Chapter 16

It was downright depressing to get up at 6:45 am for class on Monday morning. I quietly went across the hall to shower. Damian didn't have to get up for another hour. I bundled up to go to breakfast. I wasn't used to State College's nasty winter weather anymore. The thermometer registered 18 degrees when I left the dorm. Snow was piled along the sides of the walk. It looked like the town had another foot of snow while I was away on break. I trudged off to Chambers Building and Psych 100 after breakfast.

My day brightened considerably when Kelly met me outside the Forestry Resources Building for History 2. We parted with a kiss, a hug and a promise to meet over lunch.

Josh Bruno showed up at EDTHP 115 sporting the same tan I had. Josh had gone south to Panama City Beach with high school friends for spring break. He stayed a hotel near the Club Sunset last week. Josh had bumped into Karol Zizka, Max Rosen, Yasin Clark and Aidan Nagy when he was down there.

Kelly and I met at Pollock Commons at 11:45 am for lunch. We talked about our classes for a few minutes before Kelly made her big announcement.

"I know you'll like this, Kyle," Kelly said. "I have an appointment at Ritnour after lunch to get checked out and to get a prescription to go on the pill."

"Excellent!" I said, grinning from ear to ear. Kelly smiled back. "Could I ask you one question?" She nodded yes. "How did you go from 'Any artificial birth control is a sin' on Friday morning to 'Get me on the pill as soon as possible' today? That is a massive theological shift."

"I know," Kelly said with a sigh. "In the past year I've been questioning some of the things the nuns and priests taught us. My talk with Kathy and Jeremy last Friday just confirmed some of the things I've been thinking about. I was taught all sex before marriage was a sin. You've really rocked my world, Kyle. I know I'm not going to stop having sex."

"That's a relief," I said.

"What is worse – using artificial birth control or ending up pregnant too young?" Kelly asked. "I think it would be more harmful to have a kid while we're too young and can't support it. What kind of life would our child have?"

"Raising a kid at eighteen would be hard. Would we live here in State College? Move in with your family or move in with mine? Do I give up on football? How would we pay for things?" I asked.

"If we tried to use natural family planning could we manage to abstain at the right time?" Kelly continued. "No sex from last Friday to next Sunday. Do you see that happening?" I shook my head no. "Maybe we take a big chance and have sex this week and I make you pull out before you cum."

"Yeah, right," I replied sarcastically. "That'll really work."

"That's where I'm at, Kyle," Kelly explained. "You use condoms all the time and the sex doesn't feel as good or I go on the pill. If we don't commit this so-called 'sin', you and I are going to have a kid within a year. I want kids, lots of kids, but not yet."

"You saw my family. I want lots of kids someday too, but not now," I said.

"Good – it's settled. I go on the pill and you continue making love to me," Kelly said. We kissed to seal the deal. Kelly glanced at her watch. "Is Damian around now? Maybe we could squeeze in a quickie in your room before our next class."

"You wicked, wicked girl," I teased. I looked down at my watch. It was 12:41 pm. We had forty-four minutes. "If we get out of here now it doesn't have to be a quickie."

We deposited our trays of dirty dishes in the clean-up area, bolted for my room and still had plenty of time. We pleasured each other in the 69 position until we shared orgasms. I made love to Kelly in the missionary position before we had to rush off to class.

--oooOooo--

Kelly was happy when she met me for supper. "I passed the exam today at Ritnour," Kelly gushed. "I decided to get the birth control ring."

"Cool!" I replied. "How long does it take to become effective?"

"I don't insert it until my next period starts," Kelly answered.

"When will bareback be safe?" I asked.

"I expect my next period on April 1st," Kelly answered. "We'll be safe as soon as my period is over."

This was excellent news for both of us. We didn't like the feel when we made love using condoms. In a few weeks my box of condoms could go to the back of my closet again.

I gave Justin Baer a call Monday evening. Justin and I conferred to make sure everything was set for Operation Morano. Justin had received all the information I e-mailed him before spring break about Aaron. Justin recruited his friend Jon Miller to assist with the prank. The phone call to kick everything off was scheduled to happen around four o'clock, when I expected Aaron to be in the weight room at the Lasch Building.

