girl had shared with his mother how big his dick was. His mom had stuck the dagger in and twisted it with her comment that �at least she didn�t call you �pencil dick.��
Maybe Dare�s mom should be filled in on Veronica. Then again, the kid would probably die if his mother discovered her little boy was now a man. Thinking back, David might have helped dig the hole if he knew what would happen once his mother learned of his activities.
◊◊◊
David was given a note by one of the team managers. He was being summoned to Coach Clayton�s office. He had a pretty good idea what the meeting was about.
Over the last few days, they�d been testing the VR stuff. Yesterday, Dare had announced that it was time to do full-scale testing. David had to agree because what he�d been able to see in the latest sessions wowed him.
They�d filmed him working with his former high school teammate, Bill Callaway. Bill was penciled in as either a wide receiver or slotback this fall and was willing to practice with anyone who would throw him passes. They�d focused on running fade routes into the end zone since that was where the cameras were set up.
By the time David had finished practice and spent some stress-relief time with Colleen, Dare had sent him a text saying the practice session had been rendered and was ready for him.
As soon as David put on the headgear, he was hooked. He had selfishly checked himself out first, which turned out to be a massive mistake. David would watch thousands of hours of game and practice footage of himself throwing a football. This was utterly different when he was able to see each pass from every angle.
Being a student of the game, David had a better idea of how a quarterback should throw a ball than most. When he saw himself in VR, David discovered was that he wasn�t nearly as good as he thought he was. David found hundreds of nitpicky things that all added up to him only being average.
If he got nothing else from this VR equipment, this would be enough. It was a wake-up call that if he expected his teammates to bust their butts to stack days, he had to as well. To this point, he�d thought he had been.
David was concerned enough that he�d reached out to his former quarterback coach, Bo Harrington. Bo�s wife wasn�t thrilled that the call came at three in the morning their time � which David felt terrible about since he hadn�t realized he�d been on the system that long. When she finally woke her husband up, he�d been more understanding.
David promised to ship him a tablet and VR headgear so he could see what David was talking about. In return, Bo made David promise that once Dare and Corvus had everything working, Western Michigan would be the second school to get the VR system.
The following day, David had called Jaxson Pettis, who reached out to Hank Manalo to install cameras around all the practice fields.
Someone�Matt Long�had tattled. Coach Clayton had come out to stop the installation, but the facilities manager held his ground, saying he worked for the athletic department, not Coach Clayton. It seemed that was news to the head coach.
That was when David�s name was mentioned. When David found out, he�d called the athletic director to warn Jaxson that he might get a call from his head football coach. The AD had made David promise to show him the software, which was planned for later that day. He suggested that David invite Coach Clayton to that demonstration.
◊◊◊
�The red seven will go on the black eight,� David said.
�Ah!�
�Ow!�
When David came in, Rachel was sitting out in front of the coaches� offices, playing solitaire on her phone. She hadn�t heard him, so he�d walked behind her chair to see if she was doing something naughty. When he�d offered his helpful suggestion, she�d freaked out, and somehow her phone had shot out of her hand and hit him under his right eye.
�If you broke my phone ��
�What is it with you and your made-up threats?� David asked, looking injured.
�You are so infuriating sometimes. No wonder Coach Clayton is talking about sending you back to play defense.�
He gave her a confused look, and Rachel quickly realized that she shouldn�t have said anything.
�Why don�t you let Coach Clayton tell me that?� David suggested.
�He said to send you right in,� she responded once she�d gathered her thoughts.
�Thank you,� he said and started to walk away but stopped. �Is your phone working?�
She looked down at it and tried a few things.
�It�s fine.�
David nodded and then went to face his head coach.
◊◊◊
David found the coach�s door closed, so he knocked.
�Enter!�
David opened the door and found the head coach was with his offensive, defensive, and recruiting coordinators.
�Have a seat. I think we need to clear the air,� Coach Clayton said.
David sat down and noted that the three coordinators looked uncomfortable, while Coach Clayton put on his best used-car-salesman persona.
It was funny how David had learned to read people. When he was younger, he was only aware of what affected him. David was always the last to know stuff, like if two people were interested in each other. Since he started acting, he�d become acutely mindful of his surroundings and the people in them. He�d had to learn that for his craft.
Coach Clayton was about to sell him something.
�Bryant tells me that you�ve been helping him with recruiting, that you�ve also gotten the freshmen and a few others coming to his office to ask how they can help, too. Now, I�m not big on social media�that�s what I pay Bryant for�but he�s shared that you�ve become a �brand ambassador� for USC football, which has him excited. He tells me that your little TV show on the Internet has become a must-see for the kids we�re after.
�Coach Farrow said that you had a three-minute conversation with Todd Davis, and he couldn�t wait to sign. Now Coach Thomas is all but having kittens because you talked to Colt Macklin, and he wants to come to our football camp. When he�d indicated that he was a heavy Alabama or Clemson lean, we�d backed off.
�I�ve also been told that you organized additional voluntary workouts, and the whole freshman class has been attending, along with many of the backups. What made us realize that you were vital was that when you went to Elite 11, only the freshmen worked out on their own.
�I wanted to tell you that we couldn�t be more impressed with your efforts and would like to reward them. I would like to officially move you to offense,� Coach Clayton finally said.
Coach Farrow looked away because he�d let the cat out of the bag several weeks ago at David�s �welcome to campus� party for the freshmen.
David put a smile on his face.
�Why, thank you, sir.�
Coach Clayton looked pleased with himself as he glanced at his coordinators as if to say, �told you so.�
�I also heard that you�re working on a virtual-reality gizmo. If you think it�ll help you be a better quarterback, I�m behind it.�
David had to keep telling himself that he didn�t want to be in an open battle with Coach Clayton just yet.
After spring football practice, David had finally come to his senses and decided to do everything he could to make USC football relevant again. His plans had started to gain some momentum, and he didn�t need the head coach throwing a wrench into the works and slowing him down.
The critical tipping point for his relationship with Coach Clayton would come the Monday after the first game in the fall. If he named Matt Long the starter, either Coach Clayton or David would have to go. If David was leaving, he would do so by the time the spring semester started.
With Coach Clayton getting what he wanted, he kicked everyone out of his office.
Once outside and out of earshot, David stopped the other three men.
�Do you have a minute? I want to show you this virtual-reality gizmo and see if we can come up with some ideas on how to use it.�
�I�m in. If David says it can help, I want to listen,� Coach Farrow said.
David knew that Bryant would want to see what he was talking about. David didn�t know Coach Thomas as well since he ran the offense.
�I�d like to see it,� the offensive coordinator said without hesitation.
Hearing that made David begin to hope that the two of them would work well together.
◊◊◊
He let all three of them experience wearing the VR headgear. Meanwhile, everyone else could see on the tablet what the wearer was looking at. With VR, you had much more control. Bryant had zoomed in on a bead of sweat on David�s forehead and then slow-motioned as it dripped off his eyebrow.
At the end of his demonstration, David thought there might be a fistfight over who got to take the gear home with them.
�Where did you get this?� Coach Thomas asked.
�I have two MIT undergrads with far too much brainpower and too much time on their hands. They came up with all this. They�re currently living in my townhouse while they work on it,� he shared.
�Can they have it up and working by the high school football camp we�re hosting?� Bryant asked.
David saw the light bulb go on for the other two coaches. Most of the recruits USC wanted would attend. The ones on the fence might come if they were promised something worthwhile. David was not so far removed from going to camps and recognized that he would have jumped at the opportunity to attend one that promised VR of all your plays. It would be like you were your very own video-game avatar.
The serious ones would quickly grasp what a game-changer this could be for their development.
David knew for a fact that he would
◊◊◊
After leaving the coaches, David met with Dare and Corvus to share the news. There had been some hand-wringing since yesterday when Coach Clayton had questioned what they were doing. Hearing that everything was a go had them both bouncing around.
David almost swallowed his teeth when they wanted to go get tacos to celebrate.
◊◊◊
Bart Easley, her ex-fianc�, was calling. The question was, should she ignore it or take the call.
�Hello,� Colleen said after a mental coin flip.
�Hey. I�m at the airport in Paris. I wanted to give you a heads-up that I�m coming home.�
�What? Why? Aren�t you scheduled to film through October?�
�We were, but one of the stupid actors got caught with his pants down. They�ve suspended filming while there�s an internal investigation,� Bart shared.
�Internal investigation? That doesn�t sound good. Who was it?� she asked.
�Okay, but if I tell you, you can�t tell anyone.�
�I promise.�
�Ben Cowley.�
�Isn�t he the lead?� Colleen asked.
�I know!� Bart said excitedly. �This guy is so screwed. If you only knew ��
�Tell me.�
�Okay, but you didn�t hear it from me. The rumor is that Ben hooked up with a girl back in LA. She was the PA for some famous actors. I�ve seen her around, and I have to say that she�s smokin� hot. Anyway, the girl claims that she and Ben hooked up but that he videoed it without her knowing about it. I guess Ben used the video to blackmail the woman into working for him,� he shared.
�And?�
He chuckled.
�I heard that he forced her to be his sex slave.�
�No way!� Colleen exclaimed
�That�s what I thought, but with the whole #MeToo movement and all the fuss around that, they couldn�t take the chance. I overheard that they may recast him just to be safe.�
�How have they kept this out of the press? Something this juicy has to leak out.�
�He has two movies premiering over the holiday weekend. There is no way the studio would allow something like that to get out. It would kill ticket sales,� he explained.
She scoffed.
�Yes, God forbid a woman forced into sexual bondage might come before the almighty dollar.�
�They�re calling my flight. The reason I called was to see if you would pick me up from the airport.�
Colleen contemplated what to say.
�I don�t know ��
�I understand, but I was hoping we were still friends. I�ve missed you,� Bart said.
�Okay. I�d like that. Message me the flight information.�
�You�re the best,� he said and then hung up.
Colleen�s stomach twisted unpleasantly when she thought of David. If she only knew what they were. Were they dating? Was he just sleeping with her? The only time he�d taken her out was to grab breakfast and buy a buttload of condoms. They�d then made a severe dent in the new supply.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Gail returned from class.
�Why are you looking all gloomy? Isn�t the sex god coming over soon?�
�I�m trying to figure out how I feel about David,� Colleen admitted.
Her roommate�s eyebrows disappeared into her bangs, so she tried to explain.
�Sure, he�s hot. Sure, he could probably melt panties and unhook bras just by looking at a girl the right way. And he�s richer than Midas. And has wicked eyes and a smile that makes me want to do naughty things. But none of that means anything.�
�For someone who doesn�t want to have her panties melted, you�re sure spending an awful lot of time cataloging his qualities.�
�Is it just sex?!� she said, throwing her hands up in the air.
�What aren�t you telling me?�
Colleen bit her bottom lip. Gail was the one person who knew her the best.
�Bart called.�
�And?�
�He misses me,� she mumbled.
�You can�t be serious! You were finally getting over him. I personally endorse your method of doing so. I would think that having David A. Dawson in your bed would chase all thoughts of Bart right out of your head.�
Colleen thought about it for a moment. Maybe her roommate had a point. A good session with David would help her clear her mind, even though Bart was the love of her life.
◊◊◊
That cocky, jovial, infuriatingly attractive smile was on his face as she answered the door before he�d finished knocking. Colleen didn�t even let him step inside before she grabbed him and pulled him into a kiss. He tried to mumble something, the words mixed with laughter and muffled against her lips. Strong arms wrapped around her waist, pushing her into the living room while his security woman stepped in behind them before the door closed.
�Hey, David,� Gail happily called from the couch.
David�s lips pulled away as he winked at her roommate.
��Sup,� he said with a head bob.
�What are you watching?� Ruth asked Gail as she joined her on the couch.
Colleen touched David�s chin and guided his lips to hers. He got the message and began to kiss her again. His hands were just as busy as hers, pushing beneath her shirt and up to Colleen�s breasts. David�s tongue flicked against her lips as he kissed her back eagerly while they stumbled to her bedroom.
He reached back and closed the door.
�Did you miss me?� David asked.
She didn�t answer. Colleen undid his belt, unfastened the button, and unzipped his pants. She shoved his hands away and pushed him so his back was against the bedroom door. That made him bark out a laugh in surprise.
Then they heard pounding on the wall from the neighbors.
�Seriously! Do we have to listen to this every day?� a muffled male voice complained.
That made David laugh harder. His laugh turned into a moan when Colleen fell to her knees, pulled his pants and boxers to his thighs, and wrapped her fingers around his quickly stiffening cock. He grunted when she took him in her mouth and tried to devour him.
Colleen gagged when the head of his cock lodged in the entrance of her throat.
�Easy, baby. No need to choke,� he said soothingly.
She pulled him out of her mouth.
�I want to swallow all of you.�
�Well � let�s try a different angle,� he suggested. �Get undressed and then lie back on the bed.�
She quickly stripped and then lay on her back on the bed.
�Before we start, I want you to get an idea of what you are about to do,� he said.
David pointed at the mirror on the closet door. She could see him step up and rest his balls on her lips as he laid his thick cock on her throat. The monster touched the hollow of her neck. It would fill her throat.
�Are you sure?� David asked.
She nodded �yes.�
�Here�s what we�re going to do. I�m going to position you so your head hangs off the edge of the bed. That will give me a straight shot. I want you to put your hands on my thighs, and all you have to do is tap my leg, and I�ll pull back,� he assured her.
�I trust you.�
�I�ve heard that it helps if you try to swallow when you feel me at the entrance of your throat,� David coached.
�You mean others have deep-throated you?�
He smiled and nodded.
That made her more determined.
�Let�s do this,� Colleen announced.
David grasped her shoulders and positioned her where he wanted. He then grabbed his dick and put the head against her lips. Colleen glanced over at the mirror and momentarily had doubts as she saw the lance she was about to swallow.
His dick slid across her tongue as he pushed deeper. When it touched the back of her mouth, Colleen gagged and tapped his thighs. David pulled out as she gathered herself. She nodded, and they repeated the process. This time, when Colleen began to gag, she remembered what he�d said and swallowed. The head of David�s cock found its way into her throat.
He held it there for a beat, then pulled out as she gasped for air.
�Holy cow, that was amazing. You can now say you�ve deep-throated,� David praised her.
�Fuck my throat. I want to feel you cum deep inside me.�
�Baby, I don�t want to hurt you,� he worried.
�Would it give you pleasure?� she asked.
�Well, yeah, but there�s other stuff we could do,� David said.
�Don�t be a wuss and waffle on me,� Colleen said.
�I�m not waffling.�
But he was. He was waffling and knew it.
�I would absolutely love to fuck your throat,� he said after he came to his senses.
�Good. I want to give the neighbors an audio show today,� Colleen said with an evil glint.
�I�m all in,� David decided.
He positioned his dick back in her mouth. She could feel it twitch before he began to saw it back and forth against her tongue. David worked it deeper and deeper as Colleen relished the feel of it thickening in her mouth. He groaned as he reached down and began to play with her pussy.
Something Colleen liked about David was he was so tall. He could easily thrust his cock into her mouth while sliding his long fingers through her folds.
�Jesus, you�re wet,� he moaned.
David shoved two digits inside her and found her G-spot. Colleen loved that he thought of her pleasure while she sucked him.
When he found the right spot, he began to aggressively try to bring her off. Colleen rolled up so he could more easily work her over. That was when he thrust forward, and she swallowed half his cock. She could feel it sliding in and out of her throat.
Colleen attempted to focus solely on him, refusing to think of her ex, refusing to remember how angry she�d been for months after the breakup. Her only goal was to get David to shoot his cum down her throat.
Wet, sloshing noises came from both her mouth and stretched pussy. He was a master at making her cum, and she could feel all the telltale signs of a big one. The bed was creaking, and they were both moaning. It wasn�t a surprise when there was pounding on the wall again.
She screamed around his cock as her orgasm crashed through her system. David slammed his hips forward, and she found her chin jammed against his pubic bone as he shoved his cock all the way down her throat. Colleen felt it pulse as jets of cum fired into her gullet.
�Oh, yes! Oh, my fucking God!� David bellowed as she pushed on his thighs.
His cock dislodged and sprayed her face again and again. He collapsed on the bed next to her and rolled onto his back.
�I vote we do that again,� he gasped.
She got the giggles because he�d sounded so � uh � earnest.
Something else she loved about him was that after one cum, he was still hard. She wiggled over to the nightstand and found a condom. Colleen tossed it so it landed on his chest.
�Put that on and get to work,� she said as she rolled on her knees and wiggled her bottom at him.
Colleen knew that people might think she was a wanton hussy. But what was the saying? If they were passing around pie, you ate pie. If David A. Dawson was in your bed, you took full advantage.
Colleen had seen that, at times, David could be cocky. He could talk himself out of or into almost anything and charm his way into the rest. The thing about David, what had stolen her heart, was that he was, in fact, a good person beneath all of it. And most everyone realized that.
Seriously, what guy would have worried about Colleen�s well-being when she�d announced that she wanted him to fuck her throat? They would just say, �hell yes� and jam it in. Instead, David had made sure she�d gotten as much pleasure as he did. That was why she kept asking him back into her bed, even without knowing where their relationship stood.
All her thoughts left her as he pushed his cock into her from behind. She knew this was his favorite position. Colleen also loved it because he completely filled her.
�Guys put too much emphasis on tightness and not enough on how warm and wonderful it feels to be inside a woman,� David announced.
�I�m not sure if that�s a compliment or not,� she complained.
�I�m just saying you�re not a little girl. You�re all woman, and you should never take that as a slight.�
Before Colleen could say anything else, David began to thrust against her backside. They each now knew what the other liked, and she loved when he took her with long, slow thrusts. He would pull almost all the way out where only the tip was in her and then slam forward so his balls slapped her clit.
And after he came for the first time, David could go almost all night long.
She could feel his hands trace down her back, tickling along her spine until his fingers reached her bottom. He gripped her cheeks and spread them apart as he leaned forward and kissed the back of her neck.
Then disaster struck. David�s cock pulled all the way out and popped up as he thrust forward. It was like nothing she�d ever experienced before as his monster member was suddenly balls-deep in her ass. She collapsed onto the bed as David followed her down, keeping himself buried.
�What the fuck! You�re in my ass!� Colleen cried out.
�Frick, your ass is tight. Don�t move, or I�ll cum,� David warned.
�Get it out of my ass!�
Through the wall, they heard a woman�s voice.
�Just because he did it doesn�t mean you�re getting anal! No way!�
They both began to chuckle.
Colleen was still trying to catch her breath when her body betrayed her, and she came.
�Holy fuck! Did you just cum?!� David asked. �It feels incredible, like your ass is milking my dick.�
Something crashed against the wall from the other side, and then through the wall, they heard stomping, followed by a door slamming.
�Are you okay?� David asked.
His voice was hardly recognizable. It was like he was gritting his teeth not to explode, but there was an underlying tone of equal parts lust and caring.
�I�m fine,� she whispered.
�Do you think I should �?�
Colleen didn�t hesitate, didn�t even think.
�Yes.�
David took her ass in the prone position. Thoughts of the wrongness or potential pain disappeared as his dick made her feel wonderful.
�This is so hot,� David observed.
Her ass clenched around him, pulsating as she started to feel pleasure.
�Oh, fuck,� she groaned.
Her voice sounded strangled.
It was hard to explain. Colleen had never felt like this with a cock in her pussy. She loved sex, but she couldn�t say that she�d felt every single ridge, every bump of a guy�s shaft. And the tightness, the way her body resisted him at first before almost pulling him in. The only way she could describe it was that it was intense.
�Colleen?� he asked, half-groaning and half-concerned.
�Harder,� she gasped.
�All right then, baby. Game on,� David said as his hips surged forward.
◊◊◊
They cuddled after whatever that was. Colleen felt like she could sleep for the next week.
�I think it�s time we take this show on the road,� David said.
�You want to fuck me in public?�
�No � well, yes, but that�s not what I�m suggesting. How would you like me to fly you up to San Francisco? I thought we could go to The Shota. It�s supposed to have seafood flown in from the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo every day.�
�Are you asking me out on a date?� Colleen asked, sitting up.
�After what we just did, I thought it was probably time to take our relationship to the next level,� David said with his cocky look that drove her crazy.
�You�re a smartass. That�s not what taking a relationship to the next level means.�
�I guess I could tie you up next time.�
�Shut up. Yes.�
David sat up.
�I can tie you up?�
�No, you can fly me to San Francisco and feed me sushi.�
�It�s a date,� David promised and kissed her cheek.
He bounced out of bed and hit the shower. They�d figured out that if he stayed, neither one of them would have gotten any studying done.
She threw a robe on and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water.
�You let him �?� Gail asked from the couch.
�It just sort of happened.�
�Will it happen again?�
Colleen thought it over for a second, then enthusiastically nodded �yes.�
�Slut,� Gail said with a smirk.
David came out.
�You ready to go?� he asked Ruth.
�We haven�t completed the debrief of your bedroom activities, sir.�
It sounded like David actually growled at her. Ruth hopped up and gave Colleen a smile as they left.
◊◊◊
Why did she agree to pick Bart up from the airport? The traffic to and from was terrible. On the way to his apartment, Colleen learned that he�d let it go because he hadn�t planned to be back until October, and now he wanted to stay with her.
She�d called Gail, and they agreed to let him crash on the couch until he figured out other living arrangements.
Colleen�d had to go to class. When she returned, Gail hadn�t returned home yet, and Bart was sleeping in her bed.
�What are you doing?� she asked.
�Sorry, but that couch is the most uncomfortable thing I�ve ever lain on.�
�This isn�t what we agreed to. Plus, I have to get ready for a date.�
Bart looked shocked.
�What? You expected me to just pine away forever about you dumping me?� she asked.
�No. I don�t know what I was thinking,� Bart admitted.
Then he looked determined and crawled out of bed, clad in only his boxers. Colleen couldn�t help but compare him to David. That wasn�t fair because not many men would measure up.
Bart was on the shorter side at five-eight. His body was thin with no muscle definition. She was surprised when he pulled her close and kissed her. She was even more surprised when she didn�t push him away.
Bart had been in her life since she started college. The man had asked her to marry him, and she�d gladly accepted. The only hiccup was when he�d inexplicably broken off their engagement on Valentine�s Day. Even after, Colleen had never stopped loving him.
Before she knew what was going on, she was in bed with him, and they were having sex.
◊◊◊
�Hey, you about ready?� David asked as he stuck his head in the door.
Colleen jerked, realizing she�d fallen asleep.
�What�s going on?� Bart asked and then all but fell out of bed when he saw David glaring down at the two of them.
�You fucked this little weasel without a condom?� David roared.
�I can explain,� Colleen all but begged.
Ruth was suddenly at David�s side, and he went to his knees.
�Sorry, sir, but I can�t let you kill them.�
David blinked a few times and stood up.
�I�m good,� he told Ruth.
He looked at Colleen for a long moment.
�Cassidy was right; you were just a summer fling. I was kidding myself to think we had anything else going. Have a nice life,� he said and turned to leave.
�Wait! You�re David A. Dawson ��
�Back up right now, or I�ll snap that chicken wing of an arm right off,� Ruth threatened Bart.
Colleen burst into tears and ran into the bathroom.
She heard the front door slam. She�d royally messed up.
◊◊◊
Crystal was standing out front of her apartment complex, contemplating what to do. After the whole �anal� fight with Matt, she�d finally had enough. The boy was too much work to put up with his childish shit. She spotted David and his security person entering the building, all dressed up.
Crystal noted how happy he looked. And if what she heard every afternoon was what she thought it was, he had every right to be. The problem was, his happiness was the root of her troubles. It made Crystal realize that she didn�t need to settle for someone like Matt. She should look for a man who was everything she wanted.
But right now, her biggest concern was living arrangements. She couldn�t spend another moment in that apartment with Matt, and without him, she couldn�t afford to live there. Her father controlled the purse strings and only allocated so much for rent.
If she moved out, the fallout was that Matt couldn�t afford the rent, either. That was going to leave Taylor in a bind. Talking to Taylor about the situation was at the top of her priority list.
What made it worse was that the thought of having to move back in with her mom made her stomach knot up. Living with her dad was out of the question. Her best option might be to live out of her car until school started in the fall.
To her surprise, David came back out and didn�t look happy. She noted that the girl with him had a stern expression as well.
�What�s wrong?�
�Oh, nothing.� He shrugged, and his smile returned. �Just a stupid thought.�
�I�m sure it has plenty of company,� she quipped.
�I know that we don�t particularly like each other, but I was wondering if you had any plans for the rest of the day?� David asked.
�Why do you ask?�
�I made arrangements to fly Colleen to San Francisco for dinner at a fancy sushi restaurant. I guess they fly in their seafood from Japan each day.�
�Are you referring to The Shota?� Crystal asked. David nodded �yes.� �I�ve always wanted to go there.�
She�d heard her dad go on about the place. While she hadn�t ever tried sushi, it sounded like something to get her mind off her current troubles.
�It�s your lucky day. Would you like to accompany me? While I love Ruth�s company, I have reservations for three,� he said.
�Is that why you�re all dressed up?�
�I can dress up in a monkey suit and wave my little hat around with the best of them,� he said.
�I�d love to,� she said and then frowned. �But I don�t have anything to wear.�
She expected David to ask why, but he surprised her.
�Details. Why don�t I take you shopping and buy you a dress?� David asked.
�I couldn�t ��
David leaned in close.
�I have to buy Ruth one, anyway. If I say we�re shopping for you, she might go along with it,� he stage-whispered.
Ruth�s eyes narrowed, but it didn�t seem to faze him.
�Just say �yes,�� David pressed.
She could only think of one reason why she shouldn�t.
�What about Colleen?�
She saw a flicker of irritation, but he gave her a sad smile.
�We�re through. What about Matt?�
�I broke up with him.�
�Perfect. I think we both need to get out of town,� David said as he started for the car.
Crystal hurried to catch up. She noted that he had a Porsche SUV. This was much nicer than walking with Matt.
◊◊◊
Crystal hadn�t realized that David would be the pilot when he�d said �fly� her to San Francisco. He went through his flight checklist while she and Ruth got comfortable in the cabin.
�When he went into the apartment building, David looked happy. Is there a chance he and Colleen will get back together?�
From Ruth�s body language, she knew the answer was �no way in hell.�
�I�m sorry, ma�am, but I can�t really discuss anything involving David.�
�Can you say anything about Colleen?�
Ruth gave her a curious look as she thought it through.
�I�ll just say that she will regret her choice.�
�She dumped him?!� Crystal asked as she jumped to the correct conclusion.
Ruth looked out the window and wouldn�t answer her. David boarded the plane and went into the cockpit.
◊◊◊
The two girls officially introduced themselves.
�Ruth.�
�Crystal.�
Then they fell silent as the plane taxied to the runway and took off.
If her mom knew that David A. Dawson was whisking her away to San Francisco to have dinner at The Shota, she would be elated. Her mother had grown up dirt poor. She�d always drummed into Crystal that the most critical criterion in finding a man was the size of his wallet or the potential for a payday.
After dating Matt, Crystal had begun to question that approach.
Her grandfather had always said, �You don�t always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go, and see what happens.�
Crystal had zero expectations for tonight. Knowing that let her relax.
�How is it, working for David?�
�It�s been interesting. I suspect that come the end of summer, I�ll be reassigned. The only security work I�ve really done was a couple of parties and the random high school girl that shows up on his doorstep,� Ruth shared.
�High school girls?�
�Yeah, they have a crush on him and just know that if they could meet, he would realize they are meant to be together.�
�I bet being around him for a bit would shatter that illusion,� Crystal said.
�I don�t know about that. I had a crush on David before taking the assignment, and I found he wasn�t exactly what I expected. He�s actually better.
�I�ve been security for a few Hollywood types, and David is nothing like them. Yes, he likes sex, but I never saw him go after another woman once he was with Colleen. I mean, he is a flirt, but it�s never creepy, if you know what I mean,� Ruth said.
�I�m dreading being single again. By now, I think I�ve heard about every pickup line known to man. I wish I could be single and not have anyone chase me.�
�Personally, I�ve never had that problem. I�ve seen David deal with it, though. I swear he�s coated in Teflon. When women hit on him, he acts like he doesn�t even notice, but he does it with a smile that leaves them okay with the rejection.�
�Unfortunately, that doesn�t work with drunk frat boys. I�ve had more than one try to force the issue,� Crystal said.
�That�s terrible, ma�am.�
�They came to their senses when I explained that no sorority would ever allow them or their fraternity brothers to darken their doors again if that was how they treated women. None of them wanted to be the guy that screwed all his frat brothers just to get into my pants.�
The intercom came on.
�We will be landing in ten minutes, so buckle up.�
◊◊◊
David had hired a limo for the day. Once they got settled, he had some news.
�I called a friend and told her that you two needed dresses. She called in a favor and found a fashion stylist who�s meeting us. I told her that you might need some other things as well, so if you like something, get it.�
When they were almost to the store, David got a call.
�Hey, thanks for calling me. Who was that guy?�
Crystal saw his eyebrows go together, and then he closed his eyes and sighed.
�Thanks, Gail.�
She knew that was Colleen�s roommate.
�I�m sorry it didn�t work out either. Ruth wants to know if she can come over and hang out with you and watch TV,� David said as he glanced at his security gal.
She took it well. Crystal mused that Ruth was used to David joking around.
�Sounds good. Maybe we can have lunch now and then.�
He hung up.
�So, who was that guy?� Ruth asked.
�Her ex-fianc�.�
Ruth just nodded.
◊◊◊
David decided to remain in the car as Crystal and Ruth met Kelly. The woman was the dream shopping companion.
While Kelly ran around the store finding stuff for them to try on, Crystal had a question for Ruth.
�Did he mean it when he said to buy whatever we want?�
�I asked our roommate the very same question about groceries. David allows her to order anything she wants and has it delivered. She told me that he likes doing stuff like that for people. What he hates is them questioning him about his generosity. She told me that if David has a problem with something, he will let you know.
�I�ve come to take him at his word. I would caution you not to go too overboard,� Ruth said.
�I don�t want to go back to my place just yet and didn�t bring any clothes.�
�Then I�ll buy some extra items, too. David�s always teasing me about looking �too professional,�� Ruth said.
�Thank you.�
They didn�t find the dresses for the evening in the first place, so Kelly led them to the limo and had the driver deposit what they�d bought so far in the trunk. She climbed into the limo as if she belonged.
�Adrienne told me that you needed my help, too. Is the jacket two or three years old?� she asked David.
He looked up from his phone and smiled.
�Two. It�s a Dakora.�
�And two years ago, you were thinner. We need to get you into something that shows off your muscles.�
He tilted his head and then gave her a big smile.
�I probably do need a few things. My mom is planning something for my birthday. I bet she expects me to look nice.�
Kelly gave him a once-over and nodded. It was lucky they had four hours to kill before dinner.
◊◊◊
Kelly declared that they looked like a million bucks. Both Crystal and Ruth were in a daze when they were done. David had gone whole hog and replaced their wardrobes. He�d even gotten Ruth to take three cocktail dresses, one of which was the little red number that she had on.
David had bought a Giorgio Armani cream-colored wraparound double-breasted suit. They�d made the alterations while the girls had shopped for dresses.
Crystal had decided on a daring black dress. When she said �daring,� it was because it was designed to be worn braless. Since she�d been thirteen, Crystal had never gone without one.
When David had seen it on her, she knew she�d made the right choice. His laser-like look had caused her nipples to stiffen, which made her feel desired. That was something she needed at the moment.
�I think that one works,� was his only comment.
When they arrived at The Shota, there was a line outside. They were escorted to the entrance by the head bouncer, a dour-faced giant in a three-piece suit. He looked strong enough to bench press a pickup truck and mean enough to card his own grandmother. His steely gaze lit on each person they passed, challenging them to sneak by him.
The whole trip inside, the paparazzi were taking their pictures. David ignored their shouted questions as they were led into the restaurant.
�Welcome to The Shota. I�m Shar, and I�ll be taking care of you tonight.�
The man led them to their table. Shar turned out to be the manager and sake sommelier. Crystal looked around; the place was super-classy and modern. Bright and airy. Great instrumental music played but didn�t distract from the experience.
�I�m not a fan of sake. Do you have wine?� David asked.
�We can send someone out to get some. I would recommend a Riesling. Traditionally, Rieslings were considered an after-dinner dessert wine. It has a reputation for being crisp and refreshing. As far as flavors go, Rieslings can be sweet, medium sweet, to dry. When you�re eating sushi, a dry Riesling will pair best with the meal,� Shar answered.
�I prefer red wine,� Crystal said.
�I would suggest a Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley. It has striking similarities to wines from France�s Burgundy region, which is also a winemaking hub. The areas share the same latitude. The grapes used in Willamette Valley Pinot Noir are hardy and robust for this colder region. The wine itself is flavorful but also delicate, which sets it apart from most red wines.
�Willamette Pinots have a well-deserved reputation for being light, fruity, and very easy to drink. It makes a perfect choice for fish,� Shar suggested.
�You said you would have to go out to get it?� David asked.
�Yes, but for a customer like you, we would be glad to do it.�
�It�s just that I have a driver. If you send someone out and tell him what to get and where to go, he would get a bottle or two for us.�
�Yes, of course.�
Shar then introduced the three to their personal chef, Ingi, who happened to also be the owner. He gave a rundown of the menu and used many Japanese terms that had both Ruth and Crystal confused. David understood what the chef was saying, which made Ingi happy.
�They have something they call
�I like tuna,� Ruth said.
David said something in Japanese, which made Chef Ingi laugh.
�I told him you preferred the canned version. Honestly, when I first heard they had tuna sushi, I thought it was canned,� David shared. �I promise that when you taste unprocessed tuna, you�ll love it.�
Ruth nodded to let him know she would let him try to convince her.
The meal was like eating a taste-exploding artwork. One of the highlights was that Chef Ingi showed them a small plastic tuna before they were brought the tuna courses. He took it apart and explained all the parts they were about to eat and what to expect.
At the end of the meal, they were offered brandy. David skipped it because he would be flying them back, but Ruth and Crystal accepted.
All through dinner, Crystal had begun to think David might be the solution to her problems. Plus, her hooking up with him would piss off Matt to no end.
Throwing caution to the wind, she brought her glass to her lips, downing the contents in one gulp. The fiery liquid burned a path down her throat before settling in the pit of her stomach. A cough trickled up Crystal�s throat, begging to be released, but she held it back as tears filled her eyes.
�I think you should make me your girlfriend,� Crystal said once she got herself under control.
Even to herself, Crystal�s voice sounded shaky and full of lies.
�Hard pass,� David said.
That�s the moment that she turned to Ruth with wide eyes and an irritated look.
�I think it�s safe to say that didn�t go well.�
�Try telling him the truth, ma�am,� Ruth advised.
�I don�t want to have a boyfriend,� she admitted.
�That works for me because I don�t want a girlfriend,� David said.
�Tell him the rest,� Ruth pressed.
�When I�m single, my life is hell. The only reason I stayed with Matt as long as I did was so I could use him as a shield. Otherwise, every needle-dicked frat boy and muscle-headed jock would assume they could have a shot at me. I frankly don�t have the patience for it anymore,� Crystal said.
�Cry me a river. Boys think you�re hot,� Ruth commented.
�How about this? I�ll have to move home with my mother,� Crystal said.
�That one hit home, ma�am,� Ruth added her unsolicited advice.
�Why not remain living with Taylor?� David asked.
�I can�t afford to make up the rent that Matt moving out will cost,� Crystal admitted.
�Maybe Taylor would let it slide.�
�I wouldn�t feel right.�
�But you would stick her with the full amount?�
Crystal�s head dropped because she hadn�t realized how selfish she sounded. He must think she was an idiot.
�Before you beat yourself up too much, I understand how breaking up messes with your mind. Let�s agree that you�ll live with Taylor for the rest of the summer. The only question is, who will pay Matt�s rent. My first thought is that he�s responsible, even if he moves into the dorms. He signed the lease,� David reasoned.
�Would Matt do anything that didn�t benefit Matt?� she reminded him.
�Good point,� David said and looked lost in thought.
Then he looked her in the eye.
�What if I paid for it?�
�I couldn�t accept that. You did more than enough today buying me clothes � which is greatly appreciated.�
�It was something fun to do.�
�I would only do it if I could do something for you,� she said and realized what that sounded like. �I didn�t mean sex!�
David chuckled.
�I�m not going to lie,� he said. �I might go for a straight-up sex deal, but I would feel weird having to pay for it. What if I had an alternative?�
�I�m listening.�
�I pay Matt�s portion of rent so that Taylor isn�t stuck. We announce that we�re dating, which gets muscle-heads and pencil-dicks off your back.�
�What do you get out of it?� she asked.
�First, I get to flaunt you in front of Matt. I know that�s childish, but I have absolutely no sympathy for him after he tried to get me hurt in the spring. Second, you�re not hard on the eyes. I have a few events coming up where if I had a girl on my arm, it would be helpful.�
�Like what?� she asked.
�My birthday party�s coming up, and I have a couple of ex-girlfriends who will be there. Having you there could ease the tension. I also have press stuff for my upcoming movie releases. I have a feeling that could be awkward if I don�t have a current girlfriend,� David listed.
�Why me? You don�t exactly like me,� Crystal said.
�Spending time with you today helped me see the real you a bit better. There are some things about you I don�t like but can put up with for a while. There�s another side of you I�ve seen today that I do like, and I see a lot of potential for self-improvement.�
David smiled at her unspoken question.
�No, I�m not going to go into detail. These are things you need to figure out on your own.�
He sat back and thought for a minute, then continued.
�I just have one rule that�s a deal-breaker.�
�What�s that?� Crystal asked.
�You better realize that people will be watching you. And if they get a picture of you hooking up with someone else, it�ll be front-page news. I can guarantee that, Crystal. And right now, I don�t need that kind of shit circling around my name. I don�t need people thinking I�m some pitiful sap getting cheated on � again.�
�What if I get �?�
�I�m not the one who said they weren�t willing to have sex.�
Crystal blushed.
�Are you saying that you�ll only have sex with me?� she asked.
David barked out a laugh.
�Hell, no. But I�ll make you one promise: I�ll never shove it in your face or embarrass you.�
�Will you promise to tell me when you do?� she asked.
�Why?�
�I want to be able to gauge how serious it is. If you find someone you truly like, I don�t want to be the �other woman.��
�Fair enough. Deal?�
�Can I ask one more thing?�
�We�ve come this far.�
�I need a place to crash until Matt moves out. If I were to sleep with you � not sex � it would make us being together more believable. I�m saying that because people who know us realize that we don�t exactly like each other. They would never buy that we were dating, otherwise,� Crystal reasoned.
�I sleep in the nude,� David warned.
�Cassidy confirmed that he does, ma�am,� Ruth said.
�So do I,� Crystal shot back.
She could see that her declaration affected him, which secretly made her happy.
◊◊◊
A week later, David woke to his phone ringing. Tomorrow he had two movies premiering on the same day, so he wasn�t surprised to see his publicist, Frank Ingram, calling.
�This is a total clusterfuck.�
�Well, good morning to you, too,� David said.
�Can you call your fixer and have him take care of Isabel Alexandra and Lexi? They�re about to fuck up your premieres,� Frank shared.
�Slow down and explain why any of this is my concern. I would think Ben would be the center of all this.�
�TMZ called me bright and early this morning to tell me they no longer agree to hold off on the Isabel and Ben breakup. That�s because it�s been leaked that Lexi made claims against Ben that have his production in Paris on hold while they investigate. There are rumblings that he blackmailed her and forced her to be his PA and have sex with him.�
�I call bullshit � and I might have proof,� David said.
�If you do, I need it like yesterday,� Frank said.
�When Isabel gave me the photos, I had Fritz hire an investigator to confirm it. Not that I didn�t believe Isabel, but you know how images can be doctored. Fritz told me that Ben and Lexi are, in fact, having a sexual relationship. I decided I didn�t want to see the video proof.
�I bet if you watched the video, you would see that Lexi wasn�t being coerced. I think she panicked when you and Kent opened your big mouths. That, by the way, caused her to try to call me like a hundred times. She must have concocted the harebrained blackmail story to explain it away. Now she�s backed into a corner and is doubling down,� David mused out loud.
�This will ruin Ben�s career. And yours, if you�re seen as supporting him in any way,� Frank said. �You know how the #MeToo thing works. The accuser is always right. If it�s found out later that the man was innocent, it�s too late. This shit is radioactive, and anyone near him will get splattered.�
�This is why I pay you,� David said.
�First, you have to disinvite him to your vodcast. Second, I�m going to pull you out of any interviews where the two of you would be involved.�
David had talked the cast from both movies into joining him for his class project. Professor Blum had moved the taping to their largest auditorium they could film in so an audience could attend. It sounded like the whole department and every film student was trying to get tickets. David had even been told they planned to hire professionals to work behind the scenes for this episode.
�Before we do that, call Paul Andon, Lexi�s dad and the man the studio put in charge of
�I should tell him about the videos you have. As a father, it will kill him, but he needs to know the truth,� Frank reasoned.
�Be careful who you share those with. I don�t want Lexi or Ben suing me for it getting out on the internet,� David warned.
�If Paul wants to see it, I�ll show it to him on my laptop. I won�t let it leave my possession,� Frank promised.
�If he does, I�ll send Paddy O�Malley to see Frank,� David thought, even though he�d promised to never hire his fixer again. The man was more than a little scary.
For now, he would wait it out and see if the Ben and Lexi story broke or not. Frank hung up on him. David called his security chief and told him to personally deliver to Frank the proof the investigator had gathered on Lexi.
He lay back down, intent on getting another hour of sleep.
�Why are you getting calls so early?� Crystal asked.
Matt had promised to be out of the apartment by today, and that was going to make his life so much easier. He was all but positive that Crystal was intent on getting David to make a move on her. She, in fact, made good on her word regarding sleeping nude.
To put it into perspective, she had quickly made his list of the top four sexiest women he knew. The list included Rita James, aka America�s Sweetheart. Even though she was the mother of two adult children and pushing 40, she was one of those women who looked twenty years younger and had an ass that you could bounce a quarter off.
The retired�at the age of 28�supermodel Adrienne also was on his list. He�d met her at a modeling event where they�d been introduced after David signed his first contract with Ford Models. She�d been on the way out, as she wasn�t happy with their representation. Eventually, she opened her own agency. Adrienne had liked him and had become a friend and mentor.
The final member of the list was also a supermodel: Kate Upton. David had actually convinced her to go to his high school prom with him junior year.
Crystal edged out Jill Lacier, his younger brother�s ex. David still couldn�t believe that Phil had let her get away.
If Crystal hadn�t looked so damned good in San Francisco, David would have never agreed to let her live with him until Matt moved. At the time, he�d done it because he really was done with dating, and having a faux girlfriend to take to events made sense. Crystal would look spectacular on his arm at the next day�s premieres.
Reality set in when she�d sauntered into one of his afternoon football practices and kissed him in front of the team. Part of his deal was to be her beard, so to speak, to keep guys from hitting on her once they knew Matt was out of the picture. While he didn�t like Matt in the least, David felt like a complete douche nonetheless.
The team had stood in stunned silence as she kissed him. A whole soap opera had exploded into existence moments later as the rumors began to fly. David would neither confirm nor deny anything but one fact: he had not made a move on Crystal before she and Matt broke up. David knew Matt wouldn�t take it well, and he didn�t need to make it worse by letting him think David had actively had a hand in ending their relationship.
Everyone assumed they were doing the deed because one of Cassidy�s rowing teammates had spotted Crystal leaving his bedroom one morning. Before Crystal even made it down the stairs, that little factoid was all over the USC campus.
David was rather proud of himself for resisting temptation while having a very naked Crystal in his bed each night for the past seven days. That didn�t mean that the sexual beast hadn�t encouraged Mr. Happy to try to wrench control of the body from the big brain on several occasions.
�Ben Cowley has gotten himself into some hot water with his PA,� David explained.
Crystal didn�t seem interested.
�Since I�m up, I might as well go take a shower,� Crystal announced and began to crawl over David.
He found her tits rubbing across his chest. Mr. Happy tended to be half hard around her at all times and was suddenly trying to drill a hole in her navel.
�What the fuck?�
�It�s closer to get out on your side of the bed,� Crystal said as she looked David in the eyes. �If you wanted to save some water ��
She screamed in surprise when David grabbed her and rolled them over so he had her pinned to the mattress. He grabbed a condom, and Crystal soon found herself stuffed with his cock as Mr. Happy had played bloodhound and found her wet opening.
Going a week without, after what at times had seemed like constant sex with Colleen, had finally caught up with him.
He came to his senses and looked down at a smiling Crystal.
�Finally,� was her answer to his unasked question.
◊◊◊
David had left her sound asleep after they�d had their fun. She might have been the best he�d ever had. Then again, it could have been the week-long buildup that clouded his judgment.
When he came downstairs, he found Cassidy, Ruth, Dare, and Corvus eating breakfast.
�Would you be willing to allow us to set up our VR cameras in your bedroom? We might have another market �� Dare began seriously.
�No!� Cassidy growled before David ended his nerd friend�s life.
David knew exactly what Dare was thinking. Dare was confused because the socially inept twerp wasn�t sure what he�d said to get Cassidy riled up. But Dare kept his mouth shut because he was, in fact, afraid of Cassidy. Dare knew David wouldn�t hit him, but he�d seen her take down her share of boys. Dare didn�t want to end up on the kitchen floor, squealing like a little girl.
�I�m not going to let you film porn with me starring. Now, if you or Corvus want to star, have at it,� David said.
�We could go get tacos,� Corvus suggested.
�I don�t know. Uh � �buying tacos� is starting to be expensive. Cassidy said it might be cheaper to just marry her,� Dare said.
David held it in as long as he could. He busted out laughing as he gave Cassidy a fist bump. Then he got serious.
�Before either of you goes home, you�re going to get tested for STIs.�
Both nerds had the same realization at the same time. They got up and had their heads together, whispering as they went upstairs.
�I wish I�d thought of that one. Hopefully, they�ll be willing to get something other than tacos for lunch,� Cassidy said.
And then she turned her eyes on David. He held up his hands.
�She�s moving out either today or tomorrow. I�ll lend her my car so she can do it as soon as possible,� David promised.
�Good, because Ruth had to stop Dare from breaking into your room this morning. He thought Crystal was hurt.�
Even Ruth laughed.
David had given his security woman permission to fill Cassidy in on the Crystal situation. He�d caught wind of a pool to see when the two of them would break and finally sleep together.
�Who won the bet?� David asked.
Cassidy pulled out her phone to check.
�Chloe.�
David took a moment to think which one she was. Then it came to him: she was Veronica�s sister. The girl with iron-straight curtains of perfect dark hair reminded him of the sky on a moonless night.
David�s calendar reminder pinged. He had to leave for his vodcast.
◊◊◊
�Duke! Buddy!� David said happily as the dog rushed to him for some loving.
When Duke hadn�t appeared on his Elite 11 vodcast, there had been an outpouring of disappointment on social media. His parents had agreed to bring his dog to his remaining shows. While Duke got the attention he wanted, David spotted an unexpected guest.
�Uncle John!�
�Your dad was invited to play golf, and your mom is � uh � busy. So, I volunteered to bring him.�
David stood up, and the two of them hugged.
�You must be here for my birthday.�
�I am, but I�m under strict orders to not talk to you about it.�
�That�s fine, but I have something I need to talk out. Would you be willing to chat?� David asked.
�Sure.�
David took Duke and his uncle out of the room, and they found an empty classroom. David shared with him the drama and potential fallout of the Ben and Lexi mess.
�Tell me what�s really on your mind,� Uncle John requested.
David saw that he�d changed tactics since they�d last talked. Instead of digging for feelings, it was the radical-acceptance technique school counselors were so fond of�which his uncle had been. Accept reality. Your feelings are to be felt. Et cetera, et cetera �
�I plan to talk to Ben before the show and hear what he has to say before I decide if I freeze him out or not,� David said.
�And ��
�I hate you,� David admitted. �There are two sides to the story, so I have to talk to Lexi as well.�
Uncle John nodded knowingly, as though David had finally gotten the correct answer on a test. And he had, in a way.
�Fine. I don�t have a lot of time, so I have to get going,� David said.
�They�ve put me in the front row. I�ll keep track of Duke until then,� Uncle John offered.
�Just let him loose. He knows everyone, and they all like him.�
David wasn�t surprised when Duke followed him to go look for Ben.
◊◊◊
�We need to talk,� David said as soon as he found his quarry.
Ben looked wary but followed David to the room he�d just left. Duke found some people willing to pet him, so he stayed behind to soak it up.
�Isabel is determined to fuck me over,� Ben said when they were finally alone.
�I honestly don�t blame her. I�m not too happy with you, either.�
�Look, man, I don�t blame you. Lexi and I hooked up in what I thought was going to be a onetime event. Then she calls me and tells me she�s pregnant,� Ben shared.
�Bullshit. Lexi�s on birth control,� David said.
�That�s what we both thought. It�s supposed to be over 99% effective. I guess we hit the lottery,� Ben said.
�So, her being your PA �?�
�Was to give us a chance to decide what to do. Should she have it or not? Was it mine? If she did have it, what should we do? Get married or something else?� Ben explained.
�Why all the secrecy? I thought you were my friend,� David said.
�At first, Lexi wasn�t sure if she was going to keep it or not. If not, she didn�t want to ruin her chances with you,� Ben admitted.
David could see that it had hurt Ben to know she would throw him over for David.
�Then what happened?�
�We decided to see if we could be a real couple. We got lost in being in Paris and the newness of it all. Then Isabel found out. I�d been a complete idiot and hadn�t told her that we were broken up.�
�And me?� David asked.
Ben wouldn�t look him in the eye.
�Is Lexi here? I�d like to confirm your story,� David said.
�Yeah, she wanted to talk to you,� Ben said, then pulled his phone out and called her.
A few minutes later, Lexi stuck her head in the door. David had eyes. She was just starting to show. He knew from Pam�s pregnancy that that happened three to four months in. That would fit with the time frame.
�David?� Lexi asked tentatively.
�We don�t have time for all this right now. Would the two of you be willing to be on for the first segment? It would give you a chance to clear the air. I understand your filming has been temporarily halted. I don�t want any of this to affect the premieres,� David said, finding it difficult to keep from shouting.
He realized that intimidating them�at least right then�was not at all a good idea. He dialed everything back.
�I need to make one more call before I decide what to do.�
◊◊◊
There was one more person David had to call, that being Isabel. His uncle had been right about talking to everyone before deciding something. She�d been wronged by Lexi and Ben and deserved to know what they�d told him.
�David?� Isabel answered, sounding confused as to why he would be calling.
�I�m having Ben on a vodcast I�m doing for school and had a talk with him before we shot it. He claims that Lexi�s pregnant, and that was why she was in Paris with him.�
�And you believe them?�
�I saw Lexi, and she�s showing,� David said.
�Are you sure she didn�t show up with a fake baby bump?� Isabel asked.
He had to take a moment for that to permeate his brain. Suddenly, all those conversations with literally everyone who knew Lexi came back. They�d all warned that he shouldn�t trust her.
Something else that confused him was if she was just pregnant, why did they shut down filming?
�Let me get back to you on that,� David said.
He went to find Lexi.
�You got a minute?� David asked.
He�d been with her constantly for nearly seven months while filming, and when he got her alone, he could see she thought she�d won him over.
�I wanted to congratulate you,� he said, getting close to her.
Her eyes got big when he reached out and touched her stomach.
�Lexi,� David said, letting all the disappointment he felt drip from that one word.
�I can explain!�
She began to do just that, rambling like a guilty liar attempting to deflect.
�Don�t bother,� he said to stop her explanation. �I�ll let you break it to Ben that he won�t be on my vodcast. I won�t say anything about what a lying bitch you are or that Ben is a world-class douche, provided neither of you ever contacts me again.�
�What about tomorrow�s interviews?�
�I have an obligation to do those, and I will put on a clueless happy face and do my job. But I won�t lie for you or Ben,� he promised.
�For what it�s worth, I�m sorry,� Lexi said.
�Nothing. It�s worth nothing,� David said as he left her.
◊◊◊
David gave Ben time to clear out before going to the dressing room to prepare for the show. Duke showed up, sensing that his master needed comfort. The unconditional love of a dog could put almost anyone in a better mood.
David had just finished getting his makeup put on when he heard a warning growl from his buddy. He looked up and saw the guy he�d caught Colleen with, looking nervous. Duke had always been a good judge of character.
�He bites. I would just keep walking,� David suggested.
�I realize we didn�t meet under the best of circumstances. Colleen had told me that she was seeing someone. I had no idea it was you. I understand I didn�t handle things that well, but I wanted to assure you that it was only because I love her. I asked her to marry me, and she said �yes,�� Bart said.
Gail, Colleen�s roommate, had sent him a text, so David wasn�t surprised. He was also in no mood for this.
�That�s great. Now get off my set,� he said.
David had no idea what Bart hoped his little speech would accomplish, but getting kicked out didn�t seem to be one of the foreseen possible outcomes. He was lucky that David didn�t punch him in the throat. Bart gulped and bobbed his head.
�I think you�re a great actor,� he blurted and then ran off.
�Next time you see that guy, bite him,� David told his dog.
He wasn�t surprised when he didn�t get a response. Duke was incredibly smart for a dog, but he hadn�t mastered the ability to speak. Yet.
◊◊◊
David had purposely avoided meeting with the cast of the Star Academy sequels before the show. Waiting for him were Bree Steno and Elizabeth Paul, two of the original ensemble cast at the heart of the movies� storylines. Joining them was Trip James, who played a more prominent role in this latest release.
David and Duke came out, and David was all business. His dog said hello to everyone and then curled up at his master�s feet as if doing so in front of a studio audience was no big deal. Professor Blum had arranged for this to be filmed in the 365-seat Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre Complex. People were standing along the walls as the audience overflowed.
David introduced his guests before recognizing the audience.
�When Professor Blum told me that people wanted to come to see the filming of
�Oh, dear, he�s starting with the �poor David� routine again,� Bree said to Elizabeth.
David threw his note cards in the air, startling Duke. A minute in, and he�d lost control of his show.
�You all have no idea what I had to put up with. These two thought that since they�re older, they could boss me around,� David whined.
Since this wasn�t a traditional interview, his three acting friends proceeded to take the show over and tell stories. The audience loved seeing them all fall into the way they acted on set. The crowd loved hearing about the fun they�d all gotten up to both on and off camera.
The second segment had Halle James added to promote
In the third and final segment, they took questions from the audience.
When it was done, David and Duke made their escape. By now, he was old news at the School of Cinematic Arts. Everyone wanted to talk to the �fresh meat� and get pictures and autographs.
Uncle John met him in the room next door that had served as a dressing room.
�What did you think?� David asked.
�I usually don�t like shows like that, but this one was fun. You could tell everyone was friends. I think that made it enjoyable.�
Ruth appeared.
�Your car is here, sir.�
�I have interviews to do for my movies. I�ll see you at my birthday party, and we can talk after that,� David promised.
Duke wanted to go with David, so they were forced to put him on his leash to go home with Uncle John.
◊◊◊
Today�s interviews were with smaller outlets but who�d been identified as big influencers on their target markets. Tomorrow would be with the major players.
Their first stop was to see Cassie Krieger of
�Both the studio and Rita James sent over talking points. Ignore the studio ones, but I promised I would give them to you,� Frank said.
David handed them to Ruth but was curious about what Rita wanted him to say. There was one line.
Since you and Halle are both now single �
David moaned and shook his head �no.� There was a time when he might have agreed with her, but after the Lexi and Ben mess � nope.
�You will be interviewing with Cassie first. I understand that Ben and Halle are coming in later,� Frank said as they pulled up.
�Thanks. I�m really not in the mood to meet up with them today,� David admitted as they came to a stop.
He hoped Frank would get the message without his needing to say more. Going into detail on this was not something David was ready to do.
Ruth got out first and went through her security routine. There were some paparazzi lurking, all of whom rushed over when they saw the limo pull up.
David remembered his first
He patiently waited, as Ruth wasn�t as intimidating as some of his previous security people. At least, not until she pulled out a telescoping baton and snapped it open.
�What�s going on?� Frank asked.
�Ruth is letting the stalkerazzi know that they have to step back,� David said.
�She almost got that one,� Frank observed.
�If she meant to hit him, he�d be on the ground.�
�As much fun as this is, shouldn�t we go in?� Frank asked.
�It�s like she has a lightsaber,� David said as he opened the door.
Typically, the LA versions of paparazzi were a pain in the butt. But today, they acted like they were from the UK. Something had them riled up.
�Step the fuck back!� David barked. �Or she will put you down. I�ve seen her in action, so this is fair warning.�
�More are coming,� Frank warned.
David put his hand on Ruth�s back and pushed her forward. His head of security had previously told him that if a crowd got like this bunch, get out any way you could. Frank grabbed hold of David�s belt, and the three of them pushed their way inside.
�What the hell were you doing outside of the car?!� Ruth yelled.
David knew she was right. He should have simply grabbed Ruth and pulled her back into the car once he saw the chaos.
�I give you my solemn word that I will not do that again. Call Fritz and have him send a team,� he said to calm her down.
�Can I make a suggestion?� he continued.
She glared at him.
�Next time, get back in the car. We can either find another door or call in the cavalry.�
�That might have called for an air strike, sir,� Ruth decided.
◊◊◊
Cassie: �I want to welcome Academy Award-winning actor David A. Dawson to
David: �Thanks for having me.�
The show followed the expected script before the first commercial break. David chatted about his two movies, and they�d shown trailers for both. His James Bond movie,
When they came back from break, Cassie had a gleam in her eye.
Cassie: �I understand the Ben Cowley and Halle James are in both of your new releases. I thought it would be fun to have a talk with all three of you.�
David acted surprised and happy when they both appeared on set. He even hugged them before they joined him on the guest couch.
David: �This is such a pleasant surprise. Our schedules are such that I didn�t think I would get to see them again before the premieres.�
Cassie: �I understand that you�re all close friends off the set, too.�
Ben: �I met David when filming the first Star Academy movie. Every time he was able to get back to LA, we would find time to meet up. In fact, he was the one who suggested me for my role in
Cassie: �I understand that you and David dated for a time.�
Halle laughed.
Halle: �I moved halfway across the country to do it. Then he ends up with one of my best friends.�
Cassie: �Was it worth it?�
Halle: �Absolutely. I was young and didn�t really know what I wanted. David is the sweetest guy. At the very least, we became great friends, and having him as a friend is everything.�
Cassie: �That�s high praise. I understand that you also dated Ben. How was he as a boyfriend?�
David didn�t have to think too hard to figure out what was going on here. Isabel had talked to Cassie and fed her information on Ben, and Cassie was walking Halle into a trap. He decided that wouldn�t be good for either of the movies nor any of the actors.
David: �It�s funny how art imitates life and vice versa.
Halle gave him a sidelong glance that said, �Thank you.�
Cassie: �But we were just getting to the juicy stuff ��
David interrupted her with a big smile like he was in on the secret about to be revealed.
David: �It looks like the cat�s out of the bag. You�re a great reporter because I didn�t find out all the details until this morning. Ben is going to be a daddy.�
Cassie had a startled look. It took her a moment to process what David had just said, so David jumped back in.
David: �Ben stole my personal assistant, Lexi Andon, to help him film his current project that is being made in Paris. I guess it�s true that Paris is one of the most romantic cities in the world because Ben and Lexi fell in love.�
Cassie: �Aren�t you dating Isabel Alexandra?�
Ben: �No. We broke up a month ago.�
David: �There�s more ��
David looked at Ben excitedly.
David: �Is it okay if I share?�
Ben gave David a blank look.
David: �He�s just being secretive, and we can�t have that, can we?�
Cassie: �No, we can�t.�
David: �Ben and Lexi are getting married, and I�m betting that Halle will be the maid of honor.�
Cassie: �What?! Really?!�
David: �Well, I may have misspoken, but she should be. Halle�s the one who got them together.�
Cassie had a sudden revelation.
Cassie: �How far along is Lexi?�
Ben looked like he might be ill, while Halle, sitting between him and David, sunk back into her seat. It was the old game of �not it.�
David: �I would guess three or four months, looking at her baby bump. And if any guy is going to know about that kind of stuff, it�s me.�
Cassie was the only one who gave a mild chortle for his self-deprecating joke.
Cassie: �You just said that you just broke up with Isabel a month ago ��
David: �That sounds like a whole other discussion for your next segment. I would bet Lexi came with Ben. You should get these three on and talk about it. Better yet, invite Isabel so everyone can clear the air. But I need to get going. I just wanted to remind everyone to come out and see both
David stood up, undid his mic, and did a literal mic-drop. He was done.
◊◊◊
Fritz arranged for them to go out through the building�s garage. There were met by a wall of paparazzi, who tried to slow them down. Fritz revved the engine, which had them scrambling. David briefly wondered how Ben and Halle would get out of that mess but quickly forgot about it.
David did a quick inner check and could honestly say that his �breakup,� for the lack of a better word, with Lexi didn�t bother him in the least. His usual MO was to go through a �heartbroken� phase. This time, he mused that in the back of his mind, there might have been a little voice that told him to simply enjoy their time together.
Yes, he�d felt that he loved her. Then again, if everyone is telling you something �
He knew the answer to that. No one wanted to hear the nay-saying when they were in a relationship. He was glad that little voice was listening to them, even if his conscious mind wasn�t, and the little voice had guarded his heart. On paper, Lexi might have been his longest, most intense relationship. It was the closest he�d come to being married without saying the vows. She�d been his constant companion the whole time he filmed the James Bond movie and the final two Star Academy movies.
She was the first person he saw when he woke up and the last before going to sleep.
Then he�d gone to college, and, after a rough bump, they�d picked up best they could. Lexi was his one constant.
But �on paper� didn�t explain his being able to walk away so easily. He wasn�t even mad at Ben or Halle. Were they friends? Hell, no. Halle now fell way outside his inner circle of trust.
David�s phone rang. Ruth was in charge of it when he was doing interviews.
�It�s Brook Davis.�
He reached out and took the phone.
�Are you mad at Halle?�
�Why would I be mad at Halle?� David asked back.
Brook hated it when she asked a question, and David answered with one of his own.
�David.�
�Brook.�
�Just tell me.�
�Okay. It�s none of your business.�
�What do you mean, it�s none of my business?� she asked, surprised.
�You and I are no longer dating, and Halle has nothing to do with you. This is between Halle and me. If she wants to know something, tell her to � uh � call me,� David said and hung up.
He came to two realizations. First, that he still had feelings for Brook, and how they had left things in New York still bothered him. Even though logic said otherwise. Second, that he
His phone rang again. Guess who.
�Okay, I get that it�s probably none of my business, and I think when I see you at your birthday party, we need to talk. But I�ve never known you to act like this. Just give me an idea about what happened. Halle isn�t talking,� Brook said.
�Let me give you a hypothetical.�
�Really?�
�Do you want to hear it or not?� David shot back.
�Okay, tell me.�
�When we were dating, how would you feel if Halle had set me up on a date with Kate Upton and we had sex? Shortly after that, I�d pulled back from you and never shared that I�d spent time with Kate. Then you heard that we were filming a movie in Paris, and Kate�s dorky baseball husband sent you pictures of Kate and me having sex.
�Not wanting to jump to conclusions, because you would never do something like that, you hired a private investigator who shot video to prove an ongoing affair,� David said.
Brook said several trigger words.
�Now, go back to the beginning. How would you feel about Halle hooking us up?�
Brook didn�t say anything for a full minute.
�I would be mad at her,� Brook finally admitted.
�I�m trying not to be, but she and I are no longer friends, and I don�t trust her. At all. With anything.�
Brook sighed and said another trigger word. The fleet must be in because she sounded like a sailor.
�Who did Lexi sleep with?�
David knew that it was useless to stand firm because, like his mother and Tami, Brook would eventually get the whole story out of him. So, while they drove to his next interview, he told her what he knew.
�Her pregnancy is fake?!�
�I sort of told the world that the two of them were getting married, and Halle would be the maid of honor,� David added.
This girl was not going anywhere near his children. Coby and Carol would take to cussing instantly. He was sure his mom would make him explain it to their daycare.
�They deserved that. I can�t wait to see how they spin a fake pregnancy and marriage,� Brook said.
�Do you think I�ll be invited to the wedding?� he asked.
�If you are, you�re taking me. Maybe her fake water will break at the reception.�
Everyone in the car laughed at the thought of that.
�I�m on speaker?� Brook complained.
�They made me when I began to explain everything. My publicist thinks he needs to know everything in order to protect me,� David explained.
�Sir, we are here,� Ruth said.
