Mr. Basketball Ch. 13

"I'm well aware of Ms. Tilly and her incredible opportunity she has waiting for her. It saddens me that she is willing to give that up over something so silly really," Mr. Hart said. "It does however tell me the commitment that they have made to you as their coach."

"You can't overlook the fact that he broke the rules," Mr. Whiteman hissed.

"Which is the very reason why we are here Mr. Whiteman," Mr. Hart said annoyed. "Thank you for reminding us all once again."

There was light laughter in the room as he settled himself and decided on what to say next.

"Mr. Tillman," Mr. Hart paused. "I hate to pry into this but I wanted to know how long this relationship has been going on."

"Pry away Mr. Hart," I said. "That's the reason why we are here. Ms. Tilly and I started dating right around Christmas."

"So it's been going on for a little over a month," he confirmed.

"Yes sir."

"And have you expressed anything towards Ms. Tilly while you are on the school grounds? Has there been any affection or intimacy towards her that might be deemed as inappropriate behavior?"

"Ms. Tilly and I have a very dynamic and long standing relationship," I started. "As you know I was married to her sister, Teagan, until this summer when I was made a widower. I've watched Ms. Tilly grow up from being a baby faced freshman to a beautiful young woman over the course of the past four years. I do joke around with her and tease her more than I do with any of the other players on the team but that goes with the territory of knowing her so well. We have spent countless hours in the gym and at the house practicing so we have a different relationship then what would be viewed as normal."

"As far as being intimate and showing affection towards her, the answer would be no. I am there to be a coach for these girls, not to fraternize with Ms. Tilly. There is plenty of time for that off the court and in the privacy of our own home. If this issue wouldn't have come up, you would not have been able to tell that we are anything but coach and player."

"Thank you Mr. Tillman for your honesty," Mr. Hart offered. "And know that I am sorry for your loss of Mrs. Tillman."

I nodded silently to say thank you as he took a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing on.

"I have had a chance to review all the facts in this case and deliberate on it for the past two days once I learned of this matter. Hearing you two talk about the facts has only reaffirmed that I have come to the right decision on this matter."

"Although it is agreeable that this may cross some moral and ethical lines, both Mr. Tillman and Ms. Tilly are over 18 and consenting adults. It does bend the lines for Mr. Tillman to be romantically involved with a student in some ways, but this would be no different than a high school senior dating the local bagger at the grocery store."

"You have got to be kidding me," Mr. Whiteman huffed in a low voice. Mr. Hart gave him a stern look.

"Furthermore, since Mr. Tillman is not a paid employee at the school, the code of conduct does not apply to him. Mr. Tillman volunteers his time to further the school experience for both the boys and the girls. He takes no money for his time and effort while coaching at the school. This is an issue that must be given some attention in the coming months and a policy change needs to be drafted into the code of conduct book to include all people that are involved with the school, paid or volunteer. As it is written right now, according to my judgment, Mr. Tillman falls outside of the rules the way they are written. But, that is not to say that this situation is any less challenging because of that."

He paused to turn the page of his notes. I sat there hopeful that I may get my job back. Mr. Whiteman on the other hand twisted in his seat knowing the outcome did not look very good for him.

"Please know that I did not rush in making this decision on the matter at hand. I have talked with many of the students closely connected to this whole issue. I have also talked to the parents of the students and people in the community as a whole. The fact that Mr. Tillman is involved with Ms. Tilly has been overshadowed by the removal of him from his position and the entire team quitting. The overall consensus is not the what, but the why. Why was Mr. Tillman removed from his position when he is dating an adult, student or not? The why, has caused more of a disturbance at the school than the actual issue that first led to his removal."

"I have 30 students athletes that no longer want to participate in an after school program that will only benefit them in the coming years. I have staff and students alike that have spent more than two days talking about this whole situation. I cannot put a figure on how much valuable time we have lost in learning and studies. I believe this has caused more of a negative impact on the school as a whole and will continue to be a black eye to the school if this issue remains as it is."

