A Tale of the Technician Ch. 04

"What would that be?"

"I think he's jealous of all the activity in your bed," she continued.

"Is this going anywhere?" I groaned.

"Trust me," she continued to grin.

"Okay, so we should meet at you, Amber's or Emily's place," I concluded.

"Oh," she giggled, "he doesn't object to us having our little bit of gymnastics on your single bed."

"You've lost me again."

"He'd like to make a little adjustment about who is in bed with whom," she responded.

"He wants to sleep with you ... or Amber or Emily?" I guessed.

"You aren't the one he wants to replace," she snickered.

"Huh?" she'd lost me again. Jamie rolled her eyes.

"Craig, he wants to replace me, Amber, or Emily," she sighed in exasperation.

"But that would ..." I worked it out.

"He's gay," I finally saw the light then I had some real fear and uncertainty. Jamie could see that.

"Oh, he's not all that into you, but seeing you with all these girls he figures you are a man-whore," she was grinning again.

"He thinks I'm an easy lay?" I felt suddenly cheapened.

"Well he is normally into the whole gothic slender sensitive types. Don't worry, I didn't tell him you were initially attracted to my dreary dark looks or that you are boy-camouflage for a lesbian," she smiled triumphantly.

"Thanks I think," I mumbled. Sometimes I need to be reminded that the whole world's sexuality didn't revolve around me. Of course all of this had a plus side.

"Figuring all this out made you horny," I teased Jamie. She came up and kissed me and our clothes began to fall off. Jamie loved being right and she loved having sex with me and when the two of them came together she could be quite creative.

The next day was Friday which put me back in Biology with my buddy Eleanor. I made a Four on Wednesday's test which made me smile but I had a note to see Eleanor at the end of class. Barney sent a tiny prayer my way but retreated in haste. When it was only the two of us, she opened up her class planner and asked to see my notes.

"Sure thing Eleanor," I sighed pleasantly. "Can I ask what this is about?"

"I think you cheated," she said with some anger. This made me pissed.

"How many other Fours did you check?" I asked.

"You are the only one who cheated," she shot back.

"Lady, what is your problem? I've tried to joke about it, I've tried to be nice, and I've tried to shove this attitude back in your face, but now you are plain nuts." She didn't take my accusation well. Instead she went back over my notes.

"Am I keeping you from something?" she hinted.

"Like I trust you not to make something up if I go away," I seethed. She glared back. We spent a half hour picking through my stuff before she gave up. She slammed my notebook back to me.

"Eleanor," I said in a hushed tone.

"What?" she slipped up. Normally it was Ms. Cosby.

"Do you realize how hot you look when you get angry?" I grinned as I packed up and headed away. I didn't wait for a reply or even a reaction. Take that Bitch!

(Fourth Week)

Our third game was against Mountain State and it was ugly. Mountain was supposed to win the Conference Championship and they showed us why. They beat the crap out of Morgan in the first half and in the second half it was my turn. The coach told me that he wanted to keep Morgan fresh for our next game. I didn't care because game time was game time.

I played the last two minutes of the game with a crippled shoulder that felt like someone shot me with a nail gun. The coach noted that I toughed it out and sent me to the trainer. He slapped me in a sling and gave me some happy pills plus a regimen of therapy for the week; still he said I had a good chance of being ready for next week. What more could a jock hope for?

Jamie and Emily went to an after-game party while Amber and I settled in to our room. Jesse came by a bit later and shuffled around the place. Not being totally dense I sent Amber out for some dinner than sat down across from Jesse.

"What's up?"

"Did you and Jamie have a little talk?" he responded.

"Sure," I tried to sound nonchalant, "Though I'm definitely not a man-whore." That put him somewhere between confused and amused.

"You aren't going to be weird about this?" he said.

"Jesse, I really don't feel that what you do is any of my business," I said.

"So I can bring dates by?" he hazard to say. I laughed and he took it the wrong way and looked pissed.

"Jesse, is that what you are worried about?" I chuckled. He glared. "Jesse, as many girls as you've had to put up with my only advice is what you gave me and that was to keep it down if I'm trying to sleep."

Jesse measured that response then smiled.

"Cool. I was worried that you being from some small town would be a hard-ass about it."

"After meeting Jamie? Not likely," I grinned.

"Sometimes cool chicks date real dicks," he countered.

