Chapter 11

(Fifteen years earlier)

It had been a rough year for Dennis Boggs (Coach) since the Madisons died. In the warped thinking of their little town, he somehow ended up being blamed for the mass upheaval that befell the town's leadership. Not that the three years before had been great, either.

Less than five years ago, he had been, he thought, happily married, and moving along nicely in his coaching career. Janice had been his high-school sweetheart, even though she was three years behind him. The eldest daughter of a very conservative, religious family, their dating and courtship had been chaste, often to his total frustration. Against the wishes of both sets of parents, they married right after her high school graduation, while he still had a year remaining on his bachelor's degree. He took her virginity on their wedding night, and his three previous experiences had been so long ago and so unremarkable that he was little better than a fumbling virgin himself.

Over the twelve years of their marriage, she had morphed into a completely different, nearly unrecognizable person. The blushing bride phase passed in a flash, and he found himself wedded to a nymphomaniac. He certainly thought this a positive development, having a strong, long-repressed libido himself. They were very much in love, and happily sated their desires with each other. He absolutely adored her, as he had for years. As the years went by, it became more and more apparent, though, that she adored herself at least as much as him. Her 'precious, perfect Barbie Doll' upbringing had imprinted heavily on her, fostering a narcissism that little by little eroded her formerly sweet personality.

Out of school, Dennis landed an assistant basketball coaching job at a major suburban high school, and was promoted to head coach five years later when his predecessor retired. Not just a jock, he had actually majored in statistics, having a naturally mathematical and scientific bent. He taught college placement math courses at the high school, in addition to his coaching. The school had a strong basketball tradition, and he took the team to three regionals and one state tournament in his seven year tenure.

Janice's narcissism could not tolerate the deformation of her body that pregnancy would cause. In the first few years, lack of money and the stress of starting careers made children a non-issue. She took a job, and came to enjoy the business world. She was bright and personable, and a natural salesperson. With the extra salary from his promotion to head coach, he thought it time to start a family, but she would not hear of it. She also was loathe to give up her job, at which she was earning as much as he was.

While he was spending long hours with teen-aged boys, she was involved with successful, attractive adults, many with sophisticated sexual tastes. Although it took several years, and she remained faithful for a long time, she became more and more intrigued by the sexual practices her business contemporaries bragged about. The couple's sex life remained more than satisfactory, becoming more intense, if anything. The one thing he had always considered a negative trait was her 'prissiness.' This became progressively worse. The thought of ever being less than perfectly dressed, coiffed, and made up became unthinkable to her. What little they had ever shared of sporting or outdoor activities disappeared.

Because he still adored her, he could have tolerated her style and grooming demands, even though they strained their combined budget. She honestly seemed to love him, as well, and that helped him to overlook and tolerate their increasing incompatibilities for a long time. The lack of a family was very painful to him, but he was resigned to that as well. It was only her increasing demands to 'expand their sexual horizons' that exceeded his personal limits. He thought he could handle anything between the two of them, but one tentative foray into light bondage left him so shaken he refused to even consider it again. When she tried to talk about threesomes and swapping, he would just stalk away.

Dennis remembered the night with painful clarity. It was mid-summer and they had been invited to dinner and a swim at the home of one of Janice's business associates. He knew them from previous casual meetings, but was not well acquainted. Janice seemed unusually 'wired' as they prepared for the get-together, and as usual, she looked stunning. He was a little surprised when they arrived to find it was to be just the two couples. Their hosts were older by six or seven years, but both very attractive. The men shared a strong interest in sports, and the women had no trouble finding things to talk and laugh about. Dennis began to relax and enjoy the good food and the relaxing company.

After a leisurely meal and a cooperative clean up effort, the hostess said it was time to move the party out to the pool. It was getting toward dusk, and the day's blistering heat was subsiding. The men, predictably, were in their suits chatting by the pool first. Dennis was facing the house and literally dropped his soda when the women came out naked. To the hostess' cheery "Hey, you guys are way overdressed!" the host stood and stripped of his suit, leaving Dennis the only one not nude.

