The Swim Team Ch. 08

"Mr. Brandford!" My name pulled me out of my surprise. Mr. Johnson was looking at me.

"Yes?"

"I just want to say how much we appreciate everything you're doing for the team. Tommy and Ivory really appreciate being able to swim this year."

I didn't really focus on what he was saying as I watched Austin turn to face me. Her expression went from benign indifference to recognition to shock. Her eyes widened and her mouth formed a small "O." I imagine my expression was a mirror of hers.

"It, uh, it's nothing, really," I had to tear my eyes away from Austin. It took every ounce of self-control to do it. "I imagine I'm not the only one working on the problem."

"But to let the team use your pool to train. That's going above and beyond. Tommy here was just telling me how nice your pool is."

So that's how he knew who I was.

"Please, join us. Austin, move over." He slapped his head. "Forgive me, this is our oldest, Austin. She's a Sophomore at Hallstead this year. And this is my wife, Anne." He gestured to an older version of Ivory. Very pretty in a girl-next-door way, but not as regal looking as Austin who had a good mix of her father's features and her mother's femininity. "You already know Tommy, and I'm Tim."

"Hey, Tommy!" Coach Thomas yelled from poolside. "Are you planning on swimming today?"

"Gotta go," Tommy said as he turned and trotted down the bleachers.

I sat down on the aluminum bench next to Austin, who hadn't taken her eyes off me since she saw me. It seemed an age before she found her voice. "You're Brenda's dad?"

"I am." I couldn't form any more words at that particular moment.

She lowered her voice and leaned closer to me. "I didn't know...the other night..."

"I didn't know either." I imagined she might be concerned that her parents didn't know about her web persona, or her party habits, and it wasn't for me to tell them. "I never would have thought you would be one of my daughter's friends."

She tilted her head as though I surprised her. "Would that have made a difference?"

"What? I meant I...it's just that...I didn't..."

She smiled and touched my shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm just messin' with ya."

After I had a second to pull myself together, I smiled. "I just meant to say 'it's a small world.' That's all."

Tim asked me a question about my pool, and he and I exchanged small talk while the team got ready for the meet. Austin seemed to delight in flirting with me when her parents weren't looking. She touched my shoulder and forearm a lot as she talked and laughed. It was difficult to equate the young woman from the party to the girl with whom Linda had such issues. Austin was gorgeous, to be sure, but she seemed genuine and intelligent as well as flirtatious. On more than one occasion, I felt her hand reach behind us and tweak my butt as she winked at me. It took a bit of self-control to prevent my cock from rising to the occasion.

"Fancy meeting you here," a feminine voice lilted behind me. I turned around to see Diane sitting there.

"Diane?"

"In the flesh. Hello, Tim," she said to Austin's father before turning to his wife. "Anne."

They exchanged pleasantries and Austin acted like nothing was wrong. I was confused. Why was Diane here? I know she and Austin have some kind of connection, but what was going on?

"Don't mind me," she said as if reading my mind. "I like coming to the meets. Takes me back a few years."

"You were a swimmer?"

"No. Well, yes, a long time ago. But I was talking about when I coached the team."

"You used to coach the team?"

"For almost five years, before I took the position at the district. I picked Coach Thomas to replace me. I had a lot of very good swimmers. Many of whom have gone on to compete in college. One of my girls almost made the Olympic team."

"Diane was my coach my freshman year," Austin added. She gazed at her mentor with reverence in her eyes.

Puzzle pieces started connecting in my mind, but I couldn't yet see the picture they made. There were still too many missing pieces.

I tried to keep my attention on the team as they got ready for the meet. When the officials announced the first heat for the first event was about to start and the swimmers needed to get to their marks, I saw Linda looking up at me in the stands. She beamed a smile at me, then noticed the women sitting next to me, and her smile dropped like a stone. She nudged Brenda, who looked up at me and waved until she, too, noticed who was sitting with me, then she and Linda began a heated discussion.

