Team Manager COACH!
Chapter 44
DENNIS SAT on the tractor seat Wednesday morning. It wasn’t where he expected to be. Randy had directed him to Abe Abernathy’s field, helped him hook up the disk, and set him loose. He’d said the men’s group had taken on Abe’s farm as a project for the summer and were hiring Dennis to do the work.
Abe himself was hardly getting around this spring. Dennis would be responsible for taking care of the field and working on various maintenance projects around the farm. The house and the barns all needed painting. The yard needed maintenance. And the equipment needed to be serviced. Randy assured Dennis that a member of the men’s group would come by each morning to check on anything he needed and to give instructions. It wasn’t that Dennis would be at the Abernathy farm all the time or that he’d necessarily be alone. The women were hiring the girls to rotate in and out of the house every day to cook and clean and provide companionship. When it came time for big projects, like painting the house, the men would all come out to help. And Dennis was expected to be off the farm by four o’clock to lead workouts at the school.
All that, Dennis could comprehend and reluctantly agreed to take the pay being offered because he wouldn’t have time for any other jobs. The fields wouldn’t be too much work, though he expected to get two cuttings of timothy off the property. What was preoccupying Dennis as he drove the tractor back and forth to disk the spring clover into the ground, was the fight he’d had with Debbie the night before.
Her father had renewed his offer to fund the workout website, this time by means of taking up all the rotating ad space on the site. He offered to pay “significantly more” for the space than what was paid through the automated ad rotations that came with the site. Payment would not be based on click-through.
Dennis said he didn’t think that was an honest way to handle it and would certainly violate the IaHSAA and NCAA rules regarding being paid for his athletic work. He turned the tables on Lon by asking what business rivals his company had that would stoop to paying a team to pressure the Wolverines. That had to have cost the kind of money Lon was so willing to throw around.
Lon did not take kindly to the suggestion that his company could make the kind of payoff that act would take. He didn’t even believe Warner Affiliated Farms would stoop that low, even though they’d tried several dirty tricks to keep AgCentral from building in Bartley. Lon suggested it was Warner that had cut fences on Mr. Johnson’s property and let the pigs out.
At that, Dennis started questioning Lon on how he’d make payments to a team like he assumed might have been made to the Bulldogs. Lon started to answer and then got angry that Dennis would lump AgCentral in with the kind of actions he admitted Warner might have taken.
Dennis begged off dessert on the grounds he needed to get home to read to Peg. Once he was out of the house, Debbie lit into him for being disrespectful to her father who was only trying to help him and the school, but Dennis was an ungrateful bastard and she didn’t want to be his girlfriend any longer.
And that left Dennis on the tractor, disking the hayfield to get ready for planting. Number Twelve made it clear that she was through.
He was surprised to see Lana waiting next to the field and glanced at his phone to discover it was past noon. He hadn’t even considered eating lunch, let alone that a girlfriend would bring it to him. He shut off the tractor and approached her tentatively—unsure of himself after Debbie’s breakup. Lana solved that by rushing to him and hugging him fiercely.
“Everyone knows,” she said. “She called each of us this morning and gave us an earful. When she was done, none of us regretted the breakup.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to insult them or to cause a rift with Debbie.”
“Nat says she thinks Debbie’s been looking for the right opportunity ever since basketball season ended. That’s why she didn’t run track and was missing so often for practice,” Lana said. “We all need to toughen up. I don’t think Debbie is the only one we’ll lose.”
“Don’t tell me. I don’t want to imagine losing any of you. Lana, are you going to break up with me?”
“No! I’m going to move heaven and earth to stay with you. What you’re going to get from me this summer is a deeper relationship, not a breakup. Dennis, I love you. I want to make love with you. If you were willing, I’d say right now. In fact, I thought I was going to until Debbie called. I didn’t think it would be a good idea to associate losing my virginity with her breaking up with us.”
“Lana, I love you so much I can hardly stand it. I want to make love to you. I want to be your man.”
