Vague Warnings

By the time we came out for the game we were all revved up and ready to hammer the other team into the ground. So were they, of course. I was pleased to see Beth in the team friends section. I hadn't been all that sure she'd show up even when she'd asked for the ticket. I think she was sitting with Joey's sister. That's who was supposed to have my second ticket.

The game seemed to go as fast as ever. We hit change of ends after the first quarter down by ten: a field goal we'd had no chance against and a touchdown that should have been stopped - not over my side, thank heaven. Coach was pretty quiet. We all knew that this was a make or break game for our hopes for a bowl game invitation. With one loss already it was unlikely we could win the conference. We were ranked about twenty-three nationally. A loss would probably drop us off the list.

The second quarter started with a long bomb that should never have been caught but our receiver had magic in his hands. They dropped him on the two. One surge from the fullback in behind Joey with a successful conversion and we were within three.

The other side stumbled on their next series and we picked up the ball just our side of midfield. It wouldn't be modest to say they stumbled because I was in their way, but it's true. Three times. We got within field goal range before we faltered and Coach ran a new play. The holder passed off to the back who managed much more than the eight yards we needed. With the conversion we were ahead by four. The play's success came from everyone knowing Coach didn't take chances. He was a straight ahead guy. So when he pulled that trick out of the box they were all caught flat-footed. It took the steam out of their next series, and a blocked punt did the rest. It was my linebacker friend who blocked that one. Guess who paved the way. I didn't want us to lose, not in front of Beth, at her first game.

A few plays later we were in. We ended the half up by eleven. Coach was happy enough that he spent a few minutes talking to the friends of the team. He spoke directly to Beth once that I saw, which was nice of him. He probably thought we were on a roll and it didn't take anything from him to keep us there. He was one of very few men in the game who knew when to leave well enough alone.

The second half was more of a grind. We had the measure of their offence and their defence dug in. The third quarter was scoreless. They picked up a touchdown in the fourth quarter from a mistake in the coverage, and went for a two-point conversion, which would have brought them within field goal range. I got a hand on the quarterback and my personal linebacker got a hand on the pass so they stayed five down, and that's the way the game ended.

I wasn't player of the game or anything - defensive linemen don't get that honour. The team awarded me the game ball, though. I gave it to Beth. She didn't quite know what to do with it.

Joey told me not to worry, that they'd taken care of it, but I didn't have any idea what he was talking about. He was off to the showers before I could ask.

"Beth, do you have any idea what Joey was talking about?"

"I suppose he's referring to the two guys from the other university who barged into our seating area and tried to give Joey's sister and me a hard time. Before either guy could get a hand on us they were swamped and the cops hauled them away. I never realized your team was a family, Kyle, a real crew of gentlemen. I didn't even have time to be scared."

"I'll have to thank the offensive line."

"The backfield, too, Kyle, even the quarterback. And Coach didn't say a word to them. It was almost as if it had been a designed play."

I'd grown used to my weird genie keeping an eye out for Beth as well as me and was surprised I hadn't felt even a twinge. On the other hand, I suppose Harold had figured out there wasn't a tinge of danger even with those two idiots trying to cause trouble. No point in taking on a whole family, after all. They didn't know that, I suppose.

Teamwork always. That was what Coach taught. I was surprised he hadn't been over the fence too.

"Too old and fat, Kyle," he told me.

"Too slow, more like," one of the assistants said. "You let us catch up to you."

After the game Beth and I just went home. I was too tired to have any energy for a celebration and Beth wanted to put her trophy away. She was proud of it.

"Kyle, we're having a class party Monday evening. We should have dates for it, I guess, though it's no big deal to go stag. Will you take me? You don't have to."

"Love to, Beth."

We were in school and mid-terms were coming up soon so neither Beth nor I had any time to explore what any of that meant. I was learning that being around Beth made the days happier - not a feeling I'd run across before. I took pleasure out of feminine company from time to time and I enjoyed spending time with my buddies but with Beth I was just happy. I liked being happy more than I liked being unhappy - duh - so I spent a lot of time with Beth. It was only being around Beth or chatting with Beth or making a meal with Beth. Nothing exotic or romantic. I doubted I'd recognize romantic if I fell over it.

Her class party was an interesting event since a bunch of the art students had decorated the location with beautiful pictures. There were mythological scenes, of the clean variety (assuming you know of any; I didn't), unicorns and maidens, knights killing dragons, elf queens and princesses. I was surprised that I thought I recognized one of the elf queens. It seemed to be Beth's face, starkly beautiful in a look I remembered but hadn't seen often.

"That you, Beth?"

"Yeah, I sat for Robert when he did it. Looks better than the original, hey?"

"No, closer than most perhaps, but not better." I was jealous of Robert. What else had Beth done for Robert that he saw the beauty that so many passed over? Was Robert Beth's past lover, even current love?

"Robert's a dear. You'll have to met him, Kyle. There he is, over in the corner with his date."