"It my decision at this time to ask that Mr. Tillman return to coaching the girls' varsity basketball team and finish out the season. It is my hope that with you returning, the team will once again dress and participate in the program. I hope that this situation has not turned you off to wanting to coach. I hope you will accept my offer as well as my sincere apology for the past few days and return immediately to the sidelines."

"I would be more than happy to resume coaching," I smiled. There was some soft chatter and some cheers as Mr. Hart asked me to return and I quickly accepted his offer.

"This is outrageous," Mr. Whiteman cried.

"As for you Mr. Whiteman," he started again. The room quickly quieted as Mr. Hart spoke again.

"Your actions at the school have not gone unnoticed. You have more than once created disturbances by changing staff and policies that have disrupted the overall quality of the educational experience here at the high school. I feel that it is no longer in the best interests of the school to have you in charge. At this time I am going to remove you immediately from the position of dean and reassign you to an administrative job here at the district office. Tomorrow, I order you to clean out your office and start here on Monday."

There was a collective gasp as Mr. Hart broke the news that he was no longer the man in charge. I was hoping to just get my job back. This was an added bonus and it meant that Rodney was no longer going to be a pain in my ass for the rest of the season.

"This can't be happening," he croaked.

"It's very simple Mr. Whiteman. The schools' mission is to provide high education and a positive learning environment for the leaders of tomorrow. I cannot have students and staff grumbling about the moves that you have made over the past few months. This does not promote a positive experience for the children and it takes away from the overall moral of the staff. I want the positive learning environment to return to the school. I will oversee the school until an appropriate replacement can be found."

"Mr. Tillman," he said turning to me again. "Just so we are clear, you have bent the rules. I am sticking my neck out there for you and bending the rules myself. The code of conduct says that teachers and staff that are paid must adhere to the code of conduct. You are not a paid member, but I do consider you as part of the staff. You have done great things for this school and your contributions are greatly appreciated. I hope that you will continue to conduct yourself in a professional manner so that no further issues arise. This is all out in the open now, but that does not mean that the rules you have made for yourself can be changed. Your private life needs to stay off the court and out of the school until the basketball season is over."

"Yes sir," I said firmly. "I don't have a problem with that. I'm sorry that this has become such a big issue. I honestly didn't think that this was going to be such a big problem when I started dating Ms. Tilly. It never occurred to me that I was violating some kind of rules. I never wanted the spot light on me. I want the focus on the team and what they are doing out there. They are the ones doing really well this season and I hope this doesn't over shadow what they are trying to accomplish. I've been in the spotlight for the past few months and I'm rather tired of it. I had a great loss in my life and I'm only trying to move forward from that. I would ask that everyone in this room give me and Ms. Tilly our space and cheer the team on as we move towards the playoffs."

"I think that everyone can respect that Mr. Tillman," Mr. Hart offered. "Welcome back coach. Now that the serious stuff is over can you please get those girls ready to kick some butt tomorrow night?"

"Yes sir," I smiled.

"I call this meeting to a close," Mr. Hart barked. "See you Monday Mr. Whiteman."

"I can't believe this," he groaned. "This is unbelievable."

"Believe it," Thom called over the voices as people shuffled around and stood talking amongst themselves.

They came face to face now and I really thought there was going to be some fists flying.

"You always were a jerk Thom," he sneered.

"I may be a jerk but I know people," he smiled. "You shouldn't fuck with me or my family. You better keep your head down or I'm going to run you out of this town."

"We will see about that," he grumbled as he took off for the door.

"You don't belong in this town," Thom called after him.

"Pack your shit and leave," another voice called out.

"Alright," I called. "Let it be."

"I hate that guy," Thom quipped.

"Forget about him," I smiled.

He groaned one last time before going to talk with his friend.

"Hey girls," I called. "We have a game tomorrow. You know the drill. Dress nice and be on time. What do I always say?"

There was a collection of voices. "To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late and to be late is unacceptable."

"See you girls tomorrow at four in the gym. We have to go over a game plan before we hit the floor."