I didn't have time to think too long on it as the swimmers took their mark. Tina was the first swimmer for our team followed by Bethany, Linda, and Brenda anchoring the freestyle relay. If not for their sizes, it was difficult telling the girls apart in their team Speedos and caps. While waiting in line, Linda kept glancing up and me, then at Austin. She didn't look happy. When she was tagged in by Bethany, she almost flubbed her dive, and her stroke was not as good as usual. Fortunately, she managed to rally for the return and finished strong to tag Brenda in. My baby girl drove hard and made up any lost time, easily beating the nearest competitor. Once Linda exited the pool, she and coach Thomas had words in the bull pen. She looked petulant as he talked to her, and I couldn't help thinking about what Dennis said about her behavior. When Brenda finished her leg, she joined the discussion and all three of them seemed to get agitated before Linda hung her head and nodded. Brenda put her hand on her friend's shoulder and led her to a chair while Coach Thomas got the swimmers ready for the next heat.

"Linda can do better. She's off her game," Diane said. "But Brenda pulled it out."

"Did you know that he's Brenda's dad?" Austin's question went far deeper than her words.

"Yes, I did."

"You never told me."

"Well, I don't tell you everything, Pretty." Diane said this last as a whisper. Austin's hand went to her neck, as if feeling for something.

The rest of the meet was a blur as my mind was churning with the implications that Austin presented me. Diane knew Brenda. She knew Brenda was my daughter when she...when I...when we...She already knew. But, then again, did that matter? She wasn't her coach then. She has no effect on Brenda's academic life. But what about Austin? She and Brenda had not had much interaction since Austin graduated. Before I retired, I didn't pay as close attention to Brenda's friends as I should. That might have been a mistake. I rarely was able to attend the swim meets. If I had, would I have noticed these connections before? And what about what Linda told me? Austin trying to get Brenda to attend Hallstead, when she was pretty set on an Ivy League school.

More puzzle pieces were waiting for matches, and none of them had any straight edges.

"Barry," Diane said before the final set of events, "could I have a word?"

Since we've already been talking, I was curious what she needed to talk to me about alone. I rose and followed her to the aisle leading down to the deck. "I didn't want to say this around the Johnsons, but I just wanted to let you know that the district has officially reinstated Mark Landry to the team."

"What? But he's still facing criminal charges."

"I know. But Mr. Landry's lawyers got an injunction against the expulsion. He will be allowed to attend until his trial. That includes extra-curricular activities. He even showed up here to swim in this meet. I had to inform him that district policy specifies that if you don't practice, you don't swim. He was not happy."

"Can't you do something about him? Mr. Landry, I mean. You seem to know everyone worth knowing in this town. Surely one of them could do something."

"Well, that's something else I wanted to talk to you about. The fund raiser Saturday night raised enough money for the district to pay for the team for the year. You're off the hook for raising more money, and you get your pool back."

"But what about Landry?"

Her eyes clouded over, and her face said she was about to say something distasteful. "He channels too much money in this town. If anyone goes against him, they stand to lose too much. Even me."

"What if Mark does something like this again? Surely the authorities must know that is a possibility. Even his dad has to know that."

"In my experience, entitled brats like Mark Landry are never held accountable for their behavior, least of all by their parents."

"If only there was some way to make Mr. Landry see that his son is hurting his business."

Diane tilted her head when I said that and thought for a moment until a sly smile curled the corners of her mouth. "You may be onto something there."

#

We won the meet handily. Brenda and Bethany were the top scorers for the girls, and Tommy and one other guy topped the leader board for the boys. Linda scored well, but lost points for her heat in the relay, putting her in third. I went down to the deck to find the girls, but they had disappeared in the throng of students and parents. That was unusual. Brenda almost always waited for me after a meet. Of course, up until I retired, I didn't make that many meets, but she knew I was here, so why would she leave without a congratulatory hug?

By the time I reached the parking lot, the mass exodus had begun, and the driveways were jammed with people making their exit. Brenda's car was not in the parking lot, so she must have left quickly. Something in my gut told me to get home fast. It was a long drive with a lot of questions running through my mind. I couldn't put the pieces of the puzzle together, and it frustrated me. After what seemed like days, I pulled into the neighborhood. When I got to the house, Brenda's car wasn't in the driveway. I went into the house and nothing was amiss, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. I whipped out my phone.