I spent the morning life guarding at the Natatorium, had lunch with Kelly and then headed over to the Lasch Building for an afternoon of film study and testing myself on strong side receiver plays. Christian and Jared Cantrell joined me after they finished their classes. We spent a couple hours working together.

At a quarter to four I announced, "Thanks for working with me, guys. I think I'm going to get my workout done before dinner." I couldn't suppress a chuckle in anticipation of my fun to come.

Christian gave me a funny look and asked, "Who are you after today?"

"You know me to well," I answered, chuckling again. "It's Aaron's turn. You can work out with me and see the fun start." Jared and Christian gathered up their things and followed me out of the film room. Just before we reached the weight room I warned, "Don't give this away. I've been working on it for weeks."

"Poker face," Christian answered.

"I know nothing," Jared agreed. "Absolutely nothing."

The three of us headed into the weight room, where Christian and Jared were smart enough to stay clear of me. I spotted Aaron across the room on one of the weight machines. Zack was working out on the adjacent machine. I grabbed the next machine in line, greeted Aaron and Zack and went to work on my leg strength.

I waited six or seven minutes before my plan went into action. Aaron answered his cell phone. "Hello?" After a pause Aaron asked, "The Jets?"

"Yes Mr. Miller. I have time to talk with you." Aaron continued. Mention of the New York Jets caught Zack's attention. He stopped working and listened to Aaron's side of the phone conversation. I feigned disinterest and continued working out.

Aaron's eyes grew wider as the conversation continued. He acknowledged 'Mr. Miller' with an occasional "Yes, sir."

After listening a couple minutes, Aaron said, "Yes, sir. I'd be very interested in talking with your team." After another pause he added, "No, sir, I haven't chosen an agent yet."

Aaron listened for about thirty seconds before he said, "Yes, sir. I'll work on getting an agent as soon as I can, Mr. Miller. Thank you for calling. I'll call you back in a few days."

Aaron closed his phone and jumped up, exclaiming, "Holy Shit! I can't believe this."

"What?" Zack asked.

"What's up?" I asked, trying to appear to be faintly interested in the proceedings now.

"That was Jonathan Miller, the assistant general manager for the New York Jets. They have just about finished a trade with the Raiders to move up to the number two spot in the draft. They want me!" Aaron exclaimed.

"Really?" Zack asked. He looked back at me and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Everyone knows the Dolphins are going to take Derek Brousard with the number one pick." Aaron said. I realized I made a mistake letting Jon Miller use his own name. Zack knew him. I looked pleadingly at my friend, silently begging for his acquiescence. He smiled and nodded yes.

Aaron continued on, oblivious to the silent exchange between Zack and me. "The Dolphins need massive help on their o-line and Brousard's been the best left tackle in college for the past two years."

I'd met Derek Brousard when I visited LSU two years ago with Ed Fritz. I saw that night when we watched them play Alabama that Brousard was special. He was a sophomore starting in his second game and still he kept the QB clean the entire evening in spite of blitzing and heavy pressure from his side. Derek would help the Dolphins protect the young quarterback they picked number one in the draft last season.

Aaron continued his story, "The Jets are desperate for help in their secondary." All of us gathered around Aaron smiled. The Jets had been scorched by the Patriots, the Bills, and even the Ravens last season.

"Mr. Miller said the Jets are afraid if they wait until their number eight pick, either the Rams, the 49ers or the Cardinals will grab me. They want me!" Aaron exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief.

All of us around him congratulated him – Zack, Jared, Christian and I, not quite as sincerely as the rest. Aaron still seemed stunned by this 'development.' He said, "Do you guys know what last year's number two pick signed for?" We shook our heads no. "Forty-two million dollars! That's double what I was hoping for. All the draft projections have me going in the middle of the first round. I've got to track down Tania. We have to get serious about picking an agent."

"Don't be in a hurry to pick an agent, buddy," Zack said. "Take your time. If the Jets want you today, they'll want you next week or next month. Make sure you don't do anything rash this week. Find the right agent to work for you and Tania."

"Yeah," Aaron said. "You're right. Tania and I won't rush into anything." Aaron headed out to give his fiancée the news.

Christian and Jared stayed nearby as the crowd of well-wishers dispersed. "How long are you going to keep Aaron on the hook with this prank?" Zack asked.

"Not more than a few days," I answered. "Mr. Miller's next call is scheduled for late Thursday afternoon."