�I forget,� he said. �Who all is flying in with you from New York for my birthday? I need to make sure I bring a big enough car to pick you all up.�
�I�ve missed you, and your mom would kill me if I told you.�
�I admit that my mom might not win a �Most Easy to Get Along with Mother of the Year� award any time soon. She might not even make the short list, come to think of it, but I�ll protect you.�
�Not happening,� Brook said.
�Will I like whatever�s planned?� David asked.
�You would never guess what it is in a million years,� was all that she would share.
◊◊◊
Wait! Crystal had a flash of a memory of David from this morning. A flash that put him right on top of her, his fingers on her jaw, his face only inches from hers as they stared into each other�s eyes like they were in some sort of slow-motion montage.
And then � oh fuckity-fuck! She was in fuck heaven, her eyes half-closed and her mouth in a wet-lipped happy grin. The spicy, dark aroma of his cologne on his pillow tickled her senses.
David was possibly the most handsome man she�d ever laid eyes on. Scratch that; he was beyond handsome. He was downright gorgeous. Crystal remembered the first time she�d seen him naked. She found herself hypnotized by his perfectly sculpted pecs and broad shoulders. David looked like a freaking damn Adonis, standing waist-deep in the ocean as gentle waves lapped at his taut stomach. His chiseled abs begged to be licked.
And as he walked out of the water, it exposed �
�Ahhh!� Crystal cried out as she threw herself out of bed to end her fantasy.
She needed to clear her head, so she hurried into the shower. Crystal selected her shower setting and turned it on. She loved that David splurged on toys like this. Instantly, the water was at the proper pressure and temperature. With a touch of a button, she could add or subtract showerheads. Crystal�s playlist had randomly selected a song by
David was man enough to admit that hearing a woman�s voice from such devices sometimes irritated him. He�d changed his car�s navigation voice because hearing it tell him repeatedly to
�AI, Read.�
�Double shit with rainbow sprinkles,� Crystal muttered.
Her day had just gotten a whole lot worse. She hoped David�s was going better.
◊◊◊
David had left her his car keys. She talked Dare and Corvus into helping her move back to her apartment now that Matt was gone, so it didn�t take long. She then headed to Orange County, known as �the OC� by locals. Her parents lived in the Cameo neighborhood of Newport Beach.
Cameo was split into two communities: the Shores and Highlands. The dividing line was Highway 1, aka the Pacific Coast Highway (which everyone shortened to PCH). The Shores was on the west side of the highway, where her dad�s house was. Her mom lived in the Highlands.
One fun fact was that the Cameo Shores and Highlands were together ranked the sixth most affluent neighborhood in the US. It was the main reason her father wanted them to live there.
She drove up the hill to her mother�s house. From the front, it looked like an average single-story three-bedroom/two-bath home you would find in almost every city in the US. Hidden from the road, because the neighboring houses were so crammed together that there was no side yard, was the steep drop-off.
This allowed the home to be built into the hill with a second story partially underground. Out the back patio, a winding trail zig-zagged down the slope. There, garden terraces allowed for more outdoor living space.
What made the home so special were the views. It overlooked two golf courses and the Pacific Ocean.
�Crystal!� Ellen called.
She heard her mother before she saw her as she got out of the car. The muted impact of Crystal�s sneakers against the sidewalk beat out a steady rhythm as she walked. She strode with precise, repetitive movements, holding her spine straight and her head up with eyes forward. There was no slouching with her mom around. Crystal entered the house and found her mother in her �gardening� clothes.
When her mother and father had divorced, he�d been a devious bastard. Well, he was always a devious bastard, but this was particularly crafty. He�d given her mom this house to live in rent-free with a modest monthly allowance. He retained ownership, and if her mom ever moved out, the allowance stopped. This was done to keep Crystal within easy reach when he had to act like a family man.
Her father wanted them to have to rely on his goodwill. An example was the car she�d received on her sixteenth birthday. When his new girlfriend had complained that Crystal was mean to her, the car had been repossessed the next day. She secretly did a mental fist bump when that girlfriend only lasted another week.
Her father did just enough that no one could say he wasn�t a good father. That meant that Crystal attended the best prep schools, and when it came to college, she was enrolled at USC to someday be an agent. He�d also encouraged her to join a sorority for the contacts she would use after college. That, of course, meant those contacts would help his business. If it benefited him in some way, he was there for her.
All the strings he attached to giving her money make her want to scream. After all, her father had more money than he knew what to do with. He owned a global talent agency with offices in LA, New York, and London, and they were looking to open a new one in Shanghai.
To date, her mother had been the only one to get him to the altar. Over the years, Crystal had seen so many women try to achieve the same goal that she�d lost count. There was a reason that they never became her father�s wife. He was the cure for gold diggers: the man who made women realize that money wasn�t everything.
It wasn�t like he kept the trail of failed relationships a secret. Against all logic, women kept flocking to him, younger and younger each time, each one determined to be the next Mrs. Kendrick Knaggy. That was until they actually tried it and realized no amount of money in the world was worth marrying the man.
When she saw her mother, the summer came rushing back. Trying to hide her pain, Crystal laughed, but the sound was hollow.
�Oh, honey. I would think David was the perfect remedy for breaking up with Matt,� her mother said.
�Thank God I�m too young to date anyone seriously. Besides, he isn�t my type.�
�Tall, handsome, and sexy is every woman�s type,� her mother said.
�He doesn�t really like me,� Crystal admitted.
�Doesn�t like you? What happened? And don�t even think about not telling me everything.�
Crystal told her mother the whole sordid tale. She even admitted her part in Matt�s schemes and leaving David to fend for himself at the fraternity-party fight after he rescued them. She then updated her mother on recent events, including him flying her to San Francisco, paying for Matt�s portion of the rent, and the deal they�d struck.
�The truth can only hurt you if you let it,� was her mother�s advice.
�What does that mean?� Crystal asked.
�You need to have a long talk with David to clear the air. If you don�t, you�ll never have a chance for more than a fake relationship.�
�Won�t he hate me more?�
�Maybe at first, but it�ll be better than the stuff coming out in dribs and drabs. If that happens, he�ll never trust you.�
�I�m not sure he�s ready to hear all that. This week alone, he�s been dumped for an ex and lied to by two people he thought were his friends,� Crystal worried.
�And when he finds out your involvement in helping Matt six months from now �?�
Crystal could see that would be worse, but she wasn�t sure he would hear her right now.
�Then there�s your father,� her mother said.
�Do you know why he wants to talk to me?� Crystal asked.
�David.�
�He knows?�
Her mother gave her a look like she was crazy for asking that question.
�Shit,� Crystal said.
She could only imagine how much her father would want David to sign with his company.
◊◊◊
At the appointed time, Crystal rang her father�s doorbell. Jima, his housekeeper and cook, opened the door. She gave Crystal a warm smile.
�Your father is in a mood.�
�Thanks for the heads-up. What is it this time?�
Jima made a motion to zip her lips. That meant it had to be his latest conquest was rapidly coming to an end.
Crystal was pointed to the pool area that overlooked the ocean. When she stepped through the door, she came up short. The woman in the hot tub had two of the most enormous fake tits she�d ever seen. They were all but floating on the surface of the water, like two beach balls.
Of course, her father was nowhere to be found.
�Finally, I found you,� the woman in the hot tub announced.
�That�s twice today that I�ve apparently been lost.�
The woman didn�t pick up on her sarcasm. The statement had seemed to only confuse her.
�What can I do for you?� Crystal finally asked.
�Fetch me another pitcher of margaritas.�
Crystal wished she was in David�s Porsche because she would have asked his car�s �answer man� where the best place was to dump the gold-digger�s body. With her luck, it would tell her to make a U-turn.
She walked back into the house and went to her father�s office before saying anything �mean� to the human flotation device. She found him in his robe, talking on the phone. He motioned for her to take a seat while he finished his call.
�You have to get me an invite to your new boyfriend�s birthday party.�
�I�ll make the arrangements,� Crystal said and prayed that she could get him in.
�What should I get him as a present?� her dad asked.
She pinched her lips because that was hard to answer.
�I don�t know, Dad. What do you get a guy who can buy whatever he wants?�
�You�re dating him.�
Crystal could see he was losing patience. She didn�t want to give him a reason to cut her off again.
�David values his teammates. How about you pick up the tab for their transportation to and from the party? And give them rooms to spend the night?� Crystal suggested.
�See if you can make that happen.�
Crystal pulled her phone out and put it on speaker so her dad could overhear her. She called David�s mother.
�Carol?�
You could hear kids screaming in the background.
�Yes?�
�This is Crystal Knaggy, David�s girlfriend.�
There was a brief pause. Crystal crossed her fingers that David�s mom wouldn�t say anything to tip her dad off that their relationship wasn�t really boyfriend and girlfriend.
�Okay.�
�My dad was wondering if you had rooms available that he could pay for. He wants to invite David�s USC friends to his party. Dad would also pay for transportation back and forth.�
�I was about to release fifty rooms. I guess there�s a waiting list since it is the fourth of July.�
�I�ll take them!� her dad said.
�Sorry, I have you on speakerphone. Carol Dawson, let me introduce you to my dad, Kendrick Knaggy.�
He snatched her phone out of her hand, took it off speaker, and proceeded to get the information he needed. As her dad was finishing the call, in walked this week�s tryst.
�I want you to fire her!�
Crystal shook her head as an accusing finger pointed her way.
�What have you done this time?� her dad asked.
�
�I sent her inside to get me another pitcher of margaritas. I had to get out of the hot tub,� Boobs whined.
Crystal did a mental countdown.
�Get your stuff and get out. This is my daughter, not your personal pool girl.�
Boobs burst into tears and ran out.
�David likes women with big racks,� Crystal said to stir the pot.
Her dad thought about it for a moment, frowned, and then marched out of the room.
�Hang on! I spoke too hastily ��
On her way out, Crystal made sure that Jima knew that another pitcher of margaritas was needed and to make them strong.
When Crystal got to the car, her phone rang.
�Answer,� she told the car.
�So, you and my son are dating,� Carol Dawson said.
�Uhm ��
�Don�t sweat it. Cassidy already filled me in. I just wanted to call and thank you because David would have had to pay for all those rooms if your dad hadn�t offered. I�d made arrangements to invite his friends, and he asked me to take care of it,� Carol shared.
�My dad is hoping that David will feel obligated to allow him to be his agent,� Crystal said.
�I wish him luck, but my son won�t need one until after college.�
�My dad can be persuasive,� Crystal warned.
�I may want to be there when that conversation occurs. David�s not your typical bright-eyed, na�ve college kid. If your dad pisses him off, David will have him send the contract to his lawyers.�
Crystal thought that sounded like what any reasonable person would do. Why would it be bad for her dad?
�And �?�
�They�ll take it apart line by line. David�s lead lawyer, Ms. Dixon, will give it to all the interns and first-years as a project. �How to fuck with your adversary.� It will allow her to see who the most devious newbie is.�
Crystal knew for a fact that her dad buried all kinds of nasty surprises in his contracts. This would be a worthy challenge for Ms. Dixon�s staff.
�I want to be in the meeting where the contract is discussed,� she decided.
Carol laughed.
�I think I�ll join you.�
By the time they�d hung up, Crystal was looking forward to meeting David�s mom tomorrow.
◊◊◊
The premieres were a huge success. The audiences loved both films. Crystal wasn�t a girly girl, so she wasn�t as excited about seeing
Just on face value, could any girl not be into her best friend if he looked like David Frickin� Dawson? Let alone pick Ben Cowley over David. But after the initial shock, David�s acting took over, and you began to root for the boy. How could Halle James�s character not see David as the right choice?
Towards the end, there was the climactic scene where he bared his soul. There wasn�t a girl with dry eyes, including her, when he left heartbroken. The ending was predictable, but when she walked out of the theater, she was firmly on Team David.
The second Star Academy movie simply rocked. She�d seen
There was one fight scene where David was slammed to the floor. After that one, his stunt man must have needed to be taken directly to the hospital.
�That one hurt,� David whispered.
�You did your own stunts?� Crystal asked.
�Most of them.�
She wanted to follow up, but the action picked back up, and she wanted to see what happened next. Crystal realized that was the difference between most movies and the very few great ones. During most movies, she could have carried on a conversation while watching. This film had her on the edge of her seat. Crystal couldn�t honestly remember the last movie that had done that. The one that came to mind was not highly rated, but she loved the action:
◊◊◊
After the movies, David had press commitments before he could free himself up to attend the party the studio was holding.
Crystal sat outside with Ruth and Frank.
Frank looked about to jump out of his skin, intently focused on his phone.
�Are you okay?� Crystal asked.
�Huh? Oh, yes. I�m just reading the early reviews.�
�What do they say, sir?� Ruth asked.
�That he has two more hits. His Q-rating is going to go through the roof. David should quit school today. If he did, he would be set for life,� Frank said.
�Will he?� Crystal asked with a bit of worry.
Frank laughed.
�No. He has a plan, and this won�t change his mind. David is committed to getting his education,� Frank replied with a wry smile.
David finally came out, looking exhausted.
�Ready for your party, sir?� Ruth asked.
Crystal watched in amazement as he shook off the strain the day had put on him and smiled.
�Let�s do this. My peeps await me.�
Both Ruth and Frank groaned.
�What? Too much?� David asked.
�Dial it back a couple of notches,� Frank suggested.
David wrapped his arm around his publicist and pulled him towards where the car was parked.
�How are the reviews?�
Frank eagerly began to hit the highlights.
◊◊◊
David was the hit of the party. What surprised Crystal was that he played the attentive boyfriend throughout. He included her and made sure that she knew everyone. Several women weren�t happy to see her. On the flip side, anytime Crystal got a moment alone, she would find a good-looking guy hitting on her. It was worse than on campus because they all were interested in finding out why David was dating her.
When the night was over, Ruth drove them home.
Crystal had just enough drinks in her to finally talk to him.
�I need to clear the air.�
Her announcement caused David to raise an eyebrow in response.
�I need to come clean on a few things ��
Crystal then proceeded to share every nasty thing she�d done to help Matt. David didn�t show any emotion as she unburdened her soul.
Then it was his turn. David opened up and told her how he really viewed her. Much of it was hard to hear, primarily because if she stepped back and looked at herself, she could agree with most of his unvarnished observations.
When he was done, neither of them had anything else to say. It was just silence for the rest of the ride as they both absorbed what the other had said.
When Ruth pulled up to her apartment, Crystal started to get out.
�Wait, don�t go,� David said.
She had no idea what to say.
�Let�s have a fresh start. I still need you for tomorrow.�
�I thought ��
�I only have one question. Was all of that true? Even the part about your dad?� David asked.
�Every bit of it.�
�Can you be honest with me moving forward?�
�That�s two questions.�
�Let�s not split hairs.�
�All I can say is that I�ll try. I don�t want to promise something and then have you use those words against me later,� Crystal said.
�Yeah,� he finally said. �I�ve seen too many movies where someone makes a promise like that, and it destroys them in the end.�
�So, about that fresh start ��
David rolled his eyes.
�I�m not making any firm promises, but you are making me rethink a lot of stuff. I say we see how tomorrow goes. You did a great job tonight, and I enjoyed your company.�
�Can we finish the night together? Can I come home with you?� Crystal asked.
David hesitated.
�I thought you said you didn�t have a problem having sex with me,� she said.
�Now who�s using the other�s words against them?� he fired back with a smile.
�Well?�
�Ruth, we�re going to my place.�
�Thank you, sir. I much prefer sleeping in a bed,� Ruth said.
◊◊◊
Crystal saw that he was awake and put her hand on his chest.
Last night, David had been mentally exhausted from his day. He�d invited her back, intending to relieve some of the tension he�d accumulated during the day. Crystal had gone to take a shower, and that was the last thing he remembered.
�Are you ready for your birthday present?� she asked.
From the sexy way she said it, Mr. Happy voted yes by standing up. David leaned over to kiss her, but she stopped him.
�Slow down, big boy, or you won�t have the strength for what�s to come.�
�You might be surprised by the amount of �strength� I have,� he growled.
�Naughty boy! Let me see if I can get you to wait.�
Crystal grabbed her phone and sent a text. A moment later, there was another one back. The back and forth continued for a few minutes before David got impatient.
�Who do you keep texting?� he finally asked.
�No one, don�t worry about it,� she said as she put her phone down.
Then she gave him the universal sign to �come here.� One very hard, aggressive fuck later, the two of them were lying back in bed when her phone pinged. She grabbed it to check her message, and as she opened the attached picture, Crystal guffawed.
She showed it to David.
�Does this give you any ideas?�
It showed a girl from the chest down in a white polo shirt and matching shorts kneeling with her hands behind her back.
�Can you imagine her staring up at you while she sucks your cock?�
David felt his blood start to travel south. Crystal seemed pleased by his physical response.
�See her toned, sexy legs? Would you like to see me spread them for you?�
He looked her in the eye and let a tiny smile touch his lips. He hadn�t realized she had this in her. One of his fantasies was to have the girl he was dating bring him women to play with. David wondered if she had talked to one of his exes and discovered this kink of his.
�She hasn�t had a man between her legs in over a year. I bet she�ll feel like a virgin when you take her,� Crystal added.
Being a guy, he could easily imagine that scenario.
Crystal�s phone chirped.
�She�s here. I want you standing at the end of the bed for your birthday present,� she directed.
David�s first thought was that she had arranged similar encounters in the past. His second was,
She left the room, and he could hear two girls giggling. Then she came back in, walked behind him, and put her hands over his eyes.
�Come in.�
David heard the door open and close.
�Surprise!� Crystal said as she pulled her hands away.
Kneeling in front of him was her roommate, Taylor. Taylor�s red hair was pulled pack in a ponytail, and her eyes were locked onto Mr. Happy.
�That is the rod of happiness, aka Mr. Happy. He would very much like you to kiss him,� David said to keep everything light.
Taylor tilted her head up and looked him in the eyes as she leaned forward to plant a kiss on the tip of Mr. Happy. David expected a quick little peck. But Taylor must have some French in her because she opened her mouth and her tongue came into play as the top third of his member disappeared.
He glanced over at Crystal, who was now sitting on the edge of the bed. He reached out his hand and pulled her up so he could kiss her.
�Help her,� David ordered.
Her mouth eagerly replaced Taylors�s as soon as the redhead pulled off him. He pulled Taylor up and kissed her.
�You have too many clothes on.�
�Do you want to unwrap your present?� Taylor teased.
David reached for the hem of her polo shirt and pulled it up. He discovered that she hadn�t worn a bra when her cute titties were exposed. He then reached for the button of her shorts and pulled down the zipper. She wiggled her hips, and they dropped around her ankles. All she had on was a tiny thong.
Once disrobed, Taylor pressed her petite body into his as she reached up and pulled his head down for a kiss.
�I think Crystal needs my help,� she said as she went to her knees.
Taylor gave her roommate a hip bump.
�Let me drive while you distract him,� she said.
Crystal stood up and grabbed David�s hands. She placed one on a boob and the other between her legs. Being a bright boy, he understood what she wanted. He pushed his fingers through her folds as he kissed and toyed with her nipple.
While that was going on, Taylor was doing something incredible to Mr. Happy. All that kept him from wrenching control from the big brain was that he wasn�t sure what to do with two girls.
After gagging on his cock three times, Taylor was determined to work him all the way down her throat. David felt the tip of his dick hit that entrance of her throat once again. Finally, after considerable effort, he slid all the way in and moaned with pleasure. Meanwhile, Crystal changed the angle of her hips so his finger pushed all the way inside her.
Taylor�s head kept bobbing up and down on his shaft as his excitement level rose. David could feel cum churning in his balls and knew he was about to explode into her mouth. He tried to warn her, but Crystal started to cum and shoved her tongue into his mouth.
His head started spinning, and all his energy rushed to his balls. Taylor swallowed him again, and he felt his dick swell. A powerful stream of cum blasted into her throat. Not expecting this, she gagged.
His cock popped out of her mouth. David exploded a second time and splattered hot cream across Taylor�s face and onto Crystal�s thigh. Crystal quickly bent down and put her lips over his gushing hose. David grabbed her head and filled her mouth with hot cum as he continued spurting over and over until he was finally drained.
Cum drooled from Crystal�s mouth as he filled it, but she never pulled away. When David finally pulled out, she looked up at him with an open mouth full of cum. She got up and went to the bathroom to spit it out and brush her teeth.
�Fuck, he�s still hard,� Taylor said in wonder.
�Hurry up and take advantage because I�ll be back in a minute,� Crystal called from the bathroom.
Taylor ripped her thong off and hit David in the chest with it as she scampered up on the bed.
David grabbed a condom and put it on. Taylor was obviously aroused.
�Ready?� he asked.
Taylor nodded yes. He grasped her legs just above her knees as he moved forward. She gave a loud gasp as he face-planted between her thighs. His tongue began to dance between her folds. When the tip found her clit, Taylor stiffened and moaned.
�Quit teasing her,� Crystal said as she climbed onto the bed.
David pulled his mouth off her sex and crawled up so he covered Taylor�s body. Being at least a foot taller, he towered over the diminutive girl. Crystal grabbed his cock and guided it to Taylor�s entrance.
�Are you sure?� David asked.
�Yes, please.�
As he pushed the head in, it looked like Taylor had been sucker-punched. She pulled in a sharp breath and held it for a moment before her eyes opened and found his. She gave him a tentative nod to continue, so he slowly eased another inch in. Crystal was right; Taylor felt like she was a virgin.
David stilled, and he could see she was grateful, as her body needed some time to adjust to his size. Taylor nodded, trying to urge him on. He pushed inside her with a slow glide, the movement forcing her eyes closed so she could soak up the sensation.
His fingertip circled the peak of her breast, which made her eyes fly open.
�So fucking beautiful,� David whispered.
�Move,� she begged. �Please, move.�
He dipped his head, brushing his lips against hers, and then his hips rocked forward. Slowly at first, and then picking up speed. Taylor�s hands clutched at his bunching biceps, drawing him down as if she wanted to feel as much skin contact as possible. His chin touched the top of her head as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Lust took them both as his thrusts grew more frantic, unbridled. The rhythm was chaotic, yet exactly what they both needed.
Crystal decided to join the action. She pushed David�s stomach up so her hand could snake between them. Taylor shrieked when Crystal�s fingers found her clit and frantically worked to get the petite girl off. A moment later, it felt like David would have to get the Jaws of Life to free Mr. Happy as Taylor clamped down.
�The actual fuck?� Crystal asked as her friend�s orgasm took her.
David had to agree. Taylor looked like she was having a seizure. The only problem was she just might snap his dick off in the process. Finally, she fell back and began to push him away.
�Get it out � too sensitive � Fuck!� she gasped.
Once Mr. Happy was freed, girl juice was uncorked and flowed everywhere. Taylor�s fire-snatch looked all puffed up and abused.
�My turn!� Crystal announced.
While David�s big brain was worrying about Taylor, Mr. Happy moved the body to Crystal, who grabbed him and stuffed the �little head� home. The big brain snapped around and let the hips push forward.
He thought about changing condoms, but he was already balls deep. He trusted that Crystal knew Taylor�s sexual history because there was no turning back. David felt he would cum quickly, so he pulled out and went down on her while using two fingers to stimulate her G-spot.
When Crystal began to chant his name, David jerked his fingers out and drove Mr. Happy home.
That was too much for both of them as they cried out their mutual orgasm.
The door flew open, and in walked a pissed-off Cassidy.
He noted that Ruth, Corvus, and Dare were all at the door, gawking.
�I tried to stop her, sir,� Ruth called out.
�Shut the door,� David commanded. He was done providing his townhouse-mates a free show.
Cassidy just stood there, looking at his prone body as he recovered.
�It�s my birthday. I could probably go one more time � Fuuuuck! Not the twins,� David complained as he rolled into a ball.
Cassidy had only flicked them with her finger, so there was no real damage. All the same, she looked awfully pleased with herself.
She made the mistake of standing within reach of him as she gloated. Cassidy screamed when he grabbed her and pinned her to the bed. That scream stopped when their lips met.
�Thank God. I�m tapping out,� Taylor said as she got out of bed and walked to the bathroom.
�Want to conserve water?� Crystal asked her roommate.
Cassidy giggled.
�Go on. You stink,� she said.
�But �?� David asked, just to make sure she didn�t want in on his birthday festivities.
�Seriously, I�m good,� Cassidy said as she wiggled out from under him.
She swatted his ass for good measure. David got up to join Crystal and Taylor in the shower as Cassidy left.
◊◊◊
David came downstairs and found that Cassidy had ordered a variety of coffee cakes. He picked the date and walnut one and cut off a large slice. She handed him a big glass of orange juice.
�Hurry up and eat. The buses will be here soon,� she said.
�Buses?� David asked.
�That way, no one will drink and drive,� Cassidy said.
�Okay, but you said plural. As in more than one bus,� he clarified.
She shrugged.
�Your party just kept growing. You did say to invite everyone.�
�How many are coming?� David asked.
�Last I heard, the confirmed count was over six hundred.�
He wasn�t sure he�d heard right. Cassidy might as well have said, �This could easily be a �my lesbian girlfriend isn�t permitted to suck your cock, but let�s all be friends and talk about Jesus� situation.� He would have had the same reaction. It made no sense.
Six hundred-plus people wanted to go to his birthday party?
�Seriously?!�
�It�s probably more because Crystal�s dad paid for more rooms,� Cassidy said, like she had just told him the sky was blue.
He did remember Crystal mentioning something about her dad playing nice, but he�d not put it all together at the time.
�So, did my mom rent out a hotel or something?� David asked.
Cassidy smiled, which gave him pause.
�The Queen Mary.�
�The buses are here!� Dare called out.
◊◊◊
The driver got out of the bus and loaded their luggage as the second bus pulled up. David�s group was the last to board and found their seats had been saved at the front of the charter bus. Before he sat down, he noted that it wasn�t just his friends from the football team. It looked like Cassidy had invited the girls rowing team plus the Song Girls and the entire Alpha Mu sorority.
Crystal claimed the seat next to him.
�The second bus is the football coaches and your professors. Your mom invited them to bring their families.�
�You�ve talked to my mom about all this?� David asked.
�Cassidy gave me her number just in case. I called her for my dad to reserve rooms. Then she and I talked at your premiere party for a bit. She�s gone all out for this weekend.�
David nodded and went quiet as he contemplated what Crystal had said. His mom must have been working on this for some time to bring this many people together. Cassidy had mentioned over six hundred people. If he were back home, that would have been easy to pull off. But in LA?
He wasn�t able to overthink the whole thing because the trip was only thirty minutes. The Queen Mary was permanently docked in Long Beach. When he saw the ship, he thought,
◊◊◊
The ship was now a hotel that had 347 first-class staterooms and suites. David and Crystal found themselves in a suite. They walked into a living room that looked perfect for a small gathering with friends and family or relaxing. There was also a bedroom, as well as a breakfast-nook area. The whole place had an Art Deco vibe that harkened to its original d�cor, including polished wood panels and original artwork. It almost felt like you were transported back to 1936 when the ship was launched.
His phone chirped with a text from his mother.
�Get the map out. We�re meeting my family at Chelsea Chowder House in a little while,� David said.
There was a knock at the door, so he went to get it. When he looked through the peephole, David smiled. He opened the door to find his best childhood friend, Tami Glade. She was with Tracy Dole, Pam Bell, Brook Davis, and Zoe Bauer, n�e Pearson, all girls he�d dated in high school. This was why David had invited Crystal: to keep him from doing something silly like hooking up with one or more of them.
�We�re here to meet your new girl,� Tami announced as she pushed past him.
�Come on in, I guess,� he muttered.
Tracy stopped and kissed his cheek.
�Happy birthday.�
�Thanks.�
He spotted Cassidy and Ruth hurrying up the hall. David left the door open so they could let themselves in.
The girls were busy introducing themselves to Crystal when he stepped into the living room.
�Go change into something nice but casual,� Tami ordered. �Your mother has your itinerary.�
�What are you girls going to do?� he asked.
�David?� Pam asked.
�Yes?�
�Coby thought I should have a day at the spa.�
�David�s mom already made the arrangements, and he�s paying for it,� Cassidy shared.
�David?� Pam asked again.
�Yes?�
�Never mind.�
�You�re still my favorite,� David told Pam.
Brook groaned.
�She�ll be bragging about that all day, dork.�
David ignored her and went to change.
◊◊◊
David had an early lunch with his family and discovered that his mother really did have an itinerary for his day. While his dad, uncle, and two brothers were getting to take the little ones to the beach, he was going with his grandmother to meet political folks. His younger brother, Phil, was about as excited about hanging with his nieces and nephews as David was to be hanging with the political types.
�You ready for this?� David asked a bit overexcitedly for his grandmother.
�Please be good for me.�
�I promise,� he said as his grandmother led him to the Observation Bar.
It had originally been the First Class Lounge, and it was indeed opulent. His grandmother stopped him at the door. Looking around the room, he saw three small groups and one larger one that looked a lot more fun than the other three. She wanted to make sure he knew all the players before talking to them.
�Of course, you know the Illinois contingent: Governor Kurt Higgins and his wife Betty, with Senators Dixon and Caster.�
David noted that Ms. Dixon, his principal lawyer and the senator�s daughter, was also with them.
�Over there is the California group: Governor Blackfarmer and Senator Hatley. I don�t know who the other man is,� Grandma Dawson admitted.
�That�s Daniel Hatley. He was engaged to my friend Kat. I�ve been told he�s a real horse�s ass.�
�That may be true, but please refrain from calling him that to his face,� his grandmother chastised. �Do you know who the other two groups are?�
�The male of the couple is Mark Ellison; I am assuming the lady with him is his wife. Mr. Ellison is the president of the NCAA. The boisterous group starts with Tony Giovanni from New York City, his wife Nancy, his sister Pia, and his business partner Kendra Bianco. I am assuming the rest are family,� David shared.
�The Bianco and Giovanni crime families?� Grandma Dawson asked.
�Let�s meet them first. That way, we have time to talk politics,� he suggested.
His grandmother gave him a look that he, being the favorite grandson, seldom saw. He knew he was treading on thin ice. He offered her his arm, and she took it. Counting that as a win, David guided her to where Tony was sitting.
�Birthday boy!� Pia said and gave him a big kiss.
It lasted longer than a friendly hello, and he tasted gin on her tongue. When they finally pulled apart, David saw the older man, who he assumed was her father, was displeased.
�Pia, behave yourself,� Nancy chastised.
�But he�s so cute,� Pia complained.
�He also has a girlfriend,� Grandma Dawson said.
Tony laughed and then introduced everyone. He was with his father, mother, and grandfather. Kendra had brought her father and her 18-year-old younger sister, Sophia, who would be going to USC in the fall. And guess who her roommate was going to be � Nat Sandoval, Alex�s twin sister.
The last man at the table was Nancy�s father, Senator Wilson of New York.
�How about I see all of you at the dance tonight? Senator Wilson, would you care to join me as I talk to your colleagues?�
�David will one day join your ranks,� Grandma Dawson said.
�I would be delighted,� Senator Wilson said.
They walked over to President Ellison�s table next.
�Hello, and thank you for coming to my party. I was wondering if you�d like to join me in talking to a few people,� David said, nodding toward the Illinois delegation and Senator Wilson.
�I�d hoped to have a word,� President Ellison said.
David smiled.
�I�ll be glad to talk with you one-on-one later, but it would be impolite of me not to talk with my other guests first. And it�d also be rude of me not to introduce you to them, if you haven�t already had the pleasure.�
Grandma Dawson deftly introduced everyone.
Governor Higgins wanted to know how Mayor Duke was doing, which led to the story of how David got his dog elected.
�I�m glad you�re here. I wanted to have an informal discussion about the NCAA�s policy on Name, Image, and Likeness. We�re calling it �NIL� for short. My committee starts hearings on the matter next month,� Senator Dixon said to the NCAA president.
There was a lawsuit working its way through the courts that the newspapers said might make it to the Supreme Court. The NCAA was currently doing everything it could to quash it. The problem was that certain states�Illinois and California being two of them�had either passed or introduced legislation to allow their college athletes to profit from NIL.
�What are your thoughts on all this?� Senator Wilson asked David.
�I think that if the NCAA doesn�t come up with a viable solution quickly, the courts will decide the issue for them. In my opinion, that will open Pandora�s Box,� he replied.
�What would you propose?� Senator Caster asked.
�I would suggest that student-athletes receive a stipend.�
�Schools can�t afford it,� President Ellison said.
David shrugged. If Mr. Ellison was that entrenched, he was doomed to fail.
His grandmother changed the conversation to less contentious topics. President Ellison excused himself and seemed to be headed to the bar.
David then gathered the Illinois assemblage and joined Senator Hatley and Governor Blackfarmer where they were talking. David wasn�t done stirring the pot.
�Governor Blackfarmer, one of my charity efforts when I was in high school was to help the homeless. I�ve seen that it likely will become a huge issue here, and so I would very respectfully suggest that you might want to get a handle on this soon, sir.�
�We are working on just that right now,� the governor said dismissively.
�I hope so, sir, because I know two things. The vast majority of homeless would prefer the safety of a roof over their heads. The humanitarian aspect alone makes it a worthwhile endeavor. The second is that it�s your businesses and homeowners who tend to both vote and fund campaigns. If I had people living in boxes on my sidewalk, endangering the safety of my customers and or family �� David left the rest unsaid.
David saw that he�d hit a nerve.
�Then why don�t you put your money where your mouth is and build shelters,� Governor Blackfarmer snapped.
�Or he might run for governor,� Governor Higgins shot back to support David.
That made the other men chuckle, which clued Governor Blackfarmer in that he�d made a misstep. Grandma Dawson smoothed everything over, and the rest of the discussion went well.
After they were done, David took Ms. Dixon aside while his grandmother stayed to talk to everyone.
�Did you want to make some money while you�re here?�
�What did you do this time?� she teased.
�I�m hoping nothing. My new girlfriend�s father is an agent, and I have to go to breakfast with him. I was wanting you to join us.�
�I get paid, plus you buy me breakfast � I�m in.�
David muttered something about greedy lawyers.
He then found President Ellison and his wife before they left the bar.
�I�m meeting some of the athletic personnel, including USC�s athletic director. Would you have time to pop in and say hello?� David asked.
�I would.�
◊◊◊
Jaxson Pettis sent a text to let David know that the USC contingent was in the Grand Salon. David checked the map on his phone to find out where that was. When he entered the room, he found where everyone was. He�d wondered why the ship felt empty. They were watching the ending of
The studio had arranged to show both of his movies. The second Star Academy film would begin in about thirty minutes.
When the lights came up, Bear spotted him standing by the door.
�There�s the wimp!�
David flipped off his teammate, which drew chuckles. As he scanned the room, he saw many people who worked on his films, actors, models, and students and teachers from USC. He also saw Tim and Wolf sitting with his old high school coach, Tony Hope.
Jaxson saw who David was with and had a quick conversation with the man next to him. They hurried over, followed by the USC football staff.
�I had no idea that you know President Ellison,� Jaxson said.
�David, being who he is, gave us pause concerning his eligibility when he was in high school.�
�I hope you worked everything out,� the man who Jaxson was with said.
�Sorry, we haven�t met,� David interjected.
�I�m Brent Allison, commissioner of the Pac-12.�
David noted that all the coaches except his head coach were there.
�Is Coach Clayton around? I was hoping to introduce him to President Ellison,� David said.
�He � uh �� Coach Farrow started to say.
�My bad, I forgot he had another engagement,� David said, remembering his promise to his athletic director not to trash his head coach in public.
�David, if you don�t mind, I�d like a word with your athletic director and commissioner,� President Ellison said.
�Events like this should be used for networking. I ought to say hello to everyone before the next movie starts,� David said.
�As always, it was good to see you again. I hope you find time to have some fun,� President Ellison said.
�And it was nice meeting you, sir,� David said to Mr. Allison.
When they left, the coaches all looked at David.
�Of course he knows the NCAA President,� Coach Farrow said, shaking his head in wry admiration.
◊◊◊
�Hey, dickwad! You flunked out yet?� David asked.
�Bite me, loser,� Brad Hope, Cassidy�s brother, fired back.
Coach Hope just shook his head as he grabbed David and gave him a hug.
�I see you�re causing trouble, like always,� Coach Hope said.
�You�ve gotten bigger,� a deep voice said behind him.
David turned and found Johan Bauer, Zoe�s husband and former center for David in high school.
�And you got smaller,� David said.
�Not playing ball does that to you.�
The lights dimmed.
�Hey, enjoy the movie. There�s a dance tonight. I�ll see you all there,� David promised.
He slipped out as the opening of his Star Academy film began. He definitely did not need to see it again.
◊◊◊
David spent the afternoon talking to everyone. He was relieved when Crystal sent him a text that his mother said it was family time.
At first, he�d been amazed that so many people would be at his birthday party. Then when he saw who all was there, it made sense. David had made many friends in several sectors, including business, politics, modeling, acting, baseball, and football. Seeing them on the ship made him understand how many lives he�d touched, and they, in turn, had connected with him.
Crystal found him and took him toward the exit gangway of the Queen Mary.
�Where are we going?� he asked.
�To get your present.�
David walked out to find his closest friends and family surrounding what looked to be a car under a tarp. He began to bounce up and down, which got the little ones excited.
�Show me! Show me!� he said like Mac would if she thought she was getting a pony.
�Before he pees his pants �� his mom said.
David groaned at the reminder of what had happened when he was five. He honestly didn�t remember it, but the story sure got repeated enough times while he was growing up.
�I think I see a wet spot,� Tami said, pointing.
�Stop teasing me and let me see,� he implored.
Phil and Greg grabbed two ends of the tarp and pulled it off.
�Holy � uh � cow � is that my car?� David asked.
�We sent it off to Hennessey Performance to make it a bit faster,� Uncle John said.
David had gotten a customized car, a Ford Hennessey VelociRaptor SUV that a family had traded in. David had bought it because it had three rows of seating and could also handle off-road racing.
When he first got the Demon, he�d considered sending it to Hennessey Performance to change it from a 707-horsepower supercharged HEMI V8 Hellcat engine to one that was rated at over 1000 horsepower. At the time, David had a hard time wrapping his mind around adding more power. The Demon was almost more car than he could handle already. This looked like his Demon, but �
�They went over the whole car and upgraded everything they could mechanically. Your car is now street safe and rated at 1032 horsepower,� Dad said.
�They suggested that you would need larger tires, so they referred us to a body shop. They added a widebody kit �� Uncle John droned on.
David quit listening and began to walk around the car to take it all in. It had been painted cardinal red with gold racing pinstripes�cardinal and gold were USC�s colors. Even the wheels were gold.
�I told them to change the doors,� his mom said.
She walked over and pulled on the handle. Instead of swinging straight out, the gull-wing door rose like a high-end supercar�s would.
With the door open, David got a good look at the interior. It was also cardinal red with gold accents and stitching on the leather.
His brother, Phil, pushed past him and jumped into the driver�s seat.
�You�ll love this.�
He hit a button, and the car lowered itself. They�d added an air-lift suspension upgrade. Then he hit another switch, and the gold pinstripes lit up.
�How the �?� David asked in amazement.
�Electroluminescent paint,� his dad said. �Basically, it works like a light. It�s four layers of special paint. One of the middle layers will glow when you add an electrical charge. It�ll also change colors.�
Phil moved the switch down, and it changed from gold to white.
�Now it looks like Stanford�s colors,� Tami announced.
�That would be handy if I transferred,� David joked.
�Get in. I�ll give you a spin,� Phil offered.
�Hell, no. We�d both die,� David said as he kicked his brother out.
Tami and Cassidy jumped in the back as Brook got into the passenger seat.
�We�ll be back in a minute,� David promised.
�Dinner�s at six,� Mom said with a stern look.
He did a quick mental calculation. They had plenty of time for some fun. He started it, and the throaty rumble of the monster announced it had come to life.
David had to chuckle when Phil slid up beside their dad.
�My birthday �� was all David heard as he put the car in gear and pulled away.
Phil had been politicking for a car since he was fifteen. To date, to his dad�s credit, he hadn�t crumbled to his youngest�s whining. David guessed that Phil�s mom and stepdad had more to do with it than Phil knew. Besides, the little dumbass would probably kill himself if he did have a car.
David took a lap around the parking lot to get used to it. He could feel that its handling had improved. The car was much more responsive. All he had to do was touch the gas, and the Demon felt like it wanted to turn into a rocket ship.
�During testing, Hennessey clocked it at 9.35 seconds with a max speed of 155 mph for the quarter-mile. On the open road, they pushed it to 200 mph before backing off,� Brook shared.
David took it easy since he was in Long Beach, which was not exactly the ideal place to see how fast his car would go if one didn�t back off. Maybe he would have to make a run to Vegas and find out.
◊◊◊
President Ellison led them back to his room so they could have some privacy.
�I never in a million years thought I would be attending a birthday party for a student-athlete I wasn�t related to,� NCAA President Ellison said as they got comfortable.
�I planned to meet with Jaxson this morning, but when I heard what he was doing tonight, I decided I wanted to come,� Brent, the Pac-12�s Commissioner, said and then laughed. �That�s not the whole story. My wife demanded that we go. She�s always wanted to see the fireworks from the Queen Mary and meet David A. Dawson.�
�We�ve had our fair share of celebrities come through USC, none of whom wanted to play sports,� Jaxson, USC�s athletic director, shared.
�I bet he makes your life interesting,� President Ellison said.
�What makes you say that?� Jaxson asked.
�Just that. When we met with him, David had more of a spine than his lawyer. It was clear he was in charge and knew what he was doing.�
�What, exactly, happened for him to have to meet with you?� Brent asked.
�When David submitted his application to be recruited by our member institutions, his file got flagged. Most high school student-athletes don�t own businesses, model, and act in movies. This was right around the time California first floated their NIL bill. As a part of our standard paperwork, we make everyone sign a waiver that allows us to use student-athletes� images and the like. His camp was worried about his movie commitments and part of his income going to the university instead of to him.�
�I get that. We, too, gave David a waiver to allow him to market his movies and be paid for them. What I�m asking is why
�This was when the first NIL lawsuits came in, like the ones from the Northwestern football team, the Arizona State swimmer, and Oregon women�s basketball player. The NCAA takes any threat to our antitrust exemptions seriously. Our lawyers felt that David was a potential problem for us,� President Ellison replied glibly.
�How so?� Jaxson asked.
He could tell there was more to the story than that, but the way President Ellison seemed to be deflecting, Jaxson doubted he�d get the whole story.
�It�s not only that he�s a high-profile athlete with deep pockets. We felt we could win any potential litigation if we rejected his waiver. The NCAA has stood up against much more formidable threats and won. What concerned us was the David doesn�t have typical connections. Before I met with you today, his grandmother had orchestrated a meeting with the governors of both California and Illinois. There are also US senators from those two states and New York at the party.
�Just walking around the ship, I�ve seen Sports Illustrated swimsuit models as well as directors and producers of some of the biggest movies from the last decade. Even heads of Mafia families,� President Ellison said.
�What?� Jaxson asked with a worried look.
�David is friends with Anthony Giovanni and Kendra Bianco. We checked, and neither is involved in anything illegal, as far as we know. Now their fathers �� President Ellison began with raised eyebrows.
�You said his grandmother set up the meeting?� Brent asked.
�David�s grandfather was a man named Davey Dawson. While he was alive, he was the power broker behind Illinois politics. He was the man you went to if you wanted something done. If you could convince him that what you wanted was good for the people of his state, then odds were what you wanted to be done would actually get done. He was asked to run for higher office but turned it down, from what I was told. He liked being a behind-the-scenes guy, felt he was more effective that way,� President Ellison explained.
�But even universities that receive sanctions don�t get to plead their case directly to the president of the NCAA. I can see that David could create a media problem, but I�m missing something,� Brent said.
Jaxson agreed. There had to be more.
�Imagine David A. Dawson as the poster boy for the other side in our fight against NIL.�
�But isn�t he a double-edged sword? When you gave him his waiver, it signaled that you�re open to student-athletes from member institutions making money on their name, image, and likeness,� Brent said.
�David is hardly the first waiver we�ve granted and won�t be the last. What it shows is that on a case-by-case basis, the NCAA will grant a NIL waiver. And if you read his, he is only allowed to fulfill the contractual obligations that he�d made
�And �?� Jaxson prodded.
�And we wanted to get David to be involved with the NCAA, as I am sure the Pac-12 and USC also want. It�s the same reason companies like Range Sports paid him a lot of money to be the face of their company,� President Ellison said. �He�s a very personable, believable guy.�
�My media department is champing at the bit to utilize him,� Jaxson said. �Not only because of the obvious celebrity; it�s what he�s done since he got here. Since the spring, he�s used his contacts to get us an assistant baseball coach he met while filming
�David is currently taking a film class that has him doing a sports talk show. I�m told that his vodcast gets more clicks than everything else that the School of Cinematic Arts has ever produced in its history put together. And our football recruiting coordinator loves him. David talked a five-star transfer into signing and got a five-star quarterback to consider coming to USC when we thought we had no chance.
�You know how much time a student-athlete has to commit to their sport. David does all that, spends time with his family, and maintains a perfect grade point average,� Jaxson shared.
�After this weekend, I plan to go back and talk to my staff,� Brent admitted. �Our media partners�Fox, ESPN, and the Pac-12 Network�would love to have David as one of the conference�s leading players. Fox wants to feature USC�s opener as their game of the week because that�ll be the first college game he starts. Usually, a game against UNLV would only rate Pac-12 Network coverage.
�Fox and ESPN want star power. David is the number-one-rated recruit in his class. And he just happens to be an Academy Award-winning actor who has two of the biggest box office hits in theaters. That fits the narrative they�re looking for. The only fly in the ointment is that your coach hasn�t named him the starter,� Brent said.
�Why is that?� President Ellison asked.
Jaxson had wondered about that himself. David had readily agreed not to trash Coach Clayton for now, but Jaxson wondered how much longer that truce would last. In Jaxson�s opinion, David taking potshots at Coach Clayton would easily have been justified. To protect his chosen quarterback, Coach Clayton had moved David to defense, which David had agreed to, surprising just about everybody in the athletic department.
Their starting quarterback had been injured during spring practice, and it became apparent they had no one to step in and take his place. David was moved back to quarterback and, after he knocked the rust off his skills, had frankly shown he deserved the starting job.
On top of all that, Coach Clayton had played games with David�s promised scholarship. Jaxson had been forced to step in to rectify that injustice.
Jaxson was sure that most players would have crucified Coach Clayton in the press. David had shown maturity, even when, as Jaxson had learned from his sources, the starting quarterback had tried to have him injured. His only retaliation was to point out Coach Clayton�s blatant favoritism.
Jaxson knew that quarterback wasn�t the only position that Coach Clayton had messed with to allow an inferior player to start. Coach Clayton preferred older starters. The best example was at defensive end. Percy Wilkes was a five-star recruit out of Texas who should never have been red-shirted.
What kept Jaxson from making a change of head coach was that they�d gone 11�2 last year. And Jaxson was new to the job. That all added up to his hands being tied. You didn�t fire a head coach with that kind of record unless he was molesting boys or committing some other egregious infraction.
While David made a lot of sense on more than just the football front, Jaxson couldn�t be seen dictating to his head football coach who should start.
�Coach Clayton feels that Matt Long has been in the program longer and benefited from being Ridge Townsend�s understudy. Besides, Matt, like David, was a highly rated Elite 11 level quarterback in high school,� Jaxson said.
�I understand your having to back Coach Clayton, but at some point, you�re going to have to remind some people that you are the athletic director,� Brent said.
Jaxson had to admit to himself that Brent was right. He was also very aware that David was good friends with the two significant boosters for USC. Hell, David�s grandmother was dating one of them. These were the men who had arranged for him to become the athletic director in the first place. Jaxson had no doubt that if they became unhappy, he could easily be replaced. Donating a combined $200 million a year to the university gave the two boosters that kind of leverage.
�We had David come in a second time,� President Ellison said to change the topic. �He was offered money by a shoe company to go to a certain school. Even though he self-reported, we pulled his eligibility to play college ball for a time.�
�Why the hell would you do that?� Jaxson asked, only to be overridden by Brent simultaneously asking, �What happened?�
�The FBI got involved and made everyone sign nondisclosure agreements. They had an ongoing investigation. Besides, it was clear that David had done absolutely nothing wrong.�
�Are you talking about the basketball case? The one that happened last fall?� Brent asked.
�One of our assistant coaches got tangled up in that mess. We let him go,� Jaxson said. �Is the NCAA going to look into what they were doing?�
Jaxson knew that if the NCAA came after them, they would be facing stiff sanctions for facilitating money to be paid to student-athletes. He saw President Ellison get a pinched look, but then he chuckled.
�I feel confident the NCAA will come down hard on USC. Just as soon as we finish sanctioning Arizona, Auburn, Kansas, NC State, Louisville, Alabama, Miami, and the rest. Then we�ll be all over USC. I�d expect to see some harsh punishment handed out in five-to-never years from now,� President Ellison joked.
Jaxson knew that the rumors of the haves and have-nots, like in the real world, were in play with the NCAA. If that list had included a bunch of directional schools like Northeast Southwest Central State, they might have ended up getting the death penalty. He thought back to when Notre Dame received sanctions and thought they should have stood their ground instead of falling on their sword and volunteering to take their punishment.
It looked like the FBI was also well aware that football was a much larger moneymaker than basketball. On average, college football generated more money than the next 35 sports combined. It might explain why the FBI focused their investigation on basketball.
�David wasn�t found to have taken money, was he?� Brent asked.
�He didn�t receive any money himself, but two charities he�d helped establish received some suspicious anonymous donations. Since the donations were anonymous and he couldn�t have returned the money if he�d wanted to, the FBI let him off the hook. David had hired an outside person to run the charities to replace family members. The result was he�d cut all ties with the management of those charities. After that, we were satisfied that he didn�t receive an inducement,� President Ellison explained.
The room went quiet for a moment.
�I have two things I wanted to give you a heads-up about,� President Ellison said to break the silence.
Jaxson could see this was serious by the president�s body language.
�The first is that our sources have discovered the FBI is nosing around again. The one instance I can confirm is at Stanford. A state congressman has donated over $50,000 from his campaign fund to the university, which is apparently legal. But what may not be is that his son was just accepted to Stanford. I have no information as to whether the money had any influence on his admission or not,� President Ellison said to clarify.
The implication was that if the FBI was looking, there was probably a good reason.
�Does the congressman�s son play sports?� Brent asked.
�No.�
�Then why are you telling us?� Brent asked.
�Because that isn�t the only example. The FBI has launched another big, but not yet publicized, investigation they are calling Varsity Blues. The implication is that it involves student-athletes. I suggest that you get the word out and make sure none of your schools are taking cash for admissions. Especially through any sports program,� President Ellison warned.
�To pull that off, they would need to have both a coach and admissions person involved, at a minimum,� Jaxson surmised.
�If it has been going on for any length of time, it could go much higher. This could be a career-ender for those involved
That had Jaxson�s full attention. Come Monday morning, he planned to quietly launch an internal investigation.
�The second item I wanted to bring up is that there will be an announcement on the Sunday talk shows. It will say that if schools in California allow players to be paid for NIL, they will not be eligible for postseason play,� President Ellison said.
�Is this just an idle threat?� Brent asked.
�No. The NCAA�s Board of Directors met this week, and they are seriously considering making this a formal rule change.�
Jaxson quietly muttered several trigger words that described his thoughts on how messed up that was. The state of California had passed a bill to allow their student-athletes to profit off of NIL but had delayed the effective date. Jaxson hoped that the NCAA was just posturing to put pressure on the states pushing for this.
In his head, Jaxson already was formulating a response he could make when boosters, the university�s administration, or the press wanted a comment on the athletic department�s stance. He would call the president of the university tomorrow to coordinate.
When neither Brent nor Jaxson said anything, President Ellison stood up to signal the end of the meeting. Everyone was very cordial on the surface as they shook hands.
�What do you think?� Brent asked when they walked down the hall.
�About what? His veiled threat or the FBI? Both are a problem,� Jaxson admitted.
�Do you think you have an admissions problem?� Brent asked.
�I�m willing to bet good money that the former AD thought everything was fine right up until the FBI charged one of our assistant coaches in the shoe scandal. At least with this heads-up, I can attempt to find out if we have another, but I would be surprised if we don�t. Most of USC�s employees would become willfully blind to a violation if a bag of cash landed on their desk. And I wouldn�t put it past some of our wealthy families to �donate� to get their children into the university,� Jaxson said.
Brent nodded his agreement and went to find his wife.
◊◊◊
�Just the man I wanted to talk to.�
Jaxson saw a smiling Gabe Francis, the studio exec who was one of USC�s principal boosters. Gabe�s studio had made David�s movie,
�What can I do for you?� Jaxson asked.
�I was just talking to the head of the USC Booster Club in Sacramento.�
�We have a dinner with them next week.�
�That�s the one. When I told him where I was, he asked that David be added to the guest list,� Gabe said.
Jaxson took a moment before answering. During the summer, there were weekly dinners or luncheons that Jaxson attended. Most times, either the head football or basketball coach would attend. Players didn�t go because they weren�t allowed free meals or travel expenses. Those expenses would have to come out of the players� pockets. It wouldn�t be cheap, either, because they planned to fly.
�That�s a pretty big ask because David would have to pay his own way,� Jaxson said.
�I was just talking to Chubby Feldman, and he has been renting his plane to David. I didn�t know this, but David has his pilot�s license. Since Chubby isn�t a booster, he could hire David to be our pilot,� Gabe floated.
Jaxson chuckled.
�It�s that type of shenanigan that causes me to lose sleep at night. I�ll approve David going, but he will have to pay for everything himself. And forget about having him paid to be our pilot.�
�Since you�re the rule enforcer, I�ll let you ask David. Just get an answer tonight if you can. That way, we can get the word out. I�m hoping to raise more than our boy did today.�
�He raised money? For what?� Jaxson asked.
�Instead of gifts, he asked that everyone donate to his charities. He added a generic category today. I guess our governor made a comment that David should put his money where his mouth was for the homeless,� Gabe said.
�What were the original charities?�
�Teen mothers is one, and his mom had cancer, so she organized another charity to support the families of cancer victims.�
�I didn�t know that,� Jaxson said.
�You should talk to him about it sometime. It�s quite an inspirational story. David actually got into modeling to help his family financially while she was getting treatment. I think he was a freshman in high school.�
�I take it his mom is okay.�
�Last I heard, she beat it,� Gabe shared.
�I�m glad you told me. I�ll make a donation.�
�No! My goal is to outraise David. If people keep giving, I might have to write a check.�
Jaxson knew the studio exec was just kidding. He was probably the first one to stroke a check for David�s charities. Gabe was a shark when it came to business, but he also had a big heart.
�I�ll do my best to get David to the booster event,� Jaxson promised.
Like Gabe, he knew that David would be willing to help out if asked.
Jaxson looked at his watch. He�d promised he�d be back to the Queen Mary�s main lounge to schmooze alongside his wife by now. His motto was �Happy wife, happy life.� So far, that had worked out for him.
◊◊◊
When David came back from test-driving his car, he found one of his security team waiting, and they took the keys. They would take it to his Malibu house for now. He was disappointed it wouldn�t be there for his use, but he understood. His car was one-of-a-kind that Dodge used to test the Demon concept. That first year they�d only made 3,000 of them, making it even more desirable to collectors in the future.
�I should probably drive it back to your house,� Cassidy said as she tried to grab the keys.
�No, you shouldn�t. Your dad�s here, and he wouldn�t be happy if you took off to go joyriding,� David said.
�I�ve decided that I want to be your security again,� she said as she watched the Demon drive away.
�You get to tell Ruth she�s fired.�
Cassidy smiled. He didn�t know if that was good or not.
Brook�s phone beeped.
�Your mom says you need to get ready.�
David glanced over at Tami and saw her frown. He knew she was wondering when his mother decided to have Brook do stuff like that and not her. That had to be a good thing, right? Tami and his mom had ganged up on him for years. Maybe he�d finally gotten through to his mom. Then again, he shouldn�t read too much into it.
�I�ll see everyone at dinner,� David said as they went to their rooms.
◊◊◊
Crystal was in the shower. He saw that his new suit was laid out.
�Did you think I couldn�t dress myself?� David asked as he went to the sink to brush his teeth and shave.
�No. That was Adrienne. She had clothes for you to wear, but when she saw your new suit, she agreed it was the best option. She did leave you a shirt, boxers, and a tie,� Crystal said as she turned off the water.
David handed her a towel as he finished up at the sink. When she stepped out, he went in.
�I want to use my veto power tonight,� Crystal said.
If girls only knew that saying something like that to a guy only made them want to do just the opposite even more.
�Tell me.�
�I have three. Brook Davis, Kate Upton, ��
His head shot out of the shower.
�� and Fiona Beckham.�
Of all the women on the planet, Crystal had somehow picked out the three women he was most attracted to. He�d already decided that Brook was in the �no-go zone� due to the long-distance reasons and because if he did sleep with her, all his old feelings would resurface.
Kate Upton was off the menu because she married that stupid baseball player. Somehow, she�d gotten herself knocked up, and they now had a little girl. What sucked even more was that David read she really loved the guy. He must have hypnotized her to make Kate pick him over David.
David and Fiona Beckham had dated for a while during the spring until she left to film a movie. Mr. Happy got a half-chubby as the big brain remembered her honey-blond hair. It was the kind that shimmered in the afternoon sun, thick and long, with some natural curl. When he�d first met her, it was pulled back into a ponytail that gave her a sporty look. Setting everything off was her piercing blue eyes that simply jumped off the screen in her films.
There were two problems with Fiona. The most significant red flag was that she was tight with Lexi. The other reason he hesitated was that she and Crystal were equally good-looking. The only advantage she had as far as arm candy went was her fame. Not that David seriously considered that for a real girlfriend, but for a fake one �
Note to heart: �
Note to self:
�Fair enough,� David said and went back to his shower.
�You sure?� Crystal asked.
�Yep. No problem,� he assured her.
�I thought Kate Upton was your dream girl.�
�You vetoed her.�
�Huh � just like that?�
�Just like that,� David said as he shut off the water.
He was a bit irritated when there wasn�t a towel on the rack, so he stepped out and shook his head like Duke did when he got wet.
Crystal shrieked and ran out of the bathroom. He spotted a hand towel. He was frickin� six-four and expected to dry off with a hand towel? Being a guy � oh, well. He�d used worse.
◊◊◊
�I�m being attacked by a unicorn. Help! It�s getting glitter on me!� David cried as he walked out onto the top deck.
The Queen Mary had an upper deck in the center of the ship. David, his closest friends, and his family were having a private dinner. Afterward, they would watch the fireworks before joining all their guests on the much larger aft deck. That was where they would have cake and ice cream, followed by a party.
His niece and nephews had tossed handfuls of glitter and were now running for their lives.
�You three are on my you-know-what list,� David teased.
His horde was a step slower, so he squatted down and ducked his chin so they could toss glitter onto his hair.
�Rah!� David roared as he scooped up Carol, who was a step too slow on the retreat.
Peals of giggles and squeals of excitement followed as he scooped up each of his children in turn. He either tickled them or gave them raspberries on their tummies as they played a disorganized game of tag. For some reason, their dad was always �it.�
He wasn�t at all surprised to see Cassidy helping the munchkins get more glitter to toss on him.
Before it got too far out of hand, David collapsed on the deck and let the little ones climb on him. The adults began to take pictures of him in his thousand-dollar suit as he played with the kids. Cassidy dumped the remaining bucket of glitter on the pile of fun.
Finally, Ashley announced it was time to eat. Each of the mothers corralled their kids and pulled them off him. His buddies from high school, Tim and Wolf, reached down to help him up. They fell into step beside him, and David knew that his two friends were probably drawing blood from biting their tongues so hard.
Wolf broke first.
�He looks like he just came from the lunch show at the local titty bar. Did you have to pay extra to get your whole head between her tatas?�
�David�s gladiator name is Glitorous,� Tim said.
�Ow!� �Ow!�
David chuckled as Cassidy took them to their knees.
�Behave,� she warned and then went to sit down.
Tim and Wolf led David to a table of their old friends. He was glad Crystal had an empty seat next to her.
�Dude, incoming,� Tim warned, pointing behind him.
David whirled around without thinking. So much for cool�well, as cool as you could be with glitter stuck to your face and in your hair. So much for suave. So much for calm and self-possessed and witty and urbane. If his whiplash motion hadn�t drawn her eyes to him, David�s explosion of coughing did the trick.
It was Gwen Larkin, the crazy woman who had stalked him. Once his coughing attack subsided, and he could finally breathe again, he saw the true extent of the disaster about to befall him. Her hair looked like where birds went to die, and her eyes were rolling around until they locked on him. She made a beeline straight for him � or so he thought.
�You! What are you doing with my man?!� Gwen screeched as she launched herself at Crystal.
Ruth came out of nowhere and tackled her. David had never seen Ruth unable to subdue anyone until that moment. Gwen went apeshit crazy, which scared the little ones. David had had enough as he got up and physically hauled Gwen out of sight of onlookers.
�Let me go!�
�I am only trying to do you a favor, crazy train. I�d rather walk across a bed of rusty nails than to pretend to be anything with you.�
That brought her up short.
�But Lexi said �� and then she burst into tears.
Before he could say anything�and really, what would he say?�Gwen disappeared down the stairs.
Ruth came to his side.
�Have the security team track her down. I�m afraid for her safety,� David said.
Gwen had mental health issues. Being an actress did her no favors because her studio and family wanted her on set instead of locked up somewhere she could get the help she desperately needed.
Ruth held up a finger as she listened to her earpiece.
�They have her, sir.�
�Let�s hope that�s the last of the excitement tonight.�
Somewhere, God was laughing at him.
◊◊◊
It was almost like his birthday because dinner was a big ribeye and a lobster tail. After they had finished eating was when the intervention occurred. David should have been clued in when Tim, Wolf, and Crystal all went to the bathroom, and Rita James and Tracy took the empty seats on either side of him. Brook, Tami, Pam, and Zoe sat across the table.
�Halle feels awful,� Rita began.
�You need to forgive her,� Tracy added.
When David finally got mad, it was best if you left him alone. Usually, he got over it after he�d had time to work it through. Halle setting up Ben and Lexi felt like a betrayal he couldn�t let go of.
Then again, Halle grew up in Hollywood, where that kind of behavior was the norm. And after all, she hadn�t put a gun to their heads. Lexi and Ben were the real culprits in this unfaithfulness. It felt like his broken heart had been left bleeding at his feet when he found out.
In truth, David might not have cared who Lexi spent time with if she�d just come clean and told him. Over spring break, he�d started to return the feelings she�d confessed to having for him.
Colleen had blindsided him. While he didn�t have any deep feelings for her�even though the sex was great�it was the timing of it all. Everything seemed to happen at the same time, and Halle was an easy target.
He looked up and saw all the women patiently waiting him out. They knew exactly how to handle him.
�You all suck,� David said as he shook his head.
�He�s okay,� Tracy announced.
Rita sent a text, and a moment later, Halle walked onto the deck. She was wearing one of those sundresses that were meant to be taken off slowly. It was apparent that she wasn�t wearing a bra. His gaze zeroed in on a pair of perky nips he remembered so well.
�Friends don�t drool over other friends,� Brook quipped.
David�s eyes narrowed as he glanced at each of the women. Then he stood and hugged Halle.
�Let�s go somewhere to talk,� she suggested.
�Let�s don�t. Just know that I�m not mad at you anymore and leave it at that,� David suggested.
Rehashing or listening to her apologize would potentially get him upset again. He wanted to enjoy the rest of his birthday.
�You�re really fine?�
What was it with girls not believing what he told them?
�Yes. I�m really okay.�
Crystal appeared at his side and whispered in his ear.
�She�s number four.�
David couldn�t help but bark out a laugh. He might as well quit trying to figure out women. Crystal was either a mind reader, or Mr. Happy�s swelling gave him away.
◊◊◊
When it was time for the fireworks, David put sound-deadening headphones on his children. The Queen Mary staff had put down a big blanket for the kids to sit on and arranged deck chairs in a semi-circle for all their moms and David.
When the first test firework went up and boomed � the little ones were in their moms� laps. Allen beat Dawson to his mom, so Dawson settled for his dad.
Then the show began, and it was fun to watch the kids� startled looks change to wonder. David had to admit that sitting on the top deck of the Queen Mary was the best spot he�d ever watched a fireworks display from. They had an unobstructed view out over the water. It was also the best show he�d ever experienced.
After the grand finale was over, Dawson looked up at David.
�Ice cream, Dad.�
A fun fact about ice cream is that it never breaks your heart.
�And cake,� David added with a big smile.
◊◊◊
Before going straight to the aft deck, David made a stop at his room, where he changed into more casual clothes for the party. It also gave him a chance to remove any remaining glitter.