"This calls for a celebration," Thom cried. "Let's meet at the pizza place and have a bite to eat. It's on me."

"You the man Thom," I heard a voice call.

"Wow, we got lucky," I said holding Taylor.

"I told you everything would work out," she smiled.

"I still have to call coach P and explain everything. Its better I do it then let somebody else talk to her."

"Do you think she is going to be mad?"

"I'll talk to her baby. I'll make her understand the situation and make sure everything is ok. Don't worry about it."

"Thank you Jake," she smiled.

We went to the pizza shop and celebrated. We ate and had a good time laughing and messing around. It gave me a chance to meet the parents and put them at ease.

"I'm Nikki's dad, Jerry," he said shaking my hand.

"Very nice to meet you," I said. "Nikki is quite the ball player. She's been a nice surprise for me this season."

"For me as well," he smiled back. "I was worried about her playing in the beginning. She has a little problem with taking orders and listening to authority. She really has responded well to you and I've noticed a really positive change in her since she started playing."

"I'm glad to hear that," I smiled again. "I try to put a lot of structure in the way I coach but I also make it fun for them. I'm glad she's made a positive change."

"I guess I wanted just to say thank you for having a positive impact on her. I heard you were thinking about quitting after this season."

"I may call it quits," I said. "I might be going with Taylor when she goes to college."

"You would be well missed," he offered. "Not just by her but everyone that you have coached."

"I haven't made up my mind yet and I'm weighing out all my options."

"Who would replace you?"

"Not Rodney," I laughed. "It would most likely be Rob."

"I guess he's alright."

"Dad," Nikki called. "You better not be embarrassing me."

"He was just telling me how proud of you he is," I smiled.

"Embarrassing me," she laughed.

"Well, it was nice to talk with you," Jerry said.

"Very nice to talk with you too," I replied.

The evening wound down now and we left to unwind at home. Taylor and I worked more on her guitar lessons before deciding it was time for bed.

"Are you sure you want me in here?" she asked.

"You're my life now Taylor, this is where you belong."

She smiled as she slipped under the covers and got comfortable. We had never slept in my bed before. It was always the guest room when she was here. It was time I let it go and moved on. I looked over her as she watched the TV in just one of my shirts. She had a content smile on her face as she giggled at the show playing.

"I'm happy with you Taylor," I said softly. "I miss everything I had but I'm happy with you. You've shown me how to be happy again and for that I just want to say thank you."

"I know that," she smiled turning to me. "I can't give you everything you had but I will always be there for you."

"I've been looking into apartments near Duke. I think Texas is on hold for the time being."

"Really?" she giggled again. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," I smiled. "I love you Taylor and I don't want to let you go. I want to continue what I've started with you."

She leaned over me and found me in a kiss. They were these gentle little kisses that spoke more than she could say at this moment. Her tongue traced mine as her body continued to move over me until she was laying over me straddling my body.

"I love you to Jake," she whispered as she smiled at me.

Her brown eyes spoke more than her words did. They said she was waiting for me to tell her that. They said I will be there for you for forever. Her lips crashed into mine again as she kissed me. I pawed at her face and pulled her tighter into my mouth as she panted. Her hips softly turned over my cock as our tongues fought.

She breathed heavy as her shirt fell from her body and landed on the bed next to me. She was naked sitting above me as I shifted around and let her pull my boxers away from my hips. Her mouth found me again as she pressed her wetness over me. She was soaking wet as I felt her lips part and let me find her center. I slipped deeply into her as she gasped into my mouth again.

She just rocked her hips as I remained deep inside of her. My hands ran the length of her body from her hips all the way up to her shoulders. I gripped her and pressed her onto me as she ground her body on me. She arched her back as my mouth found her nipple. I sucked it inside and rolled the rubbery flesh on my tongue. She sighed hard and moaned as she undulated her hips.

Her wetness leaked from her as she gripped the headboard and let me thrust into. She held still and let me fuck her softly while teasing her nipples. She panted and gasped as I pressed into her before falling away slowly letting her feel me. The way her cunny gripped my cock was perfect. I could feel every ripple of her as I slowly pulled out. I pushed back into her and let her grip me before repeating.

