that would be impossible to get otherwise.
In the stands, Don Truby, Jim Vance, and Kent Mooney stood next to each other. Don passed a flask of bourbon to Jim, who declined the offer, prompting Don to pass it to Kent, who drank generously and said, “Thanks. Needed that more than you know.”
Don said, “Work getting shitty?”
Kent said, “Nah, no more shitty than usual. Just Lydia being gone and Tim not playing tonight, you know?”
Don said, “Yeah, Chris mentioned Tim quitting. Sorry about that, man. But on the bright side—and I know this probably isn’t what you want to hear right now—but with the wife thing, you’re better off, man. Seriously. You’re a free man. You can bang any chick you want.”
Kent said, “I haven’t really been in a bangin’ mood lately, Don.”
Don said, “I’m just saying, Rachel lets me bang her maybe once a month. I’m stuck with her, man. That’s what married guys have to deal with until we fucking die.”
Jim Vance said, “Speak for yourself.”
Don said, “Oh, Mister ‘My kid’s the fucking quarterback and I fuck my wife three times a day’ over here. Fucking bullshit.”
Jim said, “It’s not bullshit. Tracey and I still have sex at least a few times a week. So not all married guys are in your situation, Don.”
Don said, “Fuck. Twice a week?”
Jim said, “Yeah.”
Don said, “Really?”
Jim said, “Yeah.”
Don said, “Jesus fucking Christ. Lucky piece of shit. I actually—I don’t know why I’m fucking telling you guys this—I actually got so desperate a few days ago I used Chris’s computer to look at porn.” He took a long pull from his flask.
Jim said, “Oh my god. You’re a disgusting individual. You know that, right? You need help.”
Don said, “Don’t we all?”
Jim said, “Kent, you think Tim might come back out this season?”
Kent said, “I don’t know. I don’t know what his deal is. He just seems like his heart’s not in it, but I think it’s just a phase, you know? I’m hoping he will.”
Jim said, “I think we all are.”
In the announcer’s booth, Principal Ligorski switched on his microphone and said through the PA system, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first game of the season here at Goodrich Junior High. Thanks for coming out tonight to support your team. And now, here they are—your Goodrich Olympians!”
On the field, Brooke and Allison pulled their banner as tight as they could. The field house doors opened and the Goodrich Olympians eighth-grade football team ran toward the field, each player screaming. The visiting team, the Park Panthers, were not granted such an entrance. They stood silently at the opposite end of the field, watching as Danny Vance led his team at full speed, tearing through the banner held by Brooke and Allison. Brooke tried to make eye contact with Danny as he ran by. She had come to the conclusion, in a day’s time, that she did not want to break up with Danny. In fact, she wanted desperately to stay together, but still was uneasy about the new nature of their physical relationship. She planned to put off any future sexual encounters as long as she could and then, if she was pushed to do so, she would talk to Danny about how she felt, at which point she assumed he would break up with her.
She wanted to blow him a kiss as he ran on the field, but he never looked anywhere other than straight ahead as he tore through the banner. He, too, was consumed with thinking about the nature of their physical relationship. The game and his role in it should have been his primary focus, he knew, but he found that the only thing in his mind was a slow replay of Brooke putting his penis in her mouth and eventually of semen spraying her face. It disturbed him. He had seen pornography, but the sight of his own penis in the mouth of a girl he actually knew was somehow far more disturbing to him. He came to the conclusion that he would avoid any kind of situation that led to a
Julia London
Vanessa Devereaux
Paula Fox
Gina Austin
Rainbow Rowell
Aleah Barley
Barbara Ismail
Christiane Shoenhair, Liam McEvilly
Celia Jade
Tim Dorsey