"I'll keep Aaron from doing anything crazy with his future millions for a few days," Zack said. "What if Aaron calls 'Mr. Miller'?"

"Don't worry, Jon's got it covered," I responded.

"Aaron might figure this out if he calls Jon and hears a circular saw in the background." Zack said.

"Didn't you hear?" I asked. "Jon isn't working as a carpenter anymore. A publisher accepted his first novel. They gave him an advance to polish up the novel and get it ready for publication. Jon is working out of his house now."

"Really? That's cool." Zack said. Zack cocked his head and stared at me. "This is a pretty elaborate prank. What have you got in mind for me?"

"Be patient," I said, smiling evilly. "You'll know it when it happens."

--oooOooo--

Aaron and Tania scheduled second interviews with the three potential sports agents that they had chosen from the original dozen who contacted Aaron to represent him. Fortunately Aaron was following Zack's advice to take things slow. My prank would have time to play out before Aaron did anything stupid.

I was hanging out in the players' lounge Wednesday afternoon after I finished my film study. NFL Live on ESPN was playing on the TV. I didn't pay attention until they mentioned a rumored trade between the Jets and the Raiders. The rumor was that the Jets were trading up from #8 to #2 in the first round of the draft in exchange for their first and second round picks this year. The announcer continued to say that the Jets were expected to select a cornerback.

I just about snorted the Coke I was drinking out my nose when I heard the announcer. The other teammates in the room nodded approvingly at the news. It confirmed what Aaron had been saying. Jared managed to stifle his laugh at hearing my prank play out on national television.

I wondered how in the hell ESPN heard the rumor I started. The only explanation I could think of was that one of the prospective agents Aaron was interviewing had passed the rumor on to an ESPN reporter. This development certainly lent authenticity to my prank.

Kelly and I had an early dinner on Wednesday night. Our backpacking class ran from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm that night. We were surprised to find Bev and Christian there eating dinner when we came out of the line. We joined our friends. Christian and Bev explained that they had a six o'clock class tonight and had to eat early.

I told my friends and co-conspirators about the ESPN report I heard before dinner. We all had a good laugh about it. We headed out of Pollock Commons together and walked down Pollock Road towards the center of campus. Christian and Bev turned north when they reached Shortlidge Road. Kelly and I continued west on Pollock towards the Mall and Rec Hall, behind the Pattee Library.

Kelly and I found seats when we found the correct room. Thirty seconds later Christian and Bev walked in the door. Kelly and I greeted our friends warmly when they sat down beside us.

"I should have guessed where you were going when you ate supper early," I said.

"Yes," Bev replied. "There aren't very many classes that start at six o'clock. I know Kyle has backpacked. Have you done much, Kelly?"

Kelly responded, "Sure. My Venturer crew hiked at least twice a year. How about you?"

Bev and Christian explained about the Manheim crew's trips in the past three years. They did quarterly camping trips like my crew and Kelly's crew. Two summers ago they went to the Philmont Scout Ranch. Last summer the crew went to the BSA Florida Sea Base and sailed down to Key West and back. I told them about my trips to Algonquin while Kelly talked about her trip to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota and Quetico Provincial Park in western Ontario.

The instructor called class to order. He introduced himself as Mr. James Lewis. He was average height, extremely fit and trim with dark hair. There were about twenty students in the class – a mix that was 60/40 male to female.

Mr. Lewis asked for a show of hands for everyone who was new to backpacking. Three guys and three girls raised their hands. He nodded and then asked for a show of hands of all the Boy Scouts with experience at backpacking. Six guys, Bev, Kelly and a third girl raised their hands. A few of the other girls seemed shocked to find out that girls were able to be members of the Boy Scouts of America.

Mr. Lewis smiled and said, "I know what the nine of you thought. 'They give me college credit for backpacking? Hell yeah, sign me up!' That's OK. I will expect you experienced backpackers to assist the inexperienced hikers."

Mr. Lewis launched into his lecture on the pastime of backpacking. We would do three weekend trips during the course – March 27th & 28th, April 10th & 11th and our last, literally our final exam, April 30th to May 2nd. Our demonstration of our abilities on the last hike would determine our grade for the class.