She dragged me over. I wasn't any too keen on making the acquaintance of Beth's lover. I was a damn fool. I had no right to jealousy. No attachment. Just a big black hole full of envy and resentment. It wasn't any help that Robert was a tall, handsome and well-mannered gentleman. He'd be a better bet than me any day even if I can break him in two. I wouldn't do that to Beth, though. Mind, I was tremendously relieved when Robert introduced his date. Allen was a nice guy, too.

"Your painting of Beth as the elf queen picked out a side of her very few people seem to notice," I told him. "That must be the artist's eye."

"Thank you. I've tried for ages to get her right. She changes so much, all of her beautiful. She won't let me do a nude, though. Claims she's too modest." I almost choked over that, given how little modesty she showed around me, but managed not to get myself in more trouble. "Then there's the problem with Beth's smile."

"How so? When Beth smiles the world lights up."

"That's an effect no painter can capture. God knows I've tried."

Beth was embarrassed by Robert's praise, and maybe by mine, too.

The rest of the party was comfortable. People took it that Beth and I were an established couple and we got a few "couples only" invitations, family things, nothing outré. Beth accepted two for us. Perhaps I should have objected. It would have made more sense to cut my head off. If Beth is prepared to let the world think we're a well-established couple who am I to contradict her? Entirely apart from the pain she would mete out, I mean.

I didn't mind being linked with Beth as a couple. The people who knew I preferred tall buxom blondes didn't understand how I could be linked to a short, slight, brown-haired girl, but then I didn't either. I just was, and I wasn't the least bit unhappy about where I'd ended up. Matter of fact, I was pleased as punch.

The rest of that week was pleasant. Looking back on it it's difficult to pick out any one special thing. It just felt good. Classes went well, practice went well, living with Beth and sleeping with Beth went well. Life's usually pretty good. This was better. We had another home game Saturday, which we won by a bigger score. I did all right though I wasn't the standout I'd been the week before. We came off the field after the final gun and were greeted by the friends of the team. They'd been let onto the field since it was our last home game for a couple of weeks. Wives and girlfriends kissed their boys. Beth kissed me. It wasn't the first time she'd kissed me, but it was the first time I felt like it belonged. I wasn't even surprised.

After I got back from class and practice Monday Beth greeted me at the door. It hadn't been customary, and I could tell there was something special on her mind.

"I've got a letter from my landlord, Kyle," she greeted me. My heart sank through my boots. Her apartment was ready and she'd be moving out. I steeled myself for the news. It had only been two weeks and already I knew I'd miss her, her cheerfulness, her companionship, the happiness that seemed to flow out of her. I figured that was the way the world went. She'd go back to whatever circle of friends she had and the men who, no doubt, pursued her, and I'd go back to my pre-Beth existence, not a bad life, just one with less light in it. I supposed I should have been happy that I'd had those two weeks. Lots of people don't get even that much happiness out of their lives. I shouldn't be ungrateful. I wasn't prepared to give those two weeks back whatever I might be offered for them. They were too precious. If they could only live as memories, then at least I had that much.

"There's a problem."

"Oh?"

"There was unsuspected structural damage. The whole building's got to come down. Maybe it was cheap construction in the first place. I can't move back."

I whooped as if it was the best news I'd heard in a year (which it was), grabbed Beth and starting hugging the daylights out of her. I backed off to give her a kiss, a little more heartfelt and a little less exuberant than I'd intended, and let her go.

"Beth, I don't want to be ill-wishing you or anything, but that's the best news I've heard in a long time."

"Me too, Kyle." Her brilliant grin faded for a moment. "Assuming you'll let me stay."

"Dear Lord in heaven, Beth, you can't possibly believe there's a chance I wouldn't."

Her brown eyes sparkled.

"I didn't think so, but I didn't want to presume."

"You witch, you just wanted to make me say it."

"Perhaps. It's nice to hear, though." She returned my kiss, heartfelt, maybe a tinge of passion. I wasn't sure about that and I had too much to risk any of it by taking advantage. The kiss was wonderful in itself. Maybe there was a promise of a little more someday and maybe something had escaped that she'd meant to keep inside and maybe I was fooling myself. There was no point in pushing, now that we had more time, not that pushing was ever a good idea. Sex with this woman might be a marvelous experience. I was beginning to realize that there was a lot more than a night or two of good sex at risk here. I'm slow, sometimes, but I usually get there.

"Beth, next weekend is an away game. The university will pay for spouses and girlfriends to travel with the team. Will you come?"

"Of course."

Coach always had a briefing session for the wives and girlfriends before an away weekend. I'd never been involved before, but this time I had to tell the team manager that I wanted to speak for a place for someone. Coach heard of it. He might have been listening in for all I knew.

"If that girl's what's got you playing the way you're playing now, Kyle, I want to meet her. Not your usual at all." I hadn't known quite how close an eye Coach, and his spies, kept on us. "Bring her to the briefing session at six."

Beth didn't have any reluctance to go. She told me that even though she'd only exchanged a few words with Coach, she rather liked him, and would be pleased to get to know him better. She showed no embarrassment at being grouped with the wives and girlfriends.

"I'll bet it's all about not wearing your man out before the game," she laughed. "I think I can safely promise that, at least this weekend." We hadn't progressed that far, if we were going to, though I enjoyed her little dig. It was something to look forward to, her suggestion that, perhaps, it might happen. Another hint, something to work with, something not to push.