"Point," I allowed, "but in this case it was mutual attraction. Everything else is a convoluted story best gone over when we are drunk."

"Aren't you afraid I'll take advantage of you if you get drunk?" he chuckled.

"Are you going to dress like a girl?" I leered.

"Nope."

"Then we are good," I saluted him.

Amber got back, we ate and then Jesse suddenly remembered some research he had to do with some friends at the library. He told us he'd be back by midnight and Amber and I made best use of the time. Afterwards Amber looked over my injury and decided to help me. I reminded her that she was a freshman with a month's experience. She told me that I was her test dummy.

(Monday)

"Do it again," Eleanor declared. I walked up, looked at her and took the paper.

"Whatever you want Eleanor," I smiled, holding the paper in our grasp a little longer than necessary. Today I was using some of Jamie's advice on the seduction of women. Eleanor looked at me with uncertainty then real hostility. I was worried she might slap me.

"Craig, I swear she is going to cut your dick off if you keep that up," Barney hissed.

"Trust me my loyal henchman," I whispered, "I have an angle."

"It had better involve track shoes," he replied.

"Well, running for my life is the backup plan," I grinned.

When he finished up and were out of time I took our work up to Eleanor again. I was pretty sure Barney and I had gotten it right this time, but then I thought we got it right last time too. Eleanor looked it over intently. When she looked up she found me leaning on the table and looking into her eyes. She glared back.

"You pass this time," she growled. She looked at me. "What are you looking at?"

"You," I answered.

"I could can you right now for sexual advances," she snarled.

"But you won't do it," I told her. Eleanor laughed.

"Why not?" she grinned viciously.

"I would bring up your own policy of harassment," I began, "but mainly because you get off by making me suffer. I don't know why but you do."

"What?" she coughed.

"You are getting off being sadistic to me," I responded. "Admit it; you don't give me any of the breaks you give anyone else. You know I like this course, and you know I'm doing well at it but all you want to do is make me fail. How is that not sadistic?"

"Get out!" Eleanor snapped. I was seriously hoped I haven't read this situation wrong.

That evening the girls gave me their advice. Amber told me I was stupid, Emily said I should go to my curriculum advisor, and Jamie suggested I should secretly tape her then go to the professor. I try to make light of it as we all have things we need to concentrate on but the girls caution me I could get expelled.

(Fifth Week)

By Friday I was ready to play tentatively but the coach told me he was going to have me sit out the game so I didn't stress the shoulder. I was happy with the decision because the coach was looking out for both of our futures. Our game was at Saint's Cross; our first away game. We could and do win, Morgan puts up impressive numbers and Emily got to spend much of the game with me.

We spent the night coming back so the girls went out and celebrated without me, though they sent me plenty of fun and racy pictures. The thing that was a change of pattern was I got a call from Barney. We met up late at night at the local Waffle Shack (I loved that place). He looked highly displeased.

"How do you do it?" he began with after our coffees arrived.

"What exactly am I doing?"

"Get women?" He sighed.

"Mind putting this in context for me Barney," I asked.

"Betsy Atkins is a girl in my Chemistry class and I finally got up the nerve to ask her out and she laughed at me ... in public," he groaned. I began to see the problem.

"What did she look like?" I led him along.

"Oh, she was hot, really smoking," he said dreamily.

"Barney, what is your biggest asset?" I felt like Jamie. He looked confused so I answered it for him. "Barney, you are smart. You are not terribly good looking and you are not a jock -- you are smart."

"Okay," he responded curiously.

"Dude you are going to be seen as attractive by smart girls, not models," I enlighten him.

"But I want Betsy. She is so attractive and funny," Barney whined.

"Okay Barney, let me put it this way; of all the guys who possibly want to date her why is she choosing you?"

"I ..." he stammered. "I'm smart and a good guy."

"Barney she can't see inside your noggin and she doesn't know you to be a good guy because you are pretty shy around girls," I told him.

"Well, you could take her out on a double date with you and Amber," he offered.

"Exactly how is this going to work? I'm supposed to go up to her and ask her out with my other girlfriend. That will not end well, trust me," I promised him.

"Well, you end up with Amber and Betsy will end up with me. She'd love me and we can start dating."

"No Barney this will make her pissed with me for lying to her, for you hitting on her when she thinks she's dating me and Amber for being there. Trust me, women are complex and unforgiving." Barney looked hopeless.