“And Natalie’s. And Brenda’s. And Amy’s,” Lana laughed. “But you know what? I’m fine with that. I love them as much as I love you.”
“You only named three,” Dennis chuckled.
“They’re the ones I’m sure of.”
They sat on the ground and ate the lunch she’d prepared. And then they lay on the ground and made out, kissing and petting until Lana’s phone buzzed and she jumped to get back to work.
“I love you, Lana.”
“I love you, Dennis. Don’t worry about lunches. Someone will come out to feed you and stuff every day.”
“And stuff?”
She grinned at him and scampered away.
Natalie, Daniella, and Roberta were at Dennis’s house for dinner that night. Dennis quickly kissed each of them and went to shower after his day in the field. When a hand reached into the shower and rubbed his back, he assumed it was Natalie. He turned to kiss her and found Daniella, instead. She didn’t say anything, but passionately kissed him and stroked him to full hardness. She turned her back and pressed her hands against the wall as Dennis entered her from behind. The feeling was exquisite and the two humped against each other until both were gasping out their orgasms. Dennis felt like he’d never stop pumping in her tight hot pussy. He finally withdrew and Daniella smashed her lips against his once more.
“They say every woman should feel that at least once,” she gasped in his ear. She pulled away from him and looked down at the come running out of her pussy.
“Oh, shit! I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I planned it that way.” She held her lips open and directed the water onto them to wash the semen away. “I wanted… I wanted… I… Oh, Dennis. We’re leaving and I wanted my last time with a man to be special.”
“What? Leaving? Last time?” Dennis spluttered. Daniella crushed herself to him again and began to sob on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to think it would ever happen, but summer basketball camp starts Tuesday at State. Donna’s been working hard since DMACC got out to find us a place to live. We’re moving our things to the new apartment tomorrow. We’re… We have to break up with you. And all the girls,” Daniella said. Dennis had a feeling Daniella would miss the girls most.
“Well, crap. This is turning out to be a lousy week,” he sighed.
“After we got Debbie’s message this morning, we didn’t want to do it tonight, but we’re all packed and ready to go. If it wasn’t for the meet over the weekend, we’d have gone right after graduation. Dennis, I’m so sorry. I love you. I never thought I’d love a boy. And I doubt I’ll ever love another one. But Donna is…”
“Yeah. I know what Donna is,” Dennis laughed. “She’s wanted you for a year and a half.”
“Don’t I know it. She’s done everything possible to convince us. Me, really. But, Dennis, we’ve been faithful. I don’t think I’ll last the weekend with her without spreading my legs. I’d have invited you, but even though Donna likes you, she is absolutely a gold star lesbian.”
“And you’re bi,” Dennis sighed. They got out of the shower and toweled each other.
“I’m a little more lesbian than bi. I was caught up in the whole group thing and you were a very nice part of it. But I don’t think there will be another cock in my future. Roberta, on the other hand, is a little more straight than bi. Please, do for her what you just did for me.” Daniella pushed Dennis toward his room where he found Roberta lying naked on his bed, crying.
“Hey, honey,” Dennis whispered as he sat beside her and kissed her hair. “It’s okay. You don’t have to cry. I understand. I’m not mad.”
Roberta raised up and pushed her lips against his and probed for his tongue—all the time choking back sobs and sniffling her nose.
“I… don’t want to break up,” she finally cried. “I want to take you with me. I want to take all the girls with me. I don’t want to leave!”
“Oh, geez, Roberta! Are they making you?”
“No. Yes. Not really. I just have to go. Everything we practiced, all the races we ran, all the games we played… All the time it was so we could go to State and play with Eva and Zoe. We talked about it from the day they left and went to State. They called us after every game. This is the one opportunity we’ll have to do what we always wanted to do and have both sets of Armor twins on the court at the same time.”
“That sounds so awesome,” Dennis agreed.
“But why do we have to leave? Why can’t you come with us?”