She was so slippery and wet as she fell back to my body and turned her hips over me. I found her neck and tasted her skin as she sweated a little. Her skin was flush with excitement as I continued kissing her and tasting her. My hands gripped her hips again as I felt her warm skin. She was perfect and I let her know.

She turned her head back to me and found my mouth again. Those beautiful lips were so soft and tender as they kissed mine. Just her hips turned and rocked on me as she held me deep inside of her. I knew she was waiting for me. Holding on so the moment was perfect and we got off together. I could feel her squeezing me harder as she pressed me deeper inside of her wetness. My cock was pressing her end with each turn of her hips. Her wetness ran from her center as she panted hard and breathed in my face.

Her face concentrated hard as she gave me a loving smile. I found her throat with my lips and nibbled her a little. Her hair fanned around us as I licked down to her nipple again. It was swollen and wet from my earlier teasing. I quickly took it back in my mouth as I started pressing into her. We only moved a little but met powerfully in the middle. Her hand pulled my head into her breast as mine traced her spine.

Her skin was on fire as she panted louder and let out little moans of pleasure. My moans became more urgent as I grew closer. She tipped her head to my lips again and kissed me. I could really feel her cunny gripping me now. She was so close to releasing. I gripped her hips hard and started to fill her. She stopped holding back and released with me. Her cunny milked me as I filled her with everything I had. I splashed her walls deep inside of her as she flooded me. I kept pressing into her after I was spent and kissing her with all I had.

She finally fell on top of me and rested her head on my shoulder. Her hot breath panted in my face as she recovered.

"I love you Jake."

"I know you do baby. I love you too."

She kissed my cheek before finding my mouth again. We kissed before I started to soften. She reached over and found my shirt before slipping free from me and covering herself. She didn't leave my side. She just curled up next to me and let me hold her.

We said nothing as we just lay there and held each other. I just softly touched her skin and rested content with her by my side. After some time she was softly sleeping next to me. I covered us up and pulled her close to me. She shifted and turned over so I could pull her close. My hand softly stroked her hair until I drifted off.

*

I found myself sitting on a bench overlooking a very calm and peaceful lake right at sunset. The sun cast a warm glow of orange that reflected off the water. I looked around at the oak trees with the Spanish moss hanging from the branches. The grass was trimmed short and smelt like it had just been cut. A couple of crickets chirped in the background as I took in the beauty of this place.

"Hey baby," Teagan said smiling at me.

I looked to my right and saw her come around the bench to sit next to me. She was dressed in white and she looked so perfect in this moment. Her eyes were that clear green that I loved. Her smile was so soothing to me right now. I couldn't help but smile as she sat down next to me and looked out over the water.

Suddenly I felt guilt. Guilty for the way I had been acting after the night of the accident. Guilty for the way I had been treating everyone. I felt the most guilt for what I had started with Taylor. I don't know why I felt guilt but I just did.

"I'm sorry Teagan," I said. "I'm sorry if I've disappointed you with what I'm doing. Taylor and I just sort of happened. I didn't expect it."

"It's ok baby," she said softly. "I'm ok with everything. I told you to find happiness. I'm glad you're happy again."

I was going to speak again but she held her finger to my lips and stopped me. She knew what I was going to say even before I could say it.

"I know you were happy with me and the life we had and you are going to question why all this happened. I don't have the answer for that. All I can say is everything happens for a reason."

"But why?" I asked. "Why did you have to go?"

"It was just my time," she offered.

"But it was supposed to be us Teagan," I whimpered. "Me and you, forever."

"Things happen for a reason," she said again. "I don't have an answer or the reasons why."

I just sighed and tried to make sense of it all.

"She loves you Jake. She loves you so much more than you know. That's what is important now."

"I know she does," I whimpered again. My eyes started to cloud with tears but I held back for the time being.

"So love her back. Love her the way you loved me. Don't hold back."