Class Act: A Coach/Student Romance

“AREN’T YOU WORKING OVERTIME this evening?” Jimmy, the cute redheaded waiter, asked.

“Nah, I’ve been doing it all week. I’m taking an early evening.”

To go home and make dinner for Abe. Because of all the late shifts, I hadn’t cooked for him once this week. He always had dinner ready when I got home. As much as I could use the extra money, I needed to make time for Abe too.

“Okay. You’ve really busted your ass off this week.”

“Yeah. Thanks again for helping me this week.”

Jimmy was a nice guy who’d been assigned the same shifts so he could teach me the ropes. I was still a newbie. At least I hadn’t dropped any more dinnerware, nor had I spilled anything on the customers. My first day, a man had been staring at me so hard it’d given me the willies. It had been really his fault that my hand shook so much that I placed the bowl of soup too close to the edge of the table, and it toppled down into his lap. Now I knew how to smile and repress my nerves, even when some patrons made me uncomfortable.

A few times I’d been slipped cell phone numbers, or someone had made a suggestive comment. Once, a patron wouldn’t stop touching me. He’d almost made me feel guilty for the big tip he’d left me, but I had done nothing wrong. I could hardly be blamed for people tipping me well. Some of the waiters who’d been working here for a while didn’t seem to be too fond of me.

That made Jimmy’s kindness more special.

“By the way,” he said. “Are you going to call him?”

“Call who?” I checked my phone. Abe had messaged me that he was going to be home about an hour later than usual.

Good, I’ll have more time to prepare a nice evening for us.

“That last guy you served. Don’t think I didn’t notice the piece of paper he slipped you.”

“Oh, him? I threw it into the trash. Didn’t even read it.”

“Why not? He looked rich and seemed into you.”

I flashed him a smile. “If I wanted to be a sugar baby, believe me, I know how to.”

“Sounds like you’ve already got someone. Do you?”

“Maybe.” I hoisted my bag on my shoulders. “What about you?”

“You expect me to answer when you don’t give me a straight answer?”

I nodded.

He glanced around, then whispered into my ear. I gasped. “Bruce?”

He clapped a hand over my mouth and put a finger on his lips. “Shush. We don’t say it out loud. Damn, maybe I shouldn’t have said anything, but you look like you can keep a secret.”

I pushed his hand away. “Don’t worry. I can. I won’t say anything about you banging the head waiter.”

I had a secret of my own that I wouldn’t like anyone to find out.

“It’s just sex.” The wistful look on his face said otherwise.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said.

He waved absentmindedly. I slipped out the rear entrance and stepped into a cloudless afternoon. After being in the air-conditioned restaurant for so many hours, I relished the warmth of the sun on my skin.

On my way home, I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner, as well as Abe’s snacks and beer. Of course I had to show them my ID. The guy peered at my fake ID, then shook his head like he couldn’t be bothered and rang up the groceries. Abe would probably lecture me about buying beer for him, but what the hell? If the law said I could sleep with the man, I could sure as hell buy him beer.

After almost two weeks of living with Abe, every time I parked, I had to sit for a couple of minutes and let reality sink in. Our home. Since my dad beat me, I hadn’t heard from him. He seemed to have washed his hands of me, which was just as well. I’d been worried he might cause trouble for Abe and me, but so far so good.

I took a quick shower and washed my hair. I did the latter twice as much now to avoid the scent of the restaurant food clinging to me. One evening, Abe had sniffed me and jokingly asked why I made his mouth water and he suddenly felt like eating. I’d ended up with my legs spread on the couch, my hands tangled in his hair, as he did just that.

Back in the kitchen, I rearranged the pantry with a smile. Abe always shoved things back in any place he could find when he was in a rush, although lately he was trying more to remember how I’d organized our pantry.

The ringing of the doorbell startled me. I stilled. The person on the other side of the door had the wrong house, surely. The doorbell trilled again, though.

How curious. Who could be coming here? We hadn’t met any of our neighbors yet.

I opened the front door, and tectonic plates shifted beneath my feet. I hung onto the door. “Mandy?”

She didn’t say anything. Just stood there on the step, staring at me as if I were a bug under a microscope. I steeled myself for her hateful words. She’d completely shut Abe out, ignoring his calls, and Teresa had been true to her word and gotten the locks changed.

Why wasn’t she saying anything?

She blinked rapidly, and tears fell down her cheeks. Since this whole affair started with Abe, I’d never felt as horrible as I did then.

“I’m sorry.”

A sob tore from her, and she threw herself at me. I held up my hand to block a blow to my head, but she slung her arms around me in a tight hug. Her body shuddered from the force of her tears. I released the door, letting my arms hang limply at my sides. Should I hug her back?

I didn’t understand. Why was she hugging me? Hadn’t she been about to hit me? To fight me for wrecking her family? Yet she clung to me, her head on my shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “I’m so sorry, Em-Emery. It’s all my fault.”

She was sorry? What was there for her to be sorry about?

I walked her into the house and shut the door. When she was like this, it was no use talking to her, so I waited and patted her back awkwardly. Friend? Stepparent? What label fit?

Her shudders calmed down, and she sniffed. She dropped her arms and stepped back, wiping her face with the backs of her hands.

“You must hate me,” I said.

“Hate you?” She inhaled a deep breath. “I don’t. I hate my father for doing this to you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I feel like it’s my fault. I asked him to look out for you when all along he’s wanted to sleep with you, use you. It makes me so sick every time I think about it, Emery. How could he do this to you?”

“Do what to me?” I shook my head. Her words didn’t make sense. “What did Abe do to me?”