Beth told me afterwards that she hadn't expected the warnings about not going about alone, even, or maybe especially, on the other campus. Sometimes fans got way out of hand. The best protection was removing the risk or the temptation.

Beth said she'd been right about part of the briefing, though expressed in terms of shopping and sightseeing and "anything else", whereupon Coach blushed. I didn't know he had it in him. Beth was surprised, too.

"I suppose it's part of what makes him such a good father figure for you all."

The weekend away was a good time for us. We won though we didn't get too stuck up about it. It had been a weaker school. Coach was careful not to run the score up too much even if the stats might have been good for some of the guys. They didn't need the stats enough to rub our opponents' noses in the mud. He left them their pride.

Beth and I enjoyed each other's company in a novel setting. The university town wasn't startling, but it was new to us. It was sort of familiar at the same time, but I think that's because I was with Beth and she was with me. That's what we told each other, anyway.

We turned in at curfew, each of us a little excited at the thought of sleeping together somewhere that wasn't home. Whatever we might have thought about doing, and we had traded a few caresses, didn't happen as we both fell asleep. Sleeping together and waking up together was still as comfortable as it had always been. It felt like forever. It was only three and a half weeks, but it felt to me like we'd been married forever. And it felt good.

I suppose it was the comfort and happiness of that weekend that prompted me to ask Beth a question.

"Beth, love, will you marry me?" I did it right, down on my knees, looking soulfully into her big brown eyes.

"Yes."

"When?"

"Soon."

"How soon?"

"Tomorrow."

I suppose she loved me. She's told me often enough since, and shown me, too. I've told her often enough as well. People need to hear that sort of thing. It's not enough to feel the truth. I was stunned by her answer at the time. It was all I'd ever wanted in life.

The next weekend was an away game again, but I was married for that one. Coach laughed like hell when I told him.

"And I thought you might be one of the dumb ones. Smartest thing you ever did in your life, Kyle."

"I thought so."

Beth and I never did make love before we married, but we didn't put getting married off very long, once we were both sure that's what we wanted. Her father had given up hope for her, she'd been so picky. I couldn't see ever giving up hope in Beth, but you could say I was prejudiced in her favour. Her mother thought she'd been waiting for her one true love to show up and take her off on a gallant stallion to the land of happily ever after. I don't think she expected a big galoot who'd pluck her naked body out of the shower and crawl away down a smoke filled hallway, but the result's the same.

Making love with Beth after we were married was glorious. We'd both known it would be. Beth wasn't nearly as experienced as she'd have had you believe, but I'd known that for months. Well, weeks. I hadn't really known her for months. She may even have been virginal, though that's not anywhere I was going to go. Nothing that happened before we met has any meaning to either of us anyway.

Making love meant hearts and flowers, roses and light, even in the depth of winter, and still does. Harold the genie had an easy time of it until the kids came. There was only the one time, when he made us miss a plane that went down somewhere. After the kids came he was pretty busy for a while. Kids are like that, all risk and no thought for the future. After all, death has little or no meaning for the young, but Harold was there keeping an eye out. My kids are probably still more prone to taking risks than most.

Beth has aged wonderfully well. You can see some laugh lines now, though her face still lights up a room when she grins. She's still small and slight, though a little heavier after three kids. She still loves me as much as ever and, of course, she's still the light of my life, my reason for living.

I never got an offer from the pros. I wasn't quite big enough or fast enough, and I had always known so it wasn't a disappointment. Beth seemed just as glad when I hung up the cleats for good. My practice has been good to us, though, and we live well.

Robert is named for Beth's artist friend, who finally did get a chance to paint Beth nude and did such a wonderful job we have the painting in our bedroom. He married Allen when it became legal in our state. They visit fairly often. He still pesters Beth to let him paint another nude of her, and I think she's going to give in. The head and shoulders he did ten years ago is hanging in the National Gallery now. Robert is twenty-nine, with two little ones of his own and a wonderful spouse who reminds me of Beth even though she's a buxom blonde. Some genes carry over, I guess.

Bethie is twenty-seven, and has modelled for a number of Robert's paintings, in costume or nude as the mood struck the two of them. He's still painting her even after the twins. Her husband is long suffering. Actually, he's as bad as I am, and loves to see her modelling, especially nude, just to get a chance to look at her again. That's one reason I'm looking forward to seeing Beth model for Robert. It's different seeing a loved one posing for a true professional.

Becky, twenty-five, was pregnant before she discovered that the love of her life wasn't. He even hit her, once. Becky had enough confidence in herself and her family to tell me and I passed the word and he hasn't been heard from since. I don't know if he's in Guatemala or dead and don't much care. The team is family and you take care of family. Charlene is everyone's darling. I hope she doesn't mind that she's named for Coach. He's embarrassed enough for two.

We hadn't planned to stop after three but Beth's plumbing gave way, thankfully not to a recurring cancer. We still keep in practice in case a grandchild or great grandchild ever asks us about sex. It would be embarrassing to tell whoever that we'd forgotten, now, wouldn't it? Besides, it's still wonderful.