After the third time ringing to voice mail, the next call went straight to voice mail. She was ducking my call. Why?

I texted her. "Call me."

No reply. "Brenda, I need to talk to you. Call me now."

Still no reply. I pulled up the find my phone app and saw that she was on the road, heading in this direction. But she wasn't coming from the meet. It looked like she was coming from the Mitchell's part of town. I watched as she pulled into the driveway before I put the phone away and sat in the chair facing the door. When she opened the door, she locked eyes with me, and that foreboding feeling broke the scale.

"Why didn't you answer my call?"

"I wasn't ready to talk to you yet," she said as she took a seat in the chair across from me, skipping the couch.

"Why not? What's going on?"

She looked at me in silence. I watched her eyes move across my face as if trying to read me. Her expression was almost the same one she wore when Dennis showed up for dinner. My anger was building at her silence and just as I was about to snap she stopped me with a question.

"Where were you Saturday night?"

The question was so unexpected and uncharacteristic for her that I couldn't form a reply, and sat there opening and closing my mouth, looking like a fish sucking air. "Excuse me? Last time I checked, I was the parent in this house," I said after I managed to string some words together. "Where do you get off asking me a question like that? And what does that have to do with why you wouldn't answer my call. And why you took off after the meet before I could even congratulate you?"

"I'll be happy to tie it all together for you. Wrap it all up in a nice little bow. Just as soon as you answer the question."

"I'm not accustomed to being questioned by the child I brought into this world." Anger flared as I spat the words. All the questions that have been plaguing me for the past two weeks had graduated from a simmer to a rolling boil.

Brenda flinched at the volume and force of my words, but she showed no signs of backing down. She moved to speak again, but I cut her off. I was building up into a roll. "And another thing, since you brought up Saturday, what was with that tirade before you left? You have never addressed me in that manner, and it was undeserved and inappropriate. I don't know what has gotten into you lately young lady, but you will not talk to me like I'm some guy off the street. I am your father and I deserve your respect."

"Respect?" The word erupted like a geyser. "I'm supposed to respect a man who fucks my friends? Oh, yeah, I heard all about your performance Saturday night. The whole team knows about it. Austin made sure to fill us in on the details of the 'fan'," she formed air quotes with her fingers, "she fucked at an orgy! She said you were fantastic in case you were wondering."

I blinked.

"Yeah. She was singing your praises all day yesterday and today before the meet. Of course, I didn't know she was talking about you until we saw you sitting all cozy with her and coach West in the stands. Then it all fell into place. Poor Linda was heartbroken. The two guys she loves most both screw her over the same month. She almost scratched the meet. I hope you're happy." Tears were running down her cheeks, but my anger wouldn't let me feel sorry for her.

"First of all, I had no idea who Austin was when I came to the meet. And she didn't know who I was either."

"Oh, so I'm supposed to feel better that it was some anonymous hookup? That you just went fucking the first cunt you found?" Her words were slaps to my face and heart.

"Wait just one damn minute young lady!"

"No," she shouted. "You wait. You were just telling me how important it was to be in a relationship with someone before having sex. How much more meaningful it would be. Do you remember that little piece of advice, Dad? You told it to me like six hours before you were fucking anything that moved!"

"Brenda!"

"I can't believe this. You're such a hypocrite. 'Do as I say, not as I do' must be your personal mantra. And you're not even sorry!"

"I'm not used to having to explain myself to my child," my jaw was so tense the words slid between my teeth.

"Is that your default argument? I'm a child? So, what, that means I'm not worthy of respect? That you don't owe me an explanation?"

She was right, and I knew it, but in that moment, through the haze of anger, I couldn't admit it--even to myself. "Brenda Brandford! You do not talk to me that way. You're a kid, yes. You don't know everything, no matter how smart you are. Until you can remember that I'm the adult in this household, you can go to your room!"

She jumped to her feet, her eyes blazing in anger. "Oh, so now I'm banished? Do you want me to go sit in timeout like a preschooler? Well, I'll do you one better. I will go to timeout. But not in your house. I'm going to Austin's!"

"Oh no you don't! You are not to leave this house, young lady. Am I clear?"

She looked me dead in the eye, her gaze dripping with contempt. "Yes...Sir!" She sneered. "Crystal."