"Come on, Honey, loosen up," Janice urged him, "just relax and have some fun." He was certainly no prude, and their hosts were very nice, so he reluctantly doffed his suit and tried to enter into the spirit of the evening. Janice was ecstatic, and the flirtatious play in the pool was stimulating. He found himself relaxing more than he would have thought possible.

After an hour or so of skinny dipping, Dennis went in to use the toilet. As he exited the bathroom, the hostess met him in the hall, pushing herself tightly against him and telling him, "Come on, Dennis, let's go back to the bedroom and get better acquainted." Grasping his limp penis, she said "Le't see if we can get this guy more into the sprit of the evening."

Trying not to show the anger he felt, he gently pushed her away and told her, "I'm sorry. I can't do that. I love Janice, and I could never betray her."

"But she's dying for you to join us, and..."

"What do you mean, join you!!?"

Her face drained of all color, and she clapped a hand to her mouth. "Oh, God!! No! Dennis, I didn't mean..." Tears flooded her eyes as she turned and dashed away down the hall. He was frozen in shock for a moment. He was always a decisive, quick-acting person, and he found his clothes, dressed quickly, and was out of the house in half a minute. He walked for a mile and a half to a convenience store where he called a cab to take him home.

Janice had beat him home, and met him at the at the door absolutely distraught and trying desperately to apologize. "Honey! Honey! I'm so sorry! Please don't be angry!" When she tried to embrace him, he turned away from her and burst into tears himself. She wailed, "She wasn't supposed to do that! It's too soon!"

Then the anger took over. "Too soon!? You mean you thought you could ease me into it? You couldn't talk me into swinging so you just went ahead on your own, didn't you? Why couldn't you believe me when I said I only wanted you. I gave you everything I could. I'm sorry I'm not enough for you!"

"No! No! No! You're a wonderful lover and wonderful husband! It's just... Oh, God!" She disintegrated into further wails of anguish. It had never occurred to her that she could fail to bring him into her sexual adventures.

In her own way, she did love him deeply, and craved the wonderful sex they had always enjoyed. He loved her, and always would, but the sexual attraction had been destroyed. He determined to forgive her and try to restore their marriage, but he was never again able to achieve an erection with her. They tried months of counseling. She even agreed to get pregnant, but nothing worked. He was kind and considerate to her, and honestly tried to make the sex work, but after a number of shattering failures, they both gave up, and he moved to another bedroom. Realizing there was no other option, they finally agreed to see a lawyer.

Arriving home very late from an away basketball game, he found her unconscious on the living room couch. Rescue efforts were unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead a few hours later from a massive sleeping pill overdose.

This was a tragedy with no real villains. Her sheltered, pampered, pedestal-mounted upbringing caused her to abuse him in ways she was not even aware of. The selfishness that denied him children was bred into her by her strict but doting parents. When thrown into the sex-charged corporate sales environment, she had no defenses for the temptations that bombarded her. She was a sexual predator's dream. It is perhaps harsh to portray their hosts of that fateful night as predators, but they certainly were more than willing to take advantage of her naivete. As far as she could understand love, she loved Dennis completely. Her desire to include him in her swinging activities was an honest reflection of that love. Understanding and accommodating his feelings about fidelity was something she was incapable of.

For his part, he was blessed/afflicted with an absolute personal code of monogamy. He was more than willing to abide by it himself, and it was a cornerstone of his love for Janice. When she broke the code, his mind and his heart were able to forgive her and take her back. His libido, however, was not subject to reason. It was a source of incredible anguish to him that he could still be aroused by all the usual stimuli, except by the wife he adored. He likely could have recovered over time, but the pain they both suffered was too much to endure when the end was not in sight.