When he arrived, he saw that the aft deck had a stage with band equipment. In front was a dance floor. Across the rest of the deck were large round tables with white tablecloths. In the back was a bar. The waitstaff was moving through the crowd, taking drink orders.
His mother found him.
�Say a few words, and then they�ll bring the cake and ice cream out.�
David didn�t hesitate. He went to the stage and grabbed a microphone.
�As you find your seats, I saw a mic and decided that since it was my birthday, and you are a captive audience, I might sing a few songs.�
�Please, no!� Wolf called out.
�Okay, fine. I understand that they�re bringing out goodies, so get comfortable while I give a few thoughts.�
David waited a moment as most everyone took their seats.
�When I was contemplating getting a year older, I did a quick search on teenagers. I hadn�t really thought about it, but the concept is relatively recent in a historical sense. Not so long ago, there was no bridge between childhood and becoming an adult. Kids had to work to survive.
�The �teenager� emerged in the middle of the 20th century. The US economy became industrialized, and children began to work in factories; there was a movement to change that. Their solution was compulsory education. Between 1920 and 1936, the share of teenagers in high school more than doubled, from about 30 percent to over 60 percent.
�It made me realize how lucky I am. If I were born a hundred years earlier, I would have grown up working on a farm and never been given the opportunity to be where I am now in my life.
�I look at my children and can only imagine what opportunities will be available to them when the time comes,� David shared.
Then he took a moment to gather himself.
�I am truly blessed. I�ve been told that I have a lot of my grandfather in me. I remember the funny guy who loved me best,� David said as he smiled at Greg. �And looking out at this room, I know he would be proud of me. He was the one that passed down to my father and then to both Greg and me that you never know what could happen if you connect with people.�
David then took some time to point out prominent people in the room. While he was doing that, he recalled that fateful summer he spent at his uncle�s farm. It helped him grow up. He learned that the world didn�t revolve around him, that he didn�t �deserve� anything. He�d learned the phrase �If it is to be, it is up to me.� Those ten simple words had changed his life.
When he thought about it, life was about adapting and taking on the challenges you faced. David would never say, �This is how you�re going to get through life the best: you should blame everyone else when things don�t go right.� Or, �I should always get my way.� He would never teach that to his kids. It wasn�t how to live a happy life.
David loved what he did, be it sports, acting, modeling, or going to school. Football was a good example. The sport was a simple game that was hard to execute. It was a totally imperfect game that you were trying to do as perfectly as possible.
Football was the ultimate blame game. If you had a lousy game, everyone from the press to fans to your head coach pointed fingers. It would be refreshing if someone would actually say, �I didn�t get the job done, and we collectively didn�t get the job done.�
That was a cultural change that would have to occur on the USC football team, he realized. The players were viewing football as a team sport if he heard, �Hey, we gotta get better.� It wasn�t, �I have all the answers,� or �You guys all screwed it up, not me.� That was how teams lost. And that attitude carried over to all aspects of life.
His uncle saying, �If it is to be, it is up to me,� didn�t mean he had to do it all on his own. It was about personal responsibility, for sure, but there was also such a thing as group responsibility. Everyone working towards a common goal could do anything. Looking out over the room, he realized that his uncle�s words had been the catalyst that made all this happen.
But he wasn�t done. To this point, winning a national championship at USC had been a vague goal. David had now made up his mind that he would make it happen. Thinking of it in that way made the goal solidify in his mind. He was done playing by others� rules or limitations. He didn�t get to where he was by letting others stop him.
◊◊◊
On his way back to his family�s table, David spotted some interesting movie-executive types at a table in the back. Paul Andon, the studio exec who handled his Star Academy movies,
David slid in beside Kitty, put his arm around her, and kissed her cheek.
�Of all the women here, you pick me to hit on,� Kitty teased.
�You are my favorite director,� David said.
�You�re just having flashbacks to Laurent yelling �do it again� for the fiftieth time,� Kitty said.
David chuckled. Laurent wanted someone else instead of a relatively new kid. He wasn�t given a choice because the studio wanted to bank off the box-office success of the first Star Academy movie.
�As much as I hated his vague direction, he made me a better actor,� David conceded.
�I have your next project,� Chubby said, which amused everyone at the table.
They were all well aware David planned not to make any movies until after he graduated.
�I�m listening,� David said, surprising them all.
�Wait, if you are thinking about another movie, I�ve been green-lighted for a romantic comedy that needs a lead,� Kitty jumped in.
David waved her off. They all knew that one of Chubby�s films would make him ten times what a romantic comedy would.
�Sorry, but if Chubby has something, you have to listen,� David explained.
�Marvel has a new character �� Chubby said with a big smile.
David began to bounce up and down. That was a franchise you wanted to act in if you could.
�Is he a villain? I think I could do scary,� David said.
�Uh � no.�
�What about school?� Paul said, being the only adult in the room.
David�s face scrunched up. If only �
�Can you put it on the back burner?� David asked.
�You know how they say for every year, a dog ages seven?� Chubby asked. David nodded. �In Hollywood, time acts differently than in the real world. Each year can seem like a decade. If you wait four years to make another movie, you�ll be starting over. It�ll be like 40 years have passed. You�ll be begging Kitty to do a romcom for Hallmark.�
�It might be the best thing they ever put on that channel,� Paul quipped.
�I hate to say it, but Chubby�s right,� Jessup said to weigh in.
�I�m meeting a guy for breakfast tomorrow about being my agent,� David half-joked.
�If you wake up and want to be an even bigger star, call me,� Chubby said.
David could tell he was serious.
◊◊◊
David asked Paul for a moment of his time.
�What�s up?�
�Lexi.�
Paul didn�t look pleased to be talking about his daughter.
�What now?�
�She sent Gwen Larkin to track me down today,� David explained.
�And?�
�Gwen�s off her meds at the very least. I understand that I didn�t handle Lexi sneaking off to do whatever she did with Ben well. She�s an adult and can sleep with whoever she wants. Where I draw the line is when Lexi encouraged a stalker, who has mental issues, to crash my birthday dinner. My children were frightened, for God�s sake!� David said, getting mad.
�What do you want me to do about it?�
�Talk to her. Besides unraveling the mess she made for Ben and his movie, I think she�s teetering on becoming a real problem. You know how this town works.�
�When I talk to her, what do you want?� Paul asked.
�Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I�ll leave Lexi alone if she backs off.�
�I�ll talk to her. Do you plan on getting her fired?�
David shook his head �no.� It had crossed his mind, but she was just vindictive enough to make up something that would put him in a bind similar to what Ben was facing. Frankly, his ex-friend might never work again if he lost his role in the Paris movie.
�I�ll make this go away,� Paul promised.
◊◊◊
David made it back to his table and saw Coby eyeing his cake and ice cream.
�I told him he could have it if you took too much longer,� Phil said.
David cut off some cake and scooped some of his ice cream onto Coby�s plate. He�d forgotten he had four others, plus a niece and two nephews. So, he waved down one of the waiters to have more brought out.
The little ones were going to their own party after this so the adults could play. If they were wound up on sugar, he wouldn�t have to deal with it.
When he finally got a bite of cake, he understood why they wanted more. He would make it a point to steal the recipe.
◊◊◊
�Do you think he�s still mad at me?� Halle asked.
Brook closed her eyes and bit her tongue. David had told her that his best friend growing up, Tami, had pounded into him that he should reject the first thing that popped into his mind. Right now, that was good advice.
�I was there. He said he wasn�t,� Brook finally said.
�If I�d known ��
Brook agreed. If she�d known better, she would have handled the move to Cincinnati differently. She�d just assumed that the distance would be too much. That was why Brook had broken up with him. She thought she would just get over David. Then, when he came to visit, she�d made the bonehead mistake of pushing him away.
She�d come to his birthday to tell him that she still loved him. Then she found out he was dating this gorgeous girl. She�d convinced her friends to take Crystal to a day at the spa, so they could �get to know� her. It was really a chance to find out if she and David were serious or not.
The problem was that Brook found her to be delightful. How he attracted so many quality people who gladly came into his orbit sometimes astounded her. It wasn�t just girlfriends, either. It was people in all aspects of his life. People simply wanted to help him.
Just looking around the party, she saw several people who fit the bill, including Tsuyoshi Nomura, who she spotted talking to David�s uncle. She�d met him while David was filming his latest J-drama. David was excited that Mr. Nomura would offer to be his mentor, something big in Japanese culture.
Unlike most people, David sought out mentors. He�d learned early that people with experience could help him find the most straightforward paths along his way to success. It helped him avoid many pitfalls that Brook found herself learning about the hard way.
�Who�s David talking to?� Halle asked to break Brook out of her thoughts.
�Tony and Nancy Giovanni, Tony�s sister Pia, and Tony�s business partner, Kendra Bianco.�
�
Brook nodded.
�Want to meet them?�
Halle thought about it for a split second.
�Do you think David will mind?�
�Get over it already. You know him as well as I do. What do you think?� Brook said.
Halle blushed.
They had begun to weave their way through tables when they were brought up short by Zak Verwood, who was in
The bed-hopping had slowed down when Zak began to date Bec Carson, another actress. Brook didn�t see Bec anywhere.
�Hey, Halle. How much more attractive would I be with you under me?� Zac asked as he grasped his crotch.
That was such a terrible pickup line that Brook wasn�t sure if it was a joke or not. Then again, if Halle shot him down, he could claim just that, that he was kidding. Halle didn�t look amused.
�First of all, don�t come to me fishing for compliments, Zac. I�ve read all about your exploits, and if you need your ego boosted, you should read those gossip rags. The women you bed love to talk about what you�re working with. And for the record, nobody wants it little. It doesn�t matter how hard you work it, a tiny dick is still just a tiny dick,� Halle said as she held her fingers about two inches apart.
Half the party must have heard Halle�s raised voice because they burst out laughing. Bec appeared and slapped him to add to the drama.
Zac mumbled, �Fuck it,� and headed to the bar.
They continued to where David was, with Halle in the lead. When she suddenly stopped, Brook about ran her over.
�What the �� Brook began to complain when she saw what had stopped Halle.
Walking toward David was Fiona Beckham in an outfit you would only see in LA. She wore a white women�s suit jacket and the shortest and tightest black skirt she could get away with and not get arrested. The jacket had a single button at the navel. Without a blouse under it, Fiona�s tanned breasts were all but falling out. Every guy in the place stopped what they were doing and stared at her.
Crystal must have been psychic because she appeared at David�s side wearing a sexy red cocktail dress. David instinctively put his arm around her waist as she pressed up against him.
He leaned down and whispered something into her ear, and she slightly shook her head no. Brook would bet her imaginary beach house that he�d wanted to know if Crystal was up for a threesome. She was glad Crystal was confident enough to say �no.� Fiona looked like trouble.
The underdressed starlet confirmed Brook�s suspicions when her gaze traveled over David�s face and down his body. Each movement looked like a physical caress. Halle and Brook were standing next to a table of David�s football teammates. To a man, they groaned, confirming her thoughts.
�Fiona, let me introduce you to some of my friends,� David said as he made introductions, �and my girlfriend, Crystal.�
Fiona chuckled.
�Girlfriend?�
David raised an eyebrow in response.
�It�s just that Lexi told me that you were single, and I should take my shot,� Fiona continued.
Brook saw Halle react to the momentary twitch he made at the mention of Lexi�s name. Brook reached out and took her friend�s hand for support.
�I�m not sure how Lexi would know since we haven�t talked for a few months. She�s been in Paris,� David said.
Brook could see that he was daring Fiona to say more about Lexi.
�The rumors have it that you would make a wonderful boyfriend, especially where it counts. I heard you have the size to back it up,� Fiona brazenly commented.
�I hate to disappoint, but I�m not even close to the biggest guy in the room. Would you like me to point some of them out?� David asked.
Brook had seen him get this way before. Back in high school, there was a debate as to who was the bigger slut, David or Lisa Felton. Fiona was about to discover that she shouldn�t play chicken with him.
�I�ve never known a guy to admit he wasn�t the biggest. Introduce me,� Fiona said.
�Bear! Ryan! Get over here!� David called out.
�That�s the porn star that went to our junior prom,� Halle whispered to Brook. �I take it the other one plays football with David.�
Tracy had made Ryan show them his equipment, and the term �donkey dick� fit.
�He�s a freshman lineman,� Brook explained.
Brook noted Bear�s fingers. Her sorority sisters swore that they had a method to figure out how long a guy�s member was. If you had him bend his middle finger to his palm and measure from where it touched to the tip of his middle finger extended, you had a pretty good idea. Bear had the most enormous hands. She guessed his index finger was longer and thicker than the average guy�s actual equipment. He must have a child�s arm hanging between his legs.
�Guys, this is Fiona Beckham, an actress friend of mine. She�d like it if the two of you � uhm � bought her a drink,� David suggested.
�Come on, boys. You don�t even have to get me drunk,� Fiona said as she began to walk away.
Bear and Ryan looked like two innocent sheep being led to slaughter.
Halle pulled Brook towards David.
�Since you�re playing matchmaker �� Halle said.
David paired them with two freshman football players who awkwardly tried to talk to them. He knew that it wouldn�t lead to anything, but he was actually pretty good at pairing people. The two guys gained confidence as the night went on and turned out to be fun dates.
Soon everyone wanted him to find them a friend for the night. Brook noted that it livened the party up. Even some of the older people took his advice.
When he was done, Halle went to the stage.
�David, get up here and sing with me.�
He bounded up on the stage with a smile that would light up all of LA. Then he gave her a pouty look.
�You�re not going to make me sing our duet, are you?�
�You know you love it,� Halle quipped.
�I don�t remember the words,� David tried.
A woman came out and sat down at a piano.
�Just try to keep up,� Halle said as the music for
She began to sing as David swayed. Brook agreed it was a sappy old-timey love song, but their remake had made the charts.
Halle began, and everyone got reminded that she was more than an actress. The girl had some skills. When David�s turn to sing came, he took it seriously and showed that he hadn�t forgotten the words. When the song ended, the two of them hugged, and Brook could tell their friendship was still intact.
David went to jump off the stage.
�Hang on, big guy, because I�m not the only one singing tonight, and they all want to say hello. Ladies and gentlemen � Pree Amarnath, Eve Holiday, and Birthrite.�
David said hello and gave them all hugs.
�Time for us to get to work. We don�t need a boy distracting us,� Jett, the lead singer for Birthrite, said to kick David off the stage.
After listening to the four women sing, Brook was convinced they should take this show on the road.
◊◊◊
�How�s married life treating you?� Brook asked.
Her date had gone to get her a water because dancing was thirsty work. She�d spotted her high school friend Zoe Pearson, now Zoe Bauer. Zoe had married Johan Bauer, who had played football and baseball with David. They now lived on David�s farm and helped to run it. Zoe was in business with David, raising horses.
�We�re busy between school and the farm. If it weren�t for Yuri�s grandmother, one of us would have to drop out of school.�
Yuri also had played ball with David. David called him his little Russian gangster because Yuri had thought he would get respect if he could take down the biggest dog in the school. David had refrained from killing him, and instead of them becoming rivals, they were now good friends.
�How is Yuri? Is he going to follow his girlfriend to Southern?� Brook asked.
�He got a scholarship to play football at State. He and Jan didn�t survive her going off to college. She�s now dating a wealthy east coast guy.�
�How�d he take it?�
�Yuri?� Zoe asked with a chuckle. �He had a new girlfriend about two seconds after receiving the news. He has a new one every time I see him.�
�What�s your brother up to?� Brook asked.
�Roc? He received an offer to play ball at State. As did David�s brother Phil. It sounds like they�ll join Yuri, and they�ll all room together.�
The three were best friends.
�Do you see any of the old gang?� Brook asked.
Zoe was still living close to the town where they all went to high school.
�I did have one unpleasant surprise: Alan Douglas is going to State. I guess Michigan pulled his acceptance after he got kicked out of that prep school.�
�I was glad when David cut ties with him. The kid has anger problems,� Brook said.
�Oh, I almost forgot. Both Justin Tune and Bert Nelson go to State. Justin is on the baseball team.�
�I�d almost forgotten about them. Do you ever hear from Gina Tasman?�
�No, but her sister Emily is in grad school there. When our paths cross, I ask about Gina, and I guess she�s doing well,� Zoe shared.
�I thought we would all stay in touch,� Brook said.
�Me, too. We were all such good friends in high school, and then everyone just moved away and didn�t look back.�
Brook thought about it for a moment. It really wasn�t all that hard to see why high school friends fell away. Zoe was now married, while Brook was running around New York with her sorority sisters. Their lives were completely different. But that didn�t mean she wanted to lose Zoe as a friend.
�It would be easy to do that, but I would like it if we made more of an effort to stay in touch. Spending time with you, Halle, and the rest are some of my fondest memories. Our friendships were what got me through high school,� Brook said.
�I was just so happy to get away from the farm and homeschooling,� Zoe said and then added, �I would love to keep in touch.�
Johan and Brook�s escort for the night returned. Johan surprised Brook when he asked his wife to dance with him. She wasn�t sure if she�d ever seen him do that before.
◊◊◊
Throughout the night, Brook took time to talk to her old friends. She hadn�t realized how much she missed them. Her sorority sisters had been a godsend. It was an instant network of new friends that she felt she would have for the rest of her life.
Then again, she thought how easy�too easy�it had been to leave and put her life with David and everyone from Lincoln High behind her. It made her understand that it would take effort if she was serious about having people in her life past school. Otherwise, her college friends would just become fond memories, too.
Brook wanted more than seeing everyone at an event like this or a class reunion. If David hadn�t been working with her grandmother, she wondered if even he would still be her friend. Yes, he would talk to her if he saw her, but Brook had pushed David away after their breakup. Even he would give up on her after a while. Honestly, she felt they both had moved on, and friendship might be all they had left.
It had been a year between them seeing each other when he came to New York. For the rest of her Lincoln High friends, it was closer to a year and a half. She would have to work to resolve how she would manage to reconnect with her old friends in a meaningful way. It wasn�t like she could call Zoe, and they could grab a coffee.
Brook could just hear David spouting off that nothing worthwhile was easy. Maybe the big doofus was right.
◊◊◊
His habit of getting up at the crack of dawn had David half-awake, contemplating rolling over and doing what any normal college kid would do: sleep in. Then he heard two women�s voices from the outer room. He reached over and felt that Crystal wasn�t in bed with him.
A moment later, the door opened, and suddenly he had a child land on his chest, who wiggled off and began jumping up and down on the bed. There was no doubt that he was now wide awake.
�Coby,� David groaned as he grabbed the little man�s ankle, causing him to fall back onto the bed with a delighted squeal.
David opened his eyes and saw Coby�s mom, Pam, smiling down on the two of them. He gave her a wink.
�Dude, it�s way too early,� David moaned to his son, grabbing Crystal�s pillow to cover his face.
�Wake up! Wake up!� Coby chanted gleefully as he stood back up and began to bounce on the bed.
�Too early,� David�s muffled voice said.
Then he felt the little monster jump on his stomach. If David wasn�t serious about his ab work, that might have hurt.
�Daddy! Daddy!� Coby yelled.
David had no idea his son had gotten so big. It was like having a medicine ball dropped on his stomach as his son bounced up and down.
David peeked out, which made the munchkin giggle.
�Up now!�
�Coby,� David said with resignation in his voice.
He held out his arms, and his son dropped to his knees right on his solar plexus, causing David to oof out air as Coby snuggled in his dad�s arms.
Pam joined them on the bed and cuddled up to David�s side.
�I want a snake,� Coby announced.
David moaned.
�All this before I even have coffee?� David asked Pam.
�You get to play the bad cop on this one,� she said, throwing him under the speeding bus that was his youngest son.
�Why does he want one?�
�His cousin Kyle thinks he�s getting one. The neighbor�s snake ate his kitten,� Pam said as if that explained anything.
Kyle had always loved kittens, almost as much as his sister loved horses. The problem was that his kittens had all seemed to have a short life span. None of which was his fault. Well, one had been accidentally offed by Kyle�s dad when it bit his hand, and he jerked back to get away. The kitten�s tooth had sunk in and caught on his skin, so when Greg lurched away, the fur ball had bounced off the wall. That caused it to �fall asleep,� as Greg had tried to sell it.
This latest kitten, Mittens, had been brought into the household when Greg and Joey had returned from Hawaii. Kyle had guilted his dad into getting a new kitten after Precious had left, and he and his siblings had to go to grandma�s house for a week.
Honestly, David had hoped that the cat curse might befall Precious, but she was too evil for anything like that to happen to her. Or it could be that kittens only died in Kyle�s care.
�Back up. What exactly happened?� David asked.
�The neighbor boy was home for the summer and had brought his escape-artist python with him. Greg said that the boy�s dad literally wet himself when he got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. The snake had gotten itself on the shower rod and hissed at him when he went to use the toilet.
�Your brother said that neighbor had brought it out to sun, and when he got a phone call, the snake escaped and found its way into Greg�s backyard. Kyle went outside to play with his kitten when an episode of National Geographic occurred. Joey rushed outside because Kyle was screaming bloody murder. When Greg heard Joey shriek, he rushed out. By then, the snake had the kitten in a death grip, and it was too late,� Pam shared.
�Oh, my,� was all David could think to say.
�Greg did save the kitten�s collar. He was worried it would make the snake sick,� Pam said and then gave a nervous giggle.
�Help me connect the dots. How did Kyle go from being traumatized to wanting a snake?� David asked.
�He watched the snake eat the kitten. Apparently, that is very cool,� Pam shared. �And he shared that with your son.�
His first thought was that he could still borrow the snake and see if it could deal with Precious. Then again, that cat would almost certainly kill the snake, and his nephew would need therapy.
�In the future, you are allowed to tell Coby �no� when he asks for something like this,� David said.
�Daddy says no snake,� Pam said and then nodded to their son.
On cue, Coby gave his dad a shy look.
�Can I have a puppy?�
�Nice,� David said to Pam, who looked pleased with herself. Then he turned to his son. �No puppies. Duke couldn�t handle the responsibility.�
Plus, his mom would send the puppy to his place until it was potty trained and quit chewing on furniture and shoes.
�Give him your pouty face we practiced,� Pam encouraged her son.
David watched, bemused, and then turned to Pam. �I give it a six out of ten.�
It looked like Coby might be a little actor if given some guidance. Saying �no� to both Pam and Coby was like trying to teach Japanese to Duke. That hadn�t worked � at all. Fortunately for David, he had one more out.
�You have to convince my mom,� David said to play his �get out of jail free� card.
Pam wrinkled her nose at him, knowing that was a deal-breaker. Neither of them wanted to rile her up because she and his dad had agreed to help raise Coby while David was in college. Pam knew his mother wasn�t beyond shipping both puppy and their son back to her as revenge for when she stepped in something unspeakable.
�How about I get you a goldfish?�
�Really?!� Coby asked as he stood up on David�s chest.
�Yes,� David said.
His son leaped off the bed and crashed to the floor. If it had been any of his other kids, there would have been tears.
�Tell the others!� Coby announced.
Pam chuckled when David face-palmed himself. If one got something, the others had to as well � And to top it off, he hadn�t discussed this with any of the other baby mamas. The odds of at least one fish going belly-up each week were a dead certainty with this group. He would have to figure out how to get the horde only a single fish.
◊◊◊
David and Crystal found her dad and Ms. Dixon waiting for them.
�David, I�m Kendrick Knaggy, the managing partner of Knaggy, Anderson, and Petters, better known as KAP Entertainment and Talent Management.�
David shook his hand and then sat down at the table.
The four of them made small talk until they�d finished their meals. Then Kendrick focused on winning David�s business.
�May I ask why you aren�t currently represented?�
David sat back in his seat and recognized the sales technique. It was designed to get him to talk about what he wanted, which would allow Kendrick to tailor his response to fit David�s needs.
�While I�m playing ball, the NCAA won�t allow me to do new projects. That means that I have no need to have an agent.�
What he didn�t say was that he�d fired his former agent and never got around to hiring a new one. David just assumed he didn�t need one because he couldn�t do any acting while in college if he wanted to play ball.
�Is it you can�t work, or that you can�t work for money?� Kendrick asked.
David was caught by surprise.
�My past agent would have never looked for work where he wouldn�t be paid,� David said to explain his surprised look.
�To clarify, can you work if there is no compensation?� Kendrick asked.
�I can. I just did a photo shoot for
�Tell me what you think an agent does,� Kendrick said.
�They find an actor work and then help negotiate contracts.�
�Having an agent shows casting companies that you are a professional actor, and the agent helps streamline the work a casting director has to do. That is the primary reason that most casting directors in major markets will not take submissions from actors not represented,� Kendrick said.
�But I�ve had studios ask for me specifically,� David countered.
�It�s the second half of what we do that then comes into play: negotiating contracts. While Ms. Dixon is excellent at what she does, she doesn�t have the specific experience to know what should and shouldn�t be in an actor�s contract. She also doesn�t know how to value your worth, nor does she know the dirty little tricks studios pull to take money out of your pocket.�
�Can you give me an example of dirty tricks?� Ms. Dixon asked.
�Did you make any money from
David�s eyebrows scrunched together. He honestly didn�t know. When he signed up to do the J-drama, he was under the impression that it would only air in Japan.
�I�m not sure.�
�What is the main way you�re being paid for
�Shares from the profits,� David said.
�Does your share include streaming? Cable? Broadcast? Merchandise licensing? What if they come up with an NFT?�
�I think I�m missing something,� Ms. Dixon said. �Isn�t income, income?�
�It is until the studio can cloud the issue. Ticket and DVD sales are more straightforward, but it can become murky when you turn it over to multiple streaming sites like Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon. I predict that in the future, movies will be released both in theaters and streaming at the same time for this very reason. Eventually, most theaters will go out of business,� Kendrick predicted.
David remembered his parents talking about driving to a store to rent movies when they were kids. Now he just tapped his phone or used his TV to find a film to watch.
�In one of my business classes, we were talking about whether a storefront was even needed anymore for most businesses. For example, I buy my groceries with an app. I thought I would want to check out the produce and the like, so I wasn�t for it. But I found that the shoppers that select my groceries don�t send me food that I�ll have to throw out. If they do, I just call, and they come and replace it.
�I also get a lot of stuff delivered that I used to go to the store for. I�ve found that I can get it cheaper online than paying for the overhead that a storefront requires. My mom is a realtor, and she told me that some of her investors are selling their malls and strip malls because they see this trend. It would make sense that movie theaters will be in the same boat,� David shared.
�But isn�t going to see a movie a social event, like a date?� Crystal asked.
�I�m not saying they�ll completely go away anytime soon, but there used to be drive-in theaters. Why do you think they went away?� he asked.
�Movie theaters are climate controlled, so they can show movies year-round and when the weather is bad,� she replied.
�Would you rather watch a movie at home or go to a theater with a bunch of strangers?� he asked.
�But �� Crystal pushed back and then sighed. �I don�t know why I�m arguing the point. I watch way more streaming than going to a theater. It�s been over a year since I went to a traditional movie theater.�
David turned to Kendrick.
�I see your point, but why would I need an agent right now?� David asked.
�Because we do more than just find you jobs and make sure you get paid every dime you�re owed. Acting is a craft. Like sports, you need to either be working on perfecting that craft or working to find your next job.�
�What will that cost me?� David asked.
�Nothing until you can actually get paid.�
David scoffed.
�I can�t see how that makes sense for you.�
�Eventually, you�ll get paid. Even if it is after you finish college. We�re in this for the long haul,� Kendrick explained.
David could appreciate that.
�I would agree to an initial one-year trial to see what value you bring,� he decided.
�Is it fair to say that if I can get you more from past projects, you can accept that money?� Kendrick asked.
�Ms. Dixon can get you a copy of my NCAA waiver. I can receive money so long as you don�t put my eligibility in jeopardy. Think of messing my eligibility up as the third rail that will get you fried�that means fired. My only requirement is that if you plan to do something, you run it by Ms. Dixon. If she�s not sure, I hired a lawyer specifically for dealing with the NCAA,� David said.
�What if I want to sue your J-drama�s production company? The Netflix deal made them millions.�
�For something like that, you would need to convince both Ms. Dixon and my dad. I simply don�t have the time to worry about stuff like that,� David admitted.
�Once David signs a contract, Rob and I can fill you in on how to work with him,� Ms. Dixon said.
�I take it you don�t want to see the contract or discuss terms?� Kendrick asked.
�I�ll give it final approval, but no, I don�t want to deal with that. My first football game is in eight or nine weeks. That�ll be my main focus besides school,� David said.
�Okay, I�ll send Ms. Dixon a contract,� Kendrick said.
◊◊◊
After he left, David spent a few minutes with Ms. Dixon and Crystal.
�My only advice is to go over the contract with a fine-toothed comb. My dad will fight for David, but his first responsibility is making his business money,� Crystal said.
�Don�t worry, I always do,� Ms. Dixon said.
�I�m not sure if I�m onboard with suing the
�I would agree if they hadn�t sold the rights to Netflix,� Crystal said.
�Depending on how much it is, I would lean towards not,� Ms. Dixon said.
�But what if it is a lot of money?� Crystal asked.
�Then I might roll the dice and see. We might also go after your former agent for not negotiating with that possibility in mind,� Ms. Dixon said.
David was reminded why Ari wasn�t his agent anymore. People, including Ms. Dixon, didn�t like his brash style.
�You do need to balance it out between what you might earn and whether it�ll hurt you in the future. Suing production companies makes the next one pause before hiring you,� Crystal pointed out.
David could see that. It would be like hiring a whistleblower. Not that he wanted any of his companies doing anything wrong, but why take the risk?
◊◊◊
After breakfast, David had a quick meeting with Grace Davenport and Ron Pennington to get an update on what was happening with the reverse takeover of the wealth management company.
While in New York, they�d met with Morgan Fletcher Investments, who wanted to buy the wealth management company David had started and eventually sold to Grace. When they heard what Morgan Fletcher planned to do�use their client bases to bolster Morgan Fletcher�s enough to start working with institutional clients�they�d backed off on the merger.
It was decided to turn the tables on their adversary and take them over. To do that, they needed someone with deep pockets. David had introduced Grace to Ron, who had the resources to help pull it off. He was also a shrewd businessman. David had heard that the two of them had made significant progress toward the takeover of Morgan Fletcher. This meeting was to bring David up to speed.
�Did you read the Wall Street Journal this morning?� Grace asked.
David looked at Ron, who was staring at him.
�Wait? You�re asking me?� David asked.
Both Ron and Grace chuckled.
�Yes, David. I was asking you,� Grace said.
�I�m betting he didn�t,� Ron said to point out the obvious.
�Rebecca LaPointe was voted out by Morgan Fletcher Investment�s Board of Directors,� Grace shared.
�That�s a good thing, right?� David asked as he remembered their evil CEO.
�You�re asking the wrong question,� Ron said.
David gave them both a confused look.
�What�s the right question?�
�Who replaced her,� Ron suggested.
David�s confusion only got worse.
�Okay. Who replaced Ms. LaPointe?�
�I did,� Ron said with a smile.
�Obviously, I�m missing something. What happened, and what does this mean?� David asked.
�We did some digging and discovered that taking over Morgan Fletcher was going to cost way too much money. Since they�d taken over other wealth management companies, they became paranoid that they might be targeted. That Godfrey Trevin, Ms. LaPointe�s lawyer, is a crafty bastard. He put in place a firewall to prevent hostile takeovers,� Grace said.
�Her mistake was thinking she controlled her board. We met two key members and shared her plans to go after institutional funds once they got big enough. It seems she forgot to run that by the board, or at least a majority of them.
�When they discovered that she planned to change their core business, they called an emergency meeting. I timed a large stock purchase to give me standing as a shareholder. Seems that only shareholders who hold a certain percentage of stock can be considered for the CEO position. When my name was floated, Ms. LaPointe was ousted, and I was in,� Ron enlightened David.
�And?� David asked.
�Merger talks begin Monday. As bad as she was, Ms. LaPointe was correct that in the wealth-management business, size does matter. Our business will nearly quadruple,� Grace said.
�Can we handle the growth?� David asked.
Grace smiled.
�I learned my lesson and mended fences since we last talked. Everyone is on board, and Morgan Fletcher has some bright minds already in place. Ron and I are excited to make this work,� Grace said.
�I promised that I would be involved for the next twenty-four months to appease the Morgan Fletcher board,� Ron explained.
�What happens after two years?� David asked.
�We sell the whole shebang,� Grace said.
�What?!�
�Both Ron and I were retired when we got involved,� Grace reminded him.
�But what about everyone else? All our employees?� David asked.
�They�ll have two years to figure out what they want to do. We also didn�t just spring it on them. The whole company knows the plan and agreed before we moved forward. They can either stay with the new company or get bought out. I�m betting most jump ship and take their golden parachutes,� Ron predicted.
�I won�t go along with this if it hurts the people who helped me build the company. Most of them are good friends, as are many of the customers. I put my name on the line to get this off the ground,� David said.
�We both agree with you,� Ron promised.
�All I need is your commitment to making all this happen. I need your block of shares,� Grace said.
�To own or to vote with?� David asked.
�Vote. This is what we project your payout will be in two years,� Grace said as she handed David a piece of paper.
He opened it and gasped.
�Is that just a number to get me to agree, or is it real?� David asked.
�We hired a company to project what a buyout of the combined companies would be. I�ve used them in the past, and their predictions came in close to actual,� Ron assured him.
�What about everyone else? Will they be okay?� David asked.
�I promise that everyone will receive a substantial payday. And we won�t sell to someone who�ll take advantage of our clients. We�ll do this right,� Grace said.
�Absolutely, you can vote my shares,� David finally agreed.
�We�ll be looking for another project in a couple of years,� Grace said. �You�re looking at some interesting opportunities like predicting people�s buying patterns or preferences using available data sources.�
�I�m testing out a few possibilities with my mom�s real estate business. There�s a term called �big data.� It�s like a giant sandbox of information that can be interrogated on demand to answer questions. It can reveal patterns, trends, and associations, especially relating to human behavior and interactions.
�You can also drill down to the individual,� David said.
�That sounds a bit like Big Brother to me,� Ron worried.
David had read
�It could be done in a way that you and I can live with if we figure out how to work the equivalent of a moral compass into the system. The NSA got caught spying on American citizens using these techniques not so long ago. It�s not just our government either. That�s why safeguards would need to be in place so the information couldn�t be used in the wrong way,� David said.
�That end of it would have to be ironclad, or you would be open to either lawsuits or the government pressuring you for access to the information you generate,� Ron said.
�The more I hear, the more I would suggest that you don�t build much beyond what you are doing now,� Grace said.
�I agree,� Ron said.
If two titans of industry told you to pass, you passed, David decided.
�I�ve got this VR project ��
David�s grandfather used to say, �Leaders set the momentum. Followers follow the momentum.� If you had these two people willing to listen, you pitched your ideas. His crazy idea for wealth management was a winner, which meant it was time to find the next �big idea.�
◊◊◊
The rest of Saturday was taken up with saying goodbye to everyone as they all headed home. Sunday was spent with family. David had kept his word to Coby and bought a five-gallon tank, and he�d let his sister and each of his brothers pick out a fish. It now held a school of neon tetras, guppies, and a goldfish based on the recommendations of the pet-store girl. She assured him they would survive two-year-olds.
The first half of his week was taken up with school and his vodcast. This week, he�d persuaded Percy Wilkes and Todd Davis to be his guests. Duke stole the show when he decided that Todd had to play ball with him. The whole time David interviewed him, Todd found a ball in his lap and had to toss it.
On Wednesday, Jaxson Pettis, USC�s athletic director, asked David to attend a booster dinner in Sacramento at Gabe Francis�s behest. The event was being held at the Crocker Art Museum in the Freedom Hall.
David had flown several members of the athletic department and Coach Clayton to the Sacramento airport. When they got out front, a short bus was waiting to take them to the museum. As David was getting on, Jaxson called his name.
�Hang on; Gabe will be here in a second to give us a ride.�
Coach Clayton didn�t look happy when a limo pulled up, and David and Jaxson got into it. The limo was full with Gabe, his family, and some boosters.
�You made me promise to play nice with Coach Clayton,� David whispered in Jaxson�s ear.
�Shit.�
�Why don�t I ride the bus?� David asked as he got out and waved to his coach. �They want you to go in the limo.�
Coach Clayton jogged over so he wouldn�t miss out, leaving David to board the bus. Once on, he turned to the driver.
�We�re all here. Let�s go.�
David remained standing as he turned to the staff.
�Who can tell me what to expect? Who I need to suck up to, and is there any food I should avoid?� he asked as he pointed at Jaxson�s assistant to help get them talking.
◊◊◊
The event didn�t begin for an hour, so David decided to tour the museum while the athletic department helped Gabe set up. It was just another reminder that he couldn�t do it all. Since high school, he�d let his artistic endeavors, photography and drawing, go to the wayside.
�I was sent to keep an eye on you,� Rachel, Coach Farrow�s daughter, said as she found him.
�You sure that isn�t the other way around? Did you touch one of the paintings or something?�
�I bumped into some stupid vase. Gabe said it was worth more than my dad�s annual salary,� she admitted.
�Kids,� David said, rolling his eyes as he mimicked Gabe�s voice.
�Shut up. I said it was an accident,� Rachel whined.
�How�s your fake boyfriend doing?� David asked.
�How�s your fake girlfriend?� Rachel fired back.
That was a surprise.
�What makes you think Crystal is fake?�
�Oh, please. I admit that Crystal makes great arm candy that you can trot out for events, but I�ve seen her with her actual boyfriends. She doesn�t follow you around and tell you what to do 24/7.�
�Did it ever occur to you that I might not want a girlfriend to follow me around? I also don�t need anyone telling me what to do,� David said defensively.
Rachel snorted in response.
She might have a point. When Crystal dated Matt, it wasn�t unusual for her to waltz into the football locker room to find him. She hadn�t tried that stunt since they�d broken up.
�What should I expect tonight?� David asked before he was outed.
Rachel made a face.
�Jaxson asks most of his staff to attend these events so they can mingle with the boosters and answer any questions they have. What it turns into is a bunch of old men hitting on you.�
�That might make me uncomfortable. I�ll have to make an announcement that I�m straight,� David teased.
Ignoring his quip, she continued on.
�I�ve been told that this might be the worst stop because there�ll be a lot of political types here with their hands out for their next election. I guess because of what they do for a living, they have no morals, and some might come right out and proposition some of our staff,� Rachel said.
David suddenly understood why Gabe had asked her to �keep an eye� on him.
�Then stick with me. I might need you to answer questions while I fend them off and protect them from your obvious allure, and you from its effects.�
�That might not be a bad idea,� she decided, and then added, �Mr. Francis has a goal to raise more money than you did last weekend.�
The competitive beast within woke up. David had to make a few phone calls before the event began.
◊◊◊
When the mixer began before the event, Rachel�s prediction about the politicians proved correct. Sacramento was California�s state capital, and they weren�t as polished as the federal-level representatives at asking for money.
They also were clumsy in their advances towards Rachel. One woman even did it in front of her husband. David assumed that the husband might be gay or bi by the way the man looked at him.
When there was a lull, they were able to talk.
�I feel like I need a shower,� Rachel said with a shudder. �How do you get them to back off so easily?�
�Three things. Be polite but firm and never give them an opening that makes it seem like they have a chance. Like when you told that douche from San Jose that you were with me right now. The implication was that when I wasn�t around �� David said as he raised one eyebrow.
�But you ask for their business cards. Isn�t that worse?�
�Of course I do. I keep a list of people in case I ever need something. I have an app that scans the cards and saves them to my contacts. I just add some personal information and where I met them,� David shared and then smiled at her. �Did you see me give out my phone info to anyone?�
�Oh,� was her insightful response.
Jaxson found them, and he talked to David.
�It�s about to begin. There�s a seat at the main table for you.�
�Do me two favors. First, let Rachel sit by you up front; I�ll sit with your staff. Second, let me talk before dinner is served.�
�Who said you were talking?� Jaxson asked.
�Gabe wants me here to help raise funds and entertain everyone. If you do this again, you should set me up at a table to sign autographs,� David suggested.
�Next summer, you are interning in my office,� Jaxson decided.
�How about I date Rachel, and she comes in with all the good ideas?�
�You better hope I don�t get a steak knife with my dinner,� Rachel threatened.
Ruth was suddenly at his side, but David shook his head, and she took a couple steps back. He didn�t want his security to hurt the girl he was slowly winning over.
�I�ll get it okayed with her dad,� Jaxson said, and the two of them laughed at her look of confusion.
◊◊◊
As he�d proposed, Gabe invited David up to say a few words. It wasn�t lost on him that Coach Clayton looked pleased that David was sitting in the back of the room while he was at the head table. David decided to let his head coach�s pettiness go � for now.
David did five minutes on how summer ball was going and the strides that all the freshmen were making. He made it a point to name each one and say something nice about them. The talk then turned to the rest of the team.
�While I can only control the games I�m involved in, I�ll promise you that every game that I start, we will win,� David announced.
So much for not being petty, too.
�But you already knew that,� David said with a cocky smile. �I have every confidence Coach Clayton and his staff will guide us toward a national championship this year.�
The frown that had been on the head coach�s face became a smile when the room gave a standing ovation.
�USC�s glory days are not behind us. I came here to win. Not only win but to put us in the championship conversation year in and year out.�
The excitement in the room was palpable. These USC boosters were tired of living in the past. Last year�s team had been exceptional, but that success didn�t seem to follow consistently. This year�s offering was projected to hover around .500 by the early prediction magazines.
�To get there, we need your help. When Gabe asks you to dig into your pockets later tonight, do so knowing that you�ll see the results of your giving on the field. If not this year, then in the near future.�
David paused for the applause to die down.
�I also have a personal request. Governor Blackfarmer gave me a personal challenge to help him with the homeless issues in our great state. He said that the government can only do so much, and I agree. Though I think our government can do more, especially since we see more and more people on the streets. I accept that if this crisis is to be solved, it will take help from the private sector and charities. There needs to be a blended approach of private and public sectors, or this will continue to spiral out of control.
�While our government needs to lead the charge, there are organizations in California working to help these people. To that end, I would ask that you all also give to my charities,� David said.
He pulled out his phone and air-bombed every device in the room with a link to a donation website. Mr. Orange, the head of David�s charities, had quickly set it up when he called earlier. The link also allowed them to direct money to teen mothers and cancer families.
�I just sent you a special link for tonight�s event. While giving to my charities is tax-deductible, and I am sure you can all use the deductions, I also want you to give to USC Athletics. To that cause, my dad will match tonight�s donations dollar for dollar up to a hundred thousand in total,� David promised.
David added his dad because he wasn�t sure if he himself could also be a booster as an athlete. He would call his dad and have Megan write a check out of his corporate account.
Gabe came up and stood next to David.
�I�ll also match up to a hundred thousand given to David�s charities. They are well managed, and most of the money raised goes to the intended cause, unlike so many others. I�ll let you eat before I come back and twist your arms for more money for USC athletics. We have some exciting plans that you will want to be a part of.�
◊◊◊
After they ate, Coach Clayton spoke. The coach was an excellent public speaker. What concerned David was that his coach spent several minutes talking about how Matt was their QB1, even though he was suspended for the first game. He�d just announced to the world that David was QB2.
It was hard to keep his thoughts to himself, but he would only change Coach Clayton�s mind by showing him who the starting quarterback should be. To do that, he would have to seriously outplay Matt. Even if that happened, it might not get the job done.
After the public speakers, there was a final hour of networking before they left to go home.
◊◊◊
USC�s high school football camp started today. David had fond memories of when he attended and was disappointed that Coach Clayton hadn�t asked him to help.
He�d hired Coach Mason to coach his brother Phil. His brother had gone with his dad to San Francisco, where David�s old high school coach now lived. Coach Mason was a legend in coaching circles, having coached many years for the NFL�s Raiders. David had met him the summer before his junior year at an invitation-only camp in Houston, which David attended two years in a row.
So, when Phil asked for a personal coach for the summer, David immediately thought of the grizzled veteran. From what he�d heard, Phil was doing well and had barely missed out on being selected for the prestigious Elite 11 competition.
Speaking of which, Colt Macklin, who had won the competition this year, was also coming today. David had invited all three to lunch at his condo.
David came down for breakfast to find Rosy had made huevos rancheros. Cassidy was begging for the recipe as she raved over the dish. Dare and Corvus were busy stuffing their faces. David could see that his decision to borrow his mom�s chef for the day was already paying dividends.
�What? No tamales?� David mock-complained while adding both a chin quiver and puppy-dog eyes.
�Dude, you snooze, you lose,� Dare chirped.
Rosie opened the oven, and David saw that she�d saved him a couple.
�This is why I love you,� David said, giving her a one-armed hug as she handed him the warm plate. Then he frowned. �What? You�re not going to serve me?�
�I never put enough on your plate,� Rosy said with a smile.
While David assembled his dish, Rosie made him two eggs over easy and slid them on top when he was done.
�What are you making for lunch?� Cassidy asked.
�She won�t tell you,� David predicted.
�Stuffed poblanos, grilled corn on the cob with lime butter, chicken mole, and sweet orange tamales for dessert,� Rosy said.
�Can I help make it?� Cassidy asked.
�You have class, young lady,� David said in his best dad�s voice.
Ruth just chuckled when Cassidy punched him in the chest. It looked like his little ninja had corrupted his security.
�What are you two brainiacs doing today?� David asked.
�We think we�re a step closer to solving our asynchronous parallel processing problem that�s been bottlenecking the rendering time for the derived video presentations. Our hope is that we can make the VR work in near real-time. If we figure that out, Corvus said it might be useful for officials� reviews, whatever that means,� Dare said.
David�s imagination ran wild. The biggest problem with football play reviews was that the camera angle sometimes didn�t give you a clear look. An example was whether and where someone stepped out of bounds or whether the football had actually crossed the first down marker or goal line. With the combination of VR and chips in the ball, those reviews could be decided in seconds instead of the long-drawn-out process that delayed games. This might be the next �big idea� that his mentors were looking for.
�Keep me in the loop on that,� David said. Then he looked at both Dare and Corvus to make sure he had their attention. �That�s not an idle request. What you just said may open up both a new product line and a new potential market for us.�
He turned to Cassidy. �Come on, Buttercup. I�ll walk you to school.�
◊◊◊
David returned from class to find Colt and Cassidy in deep conversation in the living room. He could hear faint voices on the roof, where their lunch was going to be served. He wondered why the two of them were alone downstairs.
�Hey,� David said in greeting.
�You have to hear about the team-building activity Colt�s women�s volleyball team did this summer,� Cassidy said excitedly.
Colt smirked.
�A sexy scavenger hunt.�
David�s brain when in a dozen directions with that one. There was no telling how bad the college version might be.
�Tell him some of the tasks,� Cassidy prodded.
�They had two different games. One was for couples, and the other was for everyone on the team,� Colt said and then clarified. �My girlfriend is on the team.�
�The couples one sounds fun,� Cassidy jumped in, obviously thinking Colt was taking too long to explain. �They created a series of clues to lead their significant other to different locations. With each clue, a different letter of the alphabet went on the back of the card. When they gathered them all, it spelled out a sexy activity the couple would do.�
�My girlfriend was to give me a blowjob in her parents� bedroom while they were home,� Colt explained.
�Last time I did something like that, I ended up getting punched by the girl�s dad,� David shared.
�Mine was close. All I will say is she should have swallowed,� Colt offered.
That caused a rare Cassidy giggle. Ninjas don�t giggle. Ever.
�What were some of the group activities?� David asked.
�They threw a kickoff party and did unnatural acts with foot-long hotdogs,� Colt said.
�I hate to ask,� Cassidy said.
�Stuff like who could get the most in their mouth, and then they tied them to a string, and the girls had to jump and see how much they could bite off.�
David cringed at the last one.
�They did the hunt for a week,� Colt continued. �The girls had to collect stuff like letterman�s jackets, men�s underwear, and other goofy items. My girlfriend was pissed when I gave my jacket to her best friend.�
�Stupid boys,� Cassidy mumbled.
�My favorite one was giving me a blowjob. The way it worked was that the first girl got a thousand points. They had a stupid rule that said I could only get one per day. There were some pissed-off girls when they found out that theirs didn�t count,� Colt said, chuckling.
David was starting to like him even more.
�The second day, it was only worth 500 points, the next 250, and so forth. I got at least one per day. I�m trying to get them to do another game,� Colt said.
�Did it work? Are the girls closer as a team?� David asked.
�I have no idea. All I know is I got 13 blowjobs that week. Apparently, I have a nice cock to suck,� Colt said proudly.
David shook his head. That sounded just like he�d been when he was a junior. Colt would grow up at some point. Colt�s girlfriend also had to be a saint to put up with it all.
Then he noticed Cassidy eyeing him.
�No,� David said reflexively.
�We�ll see,� Cassidy said and went up the stairs.
David was about to follow when Colt stopped him.
�Thanks for giving me your brother�s number. He seems cool,� Colt said.
�Phil�s a good guy. You need people going through what you are at times, as does Phil. You�re both quarterbacks trying to figure out the next step after high school,� David said to explain why he�d hooked the two of them up.
�He mentioned setting a record when he visited you in the spring.�
�Okay.�
Phil had spent quality time with five of Crystal�s sorority sisters. It was good to be young and full of cum on days like that.
�He said that at your birthday party, you set him up with a cheerleader.�
�Song Girl,� David corrected.
�Sorry?� Colt said, confused.
�They�re two different things �� David began to explain and then stopped himself. �Ask your question.�
�I was hoping you would introduce me to a � uh � what did he call it?�
�Jock Bunny,� David provided.
�Yeah, that.�
�I can make an introduction, but they�re not like party hos. You still have to make an effort,� David explained.
�Oh,� Colt said, looking dejected. �The way Phil explained it � I guess I made some assumptions.�
�All I�m saying is that if you�re not a total jackass and don�t, like, jump them, they can be fun. Piss them off, and you�ll be back to using your right hand to get off,� David explained.
�So, Phil has game?� Colt asked, confused again.
That made David laugh.
�That was my first thought, but then again, he�s a Dawson.�
�What does that mean?�
�Let�s just say that my older brother set the bar pretty high. He learned his skills from my uncle, who also taught my little brother. They have game.�
�What about you?� Colt asked.
�Not so much anymore. I just had my last two relationships cheat on me.�
Crystal picked that moment to walk in the door. Colt�s mouth fell open when she gave David a kiss that curled David�s toes.
�You�re coming over tonight,� Crystal told David and then turned to Colt. �Hi.�
She left the two of them watching her backside as it walked up the stairs.
�I�m so coming to USC,� Colt decided.
�Come on. Let�s go eat,� David said, not wanting to lose sight of Crystal�s swaying derriere.
◊◊◊
Lunch at David�s had been excellent. He�d been in touch with all the guys that USC was recruiting. The ones who were attending the camp had shown up. Phil was glad his brother had arranged it because it gave many guys with similar interests, specifically football players wanting to receive college offers, a chance to get together and talk about it.
When they were done, David had walked them all over to the John McKay Center to get signed in. They had a couple of hours until their first scheduled activity, so David had invited a few of them to run drills. Bud Mason joined them.
�That�s a horrible release, 21. Horrible. Not average. Not bad. Horrible,� Coach Mason barked at Colt Macklin.
David and Phil both chuckled because Colt was supposed to be the best high school quarterback prospect in the nation, regardless of class. Leave it to Coach Mason to bring him back to earth. Phil had watched Coach Mason do even worse to his older brother. A clipboard would soon follow if Colt wasn�t careful.
On cue, it went flying.
�Get out of here! Go talk to David,� Coach Mason barked and then turned his eyes on Phil.
All eyes were on him, and he promptly overthrew his receiver.
�Get your elbow up and throw the ball! What did you do when you were a kid? Play video games?� Coach Mason asked.
�Hang on, Coach. They�re both making the same mistake,� David interrupted.
�Really? Care to demonstrate?� Coach Mason asked.
Phil watched his brother confidently take the snap and drill the receiver.
�Did you watch my feet? You�re both on your toes like you should be and moving in the pocket. What�s happening is you do this micro-step as you aim the ball. That causes you to get under it, and it sails on you. Besides overthrowing your receiver, it slows the velocity, making it easier for a defender to intercept,� David explained.
�Do it again,� Coach Mason told him.
Phil and Colt watched another ball all but knock the receiver down. This pass called for some heat because it was a bang-bang type of play. The receiver was slipping between the corner and outside linebacker, so there was a tight throwing window. A split second would be the difference between a pick-six and your team scoring.
�Instead of the little hop, he planted his foot and ripped it. They don�t tell you to aim a football. You throw it,� Coach Mason said.
�Honestly, that was one of the hardest habits I had to break. It�s a subtle change, but it�s the small stuff that determines whether you�re the starter or riding the bench,� David shared. It made Phil feel better when he heard his brother had the same problem when he was younger.
Colt went next. He concentrated on his footwork, which caused his release to be a bit slower, but the ball didn�t sail. The corner all but got there, though.
Phil remembered his older brother obsessing with minor stuff like his release point. David had understood that the talent level was much closer at higher levels. Coach Mason was fond of saying, �Make yourself do it right. Don�t be talking about what we�re going to do, do it!� This was one of those �aha� moments when what you�ve heard over and over again suddenly made sense.
�I can�t stand it! Run it again!� Coach Mason yelled.
◊◊◊
�What the fuck was that?� Colt asked as they showered.
�Between Coach Mason and David, they didn�t miss even the tiniest detail,� Phil agreed.
The workout had only been an hour and a half, but it felt like the end of a two-a-day. With just the two of them throwing, there had never been a break.
�I feel like I might not be good enough to play JV ball, let alone varsity.�
Phil chuckled because he could relate.
The first item on the football camp�s agenda was a welcome talk from USC�s head man, Coach Clayton. They used USC�s team meeting room. Phil noted that Colt sat in the front, so he joined him. His plan had been to hide in the back, but his uncle had told him to surround himself with successful people. It also meant that he should watch what they did because there was a reason they were successful. Hiding in the back wouldn�t accomplish either.
As the coaches came in, someone�s cell phone rang, making everyone laugh. Coach Clayton wasn�t amused.
�There are no cell phones out on the field or when you are supposed to do football-type stuff. So, turn it off, and when you all leave this meeting, go put them in your rooms. The next phone I hear, that person will be going home.�
When the coach was sure he had their attention, he continued.
�And another thing: if you want to have a conversation, do it face-to-face. I see everyone with their noses buried in their phones. Because of social media, you get a lot of positive self-gratification from the communication you have without having to look someone in the eye and without developing a relationship with them. I think that is a critical skill players need to develop if they expect to build a team,� Coach Clayton added.
�Who cares about how many likes you get from 2,000 people you don�t even know?� Coach Clayton continued. �There are a hundred-plus guys in the locker room. Those are the hundred that matter.�
That made Phil stop and think. Was that statement something that just sounded good, or was that one of those life lessons he should pay attention to?
�Over the next few days, I need everyone to focus on the task at hand. Work at tempo. Get as many snaps as you can in practice. Go at NASCAR pace because the more we can get done, the more you�ll be able to learn.
�With that in mind, you�re responsible for telling us if you don�t quite get something. I don�t want you moving on to the next drill or teaching session just because you think you should. This camp is for you to learn skills you can take home with you. That doesn�t mean that we might not move on anyway. But we will circle back and work with you one-on-one until you get it,� Coach Clayton promised as he wrapped up his introductory speech.
Next up was a tour of the facilities and a talk about the history of USC football, which included 39 conference titles, 80 All-Americans, 13 undefeated seasons, 11 national championships, and 62 perfect days. A �perfect day� was when both UCLA and Notre Dame lost.
Colt pointed out that their last national championship was all the way back in 2004. Phil countered that David said they would get one next year and not to bet against his brother because the one thing he did was win.
◊◊◊
After the USC dog-and-pony show and seeing the campus, they had a break before dinner, so they went to their room. Phil�s roommate was Colt.
�Is your brother hooking us up?� Colt asked a little overexcitedly.
It amazed Phil that everyone thought David had a stash of willing women on the side that he would give up when his friends needed to get laid. Colt obviously didn�t know David very well. If he did, he would know that David would never share if he cared about the girl.
�He�s taking Crystal out.�
�Damn,� Colt drawled. �She is fine.�
�I think I found us dates,� Phil said to become Colt�s hero.
�Jock bunnies?�
�One of them. I asked if she had a friend for you,� Phil said.
�Hell, yes! College women,� Colt said while doing a fist pump. �I hear they know things.�
Colt sounded like his best friends, Yuri and Roc. The two of them were all but clueless when it came to women. If they weren�t both jocks and decent-looking, they would never get laid. Roc was conservative and only willing to do missionary, while Yuri was a male chauvinist. Colt sounded like he was on the immature side.
�Are you prepared? College girls are not going to put up with you if you aren�t ready,� Phil said with a straight face.
�What do you mean?�
�Do you have condoms?�
�Isn�t birth control her problem?� Colt asked.
Phil closed his eyes, bit his tongue, and rubbed his temples before answering.
�I can�t believe I have to tell you this, but a condom is for more than just not getting her pregnant. If she�s been a bit free with the goods, you might catch something, and your dick will fall off,� Phil said dramatically.
�You�re bullshitting, right?� Colt asked.
�One time, when I slept with a college girl, David had to take me to get tested. To check, they had this metal rod that they had to shove up my piss hole to take a biopsy.�
Saying that was a whole lot funnier than when Phil heard it from David. He now understood the humor.
�Fuck! Seriously?!�
�A condom might suck, but let me tell you, it�s worth it,� Phil said before Colt bailed.
�I might have to swing by a drug store,� Colt admitted.
�What about lube?� Phil asked next.
�For what?�
�Anal. Trust me. Lube is your friend. They say too much lube is almost enough.�
�Oh. My. God!� Colt said as he lost his mind. �I might get to have her ass?�
�I would also get a butt plug,� Phil reasonably suggested.
�A what?�
�Butt plug. You lube it up and gently shove it in to help stretch the anal ring. A butt is way tighter than a vagina,� Phil said.
�Where will we get that?� Colt asked.
�I�m not sure, but David will know,� Phil promised, then added, �And handcuffs and a blindfold.�
�No way,� Colt said in a not nearly as enthusiastic way as before.
�Funny story,� Phil related. �I ran into this one woman who wanted to cuff me. She stripped me off and gave me the best head of my life. The next thing I know, I agree to it. She blindfolded me and shoved the butt plug up my ass. I admit that was a bit uncomfortable.�
�I hope you bailed at that point,� Colt worried.
�I couldn�t because I was cuffed to the bed,� Phil explained. �Then it got � I don�t know � maybe I shouldn�t say.�
�Whatever it is, it will just be between us,� Colt promised.
Phil leaned forward.
�She fucked my ass,� Phil whispered.
�What?!�
�It felt just like a real dick,� Phil said and then cringed.
Anyone else would have instantly jumped on how Phil knew what a �real dick� felt like in his ass. But Colt was so innocent that he didn�t pick up on it.
�How?�������
�She had a strap-on,� Phil said.
�No way in hell am I letting that happen to me,� Colt said emphatically.
�Like I said. With college girls, you want to be prepared. When we get your butt plug, you might want to slip off and use it on yourself. Remember, use plenty of lube. I plan to use one, just in case,� Phil said with a solemn expression.
�I don�t know.�
Phil worried he might have gone too far.
�Dude. I would agree, but it is so worth it. Have you ever taken a girl around the world?�
�What�s that mean?�
�Where you cum in her mouth, pussy, and ass,� Phil said to enlighten him.
�Oh, fuck! I want to do that.�
�Getting a rubber dick shoved up your ass isn�t too big a price to pay, now, is it?� Phil asked.
�Maybe not.�
Phil couldn�t wait to tell David. He would want in on tormenting Colt.
This was what it must feel like to have a little brother.
◊◊◊
At dinner, Phil slipped off to call his brother.
�I need your help,� the conversation began.
David listened to what Phil had to say. Phil�s issue was he didn�t really have any girls lined up or know where to get everything. A butt plug wasn�t something the local drug store carried.
�I�ll get it set up. Just get the lube and condoms, and I�ll text you where and when,� David said.
Phil was a bit disappointed that his brother didn�t plan to be there. But could he blame him? If his ex, Jill, were there and promised him sex, it would take an act of war to make him change his plans.
◊◊◊
David sent him a text with the time and location. Outside the apartment building, they stopped. Colt rubbed his hands on his jeans.
�My palms are sweating.�
�Nervous?� Phil asked.
�I�ve never done something like this.�
�Just follow my lead and don�t make an ass of yourself,� Phil suggested.
They each took a deep breath and entered the building. When they knocked on the door, David answered. He made a big deal of checking the hall to make no one was around.
�Hurry up and get in here,� he ordered.
�What was that shit about?� Phil asked.
�These girls are doing you a solid. They don�t need their names dragged through the mud,� David fired back.
Colt looked like he wanted to bolt. Phil felt good that he was working with his brother for once and not the target of his teasing. It hadn�t been that long ago when he was as innocent as Colt.
David had them stand in front of the couch and then said, �Wait here, and I�ll go get them.�
He went into one of the bedrooms and came back out. David joined them in a line facing the hall.
Phil�s breath sucked in when out walked a smoking-hot redhead, a girl-next-door type brunette, and Crystal, David�s girlfriend. They were all wore high heels, thigh-high stockings, and sexy lingerie. Phil reached over and pushed Colt�s mouth shut.
�As a reminder as to who�s in charge, we have these,� the redhead announced as she held up dog collars.
Phil noted that the collars had little tags with each boy�s name on them. The redhead put his on while Colt got the brunette. Of course, Crystal � spectacular Crystal � put David�s on.
Once done, they stepped back.
�Now strip,� Crystal ordered.
�Shouldn�t we know your names first?� Phil asked.
�I�ll make an allowance this time, but in the future, you must ask permission to speak by saying, �Mistress, may I address you,�� the redhead said. Then she made introductions.
The brunette was Gail, their next-door neighbor, and the redhead was Taylor, Crystal�s roommate.
�We�re waiting,� Crystal said with raised eyebrows.
Phil hesitated because on his right was this Greek god of a brother who stood six-four. On his left was the good-looking man-child who was at least six-five. At five-eleven, he worried that if everyone was proportional, he might not come off well.
Being who he was, David was down to his boxers before either of them had even removed their shoes.
�The faster you get naked, the faster this party starts,� David said as he shucked his underwear onto the floor.
Now Phil had another worry. He was as hard as Chinese math, and his brother only had half a chubby.
�I can do this,� Colt said under his breath and began to get undressed.
Phil could see this would be awkward if he was the only one dressed, so he sucked in a deep breath and stripped. He was glad to see that Colt was also hard. Colt sported a nice package, but they were similar in size. Phil gained a measure of confidence in knowing that.
Crystal then ran through a list of rules for the night and asked some probing questions about experience levels and what each of them was willing to do.
�Okay, ladies, it�s time to take your men in hand,� Crystal announced.
As soon as Gail grasped Colt�s erection, he moaned.
�We have a premature ejaculator,� Gail announced and then looked Colt in the eyes. �You said you weren�t a virgin.�
�I�m not!� he cried out as he shook his head and waved both hands in front of him.
�I thought you wanted to do this,� Gail challenged him.
Colt looked panicked.
�I want to do this because it�s �� He couldn�t quite admit what he wanted out loud.
�It�s what, Colt?� she coaxed with a soft, kind, encouraging tone.
He looked up at her. He let out a breath, stared down at the floor, and released the truth from within him.
�It�s a dream of mine.�
�To touch me?�
He shrugged.
�Not you specifically, no,� Colt said as he met her gaze. �Not until now, at least.�
�Your fantasy is to touch a woman?� she clarified, sounding puzzled.
He nodded and then clarified, �A college woman.�
�And when I touched you?�
�It was too much,� he admitted. �Phil told me wild stories about what to expect, and when you all came out looking so sexy � I just had never experienced anything like that.�
Gail smiled at him.
�I promise I�ll try really hard and do whatever you tell me,� Colt added.
�You willing to give him a go?� David asked Gail.
�He�s not what I expected. He�s sweet,� she said as she held out her hand. When he took it, she added, �Let�s go next door where we can have some privacy.�
Once they left, David and Crystal chuckled.
�He forgot his clothes,� Crystal enlightened them.
�What about you? You want to play with my brother?� David asked.
Phil held up a hand.
�I only have one rule: nothing goes into my butt.�
�If you can promise the same, I�m feeling a little excited,� Taylor replied.
�I only have one of my own,� David said. �If you or Colt gets in trouble for missing bed check, I had nothing to do with this.�
�No problem. We told the coaches that since you live just thirty minutes away, we were spending the night at your place, and they okayed it,� Phil said.
�Well done. It�s good to see that you�ve learned to plan ahead,� David teased.