"I think I know what we can do; I'll talk to Emily -- she's the best people person for this kind of thing.

If she has the time she'll wrangle a meet and greet with Betsy and the girls. Then we have girls on one side and guys on the other. That way she ends up with you without ending up with you, if you understand that?" I suggested. He didn't get it.

"She won't feel trapped with you and if she's not doing well the girls will all retreat; it is a girl thing -- they hunt in packs," I informed him.

"I thought we did?" Barney responded.

"That's a myth they tell us to make us stand still long enough to be captured," I grinned. That made Barney a little less depressed.

"So you really think I have a chance?" Barney sighed.

"No," I told him. He was less than happy to hear that. "Barney, you share on course in common. Do you even know her major?"

"Economics," he said hopefully.

"Barney," I shook my head, "she's taking Chemistry as her Science Elective."

"But ... is there nothing I can do?"

"Barney, why should you? You are a great guy and all you are doing is wasting your time with this girl. After a few days what are you going to do? Trust me, unless you are really good at it, sex is going to last you fifteen minutes. What do you do for an encore?"

"But she's hot," he persisted.

"If you had to choose between beautiful but shallow versus normal but smart which would you choose?" I inquired. He hesitated. "Look at in in reverse; how would you like a woman to choose?" That brought him up short.

"Thanks, I think," he admitted, "but I would still like to have Betsy."

"Wanting the hot girl is normal, but getting the right girl is far better," I gave my fortune cookie wisdom. He grinned.

"Lesson learned."

"Do you want me to talk with Emily?" I asked.

"Let me think about it," he moaned. I thought I'd helped him, but not right at that moment.

Barney and I separated each making our own way home.

(Monday)

"Do it again," Eleanor growled. Since it was only Barney, me and her in the room again, I smiled dreamily back. "What are you looking at?" she added with a snarl.

"Oh, realizing how attractive you are," I sighed. The blood vessel in her temple throbbed.

"Get back to work," she ground out angrily.

"Whatever you want Eleanor," I smiled.

"Bro, when you go missing her name is on the top of my list of suspects," Barney whispered when I got back to our table.

"Don't worry about it. If she kills me she won't be in the state of mind to cover it up," I grinned back.

On Wednesday we had another test with Eleanor and this time she hovered over me. I painstakingly went over my answers, but I was really good at this. By accident I turned to her when I had finished to Eleanor handing her my paper and I was face to face with her chest. I sort of kept my face inches away while she was studying my paper.

When she noticed her whole body tensed up and she made a choking, strangled noise, grabbed my paper and stormed off. I met her at the end of class and she was clearly on the tip of rage. She didn't trust herself to say anything she was so pissed.

"I apologize," I said softly. "I shouldn't have done that." Eleanor grunted in reply.

Thursday I did Barney a solid. Amber, Emily and I met Betsy and Barney outside of his Chemistry class. I made a show of greeting Barney and told him we were all going out that night if he could find somebody. He immediately put Betsy on the spot and she clearly was uncertain. A weird situation developed; Betsy thought that her Economics major made her smarter than Emily and Amber; Barney was a goober, but I was something unknown -- a jock who could string three words together.

I'd never thought that Betsy would be such a snob. All I could think was what Barney saw in this girl. Betsy rolled her eyes thinking about our offer.

"Hey, we were just thinking that since you didn't have any friends you might want to hang out. Barney is a buddy and is popular so was having pity on you," I grinned. Betsy's eyes went wide and Barney groaned. Emily and Amber kept their own council.

"What makes you think I don't have any friends," she stammered. I glared right at her.

"Face it Betsy, you act like a bitch but you are clearly smart," I glared. "You've qualified for Economics, so you are intelligent, but you feel the need to give Barney grief for being nice to you, which means you are being a bitch for the sake of being a bitch. Thanks for wasting my time. Barney, let's get out of here," I suggested. Barney staggered along.

"What did you just do?" he wailed when we were around the corner of the hall.

"Barney," Amber explained, "that girl was a bitch and would have only hurt you. Either she will take the bitch-slap well or you are better off without you."

"Craig, you were a bit harsh," Emily consulted. "But Barney, she's not a nice person."