In her remorse and her desire for forgiveness, Janice had revealed all of the people she had been involved with - there were over a dozen. When a group of them arrived at the reviewal, Dennis went absolutely berserk. He screamed at them and had to be physically restrained from attacking all of them. He could not be subdued, and was sedated and hospitalized, missing the funeral altogether.

As a successful coach, Dennis was a person of some note around town, and the incident became news. An ambitious young TV reporter launched what was to become a network career by uncovering the whole story in remarkable detail. Dennis refused to talk to her at all, but she was honest, and portrayed him as the victim. Neither family knew anything of Janice's dalliances or their marital problems, so they were in complete shock. Even with the current permissive sexual climate, most of the participants in Janice's little sex clique saw their careers and sometimes their lives ruined. The hostess from the pool party was to be dependent on anti-depression medicine for the rest of her life, and her marriage did not last out the year.

Even though he was accorded public sympathy, Dennis found his situation intolerable. The public perception of Janice hurt him deeply - he still could not picture her as anything but his pure, loving bride. He finished the basketball season, and the school board, in acknowledgement of his contributions, excused him from teaching for the rest of the school year, but continued his salary. He put his name out, but only for positions at least a thousand miles away. He received several feelers from large districts, but when visiting them, it felt too much like what he was leaving. He wanted to withdraw, so he chose the small town where Dex lived, giving up a large percentage of his earnings, and taking over a team that had not had a winning year in a decade. The important thing was that nobody knew or cared about his background.

He had worked hard and well to build the team and the feeder system upon which all winning programs depend. When he first saw Dex playing in a Junior High game, he knew he had the star he needed to achieve credibility. As a bonus, he came to genuinely care for the boy.

During his three year's in 'exile, ' he had had zero social contact with women. This was a source of endless gossip in the town, because he was far and away the most eligible male in the county. He had not had an uninterrupted night's sleep since Janice's death, and he fought hard to fill his time with activities that could keep his thoughts off of her. The first time he visited Dex's home and met Kathy, his tortured world was knocked further off kilter. He was immediately attracted to her, the first feelings he had sensed for any woman for years.

Nothing was done about his feelings, of course, for she was married, and his personal code put her totally off limits. As he learned enough to get a picture of her abuse, his feelings intensified. When the final tragedy occurred, it was only his determination to help Dex that kept him from disintegrating.

The Ferguson's had made it a point to keep in touch with Coach throughout the year, and he had visited them on four weekends. Just the existence of this exemplary family, along with his satisfaction at seeing Dex so well situated, was enormously important to his mental stability. When he knew he could not stand another year in his once-safe retreat, he started looking for another job. He had a strong preference to locate near Dex, rather than in his home area, and finally landed the assistant job at Addison. This job paid slightly less than the one he was leaving, and the cost of living was higher. The only consolation was his ability to take course work for free. He had hopes of an advanced degree in statistics and probability. In his late thirties, he was reduced to once again living at a poor student level.

After Kristen left the Fergusons' following that first time naked with them, the family held a strategy session. All agreed Coach and Kristen would be an ideal match. Even though both were sorely wounded, they would be a good fit. Though Kristen had already talked about pursuing Coach, probably in jest, they knew she would not easily trust another man. Coach's reluctance about women was at least as deep-seated. They had just heard Kristen's story, but knew almost nothing about Coach's history. That became the first priority.

As soon as Coach got to town, Mike and Karen worked hard to get him to talk. Dex and Donna were excluded from their efforts for two reasons. They thought he might open up better to just the adults, and the teens were responsible for keeping Kristen away from Coach until they could engineer the optimal meeting. At the third get-together, Coach unburdened himself in a very emotional session. Knowing his story, the family plotted the next move.

The second Saturday after the wedding, Dex had called Coach and invited him to see the dojo and go out for breakfast. Donna took one car and staked out the restaurant, watching for them to finish. She hurried back to the house ahead of them, and sent her parents on their way to pick up Kristen and run back home with her. This was their normal Saturday routine, only slightly delayed. It was a good plan, well executed, and Dex and Coach were outside shooting hoops when the three came panting up.

