Page 10 of The Coach

I rubbed my face, then took off my baseball cap and scratched my hair. “Because I’m a sucker for unavailable men? I dunno, Matt. He’s hot, I’m young, dumb, and full of cum—you do the math.” I sighed. “It’s not like I wanted it. The guy has been a jerk to me ever since he came here. I tried to hate him, I really did, but I couldn’t help it. I’m drawn to him despite everything.”

Matt simply grunted. “Sucks to be a masochist, huh?”

“A maso-what?”

“The M in S&M. Ever heard of it?”

“Oh, fuck you.”

“Jerk.”

“Nerd.”

After a moment of silence, we both chuckled. In a world where everything changed so fast, it was comforting to know that some things always stayed the same. Like me and my brother bickering as if we were still kids.

When we got serious again, Matt asked, “So what does Finn think about it?”

“He doesn’t know. I couldn’t tell him. No one knows, except now you.”

“I’m honored.”

“You should be.”

“Okay, so what are you going to do now? Are you actually planning to go after him?”

“No! Well… I don’t know. I didn’t mean to, but… things happened.”

Matt sighed. “Do I even want to know?”

“He fondled my ass and I came inside my jocks. While he watched.”

His eyes went wide. “Hefondledyou? You have to report him!”

“Chillax, Matt. It’s not like he groped me against my will or something. We’re both adults. It might have been an accident, anyway.”

“What do you mean, anaccident? His hand got detached from his body and crawled up your butt on its own? Did he touch you or not?”

Imagining Blake’s severed hand scrambling around like Thing, I almost chuckled. “Yes, but he was giving me a massage. I got hurt during the practice and he was trying to help. He had to squeeze my hamstrings and my glutes.” He didn’t have to skim over my hole, but I didn’t tell Matt that. For all I know, it reallywasan accident. “So? What do you think I should do?”

Matt looked around the café for a few moments, pondering the options. “What do you want from him?”he said at last. “It’s unlikely that he will leave his wife to be with you, so what is it that you hope to gain? A quick fuck? A secret affair? And even then, do you want to be a homewrecker?” His questions burned my conscience. I knew what he said was true, even though it was the last thing I wanted to hear. Then my brother hammered the point home. “You should forget about him and move on.”

I let out an exasperated sigh. “Don’t you think I’ve tried that?”

Maybe the desperation dripping from my voice made him more sympathetic. His expression softened, the look in his eyes becoming gentler. “Then speak to him. Tell him how you feel and see what his reaction would be. Then you’ll know what to do next.”

Easier said than done, when me and Blake mostly exchanged insults so far. But I guess I didn’t have much choice. Either to confront him or to forget about him. And we already saw how that one went, didn’t we? “God, I’m so screwed.”

Matt ran his hand through his hair, studying me for a moment. “Okay, here’s the deal. I don’t believe I’m actually going to suggest this. But you should ask for another massage. Pretend like you’re still hurt or whatever. Then the ball will be in his court, and you’ll see if he’s interested.”

I had to admit, that wasn’t such a bad plan. “Wow, Matt. You’ve actually been helpful. Thanks.”

“Don’t look so shocked, you fucker. And you’re welcome.”

The matter being resolved to the best of our abilities, we both relaxed and changed the subject. “So, are you planning on going home for Thanksgiving?”

“No, not this year. With the Christmas holidays so close, it doesn’t seem practical. You?”

“Yeah, same.” Matt was the one with the car, anyway. As an older son, he got it after the high school graduation. I was promised my own ride after I graduated college. “And it’s not like we’re one big happy family anymore,” I added. The thing with having divorced parents is that you can never go visit only one; you have to do both or neither. Otherwise, the one who was left out will never let you hear the end of it. Our folks didn’t even live in the same city anymore; Dad had stayed in our family home in Stamford, while Mom moved to Providence with her new fiancé. And when your free time is limited, you have to choose wisely.

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