(Week Six)

Our road trip to Central was the biggest game of season. At the end of the first quarter Morgan went out with a bruised thigh with the accompanying groans from our side. What followed was a defensive match up. I couldn't get us to score inside the twenty and they almost had the same problem.

In the last part of the fourth it was Central 10 to our 6 when I finally began to drive down the field and I smelt blood. I tossed for fifteen, my favorite running back broke loose for twenty two, and I tossed one to our cornerback that took us to the eighteen. I missed the next pass and our running back went nowhere. People began writing us off.

Quantrill caught one on the nine and the crowd got back in their seats. I looked over the defense and saw they were at that crucial moment. The expected me to go back to the pass but we ran it and picked up six yards. Everyone was screaming when I went in with the play. Some famous guy once said 'winners want the ball'. My running back blew me a hole and I dove through.

I knew I was inside. I heard the whistles even though I was buried. Only when the elation passed did I realize that my left side hurt. As the pulled the bodies off the hurt became real pain. Still, I was happy with our results so I tried to stand up. I bit down a scream and fell back down. People began running around me and the rest of the game was a blur.

They told me that we'd won and that I would live. I hadn't torn anything but my knee was going to be an unhappy camper for two or three weeks. The coach came by and gave me the game ball, my first. Okay, I'm a nut but that was the best painkiller I had that night. The next day I was on crutches, painkillers, and in my ladies' arms but without sex.

(Monday)

"Do it again," Eleanor snapped.

"You are a picture of loveliness today Eleanor," I smiled.

"In much pain?" she smiled back evilly.

"Seeing you makes it hurt less," I responded.

"Get back to it," she growled. I turned and used my crutches to hobble back to the work area.

"Bro, I head she bought a skinning knife," he said softly.

"At least she's thinking of me," I grinned.

"You are one sick dude," he sighed.

On Wednesday I spent much of the class dreaming about the previous night with Amber. Jesse had given us the room for the night and even though Amber had to do all the work (well most of the work) it was great sex and personal time.

"Mr. Dawkins?" Eleanor asked. I'd clearly missed something. I struggled to think of something appropriate.

"Sorry, I was not paying attention," I admitted. She smiled.

"That will be a failure for today's lesson Mr. Dawkins," she noted. I could only shrug. Afterwards I took the end of class test with her watching over me again. Once more I took a peek at her chest because she stuck it right in my face.

"How are we doing today, Eleanor?" I said at the end of class.

"I'm glad to see you've finally given up," Eleanor grinned.

"What?" I muttered.

"I've been waiting for you to slip up Dawkins and you finally have," she grinned.

"I'm not giving up," I said with determination. "Last night was a long night with my girlfriend is all. I'll be on the ball next time." I clearly said something wrong because she was back to look of total venom. She ripped up her class stuff so quickly her laptop shot off and hit me in the hip. I cried out in pain and fell over.

Eleanor came running around the lecture table and stared down at me. I was struggling unsuccessfully to stand up and when I saw her face she was both furious and ... something else. I kept looking up at her, too concerned with her attitude to make a plea for help. She picked up the computer, checked it out and then put it on the table then went back to studying me.

I gave up on any hope of mercy and started to push myself up off the ground. Eleanor grabbed my arm so hard it hurt and yanked me up. I fell back against her and we stayed there for a second.

"Get off me," she seethed. I hurriedly did so.

"Eleanor, sorry, thank you and could you help me with my crutches," I apologized. She debated that for another second reached down and grabbed up my two crutches. Being a guy I took that moment to scope out her tight little ass. She almost caught me at it, but slammed my crutches into my chest instead. We parted in silence.

On Friday I limped through the day and even in Eleanor's class I left her class without comment. I had to admit between classes, crutches and physical therapy I was feeling like crap. I made my way through the rest of the day without thinking much about things.

(Week Seven)

We played an away game with Laudan which we won without me even being in attendance. I spent the game with Jamie and Amber. My only real advantage is that we had the sports facility to ourselves pretty much. Amber loved the place and Jamie thought it was extravagant. It didn't stop her from using half the equipment in the place.

I went to Amber's place and we spent most of the night playing and talking about what we thought about college life. We discussed Jamie, the whole football- girl thing, and what we were heading for as school progressed. I told her I was thinking about still looking for a Master's program when we graduated while Amber wanted to work for a major gym network. We were freshmen with dreams.