Crystal grabbed David�s dick and pulled him to the bedroom. He took off his collar on the way to the door. Phil had no doubt that David wasn�t into anything submissive unless it was fun. Phil realized David had only allowed it to be put on so Colt would follow along.
�Shall we?� Taylor asked.
�Yes, please.�
◊◊◊
David was finishing up his morning run when he sent his younger brother a text.
DSquared:
BulldogQB1:
David entered the back door and found Dare and Corvus at the counter, eating cereal. Typically, Cassidy would have made breakfast for them.
�Cassidy went out to work on the rowing team-building event,� Dare explained.
�The scavenger hunt?� David asked.
�She and Andy are working out all the details,� Corvus said.
�Are you ready for today?� David asked, changing the subject.
�The headgear arrived. All we have to do is test it,� Dare assured him.
The VR project had taken an exciting turn. During negotiations, USC had balked at the licensing agreement. They had initially agreed to provide all the equipment but added a four-year exclusive use clause. The reason given was that was how long David would play ball at USC. They didn�t want anyone else to have their competitive advantage.
David had already sent a prototype to Bo Harrington so that his team at Western Michigan could use it. He was a man of his word, so he pushed back. The powers that be at USC were entrenched and wanted to make a claim that he�d helped develop the VR software and tested it on campus. Some corporate type felt the university owned it.
Ms. Dixon shut that down, but she warned Dare and Corvus that they should �create� stuff away from campus in the future. She cautioned that MIT might also try to make a claim if they used any university resources. People had been screwed out of their ideas numerous times in university settings.
David decided to bite the bullet and purchase all the gear needed, including new video cards for the Stevens Academic Center PCs.
Their first significant software test would occur today when it was shown to all the football campers. Bryant Franzese was more excited than the two creators. He wanted to use it as a final reason why recruits should pick USC to play football.
�Megan sent me a message that she�s cutting you guys off. I guess you went over budget,� David said with a stern look.
Corvus got a panicked look, but Dare shook his head to let his friend know not to react. He knew that David wanted this to work as much as they did. It was just his way of reminding them not to go crazy buying stuff.
David saw that they had everything in hand, so he went up to take his shower.
As he washed his hair, he remembered the other matter Ms. Dixon was working on: the KAP Agency contract. Crystal�s warning had been proven true. The agreement to be his entertainment agent was slanted in KAP�s favor at every turn. While her team could handle the usual contract stuff, she worried about the entertainment aspects. She explained that like she�d done with the NCAA negotiations, she wanted to hire an outside entertainment-law expert to help with that.
Usually, he would have turned to Lexi for guidance. But that wasn�t happening, so he thought about calling Kent Crain and Frank Ingram for advice. Crystal had overheard him talking to Ms. Dixon and stopped him.
�What exactly are you looking for?�
�Someone to help us with the entertainment parts of our contract with your dad�s company.�
�That�s actually smart,� Crystal said. �My dad will fight like crazy for you when it comes to negotiations with the studios. But he fights just as hard for his company.�
�I�m sure most of his clients have no idea. They�re just happy when they get their payday,� David said.
�I happen to know who my dad�s biggest rival is. He knows all Dad�s dirty tricks because he taught them to him. The only problem is that he�s retired, but I could call him and get him to help you,� Crystal offered.
It turned out that it was her grandfather, Daniel Knaggy. When she called him, he was hesitant until he understood this was for his granddaughter�s �special� friend. Ms. Dixon talked to him and then seemed to have a lawyer-like mental orgasm when she realized the depth of his expertise. She hired him after only a fifteen-minute video chat.
It wasn�t lost on David how Crystal had helped him with the issue rather than her dad. It had only been a few weeks since they�d started their faux dating, but he found it was beginning to be less fake. She wasn�t acting like the gold digger he�d envisioned.
Part of his reason for becoming more open-minded about Crystal was that she hadn�t tried to be the dominant one in their relationship. She was savvy enough to realize that David wouldn�t allow her to have her way just because of her looks. She�d seen firsthand the women he�d dated in the past. He was also more mature than the jocks she�d previously been involved with. Crystal didn�t need to manage David like she�d had to do with Matt and others. It was a refreshing feeling for her.
With that knowledge, she�d relaxed around David. While she was quite capable, as he saw when she helped him with her dad, Crystal figured out that David would come to her when he wanted help. And she accepted that�easily, to her surprise. He noticed that she seemed happier within their arrangement compared to what he�d seen before with Matt and Andres.
◊◊◊
After morning classes, he grabbed a quick lunch and then went to football camp. He located his brother and Colt. They were teamed up, and Coach Clayton and Matt were supervising their drills. David joined Coach Mason on the sideline where they could watch.
He observed six plays before seeing that they were both still making that small extra step, causing them to overthrow their receivers.
�Your forms both look fine. You just need to aim lower,� Matt suggested.
Coach Mason made a strangled noise but kept his mouth shut.
A half-hour later, �aiming lower� was a disaster. Both Phil and Colt were either throwing interceptions, or the ball was bouncing to the receivers.
�I�ve seen enough. Take a break. Matt and I will be back in thirty minutes,� Coach Clayton announced.
�Mind if I talk to the campers while you�re gone?� David asked.
�Do what you want,� Coach Clayton said dismissively and left.
When the other coaches saw Coach Clayton had given his players some free time, they did the same. David soon found nearly a hundred high school football players gathered in a semi-circle around him as he addressed Phil and Colt.
�You two stop �aiming� the ball. It�s that little hop we talked about yesterday that�s causing your passes to sail. Coach Mason and I will help you with that after today�s session,� David said and then turned to everyone else.
�Hey guys, welcome to USC. I�m David Dawson. This wasn�t really a scheduled break, so why don�t we make this about you. What do you want to know?�
�What�s the most important thing you need to learn to be a successful quarterback?�
�Well, it�s actually two things: repetition and preparation. For quarterbacks, you should be throwing the ball as often as you can. When I was in high school, I used to go out and throw into garbage cans when I didn�t have anyone to throw to. For receivers, you should be catching hundreds of balls a day. The same goes for every position. You want to make it so that you no longer have to think, that your body just knows as you build muscle memory.
�For games, the skill I learned that helped me the most was how to watch game film. Without it, it�s like playing poker without knowing how to read your opponents. You will lose money. In our case, we lose games.
�When I step up under center, I am diagnosing the defense before the snap. Based on what I see, I immediately know where the ball should go. That skill will allow you to become better at getting the ball out of your hands and into the hands of your playmakers. If you do it right, the defense doesn�t have time to react. I like to put a clock on it and try to average about two and a half seconds from snap to release,� David explained.
�David�s right,� Coach Mason said. �The time to throw is a key stat. But the time between hike and throw also depends greatly on the depth of routes, that is, the time it takes receivers to get into position. It also depends on your ability to quickly read defenses, your line�s blocking efficiency, and the pass rush effectiveness.
�My point is that to reach your two-and-a-half-second goal, it�s a team effort.�
�Doesn�t quarterback style also play a role?� Phil asked.
David smiled and shook his head.
�When I was in high school, one of my nicknames was Captain Chaos because I ran all over the field to try to extend plays. Coach Mason used to lose his mind because he preached that I should be a pocket passer.
�Being Captain Chaos helped my high school win three straight state championships. But now that I�ve gone through spring practice at the college level, I am starting to see Coach Mason�s point. It might be better to throw the ball away instead of forcing something,� David said.
�Why is that?� Colt asked.
Coach Mason jumped in.
�I coached more years in the NFL than I care to admit. The game at that level is a grind. Anything that saves your energy and helps you avoid injury makes a big difference as the year goes on. The other benefit is that it cuts down on negative yardage plays like sacks and fumbles.�
�You look at some of the greats, and pocket passers have much longer careers because their bodies hold up,� David added.
�Depth of route is a double-edged sword,� Coach Mason said. �I once had a crafty veteran running our offense, but we had no depth. To protect him, I changed the offense to not throw deep. We relied on short routes so he could release the ball quickly to avoid injury.
�What happened was that when the defense put pressure on, I had him dumping the ball off with a sideline or outlet pass. The defensive backs knew this and our interceptions went up because they could crowd our receivers at the line of scrimmage at the start of a play without consequences. They also started anticipating sideline passes and jumping the short out-routes. That can lead to a lot of pick-sixes.�
�What Coach Mason is leaving out is he believes in the long ball. This is a perfect example of one reason why it has to be mixed in,� David added.
�We changed that the next year and were a much better team. The time to throw crept up, but we had fewer pick-sixes,� Coach Mason shared.
�There is another reason he hasn�t mentioned yet,� David continued. �A long-ball touchdown is demoralizing to the other team. Yeah, your own defense doesn�t get much rest if your offense is that explosive. But two or three plays like that in a game make it tough for the other defense mentally and emotionally.�
Coach Clayton and the rest of the camp staff returned.
◊◊◊
�Grip it and rip it!� David barked at his brother from the sideline.
He�d just sailed another pass. David knew it wasn�t something Phil and Colt usually did. But sometimes, a quarterback got the yips. Something stupid would creep into his throwing motion, and suddenly he couldn�t hit the broadside of a barn.
The problem with the yips was it was apparently contagious because Colt did the same thing.
�Stop!� David yelled as he stormed onto the field.
Both Matt and Coach Clayton were too surprised to say anything.
�Plant your damned foot and throw the ball as hard as you can. I don�t care if you hit the goal post, but it has to be better than that. Now run it again!�
Phil sent a smoking ball that bounced off his receiver. He had a stupid smile on his face.
�What the hell! You�re not going to say anything?!� David exploded.
Everyone looked at him in confusion.
�What route were you supposed to run?� David asked the receiver.
�Fifteen down-and-out.�
�What did you run?�
�I�m not sure,� the kid admitted.
�You ran a seventeen-yard down-and-out. If you had turned around at fifteen, you would have seen the ball coming and caught it.� Then he turned to Colt and Phil. �While I�m not happy he ran the wrong route, what I�ve been watching all day is you two aren�t helping them. You�re leaders. Open your mouths if a route is run incorrectly. The only way you get better is if you communicate as a team,� David coached.
Matt started to add his two cents� worth, but Coach Clayton touched Matt�s arm and shook his head. David took that as his cue to continue coaching.
�Run it again!�
Over the next ten plays, both Phil and Colt looked like the high-level quarterbacks they were supposed to be. At that point, Coach Clayton took over, and David went back to stand next to Coach Mason.
�Next time I do something like that, hand me your clipboard so I can wing it at them,� David quipped.
�Knowing you, it would have sailed.�
That made them both chuckle because everything else thrown today had sailed up until then.
◊◊◊
Corvus and Dare made David demonstrate the VR technology. The large football room, where the whole team met, had a giant screen that could be used to show a game film or display presentations the coaches made.
David put on the headgear and showed them Phil overthrowing a pass earlier.
�Anybody care to say what caused his ball to be overthrown?� David asked as he tilted up the gear so he could see everyone.
When no one answered, David pointed to Matt.
�Help me out. What�s your best guess?�
�He released it too soon.�
�Matt made a smart guess. Release point makes a huge difference in your passing accuracy,� David said and then turned to Matt. �What�s the ideal place to let the ball go?�
�Right over your lead foot.�
David smiled, which pleased Matt.
�That is why Matt was an Elite-11 quarterback in high school. He knows how to throw an accurate ball.
�Now, let me show you how this software can make you a better player. Let me back up,� David said.
He brought the video to the point where the ball was in Phil�s hand over his arm.
�Look at his form. Phil has a nice stance, and the line running from his ankle up his back is all straight. I�ll run it forward in slow motion. Right there, he releases the ball,� David said.
He looked down to show that his hand was right over his lead foot.
�You can see that everything looks flawless. By all rights, that ball should be right on target,� David said.
�It should be,� Matt agreed. �What went wrong?�
�It�s his footwork. Let me show you this one as we only look at Phil�s feet, and then I�ll show you one where he drills his receiver,� David said.
�Did you see the difference?� David asked when the two were done.
They all could see what had caused it.
�If you want to try out the software, we captured today�s camp. The best way to learn it is to do it. I trust that you�ve all played video games. If you get stuck, call your little brother, or ask one of the developers, Corvus or Dare,� David joked.
They�d created a video that explained how to use the VR system, but David felt that asking for directions wasn�t what a man would do. Just ask any woman.
The whole room got up and followed his two friends to the tutoring center where the PCs were. Even Matt went.
◊◊◊
When David got home, Cassidy and Andy were waiting for him.
�We�re going to start our scavenger hunt on Monday, and we need some items,� Andy said.
Cassidy handed him a list and then showed him a box of all the items. They ranged from boxers to t-shirts to sunglasses�not his good ones�to the dog collar that Crystal had made him wear.
�We made a rule that none of them can bother you during the day or when you�re in your room,� Cassidy said.
�Good rule,� David said.
�I told them they had to have that one in place,� Ruth said.
Cassidy and Andy smirked when he jumped. Sometimes Ruth freaked him out when she would suddenly appear like that.
�We asked Crystal, and she told us we could add one task,� Andy said, clearly the spokesperson for today.
�Let me guess: blowjobs.�
�Yep,� Cassidy confirmed.
�I would be all for it � but �� David hedged.
�There are rules,� Andy quickly added and handed him a sheet of paper.
When the act was completed, a text would go out with a picture to all participants. The image had to show proof of a successful act.
�What does that mean?� David asked.
�Do I have to explain what happens when you have a successful blowjob?� Cassidy asked.
�No, I�m good,� David decided.
� and it had to show the daily winner�s face and Mr. Happy.
�How are you going to prove it was me and not a stunt dick?� David asked.
�I know what your dick looks like,� Cassidy said confidently.
The written instructions went on to say that David had to take the picture. Cassidy explained that that way, he could prevent any identifying features from being captured. And everyone had to promise to never reveal that it was, in fact, Mr. Happy.
Even Mr. Happy knew his image would eventually end up on the Internet. It wouldn�t be the first time, so he texted his PR man, Frank, to get his opinion. Frank shot a text back saying to go for it. David assumed that he must need another beach house because his fees escalated when there was a scandal.
�What if two or three want to give me one at the same time?� David suddenly thought.
�Whoever�s text comes in first wins,� Andy said.
�So, no ties?�
�No ties.�
�What does the winner of the hunt get?� David asked.
�You fly them on an all-expenses-paid vacation at the end of the summer,� Cassidy said.
�What vacation?� David asked.
�You got an invitation to Alejandro and Natalia Sandoval�s birthday party in Colombia,� Ruth said.
�Why didn�t I know about it?� David asked.
�Fritz is making sure it�s safe. I guess there are also special rules about flying into Colombia that you need waivers and other things for the trip,� Ruth explained.
�And you got the approval?� David pressed.
�Uh � yes. I guess I left that part out,� Ruth admitted. �We also got approval for all your personal security for the trip. That was somewhat more complicated, but your dad wouldn�t let you go otherwise for fear another Mexico event might happen.�
David agreed that he didn�t want to face down a gunman with a Bo staff again.
�You all know that I won�t make it easy on the girls. I�m not going to just whip it out in the quad,� David said.
�That�s why it�s worth so many points. I actually bet that no one would get you to do it,� Cassidy said.
�If you asked,� David said as he waggled his eyebrows.
�I could make you right now,� Cassidy challenged.
David looked at Ruth.
�I�d let her,� she said to let him know he was on his own when it came to his little ninja.
�Okay, Buttercup. Let�s rumble,� David teased.
�Frick! Stop! That�s my throwing hand!� he yelped.
�That�s a good hold. You�ll have to show me,� Ruth said.
�Give her your other hand,� Cassidy ordered.
Andy laughed when he instantly did as he was told. Ruth figured it out on the first try. Someday he would learn to not torment Cassidy.
◊◊◊
A small smile tugged at her lips.
The scavenger hunt had begun today, and when David returned from his morning run, three girls were waiting for him to offer him a blowjob. The boy who had claimed the biggest slut title at Lincoln High had run to his room. The old David would have wanted to talk about what it all meant. But once he was sure they just wanted to claim today�s scavenger hunt prize and nothing more, he would have whipped it out and let them have at it.
Cassidy had just finished making breakfast when Ruth came down from taking her shower.
�If I didn�t know better, I would have thought he was gay this morning,� Ruth said.
She�d been coming out of her shell to the point that she no longer ended her sentences with �ma�am� or �sir.� She also seemed to be letting a sense of humor come out of hiding.
�I thought I might stroll over to the weight room and mention he turned down a free one this morning,� Cassidy said.
�That bunch will revoke his �man card� for sure.�
�I warned Andy that David would do this. He doesn�t know that if none of them get him to participate, the points roll over and double each day. By week�s end, whoever gets to him will have the hunt wrapped up. He�ll have the whole rowing team following him around, offering to blow him.�
�I might have to call Fritz and get extra security,� Ruth worried.
�Have you seen our boy get hit on?�
�Yes.�
�Did he need your help?� Cassidy asked.
�No, and I�ve seen some � ah � aggressive offers. Okay, I get your point. I�ll wait and see if he asks for more security before jumping the gun,� Ruth decided.
They heard David coming down the stairs. Cassidy had kicked the girls out, so he was safe until after his practice tonight.
He strolled in and tossed a piece of cloth to Cassidy.
�I wanted to return these. You left them last night.�
�Those aren�t mine,� Cassidy said as she realized what they were.
Panties!
�I didn�t have any on,� she fired back.
Ruth blushed bright red, which made the two friends grin. It would have been better if the nerdlings had been there, but they�d flown home on Sunday. Dare�s mom had had enough of him hanging with David and wanted to see her son.
Even Cassidy could see that Dare and Corvus were making up work for their VR project as an excuse to extend their vacation. But David didn�t seem to care, so she hadn�t said anything. Precious, in particular, appeared put-out that Corvus had left. Without him around to torment, she worried the silly cat would go after David.
�I�ll repeat myself. I�m not letting your rowing team give me daily blowjobs.�
�Hang on. Let me get my phone, and I�ll record you saying that,� Cassidy said and ran up to her room where it was charging.
When she got back, David gave her a dirty look. He didn�t appear willing to let her record him.
�This way, I can send it to the girls to let them know you are not willing to help them with their scavenger hunt,� she said.
�Okay, fine,� he grumped.
Cassidy held up the phone, found the video app, and hit record.
�I�m not willing to participate in your rowing team�s scavenger hunt,� David said.
�Just so we�re clear, you�re not willing to allow them to give you daily blowjobs.�
He looked pained.
�Yes. I�m not,� David said.
�Is it because you�re worried that Crystal would disapprove? Because she said it would be fine,� Cassidy prodded.
�I understand that.�
�Well, then, color me confused. I remember you saying that you enjoyed receiving them. Is it just because it�s from the girls? Are you worried they might not give good ones?� she asked.
Ruth made a choking sound when her coffee went down the wrong pipe.
Clever David raised one eyebrow in warning. Cassidy figured she could edit the video if he had a good comeback.
�Is it because you don�t want to help me with my team-building project?� she quickly asked.
�No. It�s just ��
�It�s because they aren�t movie stars or models, isn�t it?� she persisted.
�No, I think they�re all quite cute.�
�So, you�re admitting that they aren�t hideous, and I know that you�re a slut, so � what�s the problem?� she asked.
�I don�t think it would be right.�
�That sounds way too logical for a college boy,� she pondered. �I remember some social media speculation that you might be gay. But that was just because you�re good-looking. Would you rather it be a guy?�
�Cassidy Hope!� David yelled as he lunged for her.
Ruth took him down, which surprised Cassidy because she would have totally deserved him strangling her. While he tried to get away, she quickly attached the video to a message and sent it out to their friends and the football team.
Maybe some peer pressure would make him more agreeable. Then again, David was stubborn.
�We have to go, or we�ll be late for class,� Cassidy said.
David got up and brushed imaginary dust from his clothes.
�If I were you, I would sleep with one eye open because I plan to superglue your hands to your tits,� David warned.
She gave him her little-girl pout, then kissed his cheek.
�You�ll end up caving. Since it�s inevitable, just lie back and enjoy it,� Cassidy said.
Internally, she cringed because that sounded like a line a rapist would use. If it were anyone other than David, she would have called off the rowing team. But she knew that he was just jerking her around and was actually enjoying their byplay. If he weren�t, David wasn�t shy about telling her how he really felt.
Instead, he put Cassidy in a headlock and rubbed the top of her head. He let her go and grabbed his books. The two of them chatted on their way to class as if everything was fine. That was, until he started to receive messages.
�What did you do?�
She took off running with him chasing her. If David wanted to catch her, he could have. But by the time she ran into the building where her class was, they were both giggling like they were playing chase in middle school.
◊◊◊
After class, Cassidy went to go lift. She found TV trucks lining the street and a crowd gathering. When she got closer, she saw the building cordoned off and people with FBI jackets milling around. A parade of agents came out, carrying files.
She went to the caution tape and caught the attention of one of the agents.
�What�s going on?�
�We�re conducting a raid. Before you ask, I can�t say what it�s for.�
�I�m supposed to go lift,� Cassidy said.
�The building is closed until further notice. You�ll have to make other arrangements.�
She sent David a message.
Buttercup:
DSquared: �Seriously?�
Buttercup:
DSquared:
◊◊◊
When they came back from surfing, they found the FBI had held a press conference to announce Operation Varsity Blues.
The feds were making three allegations concerning student admissions:
1) Bribing exam administrators to facilitate cheating on college and university entrance exams.
2) Bribing coaches and administrators of elite universities to nominate unqualified applicants as elite recruited athletes, thus facilitating the applicants� admission.
3) Using a charitable organization to conceal the source and nature of laundered bribery payments.
USC was one of many schools targeted in the probe. Other schools included Stanford, UCLA, Texas, and Yale.
Then Cassidy about threw up. Brook had never said what her grandmother had done to get her a rowing scholarship. If it had anything to do with this, Cassidy would be disgraced and kicked out of school.
�Call Brook,� was David�s advice.
�Can you talk to her for me?�
�We�ll do it together,� he offered with a hint of a smile.
He pulled out his phone.
�Now?� she asked, alarmed.
�For the toughest girl I know, you can be a real chicken at times,� he teased as he dialed.
�I bet you were just thinking of me,� David said as Brook answered.
�I was just thinking that I might have to reconsider dumping you. Did you see your movie sales this summer?�
�Frank sent me a link to the article. All three movies are doing better than expected,� he admitted.
�So, you�re rich. Well, even richer,� she teased.
�Not Brook Davis rich, but I�m catching up,� he shot back.
�My grandmother is rich, and she threatened to give it all away to charity yesterday when my cousins wanted her to buy them matching Lamborghinis.�
Cassidy knew that David could relate. His brother, Phil, had found a Jeep similar to the one David had when he was in high school. David had bought it for him. Not entirely on par with a Lambo, but it was a family member cashing in.
�Speaking of Grace, did you see that the FBI raided USC today?� he asked.
�I did, and I have a call into my grandmother to make sure she�s not affected,� Brook said.
�Thank you,� Cassidy said to reveal her presence on the call.
�Cassidy Hope,� Brook said with disappointment in her voice.
That was twice today that she�d been called that by her best friends.
�I wanted David on the call because we�re all best friends,� Cassidy said.
�It was either that, or she would have gotten around to calling next to never. You know how she is when it comes to stuff like this. What you and your grandmother did is a big deal for her,� David said to defend her.
�I�m sorry for joking around. You know that between David and me, we�ll make sure you�re okay,� Brook promised.
Cassidy felt her lips pinch and tears form at the corner of her eyes as her emotions took hold. He wrapped her in a hug.
�You know I would do anything for you,� he whispered in her ear.
�Even the scavenger hunt?� she asked.
He simply hugged her again.
◊◊◊
The next day was the taping of
She walked onto the set, and Duke came bounding up with his tennis ball in his mouth. He dropped it at her feet.
�Your master�s a soft touch, but I�m not risking you knocking over any of this equipment,� Cassidy explained to the perplexed hound.
She�d seen the devastation his tail could do when it wagged. She believed David when he claimed that Duke had no feeling in it as it knocked little ones to the ground or cleared off a coffee table.
She spotted David. He was blocking out shots and troubleshooting the lighting, issuing orders to Colleen regarding camera angles and lenses. Clearly, he was quickly learning his craft as he controlled the setup for today�s show. Cassidy had no doubt he would get an �A� in his film class.
He saw her and pointed to makeup.
�Come on. Help me get ready,� she said to the dog.
◊◊◊
Cassidy was on first and updated David on how the team was working hard to get ready for the season.
�I hear you�re doing a team-building activity. Tell me about that,� he prompted.
�One of the high school football campers, Colt Macklin, told me that their volleyball team was doing a scavenger hunt. We took that idea but put a twist on it,� she said.
�I heard that besides finding items, there was more personal interaction involved.�
She wondered if he was talking about personal stuff involving him, but her mind left the gutter when she realized what he was talking about.
�Each item on the scavenger hunt is worth a certain number of points. This is intended to be a team-building exercise, so Andy, our team captain, thought it would be good to have the girls interview each other,� Cassidy explained.
�What sort of topics are they talking about?�
�We thought about what you might ask on a first date. My favorite one is to have them both work on a bucket list and do one item on it,� she said. �The list includes questions like, tell an interesting story that no one knows about you. Or name three foods you hate.�
�I happened to get the list from Andy. So, I thought I would play along with you,� David said with a smirk. �One of the items was to find a baby picture, so I had your dad send me one.�
Projected on the screen behind them was Cassidy, at age four, dressed up as a Marine. Then a picture of David and his older brother, Greg, flashed. They were covered from head to toe in mud. David barked out a laugh.
�After a rainstorm, my brother and I decided to use a giant mud hole as our personal water park. We would dive in headfirst and slide on our stomachs to see who could go the furthest. It was one of the best memories of my childhood.�
The next segment�s guest was Jaxson. David had reached out after the FBI raid to offer him a friendly ear to get his story out. He was surprised when their athletic director agreed. The AD had a scheduled press conference for later today but was giving David an exclusive.
�I want to welcome Jaxson Pettis, USC�s athletic director, to the show.�
�Thank you for having me.�
�The FBI was at both the admissions building and the athletic department conducting an investigation yesterday afternoon. Does this have anything to do with what they are calling Operation Varsity Blues?� David asked to set him up.
�Yes. Yes, it does ��
Jaxson gave a canned response on how the university, and specifically the athletic department, planned to be transparent and help the FBI in any way that they could.
�Were you ever privy to any information that might indicate that USC was involved in pay-for-access schemes to get into the university?� David asked.
Even Cassidy could see that the answer was �yes,� and Jaxson was thinking about how to spin the truth or outright lie.
�You know what, don�t answer that. This is an ongoing investigation, and, in the end, it will come out,� David said to bail him out. But then he stuck the dagger in. �To pull something like this off, they would have needed someone high up in admissions and then head coaches willing to take money in the athletic department. If you find this to be true, what will the university�s response be?�
�That�s the crux of the whole matter, isn�t it? I would have never thought something like this was possible because my mind doesn�t work that way. I hate the thought that for a few dollars, a coach would put his career at risk. It also sickens me to think that we took opportunities away from potential athletes to come to our great school,� Jaxson said.
�And what will you do?�
�Ask for their resignation, or fire them outright. USC is better than that. We can�t be seen as the school where if you have enough money, you can buy your way in,� Jaxson said.
Cassidy felt sick again.
◊◊◊
David had to stay because he wanted to get the Jaxson segment out while he had a scoop, so she went home. Precious curled up on her lap as she worried about whether Grace had paid for her to get into USC or not. If she had, Cassidy would have to quit.
Her phone rang, and it was a number she didn�t recognize. Usually, that meant it was a spam call. She really didn�t need a car warranty and was ready to dump it but decided to answer.
�Cassidy?� a woman�s voice asked.
�Yes.�
�This is Grace Davenport. I understand that you have some questions about your scholarship and if it might have been paid for.�
�Yes.�
�All I did was send your coach a video of you working out the football team. Brook did spend some money getting the video produced, but that was all she did. I explained to the coach that you worked harder than anyone and helped those around you to get better. And I told him he would be a fool not to offer you,� Grace said.
�That�s it?� Cassidy asked in relief.
�That�s it. He called me after your first semester and thanked me. He said you are even better than advertised. I expect you to continue to make us both right. You earned your spot there, and don�t let anyone tell you otherwise,� Grace said.
�Yes, ma�am. I�ll do my best,� Cassidy said. �And thank you.�
When she hung up, she pumped her fist in the air.
�Yes!�
◊◊◊
Chloe and her sister, Veronica, were called home for a family meeting when the FBI announced Operation Varsity Blues.
Their mother, Deirdre Price, was the female lead on the popular sitcom
After they�d finished eating, their mom told them what was going on.
�I�m sure you heard about the commotion on campus today,� Diego began.
�The FBI raided campus offices. What does that have to do with us?� Veronica asked.
�Getting into a school like USC is highly competitive. When you said you wanted to go, I shared that with Jim, Trent�s dad, and he suggested we talk to a placement consultant that he used to get Trent into Harvard,� Diego explained.
�We were told he had connections and was an expert at helping people get into their dream schools, so I scheduled a meeting,� Deirdre said.
�But I was invited to join the rowing team,� Veronica said as she looked at her parents with concern. �Which meant that I didn�t have to qualify, and you didn�t need a consultant to help me get in. Same with Chloe.�
�It was the consultant who suggested going through the athletic department. That was why we took you girls to that rowing club to see if you liked it. The consultant told us that the two easiest sports to get through on were that and soccer,� Diego said.
�And you hate to run,� Chloe reminded her older sister.
�If I�d known how hard rowing really is, I would have taken my chances through the normal admissions process,� Veronica admitted.
Everybody at the table, except her sister, knew that she would never have qualified. Veronica was more interested in boys and parties than doing schoolwork. But she�d been popular all through high school.
For Chloe, it was a different story. She�d been a bit of a late developer. Even going into her junior year, she still had no breasts to speak of and was much smaller than most other girls. As a result, she was unpopular at school and completely lacked self-confidence. Chloe would hang around with a few close friends and try to get by being ignored. It wasn�t so bad; she was close to the friends she did have, and they had fun. But the burgeoning social and sexual life of high school pretty much passed them by.
Then her senior year came, and her best friend Jen had come out. She confessed that she was in love with Chloe, and they�d kissed at the Homecoming dance. By New Year�s, they had become a couple.
That was all a roundabout way of saying that Veronica�s worldview differed from hers. Veronica was invited to go on yacht trips with donors and lavish parties while Chloe stayed home. Veronica just assumed that she could do anything because she�d never been told no.
�You haven�t answered Veronica�s original question. What does all the FBI stuff have to do with us?� Chloe asked.
�Because the consultant we hired is the man in the middle of all this mess. At some point, it will be leaked that we hired him to get you girls into USC,� Diego explained.
�But you didn�t bribe anyone to get us in, did you?� Chloe asked.
�Of course not,� Deirdre responded emphatically.
�Then everything should be fine,� Veronica decided.
�You know how the press is. Let me take the lead when fielding questions,� Deirdre said.
�What does it matter if we did nothing wrong?� Veronica asked.
�People are envious of the life we�ve created for ourselves. They will spin it that because we have money, we are somehow suspect for that fact alone. They�ll make it seem like we did something wrong when all we did was hire someone to help us navigate the admissions process,� Deirdre explained.
�They have no idea how hard your mom had to work to make her money,� Diego added.
Veronica was satisfied it was no big deal, but Chloe wasn�t as sure.
�What should we do?� she asked.
�Go about your daily lives like you always have. Get good grades and prepare for next year�s rowing season,� Diego said.
�I was planning on dropping my summer class and going on the Formula One circuit with Dad,� Veronica announced.
�That might be a good idea,� Deirdre said.
Chloe saw her mom glance at her dad before saying it. Chloe could guess that having her sister traveling the world, away from the press, was probably for the best. Veronica had never seen a camera that she didn�t pose for.
◊◊◊
Chloe wasn�t happy that her sister left it to her to tell Andy and Cassidy that she�d bailed on summer workouts and would be vacationing all over the world instead. She found them on the rowing machines, training.
�I don�t understand why they call him Knackers,� Andy said about Oliver, the football team�s Aussie punter.
�Because he cried like a baby when I kicked him in the balls,� Cassidy said, wrinkling her nose. �It�s stupid, but what do you expect from boys?�
�Uhum. Sorry to interrupt,� Chloe said.
�We were just talking about Oliver�s balls. Do you have an opinion?� Cassidy asked.
�Not really. I�m kind of more interested in girls.�
�What�s up?� Andy asked to find out why she�d interrupted them.
�It�s Veronica. She�s dropping her summer class to spend time with my dad,� Chloe said.
�Let me guess. Your dad is going on a Caribbean cruise,� Andy quipped.
�Actually, it�s worse. My dad owns a Formula One racing team, and their next three stops are London, Paris, and Monaco. Knowing my sister, she will party and make bad decisions. She�ll probably end up married to some Brazilian driver.�
Andy grimaced, while Cassidy was unreadable.
�My advice is to use this scavenger hunt to show the girls that you�re nothing like your sister,� Andy suggested.
�Come back to my place after we work out. We can do the interview task, and I might be able to help you win the scavenger hunt,� Cassidy suggested.
�Really?� Andy asked.
�She needs this, or the girls won�t hang out with her because of Veronica,� Cassidy said.
Having never been the most popular girl in high school, Chloe was surprised that wasn�t the case in college. People used college as a chance for a fresh start, an opportunity to reinvent themselves. From those high school experiences, though, they also usually had no desire to be bullied by a mean girl just so they could sit at the cool kids� table at lunch.
�And if she is to be a cox, she�ll need respect,� Andy agreed.
�And that won�t happen if they don�t get to know her and give her a chance,� Cassidy added.
They both turned to Chloe.
�You up for this?� Cassidy asked.
�Yes. And thanks.�
◊◊◊
She went home with Cassidy, and they found themselves alone.
�I feel like nachos. If I make them, do you want some?� Cassidy asked.
Cassidy got out a large platter and began assembling the dish.
�There�s no way we can eat all that,� Chloe worried.
�David will be home soon and will either have some football players with him or Crystal. I make this much so he doesn�t get all pouty when I don�t share,� Cassidy said.
While Cassidy made the food, Chloe began asking her a list of questions.
�What is something that no one knows about you?� Chloe asked when she finally got to the good questions.
�I hate that one because I think I have to give a different answer each time,� Cassidy admitted.
�What are some of the ones you�ve used?� Chloe asked.
�Let�s see. I am afraid to step on manhole covers. I�m sure that if I do, it will give out, and I�ll go crashing to my death.�
�I can see that.�
�When I was little, I wanted to grow up to be a thief. I�d seen an old movie about a cat burglar, and I would plan out the perfect caper.�
�Did you ever do it?� Chloe asked.
�No. I knew stealing was bad, so I chickened out,� Cassidy admitted.
�Tell me a new one, and make it good.�
Cassidy thought for a moment.
�I know that David and I will grow old together.�
�You love him?� Chloe asked.
�I do.�
�Then why aren�t you dating?�
Cassidy shrugged.
�Neither one of us is ready to settle down. Until then, we�ll be friends and have our own fun.�
�I didn�t know you were dating anyone.�
�I�m not, but you don�t have to be dating to have fun,� Cassidy admitted.
�You�re seeing someone,� Chloe guessed. �Who?�
�If I tell you, you can�t tell anyone. Only David knows,� Cassidy said.
�I promise.�
�Tank.�
�Tank, the strength-and-conditioning coach?� Chloe gasped.
Cassidy nodded.
�Oh, he�s hot,� Chloe admitted.
Cassidy�s eyes got big.
�I thought you liked girls.�
�I do.�
�On a scale of zero to ten, zero being I only want dick, to ten where dick makes me physically ill to think about, how gay are you?� Cassidy asked.
�I honestly don�t know. I looked like a ten-year-old boy until my junior year of high school. Boys were more interested in breasts and stuff, so I was ignored. Then my best friend, Jen, came out, and she showed interest in me. I think if we were still together, I would never give it a second thought. The funny thing was that once we started dating, guys began to ask me out,� Chloe admitted.
�The little pervs wanted to see two girls making out,� Cassidy guessed.
�Yep. Which made me want to run.�
�What happened to Jen?�
�Through her church, there was an opportunity to go to Africa for the summer. At one of the orientation meetings, she met someone. Ironically, it was a guy. When I found out, I was devastated.�
�Has a guy even kissed you?� Cassidy asked.
Before she could answer, the back door opened, and in walked David with his security person, Ruth. The cat yowled and then hissed at him. Chloe about peed herself.
�Jesus!� David said as he jerked to a stop. �Are we finally doing this?�
He and the cat stared at each other until the feline had made her point and walked out of the room. Ruth also left to go up to her room.
�I might pay Brit to move into an apartment so we can ship Precious home,� David said.
Cassidy got a pained expression.
�Let me take care of it.�
He looked both happy and surprised.
�I�m not going to question that.�
The doorbell rang, and David went to answer it. He came back with Crystal.
�Did you miss me?� he asked.
Crystal turned to face him.
�Wouldn�t you just love for me to say �yes� so your enormous ego can get stroked?�
He acted wounded.
�Ouch. That one crushed me.�
�Oh, please. If your head gets any bigger, you�ll look like a bobblehead doll.�
David waggled his eyebrows at Crystal.
�Yeah, it�s already hard to get my shirts on in the morning. Pretty soon, I�ll have to start greasing the doorways so I can get through them.�
She turned back around and came into the kitchen.
�Nachos!� she said happily when she saw them. �You guys always have the best food.�
�Cassidy is a great cook,� David said with a big grin.
Cassidy leaned over to Chloe.
�He�s just happy because I agreed to send Precious home. Now he owes me,� she whispered.
�Oh, thank God! You�re getting rid of that mean cat. David is constantly bleeding because of that beast,� Crystal said at hearing the news.
�David,� Cassidy said to get his attention. He looked like he was about to invite Crystal to his room to � uhm � study. �Challenge Chloe to a racing game while Crystal and I talk.�
�Sure,� he answered and then turned to her. �You any good?�
◊◊◊
David was a lot of fun. He acted like a middle schooler without a care in the world as he got into the video game. She surprised him when she won the first race.
�You were sandbagging me,� he pouted.
�Please. You thought I was a total noob and took it easy on me. I want your top game, and we see who the best is,� Chloe challenged.
�You�re so going down,� he predicted.
�David?� Crystal called from upstairs as Cassidy came down.
�I�m playing,� he called back.
�I need you for just a second.�
David trotted up the stairs. When the bedroom door closed, Cassidy joined Chloe on the couch.
�There�s a sure way to win the scavenger hunt,� Cassidy said.
Most tasks were worth fifty or a hundred points. Getting David to accept oral was initially worth a thousand. Since he hadn�t done it yet, today it was up to four thousand.
�But ��
Cassidy gave her a knowing smile.
�Look. David is the perfect person to experiment with. He�s caring, patient, and really, really good. He�s also old school. He�ll never tell anyone what the two of you do or don�t do.�
�Oh, wow,� Chloe said as she looked at her hands.
A random thought ran through her head that she should get her nails done.
She�d never considered David as someone who would be interested in her, so Chloe had never let the possibility enter her mind. All the rowing girls got giddy at the thought of him showing them interest, but he treated them like he had her while playing Forza Horizon. He was everyone�s best buddy, the kind of guy you could hang with, and yet he would listen if you wanted to ask a guy�s opinion.
�If you want, he�ll even show you Mr. Happy,� Cassidy said.
�Who?�
�He named his dick,� Cassidy said as she rolled her eyes.
Somehow, the thought of movie star David A. Dawson naming his penis was funny.
�Would you and Crystal be there in case �?�
�You need support or help? We can be,� Cassidy offered.
�If I do, I�ll need someone to take the picture,� Chloe said to play it off.
�Why keep it to just a picture? You might want a video so you can watch it later,� Cassidy offered with a mischievous look.
�Okay.�
�Okay?� Cassidy asked, looking surprised.
Chloe nodded �yes� in response.
Cassidy pulled her phone out and sent Crystal a message. She got one right back.
�He�s a dork,� Cassidy said as she was sending another message.
They waited a full minute before one came back.
�He�s in,� Cassidy said with a grin.
�What did you say to convince him?�
�That you would be emotionally crushed if he rejected you.�
Somehow, that didn�t sound too far off the mark.
◊◊◊
When they were walking up the stairs, Cassidy stopped.
�One warning: David believes in talking. You might have to convince him that you aren�t being coerced.�
�How do I do that?�
Cassidy gave her a knowing look.
�Kiss him.�
�And that works?�
�He is more a guy than a woman. When he stops thinking, fun stuff happens,� Cassidy assured her.
When they got to the door, Cassidy gave it a slight knock. Crystal answered the door to let them in.
�She wants us here for moral support and to act as camera operators,� Cassidy shared.
David gave Cassidy and Crystal a dirty look and then turned all his focus on Chloe.
�Are you �� was all he got out before she launched herself at him, and they kissed.
Chloe felt his tongue brush her lips, so she let them part.
Jen had been a good kisser. Her lips were delicate and fun. This was completely different because his were firmer and more demanding.
Chloe was lost in the moment when she felt him reach down and run his large hands over her butt. When he had two handfuls, he pulled her toward him. That was when she felt his arousal pressing into her stomach.
�David, slow down. You�re scaring her,� Crystal warned.
He pulled his lips from Chloe�s and looked into her eyes.
�Are you scared?�
She shook her head �no.�
�Do you want to see him naked?� Cassidy suggested.
She nodded her head �yes.�
�Strip, slut,� Cassidy ordered.
David took a step back, unbuttoned his shirt, and slid the fabric off his broad shoulders. Holy hell! Rock-hard chiseled abs, smooth tanned skin � he had a freaking godlike body. Chloe had never considered that he would look as good as he did for his movies. She�d seen enough actors to know that when their part was done, they let themselves go.
Then he reached for his belt and slid his pants off, and it looked like he had a banana shoved into his boxers. He danced around because he�d forgotten to take his shoes off. Seeing that he wasn�t perfect helped calm her. When he finally kicked them off along with his pants, he reached down and removed his socks.
�You ready?� David asked.
Chloe nodded.
David slowly slid his underwear down until he was exposed. He rolled the elastic waistband down, and she watched as his cock popped out like a child�s toy. He quickly let his boxers drop to the floor and stood straight up, with his legs slightly parted, so she got a full view of his manhood. It hung heavy between his muscular thighs.
�Lay down on the bed,� Crystal instructed him. When he was in place, she turned to Chloe. �Crawl up there and get a closer look. I promise he won�t touch you if you don�t want him to.�
She crawled up and sat back on her knees next to his waist. Cassidy had her phone out and was recording, adding to her nervousness.
�Grab him at the base and stand it up. When he gets aroused, it will stand on its own,� Crystal coached.
Chloe looked at David, and he had a sexy smile as he propped his head up with his hands folded behind it. She reached out and wrapped her fingers around his shaft. She was surprised at how warm and soft it was.
�To give a good blowjob, you need to make it wet. David loves to have his cock licked,� Crystal said.
Chloe�s eyes widened, then she moved her head forward and carefully extended her tongue. She ran the pink tip over the end of his member and looked up at him in surprise when his dick twitched.
�That means that Mr. Happy likes what you�re doing,� David said.
She dipped forward again and ran her tongue along the length of his hot flesh. Chloe closed her eyes as she began to lick up and down his length. She heard a groan and realized it came from her. While she did that, Mr. Happy began to stiffen and lengthen.
She jerked back when she felt hands touch the side of her head. It was Crystal.
�Relax. I�m going to help you.�
Chloe nodded.
Crystal guided her head to the tip of his dick. She held Chloe�s head still and guided her down until his glans slowly began to part her lips. She had to stretch her mouth open a bit more, but she was able to take him into her mouth.
�I�m going to lay your head on his stomach and have him do all the work,� Crystal said. �I want you to reach down and cup his balls. The idea is to massage them. Gently put them in your hand.�
Chloe did as she was told.
�Good girl. Now when you handle balls, it�s okay to squeeze, rub, or tug at them, but you have to do it gently. Very gently. Treat them like eggs,� Crystal taught her. �Now, grasp the base of his cock. That will prevent him from going too far and choking you. Give him a couple of strokes, and he�ll get started.�
David began to slowly slide himself in and out of her mouth. Crystal had her move her hand further up when he pushed half his length into her mouth, and she gagged. When Chloe watched the video later, she could see when she discovered that she liked sucking cock.
It wasn�t that enjoyable, unlike the way it was portrayed in porn, where girls acted like they enjoyed choking to please their men. Girls told horror stories of their boyfriends just ramming their dicks into their mouths. David simply took what she offered and kept a steady pace, using her mouth for his pleasure.
It wasn�t one-sided. Chloe�s va-jay-jay was starting to leak with excitement.
She was brought back from her thoughts when David announced, �I�m going to cum.�
Not knowing what to do, Chloe let him push his dick into the back of her mouth. Suddenly, she felt a jet of cum hit the back of her throat, making her cough. As she began to pull off, more jets coated her tonsils, and her mouth began to fill. Chloe had seen enough porn to know that if she pulled off, she would get the next jet all over her, so she locked her lips around the head.
When he moaned and pulled back, the seal broke, and cum flowed down the length of his dick.
�Sorry, it surprised me. Next time, I�d like to try to swallow,� Chloe said.
In a million lifetimes, she would never have thought those words would have passed her lips. But they had, and she meant it.
�He�s still hard,� Cassidy announced.
�I get next,� Crystal said as she quickly undressed.
With her, David wasn�t as gentle. After putting on a condom, he got her on her hands and knees, checked to ensure she was wet, and then sank that monster in to the hilt.
Chloe gasped when she saw how stretched Crystal was. Mr. Happy wasn�t getting anywhere near her down there. She would never walk the same again if it did.
Crystal had three good orgasms before David began to pant, obviously near another release.
�Chloe, get over here and lay your head on Crystal�s ass. I�m about to come.�
She�d just gotten into position when he pulled out and shoved his dick into her mouth. This time, when he began to fill her mouth, she swallowed.
Cassidy was right to ask what she was. Chloe was not gay. Bi, maybe, but definitely not gay.
◊◊◊
David took the video, blurred out his and Crystal�s faces, and sent it to Chloe so she could send it out to claim her four thousand points. When she got back to her dorm, several members of the rowing team were waiting for her.
They converged on her as if Chloe were a carnival sideshow, peppering her with questions from all sides.
She knew that she would fit in, despite her sister.
◊◊◊
�Good morning, Doreen,� David said as he entered the coffee house before class.
�I haven�t heard anything.�
He stopped by periodically to ask about his Goth Barbie barista friend, Kat. She�d left to go back to Yale.
David nodded his understanding as Doreen made his tea and a coffee for Ruth. She also bagged up four breakfast calzones. Doreen had experimented with creating the perfect breakfast sandwich. She�d rolled out her butter biscuit dough, used it to wrap egg, bacon, and cheese, and had them hot and ready each morning. David had become addicted.
�What�s left on your schedule?� Doreen asked.
�I shoot my last vodcast this week,� David began.
�My ad on your show has worked. I want to thank you for doing that,� she said to interrupt him.
�It was partial payback for all the food and tea you give me.�
�Being able to say that you are in here at least once a week more than makes up for all that. For similar reasons, I give the campus police free coffee. It�s good business,� Doreen explained.
�Next week is finals, and then I get a couple of weeks off before I have to report for fall football practice,� David said as he threw a face.
�Why the look?�
�They make us all stay in an athletic dorm before the start of the semester when our regular rooms open up, and I�ll have a roommate.�
�Didn�t you have one last spring?� she asked.
�I did, but we lived in a suite, and I had my own bedroom and bath. I�ll have some sweaty guy sleeping six feet from me and have to deal with dorm showers,� he complained.
�You poor thing,� Ruth said, unable to hold back anymore. �You should have been in the military and had to live in a barracks.�
�See? It could be worse,� Doreen said. �What are you doing with your time off?�
�I�ll go home for a while, and then I have a job at a football camp. When that�s done, I�ll fly to South America, where my roommate lives. It�s his and his twin sister�s birthday.�
�I heard that Alex almost died. Does that mean he�s okay?� Doreen asked.
�He�s fine, but he�ll never play soccer again. He claims that it doesn�t bother him, but I would be devastated if I couldn�t play ball,� David admitted.
�Sir,� Ruth said as she pointed at her watch.
David nodded as Doreen came from behind the counter. She wanted her morning hug. Somehow, the woman always managed to pull his head down and plant his face against her large breasts. Kat had always claimed that she was sexually harassing her customers, but David never stopped Doreen.
◊◊◊
David met up with Cassidy for lunch at Ruth�s favorite sub shop. He�d started to let her pick because she would have a new security assignment at the end of summer. She would only be with him for special events, like when he went to Colombia.
Flying into that country had become a logistical nightmare. Not so long ago, Colombia had been named the kidnapping capital of the world. While the situation still wasn�t great there, Venezuela and Mexico were currently worse than Colombia in the Americas. That meant that Fritz was bringing a whole team for security.
In addition, flying in was far from straightforward. You had to get special permits if you stayed longer than a designated amount of time, which they planned to do.
There were also a few raised eyebrows that he was flying into a private airstrip. He�d been warned that his plane would be subject to an inspection to check for contraband (aka drugs) when he returned.
They ordered their food and found a table. Before they reached it, David was stopped by two groups who wanted a quick picture with him, which he agreed to.
�Did you pick up the kitty tranquilizers?� he asked when they got seated.
Cassidy had been moping around ever since David had announced Precious had to go home to her owner, Brit. He had taken the evil cat in when Brit�s parents refused to keep the feline while Brit was away at school. She was desperate because she couldn�t take the cat into the dorms, and everyone knew Precious�s reputation.
Cassidy had called, and Brit was moving into an apartment. David got the impression that she wasn�t all that happy to have to take the cat back, but he�d been firm. He�d arranged to have Precious taken care of for over a year. Enough was enough.
�I know she�ll flip out if she has to fly, but I hate the thought of having to give the tranqs to her,� Cassidy said.
�I already agreed to buy her a seat, so she doesn�t have to go under the airplane. I don�t need you getting kicked off because she escapes and terrorizes the passengers,� David said.
Ruth chuckled.
�I can just see her hanging off the pilot�s balls, and then everyone has to play �where�s the kitty.��
�One yowl, and she�ll be stuffed under the plane,� David warned Cassidy.
�I know,� she finally admitted.
�I think we should test them out during finals.�
Cassidy didn�t take the bait.
�How�s Crystal�s trainee doing?� she asked to get even.
Chloe had returned the next two nights to collect her thousand points, but Cassidy said she hadn�t turned them in. She didn�t have to because the first night had gotten her the win. It also gave her fifteen minutes of fame as far as the rowing team was concerned.
Cassidy assured him that he came off well in her recounting of that night�s festivities.
But David and Crystal had talked afterward. They�d agreed that while having an impromptu threesome sounded fine in theory, in the future, they would have to consider whether it really was a good idea or not.
He did admit that it had been hot to watch Chloe, who he�d thought was a confirmed lesbian, discover that she enjoyed giving oral to guys. She still wasn�t ready for more, but she had asked Crystal if she could use him as a learning tool to improve her skills. Mr. Happy had rejected the big brain�s automatic objections and had won out.
�Do you really want details?� David asked.
Cassidy thought about it and shook her head �no.�
His phone rang. It was his lawyer, Ms. Dixon.
�Kendrick Knaggy is fit to be tied.�
�His father�s been earning his pay, then?�
�You got it. Daniel found all these sneaky escalator clauses that would kick in as you made more money. There were also minimum fees that could have bitten you in the butt. For example, had you sent him after the J-drama�s additional income from the Netflix deal, you might have owed him more money than you were due,� Ms. Dixon explained.
�You didn�t see that?� David asked.
�We did, but we couldn�t figure out what it was attached to,� Ms. Dixon said to defend her team.
That was why they�d hired Crystal�s grandfather to help negotiate David�s contract with KAP Entertainment.
�Are we any closer to a deal?� David asked.
�We are. When I get a signed version from Kendrick, I can either send it to your dad or you. Which would you prefer?�
�Dad, of course. He runs the day-to-day, and he should see it since he will have to deal with KAP. Just be sure to run it through a comparison check to make sure he hasn�t changed anything back.�
�Sounds good. I�ll forward you a copy to do with what you want and send you a text when it�s signed,� Ms. Dixon said.
He would move the email to his business folder and forget about it. Megan would file a hard copy and scan one to be stored on both their server and in the cloud as backup.
After he got off the phone, Cassidy was looking at her phone in distress.
�What�s wrong?�
�Chloe sent Andy and me a message. Her mom has been called in by the FBI. She said she hired a lawyer to go with her. Does that mean she�s guilty?� Cassidy asked.
�It means she�s smart. Remember when I was dealing with the shoe mess? I had a lawyer at every meeting I had with the FBI, and I�m glad I did,� David shared.
�Do you think Brook�s grandmother did anything wrong?� Cassidy asked.
What he really thought was that if the FBI decided to come after Grace Davenport, they would try to gin up some bullshit excuse to take her down.
He knew that Grace would have said something already if there was anything questionable that had been done to get Cassidy her scholarship. That, and how well she was actually doing for the team, made him confident that the FBI had other low-hanging fruit that would be a lot easier to go after. Veronica was one of the easier targets because of her jet-setting lifestyle.
�I believe what she said. Based on raw talent, I would have given you a scholarship if I were a coach,� David said.
Cassidy gave him a funny look.
�You mean that, don�t you?�
�I do.�
She looked down and then up when she decided how she felt about all of it.
�I believe her, too.�
◊◊◊
For his last show, David invited all his fellow freshman recruits. He�d been talking to them about beginning to develop their image. Someday, if they either made it to the NFL or the NCAA got out of the way, they would want to monetize it.
Having a few extra bucks a month would make a big difference for some of the guys. David had started to take them all out to lunch each week because he saw that some of them didn�t have free cash to do something like that. Plus, it was part of his team-building plan.
For today, he had each pick out one play from high school that highlighted their talent. It would be shown when they were interviewed. David decided not to do the interviews himself this week. He wanted the guys to get used to dealing with the press, so he asked Chip Wagner of
When the lights went up, David went first.
Chip:
David:
The screen showed a title:
At that point, the music started to build, and a voice-over came on.
There was a scene from DC Comics that showed the baby superman.
Next, there was a view of the planet as it exploded, followed by a shot of the baby as he was found in a field.
It showed him standing on the sidelines as his coach pointed at him to send David into the game.
David had started off playing fullback his freshman year. On the first snap in high school, he was handed the ball up the center of the line. The opposing team�s linebacker made the correct play and met David in the hole to make the tackle. David lowered his shoulder and blasted the kid, putting him on his backside. David stepped over his prone body and ran for the first down.
On the second snap, the coach had called the same play. Even now, years later, David flinched when he saw what happened this time. The linebacker was looking for some payback, so he brought it. David lowered his shoulder as they met between the guard and center. He remembered his surprise when he hit the kid so hard that the �backer crumpled into a heap. David then ran for daylight. A corner raced forward to tackle him. At the time, he didn�t know that he could just make a move and leave him in the dust. Instead, he lowered his shoulder and knocked the kid silly. From there, it was all green grass.
The video showed the plays three times in slow motion so you could get the full effect of seeing would-be tacklers demolished.
Chip:
Everyone could hear the disbelief in his voice.
David:
Chip:
David:
Chip:
David:
◊◊◊
David invited the guys back to his place where he�d ordered pizza and had a couple of cases of beer waiting. Just enough so they could have a couple, but not enough to get crazy.
�You�re actually drinking?� Jes�s asked.
�I do every once in a while. I just wanted to celebrate a good summer. We�ve all worked hard, and I figured before you got serious studying for finals, we could kick back and relax,� David said.
�I have some good news,� Bear announced. �My little brother verbally accepted an offer from USC.�
�Why are you happy? From what I hear, he�ll be stealing playing time from you,� Knackers joked.
�There�s room enough for both of us. We have David to thank for helping to seal the deal,� Bear said.
�I did send him some awesome messages, but I�m not sure that did it,� David admitted.
�I told him about you hooking me up with Fiona Beckham.�
�Yeah, I had to verify his story,� Big Cat added.
�How did you know her? She was totally into you, but you bailed,� Bear said.
�She went to high school with my personal assistant. I met her at a party my PA�s parents threw. I did date her a couple of times.�
�Jesus, Dawson. You leave a trail of undies off some very high-quality snatch. I don�t care how hot Crystal is, I would have banged Fiona like a dunny door,� Knackers said.
�Knackers is a complete Neanderthal, but I�m with him on this one. Why would you pass on that?� Jes�s asked.
�Bear, let me ask you. Did Fiona give you her number?� David asked.
�No. She said she had fun and left.�
�Hollywood is different. I was on a movie set with a guy who probably slept with three
�Getting laid is like shaking hands to those people,� David said and then looked at Bear with concern. �You did wrap it, didn�t you?�
�I � uhm � no,� he admitted.
�Go get checked tomorrow,� David encouraged.
�I should be worried?�
�What do you think? You had a threesome with an actress and a porn star.�
�Shit, he�s right,� Big Cat said.
�Sucks to be you,� Knackers quipped.
In a silent poll, Knackers had been voted as having the most punchable face for comments like that.
�You should be worried, too,� Bear fired back. �I�ve been using your towel to dry my junk after practice for the last month.�
Knackers went a bit pale when he realized that Bear was serious. The rest of them roared in laughter because they�d all witnessed it at some point.
�You all fucking suck, you bunch of traitorous arse-fuckers,� Knackers pouted. �Someone could have warned me.�
�Quit your crying,� David said. �At least he didn�t use your toothbrush for scratching his ass.�
�It was one of those firm ones, so it did the job,� Jes�s said to reveal the culprit.
Knackers vowed revenge, but we all kept an eye on him, so Jes�s and Bear weren�t worried. Besides, this was just guys being guys in a locker room.
Pranks were going on all the time. David had pulled one last week when he stole all the linemen�s underwear and left them granny panties. Half of them actually wore them, and the other half went commando.
David took a long draw and finished his beer.
�Anyone need another?� he asked as he reached into the cooler.
This was what college was supposed to be. Sitting on a roof, enjoying the California weather, drinking beer, and eating pizza as you goofed off. It was times like this that made it all worth it.
◊◊◊
David had finished his finals early and come over. He�d gotten the athletic department to arrange for them to be all done by Tuesday. He wanted to fly to Houston a day early for their annual invitation-only elite quarterback camp for high schoolers. David was going to be an assistant coach.
Crystal fixed him with a skeptical look.
�Chloe can really take you down her throat?�
�To the hilt,� he said and then gave her a reassuring look. �You could, too.�
Oh, boy. Someone was horny. But that was just part of college. After studying for over a week straight, students had to have a release. It usually involved a lot of alcohol and random hookups. Even the most socially inept could get laid then.
�Nope. Not happening.�
Faux-dating an actor was amusing at times. He looked like a grade-schooler who had just been told that Santa didn�t exist.
�No?�
He shook his head in disbelief that anyone would tell the great David A. Dawson �no� about anything. Crystal gave him a measured look, daring him to challenge her on this. When he saw her determination, he chuckled. David pushed his chair back from the table and patted his thigh.
�Come here, little girl,� he said in a sing-song voice.
Crystal got up and sat astride his lap. David reached up and fingered the collar of her blouse.
�If I remember correctly, part of our agreement was to help each other out,� he said, trying a new approach.
�But ��
David lifted Crystal up like she was a small child and sat her butt on the edge of the table. In a coordinated effort, he slid one hand up the leg of her shorts, and the other came to rest on the back of her neck. His fingers slid under the leg band of her underwear.
Her traitorous twat opened right up and invited his finger inside, making her groan in frustration. She was about to go on a journey to �O town.� If that happened, forget about the study group she was supposed to meet in forty-five minutes.
�You say �no,� but your body is saying �yes,�� David said.
His fingers felt so good inside of her. Whoever taught him how to please a woman should get some kind of ultimate sex award. Crystal spread her legs to give him easier access. David gave a few exploratory movements until he found what he was looking for.
She gasped when a second finger joined the fun. It curled, and both digits began to rub against that spot that had her gushing into his palm. His other hand held her neck so that she had to look him in the eye. It was like he wanted to see the moment she caved to her desires.
�I have to go study soon.�
�Let me know when you have to leave. I can drive you there so we can spend more time together.�
David pulled his slick fingers out of her and then sucked them clean.
�I love how you taste.�
When he said stuff like that, she melted inside. Crystal bit her lower lip. David leaned forward and kissed her. Outside of the main event, this might be her favorite thing to do with him. His kiss was soft and sweet. As their tongues got acquainted again, she reached for his pants. She followed him when he began to pull away, pressing her lips firmly against his and licking his mouth.
David stood up and pulled his shirt off. She undid his belt, and he grabbed her hands, pulling them up so she could feel his bare chest and stomach while he removed his shorts. Jesus, his body felt incredible.
�Hurry, I don�t have much time,� she encouraged him.
He just kept kissing her as she ran her hands over his hard body.
�I really have to go.�
If he had just stopped kissing her and stepped away, she would have been fine. But his lips were so soft, and he smelled and tasted so good. They continued to make out, so she pushed her hands into his boxers. He wasn�t fully hard, but that didn�t mean he wasn�t long and thick. She could feel his trouser snake twitch as she cupped his balls.
�You�re going to be late,� he predicted.
She grabbed his hair and pulled him away from her lips.
�You have ten minutes to make me scream,� Crystal begged.
She found herself tipped back onto the table. David then grabbed her thighs and pushed them up into the air. Her shorts were all but ripped off. He pushed her thighs apart and sheathed himself in her core. His talented fingers had made her more than ready for him as Mr. Happy slashed into her body, stretching and filling her faster than she�d expected. He gyrated his hips so that each stroke helped to loosen her up. Maybe a half dozen times were needed before she felt his pubic bone press against hers.
�I am so going to be late,� Crystal groaned.
Just the feel of him lodged inside of her made her lose her mind. It felt like a huge, hot, and unyielding telephone pole.
Grasping her breasts to pin her to the table, David began to thrust his hips. He used long strokes to fuck her deep. His cock would slide all the way out until only the tip was in, then it was heaven as he drove home. His pulsing length stabbed deep inside her until she was stretched and filled to her limit.
He wasn�t messing around as his pace quickened. Crystal�s belly tightened within mere moments because her insides churned with arousal. He fucked her like a machine, like his only purpose in life was to fuck, like he was born and bred for it. David was magnificent.
He plunged into her again and again and again until she shrieked. She was barely aware of hot liquid soaking her stomach and breasts.
�Did you just cum on me?� Crystal complained as she came to her senses.
�I figured you didn�t want to be leaking while you studied.�
Even though he was right, she gave him a dirty look, which made him laugh.
He was stuffing his impressive cock back into his boxers when she pushed up onto her elbows. Looking down, she saw the devastation, a shocking amount of cum that had been shot in ropes. The defined lines were slowly blurring as the thick liquid spread.
David put his hands on the table outside of her thighs and leaned over her.
�See you tonight?�
Crystal just nodded and watched him finish getting dressed to leave. He gave her a quick kiss and was gone.
�Fuck!� she complained when she saw the time.
He�d forgotten his promise to give her a ride. She frantically looked for her phone to let her study group know that she was on her way.
◊◊◊
She purposely didn�t go over to David�s until after she finished studying. The last thing she wanted was for his horny self to distract her from keeping her grade point average up.
As she drove to his place, Crystal had a moment of truth. She was at a crossroads with David. It wasn�t that they were fake boyfriend and girlfriend with benefits. That was rather refreshing. And the benefits were well worth it.
It was the casual conversation mixed with easy banter. They weren�t friends before. It might be fair to say they didn�t particularly like each other. Over the last few weeks, they�d spent more time hanging out than fulfilling their fake arrangement.
When she arrived, Ruth let her in, and she found David packing for his trip. She sat at his desk and thought about what was really bothering her.
�Is everything okay? Was your study group mad that you were late?� David asked, clearly picking up on her vibe.
She wasn�t sure what to say, so she just talked.
�I can�t be your friend while we�re � doing this.�
�You watching me pack? If you want, you can go with me. I have to work at the football camp, but we could hang out after. Houston has some awesome steak houses.�
That right there was the problem.
�If I�m going to be your fake girlfriend, we can�t hang out. I�m okay with us going to events or whatever. I�m even fine with us scratching each other�s itch. But us spending time together is starting to feel � I don�t know, like a relationship.
�We agreed that neither one of us wanted that right now. I know that Matt was a huge mistake, and you had your own issues. It�s too soon for either of us to � I don�t know,� Crystal said because she didn�t want to put a label on what she was worried about.
David came over and squatted in front of her chair. He didn�t touch her, but he had a goofy smile on his face.
�Why are you so happy?� she asked.