Mr. Lewis discussed types of packs, types of hiking boots, and other equipment. The university would loan equipment to any students who didn't have their own camping equipment. Christian, Bev, Kelly and I smiled. We were all set except for backpacking tents. One thing Mr. Lewis announced was disappointing. Guys and girls would not be allowed share tents.

Christian and I stayed after class while Bev and Kelly waited outside. We had one more problem to work out. We had football scrimmages on Saturday afternoons. Mr. Lewis promised us he would work things out to accommodate Coach Burton's schedule after he found out we had extensive experience at backpacking through scouts.

The four of us headed back to our dorm rooms. Kelly was in a particularly playful and affectionate mood as we walked back. Christian and Bev headed to Beaver Hall when we reached Pollock Halls. Kelly and I headed for my room. We planned to study together for a while.

We sat down side by side on my bed and got our books. Kelly was in a silly mood. I'd read for a minute then she nudge me in the ribs and giggle. I pretended to ignore her as I tried to read. Then she tickled me for a few seconds. I tried retaliating. It just led to more touching and tickling.

In desperation, I tried hugging Kelly to dissuade her. I finally stopped the tickling by kissing Kelly. I succeeded, at the cost of study time. Kelly's passion got my motor going. We kissed for a couple minutes before things escalated. Kelly groped my hard erection though my jeans while I felt her up.

Kelly shucked her blouse and bra. I kissed and caressed her beautiful breasts. Our passions carried us away. Kelly helped me pull my shirt off. Another minute of making out and Kelly was trying to get my pants off.

"Hang on!" I demanded while Kelly slipped a hand down my boxers while she kissed my nipples. "Damian..." I gasped as she rubbed my erection. "I got to ... Oooohhh ... lock the ... dooooorr..."

Kelly let me loose. I grabbed a tie from my closet and hung it outside on the door handle. Damian and I had agreed on that as the warning sign if we were entertaining. I locked the door and rejoined my now naked girlfriend on my bed.

Kelly and I pleasured each other orally until each of us reached orgasm. Kelly's nectar was unusually enticing that evening. Kelly sucked on my semi-limp cock after I came until she got me hard again. My lover was voracious. She had me hard in a couple minutes.

I barely had time to slip a condom on my cock before she positioned my cock and pulled me on top of her. I began stroking in and out with a ravenous Kelly urging me on. I finally realized what was going on as I stroked her. Today was the day we had calculated she would ovulate.

My girl was in heat. Biology was in control and was demanding I plant as much of my seed in her as possible. I did my best to quench my lover's desires, short of actually impregnating her. I was super careful after I came to make sure my condom came out intact and without spilling its contents.

Kelly further surprised me by demanding a round two that evening. We went at it again until I brought her to two more orgasms and was totally spent. We cuddled for a little while. Kelly had to hurry back to her dorm when we realized it was a quarter to ten.

Damian came in a couple minutes after Kelly left and tossed my tie to me. He didn't seem real pleased that I had kept him out of our room so long. "Sorry about that," I said contritely. "Kelly was really hot tonight. You know how it is."

Damian's face softened and he allowed a hint of a smile. "Yeah, I do," he answered. "Getting laid is getting laid. You take it when you can get it."

--oooOooo--

I visited Bald Eagle High School with the C I 295 on Thursday. My classmates and I sat in on an AP Modern European History class, a trigonometry class and a deutsch Unterricht [German class]. I remembered enough Deutsch from last year that I could converse with the instructor, Herr Wolf.

Ryan Patel had arranged for all the students visiting Bald Eagle High School to observe the Deutsch class. Three quarters of my classmates couldn't speak the language. Ryan quizzed us on the teaching techniques Herr Wolf used. He wanted us to concentrate on the teaching techniques we observed, not the content of the lessons.

I hurried to the Lasch Building after class. The final act in my prank with Aaron Morano was to unfold a little after four o'clock when the "Jets" called again. I had warned Jon Miller earlier in the day not to be in a hurry to call. I wanted to be in the weight room when Aaron found out he wasn't going to be as rich as he expected.

Aaron was working out at one of the machines when I reached the weight room. Zack was at the machine beside him. I greeted my friends and settled in at a machine nearby. I glanced at the clock on the wall. I made it before zero hour, 4:05 pm.

Jon Miller's call was right on schedule. Aaron stopped working when his phone rang. "Hello?"