“We’ve always known, honey. From the very first, we knew you and Daniella would go off to State to be with Zoe and Eva. And we knew we’d be separated. Even if we were the same year, it’s not that likely I’d get a letter of commitment from State. I’m not what they go out recruiting. I’ve always just wanted what was best for you and the fulfillment of your dreams.”
“I know. I’m just a selfish brat. Daniella is going to get to State and, in a weekend, she’ll have a new girlfriend while I’ll be sitting in my room alone. Make love to me, Dennis. Show me that you’ll miss me.”
They fell together on the bed. Dennis lost his towel and they began moving together. Even as recently as he’d been bareback in Daniella, he wasn’t about to proceed without a condom. Roberta helped put it on and pulled him on top of her. He sank into her welcoming pussy and they made slow and gentle love.
“Um… Are you going to break up with me? With us?” Dennis asked as Natalie followed him to his room. The twins had left after dinner and kissing Dot and Peg goodbye. Peg understood they were going away and was sad to lose sisters. Dennis hadn’t told her about Debbie yet.
“Not on your life, buddy! You and me forever!” Natalie said firmly. She shoved him down on the bed and began undressing him. “And understand this: When we graduate, I’m going where you go. If you decide to go to State, fine. But I’m not abandoning you to go play ball with my sisters. I don’t really care where we go to college. I just want a shot at playing basketball and staying with you. Just let me know where you are applying and I’ll apply, too.”
“You’d really do that?” Dennis asked. “You know, my priorities are to stay reasonably close here to home so I can still see Peg.”
“And I think that is fantastic! Honey, Peg is the most precious person in your life. No. Don’t object with how much your girlfriends mean. Any one of us would have to take second place to your sister. You’re the best big brother a girl could have,” Natalie said.
The conversation had been totally unrelated to the speed at which the couple were losing their clothes. Once they were fully naked, though, there wasn’t much more to be said. Dennis had made love to both Daniella and Roberta earlier in the afternoon. But being with Natalie never failed to bring him to full attention. Once he was sheathed, Natalie rode him for all she was worth as he worshiped her breasts and kissed her.
Dennis had the timothy seed loaded in the planter and was in the field by seven. It was difficult to leave Natalie in bed, but he really wanted to get the field planted so he could focus on some of the other tasks on the farm. Randy had promised to come out on Friday to go over the list with him and help get things prioritized. This morning Abe had smiled and waved at him from the porch before going back inside. According to Randy, that much getting out was about all Abe could handle these days.
Nine girlfriends. He wasn’t going to renumber them. Mom would continue to call them by the numbers she originally gave them. He wondered who else he’d lose this summer. He couldn’t really feel sorry for himself. He was sad about the breakups, but Natalie had done a good job of convincing him that she was his forever. That made him smile a lot. They’d even talked about what came after college. She said she thought she’d get a teaching degree and hope to get a job coaching middle-school girls. And—when they were ready, she stressed—popping out a girl or two of their own that she could coach.
He’d had an instant of worry about what that meant for him and Lana—or the other girls. But Natalie had chattered on about that as well.
“It’s a good thing that one of us is a mother goddess,” she’d said. “I don’t think Lana wants anything more than to be settled in a farmhouse of our own so she can cook and raise our family. Not that any of us would shirk our own duty, but Lana will be the queen of the house.”
The conversation went on to whether it was practical for Dennis to farm part time and train or coach part time. They would definitely be looking at a rural setting for their career, though.
He turned toward the barn to reload the planter and saw Amy spreading out their blanket and lunch behind the barn.
“Not everybody is participating—at least not yet,” Amy said. “Five of us have agreed to rotate with the Abernathys for a few hours each day. They have a home care nurse that comes in late in the afternoon and stays through the evening to get them to bed. Our responsibility is to have breakfast ready for them, to be companions, help with anything they need, and do general cleaning. We fix lunch and then we get to bring you yours. Sometime in the afternoon, we get dinner ready so the night nurse can feed them.”