�Because I know we�ll work this out. It might be awkward at times, and I might end up spending time with another girl, like Chloe. If you have a problem with any of that, do what you�re doing now. Talk to me.�
�I�m not worried about Chloe. I can tell that you�re just having a bit of fun and allowing her to practice on you. If you�d been around when I was learning about boys and sex, I would have avoided so many mistakes.�
�We�re not really dating. If anything, we�re becoming friends, if that�s what you�re worried about,� David said as if he could read her mind.
�You don�t think I�m real girlfriend material?�
David barked out a laugh.
�You are such a girl. I say something nice to you, and you try to turn it into a fight.�
�What are some other �girl� things?� Crystal asked.
Not because she wanted to fight; she was interested to hear his observations. David could be insightful at times.
�I bet if I went to the bathroom, before I came back, you could break into my phone,� he said, which made her want to smile at him. �Here�s another one. I can take a woman out to dinner, and she can be so hungry that on the ride to the restaurant, I catch her eyeing the candy my kids dropped on the floorboard. But when the server comes to take her order, she has no idea what she wants to eat.�
She finally smiled because the last one was true.
�I just think that a guy and a girl who have hooked up can be friends without it meaning more than I�m ready for,� Crystal said.
�Like Cassidy and me?� David asked.
�Oh,� was her astonished comeback.
He spun her chair around so she wasn�t facing him, pulled her hair aside, and kissed her neck. He was the world�s best arguer because when his hands reached around and caressed her stomach, she forgot why she was worried.
�What is this?� she asked.
�Fucking,� he said as his hot breath caressed her ear. �If we separate the two�being friends and sex�there isn�t the emotional connection. So, let�s call it what it is and not pretty it up so we get confused. I plan to fuck you, and I expect you to do the same to me. It gets your mind clear so you can take your finals, and I can go to Houston and focus on football.�
�That makes sense,� Crystal admitted.
His shirt flew over her head and landed against the wall. She heard him undo his belt, unsnap his jeans and his zipper come down.
�What are you waiting for?� David asked.
She stood up and began to undress.
As her clothes came off, he came up behind her and began to kiss her bare skin as it became exposed. When she removed her panties, he kissed her ass.
David chuckled.
Before she could ask why, he said, �I bet you�ve wanted to tell me to kiss your butt more than once.�
�You are such a guy sometimes.�
And before she could say more, he slid two fingers over her sex. Crystal whimpered, bending over when his other hand pressed her lower back toward the bed. She let her body fall forward, and her stomach hit the mattress. He pushed her thighs apart so he could have better access. She was bent way over at the waist, at a right angle, with her butt pushed out at him.
A particular body part seemed to be constantly wet when she was around him. David�s achingly huge member just speared into her. The sudden invasion caused Crystal to yelp. Well over two-thirds of his incredible manhood sunk inside her in one thrust. He pulled out and pushed back in, cramming more of his fat cock into her depths.
�Yes!� she cried as she pushed back to help him stuff more of her favorite body part of David�s into her stretching tunnel.
David pushed into her until he was balls deep in her dripping center.
He was right. This was just sex.
Crystal gushed and groaned and whimpered and moaned, his hands all over her hips and ass as he pulled her back against his hips while he savaged her pussy. At one point, she was sure he jabbed her liver.
�Oh my God!� Crystal cried out as she climaxed over his rock-hard length.
David gave her a brief break, then he leaned over her, grabbed her breasts, and hauled Crystal to a standing position. His hands were mauling her breasts, pinching her nipples as he fucked her. Again and again, over and over, never pulling out more than halfway. But Jesus, he was so hard, and her pussy was in rapture. Crystal�s orgasm hadn�t fully subsided when another wave hit. This one was even bigger.
She was screaming at the top of her lungs. David was turning her into a crying, whimpering, swearing, moaning mess.
�What are you doing to me?�
If it didn�t feel so damned good, she would have tapped out right then.
�I wanted to get the preliminaries out of the way,� David said, still fucking her, slow but so damn deep. �You might want to notify your next of kin because the next ones might actually kill you.�
He shoved himself balls deep into her body and chuckled.
�You ready?�
�No,� Crystal whimpered as she shook her head.
�No?�
He reached between her legs and pinched her clit. Crystal sucked in her breath and shook as he abused her poor sex. But it had other ideas as her vagina squeezed and pulled on his steel rod.
�No,� she said again. �My little pussy can�t take much more.�
�Have you ever been fucked in the ass?� David asked while pulling out to just his crown.
�No!� came her panicked response.
He pushed fully inside her and crushed his pelvis against her ass, rotated his hips, stirring up her insides with his massive rigid member. David long-stroked her again, just once, but fuck, it almost made her come.
�I bet you�d like it,� he teased.
�I�m game if you are. You can have my virgin ass if I get yours,� Chrystal quipped.
He laughed and shook his head.
�You win. Now get ready for me to rock your world.�
David growled and shoved her back down so that she was once more bent over in front of him. He grabbed her hips and began to pound his cock back and forth through her slippery channel, his immense member causing Crystal to just lay there as the pleasure paralyzed her body. He fucked her to another climax, then, groaning loudly, ripped his cock out of her and came all over her ass, absolutely covering Crystal�s beautifully sculpted butt in hot semen.
Her limp body began to slide off the bed, but David caught her. He hauled her up into the center and flopped beside her.
�That was fun,� he said idly.
It struck her as funny. The best sex of her life was just �fun.� What the hell would he do next time?
He gave Crystal a look like he wasn�t quite sure if she was sane or not.
�You�re not in love with me now, are you?�
She smacked his chest.
�David!�
He waggled his eyebrows.
�Just checking.�
David was clearly enjoying himself.
�You�re right. You can kiss my butt.�
David only laughed and made a kissy face.
�Good talk,� he said as he got out of bed and headed for the shower.
Crystal thought about it and agreed. She went to join him in the shower. He had promised multiple orgasms, after all.
◊◊◊
His mother told him he had a large envelope from the Houston Elite Football Camp when he got home. In it was the itinerary and information on who his coaches and fellow campers would be. His personal coach would be Bud Mason, who would be assisted by David Dawson. The three other quarterbacks in his group were Phil Prince, David�s brother; Max MacGregor from Atlanta; and Axel Ohlson, one of the sophomores, from Las Vegas.
He texted Phil to see if he was around, and his phone rang shortly after that.
�Did you get your packet?� Phil asked.
�I did.�
�Call them and tell them that you won�t need to be in the dorms. David is renting a three-bedroom place three blocks from the facilities. He told me that I could stay with him if I wanted. Since he has an extra bedroom, I thought you might want to join us,� Phil said.
The first thought that popped into his head was that his mom might disapprove.
�I�m not sure my parents would agree to let me,� Colt admitted.
�When David came his sophomore year, his roommates brought their girlfriends. How would spending an unsupervised sleepover with your honey sound? Better than a dorm full of jocks?� Phil asked.
�You�re kidding me, right?�
Phil chuckled.
�Didn�t David get you laid at the USC camp?� Phil asked.
His mind instantly jumped to the night he spent with Gail. Older women knew things�things he wished his girlfriend knew. The problem was that when he brought stuff up, she claimed that only women in porn did that. He couldn�t bring himself to tell her that a real girl had educated him about different techniques. Somehow, he suspected that Dani wouldn�t react well to that news.
�He did. Is he always like that?� Colt asked.
�Unfortunately, not. I�ve heard stories, though, about when David was in high school. He used to host orgies,� Phil shared.
�Would you be up for something like that?� Colt asked in shock.
�One time, I visited him at USC, and David set me up with a bunch of jock bunnies. I�ve got the record for the most anyone has slept with in a day,� Phil bragged.
�Thot pocket.�
�What does a hot pocket have to do with anything?� Phil asked.
�No. Thot with a �T.� We call them thot pockets instead of jock bunnies. But mostly, we just get head from ours,� Colt explained. �You actually � you know � screwed them?�
�Yep.�
�Jesus. I had no idea that David was so wild. I�m not sure I�m ready for all that,� Colt confessed.
�The sad part is he really isn�t anymore. He has to worry about his image and stuff like that. But I bet if he was just with us, stuff might happen. The girl I�m bringing is only going because she has the hots for David. If that happens, there might be a little swapping going on,� Phil suggested.
�Would it even be safe to bring my girl?� Colt worried.
Phil laughed.
�David has a set of rules he lives by. Rules like take a drunk girl home and never poach someone�s girl. He would only do something with your girl if you told him it was okay. Even then, he might not,� Phil assured him.
Colt assumed David would bring Crystal. If he had to give up Dani to spend time with her, he would do it every time.
�Okay. I need to get permission, but if I can, I�m in,� Colt decided.
◊◊◊
Taking his girlfriend to football camp was a hard �no.� Then his girlfriend�s older sister, Ella, volunteered to chaperone. Ella would be a sophomore at Long Beach City College in the fall. She was the first Landry to go to college, even though it was a JC, so her parents thought she could do no wrong.
Ella hadn�t shown any interest until she discovered that
The kicker was that Colt had to spend his own money to fly all three of them to Houston, which used up most of what he�d saved from doing yard work for his neighbors.
When he�d called David to share his plans, Colt was surprised when he didn�t sound all that excited.
�I�m going so I can learn from Coach Mason, not spend time with girls,� David said to push back.
�Dani�s older sister is going to be disappointed to hear that.�
�Sucks to be her,� David quipped.
�Come on, I owe you for finding me a date at the USC camp.�
�That reminds me of the time I found my quarterback coach a date at the Houston camp. I ran into a mother/daughter tandem who stayed at the place we�ll be staying. I met them at the pool and suggested a group outing when the mother wouldn�t let me go out with her daughter alone,� David shared.
�And your coach went for it?�
�At first, no. He was a real stick-in-the-mud. Afterward, he was the one that got the better end of it. The daughter was a bitch, but he ended up marrying the mom.�
�Consider it as if I found you a date�unless you�re bringing Crystal,� Colt said, secretly hoping she was coming.
�I�ll make you a bet. If within the first five minutes of Ella meeting me she walks away, I win, and you have to pay me five bucks plus drop trying to get me involved with random girls.�
�What if she doesn�t run away?� Colt asked, even though he knew he had this in the bag.
�Then I owe you five bucks, and I�ll play nice and show Ella a good time. I�ll probably not sleep with her, but I will at least show her a good time and take her out.�
�Deal!�
�You sure? Because if Ella isn�t happy, you just might end up on the couch. Are you willing to risk that?� David asked.
�It wouldn�t be the first time that Ella threw a fit, and I got head anyway,� Colt shared.
�Dude! TMI!�
�I told you. Girls like to suck my cock,� Colt bragged.
�Your girlfriend hasn�t seen mine,� David fired back.
�Keep dreaming, old man.�
They were both laughing.
�You can�t do anything awful like telling Ella that she�s not up to your usual standards, though,� Colt suddenly worried.
�I promise that I won�t say anything disparaging. Now, are we done making conditions?� David asked.
�You�re on. I�ll text you once we arrive,� Colt promised.
�See you then,� David said and then hung up.
◊◊◊
When Colt and the girls arrived, he found a text from Phil. He�d already checked in, and he and his girl had decided to go to the zoo to kill some time. Colt let him know that he was in Houston and planned to check in.
The cab dropped them off at the Methodist Training Center, right next to NRG Stadium, the home of the Houston Texans. They were set up with three outdoor practice fields and an indoor field.
There was a special treat when signing in. The women manning the desks were honest-to-goodness cheerleaders for the Houston Texans.
�I see that you drew Bud Mason and David Dawson as your coaches. When you see David, tell him that Kaitlyn expects him to call her.� She handed Colt a piece of paper with her phone number on it. �Just in case he lost it.�
�Uh, yeah, sure,� Colt managed.
Both Ella and Dani were amused at him going all awkward sauce when confronted with a beautiful woman.
�It looks like you might have competition, big wheel,� Ella teased.
�I was just surprised that someone that old would be interested in him. I guess David is into cougars,� Colt said to defend himself.
Even he knew that sounded weak and wasn�t surprised when the sisters gave each other knowing looks. They were right. If Kaitlyn gave him her number and expected him to call, he would use it.
�Let�s go. David�s at a diner down the street. We�ll meet him there and then go to the apartment,� Colt said to change the subject.
◊◊◊
They spotted David sitting at the counter.
�Let him know that we�re here. I need to stop off at the little boys� room,� Colt said.
�I need to make a pit stop too,� Dani added to give David the needed five minutes of alone time to settle the bet.
�Good. That�ll give me a chance to meet him alone,� Ella said confidently.
She took the stool next to David and smiled. Colt had told Dani about their bet, so the two of them watched what was happening. David just looked straight ahead with a serious expression on his face.
�Did you bring the money?�
�The fuck does that mean?� Ella asked in surprise.
David turned and looked at her in confusion.
�I was meeting a girl that wanted � I think I see her � could you move down a few seats? We have some private business to handle.�
Ella looked like she didn�t know what to do but got up and moved down three seats. She looked back, and both Colt and Dani were giggling. Dani came over, took Ella�s old seat, and slapped down a five-dollar bill.
�What did you say to my sister to get her to move down? I�m glad Colt only bet five bucks. After listening to her go on and on about finally meeting you, I would have thought she would have been attached to your hip, not running away.�
�All I asked was if she had brought my money. I might have dialed up the sketchy vibe a notch or two,� David said.
�I thought he was asking if I had money for a hit or something,� Ella admitted.
�Come on. Let�s get you guys settled,� David said as he left money for his bill.
◊◊◊
The apartment was excellent. David explained that it was used by corporate types that were in town on short-term assignments. He said he was going to go to the pool and swim some laps to get some exercise in.
After he left, Colt asked the girls if they wanted to go swimming.
�You forgot to give David that girl�s number,� Dani reminded him.
�Swimming, or maybe we could take a quick nap,� he suggested to Dani.
�Swimming,� Ella said. �You can change in the bathroom while we get ready.�
Then again, Dani wouldn�t be here without her. He just hoped that Ella didn�t try to cock-block him the whole trip.
When they got downstairs, David was doing laps, and no one else was around. The girls laid out in deck chairs and asked Colt to put sunblock on their backs.
Colt looked up and saw Phil walk out of the building accompanied by a curly-haired blond girl. There was a moment, a moment like everyone sees in movies or reads about in books. Colt wasn�t sure if it was the way the girl looked at him or the way she smiled when she first saw him. Or maybe it was the way her voice turned sexy when she said he looked hot when she came up to say hello.
But luckily, she stepped away from him before his lower brain decided to overcome his real one. That didn�t mean that he didn�t have several inappropriate ideas when he met Phil�s girl for the weekend. But he resisted. He couldn�t cross the line�what they would have been was temporary with short-term benefits. Nothing less; nothing more. And he�d better remind himself of that before he did or said something stupid.
David picked that moment to pull himself out of the pool to distract this goddess from Colt.
�Kylie Ruttier. It has been a while, hasn�t it?� David said with a smile as Kylie gave him a hug.
�How do you two know each other?� Ella asked.
�Kylie was a cheerleader at Lincoln High when I played ball,� David explained.
�What he isn�t saying is that when I was a freshman, the head cheerleader put him in charge of watching over us new cheerleaders. He had lunch with all of us for a semester and treated us like kid sisters. Now that I�m eighteen, I figured he might not think of me as being too young anymore,� Kylie explained.
�It was cute. David was like the papa duck, and all his ducklings followed him everywhere. It was also a pain because if you wanted to ask any of them out, you had to go through David,� Phil said.
�He was a bit overprotective,� Kylie added.
�I remember you all practicing on me. They were big flirts,� David said.
�That was because you were safe.�
�I heard that David was a wild child. I would have thought he would have been chasing you all, not being your protector,� Colt said.
David gave him a look that told Colt he was way off base.
�Give David that girl�s number,� Dani said.
�Oh, yeah. She was one of the women checking us in,� Colt said as he handed the piece of paper to David.
�Kaitlyn!� David exclaimed and then explained. �When I first came to this camp, I flirted with her. Three of the last four years, I tried to get her to go out with me.�
�Why is he excited?� Kylie asked.
�She�s a Houston Texans cheerleader,� Ella answered.
�I thought it was just going to be us all swapping and having sexy fun. You didn�t tell me that David would be out of the mix,� Kylie said as she turned on Phil.
Dani and Ella glared at Colt, who raised his hands.
�Phil said �� and then trailed off.
David laughed.
�Not my circus, not my monkeys.�
�What does that mean?� Dani asked.
�He just said that this mess is not his problem,� Ella explained to her sister.
David grabbed his towel and left Phil and Colt to face the girls.
At first, Colt didn�t see what the big deal was that would cause all the girls to be pissed. Then it dawned on him. They�d all been interested in spending time with David�even Dani. That last thought was the one that bothered Colt the most. His own girlfriend was only willing to do stuff if she got a shot at their host.
◊◊◊
He took Dani aside when the dust settled.
�Do you really want to sleep with David?�
�Don�t look shocked at me. You were the one that dipped your wick into a college girl when you went to the USC camp. I just think that what�s good for the gander is good for the goose. I�m not going to be dating you if you�re sleeping around on me,� she said.
�How did �?�
�Jesus, Colt. You didn�t exactly make it a secret with your teammates. Did you think that word wouldn�t get back to me?�
He was excited about what happened and, looking back, should have kept his damn mouth shut.
�What about the scavenger hunt and the oral sex?� Colt asked, confused.
�Seriously? I have to explain that to you?� Dani asked. �Oral is casual. Like an extra-friendly handshake. Having sex is what you do with your boyfriend.�
�But why David?�
�Do you really want me to compare you to David frickin� Dawson? The model, actor, and way more mature star quarterback?�
�But ��
�Colt, I love you to death, but just drop it. If we�re fighting over this, we aren�t ready to do more than we already are. We are not in college yet, and I don�t think I want to be as adventurous as you�re pushing for.
�Look at it as you dodged a bullet. If I ended up having sex with David, I would really have to compare him to you. I would bet that he knows a lot more about the subject than you do,� Dani said.
That one stung, and she saw that she might have gone too far.
�Maybe this isn�t working out,� she said.
�Slow down. There�s no need to go there,� Colt said.
�Oh, really? And just an hour ago, you were up for trading me in so you could sleep with other girls. Now that the main draw is out of the picture, you�re surprised that I don�t really want to sleep with Phil? Admit it. You would happily fall between Kylie�s legs,� Dani said.
�Just kill me now. I�m a guy. Of course I look at other women and lust after them. That doesn�t mean that I�ll act on it,� Colt said.
�You really have no clue, do you?� Dani asked.
�Obviously. That�s why I need you.�
�That�s the first smart thing you�ve said,� Dani said as she leaned into him and gave him a quick kiss.
�What do I need to do to fix this?�
She gave him an amused look.
�Remember gander/goose? You figure it out,� Dani said with a smile.
Was she saying that he had to figure a way to allow her to sleep with David to balance out their infidelity? That didn�t sound right. Wasn�t there a saying that two wrongs don�t make a right? But in this case, would letting her sleep with David work?
If what Phil told him was true, Colt wouldn�t have to worry about David poaching Dani. If it were just a physical act, could he deal with that?
On the other hand, was Dani his forever girl? If not, then what did it matter? She might even be more open to some of the things he�d wanted to try with her.
Colt finally concluded that girls made his head hurt.
◊◊◊
Over breakfast, David had some alone time with Phil and Colt.
�When I was in high school, this was my favorite camp besides Elite 11. I came two years straight, and it�s where I met Coach Mason.�
�How did you get invited after your freshman year?� Colt asked.
�Each year, they invite the forty best quarterbacks in the nation while adding two sophomores and two juniors to the mix. I was rated the number eight incoming sophomore quarterback. Five in front of me declined to come. While they were asking those guys, the class was re-ranked based on performances at other football camps. I moved up three spots, so I got the invite.�
�Why didn�t you come your senior year?� Colt asked.
�Baseball. I was traveling with the USA Under-18 team. The same reason I didn�t go to Elite 11. That gives you a shot at being their first two-time MVP.�
�Don�t let David fool you. You winning twice will make him wish he�d skipped baseball,� Phil shared.
He had to admit that his brother was probably right.
�What did you get out of this camp?� Colt asked.
�The big benefit was the training. While I learned a lot at Elite 11, I had tremendous skill advancement from this camp both my years. Bud Mason has one of the best offensive minds around and coached longer in the NFL than I�ve been on this planet.�
�David�s right. He hired Bud to be my personal coach this summer, and I can see the improvement,� Phil said to help validate his brother�s claim.
�What makes this camp different from the ones that colleges hold, or even Elite 11 for that matter, is that it�s open. That means you�ll be showing off your skills in front of all the scouts, recruiters, and potential head coaches. It�ll open doors to more schools because they�ll be able to see you live.�
�That�s not a problem for you,� Phil teased Colt.
�There�s a downside, though,� David said. �It�ll mean that every swinging dick will want to upstage you because you were named Elite 11 MVP. I played head-to-head with Ridge Townsend, a top-five pick in the last NFL draft in my first year, and you�d better believe I wanted to show I was as good as he was or better. So, you better both bring your best.�
�If you had one piece of advice for today?� Phil asked.
�I�ll give you the only one that matters: have fun.�
◊◊◊
NRG Stadium, the home of the Houston Texans, had three outdoor practice fields and an indoor field. Today, they were using one-half of one of the outdoor fields. David beat even Coach Mason to their practice area. He found some college coaches taking up residence in the bleachers the camp had brought in.
He spotted Coaches Haber and Hightower from Michigan. David walked over and gave Coach Haber a smile while ignoring Coach Hightower, who he considered a bully.
David had complained about Mike Herndon, and Coach Hightower had told him that he would just have to deal with the idiot since he was already committed. He also refused to let David talk to the head coach, saying there was a chain of command and that David was now a part of the team and not a special case.
As you might imagine, that didn�t sit well with David because he had a legitimate beef. Mike had ambushed his younger brother at a party, beat him senseless, and dragged Phil�s girlfriend, Jill, into a back bedroom. His intentions toward her were clear to David because Mike had raped another cheerleader when she was incapacitated just a year before that.
David had shown up to the party and first confronted Mike�s older brother, whom he took to his knees using a move Cassidy had taught him. Luke had decided to unlock the apartment where Mike was hiding rather than receive a broken arm. David had kicked everyone out of the unit and then beaten the snot out of Mike. It was a confrontation that had been several years in the making.
So, when Coach Hightower was busy asserting his dominance and telling David the facts of life, David reminded him that he hadn�t signed a National Letter of Intent. That meant he was not bound to Michigan by anything other than his word, which he took very seriously.
Mike�s acceptance to the team, coupled with Coach Hightower�s �asshole view of life,� in David�s mind, meant they were breaking their word to him. Thus, they were almost demanding that he look elsewhere for college.
The end result was that he, Wolf, and Tim had all had pulled their commitment because of Coach Hightower. When Coach Haber found out, he tried to make amends, but David pointed out that his position coach would have been Coach Hightower, so he took a hard pass.
�Good morning, Coach.�
�Hey, David. This the field you�re working at today?� Coach Harbor asked.
�Sure is.�
�Good. We wanted to see the guys you�re coaching.�
�I would forget about Phil Prince if I were you,� David said and then turned to Coach Hightower. �He�s my younger brother�the one who Mike Herndon beat up. How is that piece of sh� work working out for you?�
�Coach, take a walk,� Coach Haber said, and after he left, he turned back to David. �Is this going to be a problem?�
�I would never badmouth you or Michigan. I wanted to play ball there right up until Coach Hightower showed his ass. But I won�t lie either if anyone asks me directly.�
�He really isn�t that bad,� Coach Harbor said.
�Who? Coach Hightower? He�s more controlling than I am,� Coach Wilson, Alabama�s head coach, said as he joined them. �How�s it going, David?�
�Good. You here to see my group?� David asked.
�We are looking at Max MacGregor as a Plan B or C kind of guy, but we want to see Colt Macklin and Axel Ohlson. I hear that you had Colt in for USC�s camp.�
�He has a ton of raw talent. More than he showed at Elite 11 or at our camp. When Colt grows into his body, he�ll be on par with Clemson�s quarterback,� David said.
�So, better than you?� Coach Swank, the head coach of Clemson, joked as he walked up.
David acted like he had to ponder his answer.
�My talent might be a generational type thing. I don�t think Colt is ready to be compared to the likes of me,� David said seriously and then laughed. He spotted another coach coming. �Hell, no. We don�t need the Fighting Irish lurking around here.�
�I thought I saw UCLA�s coach in the parking lot. He was making dinner reservations with Coach Clayton,� Coach Brian of Notre Dame said.
�Dawson! Quit socializing and get your butt over here,� Coach Mason barked.
�Duty calls,� David said with a grin as he turned to trot over to where his group was.
Coach Mason had the receivers, defensive backs, and quarterbacks gather around before they got started.
�My assistant is David Dawson, who is currently at USC. David came to this camp both his sophomore and junior years. Do you have any words before we get started?� Coach Mason asked.
�Our goal is to make you shine in front of all the recruiters that are here. We�ll move quickly, so I hope you�re in shape,� David said with a grin.
�Will you be throwing us balls, too?� Axel asked.
�I might if I need to demonstrate something,� David responded.
�Does he suck up all the limelight?� Colt asked Phil.
�Pretty much.�
�If you two clowns are through, let�s get started,� David said.
Coach Mason got them doing running drills. He didn�t know what Phil and Colt had been doing for the last couple of weeks, but it wasn�t football-related. Thankfully, Axel and Max were on their game. Towards the end, David was getting on them pretty good. Phil and Colt were both competitors, so they quickly got focused.
They practiced for four hours until it was time for lunch. David had a slight smile towards the end of their first session when Colt complained that his arm might fall off. Phil had worked out in the Lincoln High system, so he was in better shape.
◊◊◊
There was a reason David didn�t live in Houston. Hot and humid wasn�t a good combination. After standing and watching the morning session, he�d already sweated his balls off. He was glad he wouldn�t be doing drills for Coach Mason later in the day.
David begged off eating lunch with Coach Mason and the others running the camp and found his group in the cafeteria.
�Mind if I join you?�
They all agreed, so he took a seat. Before he could take his first bite, Max asked him a question.
�What makes this camp better than the other ones?�
�We have three goals at this camp. The first is the training. Top quarterbacks want to come here because of the stories of people making tremendous improvements in their skills. Plus, you get to see how you stack up against the best. Both you and Axel are showing that you might have more potential than Colt and Phil,� David said.
�Bite me,� Colt said.
David gave him a stern look.
�Based on what you two did this morning in front of some of the top programs in the country, who would you rather recruit? I�m just telling it like it is. You can�t be taking plays off or goofing around when it�s time to work,� David said.
�But you said to have fun,� Phil complained.
�This is fun,� David said in a way to show he was serious.
�We get it,� Colt said.
David continued.
�The next two go hand-in-hand. The second goal is that you�re being compared by the scouting services. They�re all here. You could say your rating doesn�t matter, but you�d be crazy to believe that because colleges, boosters, alumni, and fan bases all keep score. If a coaching staff couldn�t land enough blue-chip recruits, they�d better be winning some games; otherwise, they�d be done.
�The third goal is to get seen by the top programs. You can�t have any direct contact with them at this camp, but they are all here to watch you. If you want to get on their recruiting list, you need to show them you have game.
�You want to be able to pick and choose where you take your official campus visits. You are only allowed a small number, and you want to make every one of them count. That was what I wanted when I was in your shoes. To do that, I needed to have the interest go both ways. My goal was to visit the best possible programs. You�ll want the same,� David said.
�Why were you so adamant about the receivers being further from the sideline on our back shoulder throws?� Axel asked.
�It�s like this ��
From there, it was an in-depth X�s-and-O�s discussion about the finer points of playing the position.
After lunch, the campers were told to get into shorts and their jerseys. They�d switched the measurement session to immediately after lunch because key staff couldn�t make it until then. Part of the testing was for drugs or illegal substances like steroids. The camp had sprung it on the players so they couldn�t try to mask the test. Three guys opted to go home instead of taking the test.
There were ten groups of quarterbacks working with their coaches. Each coach seemed to have their own approach. Coach Mason was the only one who went old-school. He had them in full pads; he said you didn�t play in shorts and t-shirts, so you should practice what you�d wear in a game. With it being 94 degrees and what felt like 100% humidity, his guys were sweating their butts off.
When David came out for the afternoon session, he noted that the grounds staff had brought over more portable bleachers for their practice field section, and they were full.
Coach Mason gathered them around before starting.
�Ignore that lot,� he said, nodding toward the bleachers. Then he began coaching. �Quarterback is not just a position; quarterback is a lifestyle. It�s not going out on a Friday night and throwing a football around. It is putting in the time during the week and earning the respect of your teammates.�
With that nugget, he started their afternoon.
�Damn it, Axel. Rip through there. Quit being a pussy and trust your arm. You can make that throw,� Coach Mason yelled.
�But it�ll get picked,� Axel complained.
�Whoa, whoa, whoa, coach!� David cried out. �You can�t throw your clipboard at him. Let me show him.�
The coaches in the stands chuckled because they knew how Coach Mason felt. Instead, he threw his clipboard at David, who danced out of the way and took the football from Axel.
�Normally, I would take one look at that coverage and be looking for my next read. This play is designed to catch the defense sleeping because they�re expecting you to do just that. Because of that, it has big-play potential.�
David dropped back and sent the ball screaming between two defenders. His receiver barely hung on to it, but he was running free.
�They even knew it was coming,� David reminded the other quarterbacks. �This throw is not about finesse. Just haul off and throw a fastball. Now you do it.�
Once they trusted themselves, they were consistently making that play. Up next were long balls, but their receivers weren�t doing their job. The defensive backs were eating their lunch, which made the quarterbacks look bad.
�Talk to the receivers,� Coach Mason ordered David.
David gathered them around.
�You have to win every one-on-one battle. The spotlight is on you in front of the entire team
The next play was better, but when the ball went too far, the receiver slowed down.
�Full speed to the whistle!� David called out. �If you do that, you�ll be a lot less likely to give up on overthrown balls in game situations. It�s all about confidence, which is built off preparation. That means you do it in practice.�
Coach Mason added, �There is more preparation in this sport than any other sport. You prepare in the spring � you don�t play a game. You prepare in the summer � you don�t play a game. Fall, you get to play twelve. You practice more than you play. This is a game where the practice and preparation are bigger than the game. The game takes care of itself. It all comes down to what are you willing to do to get ready to play.�
Later, after a couple of bad throws drew Coach Mason�s ire, Colt made a comment about him only being a junior. Coach Mason lost his shit again.
�You�re not a junior. You�re a football player. You just made three out of four awful throws�it doesn�t matter whether you�re a senior, a junior, or still in middle school, which I�m beginning to think you are. Those last two plays were all on you as the quarterback. Dang, boy. Set your feet and throw the ball. We got to look better than that. This is not middle school football.�
He turned around and saw David grinning. Coach Mason threw his clipboard at him. It was lucky for David that he was a high-caliber athlete, or that one would have gotten him.
Colt looked relieved when Coach Mason�s ire was directed at David and not him. That was why David had done it. Colt wasn�t like him. He was more of the feelings kind of guy who you couldn�t get onto hard, or it would get into his head. David, on the other hand, let the insults roll off his back and focused on improving.
◊◊◊
After practice, there was a session where the coaches all got together and discussed their charges. David wasn�t really surprised when a few coaches asked Coach Mason how to help a particular player fix a problem. It was evident that they all looked up to him as a mentor.
After that, the press came in, and each coach was given a chance to share their thoughts about their charges. David noted that besides the recruiting services, the audience was mainly college coaches. While the coaches couldn�t ask any questions, there were notes passed to the people who could.
When it was Coach Mason�s turn, he praised his four quarterbacks, touted their virtues, and pointed out what they each did well during the session.
�That Macklin sure doesn�t look like the best QB in camp. From what I saw, MacGregor and Ohlson showed a higher ceiling. What are your thoughts?� he was asked.
�If I only relied on one day to evaluate talent, I would agree. But if I did that, I would be kicking myself when Colt kicked my team�s butt when we played him. Don�t discount him or Phil Prince for one day�s practice. How about you wait to make those types of comments once camp is over?� Coach Mason suggested.
The coaches in the room chuckled. David recognized the young guy who�d asked the question, and he was known to be more wrong than right in his articles for one of the recruiting services. He was more of a fan than someone to be taken seriously. The guy was notorious for downgrading a recruit if they committed to a program not thought of as elite. On the flip side, he raised recruits� positions if they picked an Alabama or Clemson.
David was wrapping up when his phone notified him of a new message. Kaitlyn was outside, ready to take him to dinner.
◊◊◊
David went out front and found Kaitlyn waiting for him.
�Are you up for something different for dinner?� she asked as they were pulling away from the curb.
�Maybe.�
�I know this hole in the wall where they serve dim sum. My friends aren�t adventurous � well, that might not be fair because I told them that they serve chicken feet.�
�Tell me more,� David said before committing.
�We�ll probably have to wait for a table�likely outside�and the service isn�t great. You should expect to be crammed into a table with your back pressed next to someone behind you. But the food is more than worth it,� Kaitlyn said and then added, �It�s where Asian people go to get dim sum.�
�Then, I�m in,� David decided.
When they arrived, there was a line out the door. Kaitlyn shoved her shoulder into him, and David wrapped an arm around her. She fit perfectly.
It didn�t take long before people recognized him. One girl got brave and asked if he was David A. Dawson, which he admitted to. Kaitlyn was alarmed when people crowded around, wanting to have their picture taken with him and the like.
David was relieved when the doorman noticed and quickly ushered the two of them inside.
�I should have used my fame card sooner,� David said apologetically after they were quickly seated.
After their drinks orders were taken, the owner appeared with several dishes.
�You try,� she insisted.
�I guess we aren�t ordering,� David said with a smile.
He popped a dumpling into his mouth and was surprised when it wasn�t pork or chicken.
�What is this?� he asked the owner.
�Dried scallops with bean leaves. You like?�
David nodded yes and tried the other dishes. Before Kaitlyn could get a taste, the plates were whisked away, and more were brought.
�You might want to get aggressive if you see something you like,� he said as he shook his head.
�I am a little hungry,� she admitted.
When the next round came, he served one of each item onto Kaitlyn�s plate before taking any for himself.
�Hang onto the deep-fried shrimp balls,� she said.
�Have you tasted the shrimp-stuffed eggplant?� he asked.
�Keep that too,� she agreed.
�This was a great idea. I love tasting different dishes,� David said and then turned the conversation to his date. �Last time I saw you, weren�t you dating someone?�
�That was eye-opening. Before you get any notions, I should say right now�this is not a story about how I fell in love with my best friend.�
�He was your best friend? I would think that would be a good match.�
�I thought so too, but nope. While he was great, and I cared for him, there was no spark. It was like dating your brother. So, no, it ended before it began,� Kaitlyn explained. �Besides, he worked for the Texans and hired me to be a tour guide, and then he fired me.�
�Was he being a dick because you broke up?� David asked.
�Nothing like that. Some mother said I was hitting on her high school son.�
�I bet,� David said sarcastically.
�Then I had a string of terrible jobs that included telemarketing�which lasted a day�and pet-food taster, which I quit on the spot. And finally, animal masturbator,� Kaitlyn said with a straight face.
�Bullshit,� David said instantly.
�I apparently have the ideal fingers, and the animals love me,� she said, showing him her hands.
�I bet they do, weirdo.�
�I�m complex.�
Her smile widened, showing off her perfect white teeth and dimples.
�I�m like an onion. I have a lot of layers,� Kaitlyn added.
Too late; the damage was done. Mr. Happy woke up from his slumber in his pants.
�Uh � yeah, sure,� he said as he tried to imagine her jerking off various animals.
Somehow it changed to her jerking him off.
David was saved�temporarily�when the arrival of another round of food dragged him back into the moment.
◊◊◊
All through dinner, Kaitlyn kept him amused. The animal masturbator job was a joke�thank goodness. When they were done eating, they were both stuffed. David thanked the owner for her personal service. She refused to let him pay, so he left a large tip.
Kaitlyn pushed back her chair and stood up. David followed suit after he was sure that his semi-flaccid dick wouldn�t be making an embarrassing tent in front of her.
He reached reflexively for her waist to pull her back against him as a server nearly ran Kaitlyn down. But she saw the guy just in time, so David jammed his hands into his jean pockets.
He kept it casual and friendly until they pulled in front of where he was staying. He was about to thank Kaitlyn for a lovely evening when she leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
One of his hands wrapped around her hip and pulled her closer, while the other wrapped around her neck. His fingers twisted into her hair, and without a thought, David�s mouth crashed down onto hers. Kaitlyn�s lips were so soft. So fricking soft that his just melted against hers.
He paused, waiting for her to put a stop to this, but she didn�t. In fact, her mouth opened, and her tongue forced its way into his mouth. She tasted like the mango pudding she had for dessert. Things escalated quickly as her hand grabbed his hair in turn, pulling David�s face even closer. That continued until their kiss turned so hard that their teeth clashed together, neither one of them letting up.
She finally put her hand on his chest and pushed back.
�I can�t do this,� Kaitlyn gasped.
�I think you can. You were doing very well, in my humble opinion,� he said to try to save the night.
She huffed out a little laugh and shook her head.
�If I let you take me inside, I would have to move to LA and stalk you.�
�I already have one of those. Maybe you�re right,� David said when he realized she meant it.
�I�m sorry.�
�Don�t be. I had a great time tonight. I always was attracted to you, and tonight proved me right. You�re a great girl.�
�Next time in town ��
�I�ll call you,� he promised and got out of the car.
Mr. Happy might not forgive the big brain for shutting things down tonight. But he might be able to talk David into an orgy back in the apartment.
He chuckled when he got upstairs, and everyone was out. He went to bed, knowing that was for the best.
◊◊◊
For the past couple of months, Kylie had been dating Phil off and on. The reason it wasn�t full-time was that he was adventurous in the bedroom, which made her nervous. Before she�d dated him, she�d been reserved sexually and wouldn�t have even thought about half the stuff he would come up with. But there was just something about him that was always able to bring out Kylie�s wild side.
She was both worried and excited when Phil had suggested that she attend his camp in Houston. It would be the first time they would be taking a trip together. Part of the reason she decided to go was that she�d always had a crush on Phil�s older brother David, and he would be there.
What made her hesitate were the stories Phil told about the shenanigans he and David got up to. If Phil was to be believed, David helped him hook up with college girls. Knowing Kylie�s feelings toward David, Phil had hinted that he wanted to pay his brother back somehow. The impression she got was that he wanted her to sleep with David.
When she�d first seen David, he�d been a perfect gentleman, and they fell into an easy banter they�d had in high school. But it was clear that he wasn�t up for any of the kinds of antics Phil had talked about. He�d even had a date with a professional cheerleader the first night.
What Kylie�or for that matter, any of the girls on this trip�realized was that David was even hotter than she remembered. She had a touch of regret when she realized that her crush would never come to fruition. He was simply out of her league.
While David was on his date, Phil had scored tickets to see Birthrite at the House of Blues. Colt, Dani, and Ella had joined them and had a good time. When they got home, David�s door was closed. Phil and Colt decided their best course of action was to get some sleep because they hadn�t done as well as they should have in practice that day.
Colt was somewhat dismayed when Ella told him he was sleeping on the couch. As was Phil when Kylie had said to him that she was tired and wanted to sleep.
So, in the morning, when Phil made his dare, she couldn�t say she was that surprised.
�I�ve got a dare for you.�
�What kind of dare?�
�What if you got completely naked and slipped into David�s bed?�
�Wait,� Kylie said as she scrunched up her nose. �What?�
�Yeah, once you�re in, jerk him off a bit to wake him up.�
�You�d be okay with that?� she asked.
The Dawson men didn�t come across as sharers when it came to their women.
�I think it would be awesome.�
�Okay,� Kylie said with a giggle.
She stripped and put on a silk robe that just barely covered the good stuff. When she followed Phil into the living room, Colt was staring at the ceiling.
�Morning,� Colt said. Then he asked, �What are you doing?�
Neither of them said anything until they came to David�s door.
�I gave Kylie a dare,� Phil said.
Colt�s eyes about fell out of his head when she took off her robe and handed it to Phil before opening David�s bedroom door.
David was lying on his back with a sheet pulled over his body, still sound asleep. Kylie had found that she was able to sleep through just about anything since she�d lived in a dorm for a year. She imagined that he was the same way. If you weren�t able to drop off in a dorm, then you would be sleep-deprived quickly.
She walked around to the far side of the bed as Phil leaned against the doorjamb and Colt�s head peeked around the edge of the doorframe.
While she was looking down at David, Kylie wondered just why she was doing the stupid dare. She imagined that Phil and David must do this sort of stuff when they got together. The thought of being shared like a sex toy turned her on for some reason.
She pulled back the sheet and found David naked with his cock lying on his stomach. She took a moment to take him all in. There were rumors that this was the way he always slept, and she was happy to find them to be true.
Kylie climbed onto the bed and knelt over his waist. She reached down, grasped his member, and pulled it straight up. After a few moments of gently jerking him off, he began to get hard. She looked up, and both Phil and Colt were watching. Phil gave her a mischievous look.
�Go on, put it in your mouth.�
Kylie leaned over and let her lips wrap around the tip. As she began to bob up and down, David woke up.
�Whoa! What the fuck are you doing?�
Phil snorted, which caused David to look at the two boys watching at the door.
�Have fun, bro,� Phil said as he grabbed the door handle and closed it, leaving Kylie and David alone.
�Okay,� David said groggily, sounding unsure.
She began to demonstrate her oral skills.
�Wow � you�re not half bad at that,� he said as he smiled at her.
Kylie pushed his thighs apart and repositioned herself so she could lie down between his legs. Holding his cock straight up, she turned her head and began to suck on his balls. David leaned back on his elbows so he could watch all the action as Kylie sucked and licked each one in turn. Then she let one pop out of her mouth so she could attack his staff. She opened wide and plunged down, taking half his length all the way to the back of her throat.
She slid her mouth up and down his rod and drooled all over his shaft. David looked pleased.
�You like that?� she asked as she pulled off.
�Oh, yeah.�
She went back to work. When her jaw began to tire, she let him slip out of her mouth and licked his rod from base to tip to make it wet. When she was ready again, Kylie took him to the back of her mouth and began to pleasure him again.
�Your cock is so big,� she announced with a giggle.
�Climb up here, and let�s see how it fits,� David suggested.
Kylie climbed up as he leaned to the side of the bed, opened the drawer on the end table, and found a condom. He unwrapped it, reached around her, and expertly put it on without being able to see his cock. He then placed it at her entrance.
�Go ahead.�
She pushed back, and the head stretched her open.
�Be gentle,� she whimpered.
He let Kylie control the action as she slowly took more of him inside her. Once she was able to take all of him, she lifted up. David took that as a sign to take over, and he began to stroke his piston in and out of her at a slow, deliberate pace.
�Yeah � so good,� Kylie heard herself saying.
�Oh, fuck,� he said as his big paw grasped one of her butt cheeks while the other one wrapped around her back and held her in place.
David began to drive his thick shaft into her clinging sheath. Kylie started to make noises that ranged from squeaks to moans to groans to sighs as his other hand grasped her other butt cheek, and he massaged them both. He guided her body to give him the maximum pleasure, and she found she liked him using her that way. That, and his cock was hitting all the right places as she rode him.
�Fuck me!� Kylie blurted out.
David upped the tempo and his hips became a blur, driving his dick into her now quivering vagina.
�Oh God, yes! Oh, fuck! Keep going!� she chanted happily.
Her eyes took on a glazed, happily crazed look.
�You like that?� he asked.
�Oh, I love it! You�re going to make me cum so big. I can feel it building!�
Kylie felt her stomach tighten, and she began to make incoherent sounds as her voice cracked with passion.
�I�m cumming � I�m cumming � I�m cumming!�
�Oh, yes. Cum on my dick. Come on, baby, call out my name!� he shouted.
�David!� she screamed.
Her body shook all over as she trembled in her release. She collapsed on his chest.
After a moment, he slapped her ass with a loud smack.
�Lay on your stomach. I want to prone-bone you,� David announced.
Kylie giggled as she scrambled off of his chest and lay on the mattress. She glanced over her shoulder as he straddled her thighs and grasped the monster swinging between his legs. Then she grinned, pushing her bubble butt up while splaying her legs apart at the same time. He pointed his diamond-hard cock toward her butt and found her sex. With a long, insistent thrust, he was buried to the hilt.
�Pinch my nipples,� Kylie demanded. �I�m going to cum all over your cock. I�m going to drown it in my juice. Give it to me, big boy. Fuck me with that monster. Fill me up and make me beg for more.�
David chuckled but did as she asked. She heard herself beginning to make whining noises again.
�You fuck me so good! Oh, yeah!�
�Reach back and rub your clit,� he ordered.
When she touched it, a bomb went off inside her as she pushed her ass up and back to get as much of him in her as she could. Being a woman of her word, she came, gushing her syrupy juices all over his cock.
�Holy fuck! Yes!�
David rolled her over onto her back and spread her legs. He didn�t wait this time and just slammed into her.
�My poor pussy will never be the same! You�re driving me crazy with that big cock. Fuck me!� Kylie cried out.
She heard giggles from the other side of the door, but at the moment, she didn�t care who heard. Kylie wasn�t even sure what her name was anymore. This was the best sex she�d ever had, and that was saying a lot because Phil was no slouch between the sheets.
�It�s so deep! Oh, my God!�
David reached down and began to aggressively rub her clit. Her legs went straight out, and she felt her thighs shaking as he pounded her.
�Again?! Oh my God! Again?! You�re going to kill me!� Kylie screamed.
She began to squeak again as her cries began to enter the dog-whistle range. Then it felt like her whole body orgasmed.
There was a knock at the door.
�We have to go,� Phil called out.
�Cum all over me,� Kylie begged.
David used her poor pussy to get himself to the brink. When he was ready, he pulled out and ripped the condom off. She watched in amazement as it looked like he�d pulled a super soaker out of her and hosed her down. Her whole torso was covered in hot, milky cum.
The door swung open, and Dani and Ella gasped at the sight of David leaning over her, his dick still jerking in aftershocks.
�Get out of there!� Colt demanded as he glanced in.
�Phil, get in here, and the rest of you, out!� David ordered.
Phil came in and smiled at the devastation his brother had wrought.
�Help her take a shower while I use the other one,� David said.
He jumped out of bed, pulled on his boxers, and went to the guest bathroom.
�Can you walk?� Phil asked with a touch of worry.
�I think so. He just kept going. I lost count of the number of times he made me cum,� Kylie�s shaky voice answered.
Phil helped her up and guided her to the shower. He got undressed and started the shower. When the water temp was right, he helped her in.
She noted that he was hard.
�Sorry, I can�t help you right now.�
�No problem. Let�s get you cleaned up and back into bed. You should be as good as new by the time we get back,� Phil promised.
�I don�t think my little pussy will ever be the same,� Kylie worried.
�Don�t worry. My brother has never broken anyone�s pussy. It�ll be fine once you recover.�
He cleaned her up and wrapped her body in a towel.
�Thanks, Phil.�
�For what?�
�For not being weird about this. And for giving your blessing. I know David would have never done it without you telling him it was okay.�
Phil chuckled.
�If I know David, he�ll be like an old woman worrying that he has broken the bro code or some nonsense. I�ll smooth it over with him,� he said.
�Phil?�
�Yeah?�
�I don�t think I want to do anything like that again.�
He got a worried look.
�No. Sorry. I don�t mean I regret it. I just would rather it be just you and me from now on. Is that okay with you?�
�That�s fine. Maybe you can help me learn to get you off like David did,� Phil suggested.
Kylie wrapped her arms around him and gave him a fierce kiss. David walked in to see it.
�Good. You two okay?� David asked.
�More than okay. Thank you, David. You�ll never know what today meant to us,� Kylie said.
�Well, okay, then. Colt was right; we need to go,� David said as he quickly got dressed.
The two boys ran out of the room. A moment later, Ella and Dani barged in.
�Tell us everything,� Ella demanded.
Kylie didn�t disappoint them as she gave them a blow-by-blow in graphic detail.
◊◊◊
At lunch, David pulled Phil and Colt aside.
�About this morning ��
�Dammit, I owe you five bucks,� Colt complained.
David just shook his head. Why did he bother?
�Look. I used to get a bit out of control at times and have done some things I�m not a hundred percent proud of. I think this morning was a mistake,� David said.
�Get over yourself,� Phil said. �Kylie came on this trip to get with you. We both knew that if I didn�t give her permission in front of you that it would never have happened.�
�I know,� David admitted. �Honestly, back in high school, if her group of cheerleaders hadn�t seemed so young, Kylie would have been the one I dated.�
�Now that she has you out of her system, she isn�t looking for a repeat performance,� Phil shared.
�You�re kidding, right?� Colt asked. �I mean, after all the screaming she was doing, I thought she thought David was the best ride at Magic Mountain.�
�She did,� Phil agreed, �but she knows that he�s in LA, and a long-distance relationship would never work. Plus, you�ve seen the caliber of tail he attracts. Kylie decided that we would go back to whatever we are.�
�What is that, exactly?� David asked.
�I honestly don�t know. I mean, she is at State, so it isn�t that far to meet up, but I�ll be a senior next year, and I think I would rather have a girlfriend right there. It has nothing to do with Kylie because you know as well as I do that she�s a great catch. I suspect we�ll hook up this summer and then take a step back. I�m just being real here,� Phil explained.
�If you really like her �� David began.
�I know. But as great as she is, after Jill, she doesn�t compare. I�m sure you feel the same way about Brook,� Phil said.
David felt his chest tighten at Brook Davis being mentioned. She would always be the one that got away.
�I get it. I trust that there�s someone out there for each of us. All I can hope is that they haven�t come into our lives yet,� David said and then chuckled. �I had a psychic tell me that I�d already met the love of my life. I just can�t figure who that is, though.�
�I know everyone says that person has to be Tami, but I�m Team Cassidy. I think the little ninja could keep you in line,� Phil said.
�What about Crystal? How could she not be the one?� Colt asked.
Both David and Phil chuckled.
�If Crystal was the one, David would have invited her here for the week. When he was dating Brook, the two of them went everywhere together,� Phil said.
�That�s a good observation,� David decided. �With Brook, I was lost without her around.�
�If you know that Crystal�s not the one, why do you go out with her?� Colt asked.
David gave him a big grin.
�Have you seen her?� he asked as he waggled his eyebrows.
�That�s the only reason?� Colt asked.
�Obviously not. Crystal and I know what the score is, and we both get what we want out of going out.�
�What�s that?� Phil asked.
�She�s my plus-one when I have somewhere to go where I need a date. Crystal is easy to be around, and we click behind doors. Like me, she�s just out of a bad relationship and needs time to figure things out without every swinging dick hitting on her. So, for now, it works for us,� David shared.
�What about the long term?� Colt asked.
�Who knows? Crystal is a great gal, and we have a lot in common. I�m not saying I think she�s my forever girl, but I like her enough to see if it can be more, if that makes sense,� David said.
�I take it you�re not exclusive,� Colt said.
Phil coughed out a laugh.
�He went on a date with a professional cheerleader and slept with my girl this morning. Are you seriously asking that?� he asked.
�I�m just trying to figure this out. If my career takes off, I sort of want some guidance.�
�That, you have to decide for yourself,� David said. �For me, I get flack for overtalking stuff, but having an open dialogue with girls has never let me down. Those types of conversations are hard at times, but you�ll be glad you did. Especially if they kick you to the curb because they had other expectations.�
�That one I agree with, now that I understand it,� Phil added.
�What do you mean?� Colt asked.
�Kylie knows I see other women, and I know she has dated other guys. If we hadn�t talked about that, how do you think this morning would have worked out? If Dani had been in there screaming because he was giving her the best orgasms of her life, would you have been cool with that?� Phil asked.
�I honestly don�t know.�
�That�s the type of stuff you need to figure out together,� David suggested. �Before it ever comes up. Trust me on that.�
�Because you plan on banging Dani?� Phil asked in mock seriousness.
Poor Colt�s eyes got big.
�He�s fucking with you. Kylie and I have a history. And I know that if Phil had a problem with it, he wouldn�t have told me to have fun this morning,� David said to reassure Colt.
�I say we quit talking like a bunch of women and go play some football,� Phil said to remind them why there were there.
◊◊◊
Kendal, David�s first PA, had temporarily stepped in and retaken the job since David had requested that Lexi no longer work with him. Speaking of which, Kendal enjoyed keeping him abreast of the Lexi-and-Ben saga.
At first, they had embraced the ruse that Lexi was pregnant and that she and Ben were engaged. She even made him buy her a ring. That had saved his job on the Paris movie, and they�d returned to filming.
Then the devastating news came that Lexi had miscarried, and the distraught bride-to-be fled Europe and returned to LA. A week later, the wedding was called off. They claimed that the loss of their unborn child had been too much.
Kent had wanted to fire her, but Frank intervened, noting that pissing off Lexi was not something they wanted to do. Especially since she�d slept with David for over a year while working as his PA. She�d already sent both her BFF Fiona Beckham and crazy-pants Gwen Larkin after him.
Thankfully, Lexi had backed off when David had quietly talked to her dad. Paul must have talked some sense into his daughter.
Lexi had quit, telling Kent that she planned to go to UCLA full time and get her degree.
On the Ben front, Isabel wasn�t done with him. She�d begun to dig up random girls he�d slept with and made them available to the press to talk about what a man-whore he was. Currently, the studio was in a race to see if they could get his film completed before the whole #MeToo movement took Ben down. The only reason that Isabel hadn�t won yet was that Ben hadn�t used his position to force any girl to sleep with him.
�I found you a place to take everyone to dinner,� Kendal said. �The B & B Butchers & Restaurant is supposed to be the go-to place for steak. It�s an upscale steakhouse with an attached butcher shop and deli. They�re located in a historic building that dates back to 1903. When I called, they suggested that you eat on the second-floor patio. It offers a bird�s-eye view of downtown.�
�Did you organize transportation?�
�I did, sir. I also made arrangements for you and your date to arrive early before the rest of your guests so that you can have a tour.�
David didn�t take the bait with the �sir� jab. It was Kendal�s way of saying that he had to get off his ass and pick a new PA so she could go back to her real job.
David had decided that before he left Houston, he was going to a steakhouse. It would be like going to Paris and not having croissants, or London and not getting fish and chips. When in Houston, you eat steak.
Two of his fondest memories from the Houston Elite camp were eating the bone-in ribeye at Ruth�s Chris, and the 32-ounce bone-in New York strip carved tableside at Pappas Bros. Kendal�s job was to find him some place that rivaled those two experiences. She claimed she had.
Something else she was jabbing him with was his �date.� Bo Harrington and his wife, Tanya, were part of his guest list tonight. They�d brought their evil stepdaughter, Lisa, with them. Since David was the only one about her age that would be at dinner, Bo had twisted his arm to be Lisa�s date. Kendal had heard the stories, so she thought it amusing that he would go on �another� date with the rude girl.
While he had Kendal on the phone, he decided to ask about his next trip.
�Have we finalized everything for the Colombia trip?�
�All your permits for flying in are taken care of. Fritz has made arrangements with the locals so his security people can carry. We are still in negotiations for the armored car. As soon as they put it together that it was for the Sandovals, the price doubled,� Kendal shared.
When she said armored car, Kendal was talking about something like the president would ride in, with bulletproof glass and reinforced protection to stop bullets, not a Brink�s truck.
Fritz had talked to Umberto, Alex�s father. Recently, there had been a rash of kidnappings. He suggested it in case David, Alex, and Alex�s twin sister, Nat, decided to go into town. At their compound, he felt they had plenty of security.
Fritz had made sure everyone knew not to get on social media and announce the travel plans. That included Chloe, whom Cassidy had invited to crash their trip as the reward for winning the scavenger hunt.
�Any luck finding me a new PA?� David asked last.
�I was about to march into Kent�s office and see where that was at. Rumor has it you said something about feeling comfortable having me do that job.�
That made him chuckle because he�d told Frank just that. But he knew it wouldn�t last.
�You go, girl,� he said to play it off.
�Are you done wasting my time?� Kendal asked.
�Yes, ma�am. Have a good day � oh, and Kendal?�
�Yeah?�
�I owe you.�
He finally heard her chuckle.
�I know. I�m just giving you a hard time,� she said and then hung up.
◊◊◊
Lisa was waiting outside when his car pulled up. The driver got out and opened the door to allow her into the back seat.
David was busy checking messages when she got in. It seemed his daughter, Carol, was having a meltdown and wanted her dad, so he connected with his dad on video chat.
�She is fit to be tied,� his dad said when they connected.
�What�s going on?�
�The boys had enough of her bossing them around and called her a bully, which caught Coby�s attention.�
�Oh, boy.�
�Let me go get her so she can explain it to you,� Dad said.
He�d learned that there were times when you just listened. This was one of those. Carol, seeing her dad, started to cry. She knew exactly how to get his attention. She then told him all the sins of her brothers and how they were mistreating her.
The whole time, Lisa had an amused look on her face.
�Would you be willing to do a time-out if all the boys had to do one too?� David asked.
�Uh-huh.�
�Okay, put your grandpa back on,� David said. �Did you get all that?�
�Yep. I�ll take care of it,� Rob assured him.
David was thankful that Carol had needed him because he hadn�t had to talk to Lisa the entire trip to the restaurant. They pulled up, and the driver let them out.
When they went inside, the manager was waiting.
�Mr. Dawson, welcome.�
�Thanks for having us. Are you ready for my group?�
�Yes, and we prepared a tour for you before they get here.�
�Good. I own a restaurant, and we�ve been debating whether we want an aging room or not. I�d be interested in seeing that,� David explained.
David followed the manager, with Lisa tagging along. If she�d been a �real� date, he might not have ignored her. But from what he�d experienced and from the stories her stepfather shared, David had little interest in playing nice with Lisa.
The manager showed them the wine cellar and the butcher shop before taking them to the meat curing and drying room. They found whole uncut ribeye and the like, all lined up with tags attached that gave the date they were put into the room.
�If you are going to build one, make sure it is clean. I mean, get out the bleach and a toothbrush and scrub everything clean,� the manager suggested.
�That makes sense because the meat is left open to the air,� David said.
�We like to keep the room fairly humid at about 75 percent. You want to keep it moist so your meat doesn�t create an outer crust before the interior ages. But too moist, and you can get mold.�
�How cold do you keep the room?�
�Ours is set at 38 degrees.�
�What is that over there?� Lisa asked.
It looked like a chunk of meat with a yellow coating.
The manager gave them a knowing look.
�You want to try the best thing ever?�
�Of course we do,� David said.
�We call that �Wagyu Butter.� Wagyu translates as �Japanese cow.� This beef is considered the best in the world. The way it was described to me was that the level of muscle-to-fat dispersion in premium Wagyu puts all other notions of marbling to shame.� As the manager said this, he pulled down a hunk of meat so he could show them what he meant.
�Notice that the fat looks like a spiderweb. That�s called �filigree.� It is evenly mixed with red meat; the result is that Wagyu beef looks pink. The mouthfeel when you bite into it is closer to butter than your standard steak. The flavor is very beefy. I love it that it just melts in your mouth in a velvety rather than greasy way,� he explained.
�What is Wagyu Butter?� Lisa asked.
�We make our own butter and encase a slab of Wagyu beef in it. It creates a shell around the meat. We let it cure a full two months before we break it out of the butter. Would you like to taste the results?�
�Again, yes, please,� David said eagerly.
The manager took them to the kitchen, where he asked the chef to make them a serving with soft-boiled eggs.
The chef grabbed a one-inch square piece of meat and liberally salted all of its sides. He then dropped two eggs into a pot of boiling water with vinegar in it.
�To get the perfect soft boil, we leave the eggs in for six minutes and nine seconds,� the chef shared.
He made a bowl of ice water and set it aside before putting the meat into a hot skillet. When the timer went off, he turned the meat, then pulled the eggs and dumped them in the cold bath to stop them from cooking further.
He next pulled the meat out of the skillet and set it aside to rest. The eggs were then peeled and cut in half. The chef sprinkled some black salt on the egg yolks. When he cut the meat, it was still red in the center.
�This is how you eat this. Take the chunk of meat, push it into the soft yolk, and then pick it up and eat it all in one bite,� the manager suggested.
All four of them took their bite at the same time. David closed his eyes and moaned. It tasted
�Oh, my goodness, this is the best thing I�ve ever eaten,� Lisa said.
�I agree. That is special,� David said.
One of the servers interrupted them.
�Mr. Dawson�s guests have been seated.�
◊◊◊
The server took them to their table on the second-floor patio. As advertised, they had the perfect view of downtown Houston. Tonight�s guest list included Bo Harrington, Western Michigan�s head coach; his wife, Tanya; Bud Mason; Coach Wyatt Thomas, USC�s offensive coordinator; and Coach Matt Styles, Kentucky�s head coach.
�Then David announced he had dates lined up for us,� Bo was sharing as David and Lisa joined them.
�How old was he?� Wyatt asked.
�I think I was fifteen. I wanted to go out with Lisa here,� David said to introduce his guest to the table, �but Bo was the one that it all worked out for. That was the night he met Tanya.�
�He never set me up on a date,� Bud mock complained.
�You are so set in your ways that you would never accept anyone I suggested,� David fired back.
Bud shrugged as if to say he was probably right.
David opened the menu and had sticker-shock. He hadn�t intended to bring them somewhere this pricy.
�Wyatt said he was buying tonight, so get whatever you want,� David announced.
�I�m not sure I could afford to buy appetizers. You must think coaches make more than we do,� Wyatt said.
David winked at him.
�Tonight�s on me. Get whatever you want.�
�Thank goodness he�s rich because I ordered a scotch, and I don�t think Social Security will cover it this month,� Bud said.
�You don�t have to do that,� Matt said.
�I insist. I owe each of you so much more. Matt, you were the first to believe in me and made me an offer to go to Kentucky. Bo taught me how to be a quarterback, and Bud fixed what Bo didn�t have time to correct. And since I�ve come to USC, Wyatt has � well � not messed me up yet,� David said, being half-serious and half-joking around.
Lisa nudged his arm and pointed at the Wagyu Butter on the menu. A four-ounce serving was nearly $250.
�If you want it, get it,� David said quietly.
�Before you got here, David had them take us on a tour. They have an item called Wagyu Butter �� Lisa said and then proceeded to tell everyone how extraordinary it was.
�I�ve eaten a lot of very nice things in my travels, and that might have been the best bite I�ve ever tasted. When people talk about something melting in your mouth, that was what they wished they were talking about,� David added.
When the server came back to take their orders, everyone hesitated, so David ordered various appetizers they all could share.
�I�m getting the 22-ounce Wagyu ribeye. Lisa is looking at the Wagyu Butter. I was serious when I said get whatever you want,� David said to show them that with just two dishes, he was in for nearly $400. �If you didn�t know, I recently started to receive my pay for the three movies I have out in theaters.�
Even by LA standards, B & B Butchers & Restaurant was on the upscale side. When David ordered a scotch, everyone relaxed. After he said that, Bo announced that he wasn�t too proud to let David buy, which helped.
It was funny that when you went to a place like this, they didn�t card you.
The one person who didn�t really know David was Wyatt. Matt had told how David had his recruiting coordinator hand out condoms to the boys who were there to learn about Kentucky, which resulted in all of them committing. After hearing that, Wyatt gave David a curious look. Then Bo and Bud talked about some of the mischief he�d gotten up to. None of it was malicious, but most of it was funny in how they remembered it.
At the end of the night, Wyatt pulled him aside.
�Thank you for including me. I�ve heard how you�ve worked to make USC better, and it sort of didn�t register. Hearing these coaches talk about you like that makes me realize that I need to start paying attention. I look forward to working with you when fall practice begins.�
�Just give me half a chance, Coach,� David said.
�I�ll do what I can,� Wyatt said and then added, �There is something you should know: Jaxson Pettis resigned today.�
Jaxson was on the hot seat for the FBI investigation into people paying to get their kids into better universities. One way was through the athletic department�s less stringent academic standards. As the athletic director, his job was in jeopardy, even if he wasn�t involved. He was the boss, and they would want to clean house.
�Will this affect football?� David asked.
Wyatt shook his head in disgust.
�It might.�
�Not you, though, right?� David asked.
�No, of course not,� Wyatt said. �By the time practice starts, we�ll know for sure.�
�Well, I�ll see you then,� David said.
◊◊◊
When David dropped Lisa off, she thanked him for not holding how she�d acted in the past against her. She said she really enjoyed her evening.
David put it down to now Bo owed him. Not that Lisa had been unpleasant; she�d not made a single misstep. She�d just been such a brat up to that point that he half expected more trouble from her.