“He manipulated the whole situation and took advantage of you and how badly you needed someone to help you.”

That was the reason she was upset?

“We should sit.” I nudged her. “I’m about to make dinner. Let’s talk in the kitchen.”

She followed me into the kitchen and sat at the table. I handed her a bottle of water, even though she hadn’t asked. She guzzled it down.

I sat across from her and clenched my hands on top of the table. “Mandy, is your father the sort of person to manipulate someone?”

“I…” She frowned. “I didn’t think he could be.”

“So why do you think he’s manipulating me?”

“You’re just a couple of years older than me. He could be your father. How can I not blame him for this? He should know better.”

“What you should know is that your father’s a good man. You’ve always seen him that way, but ever since the divorce, you’ve been giving him a hard time and doubting him. He’s still the same man. Just in love with me.”

“Emery…” She swallowed hard.

“And I’m in love with him.” I pulled my hands into my lap. “If anyone’s to blame, it’s me. He tried to resist me so many times, but I couldn’t help the way I felt about him.”

“You wanted this?”

I nodded slowly and smiled. “He makes me happy, and I feel safe with him. He takes good care of me, Mandy.”

“And you have sex.”

“Yes.”

“Oh god.” Mandy groaned and closed her eyes. “What the hell’s happening here? I don’t know what to think anymore. Mom’s ranting about Dad’s cheating, and now you say you’re in love with him. What am I supposed to feel?”

“For what it’s worth, Abe loves you and has never stopped loving you. You shutting him out has hurt him, Mandy. Really hurt him.”

She snorted. “Well, he has you.”

“And that has nothing to do with your relationship. You’re his daughter. His only child. You were always so close, and suddenly, you shut him out.”

“He cheated on my mom with you, Emery. What else am I supposed to do? Act like nothing happened? Then I’d be betraying my mom.”

“You wouldn’t. Abe cheated on her with me. Her, not you. Let them work things out between them, but you shouldn’t get involved. If I had a father like Abe, I’d never let him go.”

She pulled a face. “That sounds weird coming from you now.”

“Maybe, but it’s the truth. And I know what a catch he is as a boyfriend too, and I’m not going to let him go, so I hope you can be okay with us.”

“You really love him? Emery, he’s so…”

“Kind and considerate? Warm and loving? Yes, he’s all that and stern with me when I need him to be.”

She opened her mouth as if she was about to argue, her shoulders drawn up to her ears. A heavy sigh escaped her, and her shoulders fell. “You’re right. He’s always been those things. But how can I let Mom know I’m okay with this?”

“No one should make you feel guilty for loving your dad. I don’t want to say this, but I have to. Your mother’s playing on your emotions to get you on her side and not on Abe’s, but you don’t have to pick a side.”

“Dad told me the same thing, but you don’t know what it’s like. If she bad mouths Dad and I disagree and remind her that maybe the divorce is for the best because they used to fight so much, she looks at me like I’m a traitor.”

“I’m sorry for everything.”

“So you’re serious about my dad?” She swept a hand out. “You live together.”

“Yeah. We’re serious.”

“Will you marry him?”

I cleared my throat. “It hasn’t come up.”

“But if he asks you?”

“I’ll say yes.”

“Oh boy. You’ve fallen deep.”

I chuckled. “I have. He’s everything I could ever want in a guy, Mandy. I’m sorry about how it turned out and how we started, but I can’t regret the outcome.”

“I see.”

“So will you stop being mad at him?”

She drummed her fingers on the table. “Maybe.”

“Mandy! Please. It would mean the world to him.”

“Fine, but he’s hurt Mom. If he hurts you too—”

“His romantic relationships shouldn’t have any bearing on the fact that he’s an excellent father.”

“That may be so, but you’re my closest friend.” She wrinkled her nose. “Oh god, if you marry him for real, am I going to call you Dad too?”

“I mean only when we’re in public,” I joked.

Mandy burst out laughing, her merriment soothing. Finally, things were working out.

“Don’t worry. It’s your punishment for sleeping with my father. I’ll call you Daddy all the time if you get married.”

“Don’t start. You’ll confuse people.”

She giggled. “I can’t wait.”

I sobered up. “By the way, how did you find out where we live?”

“That night when you told us you quit cheerleading. You were being so evasive about where you lived and so on. I got suspicious and thought you were just telling me that so I didn’t worry. I followed you that night.”

Oh no. Abe and I had been kissing in the driveway that night. My face burned. “That’s how you found out?”

“Yeah. I was shocked as hell. Had to pull over several times on the way home.”

“I’m sorry you found out like that. I swear we planned to tell you. We just wanted the divorce to be finalized first.”

“You should have told me from the very beginning, but I forgive you.”

“Thank you.”

“By the way, you don’t have to worry about Priest anymore. I heard his parents removed him from the school and he’s not coming back.”

“Really?” Well, that was a relief. One less thing to think about. How could I have faced him after the last stunt he’d pulled?

“Yeah. I didn’t believe a word they said about you.”

“Thank you.” I stood. “I should get started on cooking. Want to stay for dinner with Abe and me?”

“Umm.” She got up too. “Maybe some other time. I think I still need to process everything.”

“But I can tell your father you’re not mad at him anymore, can’t I?”

She nodded. “Sure. I’ll unblock him.”

“That was savage.”

“Yeah, well, I was horrified at the idea he’d taken advantage of you.”

“Well, now you know better. Your father’s a sweet man.”

“Don’t make me barf.” She laughed and walked out of the kitchen. “I should get home. But, Emery—”

“Yeah?”

“Be careful. My mom doesn’t like to lose.”

It couldn’t have been easy for her to tell me that. “I will be.”