Incoming Freshman (8 page)

He’d overheard Chet discussing the talented crop of players with Coach Nelson the previous day and wanted to see for himself how good they really were. It seemed Coach Nelson was more than just a nice guy. He was known around the conference as the Star Recruiter because he seemed to get the pick of the litter every year.

As Bobby watched the practice, his gaze landed on Chase Hughs, the quarterback he’d met a few days earlier. In the five minutes Bobby observed the enthusiastic player, Chase yawned three times. No wonder. Between conditioning, a full-time job and trying to adjust to life away from home, Chase had to be dead on his feet.

On the scooter he’d become known for, Coach Nelson drove to where Chase was tossing the ball with another player. Bobby smiled at the expression on Chase’s face as Coach Nelson gave him a few tips. There was something in Chase that made Bobby uncomfortable and it suddenly dawned on him what it was. Chase not only played football, he seemed to live for it, love it. Bobby wouldn’t be surprised if Chase ran through plays in his sleep.
Have I ever felt like that?

He knew the answer as soon as he’d asked himself the question. No. He’d always enjoyed the game more because he seemed to take to it naturally than because he loved the game itself. His childhood hadn’t been like most kids his age. Never had he been allowed to sit in front of the television and watch cartoons all day. If he didn’t have chores to do, he was expected to be out of the house finding something that involved a ball to occupy his time.

It wasn’t until he was in high school that he’d played his first video game at a friend’s house. The only thing Bobby had been allowed to do that didn’t involve a ball was fishing in the family pond. He’d loved his dad, but there were times he’d felt he was living his life for his dad rather than for himself.

Earl Sikes had been a star football player in high school, and he was bound and determined that his only child would be even better. His dream for Bobby Ray was to play his way through college, something Earl had never been quite good enough to do.

Watching Chase made Bobby feel like a fake. He spotted the more experienced players jogging towards the practice field and tried to push Chase from his mind.

After an hour of watching last year’s team practice, Bobby couldn’t take anymore. The junior running back, Colson Farley, was good—damn good. Bobby wondered what Colson thought of a senior dropping in to take his position. He stood and tried to sneak away without garnering Chet’s attention. He managed to evade Chet’s notice, but not Julian’s.

“Bobby Ray, wait up,” Julian called, running towards him.

Shit.
Bobby stopped and shielded his eyes against the bright afternoon sun. “Hey.”

Julian slowed to a stop when he reached Bobby. “Is everything okay? You’re not hurtin’ are you?”

Actually, he felt like he was dying, but he couldn’t tell Julian that. “Just thirsty. Thought I’d go in for a bottle of water.”

Julian’s eyebrows drew together. “There’s water right down there on the field.”

“Yeah, for the players. I don’t think I qualify today.” Bobby turned and started moving towards the safety of the locker room.

“Why don’t you soak your knee in the tub while you’re in there,” Julian suggested.

Bobby lifted his hand in acknowledgement and continued walking, trying his best not to limp. Once he stepped into the air conditioned facility he grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge in the exercise room. As he drank, he stared at the VertiMax. He knew he wouldn’t be well enough to play until he could gather the guts to work out on that damn thing.

Bobby put the bottle down, and began the process of setting up the tension bands on the machine. He found the belt draped over the nearby bench and fastened it around his waist. Finally clipped to the tension bands, Bobby took a deep breath. After counting down from three, Bobby attempted his first jump. Although not pretty, he managed to land the jump without crumpling to the ground. He tried again, this time using more force on his push-off. His left leg started to buckle on the landing, but he kept his footing. It seemed he’d reached his limit and he’d barely been able to get off the ground.

He tore off the belt and left it on the VertiMax still clipped to the tension bands. Bobby grabbed the bottle of water and finished it off on his way to Chet’s office. He sat in one of the chairs in front of Chet’s desk and slid the phone closer, punching in numbers without thought.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Mom.” Bobby rested his forehead against the edge of the desk with the handset held in a white-knuckle grip.

“Is everything okay? You don’t sound like yourself.”

“Right now I don’t even know who I am, so I don’t doubt I sound different.”

“You’re talking in puzzles, Bobby Ray. Spit it out. What’s going on?” Ellen asked.