After a few seconds pause Aaron smiled and said, "It's good to hear from you again, Mr. Miller." Zack looked over at me and tried to suppress a smile. Both of us watched as Aaron spoke with the rep from the "Jets".

Aaron added an occasional "Yes, sir," and "No, sir," to the conversation as he listened to Jon's spiel. Many guys on the team knew about the "Jets" interest in Aaron. They gathered around, trying to pick up stray bits of information as Aaron listened.

"Yes," Aaron replied to one question. "I'd be open to playing another position if it helped out the team." I tried not to smile while Aaron put his head in the trap I set for him.

Aaron listened for about thirty seconds. His face went from smiling to shocked. "Middle linebacker!" he exclaimed.

Zack and I couldn't contain ourselves any longer. We burst out laughing. Aaron's face fell and he stared at Zack and me, incredulous. "You?" he said accusingly.

I was laughing so hard I couldn't speak. I nodded yes. The rest of the guys around us realized what was going on and joined in the laughter. It took a couple minutes for all the laughter to die down.

Finally Aaron asked, "I wasn't sure this was real until I saw the report on ESPN. How in the hell did you pull that off?"

"Serendipity," I explained, still chuckling. "I have no idea where that came from. I didn't plan it as a part of the prank."

"I think you better talk with your prospective agents," Zack chortled. "I bet one of them has a big mouth."

Aaron quizzed me for a few minutes on how I managed to pull off something so elaborate. I hadn't heard, but Aaron had called back Jon Miller yesterday afternoon. Jon had handled the call perfectly, not tipping Aaron off.

The group was starting to disperse to continue working out. "Damn, Kyle," Aaron said as he sat down at is machine again. "This has got to be the most elegant prank I've ever seen. My hat is off to you."

"Thank you," I answered, trying to be modest.

"I have to wonder what you have planned for me," Zack said.

"Patience," I reminded my friend. "You'll see in due time."

--oooOooo--

I found the detailed spring practice schedule in my locker when I went back in from Thursday workout. All dinners, starting on Sunday night, would be at the Training Table. We had practice in Holuba Hall from 3:30 to 5:00 pm Monday through Thursday. Saturday mornings we would have team meetings. Lunch on Saturdays was at the Training Table. Scrimmages would follow from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm. All team members were expected to maintain their daily workout and film study schedule as we had done since the end of the season.

Josh Bruno and I went in on Friday afternoon to see Coach Burton. We discussed our schedule conflict on Thursday afternoons with C I 295. Our class in Sackett Building didn't end until 3:35 pm. Coach gave us twenty minutes to get across campus, dress and be ready to practice in Holuba Hall on Thursdays. If we were late, we'd have to run laps. It looked like Josh and I would be jogging from class to practice. It takes more than twenty minutes to cover the ground walking.

Kelly and I headed over to Omega Chi Epsilon after dinner on Friday night with Cameron Miller and Joel Peterson. They were doing a charity auction with Delta Nu, their sister sorority. The brothers remembered our help a few weeks earlier with the Thon. Kelly and I were made to feel welcome at the house.

They served beer and refreshments during the auction. Kelly and I each bought an item at the auction to help out with the fundraising. They played some music between auctions. It was a nice, low key evening.

Jen was gone when I escorted Kelly back to her room. It turned out to be good planning on my part that I had sent the extra box of condoms I bought down in Florida with Kelly the previous Sunday evening. Kelly put a piece of tape over her lock, her pre-arranged signal that she wanted privacy in case Jen came back early from her date with Alan. I made love to Kelly for an hour. We cuddled for a while before I went back a little before midnight. I wanted to stay but didn't feel right about chasing Jen out of her bed for the night.

After Kelly and I met for lunch on Saturday, I spent the afternoon with Christian and Jared Cantrell. Jared tested us on every wide receiver play in our team's playbook. Christian and I got almost all of them right. The three of us reviewed the plays we were shaky on before we quit for our day's work out.

I showered and dressed up after my workout. I wanted to take Kelly to a nice restaurant that night. Kelly was decked out in nice clothing too when I picked her up at her dorm. We walked downtown together. I led the way to the Tavern Restaurant on College Avenue.