“Wow! That’s a lot of work for you,” Dennis said as he nibbled on her earlobe instead of his sandwich.
“Mmm. The benefits are good. And we only work one day a week. It’s not like we have a full-time job like you do. This all grew out of our attempt last winter to help people. I think the only reason the other girlfriends aren’t helping is logistical. Getting here or committing to the time.”
“Um… Which girlfriends are committed?” Dennis asked. He meant committed to helping the Abernathys, but wondered about other commitments as well.
“So far, exactly who you’d think. Lana, Natalie, Brenda, and me. And a surprise is Leanne. I think she’s got an eye on what can happen at lunch, too. Tori has commitments at her own farm and softball games almost every day. You know they have thirty games in two months? They hardly practice at all. I think that’s why the coaches want you to get conditioning started at a uniform time each day. Judith and Diane would like to help, but they have a commitment to a similar thing organized by the Methodist Church in White Center. Tori says that after softball season, she might be committed to that as well.”
Dennis counted on his fingers.
“And Rosie?”
“I don’t know. I think Rosie might be having an identity crisis. You know, she’s the youngest girlfriend. She won’t turn sixteen until just before school starts. She hangs around more with Daphne, Karen, and Liz than with the rest of us. And we’ve been best friends for years. I talked to her last night. Actually, she called me and cried on the phone for an hour. She felt abandoned by Daniella,” Amy said.
“Oh, man! I’m so stupid. Here I was feeling sorry for myself and I didn’t even consider how the breakups were affecting the rest of our crew. I’m sorry!” Dennis said.
“It’s affected each of us differently. I think it affected Rosie so much because she’s been thinking she might be gay. Different than me. I gladly accept your cock or Brenda’s tongue in my pussy. Equal opportunity, AC/DC. I want them both. Rosie… I don’t think she’s been making any moves on you, ya know?” Amy said. Lunch was over and she was pulling at Dennis’s jeans. She was already mostly naked.
“You’re right. I just want her to be happy.”
“Make me happy. Put this condom on and drill my pussy. Please?”
Dennis had no difficulty fulfilling that request. Not only was Amy admittedly bi, she was enthusiastic about sex with either one. Dennis was sure they’d spent more than their allotted time for lunch.
Dennis spent his evening in front of his computer. With Brenda. They were supposed to be studying together since they’d both signed up for the nutrition class online so they could do it together. She’d already had both the health and first aid courses.
But Dennis kept getting distracted. All afternoon, he’d been thinking about what a major corporate rivalry could do to a community like Bartley. Lon Stackhouse had said Warner Affiliated Farms had been the ones responsible for cutting the fence and letting Mr. Johnson’s pigs out. Including the one that had chased him across the meadow. As he searched through various news sites in the area, and read through the comments by different farmers, it appeared the competition between Warner and AgCentral for the prime farmland on the west side of the river had been heated to say the least.
Both companies had wanted to build a factory farm there and there had been other acts of presumed sabotage to each other’s efforts. That was when AgCentral started sponsoring Bartley sports. In a month’s time, the papers had been signed and Warner was out of the running.
He also searched for the names of the boys from the Bulldogs who had been involved in the fracas with the Wolverines. Of course, the newspapers didn’t give the names of anyone under age eighteen. But searching through social media pages showed quickly who the most likely suspects were. They had a subgroup page for members only. Dennis called Olivia.
“Hey! We going to record sometime soon?” she asked.
“Everybody needed a week off to decompress after school. How’s your schedule for a week from Saturday? Not sure yet how many people will be around, but doing a couple of small sessions wouldn’t be that bad,” Dennis said.
“I’ll mark it down.”
“Say, there’s a private group on Facebook I want to get a look at. I know who a lot of the members are. Any chance you could figure out how to look at their private posts?” Dennis asked. Brenda looked at him strangely.
“We’re not supposed to do that,” Olivia said. She paused. “Does this have to do with the Bulldog thing?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’m in. Send me the info you’ve got.”
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