When he got home, Phil�s and Colt�s doors were closed. When he got to his, it was, too. He opened it to find Dani�s sister, Ella, in his bed.
�Hey, what�s going on?� David asked.
�I�d abused Colt enough, so I volunteered to sleep on the couch. It has so many lumps that I was afraid I might not walk come morning.�
�This is nothing more than that?� David asked.
�Nope, nothing.�
�Then you can stay.�
David stripped down to his boxers and crawled into bed. Ella bit her bottom lip, which made him nervous.
�I promise I won�t make the first move,� she said in a sexy voice.
�That works for me,� David said as he rolled over and turned off the light.
He was almost asleep when he heard a heavy sigh.
�You�re seriously not taking advantage of no-strings fun?�
�You can go to the couch,� David offered.
She shut up and turned her back to him.
David suppressed a chuckle and willed himself to go to sleep.
◊◊◊
David woke to Ella running her fingernails over his chest. He could deal with a handsy, horny, won�t-take-no-for-an-answer woman. The problem was she acted like a sex kitten, and hell, this girl could act. Another problem was that Mr. Happy was a method actor and began to get stiff. What should have been a simple turn-her-down had caused him to go rogue.
Ella crooked a finger to indicate that he should kiss her. David groaned inside. It was time to act as if he was as dumb as a box of rocks.
He looked over his shoulder as if she must have pointed to someone else. It couldn�t possibly be him, the guy she promised she wouldn�t make a move on if she could sleep in his bed. But there was no one behind him, so his clueless act wouldn�t work.
Something he�d learned was that if he made a fool out of himself, it was best to just own it. So he persisted, acting like he didn�t understand what she was trying to communicate. Ella wasn�t giving up. She mimed reeling him in.
David flopped on the bed like a carp trying to wiggle back into the water. He managed to slide out of bed and winked at her.
�Someone wants me,� Ella pouted.
David looked down at Mr. Happy, trying to break free.
�Most times when I listen to him, it�s trouble. You deserve to be more than a notch on my bedpost,� David said to scare her off.
�Ever think that you might be a notch in my lipstick case?� Ella shot back.
�Nice,� David said with a smirk as he realized that Ella was a bad girl.
�What do you say, big boy?�
�I�m saying not today because I have to go meet with Coach Mason. I don�t want to get your hopes up, but if the stars align and we have some free time � maybe when we get back to LA. Just don�t count on it.�
�What was yesterday about?�
David shrugged.
�I was caught off guard, Kylie and I are friends, and my brother told me it was okay to go for it. Like I said, the perfect storm.�
�Stars.�
�What?� David asked.
�You said the stars had to align.�
�Oh my, a hair splitter. I�ll be careful what I say around you.�
�Take your shower. You missed your chance,� Ella said and got out of bed, leaving David shaking his head.
Frustration churned through him, and David rolled his neck because he knew that if she got into his head, he�d end up doing something he regretted. Right now, he should focus on football. A shower was the best option.
◊◊◊
�Today is going to be a great day of practice. Greatness is a decision. Make that choice today and have a good practice,� Coach Mason said before they got started.
�Time is precious to me. Everyone has the same amount of time each day; you only choose how you allocate yours, not how much you get. Eventually, you run out of time. I�m going to make sure I get a full day � and I mean a full day,� David added.
�Practice like you play. No half measures. Be fast and finish,� Coach Mason encouraged and then told them the first play he wanted them to run.
�Why do we have to do that again? We finally figured it out yesterday. I want to learn something new,� Colt complained.
Before Coach Mason threw his clipboard at him, David intervened.
�We don�t practice until we get it right. We practice until we
�But ��
�Humor me. You�ve yet to show these clowns what you�re capable of,� David said, referring to the scouts and coaches in the stand. He turned to the other quarterbacks. �And I know you all can do much better. Today is about doing things you are comfortable with so you can shine.�
�Knowing something and believing it are entirely different. Now run the damned play,� Coach Mason barked. �Plant that back foot and rip it.�
The play was a post pattern where Coach Mason would move the safety to force Colt to make the correct read. On this play, the safety was outside the hash marks, which dictated throwing in the middle of the field.
Colt threw the football in rhythm, making by far his best toss all camp. It was like the ball was a laser-guided missile that gave the defenders almost no time to react. This was what had made Colt the top quarterback prospect in high school football.
David saw every coach in the stands lean forward. They had all seen what had just happened.
�Good ball,� Coach Mason called out to give Colt some rare praise.
�You said you wanted to learn more. I think you could have done better,� David announced.
Bo Harrington laughed from the stands. He knew what a perfectionist David was and laughed because all the other coaches thought they�d just seen the textbook definition of a post route.
�Your receiver had to slow down slightly because you threw the ball to him. As you go up into higher competition, that half step could mean the difference in him making a nice gain or scoring. What I want you to do is lead him. Make your receiver go get it, and then all he has is green grass between him and the goal line. Throw to the green grass, and he�ll score every time,� David said to explain the nuances of throwing a long ball.
�You heard the man! Do it again!� Coach Mason barked.
That meant that Coach Mason agreed with his assessment. With David�s coaching, Colt ran the play again. This time, he led his receiver a bit too much, and the guy couldn�t get to it. But on the subsequent attempt, Colt hit him in stride, and his receiver walked into the end zone.
�Okay, Phil, you saw what he did. Show us you can do it better,� David challenged.
He watched as his brother confidently took Colt�s place. He had more swagger than David had seen to this point. Phil dropped back and threw a perfect ball. David had to admit that he�d rarely seen two quarterbacks look that good in back-to-back plays, even at USC.
If Phil had been a few inches taller, he would be on every coach�s wish list, based on that throw alone.
�Hell yes!� David yelled as he bounced around in excitement. �Do it again, so you can show everyone that wasn�t a fluke.�
Phil did just that.
David had an indelible smile on his face at the end of the morning session. All four of his quarterbacks were showing vast improvement from the beginning of camp. Colt was the clear leader, but Phil had made an excellent showing. David had no doubt that his offer list would explode come Monday.
The other two guys showed they had a significant upside.
�Did we get everything right today?� Coach Mason asked. �No. Do you know what we did? We had energy, and we got better. There�s the standard. Good luck.�
◊◊◊
David did what was now his habit and had lunch with the four guys.
�To give you a heads-up, we�re done practicing. You�ll get a chance to talk to the press and scouting guys after lunch,� David said.
�What should we say?� Axel asked.
�David made me watch an old movie called
�Don�t forget to thank the Lord,� David added.
�My brother taught me to use tried-and-true phrases. That keeps you from saying something controversial that�ll either be used by your opponents to get motivated or �� Phil looked at David as he trailed off.
�You might say something now that will bite you in the ass when you finally make it. Even at your age, you have to be careful not to say something that might offend someone, or the cancel-culture mob will be on your ass.�
�I get it,� Colt said. �That quarterback that was supposed to go top five in last year�s draft dropped to the middle of the first round because of some homophobic text messages in high school. He claimed it was just guys busting on each other, but it offended a loud minority and ended up costing him a lot of money.�
�No college wants what they consider a problem child. Figure out a few phrases and stick to them, and you�ll be fine,� David suggested.
�Like what?� Max asked.
�For something like this, I might say something like �I came to this camp to get better, and I feel I�ve improved. I can�t wait to get home and share what I learned with my teammates,�� David said.
�He�s all about the team,� Phil said.
�Hey. You can�t do it alone, so it never hurts to talk them up. Piss them off by being cocky and taking all the credit and see how bad you look the next game,� David said.
�Please. You never look bad,� Colt teased.
�That may be, but I would never tell them that. I like my left tackle blocking my backside instead of him allowing a defensive end a straight shot at blindsiding me.�
�Any parting words of wisdom, Coach?� Max asked.
David thought for a moment.
�I�ve attended a lot of camps, and every one has a different message, but it�s all the same. It�s how you think � how you go about your business. Life is about preparing yourself and being organized. When you�re organized and detailed, you have a direction. When you�re not, you�re all over the place.�
◊◊◊
David was happy that camp was finally over. He was glad he did it because he found he really enjoyed coaching. When Phil and Colt finally had that �aha� moment, and David could see the joy on their faces, it almost felt like it was his moment, too. He�d helped them get better, and in turn, he felt he was better for it because now he understood the concept and why it was necessary. With that knowledge, he would be an even better quarterback himself.
On the flight back, Bud Mason had joined him. David had upgraded Bud, so they were both in first class, sitting next to each other.
�You heard our athletic director resigned. What do you think that means?� David asked.
�I think the FBI has a case on somebody. Maybe a few somebodies that the head guy was supposed to be watching,� Bud said.
�Sort of what I thought.�
�What I don�t understand is, why would he resign?�
�It�s something big,� David guessed.
�It has to involve a revenue sport. Otherwise, why bother?� Bud speculated.
�Like basketball?� David asked hopefully.
�It has to be football because there aren�t enough spots on a basketball team, even if you included preferred walk-ons. People would notice if someone didn�t fit.�
�Do you think it�s an assistant that�s involved?�
�If it were, do you think your athletic director would quit?� Bud asked.
David tried to reason it through. When the FBI had come down on basketball for shoe money, the NCAA all but ignored it. Heck, the Arizona coach had been caught on tape discussing a $100,000 payment to a recruit that ended up on their team.
Full stop and take a step back. The basketball coach was caught red-handed and not fired. The amazing part was that recruits still went to Arizona to the tune of pulling in a top-five recruiting class, despite the cloud of uncertainty over the program.
Apparently, they knew that the NCAA would do nothing to them.
If USC wouldn�t face the NCAA�s wrath, why would Jaxson quit? Was he the fall guy so that someone like his head coach could keep his job? Because David knew for certain that Coach Clayton would not have someone on his team that he didn�t know about. He wasn�t a complete incompetent, or he would never have landed a plum coaching job like USC�s.
Then he remembered there was mention of the scandal touching both the women�s rowing team and soccer. He wasn�t sure if it was men�s or women�s soccer, but that would mean it involved at least three teams under Jaxson�s athletic department.
If that were the case, he could see men like Ron Pennington and Gabe Francis, as major donors, demanding that he be replaced. It would be what David would do if he ran a company. Someone had to be held accountable. If you didn�t, then you shouldn�t be surprised when the inmates were soon running the place. In a few years, taking bribes would be the least of your worries.
The real question was whether USC was like Arizona, who would retain an exposed cheat. Or would they do the right thing and fire those involved?
Of course, he wasn�t so na�ve as to make a knee-jerk decision if there was any doubt that Coach Clayton really had done anything wrong. David hoped that if his coach was guilty, he at least wouldn�t drag this into the season, fighting for his job.
Then again, viewing it from the outside, Arizona looked dirty as hell. But there was a chance it was all a misunderstanding. David tried to imagine how being taped planning to offer money to a recruit could be misunderstood, but � Yeah, it might be hard to spin that one. Maybe for fun, he would ask Frank, his PR guy, how he would do it.
�It�s got to be Coach Clayton,� David said.
�If it is, what are you going to do?� Bud asked.
�What do you mean?�
�It might be the perfect opportunity. If Coach Clayton is fired or resigns, you�ll have an interim head coach, which will almost guarantee a losing year and kill recruiting. I would guess that if you asked for a transfer under those circumstances, the NCAA would grant it.�
�I�ve put too much into this to jump ship. I�m starting the first game, and if we get a new coach, that will give me a better chance of playing. Plus, I like USC,� David said.
Bud smiled.
�Right answer. I just wanted you to consider all sides before you made your final decision.�
�What�s my next move?� David asked.
�Be a football player. Until you know for sure, you can�t really do anything.�
�Should I reach out to the boosters to find out what�s going on?�
�No!� Bud said emphatically. �You have to be seen as a team player and not someone involved in this mess. When they name the new coach, be one of the first to support him. It�s the only way you�ll salvage the season if the worst happens and Coach Clayton is fired before the season starts.�
At that point, they went quiet. It gave David a chance to think through everything before they landed.
◊◊◊
David said goodbye to Bud since the coach was headed to San Francisco on the next leg of the flight. Manaia had sent him a message that he was out front to pick him up. When David came out of the airport, he held his hand out. Manaia had brought his Dodge Charger Hellcat.
Honestly, LA sucked when you had a car like that because no matter how great your car was, getting out of the airport took forever. Three taxis tried to cut off a soccer mom who plowed into them, effectively blocking all lanes of traffic. It took them over an hour to get past the mess since every idiot thought they had to slow down to see what happened.
While he waited, David called Cassidy.
�What�s up, Buttercup?�
�As soon as Precious saw Brit, I was an afterthought,� Cassidy said.
He could hear the sadness in her voice, but if it meant getting rid of the �cat from hell,� he wasn�t about to admit he felt the same way. At a minimum, Precious made things interesting, and she could be a sweet, loving cat if the mood hit her.
�I�m glad she�s happy.�
�I tried to talk my dad into letting me bring back my cat, and he said no.�
Cassidy had rescued a feral kitten. Hearing that Coach Hope, who had said absolutely no to allowing it to move in, was now attached to the fur-ball made him smile.
�That warms the cockles of my heart,� David said.
�Do you even know what a cockle is?� Cassidy asked.
�No, but if I did, I�m sure they would be warm knowing your dad is a cat person now.�
Cassidy chuckled.
�I�ll tell him you said that.�
�He likes to put on a gruff exterior, but he is funny when the cat sits in his lap while he watches TV,� David reminisced.
�I have other news. Brad is on academic probation,� Cassidy said to share news about her brother.
�Did you show him your straight �A�s?� David asked.
�Dad has my report cards on the refrigerator to remind him,� Cassidy said, sounding pleased with herself.
Once his little ninja decided to actually study, her grades had improved. In high school, she got straight �B�s. Her dad wasn�t the only one proud of her.
�What was his excuse?�
�He joined a fraternity. The funny part is they kicked him out when they saw his grades,� Cassidy shared.
�What did your dad say?�
�He got Brad a job at the school helping the grounds crew. He told me that he wanted Brad to experience what the
�When we graduate, we can hire him to mow our lawns,� David said to make Cassidy laugh.
He had no doubt she would repeat what he�d said about Brad soon.
�Hey, traffic is starting to move. I have to go,� David said as he revved the engine.
�Are you driving the Demon?� Cassidy asked.
�At five miles per hour,� Manaia called out to ruin his street cred.
David was going to feed his kids sugar and caffeine and make Manaia drive them to daycare. It would test his skills at the very least. In his mind�s eye, he could see the security guy trying to strap Coby in when he was on a sugar high.
◊◊◊
Spending time with family had been precisely what David had needed for the past week. During the day, he�d played Dad, and during the evenings, he�d caught up with his parents and the mothers of his children.
David pulled his children out of daycare for the week as he�d planned outings to reconnect and entertain the ankle biters. Each day he asked someone to help him on his excursions because, let�s face it, Manaia wasn�t very good at watching two-year-olds.
On the first day, his dad had been the chosen victim. They�d taken his five little ones to Malibu Lagoon State Beach. They started out building sandcastles. That had been a genius activity because they were occupied playing in the sand while he and his dad caught up.
Rob shared information on his businesses. The takeover of the predatory wealth-management company was going well. His other companies, including the restaurants, real estate company, farms, and horse breeding (in which he�d partnered with Zoe), were all on track. He liked it when his dad brought him good news instead of problems.
Rob also showed him he had a lot to learn about child-rearing. He�d packed a picnic instead of David�s plan to take everyone to a local diner for lunch. His words of wisdom were, �Are you crazy?! Take this bunch to lunch when they are hungry and tired, and you�re asking for trouble.�
Instead, he�d brought cut-up peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, apple slices, and celery sticks. The secret for the celery sticks was the can of cheese wiz. Yes, they were horrible human beings for feeding the kids something as void of any nutrition as fake cheese, but the munchkins loved it. Leave it to Coby to figure out that he could simply lick the cheese off so he wouldn�t have to eat a vegetable.
Then they all lay down on a blanket in the sand for naps.
While his dad and Manaia watched them, David went to the van and grabbed the e-foil surfboard that he�d gotten for doing a video in Greece. He put it in the water and tested it to ensure it was safe to give rides on. As they began to wake up, he would quietly take them out onto the water to skim above the waves.
Dawson, his little athlete, mimicked his dad. David predicted that he would be surfing when he got older. Carol got bored, stood up, and promptly stepped into the water to totally give her dad a heart attack. Luckily, there was no thinning of the herd that day (i.e., no one died), as the little girl thought it was great fun.
When he and his dad got home, the baby mamas all commented on how well-behaved their children were that night. David and his dad just took the compliments. The real reason was they�d worn them out, so they didn�t get up to any mischief.
◊◊◊
Day 2 found him with his mom as his helper. She had some real estate deals going, so she wanted to stay at home, which was fine.
In the morning, David took them into the backyard, where they all climbed on Dad. When they all got hot, they changed and used the pool. After lunch and naps, it was riding tricycles in the driveway until David broke out the sprinkler and slip-and-slide. Duke might have had the most fun with the water.
As the moms came home, the kids gravitated to them to share their day. They went to the kitchen where Rosy was making sincronizadas as a quick snack. It gave him and his mother a chance to catch up.
Sincronizada is in essence a quesadilla. The only difference is that in between the two tortillas with cheese is ham. It was sort of like a toasted Mexican ham and cheese sandwich that you could put sour cream, guacamole, or pico de gallo on as mandatory toppings. His mom grabbed them a plate to share before the rug-rats discovered the goodies.
�Watching you with them today makes me think it�s time you got serious about settling down.�
Sometimes the filter got clogged, and instead of him firing back a witty comeback, David ran out of smartass responses.
�Uhm.�
�I talked to Tami today, and she told me that she couldn�t find any guys she wanted to date at school,� Mom elaborated.
Like he�d asked her for more details on how he should settle down. Better yet, with whom.
David stuffed an emergency sincronizada into his mouth because he had nothing.
His mom�s phone rang. She gave him a look that told David he should sit still because their talk wasn�t over.
�I bet your ears were ringing. David and I were just talking about you,� Mom said.
David reached for the plate so he could make his escape when she handed him the phone.
�Be nice,� she warned and grabbed the platter of goodies for the kids and went downstairs.
�What did you do?� David finally asked.
�What do you mean?� Tami asked with amusement dancing in her voice.
�I just got ambushed with it was time I should settle down. And, oh, by the way, my buddy Tami couldn�t get a guy to go out with her. I think she�s worried you�ll end up an old maid,� David said, finding his humor had returned.
�Do you really want to go there, stupid boy?�
Even though they hadn�t really hung out in a while, David knew that Tami had enough dirt on him that she could take him down.
�I was just trying to be a good friend and offer my help in finding you a guy. If you need some tips on how to dress or what to say, I�m here for you,� he chuckled.
�Someone�s in a good mood.�
�What�s not to like? I don�t have any classes or practices to go to; I spent the last two days with my kids; and I�m talking to you.�
�Nice save.�
�So, no guys, huh?� David asked.
�No time. Stanford is super competitive.�
�More like you finally find yourself surrounded by smart people, and you have to work to prove you�re the top of the heap.�
�Like you�re not competitive?� Tami asked.
There was no point in denying that.
The two of them fell into a familiar banter as they shared what was going on in their lives. They were finally in a place where they�d been apart long enough that neither of them felt the desire to push the romantic side of their relationship. They�d become friends who could be apart for extended periods, but when they saw or talked to each other, they easily picked up from where they had left off.
She finally had to go, or they might have talked all night.
David spent the evening basking in intimate conversations with different household members. By the time he staggered up to his apartment, he was drunk on family gossip, the shrieks of children, and a bellyful of chicken wings. David was asleep before his head hit his pillow.
◊◊◊
Day 3 at sunrise, David was awakened by shrieking children on the back lawn. He was with Ashley today. They, plus Duke, went to Tapia Park within Malibu Creek State Park. They spent the day hiking and playing in the creek. David was the best dad ever when he brought bubbles. He noticed that Ashley snagged the leftover bubble bottles so she could be the best mom ever sometime in the future.
When they returned home, the ankle biters were tuckered out and went down for long naps. That gave David and Ashley and chance to talk.
�That new system we�re using has made me a lot of money this summer,� Ashley shared.
Alyssa, the computer girl he�d met in Financial Accounting, had helped him with a stats project. It involved using public records to find potential buyers and sellers for his mom�s real estate business. Alyssa had worked for his mom this summer honing the predictive software, and by all reports, it was working.
His mom was currently looking for larger office space to house the new agents she wanted to hire to handle the number of leads. Ashley had been cherry-picking the ones that demanded immediate attention.
�My dad was telling me how well that was going.�
�I wanted to talk to you because I�m thinking about buying my own place.�
�And your first thought was about Allen and Dawson,� David guessed.
He�d known all along that having the kids all together for any length of time was probably impossible. With Peggy getting married, he figured that Dave would leave first, even though the psychic had said she would leave him with David.
�Fiona Beckham contacted me because she needs to sell her condo. And get this, Lexi gave her my name.�
David had to take a moment to wrap his head around the last comment. He wondered what Lexi was up to.
�I don�t know what to say about Lexi, but I�ve seen Fiona�s place. I absolutely loved it and remember thinking I could live there and be a happy boy.�
�You see my quandary,� Ashley said and then got serious. �What would you think if I bought it and left the boys here?�
�What are you thinking?�
�That I would split time between Beverly Hills and Malibu. I�ve decided I want to start dating again, and I don�t want to expose them to that until I get serious with someone,� she explained.
�You know who you have to talk to,� David said, referring to his mom.
�She said it was up to you.�
�Bullshit,� was David�s automatic response.
�I had exactly the same reaction, but your mom said that the boys were ours, and we had to work it out. She would be sad to see them go, but she was fine with it if that was what we decided. I just had to promise to bring them over all the time,� Ashley shared.
David felt better about having his mom be responsible for his kids while he was in college. Hearing that comment made him realize that it really wasn�t the burden he was afraid it was. Then again, he made sure there was enough help that no one got overwhelmed. If nothing else, that was one thing his money was good for.
�I�m the last one to tell you not to enjoy your life. If you find that you miss them too much, you can change your mind. I only ask that you don�t switch back and forth to the point it confuses them. And don�t be surprised if all five want to go with you,� David warned.
If his daughter, in particular, got it into her head, she would talk to her dad and get her way.
�Was it hard for you when you left to make movies?�
�At first, but being so busy made it easier. I also knew that you all were there with them.�
�I think I�m going to do it.�
�Can I ask why Fiona�s selling?�
�She signed a deal with a Chinese studio. I guess because they�re building a new studio that is touted as the most expensive project in film history, valued at just under seven billion dollars.�
Many major movies partnered with Chinese studios because China had a quota for the number of foreign films that could be shown in their country each year. So it made sense to co-produce a movie with one of their studios to have access to their 1.4 billion population.
�That�s probably a smart move on her part,� David decided.
◊◊◊
Day 4, Grandma Dawson was his partner, and David was getting worn out. They decided on arts and crafts and turned on the TV. Allen said he wanted to go to daycare in the afternoon, so David took them and dropped them off. He reasoned he was paying for the week and might as well take advantage.
When he got back, he actually took a nap himself. As he was drifting off, he wondered how anyone could keep up with raising kids. Then he remembered that none of them had five that young.
When he got up, his grandmother invited him to join her by the pool and have an iced tea.
�How�s your love life, Grandma?� David asked.
�No one likes a smart mouth.�
�Sorry.�
�Ron asked me to move in with him,� she shared.
�I think there�s a song about he should put a ring on it before you kids go crazy.�
That�s where his dad got that scary look. David was about to give up his mantle of the favorite grandson.
�We�re old enough to do what we want, young man.�
�Has Ron said anything about what�s going on at USC?� David asked to both change the topic and dig for some dirt.
�That Coach Clayton has stepped in it,� she said, confirming David�s speculation that the coach was involved in the wrongdoing that the FBI was investigating.
�Is he going to lose his job too?� David asked.
His grandmother realized that she probably wasn�t supposed to share that with her grandson.
�It�s up in the air right now. I have heard that they�re hiring the Baylor athletic director.�
That made sense because Baylor had been rocked with a scandal that had gotten their coach fired. At the low point, they�d gone 1�11 not so long ago. They had turned it around and were now a permanent fixture in the Top 25 polls. USC needed someone to provide stability, and that hire would do that.
David was sure that if Coach Clayton was fired, then the Baylor football coach would be in the middle of the pool of candidates for his job.
�Any idea when we�ll know about Coach Clayton?� David asked.
�Before football practice starts.�
�That�s not much time,� David observed.
�Ron�s not happy,� was all she would share.
◊◊◊
Today was his last before he flew to Colombia for Alex and Nat�s birthday. Peggy was the sacrificial lamb as his backup.
�What�s on the agenda?�
�On my flight to Houston, someone had left a
�It sounded like an amazing time, so I thought I would take the kids on one,� David said.
�I�m going to kill them all for sticking me with today,� Peggy whined.
�Why the negative attitude?� David asked as he tried not to laugh.
�Letting this bunch loose in fancy restaurants will be a nightmare. Coby is sure to set the place on fire, and don�t get me started on the rest.�
�I�ve put my own spin on it to make it kid-friendly,� David said as he chuckled because he had no doubt that she was right.
�Okay, smarty-pants, what�s your plan?�
�Take them to the grocery stores and hit their samples. I figure three in one cart and two in the other, and they are contained. Then for lunch, we hit that Mexican place that has tater-tot nachos.�
�This won�t end well,� Peggy predicted.
�Ye of little faith. If they�re good, the last stop will be where they get to try samples of different kinds of ice cream. If little Carol knows about that, she�ll help keep the boys in line.�
Peggy nodded her agreement.
�I�m impressed. This plan might actually work.�
David slapped his hand to his forehead. Peggy might have just jinxed it.
◊◊◊
Peggy proved her worth at the first grocery store. She suggested that he take Coby, and she would handle little Carol. If serious trouble was had, it was usually those two leading the charge. Peggy also knew that Carol was quickly learning she had her daddy wrapped around her little finger.
They also decided to go in two different directions. Coby was put into the grocery cart seat, and Allen and Dawson rode in the basket. At their first sample station, they hit pay dirt. The lady had samples of mac and cheese.
�Three, please,� David ordered.
�Your boys are going to love this. It�s a healthy alternative to what you normally get in a box. It is high in fiber and has fewer calories.�
He knew there might be a problem when Coby sniffed his and then looked up at him like Duke did when David tried to palm off spinach to his dog.
Dawson took a mouthful and promptly spit it out while trying to wipe his tongue off from the taste. David grabbed Allen and Coby�s samples before they copied their brother.
�Here, I have napkins,� the lady said helpfully.
David tried Allen�s and instantly knew what the problem was: it was made with a smoked Gouda. His boys were more the Velveeta or cheese wiz types.
�Do you want a coupon?�
David took one to be polite. He might buy some for the dorm room.
They then hit the deli, where they had samples of antipasto salad, cheddar cheese, and salami. The boys surprisingly liked the antipasto and asked for more. What�s not to like about chunks of lunch meat, pasta, and cheese?
They found Peggy in aisle six eating cheese fish cracker samples.
�Skip the mac and cheese. It�s some kind of healthy choice,� David said, pointing at Dawson�s shirt.
�The bakery is a gold mine. They have a variety of cookies and brownies. We had to try them all.�
�After we load them up with ice cream at the last stop, we�re taking them to daycare and running,� David said to make her laugh.
�Good call.�
They hit two more grocery stores with mixed success. Then they went to this Mexican dive that served tater-tot nachos. David had them just put the cheese on top of the potatoes because the other stuff could be dicey. One day they loved something, and another, you couldn�t force it down their throats. But put liquid cheese on anything, and you had a winner.
David had called ahead at the ice cream place, so they were ready when his horde came in. When his kids saw what they had, they were all suddenly on their best behavior. He suspected that denying ice cream was a tool used to make up their minds.
A young girl came out with small sample-size cups of vanilla to start, and then every few minutes would bring out a new flavor. Chocolate was the clear favorite, with vanilla a close second. Then it was mixed results, with some liking and others not so much butter pecan, chocolate chip mint, and strawberry.
�Who wants their grandma to take them to the grocery store next week?� David asked.
�Me! Me!� all five announced.
�And what do we call it?�
�Grub crawl!� was shouted in unison.
�Yep, they�re going to daycare, and you better be gone before they get home and tell your mom,� Peggy said, making way too much sense.
◊◊◊
Chloe showed up at David�s security�s main office for their preflight briefing. She found David twirling around in an office chair, clearly bored.
�Why did we have to get up so early? And what�s this all about?� Chloe asked as she plopped down next to David.
�We have a long flight today, and we�re about to get the �Scared Straight� talk for our trip,� he predicted.
A man in his late thirties who moved like a jungle cat came in, followed by two other younger versions of himself.
�Fritz, Paul, Chuck, may I introduce my traveling companion, Chloe,� David said to make the introductions.
Fritz went to the head of the table.
�My job is to keep you safe while on our trip. The ideal outcome would be if you had a great time and didn�t die. If anything should go sideways, look for any of us,� Fritz said, pointing at himself, Paul, and Chuck, �and do exactly what we say. We�ve been trained so that nothing will happen to you.�
�My mom is worried that Colombia might not be safe,� Chloe said.
�Bad stuff can happen to you in LA if you aren�t paying attention to your surroundings. When we leave the Sandoval compound, don�t draw attention to us. The Colombians say �No dar papaya��it roughly translates to don�t walk around showing off your valuables, stuff like phones, jewelry, money. And I�d advise that you dress like the locals,� Fritz said.
�That explains the packing list you sent,� David said.
Chloe had gotten one, and at first thought it was a joke. It listed stuff like jeans, shorts, t-shirts, and canvas tennis shoes, all very casual and entirely unlike what LA girls wore. She saw now that the list was to help them blend in with the locals.
�If you get separated from the group, call an Uber and go to one of the hotels on this list,� Fritz said. He handed out a card that had three hotels listed in Spanish. �If the driver doesn�t speak English, just point to one of them.�
�They have Uber?� Chloe asked.
�They have them all over the world,� David shared. �Do you have the app?�
�I do, but does it work there?� Chloe asked.
�I don�t know for sure, but I�ve used it in other countries. We can ask Alex or Nat once we get there,� David said, obviously not worried.
�Some other rules,� Fritz said. �Absolutely no social media postings while we�re there. When you go anywhere, take one of us, and preferably you two stick together. You both could be potential targets if the wrong people get it in their heads that you might be worth something to them. For the most part, use the same common sense you would employ here in LA, and you should be fine.�
�Anything else?� David asked.
�I have one,� Chloe said. �What�s it like where we�re going?�
�Alex lives on a former coffee plantation outside of Cali,� David said. �I guess they still have coffee fields and their own drying and roasting facilities from when it was a working farm. Alex says that it gives his dad something to do when he has free time.
�Cali is a large city of over two million people. I was told that it was founded in 1536, so it has a rich history. When I went to Cuba, I loved that everything wasn�t all shiny and new. There will be some areas of Cali that harken back to the eighteenth century. Others will be modern.
�Alex also told me that it�s very affordable. A nice hotel will cost less than $40 per night, and you can get a decent meal for a couple of bucks. What I�m most excited about is that this area of Colombia is known for salsa dancing. Nat said we could take a class during the day and go to clubs and dance that night,� David shared.
�What about �� Chloe began before David cut her off.
�The flight there is six hours. How about we go to the airport so we can be on our way?�
She smiled and nodded her agreement.
◊◊◊
Chloe hadn�t realized that David would be their pilot. He�d hired a copilot because it was such a long flight, and they were traveling to a foreign country and over others. Besides, the plane was certified for two-pilot operation, though only one needed to be rated in the type, and that wasn�t David.
So
�I was a bit surprised you decided to come.�
David was talking about the media circus that had landed on her family�s doorstep. Her mom and dad had paid a college-admissions consultant to guarantee that she and her sister, Veronica, got into their dream school. Unbeknownst to them, the consultant paid USC coaches and admissions staff to slip them in via the athletic admissions process. It wasn�t as rigid as regular admissions.
While her older sister didn�t have the grades to get into USC, Chloe did. She�d also found a place on the USC rowing team as a cox. She�d finished the summer session but was advised that she would not be welcomed back for the fall.
With the FBI investigation ongoing, and the intense scrutiny of the press, she was taking the fall semester off. She also had to find another school willing to accept her.
�I had to get away,� she told him.
�Did you know Alex and Nat when you were in high school?� David asked.
�I didn�t know Nat, but Alex was a big deal in soccer. While he wasn�t part of the cool kids, he held his own. I did get to go on his yacht once. It was a great party.�
�I wonder if that was the same party Lexi Andon attended.�
�I forgot that you know her. She was a total drama queen in high school. I stayed far away from that group,� Chloe explained.
�I guess Alex remembers you.�
�I find that hard to believe.�
�He said you were cute,� David said, which surprised her.
Her face must have given her away.
�You have a crush on Alex,� David guessed. �He�s very single if you want to take your shot. And I can help you.�
�I�ve never dated a guy before. I mean, you know � you�re the only ��
�Relax. Alex is a typical guy. All you have to do is get his attention and, when he�s listening, tell him how it�s going to be. If he thinks you�re into him, Alex will become a good little house pet,� David said with a big smile.
�But I�m a virgin,� Chloe worried.
�Want to know a secret? Alex told me he is, too. I thought for sure he�d done the deed when we were in Greece. There were a bunch of Russian mail-order brides meeting wealthy men at the place where we stayed. One of them we nicknamed Ivana-fuck-a-lot. But he was smarter than me and just let her give him head,� David over shared.
�You slept with her?�
�I tend to do some of that,� David answered as he waggled his eyebrows at her.
When David gave women that look, he was drop-dead, melt-your-panties, make-your-mouth-water gorgeous. You just knew that he was all danger and smolder and about to rock your world.
�Oh,� she said in a small voice.
�What I�m trying to tell you is Alex is as clueless and nervous about it as you are. Grow some lady balls and take charge. Alex will fall right in line, and you both could have some fun.�
David looked at his watch.
�Break�s over. I need to get back up front,� David said as he got up and went to the cockpit.
Could he be right? Did she have a shot at someone like Alex?
◊◊◊
Towards the end of the flight, she felt the plane make a banking turn as they left the Pacific Ocean and made landfall over Colombia. They flew over a mountain range, and on the other side was a valley. David came over the speakers to warn them he was about to land.
They cruised over Cali and into the heart of what looked like farmland. Chloe could see an airfield in the middle of a coffee field. She heard the wheels come down and felt herself jerked forward at touchdown as David applied the brakes and seemingly reversed the engines. Later, he�d explained that the engines didn�t actually reverse. He�d deployed clamshell-type devices that caught the engines� thrust and redirected the exhaust, creating a reverse thrust to help them stop quickly before they ran out of runway.
David guided the plane to their parking place in front of a hangar. Chloe could see armed men gather around the aircraft. Fritz stood up and was quickly followed by one of his security men. The other remained seated.
David came out of the cockpit and gave Fritz a questioning look.
�We need to sort this out. Wait here until I come and get you,� Fritz ordered.
David opened the door and put down the steps so Fritz and Chuck could go talk to the Sandoval security team. Fritz came back on board after a quick conversation.
�Alex will be here in a moment. We�re supposed to remain on the plane until he arrives. I guess there have been cartel tensions. While nothing has happened here, there have been clashes in Bogota, and people have been shot. They�re just being careful.�
David looked out the door and shook his head.
�This is way safer than Compton. No one is even close.�
He was right. In Compton, your chance of being a crime victim was 1 in 27.
When Alex showed up, tensions went down considerably. He and David hugged.
Chloe found herself feeling shy when Alex turned his attention to her.
�It�s been forever. How have you been?� Alex asked her as if they were friends.
�Besides a bit of FBI trouble, all�s good.�
�Come on. I�ll show you where you�re staying,� Alex said as he offered his arm to her.
David gave them a knowing look and followed a step behind as Alex pointed out different landmarks. Behind the mansion was a huge pool and then several guest houses. She and David shared one.
�Unpack, and we�ll get together in half an hour. It�s a gorgeous day. Let�s meet at the pool,� Alex said.
◊◊◊
Shouts and splashes echoed through the late afternoon, bouncing off the walls from the pool area. Her room had French doors with sheer curtains. She looked out to see what was going on. Her gaze stopped on a tanned male reclining on a patio chair, beer in hand, surrounded by laughing girls. It was Alex, and one of the girls had to be his sister, Nat.
Suddenly, his eyes met hers. Horror gripped Chloe. She was in the middle of changing and only wore her underwear. He had to have seen her. She dove to the side so she wasn�t exposed. Her heart felt like it might burst from her chest because he�d caught her spying on his party.
Maybe he hadn�t seen her. She peeked around the corner to see and saw him give her a little wave. She wondered if David would be up to taking her home.
David knocked on her door.
�You about ready?�
�I�ll be out in a minute,� Chloe called out.
◊◊◊
David was only wearing board shorts and flip-flops. Chloe had put on a tiny black bikini and a white crochet coverup that was very revealing. When David saw it, he gave her a big smile.
�Hang on. I need to go call Crystal and tell her that we�re done,� he teased.
Chloe felt her whole-body flush from his compliment.
�You think he�ll notice?�
�Oh, yeah. I�ll distract the girls so none of them puts an ice pick in your back for stealing the spotlight.�
And he did just that. David put on one of his dazzling smiles, and the girls fawning over Alex abandoned him to swarm David. Alex rolled his eyes and made her feel like she was in on the joke.
�Care if I join you?� Chloe asked.
�I was hoping you would.�
While David flirted shamelessly, Alex walked her over to the bar. Yes, there was an actual bartender.
�His specialty is
�
�I�d love to try it.�
When the bartender put it on the bar, she almost turned it down. It was dark green. She picked it up, and it had a sweet, fragrant smell. It had a robust licorice-like taste. She could tell that her sister would turn her nose up at it since the aniseed had one of those love-it-or-hate-it kinds of spicy flavors. Chloe loved it.
She noted that Alex had gotten another beer.
�You suggest I get one, but not for yourself?�
�It�s a girly drink,� Alex said.
The two of them held up the bar while David talked the rest of the people into the pool. Alex explained that the girls were all Nat�s friends who insisted on seeing the famous movie star. Nat would be very popular all week with him here.
It turned out that Alex had noticed her. They reminisced about high school. He even knew about her best friend-slash-girlfriend cheating on her with a guy. Before she knew it, she�d had three drinks on an empty stomach. She caught a whiff of beer on Alex�s breath, but he didn�t seem drunk�just relaxed.
�Let�s go to the house,� Alex suggested.
�No,� she said quickly.
�No?� he asked as he raised his eyebrows.
With a palm on her hip, he tugged her closer, letting her feel how she affected him.
�Let�s go. I�ll show you where everything is,� Alex said as he took her elbow and guided her toward the house.
They went in the kitchen door, and he made them both a sandwich called an
After she�d eaten, Alex asked, �Not so bad, right?�
�I didn�t expect food. I thought you might kiss me,� Chloe blurted out.
Alex�s eyebrows went up. Before she could change her mind, he grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her close.
David had told her to take charge.
She leaned forward�she, not Alex. As soon as her lips touched his, he pulled her closer with a low growl that had her stomach quivering. She opened her mouth to his tongue as he kissed her roughly. Her head spun as she worried that he might get the wrong idea.
�Let�s go somewhere more private,� Alex suggested as he grabbed her hand and all but dragged her to his room.
When they got there, they began to kiss again, but her old insecurities came back.
�Wait,� she complained as she pushed him back. �I know you aren�t really interested in me. It�s just that David has all the other girls� attention.�
She tilted her head down so her long, straight hair would cover her face. She was sure it was bright red in embarrassment. Alex was so close and not saying anything. The longer he stood there, the more she felt her crushing shyness getting in the way.
Instead of using his words, Alex grabbed her hand and pressed it over the hard bulge bursting through his swim trunks. Taken off guard, Chloe did what David had taught her and squeezed. She peeked up, and Alex�s head had fallen back, and he groaned.
�Does that feel like I don�t want you?�
She gave him a tiny smile.
�Let me take care of you,� Alex whispered in her ear.
He�d pushed himself up against her as he cupped her chin, ready to kiss her. He looked her in the eye as he lifted her coverup over her head. When it hit the floor, Alex grabbed her chin again so he could see her reaction as he ran a finger inside the top of her swimsuit bottoms. He was an inch above her pussy, which was pulsing with need.
�I�m going to touch you now.�
Her eyes got big as he brazenly pushed his hand inside her swimsuit. His fingers found her sex, and his middle one slid between her folds.
�You�re hot for me.�
She could only moan in response.
Alex�s other hand grabbed a handful of hair and pulled her head back so he could kiss her neck.
�I want to fuck you,� he muttered.
�I�m a virgin,� came out in a whisper.
When he�d said �fuck,� her knees had almost buckled.
�I want to fuck you long and hard. I want to shove my cock into your tight little virgin pussy and fuck you until you�re satisfied. It will start out slow and loving but soon be deep and fast. You�ll never want to get off my dick,� Alex promised.
She felt his bare, hot, hard cock push against her thigh. He�d lost his trunks. In self-defense, she reached down and wrapped her hand around it. Alex stopped what he was doing as she began to jerk him off.
�Yes,� he panted. �Yes, blow me,� he said as he put his hands on her shoulders and guided her down to her knees.
Alex had a nice cock. Not too big; just the right size to suck, Chloe decided.
�Open your mouth,� he ordered.
Like a well-trained pet, she obediently parted her lips. Alex pushed in, and his dick had a smooth texture. He told her to open wider, and then he fed her more of his length. She had the top two inches of his shaft in her mouth.
�Use your tongue,� he encouraged.
Having David allow her to practice on him gave Chloe confidence. Alex made a funny face as he began to breathe faster. She did as David had taught her and began to use her hands. One grasped his base and began to slowly stroke him while Chloe cupped his balls with the other. Alex let out a loud groan when she used her fingernails to scratch his taint.
He didn�t act like he was in a rush for a quick completion. He caressed her head and then pushed her hair behind her ear. His thumb rubbed her cheek.
�You might be the best I�ve ever had,� Alex encouraged. �Use your tongue on my head.�
He reached behind her head and untied her bikini top. When he released the strings, her breasts were suddenly exposed. Chloe felt a bit lightheaded as her body announced its desires. She wanted him to squeeze her tits and finger her pussy, but at the same time wasn�t sure if she wanted to lose her virginity. If he did what she wanted, that would undoubtedly happen.
Alex pinched her nipples firmly, making her cry out as he thrust into her mouth. Alex took over as he fucked her face. She felt his balls tighten, a sure sign he was close.
�Oh, FUCK!� Alex bellowed as he came.
Chloe bobbed her head up and down his length as he continued to pulse his spend into her mouth. When he was done, she jumped up and hurried to the bathroom so she could wash her mouth out. When she came back, Alex was lying on the bed with a huge grin.
�David said you were my gift. I can�t wait to lose my virginity.�
�You know better. David was just joking with you.
�So, maybe later?� Alex asked, and he acted like he was pouting, which made her smile.
�Not tonight. Let�s see how I feel after those green drinks wear off.�
◊◊◊
The party had gone into late at night. She was simply amazed that David successfully fended off Nat and her determined friends. Chloe had no doubt he could have bedded one of them, or maybe all at once if he�d consented.
In the light of day, she had made a decision about how she wanted to lose her virginity. She�d packed a sexy white babydoll made with floral lace and matching panties. She put them on and hurried before she lost her nerve.
David�s eyes came open when she opened his bedroom door. She stood in the doorway to let him take her in.
�What�s this?� he asked.
�It�s time, and I want my first to be with you.�
�Alex will be disappointed.�
�I don�t care. I trust you to make it special. Alex is a virgin, and I�m sure it would be awkward for both of us,� Chloe explained.
�Sometimes that�s half the fun,� David shot back.
Chloe gave him a knowing look.
�You haven�t said �no.��
David pulled down his sheet and exposed Mr. Happy. His dick was standing firm.
She climbed into bed and crawled on top of David. Their lips met as his hands slid down her back and cupped her butt. She was so lost in kissing him that she didn�t realize that her legs had straddled his stomach, and she�d begun to hump him like a cat in heat.
His big hands were massaging her backside. She felt one of his hands reach further and cup her pussy. David was very patient with her as he slowly built up her passion. It seemed like forever before his fingers slid under her leg band.
He broke their kiss and had a wicked grin on his face.
�Someone has been here before.�
�Not a man,� Chloe said as she bit her bottom lip.
�Fuck. Your girlfriend took your cherry. That�s so hot.�
Her pussy picked that moment to cum. It clamped tight onto David�s invading finger as her whole body shook. David continued to do amazing things with his digit to coax every last bit of pleasure out of her.
When she relaxed, he had rolled her over on her back, and he was leaning over her.
�Tell me about how you lost it.�
She froze.
�I can�t. It�s too embarrassing.�
�Please. It can�t be as horrifying as mine. After we�d done the deed, the girl told my mom�in front of my friends�that I had a big dick. It�s just you and me here,� David encouraged.
She looked away from him and shook her head �no.�
David didn�t play fair. He began to tease her pussy again.
�I have a vibrator,� she finally admitted.
�You dirty little girl,� David teased.
Oh God, the combination of the sexy conversation and David�s skilled fingers caused her sex to do something she never realized it could so soon after just cumming. It contracted around David�s fingers, and she had complete sensory overload.
�David!� she cried out. �Please, I ��
�Are you sure you don�t want to wait for Alex?�
�Positive. I want you to take my virginity.�
David gave her a sexy smile as he sat up, reached down, and pulled off her panties. He then grabbed a condom and put on Mr. Happy�s raincoat. David looked into her eyes, and his sheer lust was communicated. Gripping her hip with one hand, he grasped his cock and pointed it downward, sliding it over her wet lips until the head nestled at her entrance. Then he pushed.
�Oh, God!�
Even without her cherry to break, it hurt. Maybe Alex would have been a better first choice. David�s thick cock stretched her tiny pussy. If it hadn�t been so slick from cumming twice, he would have ripped her in half. When he had half of it in, David stopped.
�Relax. Your body will adjust. Your pussy is made to stretch, so you�ll be okay in a minute,� he assured her.
He slowly rotated his hip to help loosen her up. It didn�t take long before she began to help him. She was the one who started to push to grab more of his cock. David eased back a bit, then thrust again, until he was buried in her warm sheath.
�I did it. I got all of you in me,� Chloe announced.
�How�s it feel to be a woman?� David asked.
�Like I want you to fuck me.�
�As you command.�
Her vaginal walls quivered around his thick shaft. Gone was her initial shyness. She might not be strictly into guys, but Chloe knew she was bi. She felt her need deep in her core. David was magnificent as his hips twitched to bury just a little more into her.
�Now,� she commanded.
Her slick tunnel stretched around his cock as he began to thrust in and out of her. She reached down and grabbed his butt with both hands to urge him on. She could feel his muscles tense and release as he fucked her. Her nether lips clung to his cock each time he began to pull back, as if they were trying to prevent him from leaving. Then he snapped his hips forward to fill her again.
His hands slid under her babydoll to massage her breasts. She cried out when he toyed with her nipples. The whole time, David was working his cock in and out of her needy pussy with long, determined thrusts that sent erotic jolts deep within her core. Her thighs began to tremble with passion.
�I wanted to do this the first time I sucked your cock,� Chloe revealed.
�I didn�t want to rush you,� David admitted.
�You wanted to fuck me, too?�
�Of course I did. You need to lose that negative body image you have. You�re a sexy young woman,� he said.
�David,� she whispered. �Kiss me.�
His tongue was so hot, thrusting into her mouth as it matched the rhythm of his thrusts into her sex. Every time he pushed into her, he rubbed his pubic bone against her clit. It had a predictable effect as her arousal built. It felt like a roller coaster as it slowly clacked up the giant hill. It wouldn�t be long before she went flying down, screaming in excitement.
Chloe fucked him back, meeting his thrusts, which made it even better.
�Fuck me!� she screamed.
She grabbed his muscular ass and dug her fingernails in to urge him to pound her harder.
�Fuck! I�m close!� David yelled.
He pumped into her hard and fast; his hips were almost a blur. She could feel his balls slap her ass each time they came together.
Then she screamed.
Chloe felt dizzy. She felt her tunnel begin to spasm as it grasped and released his member to try to milk his cum from his balls. David bellowed his own release. She could feel his whole cock throb in time with his ejaculation. She�d never cum so hard in her life.
She heard clapping. Both her and David�s heads snapped around to find Alex leaning against the doorjamb with a big grin on his face.
�You two are amazing together, which makes me a little sad you�re not going to have round two this morning. Get dressed. We have a full day planned for you,� Alex said and then left.
�This is bad,� Chloe worried.
�Don�t worry; I�ll smooth it over with him. He�s into you,� David assured her.
She was surprised that she hoped he was. While, if given a chance, she would pick David every time, she knew that he wasn�t attainable. But Alex was, and she hoped she could talk him into dating her.
She hopped out of bed and ran back to her room to get ready for the day.
◊◊◊
David and Chloe went to the house and entered through the kitchen door. Alex was with his dad and stepmom, drinking coffee.
�Umberto, how the heck are you?� David asked as he went up to Alex�s dad, who stood, and they hugged. �And Camilla.�
She got up and kissed his cheek.
�This is my friend Chloe. These are Alex and Nat�s parents,� David said. �Are you two going with us to play tourist today?�
�We have some issues on the farm that I have to handle. I�m not sure what Camilla is doing,� Umberto said.
�I�m planning a birthday party.�
�Have some coffee. It�s my dad�s most recent batch,� Alex said.
Fritz and his crew joined them. Nat wasn�t far behind.
�I told the cook that we were eating out this morning, if that�s okay?� Alex asked.
�You�re the boss. What are we doing today?� David asked.
�We�re going full-on tourist. The plan is to start with a trek along the Cali River, where we�ll grab some street food. The rest of the day is all things salsa. I booked a class this afternoon to get you up to speed. Then this evening, we�ll hit a salsa show so you can see how it should be done. Finally, we�ll do some club-hopping to test out your skills,� Nat shared as the apparent planner of today�s events.
David, not being a coffee drinker, wasn�t sure if he liked Umberto�s coffee or not. If he were to drink coffee, he leaned toward how the Cubans made it: basically, espresso on steroids. David felt that it better have a serious kick, or why bother? This was much weaker but had a smooth taste.
�I�m hungry, so let�s get going,� Alex urged.
When they went outside, there were three cars: two big black SUVs that bracketed a black limo. That must be the armored car Fritz had demanded.
◊◊◊
�That�s the place,� Alex said, pointing to a corner where a couple had set up a food stand.
When they stopped, Alex was pushed back into his seat so Fritz and his team could do their job.
�Your security sucks,� Alex mumbled.
�Just slow your roll. They�ll give the all-clear in a minute,� David promised.
When they finally got out, they found the woman working over a charcoal grill. She had round-shaped flatbread toasting.
�Remember the sandwich yesterday?� Alex asked Chloe.
�You called it
�They make a ham, egg, and cheese sandwich that will change your life,� Alex promised.
Nat spoke to the woman in rapid-fire Spanish that David had difficulty keeping up with. She ordered everyone, including all the security guys, a sandwich each.
The woman and her husband got busy as Nat and Alex pointed out different activities they could do today.
�Hang on. Did you say there�s a cat park?� David asked.
�Oh, yeah,� Nat said. �It�s called �The Cat and His Girlfriends.��
�It�s a fun tale. There are sculptures along the Cali River,� Alex said.
�The story goes that
�Ten years later, different artists got together and thought the lonely cat needed some company. So, they created female cats to become his girlfriends. They�re all colorful and different,� Alex finished.
�Do you think they�re twins?� David whispered to Chloe.
�Shut it, Dawson,� Alex said.
The first sandwich was ready, which shut Alex up. When David got his, he had to agree it was a tasty breakfast sandwich. Alex listed all the different fillings they put into these pockets of goodness. He assured David that he would introduce him to as many as he could find.
They walked along the Cali River on a nice walking path and spotted some locals getting their exercise. As they went, they discovered the different cat sculptures. It reminded David of a town not far from his hometown that put large white cows around the town square. A local would claim one and paint it in a wild design and bright colors.
They soon figured out why Nat had planned this trip because there were little shops that she and Chloe just
One good aspect of having security was that you had someone that could run your packages back to the car so you didn�t have to lug them around all day.
◊◊◊
Nat insisted they go to a park named
In the center was a large fountain with park benches for people to sit down and relax. David took a few quick pictures of the exotic plants his dad would love to see. The showstopper was a giant silver-colored palm tree that looked like it was made out of metal.
Then Alex pointed out why Nat had picked this place. All around the area were plenty of places to sit outside with vendors selling ice cream,
That was where they were introduced to David�s favorite thing so far,
He watched them make it, and some of the ingredients were head-scratchers. It started with a lot of ice, and then they added dried corn, pineapple,
Alex and David grabbed a bench to people-watch while the girls found another shop to check out.
�So � you and Chloe?� Alex tentatively asked.
�Are just friends. I�m sort of dating Crystal.�
Alex gave him a pained look.
�You have the worst taste in women. First, it was Lexi, the man-eater. Now you�ve picked Crystal, the gold digger. What�s next, the drama victim, or oh � I know � the one that claims that you complete her?�
�With Crystal, I�ve gone into it with eyes wide open. It�s more of an arrangement to fend off people for now. We both just got out of relationships and are nowhere near ready to date someone. So instead of the whole rebound-partner routine, we took matters into our own hands,� David explained.
�Right,� Alex drawled to show he didn�t believe a word of the BS David was selling. �She�s good in bed.�
David shrugged to let Alex guess that she was without him having to say it.
�So that means that what you did with Chloe wasn�t serious,� Alex stated.
�She has some self-confidence issues. From what I understand, she never dated any guys in high school.�
�She was a late bloomer, but I love her look now. I like long and skinny,� Alex said. �How did you two hook up?�
�She�s on the rowing team with Cassidy. I�ve been helping Cassidy become a leader, which she totally takes advantage of. One of their team-building activities was to do a scavenger hunt. The big point-getter was me succumbing to them and allowing them to give me head,� David shared.
�They couldn�t have waited until the fall for that? I would have volunteered to let them all suck my dick.�
David had no doubt about Alex�s proclamation. He might have to get t-shirts made to announce his willingness to receive head.
�Anyway,� David said, ignoring Alex, �Chloe pulled the �I�m a lesbian and want to see what I�m missing� card. So, I let her.�
�Only the one time?�
�Crystal sort of felt that Chloe needed training, so it happened several times,� David admitted.
�The next girl I�m seriously interested in that gives bad head I am sending to you because Chloe is the best I�ve ever had. Good job, man,� Alex said.
�A lot of that is on Chloe, but thanks, I guess.�
�One last question: since when did you start sharing what happens behind closed doors? I thought that was part of the Dawson Code,� Alex teased.
�Here�s the deal: Chloe is a little gun-shy when it comes to relationships. I told her that she needed to take charge so that she feels in control. I want you to pay her a lot of attention and follow her lead,� David said.
Alex was suddenly in his personal space and hugging David fiercely.
�Get off of me,� David grumped.
�You are by far the best friend I�ve ever had. Now, if you�d just bone my sister, so she quits obsessing about her V-card, you�ll be up for sainthood.�
�About that ��
�Dude, you�re killing me,� Alex whined.
�I like your sister � as a friend. It would just be a onetime event, and I would feel horrible if she thought it might lead to more.�
�Just tell her that,� Alex said.
�The problem is that when I have sex with someone, it changes things. I have a side of me that wants to claim all those women as mine. I would make a great old-school Mormon,� David explained.
�What about Chloe?�
�She knows the score. Plus, she told me she wanted to sleep with you. She said she knew I would make her first time go well. Chloe said with you, the two of you would both have been virgins, and it could have gotten awkward. She thinks that after she�s had some experience, she could help guide you better,� David shared.
�You�re so full of shit. You think she�s hot, too,� Alex said to call David on his BS.
�Are you saying that you�re not interested?� David fired back.
�Hell, no. I just like watching you squirm.�
�Then be a good little boy and let Chloe make you a man,� David suggested.
�Like I said � best friend ever.�
◊◊◊
All four of them were in high spirits when they made their way to salsa class. David reasoned that since Cali was the birthplace of salsa, it was mandatory that they either learned the dance or went out and winged it.
In high school, he�d ended up in a dance class for his PE elective. The main focus was on hip hop, but they did learn other dances. While he hadn�t learned to salsa, they�d taught him to tango. He asked the teacher if they were similar.
She said that if a couple appears to be gliding across the floor in an intimate and sensual embrace, that was the tango. Salsa was more of a party, open kind of dance where there�s a lot of spinning and hip wiggling.
He�d later learned to salsa and did more than a bit of it while filming
�Oh, man. David loves to wiggle his hips,� Fritz commented.
Being the smart boy he was, Alex insisted that David dance with his sister.
�You any good at this?� David asked Nat.
�I�ve been dancing the salsa since I could walk. Try to keep up,� she said with a challenging grin.
Their teacher for the class, a young woman with long blond curly hair in a bodysuit, got their attention.
�Let�s get started with the first basic step. Step forward � one, two � then back � one, two, three � then forward � one, two, three,� she said to demonstrate.
It looked to David like a sexy cat-walk as she moved her hips and arms to the beat of the music.
�This is boring,� Nat said as she left the line, stepped in front of David, and put her arms out for him to join her. �I�m going to lead at first until you get the hang of it.�
Since David had salsaed in Cuba, it wasn�t long before he got a feel for the Colombian version. He and Nat were soon flying around the floor. Alex and Chloe tried to follow suit, but it was slower going for them since Chloe was new to salsa. The teacher was good because she just went with their flow and provided helpful pointers.
At the break, he and Nat grabbed bottles of water and relaxed.
�This is harder than I remembered,� David admitted.
�You can work up a sweat,� Nat agreed.
Alex and Chloe sat down next to them.
�When we get back, I want to see your Bugattis,� David said and then turned to Chloe. �Rumor has it that Alex has one for every day of the week.�
�Not anymore,� Nat chirped.
Alex gave her a scowl before explaining.
�There was a bit of a snag in my plan. When I got them, the dealer didn�t mention the cost of maintenance. The manufacturer recommends that the massive quad-turbocharged 16-cylinder engine receive an oil change every fourteen months or 10,000 miles. Guess how much that costs?�
�Fifty bucks,� David guessed.
�I wish. Try $25,000.�
�Wow. And you had seven of them?� David asked.
�Hang on, it gets better. They said that it was recommended that the wheels be changed at the same time.�
�They must have seen how he drove them around town,� Nat added.
�I�m afraid to ask,� David said.
�$50,000. And that�s just for the wheels. The specially designed tires run from $8,000 for all-seasons to $42,000 for a set of high-performance summer rubber.�
�I take it your allowance didn�t cover that,� David said with a knowing grin.
�Dad made the dealer come get all of them and give us the money back because he forgot to share what it would cost to run them. Alex got to drive them for a year, though,� Nat shared.
Alex and Chloe used the restroom while David and Nat chatted. When they returned, Alex and Chloe were like two schoolkids giggling as they huddled across the room.
�I think I�ve created a nympho,� Alex teased as he stepped closer to Chloe.
David and Nat glanced at each other as if to ask what had happened.
�Looks who�s talking. I think I might have secretly always been one. You just helped release the beast,� Chloe said.
Alex gave her a predatory look.
�I have an inner beast of my own,� he announced as he pulled her into his arms. �I want to take you home and touch every inch of your sexy little body.�
Chloe made a whimpering sound that even had Mr. Happy interested.
Alex�s mouth moved along her neck, and he sucked on her earlobe.
�I plan to run my hands all over your body as I do follow-ups with my tongue. I want to take you every way possible and make you mine,� Alex said in a sexy voice.
�I think they�re about to abandon us,� David told Nat.
Sure enough, Alex and Chloe bailed on the rest of the evening.
After they left, Nat and David continued with their class.
◊◊◊
For dinner, Nat wanted to go somewhere nice, so she suggested
�Miss Sandoval, it is so good to see you again. Is it just you and your gentleman friend, or will your dad be joining us?�
�Arturo, this is my friend David. He�s here for Alex and my birthday,� Nat said, then turned to David. �Arturo runs the restaurant.�
�It�s nice to meet you.�
�Are you American?� Arturo asked.
�Yes. This is my first time in Colombia.�
�You look familiar.�
�David�s an actor,� Nat said.
�Yes! Bond, Ian Bond,� Arturo remembered. �You must let our chef make you her house specialties to try. You will tell us how we compare to others.�
�Maybe start us with the octopus,� Nat suggested.
�Of course. And I have an excellent wine to pair it with,� Arturo said and then hurried off before David told him that he really didn�t drink.
Nat leaned over the table with a conspiratorial smile.
�Arturo fancies you.�
�That�s nice. He seems like a nice man.�
�No. Arturo
�Oh, boy.�
�Do me a favor and smile at him because I really want to find out what the chef comes up with,� Nat said as she gave him a cute pout.
�Only if you protect my honor if I get drunk,� David said in mock seriousness.
�Of course.�
◊◊◊
By the end of the meal, David felt a bit buzzed because Arturo said he had to try the wine pairing that came with each dish. He had to admit that he was glad he did. Everything was excellent, and David promised to recommend
Their next stop was a professional salsa show. David was simply wowed at the skill they exhibited. He and Nat then went to a couple of clubs where he tried out some of the moves he saw at the show.
The two of them got to know each other better. When they got in the car to head back to the compound, Nat snuggled up next to him.
�I�m glad we were able to spend some alone time. I hope we can do more of this when I return to LA,� Nat said.
�I�d like that. I think we can be great friends,� David predicted.
She glanced up at him.
�With benefits?�
�No.�
David was learning that it was better not to try to explain why in situations like this. When he did, they latched onto it and either thought they could change his mind or were offended. It was best to be honest and direct and just bottom-line it.
She thought about what he said and then gave him a sideways look.
�Will you at least walk me to my door and give me a kiss goodnight?�
�I would love to.�
He did just that.
When he got back to his cottage, he shook his head. Chloe and Alex had decided to use the guest house as their love shack. It sounded like Alex was no longer a virgin.
Thankfully, something he�d learned by living in a dorm was how to go to sleep when there were loud noises through the wall.
◊◊◊
Bright sunlight streamed through the French doors. Chloe squinted and raised her hand to block the worst of it and then rolled to her side and buried her face in her pillow. Her whole body had a wonderful ache. She was sore between her legs in a way that wasn�t necessarily bad, just tender. She glanced down and saw she was naked and not alone.
Her eyes widened when she realized it was a man�Alex. The curve of his muscular back was peacefully rising and falling with each breath.
She ran the palm of her hand down her face and blinked to clear her sleep-addled brain. Alex had spent the night � after.
Yesterday had to have been a dream. In the morning, David�s incredibly sexy body had covered hers, and he�d made her a woman. Then, just a few hours later, she found herself in Alex�s strong arms. She�d been a wanton little slut as she�d spread her legs and accepted him inside her. They�d done it again and again until Alex could no longer get hard.
Sweet Jesus. Chloe knew that if she had been brave enough, she would have left Alex after he fell asleep and awakened David for more. Maybe she should just slip away and have Nat help her hide out for the rest of the trip because if either one of them got near her �
�Fuuuck,� whispered from her lips.
She felt out of control with a desire that made her loins throb. She needed to find her clothes and do something. She gently moved to the edge of the bed and swung her legs to the floor, being careful not to wake Alex.
�Hey, babe,� Alex quietly muttered, his voice full of sleep.
Chloe�s body betrayed her as it crawled back into bed. She felt a mixture of disbelief and shame that a boy could make her so weak. Alex reached out, draped his arm across her hip, and pulled her close to him, causing all those negative feelings to flee her mind. Her skin came alive at his gentle caress.
This was no dream; this was real. Her secret high school crush was in bed with her, and they�d had sex last night. She squeezed her thighs together as she remembered Alex above her as they made love. She tried not to squirm as she recalled him making her body sing. And if his reactions were genuine, she�d rocked his world, too.
A noise at the door made her rise up a little to see over Alex. Standing there was David, smiling at them in only his boxers. She collapsed back onto the mattress and tried to bury her head into the pillow to hide. The mattress sank softly as David climbed into bed, putting her in the middle.
�You two were noisy last night. It�s lucky for you that Nat and I didn�t get in until nearly two, or I might have come in to see if Alex needed any help.�
She rolled over to face David and tried to wrap her head around his words. Their noses were only inches apart as she looked into his eyes. He gave her one of his teasing, naughty, unbelievably sexy looks that made her knees go weak. She found her hand slowly rubbing his chest.
Alex woke up more and pressed into her back with his head lying on her ear.
�I don�t remember you in bed with us last night,� Alex said.
�I was just checking on you both. You must have been doing something right because Chloe was begging you,� David said.