She spun on her heel and marched to her room. I expected to hear the door slam, but she merely closed it, which was less satisfying.

I paced from the living room to the kitchen three or four times making busy work. I cleaned the sink, wiped down the counter, I even dusted the entertainment center; my mind was racing a mile a minute. I was an idiot. I know I have no great child rearing wisdom, and I don't have access to the most brilliant minds on adolescent psychology, but even a ten-year-old could tell me I handled that poorly. I needed to calm down and give Brenda a chance to calm down. Once we had both collected our thoughts, we could approach the topic more rationally. Yes. That's the ticket.

When I had not heard a sound from her room for almost twenty minutes, the silence got the better of me and I approached her door. I lifted my hand, then caught myself. Would it be better to wait until she broaches the subject? Maybe she needs more time. No. This needs to be resolved sooner rather than later. I lifted my hand again, then balled my fist. Then again, why shouldn't I wait? Isn't it too soon? I shook my head, took a deep breath, and tapped my knuckles on the door. "Brenda?"

No answer. She was probably still brooding. I tapped again. "Brenda, honey, I want to apologize for yelling at you."

Still silence. "Brenda, we need to clear the air. I'm coming in." I twisted the knob and pushed the door in. The first thing that caught my attention was the curtains blowing in the breeze of the open window. The screen was missing. Brenda's bed was empty, and her closet stood open, several bare hangers dangling from the rod.

#

I didn't know where the Johnsons' lived, and I didn't dare try to call Diane for directions. That would make matters worse. I could have gotten the address from Linda, but if she felt the way Brenda said, she wouldn't be talking to me either. Besides, even if I went over to the Johnsons', the fight would just escalate. I couldn't very well swoop in, toss her over my shoulder and incarcerate her in her room. Hell, she ran off once, she'd just do it again. I sat at my desk and held my head in my hands. I couldn't understand what was happening. Brenda had never been so defiant before. She had never disobeyed me like this. I was at a complete loss.

I went to bed early alone in an empty house but getting to sleep was a difficult task as I kept replaying the argument in my head. What I could have said, what I should have said, and what I didn't say kept repeating in my mind and threatened to drive me insane until the doorbell startled me from my thoughts. I glanced at the clock, surprised to see it was 10:30. No one ever rings a doorbell after nine with good news.

I wrapped a robe around me and looked at the silhouette in the opaque glass of the door, illuminated by the porch light which had come on as soon as someone passed the motion sensor. I could make out the feminine figure before I opened the door.

"Kelly," I said after deciding not to ignore her. "What brings you by so late."

"My daughter," she said as she stormed past me.

"Please, don't wait outside," I said to an empty porch. "Do come in, I insist." I pushed the door closed and followed her path to the bar. She had already pulled out a six-year-old bottle of Maker's Mark and a glass. Just one glass. "Oh, no, thank you. I don't need any."

She cocked her head at me and her aggravation at my sarcasm slapped me in the face from across the room. "You asshole," she said after downing her first shot. She had another ready to go in seconds flat. Something was different about her. She was dressed in a short skirt and halter, but she had cut her hair. The blond locks were now a short red bob with white tips. She had let the natural red grow out and got rid of most of the dye job but left enough to make it interesting. It was captivating, or would have been under other circumstances, as was the tight skirt. "I have been trying to reach you all weekend, and now you send my daughter to me in tears. Are you trying to hurt me for sharing my secret with you?"

"What? Of course not. I would never do anything to hurt Linda." I crossed to stand beside her at the bar.

"Then why did she come home crying her eyes out? You had to do or say something."

"Well," I took a deep breath and straightened my back as I considered how much truth I should share. I decided on all of it. "...if what Brenda told me has any relevance, she may be upset that I went to a party Saturday night."

Confusion twisted Kelly's brow. "Why on Earth would that bother her?"

"It was a special kind of party." I grabbed the bottle from her. She looked at me like I hadn't finished my sentence. "Like the parties we used to go to. The one's you told me you liked so much in college."

Realization dawned on her like a sunrise. "Oh. Oh!" She blinked. "But why would that upset her? You didn't try to take her, did you?"