“My knees not getting better. I had a plan before I left home, but now I don’t think I can go through with it.”

“You need that surgery, don’t you?”

“Yeah. Either that or give up football.” Bobby turned his head to the side and rested his cheek on the cool metal desktop.

“What does Chet say?”

Bobby bit his bottom lip. “I haven’t told him. He thinks I’m getting better.” He knew he had to tell his mom all of it or the guilt would eat him alive. “Here’s the thing. All I have to do is step on that field in my first game and the scholarship is mine regardless, that’s the deal I worked out with Coach Nelson. So, I figured, I’d fake my way through a couple of games and take my chances that the surgery would fix any damage I do.”

“But…” Ellen prompted when Bobby didn’t continue.

“I like these people. And I can’t help but feel that I’m cheating my way through college.”

“That’s because in a way you are. I can’t tell you what to do, Bobby Ray, but you know I can’t send you any more money than I already do. Believe me, I wish I could, but it’s just not there. That’s why the scholarship is so important.”

“I know.” Chase’s face kept popping up in his guilt-ridden mind. “I guess it’s something I’ll have to think about.”

“I’m sorry that I can’t do more for you, baby.”

“Don’t be sorry, Mom. I’m twenty-two. I should be able to figure this out on my own.”

“You’re still my baby, don’t forget that. Call me anytime.”

“I will. Thanks.” Bobby hung up the phone and groaned in frustration. After talking to Chase, Bobby had sat down and figured out the cost of the credit hours he needed to graduate. They were more than he could pay for even with a good job. He was pretty sure Chet would let him live at his house, but that wasn’t the way Bobby wanted to get there.

Leaning back in the chair, Bobby decided to play it day by day until the moment came when he couldn’t take his decision back.

* * * *

“Chet?”

“I’m in here,” Chet answered, putting the finishing touches on one of his most recent model aeroplanes.

Dressed only in a loosely-tied robe, Bobby stepped into the guest room and grinned. “What’s that? Playing with toys on the sly?”

Chet held up the plane. “It’s a
Cessna 182
radio-controlled plane. I’m not sure I would consider it a toy. It took hours to complete and a hell of a lot of money.”

Bobby separated his robe and straddled Chet’s lap. “You can really fly that thing?”

“Sure, as long as I’ve put it together right.” Chet slipped his hands inside the robe and ran his palms down Bobby’s back. There was something so warm and peaceful about the man in his arms. Chet sighed and rested his forehead against Bobby’s shoulder. While he knew he could seduce Bobby into going back to bed for a while, Chet found he rather liked just holding the man he’d fallen in love with.

“This is so cool. Why didn’t I know you did this?”

Chet had come to realise in the last several weeks that he and Bobby actually knew very little about each other outside of football. It didn’t diminish Chet’s feelings in any way. On the contrary, Chet found it exciting to discover new sides to Bobby, and he hoped Bobby felt the same. “I hadn’t worked on this one for a couple of months, but I found it while cleaning the garage the other day and decided to finish it. You want to go out to the airstrip with me to see if she flies?”

“Hell yeah,” Bobby said.

Within minutes Chet had the plane loaded in the back of his SUV along with his trusty four channel radio. He grabbed a blanket out of the linen closet and a few supplies from the bedroom and they were ready. “I thought maybe we’d have a picnic. Ya know, make a day of it. Feel like stopping by the deli and picking up a couple of sandwiches on the way?”

Bobby reached over and tickled the skin on Chet’s neck with his fingertips. “Sure, I guess, although I’ve never been to a picnic at the airport.”

Chet laughed and reached over to squeeze Bobby’s upper thigh. “We’re not going to the airport. We’re going to the airstrip. It’s a big field out in the middle of nowhere with a small dirt track on it. Perfect for flying and privacy.” He moved his hand further up Bobby’s leg to brush the back of his hand against the front of Bobby’s gym shorts. “I found it a couple of years ago and asked the owner if I could fly from it occasionally.”

Bobby pushed his shorts down far enough for the head of his cock to peek out over the waistband. “I can take them off if you want?”

Chet brushed his thumb over the tip, gathering a drop of pre-cum, before sucking it into his mouth. It was hard enough to concentrate on driving with the taste of Bobby coating his tongue. No way could he function responsibly if his little sex machine was naked from the waist down. “Hold that thought until we get to the airstrip.”