The hostess seated us after a few minutes wait. The dress was casual, but it was several cuts above the usual pizza or burgers we had when we went downtown for a meal. I decided to have the chicken cordon bleu; Kelly chose the sea scallops with mushrooms and wine. We shared our selections with each other when we ate. Both entrees were excellent. Kelly and I took Zack's advice, we each had a slice of their chocolate chip cheese cake that he raved about.

We went over to Zack, Aaron, Evan and Jake's apartment after dinner for their weekly party. I normally helped Zack and Aaron set up before the party started. Kelly was quite agreeable to helping too.

I was surprised when Zack introduced his date for the evening when we arrived half an hour before the party was to start. He met Leigh Ann Bowman in his persuasive speaking, CAS 213 class. Leigh Ann was around 5'-10" tall, had long flowing blonde hair and a stunning figure. She easily met Zack's standards for a date.

Zack Hayes had been big man on campus since he became the starter at quarterback in his junior year in high school. He always attracted the prettiest, most vivacious girls. Even when he started college he stood out. He was the prized QB recruit and heir-apparent to Phil DiStefano as a freshman and sophomore. Zack's status, good looks, confidence and easy charm with the ladies attracted the nicest girls on campus to him.

Zack usually chooses his girl for the evening after the party got started, so I was a little surprised to see him with Leigh Ann already. I guess if you're going to reach beyond our usual circle of friends you need to ask the girl in advance of the party.

Kelly and I talked with Leigh Ann for a few minutes. I introduced Leigh Ann to Kelly.

After greeting us, Leigh commented, "I was totally shocked when Zack asked me for a date two days ago. Little old me from Schaefferstown."

"Schaefferstown? Really?" I asked. "I work at a scout camp on the county line, just south of Schaefferstown."

"Do you?" Leigh Ann answered. "I drive right by the entrance to that camp on the way to work in the summer. I work at a greenhouse in Lancaster County."

"You know the lake at the entrance?" I asked. "That's where I work. I teach rowing and canoeing to the scouts."

"Really? It's a small world isn't it?" Leigh Ann commented. She glanced around. "Will there be a lot of football players here tonight?"

"Sure," I said. "There will be lots of guys from the team."

"Don't be overly impressed," Kelly added. "Football players are just college guys like the rest of us."

"Who get asked for autographs five times during dinner," Leigh Ann added. "I've never had that happen on a date before."

"Kyle gets that occasionally," Kelly said, laughing. "I just prick his ego when it gets a little too big."

Both girls laughed at my expense. I smiled and tried to be a good sport. We helped Zack, Aaron, Evan and Jake get things set out. Guests started arriving a few minutes later.

Kelly and I went to the kitchen for some beer. I was pleased to see that Zack had taken my advice. I had given him money yesterday and asked him to pick up something more exotic than our usual Bud and Coors. We each grabbed a bottle of the Irish stout. The beer was strong but tasty.

I was amused watching the would-be contestants in the 'Hayes Sweepstakes' hover around when they realized that Zack had picked his girl already. The girls eventually hooked up with other teammates. Kelly and I mingled with my friends, talking, enjoying the music and drinking more of the good stout.

Neither Kelly nor I knew if our dorm room would be free that evening, so I sought out Evan.

"Hey buddy," I hailed. "Do you mind if Kelly and I use your bedroom for a little while?"

Evan chuckled. "Snoopy sheets at the ready," he answered with a wink.

"Snoopy sheets?" Kelly asked as we headed back to his downstairs bedroom. "What does Evan mean?"

I locked the door behind us. "It's a gag gift I gave him for Christmas," I explained as we undressed. "I left his bed kind of messy one Saturday night last December."

Kelly frowned. "Are you sure Evan doesn't mind?"

"Positive," I answered as I hopped on the bed with my now naked girlfriend.

We pleasured each other orally and then made love. The need was as urgent as Wednesday night. We took our time and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves that night.

We ran into Trevor Conwell and a girl I didn't know outside Evan's door waiting for their turn in bed. I gave Trevor a wink as Kelly and I headed for the kitchen for a beer to quench our thirst after our exertions.

We joined Zack and Leigh Ann on the couch in the living room after we grabbed our beers. We talked with Leigh Ann, learning more about her. She was a junior majoring in Meteorology. She hoped to become a weatherman on TV or on the radio. She and Zack met in their persuasive speaking class when they were teamed together to give a sales presentation a few weeks ago.