�I didn�t beg,� she mumbled.
Alex flopped on his back.
�Please, Alex. Fuck me, Alex,� he mimicked teasingly. �I think David is right. You did do some begging.�
Her cheeks went hot, and her head whipped around to glare at Alex. Her whole body remembered that moment as her groin throbbed at the thought of his hard cock pushing into her.
�You wanted it as bad as I did,� Chloe said.
�That I did,� Alex said as he smiled at the ceiling, lost in his own memories.
She knew that she was in trouble with both of them in bed with her. She should leave right now, but she couldn�t seem to get her body to move.
�Are you okay with what happened last night?� Alex asked as he rolled toward her with a serious look.
He asked it softly with a lot of care in his tone. It made her stomach clench with desire.
�You�re safe,� David added. �You can tell Alex how you really feel.�
Weren�t boys supposed to jump you and then go off to brag with their friends about what a lousy lay you were when they couldn�t perform? She�d seen it time and again in high school when one of them would slut-shame their latest conquest. Boys weren�t supposed to ask you if you were okay or tell you that you were safe with them. Were they?
�You can�t tell anyone,� she said.
�If that�s what you want, I can go along with that for now,� Alex said. �But I hope that at some point, you�ll feel comfortable enough that we can tell people that we care about each other.�
�It�s just between us,� David promised.
�Then I�m good,� Chloe said.
Alex raised an eyebrow at her.
�You sure?�
She nodded.
Alex kicked the top sheet off his long body, which allowed Chloe to see all of him in the light of day. He wasn�t as tall as David, but after playing soccer for years, he was gorgeous. David chuckled, which made Chloe realize that she was staring.
Alex winked at her as her eyes traveled south across his broad shoulders, defined chest, well-muscled arms, and down the trail of hair around his belly button. He had a washboard stomach that was just about�oh, my goodness. His cock was smooth and erect. It looked ready for action.
David reached out and pinched the nipple closest to him, making her attention switch to him. She�d seen his body before, and there was no doubt he was a model and actor. She was bracketed by two young men that any girl would kill to be with.
She looked back at Alex as a plan began to form. She gave him a knowing smile. Alex, in turn, gave her a confused look.
�What are you up to?�
�Play with my other tit,� Chloe whispered, not believing what just came out of her mouth. She turned to David. �You too, please.�
Large hands from each boy closed over her firm globes, tweaking her nipples and mauling them. Chloe let her head fall back, and she closed her eyes when she felt David turn her head to him. Her eyes barely opened as his lips touched hers. Alex leaned down and sucked on the breast he was working on.
�Suck on them,� she moaned as David backed off.
Alex pushed David�s hand off the other breast to caress and tease one while he used his mouth on the other and then switched. David�s kisses became more profound and demanding. She felt him slide his hand down her stomach. Chloe shuddered when his thick fingers began to toy with her needy pussy.
Alex sucked hard and pulled his head back. When her nipple popped out of his mouth, he kissed her neck.
�You�re fucking stunning. I was so stupid not to go after you in high school.�
That was what she�d always hoped to hear in high school, that Alex thought of her as a sexy girl. She pushed David away, turned to Alex, and kissed him with all the feeling she could muster. His tongue sank into her mouth. David�s hand gently pulled her thighs open, his fingers massaging closer and closer to her heated core. She cried out into Alex�s kiss when David�s tongue suddenly slid between her cunt lips.
David knew what he was doing, and it didn�t take long before her lips pulled away from Alex, and she put her palm on David�s forehead.
�Stop,� she moaned as she tried to wiggle away. �You�re driving me crazy.�
�That�s our evil plan,� Alex said with an amused look.
�You�re both okay being with me at the same time?� Chloe asked.
The two of them grinned like idiots and did a fist bump. What the actual hell? A fist bump?
�What�s your evil plan?� Chloe asked.
�I plan to fuck you again and make you cum,� Alex said.
�I ache down there,� she admitted.
�I�ll make it all better,� David promised as he leaned back down and began eating her again.
�Let David help you,� Alex encouraged.
�Okay.�
David began to pull out all his oral skills as she found her legs spread wide. She could feel that he was getting her close because she started to get dizzy. His tongue was impossibly long and hot. It left a path of destruction as it wormed its way into her sore little pussy. The two boys had abused it yesterday in the best possible way.
Alex was watching David perform oral sex on her. When she was on the cusp, Chloe grabbed two handfuls of David�s hair and arched her back. As David got her closer, her legs parted and pulled back further. When her squeals became screams of passion, Alex began to sensuously arouse her breasts and neck.
�She�s right there,� Alex announced.
David doubled down on his effort.
Alex seemed to be enjoying this, and she realized in amazement that she liked him watching as David pleasured her. Her pussy spasmed as her release exploded. Her whole body shook as she felt pleasurable tingles shoot through her. David gently sucked on her pussy through her orgasm as she finally came down and whimpered into Alex�s chest.
Alex reached down and stroked himself. She watched as he pumped his length while his other hand brushed her hair out of her face. He nuzzled her neck again and brushed his lips against hers.
�We just want to make you happy,� Alex said as he began to kiss her.
Chloe pushed him away.
�What do you need, baby?� David asked.
She did need something, but could she ask for it? Why not?
�Lose the boxers. I want to suck Mr. Happy,� she admitted.
�And what do you want me to do?� Alex asked.
�I want � I want ��
�Say it,� David urged.
�I want you inside me. I want you to fuck me.�
�We can do that,� Alex said as he hunted down another condom.
She was surprised when David straddled her chest. His cock in her face looked monstrous. His body blocked her view of Alex; she felt the bed shift as David got into position. She wrapped her fingers around Mr. Happy and then looked up at David.
�You�ve got this,� he encouraged.
She nodded, then sucked the tip between her lips.
Alex distracted her when she felt his finger enter her to test her wetness. She moaned when he pulled out of her. He positioned her where he wanted and pressed the head of his cock against her wet pussy, rubbing against her tenderness. Then he sank into her, and her pussy spasmed as Alex growled to show his arousal.
She reached up and pulled David forward as she tried to swallow him whole.
�Dear God! Yes � that�s good,� David cried out.
His cock filled her mouth as she tasted his familiar maleness. David began to thrust gently as she paused because Alex kept pulling her attention away from her task.
Having both of them at once was liberating. It was confirmation that Chloe was sexy enough to attract two men of this caliber.
�Oh, fuck, that feels amazing,� David said as she swirled her tongue around the head of his dick.
Alex began to use long, deep strokes as he drove into her abused pussy. The two of them had done a number on her yesterday, but she wouldn�t trade today for anything, no matter how sore she felt. She moaned loudly around David�s cock, unconsciously sucking in rhythm with Alex�s thrusts.
David must have been close because he began to fuck her mouth more firmly. Then he moaned, and he filled her mouth with his orgasm. She sucked harder, urging him to fill her mouth with hot liquid. David�s cock kept jerking as jet after jet filled her mouth. Finally, he eased Mr. Happy out of her mouth as he rolled to the side and flopped back, looking like a contented cat that�d eaten the canary.
Yesterday, Chloe ran to the bathroom to spit out Alex�s spend. Today, she didn�t care; she swallowed.
�Alex,� she urged. �I�m so fucking close. Harder.�
He leaned over her, and they kissed as he did as she asked.
�Cum for me,� Alex said. �Cream all over my cock.�
�I will,� Chloe promised.
She could feel her muscles tighten in her core, indicating the gathering storm was about to break. Alex�s cock felt huge in her tiny pussy. It ignited every nerve ending in her channel.
�You want to cum on my cock?�
�Yes.�
�You want to do this with me all the time?�
�Oh, yes.�
�You don�t want this to be a secret anymore?� Alex asked.
�No. I want everyone to know that you�re my man!�
�I�m so happy for you two,� David said.
She absolutely lost her mind when she exploded on Alex�s magnificent cock. Her tunnel clamped down and held him deep. It was too much for Alex as he cried out in his own release.
The last thing she remembered was snuggling in a heap, sandwiched between two hard bodies, as she fell back asleep.
◊◊◊
They got a late start on their second day of playing tourist. In the morning, they went to Cali�s
David was like a kid in a candy store as he checked out all the art. Alex focused on all the food he could find. He and Chloe found a shady spot as Nat and David wanted to check out all the vendors.
�Did you have a problem with David joining us this morning?� Chloe asked.
�Not unless you did.�
�No, I had fun.�
�It was just a random happening. If it had been almost anyone else, I might have been concerned,� Alex admitted.
�Our past history doesn�t worry you?� she pressed.
�Again, not unless it bothers you. I�m happy to have you in any way I can. If that means David joins us now and then, I�m cool. I actually got off watching him make you squirm,� Alex admitted.
�Good, because I might want to do it again sometime. Not often, but David is a lot of fun to be with.�
Alex shrugged.
�Did you mean it earlier? Do you want to be my boyfriend?�
�Very much.�
�Good. I want to go out with you, too.�
◊◊◊
In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a famous statue overlooks the city. It is
Nat insisted that it was a must-see if you were in Cali. They arrived in the late afternoon and found it not too crowded. Besides the fantastic statue, the views from the top of the hill gave them a magnificent view of Cali and the valley beyond it.
�Who�s up for pizza?� Alex asked.
�I hadn�t thought of that. Let�s do it,� Nat agreed.
�There�s a pizza place just up that trail, which I call the �pizza path.� We can sit on the patio to eat and enjoy the views,� Alex shared to explain his sister�s excitement.
�I�m in,� David said to cast his vote.
Everyone turned to Chloe. She just began walking the �pizza path.�
◊◊◊
�The last place I expected to find a pizza joint was on a mountain overlooking Cali,� David said.
They�d snagged prime seats on the patio, right next to the guardrail.
�I need to warn you about tomorrow. The rest of our family will be flying in for our birthday,� Alex said.
�Why the warning?� Chloe asked.
�They are in � the business,� Nat said diplomatically.
Chloe felt stupid because David had mentioned that Umberto�s brother was the head of the Sandoval Cartel.
�Don�t worry,� David said. �Fritz talked to me earlier and is confident that they will have enough security. He did say that the violence in Bogota is escalating, but that�s nine hours away by car. He�s been told the risk is low here in Cali.�
�I�m not worried about my safety. I�d just forgotten about that side of the family,� Chloe explained.
�Having the Sandoval name can be good and bad. We did have to flee Greece when some of our security was bought off, and they tried to take my dad for ransom,� Nat said.
It made sense now why they had all the security protect them when they were outside the compound. Kidnapping wasn�t something you usually saw in LA.
�I didn�t really know if I should have bought you both gifts for your birthday,� Chloe said.
�You and David showing up is gift enough. We�ll get tons of stuff from our relatives,� Nat said.
�I got my Bugattis for my sixteenth birthday,� Alex said.
�I only got you Beard Grow XL to help you finally get some facial hair. I didn�t plan on buying you a car,� David teased.
Alex flicked an ice cube at David�s head in response.
�He�s so getting that as a stocking stuffer this Christmas,� Nat predicted.
�If I do, then you�ll be getting a training bra,� Alex warned.
�See what you started?� Chloe asked David.
He didn�t seem fazed that he�d gotten the twins bickering.
◊◊◊
After they ate, they went back to the house and watched movies.
Alex thought it best that he be found in his own bed in the morning because it was a tradition for their dad to wake them and make pancakes. David walked Chloe back to their cottage.
He kissed her forehead and wished her a good night.
◊◊◊
Two jets flew in, waking everyone. That meant that the extended Sandoval family had arrived. David got up and took a shower. He found Fritz, Chuck, and Paul sitting in their cottage�s living area when he was done.
�What are you guys up to?� David asked as he heard Chloe get into the shower.
�The cartel�s security team asked that we wait here with you and Chloe until they did their check of the compound and the rest of the estate.�
David received a text. Alex said that he and Nat would be over shortly, and they would go to the market to pick up some produce for their chef. It would give them a chance to get out of the chaos that was going on at the house.
The Sandoval clan had a large barbecue in store for tonight. Alex had shared that there would be Colombian-style beef ribs, and they planned to do a whole beef hindquarter. David knew that was about 130 pounds of meat by itself.
Nat and Alex walked into the cottage as Chloe finished getting ready.
�I hate to do this to you, but my family wants to meet the Hollywood actor,� Alex said.
They made their way to the main house, where four generations of Sandovals were present to celebrate the twins� birthday. David spent a half-hour being introduced along with Chloe, who Alex declared was his girlfriend. Poor girl.
He saw one couple hadn�t come over to meet him. David noticed because they were in their early twenties and looked to be arguing. It wasn�t the arguing that caught his attention; it was the fact that the young woman would have stood out in any crowd. And she knew it. It wasn�t her rich, dark hair, slightly tanned skin, curvy shape, and striking looks that intrigued him. She was wearing a white bikini bottom with a white half fitness shirt that you might see in a gym. What made David smile was that she was wearing four-inch heels by the pool. A few women with larger breasts don�t need the aid of a bra, and this sexy thing was one of them.
�Introduce me,� David said as he used his chin to point out who he was talking about.
�That�s my cousin Orlando and his latest girlfriend, Ariana. She�s a fitness model and hosts a reality TV dating show. He always seems to bring a similar-quality babe to these family get-togethers. Once they get to know him, they�re gone, and he�s off to the next one,� Alex explained.
To this point, Orlando and his girlfriend had been quietly arguing. Suddenly, they could be heard across the party.
�Oh, really?�
She folded her arms. Now Orlando had done it.
�You�re going to give me an ultimatum?� Ariana fumed.
Orlando threw his arms up in frustration.
�Don�t act like you�re not forcing my hand!�
�This isn�t the 1950s. I�m not going to marry you just because your mother thinks you should be a father. I�m not giving up my career to sit at home and wash your dirty clothes and have babies,� she shot back at him.
Orlando turned bright red.
�I�m not the one who said I had to marry you before you sleep with me,� he said, pointing at Ariana. �You know what it means to marry into my family. There are expectations as to how our women act. If that doesn�t make you happy, then take a walk. I�ve been as patient as I can be. Now you have to decide.�
He went to stomp off into the house. But as he stepped away, a ball that two little boys were playing with got away from them and rolled in front of Orlando. His patent-leather shoe landed right on top of it. There was a moment of suspended animation where David could glimpse into the future and imagine what was about to happen. Orlando got this shocked look on his face as his front foot shot forward, and he did a perfect front split.
David had dated cheerleaders who would have been jealous of how far down he got. The problem was that his boy bits cushioned his body�s impact when he hit the concrete. His shocked look changed instantly to one of excruciating pain. There might have even been a crunching noise that made David a little queasy in sympathy.
�My balls!� Orlando screamed, clutching his crotch. �I�ve crushed my balls!�
Everyone seemed stunned into paralysis. David ran up to him, unsure what to do to help but confident that crushing one�s balls was severe. He was impressed, though, that Orlando had been able to even talk. If it had been him, nothing as coherent would have passed his lips.
�It looks like you ripped your pants,� David said and then realized that didn�t matter. �Oh, sorry. You probably don�t care that everyone can see your butt. I mean, it�s a bold choice not to wear underwear. My mom always told me that mine had to be clean if I had to go to the hospital � Oh, yeah. I might be rambling. Sorry. It�s just I never saw something like that happen before.�
�Let�s help him up and get him inside. My dad will call a doctor,� Alex said to save David from having any more verbal diarrhea.
David wasn�t really surprised when Orlando didn�t want his help carrying him inside.
After Alex and one of his cousins helped Orlando into the house, David found Nat and Chloe at his side, trying not to laugh.
�At least his girlfriend won�t have to worry about babies now,� David said, still stunned.
The two of them couldn�t help themselves and burst out laughing. Half the crowd joined them in nervous laughter. But there was one severe-looking woman�almost certainly Orlando�s mother�who glared at him.
�I don�t think I�ll be invited back,� David predicted, causing another round of laughter.
�We better get him out of here before he says anything else,� Nat said.
◊◊◊
David was made to sit and wait until Alex was free so they could leave to go to the market. Nat and Chloe made him promise not to leave his chair at one of the outdoor tables. He spotted Ariana weaving her way through the crowd directly toward him. If he hadn�t promised, he would have fled before he could cause more trouble.
As she got closer, he cycled through opening lines for a woman like her. But she was faster.
�I never liked the Stryker character. I much preferred Ian Bond. But today, you were more the bumbling fool from
�That wasn�t my best moment,� David admitted.
�Ariana,� she said, sitting down.
�David.�
�How do you know Alex?�
�He�s my college roommate.�
�I hear that you�re going into town to go to the market. Care if I tag along? I think we both need to leave for a while so everyone can calm down.�
�As long as you put pants on. I don�t feel like getting into a fistfight to protect your honor with you dressed like that,� David said.
�You don�t think I should wear this in public?� she teased.
�That should only be worn when you and I are alone,� David said as he gave her his sexiest look.
�What�s going on?� Nat asked.
�Ariana asked if she could go to the market with us. She�s going to change, and then we can leave,� David said.
◊◊◊
The market was in a large warehouse with twenty-foot ceilings. It was laid out in a grid where each vendor had a permanent area to set up shop. Nat had brought two of their workers from the compound to pull around a wagon that she could fill with fresh produce.
David found Ariana had tucked her arm under his. While she did that, Alex showed them around. Alex raised an eyebrow but didn�t say anything.
�While Nat shops, let�s grab something to eat. There�s this place in the far corner that has the best
�And � that is?� Chloe asked so David didn�t have to.
�Stew made with local meat and yuca, corn, potatoes, and plantain. It�s usually served along with white rice,� Ariana explained. �It�s one of my favorite traditional dishes
�I�ve learned that if your grandmother makes it, it has to be good,� David said.
Their version was made with chicken.
Paul had drawn the short straw, so he stayed in the car while Fritz and Chuck joined them.
As they were served, a large group of men ranging in age between sixteen and twenty-five walked in the side door, talking loudly. David noted that Alex stiffened, which David pointed out to Fritz. Ariana must have had the same vibe because she leaned down over her food and concentrated on eating.
The group passed them by. As soon as they had, Alex was on his phone with Nat.
�A group from the Los Tiburones Cartel just came into the market. You need to wrap this up pronto,� Alex said.
�How do you know they�re in a cartel?� David asked.
�Their tattoos.�
�I�ll have Paul pull the car around to this door,� Fritz said. �If ��
That was all Fritz got out when there were screams and people were running down the aisle. All around them, people threw themselves to the ground. Suddenly, David felt sharper and more alert than before. The only cover he saw was the counter they were eating at, so he jumped over it. He then pulled Ariana over and had her get down as he did the same with Chloe and Alex.
Fritz did something David never thought he would do: he reached over and handed David a pistol.
A salvo of gunshots rang out.
�There are men with assault rifles rushing in,� David heard Paul say over Chuck�s phone. �I�m releasing the swarm with all safeties off.�
Someone had a heavy-caliber gun. Probably a .45 pistol.
Then came a burst of full auto. Instantly, David hit the ground as gunfire broke out in all directions. He covered his head, curled into a ball, and turned his back to the action.
It was total chaos as people were running in circles. Between the outside group and the Los Tiburones Cartel members, they were faced with drawn guns and were caught in the crossfire. The shooting lasted several seconds as the boxes on shelves over their heads exploded when the machine-gun rounds ripped them apart. The girls both screamed.
When it was finally over, David rolled up on his knees to peek over the counter to see if Fritz and Chuck were okay. He saw them jammed behind some fruit crates. The knot of people that had been running for the side door lay in a writhing pile. It was a massacre. There were guns and blood all over the floor.
Chuck took advantage of the lull in the action to slip behind the counter. Fritz was nowhere to be seen.
�If we want to get out of here, we need to go RIGHT NOW!� Chuck said.
The workers that ran the kiosk they were hiding in pointed to a way out behind the shelves.
�Chuck, you go first, and I�ll follow,� David ordered.
He looked back into the warehouse, but it was impossible to see what was happening. He was contemplating whether he should go render aid to the people by the door. Just then, a young boy who had come in with the group that made Alex and Ariana nervous ran down an aisle to flee. A man with his face covered and carrying an assault rifle stepped out into the aisle behind the boy. The boy turned, raised his pistol, and pulled the trigger several times.
The boy collapsed. and the guy with the assault rifle looked right into David�s eyes, turned, and continued hunting his intended targets: Los Tiburones Cartel members.
Chuck followed the employees to a small door where they could take out the trash and restock. As the workers disappeared, the gunshots intensified as the two groups found each other. David almost had a heart attack when he felt someone grab his collar. It was Fritz, and Nat was with him, so David let her go in front of him.
�Where are the Sandoval security people?� David asked Fritz in a low voice.
�They left us when they figured out what we�re facing.�
That made David appreciate Fritz and his team even more. He might joke around about firing them, but after today, that would always be an empty threat.
To be honest, he didn�t blame the other security team for bailing. They were outnumbered and outgunned. He would probably choose to go home to his family, too.
In the distance, sirens could be heard rushing to the scene.
Then the shooting suddenly stopped.
David made it outside and saw that the trunk of the armored car was open, and up above, the swarm of drones was circling. The queen drone was acting as the eye in the sky, guiding the smaller drones� movements.
�Holster your gun,� Fritz said to Chuck as Fritz took David�s gun back.
The hovering queen drone would have labeled them as threats with their guns drawn.
He understood a moment later when the men with assault rifles came running out of the market. They must have finished off the other cartel. When the drones spotted the gunmen, they came screaming out of the sky and began to drop them with their built-in Tasers.
David knew from experience that it would only knock down the bad guys for a few minutes.
�Run! Get in the car!� David yelled as the rest of them stopped to gawk.
Everybody dove in, and Paul had just started to pull from the curb when bullets ricocheted off the car�s body. He didn�t slow down as he sped away, only to see two jeeps, full of men, in pursuit. Everyone in the back was tossed around as Paul swerved in and out of traffic.
�Call ahead and have your jet prepped,� Fritz told David. �This could spiral into something nasty, and we may need to get out of here.�
David called his copilot and told him to get everything ready.
In the meantime, they�d come to a stop.
�What the fuck is going on?!� Fritz yelled.
�There�s an accident up ahead,� Chuck said.
David looked out the back window, and six men were running between cars with guns raised.
�Why are they chasing us?� Chloe cried.
�Because we�re in this car. They know we�re a high-value target. They may think some of the Los Tiburones Cartel got away,� Alex said.
�I don�t care what you have to do, get us out of here,� Fritz ordered.
Paul jumped the curb and began driving down the sidewalk as he honked his horn to get people to move. David felt terrible when they ran over a couple of stands, but stuff could be replaced. They cleared the accident and jumped back onto the street.
The bad guys had done the same. They were almost to the wreck when Chuck guided the queen drone�the one that directed all the smaller swarm�into the windshield of the lead jeep. That caused the jeep to slam into a light pole, which trapped the other jeep behind it.
Alex was on the phone with his dad. His uncle and his key men had already bugged out, leaving all the women and children at the compound.
�We have company!� Fritz called out when they were a quarter-mile from their destination.
�Dad�s ready for them. Go through the gate,� Alex said.
When they got to the gate, Sandoval security men had their guns raised. The jeep slammed on its brakes and quickly turned around and left.
�Drive to the airstrip,� Alex said.
They arrived in time to see the second jet race down the runway and fly off. As David exited the car, he saw that there were still women and children milling around. His copilot looked agitated.
�I told them that we can�t take everyone. We don�t have enough seats.�
�I don�t care,� David said and then turned to the crowd. �Leave all your bags. Only take the stuff you absolutely need, like medicine. We will be tight, so I�m going to ask that the children sit on someone�s lap. When the seats are all taken, sit in the aisle.�
David noted that boarding happened in record time compared to a flight back home, and with zero bitching. They were packed in like sardines when he finally closed the door and went to the cockpit.
�We�re too heavy,� his copilot bitched.
�We are,� David admitted as he taxied to the runway.
�Perimeter breach! We have a perimeter breach!� came over the radio.
�Should we stay?� David asked his copilot.
�It�s going to fly like a pig.�
David wound the engines up as far as he dared with the brakes on and then released them. They lumbered down the runway. The added weight was more of a problem than David had thought. He had the jet at full throttle, and he watched his speed slowly gain.
�Our fucking speed is too low!� the copilot yelled as they drew close to the end of the runway. �Abort! Abort!�
David had a sphincter-tightening moment as he ignored his copilot. He could see they were going to roll off the end of the runway at full speed. There was no doubt the front wheels would probably snap off, and they would crash. Fortunately, the aircraft finally began to feel light on the wheels, so he pulled the yoke back a bit, lifting the nose, and the wheels broke loose from the ground�right at the edge of the runway.
�Oh my, God! We�re alive,� his copilot said in disbelief.
That was when David realized that he had to piss like a racehorse. That reminded him of another lesson his mom had taught him: always go to the bathroom before you leave home.
◊◊◊
An hour later, they were landing at Alex�s uncle�s landing strip outside Bogota. As soon as they landed, he was out of his seat, had the door open, and dropped the steps. He was under the plane peeing on the runway when Ariana found him.
�You�re such a classy guy,� she said with a smirk.
�If I owned that plane, I would have just peed in the cockpit,� David admitted.
David discovered that one of the people on the plane was Orlando�s mother. Her opinion of him had improved a bit. He wondered what it would take to actually win the woman over.
His copilot, on the other hand, wasn�t a fan, and he quit.
Umberto found David a half-hour after they landed.
�We need to leave for LA as soon as possible.�
�Why? What�s going on?� David asked.
�The troubles here in Bogota are escalating. My brother suspects that the Los Tiburones Cartel wants to take over Colombia, which means my brother and his men are in danger. It�s not safe for us to return to Cali right now. I�m asking that you fly my family out of the country.�
�I don�t have a problem with that. But I can guarantee you that the FBI will be waiting when we land,� David warned.
�My lawyers will be there to smooth everything over,� Umberto promised.
If by that he meant an absolute shit-storm, then it was smooth. It would have been easier to fly into Mexico and walk across the border than deal with all the idiots from the different agencies that wanted a piece of Umberto. Which meant anyone with him was also fair game.
The reason they were in a tizzy was that there were several incidents across Central and South America. Besides the 21 people killed in Cali, there were 19 deaths in Mexico. The one that got the most press in the states was two men executed on a Cancun beach in front of hundreds of American tourists.
Government at its best. It finally took a call to Senator Dixon to cut through all the red tape. It seemed that if you flee for your life and don�t have your passport, it�s a big problem, even if you are in the system.
He made Umberto come to his house to face his mother. Yep, David was chicken.
In the end, he was finally home.
◊◊◊
Later that night, David got a call from Alex.
�Dad talked to our people back home. When they figured out that they were in a Sandoval compound, the cartel people left. Our people are packing up your stuff and sending it to us.�
�Was anyone hurt?� David asked.
�No. Everyone�s fine. Dad has decided that we�ll stay here in LA until whatever is happening between the cartels calms down. He�s also hiring your security to protect us here in the states. He�s not happy with the people he hired last spring, so he�s letting them go.�
David had to agree that was probably for the best. As far as David was concerned, he would have hired someone like Fritz after the incident in Greece.
Then David had a thought.
�Tell me if Fritz decides on additional security at the dorm. I wouldn�t put it past him to insist that someone bunk in our living room.�
�Honestly, I might be okay with that right now,� Alex admitted, letting David know how much the stuff in Cali had shaken him up.
�If they do, tell me, and I�ll let you know which guys would be okay as roommates. The last thing we need is a problem child,� David advised.
�I�ll do that,� Alex said.
In the background, David could hear someone calling Alex�s name.
�I�ve got to go. I�ll talk to you soon,� Alex said and then hung up.
◊◊◊
It was officially announced that Drew Langford was the new athletic director for USC. He�d previously been the AD for Baylor and had seen them through a scandal. The Baylor basketball and football teams were both now highly ranked, making him the best possible candidate outside of the Alabamas, Ohio States, and Clemsons of the world.
His initial introduction had gone predictably. Drew had said all the right words and promised to put USC back on the map.
Once back at his office, he received a call from Chip Wagner, the sports reporter from Channel 10 who covered USC.
�Chip, I didn�t expect a call so soon.�
�I have an open slot on my afternoon sportscast. I thought you might want to come on the show and set the narrative before the FBI stuff drowns you out,� Chip offered.
�When do you want me?�
Drew knew that Chip was right. During the hiring process, he�d been advised that he was expected to be decisive and reset the course of USC athletics. Unlike what had happened at Baylor, this was national news affecting universities across the country.
The subtext was that Coach Clayton was something he needed to deal with immediately. They hadn�t told him to fire or keep the head coach. They were leaving that up to him.
He quickly told his assistant to send out a message to all athletic department staff, coaches, and student-athletes to let them know about the interview.
◊◊◊
Drew arrived at the Channel 10 studios and was escorted to meet with Chip.
�Welcome and thank you for giving me the first exclusive interview,� Chip said in greeting.
�Just be kind. I�ve only been on the job for half a day,� Drew said.
�I�ll try,� was the weak assurance Chip provided.
Drew fully expected that Chip was about to ambush him.
Chip looked at his watch.
�Shall we? It�s time,� he said and proceeded to introduce his show and his guest.
Chip:
Drew:
Chip:
Drew:
Chip:
Drew:
Chip:
Drew:
Chip:
Drew:
Chip:
Drew
Chip:
Drew:
Chip:
Drew:
◊◊◊
His first full day on the job would be interesting. Drew was scheduled to talk to the FBI in the morning and to Coach Clayton in the afternoon. He still wasn�t sure what to do about the coach but hoped that he could come to a decision by the end of the day.
He was disappointed that Jaxson Pettis, his predecessor, hadn�t agreed to meet with him and do a handoff. But he couldn�t really fault him because he hadn�t offered to help the new Baylor AD, either. It might be better to have a clean slate and bring his own ideas about how to handle his job.
At ten a.m. on the nose, his assistant buzzed his office phone.
�Your ten o�clock is here.�
�Send them in.�
His office door opened, and a severe-looking woman in her late fifties entered. He stood up and went around his desk to greet her.
�Drew Langford.�
She introduced herself as Susan�not Sue�Vargas. Susan was the Assistant Director, Los Angeles Field Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Drew hadn�t expected the head of the Los Angeles FBI to be standing in his office. They took their seats, and Susan took charge of the meeting.
�Before I say anything, I�m unable to comment on an ongoing investigation. As such, I cannot give you names or what they might have done regarding what we are calling Operation Varsity Blues. As I�m sure you are aware, some information has leaked, which we are looking into.
�Because of those leaks, the Director asked me to meet with you personally since Jaxson Pettis had been most cooperative in providing us with information. It is our hope that you�ll continue doing the same.�
�I guess that depends on what you need and what I�m at liberty to provide,� Drew said to show that he wasn�t about to be taken advantage of.
The FBI wasn�t beyond taking advantage of transitions. They counted on the new people in positions like his to gain access or an edge that someone experienced would have put the brakes on. It sounded like Jaxson had pulled his pants down and bent over to give the FBI whatever they wanted.
She simply stared at him, which became unnerving after a few minutes, but Drew held his ground.
�If that�s the case, I would suggest that you bring counsel to our next meeting,� Ms. Vargas pressed.
�Thanks for the advice,� Drew said. �May I ask if any information on our football team was leaked?�
�It might be possible a kicker was enrolled with aid from an outside source, but I�m not comfortable saying more. If you do an Internet search, you might discover a sister who was helped with her acceptance at another school.�
�Was there a list of the files you looked at?� Drew tried.
�I can�t tell you that. Now, if there is nothing else, I need to return to my office.�
Drew had a hundred questions he wanted to be answered but could see he would get nothing else from Ms. Vargas.
◊◊◊
After Ms. Vargas had dropped her bombshell that all but confirmed the football team�s involvement, his talk to Coach Clayton took on a more ominous feel.
Drew was irritated with Coach Clayton when he was informed that the coach was too busy to leave his office. If the athletic director wanted to talk, he would have to come to the coach. Drew let it slide because he didn�t have time to play dominance games. It was an obvious power play that normally wouldn�t have worked.
When he reached the football offices, no one was at the reception desk, so he walked on back. Coach Clayton�s office door was open, so Drew knocked.
�Come in!� Coach Clayton called out.
When he saw it was the AD, he said, �Oh, it�s you. Like I said, I�m busy.�
�Doing what?�
�Planning fall practice. The position coaches submitted their training timelines, and I have to fix them.�
Drew had never heard of that before.
�Training timelines?�
�The NCAA only gives us so many hours to prepare for the season. Every team on our schedule has the exact same amount. It�s my job to maximize that time. The timelines lay out minute-by-minute what we�ll be doing in practice. This way, we don�t waste any valuable opportunities to work with our young men,� Coach Clayton explained.
�And your assistants have messed them up?�
�Not exactly. They don�t have the full picture of what we want to accomplish. I�m making tweaks to better align with our goals.�
�I can see that you are detail-oriented,� Drew said in the politest way since this sounded like a case of micromanagement. It told him that the head coach didn�t trust his assistants. �I won�t take up much of your valuable time. I just have two questions.�
�I appreciate that you respect my process.�
�Who is the kicker the FBI is looking at?�
�Jeffrey Quaker,� Coach Clayton said without hesitation.
Drew hadn�t expected the coach to tell him because that meant Dylan knew what was going on and had approved it.
�Are you planning to suspend him?�
�Absolutely not. The FBI is not the NCAA. Plus, Quaker is our starter, and we don�t have a backup that we can count on.�
�Sorry, one more. Did the special teams coach know about this?�
�Of course he did. He was the one who told me that the admissions department was requesting that we take him. If they want something, I�m inclined to give it to them because they can help me with borderline cases. To be honest, if they asked again, I would work with them,� Coach Clayton acknowledged.
�Did you and/or your special teams coach receive money?�
�We sure did.�
Drew sighed.
�Come with me,� Drew said.
�I don�t have time for any of this. Please get out of my office,� Coach Clayton said.
�Either you come with me, or I�ll have to call security.�
For the first time, Coach Clayton had an inkling he might have done something wrong.
�What�s going on?�
�I�m firing you.�
�You can�t do that!�
�Listen, Dylan. This can be done quietly, and you get a portion of your buyout. Or I�ll fire you for cause, and we potentially sue you for breach of contract.�
�You can�t do that!� Coach Clayton said again.
�I would suggest that if that is your belief, you exit now and go talk to a lawyer.�
�You�re serious.�
�I am. I need you to surrender your keys. You can make arrangements tomorrow or later in the week to gather your personal belongings.�
Coach Clayton looked stunned. He stood up, pulled his keys off his keyring, and laid them on the desk. Without a further word, he walked out. Drew followed him to the parking lot. Then Drew called security to keep an eye out and human resources to lock him out of his email, phone, and the USC computer network.
Now he had to go fire the special teams coach. It was a hell of a full first day.
◊◊◊
LeVar Mitchell wasn�t surprised when he was let go.
�Are you going to ask Jeffery to leave the program?� LeVar asked about the kicker in the middle of all this.
�We�ll have to.�
�Can I do it? It�ll come better from me.�
Drew thought about it, and against his better judgment, agreed.
◊◊◊
Coach Clayton did get a lawyer, so it was decided that until an agreement could be reached, USC would keep quiet about his and Coach Mitchell�s firing.
In the meantime, he had to find new head coaches for football, rowing, and soccer. The football opening couldn�t have come at a worse time. Fall practice would begin in a week, and the quality coaches wouldn�t want to make a move. That meant he would need to find an interim coach.
As far as he could see, that left him with two choices: either promote someone from within or look for a coach he could lure out of retirement. He was in the process of making a short list of candidates when he received a call. Two of their boosters wanted to have a word.
He asked his assistant who they were, and when he found out, quickly agreed to the meeting. People don�t like to admit it, but money does buy access. Ron Pennington and Gabe Francis�s donations had been one of the reasons he�d taken the job.
To run a top-flight athletic department took money. The Pac-12 TV deal didn�t bring in the income other schools received. Examples were universities in the SEC and Big 10. Their TV money alone was more than most university athletic departments could raise altogether. USC was blessed to have two men who could give the kind of money that made it possible to compete nationally.
With that in mind, he took the meeting.
�Gentlemen. Welcome,� Drew said as they entered his office.
Introductions were made.
�What�s your plan to replace Coach Clayton?� Ron asked.
�How did � never mind,� Drew said, seeing that these two had more access than he�d realized. �Because of the short time we have, I believe the best approach is an interim head coach until we can hire someone for next year.�
�It would almost have to be an internal hire. Who are you thinking?� Gabe asked.
�I was thinking maybe a retired coach,� Drew shared.
�Terrible idea,� Ron jumped in. �You need continuity. An outsider tinkering with what�s in place would be an utter disaster. You need to hire from within.�
�I agree, but I wouldn�t make the obvious choice of promoting one of the coordinators,� Gabe said.
Drew felt like he was being bulldozed. These two were used to running large businesses; in Gabe�s case, a studio.
�They both have the most experience. I was actually leaning toward Jackson Farrow,� Drew admitted.
�Jackson is more than capable, but you don�t want him splitting his time with running the defense and trying to be the head coach. You need to leave your offensive and defensive coordinators in place. Let someone else be the head coach. That will cause the least amount of disruption,� Gabe said.
�And remember, you have to do it this week. I would suggest an up-and-comer. Someone for whom this job will let them land a mid-major head coaching position next year,� Ron added.
�I hadn�t thought in those terms,� Drew admitted.
�Here�s a short list of who we would be comfortable with. Look for someone young. A good recruiter because we can�t let that fall off. Finally, someone who can hold it together for the coming year,� Ron said.
Drew looked at the list: Mike Bolton, offensive line coach; Jason Merritt, defensive backs coach; and Bryant Franzese, recruiting coordinator.
◊◊◊
In the end, Jason Merritt was their man. Jason was 35 and popular with both the coaches and players. He was considered one of their ace recruiters. He was glad that the whole coaching staff was enthusiastic about his pick.
The day before fall practice, the contract was signed, and they announced the coaching change.
Coach Clayton had also accepted a reduced buyout of his contract. All that was left to do was for Coach Merritt to find a special teams coach.
Drew rewarded himself with a nice dinner out with his wife and a glass of scotch. His first crisis on the job had been resolved.
◊◊◊
For fall football practice, USC made all their players move into the athletic dorm. David�s roommate was Craig Hendricks, one of USC�s wide receivers. David actually knew him from before coming to campus; Craig had been on his seven-on-seven Elite 11 team the summer before his junior year in high school. As he remembered it, Craig was no slouch, but there were better receivers on his team at Elite 11.
Craig had arrived first and was unpacking when David walked in. Sitting on his bed was Bill Callaway, his former high school teammate.
�Boys,� David said as he sauntered in.
David tossed his duffle bag onto the bed before giving them both a fist bump.
�Did you hear the news?� Bill asked.
�Yeah, they picked Coach Merritt to take Coach Clayton�s place,� David said.
�I hope that means that they�ll have open competition this fall,� Craig said.
Craig would be a junior this year but classified as a redshirt sophomore. He�d been injured in the second game of last season and sat out the rest of the year. David was sure that Craig and Bill had rehabbed together.
David looked around the room and shuddered inside. It looked like a prison cell, with a closet, twin XL-sized bed, and desk on each side of the room. Craig had better be the best roommate ever, or David would kill him before the end of fall practice. He hadn�t had to sleep in the same room with another guy since he was like four or five.
He debated whether it would be possible to slip out and spend the night at his townhouse, which was only five blocks away. He was sure Craig would prefer a single.
�We have a pre-fall-practice team meeting in fifteen. Get changed, and we�ll walk over,� Bill said.
David rooted through his duffle bag and found a pair of USC shorts and a t-shirt he�d borrowed from the school and put them on so they could go to the team meeting room.
◊◊◊
David had sent a message to all the players who had worked out with him over the summer. He told them to meet him out front. When he came out the front door, thirty-five guys were waiting for the three of them. They were primarily backups and the freshmen.
Craig gave him a curious look, but David just smiled at his workout buddies. Like he�d done in high school, David was building the core to the football team�s future.
�Good to see you all. We�ll catch up after the meeting,� David promised.
�Line up on Dawson!� Bear called out.
David appreciated having a giant take charge. No one would ever question him. David began to walk to the John McKay Center as his teammates fell into line, two-by-two.
As they approached the entrance, Coach Merritt was greeting players as they entered the building. He had an amused look when he saw David leading in his group of men.
�These are the ones you practiced with this summer?� Coach Merritt asked as he shook David�s hand.
�Yes, sir,� David said. �First of all, congratulations on your new position. Each and every one of us will do whatever you ask. With that said, I�ll let them introduce themselves.�
It wasn�t that Coach Merritt didn�t know each player, but it was a chance to make a first impression for fall ball as their new head coach.
They all filed in and sat down in the middle of the team auditorium. It left room for the starters to sit down front, but David was putting everyone on notice that his guys were a united group. The message he hoped to convey was that USC�s football team should all come together.
Once everyone was seated, Coach Merritt went to the front of the room.
�Welcome back. I hope you had some quality time off with your friends and family.�
He went to the podium and looked out over the 104 men participating in fall practice. David didn�t know it yet, but their starting placekicker was missing.
�Our new athletic director wanted to come in and say a few words before I talk to you and explain our practice schedule,� Coach Merritt said. �I would like to introduce Drew Langford, who joins us after guiding Baylor on their turnaround.�
Drew looked like a businessman who had dressed down for his audience. He was wearing khaki pants and a USC pullover with the Nike logo on the left upper chest, but the dead giveaway was the $500 shoes.
Drew shook their coach�s hand and took the podium, where he began talking.
�People ask me, �How do you become successful?� I can sum it up in one word: focus.
�As you go through every day�s tasks, be it a workout in the weight room, a conditioning run, practice, in the classroom�focus on what you are doing that day. Don�t cheat yourself out of a rep, a play, a practice, a learning opportunity. Because you�re going to get tired, you�re going to get sore, you�re going to get bored. But what I can tell you about us is we�re tough.
�Trojans are tough; they always have been. Physically tough, mentally tough. When other people quit, we keep going. When other people fall down, we stand back up. Let�s go out and surprise some people. Let�s go show them what it means to be USC Trojans,� Drew said.
�I just felt a tingle go down my leg,� Knackers quipped as everyone politely clapped.
�Thanks, Drew. That was inspirational,� Coach Merritt said.
When the AD left the room, Coach Merritt turned to his men.
�First things first. We�re going to win games, and we will play the best players to win those games. And we are not assuming any of them is going to be an easy game. And we don�t think that we�ll have the opportunity to play just anybody who wants to play. Just so we�re clear: we will play anybody who�ll help us win a game. That�s what we�re going to do. So, I don�t think anybody should expect us to do anything else.
�What does that mean? It means that we don�t have a depth chart for the first week on day one. Positions will be earned, not given,� Coach Merritt said to stunned silence.
�Are we clear?!� Coach Merritt barked.
�Yes, sir!� came the thundering response.
�Okay. Now that that is out of the way, let me tell you what you can expect. The best head coach I ever had, I knew what he expected. I�ve worked at other places where that was never ever really defined. It�s amazing to me that people either work with or for someone, and it is assumed that you know what they want,� he said. As he spoke, team managers filed in with large manila envelopes bearing the USC logo.
They lined up and handed a stack to the player at the end of each row. Soon, everyone had one.
�If you define what everyone is supposed to do,� Coach Merritt continued, �and then let them do it, you�ll be successful. That doesn�t just apply to football; it applies to life. I mean, when we run a play on film, everyone can see that if they had just done what they were supposed to do, we would have been successful.�
Coach Merritt paused for effect.
�Do your job. You will hear me say that a thousand times between now and the beginning of the season. We can be a much better football team than we are now if we just do that. But we have to have the attitude that we�ll get better as a team. I want everybody to make a decision and a commitment that that is what you want to do. We need to gut it out. We need to do it. Pull together and do what we need to do. You just need to do your job.�
David found himself leaning forward in his seat because he could already tell this rookie coach got it. He had a feeling that this team would be completely different by the end of the season. They would surprise people when it all finally came together. The problem was he saw the older guys were still doubtful.
�Something I see in college ball that drives me crazy is that too often their coaches coach every player the same. If they didn�t fit the system, you just didn�t play them. When I coached in the NFL, you didn�t have that luxury. You�re given a player, and you have to figure out how to work with them because you don�t have the depth you have in college. You have to figure out how to work with all kinds.
�While this won�t be an overnight change, I plan to get the most out of each and every one of you. We�ll develop depth at every position, and when it�s your turn to step on the field, I expect you to be ready. It will be as simple as the next man up.
�With me saying that, I expect something from you as well. To be what you want as a football team, you have to show improvement each week. At USC, we are expected to be a winning football team. Those are the expectations here, from our administration, our boosters, our students, and our fans. I want you to embrace those expectations. One of the reasons I came here was to win. And if we�re not improving from one week to the next, we have no chance of accomplishing our goals of winning the Pac-12 South and then the Pac-12 Championship.
�I might even be so bold to say, a national championship,� Coach Merritt said.
That got everyone on their feet. David could only hope.
�Over the next couple of days, your position coach will meet with you and give you your individual expectations so that you are clear on what your job is. Now, before we go, Willy has something to say.�
Willy Powell was their starting center and would probably be one of the team captains.
�Tank told me that you have gotten fat and slow while you loaded up on your mama�s cooking. There�s a voluntary conditioning session in ten minutes,� he said and then scowled at the starters. �And I expect every one of you pussies in the front row to be leading us.�
The whole room groaned.
◊◊◊
Standing on the field waiting for them was Tank Bryce, their strength and conditioning coach. David felt a little sick when he saw Cassidy standing next to him. He hadn�t realized that she had returned to school early. David had a bad feeling about this.
�Hustle your butts. I don�t have all day!� Tank yelled.
Willy and his offensive linemen started to get onto the stragglers. David saw that as a good sign. A moment later, everyone was lined up.
�Today, we are going to mix it up and have Cassidy Hope of the rowing team lead us,� Tank announced.
�Hooroo, toodles, cheerio, see you later! Crikey, that sheila will bugger the lot of us,� Knackers complained.
�Speak American,� someone in the back teased David�s Aussie teammate.
Knackers turned to David to act as interpreter.
�We�re all about to die,� David said.
Most of the team laughed. The ones that had worked out with David during the summer wore a grim expression. They knew what conditioning with Cassidy meant.
Ten minutes in, Knackers just collapsed like he�d been shot. The punter usually didn�t participate in conditioning drills, and it showed. Twenty, and they had guys bent over, losing their lunches. Thirty, and only a handful remained. David was proud that his core group was still standing.
�In two weeks, I�ll have you doing the full routine,� Cassidy announced.
�How long is that?� Willy asked.
�A full hour,� Cassidy said with an evil smirk.
David was secretly grinning as well because these were supposed to be top college athletes, and his little ninja had put their dicks in the dirt. The whole team needed a wake-up call, and Cassidy Hope had just delivered it.
◊◊◊
David went to the team locker room to shower and get clean shorts and a t-shirt. Each day, his locker was restocked by the team-manager staff. It was either that or half these knuckleheads would wear their dirty gear.
�Dawson!� he heard as he came back from his shower.
It was Willy and the offensive line, minus John Johnson, USC�s starting left tackle and Matt Long�s pet. Also with them was Marcus Eshete, the starting running back. Marcus had hurt his shoulder when John had attacked David instead of blocking during spring ball. The whole incident ended up getting Matt, John, and Percy Wilkes�the defensive end who had come to David�s defense�suspended for the first game. Marcus was lucky that his shoulder was only bruised. He would be ready to play when practice started.
�What�s up, fellas?� David asked.
�Was that, whatever the hell we just did, something you guys did to build your stamina?� Willie asked.
�Yup, we did.�
�Is that girl going to continue to work with you?� Marcus asked.
�Her name is Cassidy Hope, and she has been in charge of my conditioning since I was a freshman in high school. She also helped Ridge Townsend and the others that worked out for the NFL get ready for the combine,� David shared. �Did you want to join us when we work out with her?�
�As long as Tank approves it,� Willy qualified.
Tank knew what Cassidy did with David and the other players who worked out with him. Unless there was a medical reason why not, David was confident Tank would allow them to work out with Cassidy.
The offensive line asking made total sense to David. They played the most grueling position in football. They were in on every offensive play while their counterparts on the defensive line substituted freely to stay fresh.
David could also understand why Marcus was there. If he could remain on the field and not take a break, it would only help with his numbers since Marcus would get more touches of the ball. It wasn�t uncommon for running backs to have to split time after consecutive plays or long runs because they had to catch their breath.
◊◊◊
One benefit of living in the athletic dorm was the cafeteria. During training, many football players consumed massive amounts of calories. So, the food was plentiful, and there were healthy choices. David also didn�t get stared at when he loaded his tray with his meal.
He�d told his guys that they should eat with other players because David didn�t want to create an �us versus them� situation like in high school. They might not like everyone, but they were a team all working toward a common goal: winning football games.
He decided to eat with his new roommate and Bill.
Craig ate like a caveman.
�Easy, dude. The food isn�t going to run off your plate,� Bill quipped.
Craig ignored him.
�How do you want to handle it when a girl comes over?� Craig asked.
�I planned to go to my townhouse if I wanted to do something,� David admitted. �Why do you ask?�
�I received a message from my favorite jock bunny.�
�Is she the freak that has been with half the team � Daisy?� Bill asked.
Craig smiled as confirmation.
�She would love it if you wanted her after I was done,� Craig offered.
David was stunned.
�David grew up in a small Midwestern town and just arrived on campus in the spring,� Bill told Craig and then turned to David. �Did you encounter jock bunnies playing baseball?�
�A couple. But my teammates would hook up with them after games.�
�After Sage and I broke up, I was probably with six to eight different girls a week. Some, like Daisy, I made multiple visits with. Eventually, I slowed down. But even the most incompetent football player will be with two to four different girls per week,� Bill said.
�What about girlfriends?� David asked.
�We have them, but they don�t last long. My time with Sage was really the exception. If one of them shows interest, don�t worry that her boyfriend will get too mad. What you do have to watch out for is their sisters. That�ll get your butt beat,� Bill said.
�Tell me about it. I made the mistake of confusing one of the guy�s sisters with a jock bunny. He was royally pissed,� David remembered.
�Another thing: always wrap it. Jock bunnies are how a lot of teammates end up with the same STI. Last fall, fifteen of us had a nasty one. The same girl hooks up with multiple guys who don�t use rubbers because the girls are on birth control.
�Oh, and people forget that many viruses can transfer via oral sex. EBV and HPV account for most cases of prostate and throat cancer as well as cervical, ovarian, and uterine cancers. As a side note, those viruses are not included in standard STI tests. Your doctor has to order them specifically,� Craig shared.
�How do you keep from getting that?� David worried.
�Don�t go down on them,� Bill said, like that should be obvious. �I also make it a policy not to kiss, just to be safe.�
�I think I�ll pass,� David decided, even though he was horny. �We didn�t work out what we�re going to do about the room.�
�Just use the sock on the doorknob bit. Also, message when you plan to be busy,� Bill said to help them out.
Craig got his phone out and sent David a message, which amused all of them. Craig had just claimed the room until ten. Bed check was at 10:30, so the girl would have to be gone by then anyway.
�Some of the receivers were going to play a little poker. We could always use another, if you want to join us,� Bill offered.
�What he means is he wants to take your money,� Craig said.
◊◊◊
When he sat down at the table, he looked at all the smiling faces. Ashley had warned him that if he couldn�t figure out who the fish�the weakest player�was, it was probably him. David agreed; he was the fish.
By the end of the night, he was only down ten bucks. He considered that a win against the more experienced players.
When he got back to his room, Daisy was still there. He was surprised that she looked like an average student. He would have never guessed that she regularly slept around with the football team.
�I promised her that she could say �hello,�� Craig said with a pleading look that told David to play nice.
�Sup,� David said with a head bob.
�I wanted to give you my number if you were ever in need of some stress relief. It would be no-strings fun; just hit me up, and we can hang.�
�I just might,��
When she left, Craig was all smiles.
�Thanks, man. Daisy was going to bail on me after the first time until I told her I could arrange for her to meet you.�
�Anything for the cause, I guess.�
David was worried that he would take forever to fall asleep because he had a roommate. But he fell asleep faster than he thought he would. It was probably the fatigue finally catching up to him.
◊◊◊
Though he had his faults, something Coach Clayton had been exceptional at was organizing. He�d laid out a practice plan that looked like a blueprint Jason could live with. That had freed him up to hire a special teams coach.
When he�d played college and pro ball, it had been apparent that it was a man�s sport. The whole time he�d been playing, he�d dated and eventually married Emma, who it turned out knew more about football than many of his coaches. So much for it being a �man�s sport.�
When he retired from pro ball and became an NFL assistant coach, they�d landed in Arizona, where he coached defensive backs. Carl Stackhouse, the owner, had a daughter who was a kindred spirit to his wife.
Amy Stackhouse had grown up following her dad around as he oversaw the team. There were stories of her sitting in film sessions as early as age five. When she was a teen, her dad barred her from being around the players. She learned that her dad had heard a couple of players talking about his daughter in inappropriate ways. Both players were released, but he didn�t want to take any chances. Amy was growing into a woman.
Later, Amy had come to the realization that she would never work for her dad, so she�d gone to college and gotten her psychology degree. The summer before her senior year was when Jason began coaching for Arizona.
They�d drafted a wide receiver in the first round who�d won the Biletnikoff Award as the best receiver in college. When he joined voluntary workouts, it quickly became apparent that something had happened because the kid looked very average. The coaching staff tried everything and couldn�t seem to get through to the young man.
Amy had gone to her dad and asked if she could work with the guy. By the end of summer, she�d fixed him and turned him into a solid contributor to the team.
Since then, Amy had set up her psychology practice in Phoenix, specializing in helping young athletes.
There was a knock on his door.
�Come in.�
Amy walked in. While Jason didn�t like to compare women�s looks, Amy always reminded him of Emma Stone. It was mainly in her eyes and the quirky smile she had that made you think you were in on whatever secret she had. He would admit that she looked good in her USC coach�s polo shirt, but as a married man, that was as far as it would ever go.
�Are you sure you want to do this?� she asked.
Jason had hired her to be USC�s special teams coach.
�There are now female officials, Tampa has a female trainer, and the NFL has twelve female assistant coaches. I know this is what you�ve always wanted to do, and your dad really couldn�t hire you � so �� Jason said with a shrug.
�It�s just that I don�t have any actual coaching experience on my r�sum�,� she worried.
�We both know that you�re qualified, so put that out of your mind. What I want you to do first is to coach the kickers and the special teams. I also want you to observe the rest of the players and provide their position coaches and me with your insights.�
�When working for my dad, I loved evaluating talent, dissecting a player�s technique, and suggesting little changes that made a big difference. It�s the actual coaching part I�m a bit worried about. I�ve been more of an observer and consultant than an actual coach who shouted orders and blew a whistle. But if you think I can do this, then I�m your gal,� Amy said.
�Good to know,� Jason said and then looked at the clock on the wall. �It�s time you meet your fellow coaches.�
◊◊◊
�First day, gentlemen,� Jason said as he walked into the room. �And now we have a lady to add to the mix.�
�Hi,� Amy said as she took her seat in the only available chair left.
�This is Amy Stackhouse. She�ll be coaching special teams. She may be young, but she�s grown up around football. Amy is Carl Stackhouse�s daughter, Arizona�s NFL franchise owner. When I coached there, Amy was hired to help players improve. I�ve asked her to observe while she isn�t coaching special teams. You�ll find she knows what she�s talking about.
�I�ll leave introductions for later, so let�s get started on what we want out of today�s practice,� Jason said.
�Did you mean it when you said there is no depth chart the first week?� Coach Farrow asked.
�I did. Our first week primarily focuses on technique, understanding their position�s responsibilities, and conditioning. We�ll have a scrimmage on Saturday to see them in game action. We�ll sit down and do a three-deep depth chart on Sunday.
�My goal is to find players that we may have missed. I�m serious. If a player gives us the best chance of winning, I want him on the field. I don�t care if he�s a walk-on or a four-year starter. And the ones that aren�t going to be starters, we�re going to develop them so they�re ready to step in when needed. Are there any questions about that?� Jason asked.
�I just wanted to say that I, for one, fully embrace that approach,� Coach Farrow added his vote of confidence.
The nodding around the room looked like the rest of the coaching staff was on board.
◊◊◊
About two hours into the first practice, Amy found him watching the quarterbacks throw basic routes.
�We have a serious problem.�
�Jesus, we�re only a couple of hours into this, and
�
�Talk to Bryant and tell him to start scouring the transfer portal.�
�I�ll do that,� she said and then pointed. �You�re screwed.�
Jason gave her a side-eye glance that told her to explain herself. He was also amused that it was �we� when it was her problem and �you� when it was his.
�You have two starting quarterbacks.�
�The one on the right is Matt Long, who Coach Clayton had penciled in as the starter. Matt has to sit out the first game for a team matter. On the left is David Dawson, who just got here in the spring. If Matt hadn�t gotten hurt before spring ball started, David might very well be my starting middle linebacker,� Jason shared.
�What�s he suspended for?�
�Matt didn�t handle David potentially displacing him as the starter very well. We�re going to have to handle the whole situation carefully, or we might lose one or both of them. And you know how injuries go. If we lose one, it would be nice not to miss a beat when their backup came in.�
�I�ll keep an eye on them and see if there are any signs of stress, if that helps,� Amy offered.
�I�ve no doubt that it�ll blow up at some point. They�re both leaders who are fighting for the job of field general. As a side note, David is dating Matt�s ex-girlfriend. I�m not sure how that happened, but ��
�Well, that sure is a �fuck you� if I ever heard one. That�s something that could splinter your team. It sounds like the Dawson kid is a dick.�
While Jason hadn�t thought in those terms, he could see how Amy had jumped to that conclusion.
�Like I said, I don�t know the details. But you�re right; it is sort of a dick move. It happens all the time, though, on football teams. I�m sure you�ve seen it,� Jason said.
�Don�t I know it. But if there�s a conflict between two players on the field, the off-the-field stuff just adds to it.�
�Something else you ought to know: Matt got into some sort of fight off-campus, and David came in and saved the day. There�s even a video of it online. There�s some sort of story there, but neither of them is saying anything about it. It seems to be another bone of contention between them, though.
�You may want to talk to some of the other coaches to get their perspective.
�Anyway, anything you can think of that might keep them from killing each other would help.�
�Could I talk to them?�
�Of course. I plan on meeting all the players over the next few days. You could sit in on those talks,� Jason suggested.
�Let me know when.�
She left him to go find a new kicker.
◊◊◊
Jason stepped out of his office when Rachel�Coach Farrow�s daughter�buzzed to let him know that Matt and David were there. Amy was sitting between them, and they were each interested in the opposite wall. That didn�t look good.
He saw Amy bite her bottom lip so she didn�t react to his look of disgust.
�Come on in. Coach Amy Stackhouse will be joining us,� Jason said.
She tried to grab an outside chair, but Matt all but knocked Amy down to grab it. David had an amused look and purposefully went to take the middle one.
�Let Amy take that seat,� Jason said as he wondered if David was a dick or not.
When everyone was settled, he kicked things off.
�How was your first day of practice?�
�Fine,� Matt said.
�Good,� David said at the same time.
Amy looked at both of them, stood up, and sat on the edge of the desk to effectively block Jason�s view. She wanted the two boys to focus on her, not their head coach.
�Let�s get the elephant out of the room. Matt, are you mad that David is banging your ex?�
Jason got out of his chair in case they went for each other.
David tried to swallow a laugh as Matt�s face went bright red.
�Well?� Amy pushed.
Matt looked at his lap and then glared at David.
�Did you do it just to mess with me?� Matt asked.
�Honestly, no. If you remember, I was with Colleen.�
�Yeah. And that was fucked up. You were just banging her all day and night to make Crystal think she was missing out on something,� Matt said.
�I�ll own that, but Colleen was a wildcat in bed. That was as much her as it was me,� David said.
�Then why dump her for Crystal? Was it just because you could?�
David looked taken aback.
�Dude. You broke up with her � Or Crystal broke up with you. Plus, I caught Colleen in bed with some pencil dick at the same time. Crystal didn�t want to go back to your apartment, and I wanted to get out of town, so I flew us to San Francisco. She wasn�t as horrible as I first thought, so I let her move into my townhouse until you moved out.�
�That girl was crazy to cheat on you,� Matt said without thinking, and then he glared at David again. �But you�re dating, right?�
�Only for appearance�s sake. We both have zero interest in dealing with a new relationship right now. It made sense to be each other�s plus-one and the like,� David said.
�By �the like,� do you mean sleeping with each other?� Matt asked.
David shook his head.
�That is none of your damned business, and you know it.�
Matt thought about it and nodded.
�All better now?� Amy asked.
�Aren�t you going to ask us how we�re feeling?� David quipped.
�I told you he was a dick,� Amy said to Jason as she sat back down.
�My friends simply say that I�m a �stupid boy.��
�You are,� Matt couldn�t help himself from saying.
�I take it this meeting is to name the starter,� David said. �I�m ready to go today, Coach.�
�Who�s running this team?� Amy asked.
�Me, of course. Do you have any problems that Coach Merritt can�t seem to handle?� David joked.
�I need a placekicker. I don�t suppose you know any?�
David thought for a moment and then smiled.
�I do, actually. Would a former World Cup player fit the bill?�
�You know a USC student who�s a former professional soccer player?� Amy asked.
�My roommate, Alex Sandoval. He happens to be in LA right now, if you want to try him out,� David said.
�Couldn�t hurt,� Jason said.
�Has he ever kicked a football?� Amy asked, still not sold.
David gave her a �not my problem� look that only teenage boys can pull off. Even Matt had a hint of a grin on his face when Amy didn�t look amused.
�If you were in the NFL, I would be accepting trades for cleaning supplies in exchange for you about now.�
�If I were in the NFL, the fans would love me too much for you to get away with that.�
Matt let a chuckle escape, which had Amy turning on him.
�What do you have to say for yourself?�
�Wow! You�re going to make a great coach,� Jason said. �She was worried about being able to yell at players.�
Both boys laughed, and even Amy saw the humor in it.
�Let�s get this back on track,� Jason said. �I wanted to tell you both that we liked what we saw today. I suspect as camp goes on, you�ll each shine in areas that aren�t the strength of the other. I�m not opposed to playing you both until there�s a clear winner.�
�Can you lift my suspension for the first game?� Matt asked.
�That, I�m not going to do. I�ll never condone attacking a fellow teammate. When stuff like that happens, there have to be consequences, or people think they can get away with it. Am I clear?�
Matt nodded.
�Do I have to stay in the dorm? My roommate is a total slut,� David tried.
Amy laughed, causing Jason to give her a puzzled look.
�Hey, at least they�re comfortable enough to ask. You just have to get brave and tell them, �no,�� she said to explain herself.
�Absolutely; everyone stays in the dorm. If you moved elsewhere, and word got out, then all those idiots would be running around after hours getting into God knows what. I don�t need to deal with the weekly police blotters in the press if I let that happen,� Jason said.
�How about �� Matt began.
�You both get out of my office,� Jason finished.
David and Matt stood, and David turned to his counterpart with his hand held out.
�Let�s make a fresh start. We both know that we�ll fight to be the starter, but the rest of the team suffers when we let it get out of hand. Let�s agree that we will let our actions stand for who deserves to start. Not other stuff.�
Matt shook David�s hand, and the two of them left.
�What do you think?� Jason asked Amy.
�I think my opinion has changed some. Matt comes across as immature compared to David.�
�But David said some dick things,� Jason pushed back.
�He did, but he�s smart enough that he knew what he was doing. David was pushing Matt�s buttons to put him off-balance. But he had enough compassion that once he knew that Matt thought he�d stolen his girlfriend, he explained what happened. He also didn�t gloat that she was in his bed. You could tell Matt really still has unresolved feelings for her. My guess is Matt fucked up and now realizes it,� Amy said.
�You got all that from what they said?�
�And more. By the end of the year, one of them will transfer,� she predicted.
�Which one?�
�It could be either one, but my money�s on David. He�ll look at it and figure out what�s in his best interest. Splitting time at QB1 won�t get him to the NFL unless we�re winning a lot of games. Otherwise, the NFL scouts will question why he can�t beat out Matt. They would never consider that they are two of the best quarterbacks in college football.�
�Do you think I should name one the starter and cut my losses?� Jason asked.
�No. Let it play out, but be prepared for having to decide at year-end.�
He sighed.
�You�re right. I�m not going to name a starter after only one practice. Maybe the competition will make them both better.�
�Maybe,� Amy said.
She left to go call the soccer player David suggested. Jason had practice film to look at with his coaches. It was going to be a late night.