Chet pulled in front of a small deli he’d found soon after he’d arrived in town. “Coming or staying?”

Bobby glanced down at his hard cock. “What do you think?”

Laughing, Chet gave Bobby’s cock one last squeeze before climbing out of the SUV. It was building up to be a fantastic Sunday afternoon.

* * * *

Naked, Bobby lay on his back and watched the aeroplane as it soared through the sky. Chet stood a few feet away, equally naked, with a huge smile plastered to his face. Bobby’s gaze alternated between watching the tricks Chet was able to perform with his plane and watching the man who had captured his heart so long ago.

Lust for the like-minded man might have been what had initially driven him into Chet’s arms, but Bobby knew his feelings had grown far beyond an eighteen-year-old’s curiosity. For three years while playing football under another head coach, Bobby dreamed of someday playing for Chet. Now that he had the chance, Bobby wasn’t sure he wanted it.

Chet made a noise of jubilation. “Did you see that one?”

Bobby looked away from Chet’s half-hard cock to his face. “Nope. Sorry, I was distracted.”

Chet took his attention off the plane and glanced down at Bobby. Within seconds, Chet’s cock started to harden. “Give me a minute and we’ll see what we can do about that distraction problem you seem to be having.”

Bobby got to his feet. “I have another idea.” He moved to kneel in front of Chet, the soft field grass cushioning his knees. With Chet still flying the plane, Bobby wrapped his hand around the base of Chet’s cock and licked his way from root to crown. The sun-warmed skin felt heavenly against Bobby’s tongue, but he craved the fluid forming at the slit.

Chet thrust his hips forward when Bobby enveloped the head of his cock with his mouth. “Shit. I gotta get this thing on the ground.”

Bobby continued to work his way up and down Chet’s length as Chet tried to land the plane safely. The moment the plane was on the ground, Chet stepped back, pulling his cock free of Bobby’s mouth. “Blanket,” he growled.

Bobby wiped his mouth as Chet helped him stand. “I like it out here,” he whispered against Chet’s lips.

“Me, too.” Without releasing his hold on Bobby, Chet walked them towards the blanket.

Bobby eased down and reached for the lube as Chet rolled on a condom. “Are you ever going to fuck me without one of those things?”

“Not until I’m sure,” Chet answered.

“Sure of what? I’m clean. I’ve already told you that.”

Chet shook his head and knelt between Bobby’s legs. “It’s not about being disease-free for me. It’s about committing my heart one hundred per cent to one person. Unfortunately, in this state I can’t legally marry that one special someone, but I can give him something no one else has ever had.”

Although Chet’s words were beautiful, it hurt Bobby to know Chet still didn’t believe enough in him to know he was that one special person. “I can be that person for you.”

Chet took the lube out of Bobby’s hand and coated his fingers. “We’ll have a better idea if that’s true or not after football season’s over.”

Bobby was spread wide open with Chet’s fingers working his asshole and still Chet looked at him as a player instead of an equal. Closing his eyes, Bobby tried to calm his racing heart. It was no use. His anger bubbled up and exploded.

“Damn you.” Bobby pushed Chet and scrambled out from under him. He stood and grabbed his shorts and underwear.

“What the hell’d I do?” Chet asked, getting to his feet.

“Just take me home,” Bobby said, stuffing his feet into his sneakers. He bent and picked up the sack of lunch trash and his shirt before heading to the SUV.

“Dammit, Bobby!” Chet yelled.

He opened the door and climbed into the passenger seat. The SUV was hotter than hell, but no way would he go back and ask Chet for the keys so he could roll down the windows. He mopped at his face with his T-shirt and stared straight ahead. The back of the vehicle opened and Chet set the plane inside before slamming the lift gate closed hard enough to make the entire SUV shake.

Bobby didn’t even glance Chet’s way when he got behind the wheel and fired up the engine. What good would it do to get into an argument? Bobby knew as long as he played ball, Chet would always see him as a player first and a boyfriend second. He’d been stupid to think he could have both.

Not a word was spoken on the drive home. Chet pulled into the garage, and Bobby immediately got out and headed for his pickup.