◊◊◊
In her opinion, she�d been home long enough. Even though her mom had been great, Crystal was finally at the point where she wanted to cut the apron strings. She much preferred living on her own. Crystal didn�t feel the need for her mom to take care of her anymore. Plus, she wanted to open the sorority house.
She would be president this fall and planned to tackle a list of maintenance items before the other girls got back. It would be much easier for the workers if the girls weren�t running around and getting in the way. Or at least that was the excuse she�d given her mom.
While at home, her dad had summoned her. Not surprisingly, he wanted to talk about David instead of catching up with his daughter. He wanted his daughter�s thoughts on how David would react. Not that her dad would change his plans; he simply was looking for insight on how to manage David. With what her dad had told her, it gave her the perfect excuse to do what she really had come back to school for: to see David with the added benefit of warning him.
She walked in the front door of the sorority and noticed it smelled musty from being closed up all summer. In the past, they�d left the house open during the summer months. The problem was that with no one to supervise, the handful of women living there let the place become a filthy mess.
She made a mental note to hire cleaners to come in and give the whole house a good once-over. Crystal went up the stairs to the third floor, where her room was. She�d grabbed one of the coveted singles for the coming year. It was either that or a much larger triple, but she was glad she hadn�t gone that route.
The singles were small, but Crystal didn�t want the hassle of having a roommate to sleep with. Even though house rules prohibited guys from sleeping over, it happened. With roommates, it could be awkward. More times than not, one of their roommates would �accidentally� open the door to catch the amorous couple in the act. Sorority girls were more incorrigible than guys sometimes.
Crystal looked around the room and debated whether to paint or not but decided against it since she wanted to move in. She didn�t want to bunk in another room while the paint dried. The few marks on the walls could be covered up by posters.
She sat down on the edge of the bed and smiled.
◊◊◊
It had been a busy day. Her room had been dirtier than it looked. Crystal had scrubbed every surface and then discovered her mattress had a bunch of mysterious stains on it. She hauled it down three flights of stairs and threw it in the dumpster. Her new mattress wouldn�t come until tomorrow, giving her an even better reason to go see David.
She�d showered and changed into a cute shorts-and-tank-top set that her mom had bought her. Crystal walked over to the football practice fields. Her dad had taught her that if you wanted to crash a meeting or event, you just acted like you should be there. She�d always done that when her old boyfriends were practicing or lifting weights.
She spotted David throwing passes and walked out onto the practice field.
�When will you be done?� Crystal asked.
David, his teammates, and the coaches all snapped their heads around.
�You can�t be here,� David said.
The look in his eyes was stormy and wild, like he couldn�t believe she was standing there.
�Why not? I just had a short question, which you haven�t answered,� Crystal replied, daring David to tell her not to be there.
�I�ll be done when the coaches say I am.�
�Okay. I�ll wait right here for you,� Crystal said.
She pulled out her phone to read the book that had her hooked. It was about a kid selling kittens and getting into all kinds of trouble. She was at the part where he�d �sold� his sister with a funny ad and found her missing. She suspected that his sister had scammed him somehow.
�How about you go to the other field?� David suggested. �Alex is trying out to be our kicker, and I saw Chloe was with him. Maybe the two of you could catch up.�
�Thanks. That would be nice.�
�If you two are done, maybe we can get back to practice,� one of the coaches said.
David�s teammates found that amusing as David went back to throwing the ball.
◊◊◊
Crystal went to the other field and found a woman coaching Alex to kick a field goal. She introduced herself and learned the coach�s name was Amy Stackhouse. Coach Stackhouse had asked if Crystal was dating David. When she replied �yes,� Amy had asked if they could have coffee later that week and then went back to coaching Alex.
�You want to do it the same way every time. Two long steps back and then two side steps so that you�re ninety degrees from the ball. That is the perfect distance for both speed and power. When you run up to kick the ball, you�ll lock your ankle and knee at the point of contact, and that will maximize height and distance.�
The coach put the field-goal tee on the football. It was a two-legged triangle with a metal pole set on top of the ball to hold it in place. Alex took his steps back and to the side to get ready. He ran up and kicked the ball, and it boomed off his foot but only got three feet off the ground.
�That wasn�t right,� Alex said.
�Sorry, my fault. Aim for the bottom third of the ball.�
Alex did it again. The ball looked like a field goal kick this time, but it went way left.
�Much better,� his coach said. �But you�re doing a soccer-style kick where you swing your leg horizontally in front of your body. Instead, swing your leg through the football and toward the center of the goalposts.�
She teed up another ball, and Alex tried it again.
�Better!�
Alex smiled because it actually went through the goalposts.
Chloe waved to get Crystal�s attention, so she joined her.
�So, you and Alex?� Crystal asked.
She nodded toward him as he kicked again.
�We got close pretty fast. Especially after we almost died,� Chloe said as their eyes met; hers were wide and scared.
�What happened?�
Chloe told her what had happened at the market and the chase back to the Sandoval compound.
�David was a hero. Did you know that he�s a pilot? He flew a bunch of women and children out of danger,� Chloe shared.
�I did know that. On our first date, David took me to San Francisco for dinner,� Crystal said and then added, �I didn�t know about his heroics, and I would think that would be on the news.�
�David�s security made us not post anything on social media.�
�Speaking of media, it looks like your mom is in the middle of it,� Crystal said.
�My parents� lawyer told my mom that the FBI has indicted like 50 people, and of those, over 30 are parents. My dad wants to fight it because they didn�t know that the guy they contacted had bribed anyone. My mom wants to negotiate some kind of settlement because all they would probably get is a fine and community service. But Dad says they shouldn�t back down because they didn�t do anything wrong.
�I just wish it would go away. The Internet trolls have been all over my sister and me, and I had to shut down my comments sections on social media because of all the hateful things people have been saying,� Chloe said.
�Your mom might be right because the media will eventually pick someone to be the face of this scandal. If it lands on her, she may never work again.�
Chloe�s mom was Deirdre Price, who was on a long-running sitcom and played the love interest of the show�s star.
�She just got word that they�re letting her go. The same day, she received a notice that someone is suing everyone involved in the case for $500 billion, with a �B.� It contends that their child had applied to several of the universities and that, with them taking slots, he�d been denied his chance to enroll.�
�A good lawyer will make that go away,� Crystal predicted.
�My parents� guy laughed out loud when he read their filing. It was done just to get someone their fifteen minutes of fame.�
�What do you plan to do? I heard that you aren�t coming back to USC.�
Chloe shrugged.
�I don�t think I want to go to college. A friend of mine is making a living off being a social-media influencer. She�s a complete idiot and currently has like a hundred thousand followers. I think people just want to see her make a fool of herself.�
�That�s not such a bad idea. I know that social media is toxic for you right now, but you have name recognition because of the scandal. And luckily for you, your sister is the lightning rod for the bad press. If you�re looking for a rich, entitled poster child for the scandal, she is it. Is she completely clueless?� Crystal asked.
Chloe chuckled.
�More like she doesn�t give a fuck. Why else would she be on a sailboat with a bunch of old, rich guys?�
�Not a good look,� Crystal agreed and then added, �Once everything�s settled down, I would love to help you build your social media presence.�
�How can you help?� Chloe asked.
�My dad is Kendrick Knaggy of Knaggy, Anderson, and Petters, the KAP Agency. I�m going to school to eventually work as an agent.�
�They�re my mom�s agents, and she�s worried that they�ll dump her.�
�Tell your mom that they will. She should find new representation as soon as she can,� Crystal said.
Chloe nodded and then smiled.
�I would welcome the help. I just don�t have any money to pay you.�
�How about this? If I do a good job and start making bank, we can talk. For now, we can both learn how to build your followers and monetize it.�
�Deal,� Chloe said and shook Crystal�s hand.
Chloe then filled her in on David and her trip to Colombia. It sounded like an amazing place to visit.
Alex was finally done and all smiles.
�I�m USC�s new placekicker.�
Chloe jumped up and gave him a big kiss.
�We should go celebrate.�
�I could see if David wanted to come, too,� Crystal said.
Chloe laughed.
�I thought I would drag him somewhere and give my man the reward he deserves. I�m not sure David would want to join in.�
�My bad. I remember this phase of a new relationship, and I shouldn�t have invited myself,� Crystal said.
�David would much prefer being alone with you,� Alex said.
Everyone agreed, so Alex and Chloe took their leave to �celebrate.�
◊◊◊
Chloe was chuckling at her book when Matt walked up. The kid in the story had accidentally released a bunch of criminals and then tricked them back into a cell.
�I haven�t seen a smile on your face all summer,� he said in greeting.
�Just reading for pleasure for a change. What�s up?�
�I thought I would ask if you wanted to go out sometime.�
The smile left her face.
�Matt, we�re over.�
�David shared with me that the two of you aren�t officially a couple.�
�Let me stop you right there. What David and I have is none of your concern. I will say that whatever we have, I�m the happiest I�ve been in a long time. David is drama-free, and that�s what I need right now.�
�Oh,� Matt said and seemed to be trying to think what to say next.
She smiled when David walked up.
�I need to crash at your place tonight,� Crystal said to make a point to Matt.
�I just have to be in the dorm by 10:30.�
�It was nice seeing you, Matt,� she said, then turned back to David. �Let�s order in.�
David took her hand, and they walked away. When they were out of earshot, David asked, �What was he up to?�
�Closure. Now Matt has it.�
◊◊◊
�Cassidy! I�m home!� David called out as they walked into his townhouse.
�Whatever. Order some food,� Cassidy called from upstairs.
�I�d rather cook. How do steaks sound?� David asked Crystal.
�Grilled?�
�That sounds like a plan. What do you want with it?�
�Something healthy.�
David sighed but nodded.
�I�ll make a quick run to the store.�
�Get me some granola and yogurt for breakfast,� Crystal added.
�I�m leaving before Cassidy decides she needs stuff,� David said as he grabbed car keys on the counter.
Cassidy came downstairs as the back door closed.
�He ran out before you could make him buy more stuff,� Crystal shared.
Cassidy winked at her.
�Should I make him buy me tampons?�
�Probably not because God knows what he would bring back. I would tell him if you want something for tonight. He�s planning on grilling steaks.�
�I trust him to get what I like,� Cassidy said.
◊◊◊
�Don�t you think that a man cooking for his women is sexy?� David asked as he pushed back from the table to relax after their meal.
�I�m out,� Cassidy said as she gathered the dishes and went to load the dishwasher.
�Do you feel drawn to me?� Crystal asked.
His smile faded, and he looked straight at Crystal. His naughty-boy look made her feel an electric energy pass between them.
�Like a moth to a flame.�
David stood up and came to her. As he leaned down, he let his warm breath wash over her face as he scooped her from her seat. He�d literally swept her off her feet.
Her instinct was to protect herself. Seeing Matt this afternoon brought back all the hurts that hadn�t fully healed yet. That part of her wanted to resist and beat his chest with her fist and demand to be put down. She was a modern woman who could stand on her own two feet.
But his almost feral look harkened to an older time when men protected and took care of their women. The corners of his mouth twitched upward as he became amused by her inner struggle. His eyes looked as if they were daring her to resist him, as if he could read her mind and could tell all the naughty thoughts flying through it.
Her body had a mind of its own, and it had no intention of denying David his smoldering desires. She craved his touch, and she began to breathe deeply in anticipation of what was to come. The movement of her breathing drew his eyes down, where her full breasts were inching out of her tank top.
His eyes brightened when he saw her nipples signal her arousal. The look on his face was unmistakably one of satisfaction.
�I�m taking you upstairs. We�ve been apart too long, and I missed you terribly.�
She smiled at his words. That was what she�d hoped he would say.
�Take me. Make me forget every man who has come before you. Before the night is out, I want you to force me to chant your name as you make me yours,� Crystal said huskily.
David lowered his mouth and hesitated, teasing her with an expectation of what was to come.
�You�re not going to be chanting my name; you�ll scream it,� David promised and then kissed her deeply.
He carried her up the stairs and pushed his door open. He used his foot to shut it before taking her to the side of the bed. Instead of putting her down, David inched his lips close to hers. He waited, and his tongue wet his lips. She knew that David was delaying until she said the words. Until she begged for him. Until she gave herself to him completely.
He knew that Crystal was used to being in control, and she knew David wasn�t like other men she�d been with. There was no controlling the wild stallion, the rampaging bull, or the alpha wolf.
�Tell me you surrender,� David demanded as he lowered her to the bed.
Crystal shook her head �no.� For the life of her, she couldn�t figure out why she was resisting him. The little voice in her head was screaming, �
He sat down next to her and brushed her hair out of her eyes.
�Crystal,� David said in a profoundly sexy way that made her body scream, �
He stood back up and undressed to tease her further with his magnificent body. He then reached down and unbuttoned her shorts. In a flash, he�d removed them and her underwear. He went to the foot of the bed and crawled up between her legs; they fell open on their own.
�Tell me,� David said as he inhaled her scent.
Even she could smell her arousal.
Crystal bit her inner cheek as she tried to stand firm. It was all she could do not to push her hips up to his waiting face. David blew his hot breath over her sex, and Crystal almost lost her battle. Then he began to play unfair. He ran his hands up her sides until he captured her breasts.
�Crystal,� he said again as he scooted closer, causing her legs to rest on his shoulders.
His face was all but touching her inner pleasure. Then her so-needy body decided for her, and she pushed her hips toward him. When she felt his tongue touch her, she moaned, �I surrender.�
His touch was like a sip of the sweetest water to a woman lost in a desert. She allowed him to take charge, and he knew how to lead. Their bodies danced as one when David acted as a conductor to a symphony that was her sexual being. His deft touch never missed a note. And when the crescendo reached its peak, it was glorious.
Afterward, lying in his arms, Crystal knew that she could trust David with her feelings. She was still raw from what had happened over the summer, and she realized she and David might never be more than what they were at that moment. But he was the perfect man for her right now.
◊◊◊
The week had flown by because he�d been doing what he loved, practicing football. Today the team would scrimmage at the stadium and simulate a game day. After breakfast, the team walked over to the John McKay Center to catch buses to the recently renovated Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
When they walked into the locker room, David paused a moment to take it in. The floor was cardinal, with a stylized �SC� in the center. Structural posts had been adorned with various historical data, like listing all of USC�s Rose Bowl wins. Around the outside walls were the lockers, which were modern and open. Above them, there was a large cardinal-colored band with �Fight On� and �University of Southern California Trojans� prominently displayed.
�Your locker is over there,� Craig said, pointing to the one with his number eleven.
Lucky him. Matt was right next to him. They made a point of ignoring each other until Matt said something.
�What is that you�re wearing?�
�It�s my impact suit in case we go live today.�
�A what?� Matt asked.
David looked down and could see why Matt was confused. Football players didn�t usually wear skintight one-piece garments that covered them from ankle to neck.
�The outer covering is made from military-grade ballistic material. Inside is a jell-like substance that causes impacts to radiate over a larger area to substantially reduce the risk of injury.�
Matt still looked confused.
�When I play baseball, people like to throw at me when I�m at bat. It doesn�t hurt as much if I get hit with a ball, and the same goes for football.�
�Oh,� Matt said. �Where do I get mine?�
�I don�t think they�re available for the general public yet. They�re using this technology to make ballistic shirts for the military,� David explained.
�You can�t wear it,� Matt said.
�Why not?�
�It�s an unfair advantage.�
�It�s the same thing as linemen wearing knee braces or you wearing a football flak jacket. If you think it�s a big deal, go tell on me,� David challenged.
Matt was just acting jealous. Sometimes life wasn�t fair. If he had an older brother, Matt would know that.
David�s adversary gave up, so they both got dressed.
◊◊◊
David hadn�t noticed that Coach Stackhouse was watching them during warm-ups until she said something to Craig.
�Your routes aren�t crisp and tight. You�re rounding your cuts, not hitting your spot and making your turn. You�re trying to trap the ball with your body, not catching it with your hands. You need to shake it off and relax. Your body language says you�re too tense and tight.�
During the week, she�d made observations that made a lot of sense. At first, players had been skeptical, but now they were hanging on every word Coach Stackhouse uttered.
�What am I doing wrong with my cuts?� Craig asked.
�Plant your foot and turn. Don�t just run around the corner. A crisp, hard cut will get you open, and you�ll make more catches.�
Once she mentioned it, David saw what she was talking about. It was little stuff like that which could make a big difference in how well Craig played.
◊◊◊
After warm-ups, they went to the locker room. On the way, he spotted his family in the stands, minus his kids, who were at his townhouse. His mom had reasoned that the game would be too long to hold their interest. When that happened, all bets were off. He could just see Coby running naked, dodging security as he dashed across the field.
Coach Merritt gave them a brief pre-scrimmage talk before leaving the locker room. The plan was for everyone to play in at least one series. He reminded them to do their jobs and not be heroes because that was when bad things happened. His contention was that if everybody took care of what they were responsible for and allowed their teammates to do the same, they would be a much better team.
When facing a defense, David tried to spot players who wanted to cover for others, like a safety cheating up to support the run. When the safety was out of position, he was a prime target for a play-action pass because faking the run would draw him in closer to the line. David would send a receiver behind him, and they would either score or make a long gain.
When the team went out, the understudies dominated the first part of the scrimmage. Letting everyone get enough reps to show what they could do took up about two-thirds of the practice. He and Matt didn�t see the field until they were to run a two-minute drill to simulate the end of a half or the game. The goal was to score a touchdown.
On the first play, Matt dropped back, saw his primary receiver was covered and began his read progression. David was mentally screaming for Matt to throw the ball away because he saw Todd Davis, their transfer outside linebacker, was on a delayed blitz. If it had been a real game, they might have had to carry Matt off the field. But the referee blew the whistle as soon as he saw that Todd would tackle Matt.
�Line up! Line up!� Matt screamed because the clock was running.
Bill made a nifty move on the next play and got by his defender. Matt spotted him and threw a pretty pass. Bill would have scored if it hadn�t been for Mario Robinson, their safety, turning on the jets and making the tackle.
The ball was now inside the twenty, or red zone. They caught the defense thinking pass on the next play and let Marcus Eshete run a quick-hitter up the middle. He was finally tackled at the four-yard line with over a minute left on the clock.
Matt got everyone to the line of scrimmage and threw a slant over the middle to the slot receiver, Tyrell Mulford. He leaped in the air to make an impossible catch on an overthrown ball. As he came down, two defenders slammed into him. Tyrell�s body was hurled several yards before bouncing across the turf like a rock skimming a pond. When he finally came to rest, he lay in a crumpled heap and didn�t move.
It took several minutes for them to work on Tyrell before they could get him to his feet and help him to the sideline. It was clear that he was done for the day.
Matt�s confidence was shaken, and he threw three straight bad passes as the offense came up short.
The last drive was David�s. The offense began to click as the line opened some holes for the running game, allowing Marcus to have some nice gains. David found his rhythm and mixed in passes to methodically move the chains. With thirty seconds left, they had reached the fifteen-yard line.
�Big Cat� Collins, the freshman slot, had replaced Tyrell. David dropped back and was on the run when Percy Wilkes, defensive end, destroyed John Johnson, left tackle. David rolled out to extend the play and saw Big Cat come open. He was doing a victory dance as the ball flew to his receiver when Mario made an incredible break on the ball and intercepted it.
◊◊◊
When they reached the locker room, Coach Merritt had them gather around.
�In football, talent is maximized by effective teaching. We obviously have failed you because, after a hundred times, we�re still doing the same thing as if it hasn�t been said 99 times before. Despite that, somehow, you haven�t been listening, so that�s on me. We obviously haven�t found a way to communicate with you,� Coach Merritt said.
David looked around, and the whole team had that �Oh, Fuck!� look on their faces.
�I don�t think they even worked up a sweat, Coach,� Coach Farrow added.
�If we don�t play our ass off, they beat us in the opener,� Coach Thomas piled on.
�We can�t have that, can we?� Coach Merritt asked.
When no one responded, he asked louder, �Can we?!�
�No, sir!�
�Put your helmets back on and follow me,� Coach Merritt ordered.
The team filed out and grimly lined up. Waiting for them was Cassidy.
�Give them the full sixty minutes,� Coach Merritt told her.
�You heard the man! Begin!� Cassidy barked out like a drill sergeant.
One of the players collapsed after about fifteen minutes. Coach Merritt got into his face.
�We don�t sit on the field! Get your ass up! If you�re tired, take a knee! Otherwise, hand me your jersey!�
Somehow, the whole team, including Knackers, made it to the end. Some had to take a knee, but they got back up. Coach Merritt had everyone gather around.
�Next week, we�re going to pick up that pace in practice. Everything will be run with tempo, and you better have your heads right because I will see improvement before the next scrimmage. We�ll not get into the red zone and get blanked like we did today. I will see maximum effort out of all of you. Is that understood?�
�Yes, sir!�
�If you�ve been dinged up, I expect you to see the trainers and get treatment. Take the rest of the day and Sunday off, and I�ll see you back here on Monday,� Coach Merritt said. �Oh, I almost forgot. The three-deep depth charts will be posted Sunday night.�
◊◊◊
David got cleaned up and went to his townhouse, where his family was gathered. The little ones and Duke were chasing each other downstairs, so he was ignored when he came in. The new childcare girl seemed to have the rowdy bunch in hand, so David went up to the roof, where he found the rest of his family.
He found Alex and Crystal sitting on one of the couches, so he flopped down between them.
�Alex was just regaling me with his skill at kicking a ball,� Crystal shared.
�I swear he gets a nerd boner when the topic comes up,� David said with a smirk.
�I was fated to be a field goal kicker,� Alex bragged.
�People call it fate, and others think it�s luck,� Crystal said. �Me? I think some things just happen, and it�s not like there has to be a reason for everything.�
�How did you get out of working out with Cassidy?� David asked.
�Just blind luck,� Alex said as he winked at Crystal, who rolled her eyes. �I don�t have to do any of that stuff because of my heart.�
Cassidy came up and made David move over so she could sit down.
�Did you have fun?� David asked.
�Coach Merritt said that if your next scrimmage was like today�s, then I get to actually kill some of you,� she said with a smile.
�I guess Coach had you tell me that so I�d share it with the team,� David said.
�Or you could just let that be a little surprise. My money�s on Knackers dropping dead,� Cassidy shared.
The Aussie kicker had grown on everyone. He was no doubt a self-centered dick, but he could be funny as hell at times. You also knew precisely where you stood with him and what he wanted. If you were a girl, he made it clear that he wanted to do unspeakable things. David was amazed that he didn�t get kicked in the � well � knackers more often.
Cassidy had reported that he�d bedded about half the rowing team.
What surprised David was that Knackers had zero interest in jock bunnies. He suspected that Knackers enjoyed the hunt, and having a girl offer to sleep with him with no work defeated the purpose. Knackers� ultimate goal was Cassidy because she�d made it clear that he had no chance. David predicted that she might find herself in Knackers� bed at some point because she kept saying it wasn�t going to happen. If she meant it, she wouldn�t talk about it so much.
�I think you�ve gone soft, or he would already be dead,� David teased.
He dodged her jab in his ribs.
�You two, settle down,� his mom called from across the roof.
David stuck his tongue out at Cassidy.
�Ow!� he complained when she jabbed him.
�Don�t make me come over there,� they were warned.
David put his arm around Cassidy and gave her a hug to call a truce. Neither of them wanted to be on his mom�s bad side.
◊◊◊
His dad played grill master, and they all had a nice meal. After eating, his family and Alex headed to their respective homes. Crystal had volunteered to help him clean up.
David finished loading the dishwasher while Crystal took a seat at the kitchen bar.
�I met with my dad about you.�
�Why?� David asked as his stomach tightened.
�He wanted to get my take on how you would feel about what he�s working on.�
�Hang on. Let me get my dad on the phone. That way, he can ask questions if he needs to,� David said as he dialed his father�s number.
�What�s up? Did we forget one of the rug-rats?�
�Does that happen?� David asked, suddenly worrying about something new.
He could hear his mom chuckling, so he knew his dad was giving him a hard time.
�After you do it once, they seem to have figured out that if they don�t want to get left, they should hustle their little butts,� Dad said.
�Crystal said her dad is up to something and was about to share it with me. I figured I better just get you in on this conversation,� David explained.
�What�s Kendrick doing?�
David looked at Crystal and nodded.
�He�s been working on the streaming revenue. He said that the studios were receptive to making David whole. He said that your take on recent Bonds was correct. They are concerned about the age of their James Bond characters. They plan to either replace the current one with someone younger, or the studio might actually kill him off,� Crystal shared.
�Oh, boy. They�d better not do that, or that�ll destroy the franchise,� David said to share his opinion.
�Dad was told that they might go with a new 007. The gal sharing it with him was excited because they were thinking about a woman of color so they were more in line with being woke.�
�What does that have to do with the studio being receptive to David receiving his fair share of streaming income?� Rob asked.
�When they proposed the change to focus groups, there was some pushback. They�re covering their bases in case the new 007 doesn�t work. My dad thinks that they�re making concessions to stay on your good side. They hope that if their scheme to change James Bond to a woman doesn�t work, you might be open to taking over the role of 007,� Crystal shared.
Becoming the new 007 would be a double-edged sword. He would be set for life, but he would be typecast. The man playing Mr. Bond had been doing it for over 15 years.
Instead of getting ahead of himself, David focused on his other movies.
�What about
�You�re one of the owners of Love Letters, so you�re covered with that one. They�re talking about possibly doing spin-offs from
�I bet your dad�s not happy David�s in college,� Rob said.
�He said all those projects can wait until David is free of the NCAA. But he had one other idea. What would you think if the NCAA would allow David to get paid for his social media?�
�I was told that would jeopardize my eligibility. If that happens, I�ll track your dad down,� David said.
�He�s well aware of that. What he�s proposing is that your social media be run by a blind trust and all income be donated to various causes or charities,� Crystal said.
�Why would the NCAA allow that?� Rob asked.
�Because it�s only a matter of time before name, image, and likeness compensation becomes a reality. They would use David as their test case to figure out how it would work for student-athletes. And as soon as it was turned on, David would have a steady cash flow in place,� Crystal said.
�What does your dad get out of this?� Rob asked.
�He�ll get paid by the trust as David�s agent.�
In the back of David�s mind, he could see that there would be a huge opportunity for whoever could guide the process. Both the athletes and universities would be worried about messing up and getting shut down. Where there was doubt, there was opportunity. He would have to get his brain trust working on that.
�I want to talk to your dad about all this. But it�ll have to wait until school starts,� David decided.
�I agree. David needs to focus on football right now,� Rob said.
�Can my dad call you, Mr. Dawson?� Crystal asked.
�That�s fine, but I want to think about all this. I might have some ideas of my own,� David interjected.
�Then go ahead and have Kendrick give me a call,� Rob said.
David said goodbye to his dad. He would talk to him later.
�Your dad is smart, having you come to me about all this,� David said.
�I wasn�t going to until I heard what it was. Social media influencers are starting to make real money, and I can see myself as their agent. I�ve talked to Chloe, and she doesn�t plan to continue college. She wants to build a following, and I�ve agreed to help her,� Crystal said.
He had a vague idea of how people got paid as influencers. It looked like social media was here to stay, so it wouldn�t hurt to understand how it all worked.
�I might want to help, too.�
Crystal smiled, leaned in, and gave him a kiss. David had the rest of the day and Sunday to relax. He should probably get to that.
◊◊◊
Before practice on Monday, David was summoned to Coach Merritt�s office. He found Rachel sitting out front, playing gatekeeper. He noted her curly hair looked like she�d stuck her finger into an electrical socket. It was what girls called a �bad hair day.�
�I see you took some extra time this morning to make yourself pretty for me,� David teased.
Rachel laughed, making her green eyes come alive, getting him to smile.
�Is that your amazing �fuck me now� smile? The one I�m sure you practiced in the mirror this morning?� she fired back.
�Is that Dawson out there?� Coach Merritt called from his office.
�Yes. And he�s out here sexually harassing me,� Rachel told her boss.
�Send him in when he�s done,� Coach Merritt said.
�Wow. I better get in there before you turn me in,� David chuckled as he went into his coach�s office.
He found Coach Stackhouse already there.
�Shut the door,� Coach Merritt said.
David closed the door and then sat down next to Coach Stackhouse.
�Did you see the depth chart?� Coach Merritt asked.
David nodded. They�d listed both him and Matt as QB1. At first, David had been miffed that he wasn�t the starter, but after what he�d gone through during the spring and summer, he would count sharing the top spot as a win.
�I did,� David said warily.
�What are your thoughts?� Coach Stackhouse asked.
Asking about his thoughts reminded him of his uncle asking about his feelings, making him cringe.
�Do you want my honest answer, or do you want me to give it to you in team speak?� David asked.
�Tell us what you really think,� Coach Merritt encouraged.
�If you have two quarterbacks, you have none. I think our offense works better with a running quarterback. But I can see you hedging your bets for now since neither Matt nor I showed you who the clear number one was. All I ask is you tell me what you want me to do to become the starter,� David said.
Coach Stackhouse raised her eyebrows as if she were trying to communicate something to Coach Merritt.
�Just say it,� Coach Merritt told her. �Both David and Matt deserve us telling them the unvarnished truth.�
�Our discussion with Matt went a bit differently, which highlighted his immaturity,� Coach Stackhouse shared.
�And you�re concerned about turning over the reins to someone so volatile,� David guessed.
�Yes,� Coach Merritt said, which shocked David.
�Then why would we not consider you the clear-cut starter?� Coach Stackhouse asked.
David stopped himself from giving a quick answer because they were being honest with him, and he didn�t want that to stop. It was refreshing not to feel like he was being misled somehow.
�The interception at the end of the scrimmage exposed my biggest weakness. I haven�t had Matt�s number of reps running this offense. In essence, having me as your starter would be like asking a true freshman to lead the team.�
�If I�d been in charge over the summer, I would have been looking for a transfer as a stopgap for a season. It would have given both you and Matt another year to get ready to take over,� Coach Merritt shared.
David took a moment to absorb that. He might have thought the same if he were the head coach.
�I understand your concern, but there�s something you should know. I never played football until my uncle forced me to go out my freshman year of high school. I had to be a fast learner because I was thrust into the starting role by midseason because of injuries. They had players with more experience and older players who could have taken the lead, but they gave me the job.
�I might not have Matt�s experience, but I can tell you this: I was the number one quarterback in my recruiting class because I won. If I�m allowed to be the starter, I�ll find a way to overcome my inexperience. I�ll do whatever it takes to lead this team to victory,� David promised.
�You�ll get a chance to prove that in the first game. I want you to know that I don�t need you to step out of your comfort zone and make something happen like you did Saturday. I want you to simply do your job and protect the football. I would much rather you�d either taken the sack or run the ball when you were flushed,� Coach Merritt said.
�You have to realize that UNLV will try to put maximum pressure on you. I would be blitzing, running line stunts, or trick coverages on every passing down if I were them. I would try to get you to do exactly what happened Saturday: turn the ball over,� Coach Stackhouse said.
David knew that was how you lost games. The reason he�d thrown the ball was that he hadn�t seen that kind of speed out of Mario in practice. College ball was played faster, and the only way he would learn to handle the difference from high school was to continue to get live reps.
�So, if I�m in doubt or get pressure, I�m to tuck the ball and run?� David asked.
�I would rather punt than turn the ball over,� Coach Merritt said.
David didn�t like it, but he knew that he had to play in the confines of Coach Merritt�s wishes, or Matt would be starting. David wasn�t one to ride the bench.
�I can do that,� David said.
�Can you do one more thing?� Coach Stackhouse asked.
�If I can?�
�Do you know any other kickers?� she asked.
�Why? What�s wrong with Alex?�
�His dad has insisted that we do a full battery of tests to make sure he can handle the physical side of his kicking chores. We�re sending him to a specialist to fully evaluate him. Our doctors think he�s fine, but after he collapsed this summer, we want to be sure,� Coach Merritt said.
�I don�t blame Umberto for being worried. But I also don�t think you have anything to worry about with Alex. It�s my understanding that his issue came about from something cumulative. Did you know the average soccer player runs seven miles during a game? We won�t be asking him to do anything like that,� David reasoned.
�Thanks for stopping in. Go get ready for a good practice today,� Coach Merritt said to dismiss him.
�And keep the sexual harassment at a minimum,� Coach Stackhouse quipped.
◊◊◊
By the time Cassidy was done with them, David�s muscles were screaming, and his lungs were on fire. After conditioning, he sat down with Coach Thomas to watch practice film for an hour. Once he was mercifully done for the day, all he could think about was going back to his room to take a nap.
Before he made it to his room, he received a message. Craig wasn�t feeling as tired as he was and was entertaining a jock bunny. David was torn about what to do. Did he go find some players to hang out with, or was his bed at the townhouse calling him? Being a leader won out.
He found Willy and the other linemen in the lounge shooting the shit, so he joined them.
�Any word on Hansen?� David asked.
Their third-string left tackle had to be helped off the field during practice.
�He�s getting it checked tomorrow, and we�re hoping it�s just a knee sprain,� Willy shared.
David smiled when Alex walked in.
�How was your doctor�s appointment?�
�How did you know about that?� Alex asked.
�What happened?� Willy asked.
Alex shared his collapse in a match over the summer and the team, and his dad, wanting to confirm he could play. As he was finishing up, John Johnson�probably the dumbest person to ever get into USC�and Matt walked in. John said something to Matt, who retaliated by giving the big tackle a playful shove. John dropped his sports drink, spilling its contents all over the floor.
�Rookie, go get something to clean that up with,� Matt said to Alex.
Alex rolled his eyes and flipped Matt the bird.
�Clean it up yourself. I�ll have to clean up all your messes when you can�t get it in,� Alex said, referring to having to come in when the offense failed, making him kick a field goal.
�I always get it in,� Matt said with a nasty smirk, taking it to the gutter.
David was about to deck Matt for being an ass when Willy stepped in.
�Based on what I�ve seen, Dawson is better at that than you are.�
David cringed because he knew that Matt was still a little raw over Crystal dumping him over the summer.
�Dude, you get an unsportsmanlike penalty with that one,� David said to surprise the room. �Matt does just fine with the ladies.�
Matt gave him some side-eye and then puffed up.
�I was thinking about tagging a jock bunny. Does anyone know if any are in the dorm?�
�Go to my room,� David said with a smile. �Craig should be finishing up with his.�
�Thanks,� Matt said and then turned to John. �Clean up your own mess, and we shouldn�t be hazing the freshmen.�
�But �� John started.
�You heard him. Matt�s one of our leaders. If he says no hazing of freshmen, then it stops,� Willy said.
In David�s mind, hazing was a stupid tradition designed to show the new guys that the ones already there were the top dawgs. If everyone was supposed to be equal, how could that be fair?
David followed Matt to his room while sending Craig a message to warn him that they were on their way.
DSquared:
When they reached the door, Craig opened it in just his underwear. A blond pulled her shirt over her head, giving them a glimpse of her breasts. Once her shirt was on, she lit up at seeing the top two USC quarterbacks.
�Did the two of you want to go play?� she asked.
David internally flinched because her breath smelled like cum.
�I don�t feel like sharing,� Matt said. �Do you want me to send her back when I�m done?�
David shook his head �no.�
�I�m going to take a nap before dinner and then watch film afterward, so I won�t have time.�
He could see that Matt understood that David was focused on winning the starting job, but in the end, getting laid won out over recovering from today�s practice.
�Your loss,� Matt said and then offered the jock bunny his arm.
After they left, David commented, �I now understand why you aren�t supposed to kiss them.�
It took Craig a moment to puzzle out what David was talking about, and then he blanched. David chuckled when his roommate, obviously squicked out, grabbed his toothbrush and mouthwash and went to the bathroom to wash his mouth out.
◊◊◊
Tuesday and Wednesday�s practices mirrored Monday�s. David and Matt were almost even in their head-to-head battle for the starting role. Matt shone in the short passing game. He showed poise in the pocket and never seemed to get rattled. Matt threw an accurate ball with touch. He was a pure pocket passer who was very good at his read progressions, making him extremely hard to defend against.
David hadn�t shown his entire skill set because quarterbacks wore red jerseys and weren�t allowed contact. Being six-four and 240 pounds, he was bigger, stronger, and faster than Matt. Those advantages would only become apparent when David used his legs to run. What made David confident that he would eventually be named the starter was that just dropping back and passing, he was going head-to-head with Matt and holding his own.
The other area David felt he held a significant edge in was leadership. Matt might have known most of his teammates longer, but David�s natural people skills had his fellow players listening to him. He knew that Coach Stackhouse had Coach Merritt�s ear, and she had mentioned to Matt several times that he had to be more vocal on the field.
On Thursday, practice changed because Coach Merritt wanted to get a jump on preparing for UNLV. That meant that the starters began to get more snaps. Of David�s fellow freshmen, Bear, Big Cat, and Chuy looked to get playing time early.
Bear, aka Jerry Barber, played left tackle, and John, their starter, was suspended for the first game. Yesterday, the second-string tackle had injured his shoulder and would be out for two weeks. Since the third-string player had been lost for the season with knee surgery, it was next man up. That man was Bear.
Big Cat, as Nick Collins was known, played the slot, and his talent had shown through. Tyrell, their starter, had suffered a concussion during the first scrimmage, and it was lingering. The hope was that he would be back next week, but Big Cat would play with the starters in the meantime.
Chuy, as Jes�s Diaz preferred to be called, was recruited to be an H-back. Not to be confused with a running back, an H-back was not primarily a runner. Chuy�s role was a combination of fullback and tight end. His principal role was to be a blocker or receiver. USC didn�t have anyone quite like him on their roster, so he would see playing time when they needed his particular skills. The most obvious was in a short-yardage situation where an additional blocker was called for.
When it came time for David to work with the first unit, he went to Coach Thomas.
�Let me take off my red vest when we practice RPO. I�ll need to be ready for live hits when we play UNLV,� David suggested.
Coach Thomas looked over at Coach Merritt, who nodded his assent. Before David went in, Coach Thomas stopped the practice.
�Dawson is going to go �live.� I want to remind you that he is your teammate, and there is no need for a little extra or a cheap shot. If he gets injured � let�s just say that tomorrow will be Cassidy Hope for the full practice. Am I understood?!�
�Yes, sir!� came back as a thundering roar.
The whole defense had smiles on their faces because David wasn�t bashful about pointing out their deficiencies. They also liked that he could take them trash-talking back.
�Coach didn�t say that you can�t be dinged up,� Percy called out from his defensive end position.
David smiled because the first play was going right at Percy. RPO stood for run-pass option. It was a play where David had the freedom to either hand the ball off or pass it based on what the defense did. Most times, he made the read before the snap of the ball. Other times it would change, and he would take advantage of an opportunity.
The play was designed to be a simple option to the running back, Marcus, with the outlet being either a pass over the middle to the tight end, Chuy, or out on the flat to the wide receiver, Bill.
David had the offense huddle up as he called the play. Regardless of what Coach Thomas said, he glanced over at the defense and knew they were out for blood.
�Bear, do you want to earn the whole offense a steak dinner?�
Bear looked at his teammates, and they were all nodding encouragement.
�Yes.�
�If you pancake Percy, I�ll have everyone over and grill steaks on the roof. If you do it again, I�ll have the offensive backups over. If you do it a third time, all the offensive coaches will eat on me,� David decided.
A pancake or knockdown was where you put the defensive lineman on their ass.
�Why are you doing this?� Bear asked.
�Because we are going to set the tone right now and for the game next Saturday. Our offensive line will knock the crap out of the defense,� David said.
The guys in the huddle roared their approval, and Bear got a look on his face that made David more than a bit nervous. He hoped to God that Bear never looked at him like that.
The offense ran up to the line of scrimmage and got set. David was in the shotgun and clapped his hands to signal the snap. The defense was used to the quarterback taking a moment to read his defensive keys. David had cheated because he knew that Coach Farrow would have his defense in their basic set, man-to-man coverage on his receivers.
Bear roared and exploded off the line. Percy was no slouch and surged forward in response. Percy was more than a match for any offensive tackle when he got his feet set. This time, he didn�t have the opportunity because Bear bulldozed him over and landed on top of Percy. That had to hurt.
David was glad that the play was going that way because he got to see it unfold in front of him. Usually, Percy would have been his first read at the defensive end. With Bear handling him, David looked for the following line of defense, Todd Davis, their outside linebacker.
The Alabama transfer now had a decision to make. Did he defend against Marcus or David? He did the smart thing, which was getting the ball out of David�s hands. Right before Todd reached him, David made the pitch, and Marcus showed why he was second-team Pac-12 last year as he picked up thirty yards.
The whole offense was bouncing around, excited that Bear had earned them steaks. Poor Percy looked shell-shocked, and David knew that he would shake it off and try to show up the freshman left tackle.
David huddled them up.
�Same play, but this time we�re going on the second clap. Hold your position, and don�t jump offsides.�
They were all smiles as they ran to the line. David clapped his hands, and Percy jumped offsides. David waited until he started to scramble back and clapped again. With his momentum going backward, Bear demolished him.
David knew this was a free play, and because of that, this wasn�t going to be a run. He went down the line and smiled when Todd went wide to cover Marcus this time. Coach Farrow didn�t want to give him a chance to pick up another significant gain. Instead, he�d called a run blitz from the inside linebacker to loop around and catch David as he cut upfield. It might have worked if David wasn�t already planning to pass.
Chuy had run a skinny post right where Todd�s pass responsibilities were. David threw him a ball as he looked back, and Chuy gathered it in and ran straight up the field. Twenty-eight yards later, he was brought down.
They keep a stat for gains of over twenty yards for a reason. If you are picking up large chunks of yardage, it indicates that you would win a game.
Coach Farrow lost his shit at that point and stopped the practice to explain how he expected his defense would not be humiliated again.
Bill had snuck over to the sideline and informed everyone what would happen if Bear pancaked Percy again. Even the coaches got excited, and Coach Farrow gave the offense the evil eye.
David huddled up his troops.
�When we get to the line, I�m going to read the defense because I suspect Coach Farrow plans something evil.�
The men in the huddle knew how Coach Farrow could make them look silly, so they chuckled.
�Same play,� David said as he broke the huddle.
When he got set, he recognized what Coach Farrow was up to. Todd was going to blitz from his outside linebacker spot.
�On me! On me!� David barked as he waited for a beat, and the offense all turned to see him give a hand signal.
He�d just changed the play to the �run� option of that RPO play. This time, Chuy would block Todd instead of going downfield. Bill would act like he was doing his short flat route and run straight up the sideline. Marcus would act as the pitch man but flare out into the flat following Bill. If the safety thought the corner could handle Bill, he would come up to cover Marcus.
Percy did much better on the snap, but Bear was a man on a mission. He put his hands under Percy�s shoulder pads and lifted him off the ground, and Percy was pancaked for the third straight time by the rookie.
Chuy got a piece of Todd to slow him down. David waited for Bill to make his move, and then he acted like he was going to throw the ball to Marcus in the flat. Todd now was running toward David, so he stepped up and unleashed a long pass down the sidelines.
�Son of a �!� Coach Farrow screamed as his clipboard went flying.
Todd held up blasting David to earn him a steak tonight.
Bill did what David knew he was capable of from their high school days. He had another gear, got separation from the cornerback, caught the ball in stride, and finished the play by scoring.
�We can do this all day!� David chirped, which earned him a smack in the back of the head from Todd.
�We�re done,� Coach Farrow said as he pulled his defense off the field.
He motioned for Cassidy to come over.
�Kill them all,� he said and marched off the field.
David looked over at Coach Thomas.
�Surely we don�t have to do that?� he all but begged.
�I think you�ve earned a night off. Get home and start grilling steaks. I like mine medium,� he said with a big grin.
◊◊◊
David had Alex go with him to the grocery store, where he all but cleaned out their meat section and deli. He had to blink twice when he saw the bill, but he felt it was worth it. There would be fifty-plus football players, who could eat at least two steaks each, arriving at his house in less than an hour.
Alex enlisted the help of Crystal and Chloe to help set up because Cassidy was having fun with the defensive team right now. Chloe made the executive decision to invite the girls rowing team to help, which David fully endorsed.
He took enough meat up to the roof to load the grill. He seasoned it and then ran downstairs to get more food out of the car.
Crystal found him.
�You need chicken and salad supplies for the girls.�
He handed her his keys and debit card and gave her his pin.
�They had boxes of rotisserie chickens and double-fried pieces. Buy them all and bags of salad. Get a couple of gallons of dressing.�
One of the rowing girls went with her.
David made it upstairs in time to flip the first steaks. He saw the girls had everything in hand and relaxed as the first wave of football players showed up.
As he�d expected, the football players took full advantage of his hospitality and cleaned him out of food.
But it was worth it to see them come together. Bear became the center of attention as he regaled them with how he�d destroyed Percy. David didn�t want to dampen his spirits because Percy would show him why he was the best high school defensive player in the nation when he reached campus.
Bear also got the freshmen together to help clean up. Without their help, it would have taken David all night.
Cassidy was pouting when she came in during the middle of the goings-on.
�I didn�t kill any of them,� she complained.
�But?� David asked.
�I think they all threw up,� she said with a big grin.
David was about to leave to return to the dorm when he noticed Coach Stackhouse watching him.
�I thought everyone had left.�
�Not quite. I wanted to have a word,� she said and indicated that David should take a seat.
He grabbed a water bottle and sat down.
�Did you really tell Bear to pancake Percy?�
�I did.�
�I had no idea he had that in him,� she admitted.
�To be honest, I don�t think Bear did either, but I�ve seen glimpses of what he could potentially do over the summer. I made the challenge to try to get his inner nastiness to surface. If he plays like that in a game, John will never get another start at left tackle,� David predicted.
�What do you think practice will be like tomorrow?�
David got a big smile.
�Coach Farrow will get his boys ready. It will be a glorious battle.�
She laughed.
�You really love this, don�t you?�
�I do. I also know that if we can play at a higher level in practice, we can do it in a game, and it will only make us better.�
�And you�re not worried that the defense and offense will grow to hate each other?� Coach Stackhouse asked.
�I hope they do. But when we start winning games, it�ll be good-natured. I just want to have the defense throw their best at me in practice.�
�You have an interesting outlook, but I think I love it. Keep it up,� she said as she got up to leave.
David knew that today had gone a long way toward him starting that year.
◊◊◊
Finally! David was moving out of the football dorm today.
They�d only practiced in the morning, so David had grabbed lunch with the guys and then packed up. Craig hadn�t been the worst roommate. Craig was excited because a new batch of jock bunnies would be hitting campus this weekend. If David didn�t have other responsibilities, he might have been right there with him.
But he did, so he�d not partaken when numerous opportunities had been presented over the past few weeks.
He and Matt had continued to go toe-to-toe, so a lot would be decided in tomorrow�s scrimmage and how well David did against UNLV. David felt his destiny was in his hands, and he would be the starter.
He decided to go to Sandoval Hall and check out his room. He wanted to see what he might need before going to the townhouse, packing up all his stuff from this summer, and moving it.
It was move-in day, and David couldn�t imagine a worse version of torture. It should have been declared a disaster area as clueless teenagers wandered around wide-eyed, their parents protectively chasing after them. All of whom were similarly drenched in sweat from hauling clothes, boxes, bags, mini-refrigerators, televisions, gaming systems, and miscellaneous stuff from the dorm parking lot. If that wasn�t enough, from there, it was either up the many flights of stairs or into an overcrowded and slow-moving elevator.
One idiot had left their car blocking the entrance security gate for the parking lot. David pulled up behind it and debated whether to call to have it towed since there was a line of cars waiting to get in. Several honked, and a woman rushed out and flipped everyone off. It felt like they were in New York.
She pulled forward to let the rest of them in. David parked in the back corner, grabbed his football bag, and started toward the dorm.
�You need some help?� David asked when he saw the woman who�d caused the traffic jam looking confused.
She turned around and actually smiled at him, one of those I�m-tired-and-sorry-I-was-bitchy smiles.
�My daughter left me here to watch the car. I think she wanted to meet her roommate without her mom hanging around.�
David got it. None of the freshmen had any idea what to expect. They were moving in with roommates they�d never met. Even if they�d put in a request for a specific person, there was no guarantee. They didn�t know who was waiting to spend the next nine months sleeping six feet away from them until they got their key and opened that door.
�You�re going to be waiting a while, and it�ll take your daughter forever to score one of the coveted carts. Do you want to get out of here and grab a coffee? It�ll give you a piece of advice you can give your daughter as the best place to get decent coffee within walking distance,� David suggested.
�That sounds nice, actually. I need to stretch my legs after the drive.�
�Where are you from?� David asked.
�Palo Alto, near Stanford.�
�One of my best friends goes to college there.�
David played tour guide as they made their way to his favorite coffee shop. Doreen saw him coming and held the door open.
�There�s my favorite customer. Who do you have with you?�
David looked at the woman.
�Sorry. I�m Angelica. I met ��
�David.�
�David in the parking lot of my daughter�s dorm. He said you have the best coffee in town.�
�That�s why he only drinks my tea. What can I get you? If you�re a friend of David, you get the first one on the house,� Doreen said.
The two of them grabbed a table and kicked back, relaxing in silence until Angelica spotted his picture on the wall with Doreen.
�Hang on. You�re ��
�Yep,� David admitted. �Want to head back? I can show you my dorm room so you�ll be one more up on your daughter.�
�Can I get a picture, too?� she asked.
�Of course.�
◊◊◊
When he walked into Sandoval Hall, one of the RAs handing out welcome packets and room keys jumped up from the table and rushed over with David�s stuff. He felt terrible about the people in the line but was glad his celebrity had paid off today.
The elevator door opened, and people filed off. He saw a bunch of girls from the third floor about to get on.
�Do you have room for two more?� David called out.
They all turned as one to see who had asked and then smiled when they saw him.
�We will if you tell us all about being a hero.�
�Not right now. How about I have dinner with everyone and tell you what happened?� David suggested.
When they got off on the fourth floor, Angelica received a message.
�My daughter is at the car, wondering where I am.�
�I�m just at the end of the hall. Let�s go down, and you can get your picture.�
She agreed.
David opened the door and was immediately hit with a musty odor, the kind that comes from a room that had been closed and unoccupied for an entire summer. When he walked in, he was greeted by the sight of Alex asleep on the couch � sort of. David almost laughed. Alex�s body lay on the sofa, but an arm and leg were hanging off, and it looked like he was about to fall over the edge.
�That�s my roommate,� David said and saw Angelica shake her head.
�When I was in college, that would have been an invitation for mischief. Do you have any magic markers or shaving cream?�
David might have been on board with the old shaving cream in the hand or writing something naughty on Alex�s face, but he had a thought.
�We better not mess with him because Alex would get even before the year was out,� David reasoned and added. �But I like how you think.�
Both doors to the singles opened. They were next to David and Alex�s suite. Kirk came out of one, and the other had to be Alex�s security. David didn�t recognize him as one of Fritz�s regular guys. That meant they would have to break him in.
�Hey, Kirk. Would you take our picture?� David asked as Angelica handed him her phone.
Kirk snapped the pic, and she left to find her daughter.
�I swear. I just get to sleep, and you come in making a racket,� Alex complained and went to his room.
�Mr. Dawson, I�m Galen. I work for Fritz and wanted to introduce myself.�
David shook his hand. Both Kirk and David stared at him.
�Right. I�ll be next door.�
When he left, Kirk asked, �Who�s that?�
�Alex�s security.�
�The girls are on the roof. I told them I would get you when you got in.�
�Let me dump my bag in my room, and I�ll be right up.�
◊◊◊
The girls wanted to take advantage of David having a car to pick up their books for the coming semester. David was glad they�d taught him to order them with the bookstore app because the place was a zoo. All the four of them had to do was get in line and pay, and their books were waiting for them behind the counter.
He learned that Lindsey was single again. She and Allard had run their course while Jamie and Kirk were still dating. Lauren was also single.
�What about you? Are you still seeing Lexi?� Lindsey asked.
�My love life has been one long busted play this summer. Lexi hooked up with Ben Cowley ��
�The actor? I thought you two were friends,� Jamie said.
�I did, too. Lexi worked as his PA while Ben was filming in Paris. Then she got into a me-too scandal, which shut down the film�s production when Ben�s girlfriend got wind of what was going on. To fix it, they came up with the brilliant plan to fake Lexi�s pregnancy. They even got engaged for a minute,� David shared.
�Then what happened?� Lauren asked.
�I met someone in my film class. She was my TA.�
�How did that go wrong?� Kirk asked.
�I caught her in bed with some guy who I guess was an ex-fianc�. The weird part was he was a production assistant on the movie Ben was making. The only reason he was in LA was because of the Lexi-Ben saga.�
�There you go, Linds, he�s single,� Jamie said with a smirk.
�Not exactly. I�ve been seeing someone,� David deflected.
Not that he didn�t like Lindsey. Just not in that way.
They ended up in David�s room, catching up. There was a steady stream of visitors, including Nat and Chloe.
Kirk said he was hungry, so they all went downstairs for dinner. They were joined by several of the girls from the third floor who insisted David tell them about the incident in Colombia.
After dinner, everyone took off because a couple of frats were having parties. Crystal had called and invited him to join the women of Sigma Mu. They were headed to Phi Sigs�. She was playing her role as president and wanted to keep an eye on her girls. David stayed in and watched streaming video since he had a scrimmage tomorrow.
◊◊◊
The following day, David was lying down on his couch, enjoying a cup of tea, while Chloe was sitting in one of the gaming chairs, web browsing on her tablet.
�You�re nine likes away from a hundred thousand on that video you shot last night. Do you have any idea how many people that is?�
Kirk, Jamie, Lauren, and Lindsey had come back drunk last night and barged into his room. David had grabbed his phone to record the idiots because he wanted proof of how drunk they were.
�I was drinking tequila. We should all do another shot,� Jamie slurred.
�One more shot and I think it will te-kill-ya,� Kirk said, which they thought was hilarious as only drunk people can.
Lindsey almost coughed it up after downing her shot all at once.
�We might have killed her,� Lauren worried.
�That�s what her 19-year-old liver is for. It�s for nights like this,� Kirk said.
That made David laugh, and why he�d posted it. Kirk was right. If it weren�t for their young livers, college kids would be dropping like flies.
David rolled his eyes at Chloe and answered her question.
�Yeah. Ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-one.�
�Dick,� Chloe grumped.
David was startled when Cassidy burst through the door, looking pissed.
�What�s wrong?� David asked.
�The paparazzi were hanging around the back door of the townhouse, waiting to take your picture. When I came out, they started to snap away and ask rude questions.�
David gave her a confused look because that wasn�t anything new. Cassidy sighed and continued.
�One of them said, and I�ll quote him � �Hang on, guys. It�s just the housekeeper.��
Chloe made the mistake of laughing. David leaped off the couch before Alex lost his girlfriend.
�What do you want me to do about it?� David asked to divert Cassidy�s attention.
�You�re going back with me and giving me a big kiss in front of those jerks.�
�How about I just give you a big kiss now, and you forget the paparazzi? Trust me. You don�t want them to think you�re my love interest,� David said.
With a kiss, Cassidy stopped David from teasing her. A serious kiss. A steal-your-breath-away-and-make-you-wonder-where-your-toes-went kiss.
Cassidy must not have closed the door because there was a gasp behind them. David and Cassidy turned to find someone�s mom looking scandalized.
�Well, I never!�
The woman hurried off down the hall. David glanced down, and Cassidy looked happy.
�Let�s go get breakfast,� Cassidy said.
◊◊◊
They were playing a simulated game today. The Cardinal team, made up of the first-string offense and the backup defense, was playing the Gold team, which was the first-string defense and the backup offense. By halftime, David was fuming because the Cardinal team was down 21 to 0.
Coach Stackhouse pulled him aside before he went into the locker room.
�Upset?� she asked with a tiny smile.
�I swear they know what we�re calling,� David complained.
�They do.�
�What!? Is Matt ratting us out?� David asked, becoming furious.
�Coach Merritt is,� Coach Stackhouse said.
�What!?�
�What are you going to do about it?� Coach Stackhouse challenged.
�Before we tackle that, why is he doing that?�
�Because even if the defense knows what play you�re running, you should be able to move the ball,� Coach Stackhouse said and then pushed. �We go as you go. Do you want to be named starter? Then figure out how you�re going to turn this game around.�
She left him in the tunnel. David took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself and joined his team in the locker room. This was obviously some kind of test that he had to pass.
The number one offense was gathered around Coach Thomas, and they looked pissed.
�It�s almost like they know what the play is,� Willy said, guessing right.
David stepped beside his coach and smiled.
�Let�s assume that they do,� he said, not wanting to out his head coach. �We�re the starters for a reason. Let�s do our job.�
He turned to the offensive linemen.
�All week during practice, you were pushing the defense two or three steps downfield. Today, it�s just the opposite. They�re pushing you into the backfield. What is it that Coach Bolton always says?� David asked.
�One shot, one kill,� Willy replied, parroting what their offensive line coach taught them.
�What does that mean?� Coach Thomas asked.
�Explode off the ball and dominate,� Bear said.
�Skill players,� David said. �What are you taught?�
�Eyes, hands, feet!� the running backs and receivers all said.
�That�s right. Get your eyes in the right spot,� David reminded them.
�And when you run with it, hold the ball high and tight!� Coach Thomas growled. �We will not have any more turnovers. Am I clear?�
�Yes, sir!�
�For the next half, forget they are our teammates. I�m going to assume they know the play we�re running,� David said. �Hell, I�ll even tell them in case they aren�t sure. And you know what? It won�t matter because if we execute and do our damned jobs, they can�t stop us.�
On the first play of the second half, David walked up to the line of scrimmage.
�I�m going to throw a bomb to Bill on a go route!� David called out.
He went down the line to explain to Percy.
�That means that I�ll have to hang onto the ball for a bit longer than normal, giving you a chance to show what a great pass rusher you are.�
Bear looked back at David when he saw the big smile Percy gave David. David had just thrown down the gauntlet, so to speak.
David got everyone set and clapped his hands to have Willy hike the ball. Bear ended Percy�s thoughts of glory by knocking him on his ass. It was simply a testament to what a mountain of a man Bear was. Even someone as skilled as Percy had trouble when Bear focused and took to heart the �one shot, one kill� concept. Fire off the ball and knock them back.
Big Cat was lined up in the slot, and he ran a deep post route. The safety had been told that David intended to throw to Bill, but David stared down Big Cat to make the safety cover him.
That left Bill in one-on-one coverage; the cornerback was running with Bill stride-for-stride. David threw a nice ball over Bill�s outside shoulder where only Bill could go and get it. The corner grabbed his jersey, but Bill muscled through the hold and reached out and caught the ball. The corner stumbled, and Bill ran it in to finally get them on the board.
In the end, David had told the defense what the play was each time he got his men set. It didn�t matter, as Coach Stackhouse had said. The final score was 35�28 in the Cardinal team�s favor.
◊◊◊
�Much better! Much better!� Coach Merritt said as he entered the locker room. �Okay, sit your asses down. Good job. It�s impressive how hard and consistent we played in the second half. It didn�t matter what the situation was or who was in the game; it was pretty impressive. Now, all we have to do is do it for a full game. If you play like that next Saturday, I hate to think what the final score will be.�
�Does that mean Cassidy Hope isn�t waiting for us?� Willy asked.
�Yes, you�ve earned some rest. Go out and blow off some steam tonight. Be ready to get to work on Monday. Also, school is starting, and I want you to take care of business in the classroom. Next week, let�s keep building on today. Details matter. You�re dismissed,� Coach Merritt said.
He walked over to David.
�We�d like to have you come in on Sunday to look at the film from the game. I also want to show you UNLV�s defense,� Coach Thomas said.
�What time?�
�Let�s shoot for one o�clock.�
�I�ll be there,� David said.
He made his way to his locker to find Percy waiting for him.
�Dick.�
�Bite me, princess,� David said with an ear-to-ear grin. �Bear is a big boy, isn�t he?�
�If he ever figures it out ��
David nodded. Bear�s biggest problem was that he was a rookie. He�d shown he was capable, but he hadn�t learned the nuances of playing left tackle. Point him at a target and have him go all Hulk, and he looked like he belonged in the NFL. Percy was right: Bear would be unstoppable in a few years.
�Are you going out tonight?� Percy asked.
�Maybe for a bit. Crystal has some event at Sigma Mu for the girls. They�re all having dinner together and then going out, and I�ll probably bail on the going out part,� David admitted.
�If you decide to come out, the team is having a party.�
Several defensive players had rented out all the units in an apartment building. His mom would have had kittens if she had managed the place. They might have to burn down the building after those Neanderthals destroyed it.
�Is it an open party?� David asked.
�If they�re girls.�
David closed his eyes and shook his head. Of course, every woman on the USC campus would be welcome if those horndogs had a say in the matter. He would make sure to tell Crystal to keep her girls far away tonight.
�I think I�d better take a pass. If I ended up in the middle of that bunch, I would probably have to do beer bongs or something else just as bad.�
Percy laughed.
�You would.�
�I�ll see you on Monday, brother,� David said as he gave Percy a fist bump.
◊◊◊
Something David had been dreading was facing Milena. Last spring, they had been pseudo-dating before she left campus over the summer. Now he was seeing one of her best friends in the sorority. When he arrived for dinner, Crystal had to deal with stuff, so he found himself talking to Taylor.
�Are you looking for Milena?� Taylor guessed correctly.
�I thought I would see her around.�
�She�s taking a year off to travel with her mom.�
�Oh,� was his witty retort.
�She knows about you and Crystal and is fine with it,� Taylor said and then added, �If you were wondering.�
David gave her a helpless look.
�You must think I�m a jerk.�
Taylor nodded �yes.�
�But Milena made a choice to not come back, knowing it meant that the two of you were probably done. That you both sort of went your own ways after the semester was over said volumes, and it was what she needed. Milena had never been in a relationship before, and you were the perfect practice boy for her.�
David saw a pattern. He was okay to date for a while until something better came along. But that could be said of everyone. In the past, he might have obsessed about what it all meant. Frankly, after this summer, he was over it.
One smart thing he�d done was date Crystal. Seeing her busy being president meant that they�d been right when they started seeing each other. It wasn�t serious. To be honest, he wasn�t ready to settle down.
Maybe his football teammates had it right. Find random girls and hook up with them. Even with all his responsibilities�kids, being a role model, his celebrity�it didn�t mean he had to find the one and settle down. Hell, his baby mamas were all older, and only Peggy had found her guy.
He was in a funk until he went home to the dorm. David decided to go up onto the roof, start a fire, and relax.
He received a message from Tracy wanting to know if they could borrow his car to go to the football party. He�d parked the Porsche at the townhouse. He�d also leased them a Mustang so that Pam could drive to Loyola Marymount.
�Why do you need my car?� David asked when she answered her phone.
�Some of the rowing team is here. It would just be easier with two cars,� Tracy said.
�I take it you have designated drivers?�
�Yes, Dad.�
He chuckled.
�Have fun.�
�When are you coming over? Pam and I miss you,� Tracy offered.
This was what he was talking about. He decided he�d better have a conversation with Crystal before hurting anyone�s feelings, but he was up for what Tracy was offering.
�Call me tomorrow.�
�One more thing: I think Cassidy is meeting some Aussie guy at the party. Do we have anything to worry about?� Tracy asked.
�Cassidy�s a big girl. Oliver�s a horndog, but he isn�t mean-spirited. My guess is it�s just casual.�
�Alright. I won�t worry then,� Tracy said and hung up.
David had no doubt Cassidy was making a mistake if that was happening, but he�d learned a long time ago that people didn�t care to hear that from their friends. He would be there if Knackers hurt her feelings. David might even kick his butt.
David reflected on what was to come. He was finally beginning his college football career. It seemed like he�d been working toward this forever. David knew that it would be over in a flash once he started, so he wanted to savor every minute of it. If all went well, he might be one of the lucky few who could play the game professionally.
With that thought in mind, he packed up and put out the fire.
◊◊◊
His heart ached for Cassidy, and he wished he could take her pain away.
�This is positively the worst first day of school ever,� David said to himself.
�And just think, it�s not over yet,� a girl said, surprising him out of his funk.
�Thanks, that gives me something to look forward to,� David said as he shook his head slowly.
He glanced up and saw the earnest face looking back at him.
�I�m David, better known as Bond, Ian Bond.� His voice dropped at �Bond� like a TV announcer.
�You and my mom are BFFs. You took her to coffee and then invited her up to your room. My dad told me to look you up.�
�Here I am.�
Maybe the day wasn�t going to be utterly sucktastic after all.
◊◊◊
Notes from the Author
The Stupid Boy Series hit a major milestone. This multi-award winning series has surpassed 6 million downloads. I want to thank you for being a part of that.
Thank you for reading A Better Man:
Want to know when I release new books? Here are some ways to stay updated:
Visit my website at: www.GYounger.com
Thank you again and I hope we meet again between the pages of another book.
Greg
◊◊◊