Kristen was hugely embarrassed to meet an object of her interest when clad in her silky, slit-legged shorts and a sports bra top. She was sweaty and flushed, and her unwashed hair was tied back in a pony tail. Her flush from exertion masked her blush, which was a combination of embarrassment and anger, and she was barely able to observe the normal niceties, before insisting she needed to go in the house for a few minutes.

For his part, Coach was barely able to speak because of Kristen's resemblance to Kathy. On top of that, she looked healthy, athletic, and just plain sexy in his eyes.

Karen followed Kristen into the house, where Kristen whirled to face her in anger. "Why didn't you tell me he was going to be here? Look at me! With a first impression like this, he'll never want anything to do with me! How could you let this happen?"

"Before you claw my eyes out, we set it up this way on purpose."

"You, what?"

"Dennis is an athlete, and into fitness. Because of his marriage, he wants nothing to do with vain women who think only of their looks. You made just the right impression. I was watching, and he damn near sprung a hardon when he saw you."

"You gotta be kidding!"

"Nope! Now, Sis, we are going to try to get him to walk or jog back home with you. If he does, don't worry about how you look, and don't you dare take any time to dress up or make up your face. Shower, shorts, and T-shirt will be the way to get to the guy. I guarantee it. If you do get together, try to get him to tell his story. Start off with yours, if you have to. OK?"

"Well, I still don't know whether to kiss you or claw you, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. God, I didn't remember him being that hunky!"

"You don't remember much from the funeral, do you? You were in tough shape yourself about then."

"Yeah... Karen... thanks! I know you want the best for me, and I appreciate it."

When the sisters had walked into the house, Dennis stood looking as if someone had slugged him. "Are you all right, Coach?" Dex asked him.

"Um... yeah, it's just..."

"She's a babe, isn't she? Can you imagine the heaven I landed in, with all these gorgeous women around? Seriously, though, we're all proud of Kristen. She had a horrific time in a bad marriage - a lot like what happened to Mom. She's starting to get back to her old self, but we can tell it's a tough go. She is very lonely."

Mike spoke up at this point. "Say, Dennis, we don't want to push you into anything, but Kristen has had no male companionship but us for a long time. If you were to walk or jog back home with her, she would be thrilled. You could drive our car back. If you should spend any time with her, get her to tell you her story. She needs to open up about it. You might have to talk about yourself to get her started."

Having no way to know about the plot, Dennis fell right into it, thinking he would be helping Kristen, and definitely not opposed from a personal standpoint. They all went into the house and had a cold drink. As they were sitting, Dennis spoke to Kristen. "Kristen, would you allow me to walk you back to your place. I know we met at the funeral, but I never got to say more than hello. I could take Mike's keys and drive his car back."

"Why, Dennis, I would love that. If you don't mind, though, I would like to get my usual workout in while I'm here." The family could hardly hide their astonishment at this move. "You could kill a half hour more with these folks, or come down and keep me company." With that, she stood and headed for the basement steps. With a quick, almost panicky look toward the others, Dennis stood and followed her. When the basement door closed, Donna and her mother leaped toward each other and hugged and danced around like crazy women.

Mike asked, "Do you think Kristen just blew it?"

Karen plopped herself in his lap and hugged him. "Mike, you are dear, but sometimes, you are clueless! That was the smartest thing she could have done! When he comes up those stairs, he will be ready for a ring.!"

"A nose ring?" quipped Dex, throwing them all into barely suppressed laughter.

At the bottom of the stairs, Kristen turned and waited for Dennis. She put a hand gently on his arm. "Dennis, I'm sorry! You made a very nice offer, and I go and get selfish on you. Maybe we should just leave now. I can catch up on my workout later."

"Absolutely not. I am pleased, and more than a little amazed, that you would let me watch."

"Oh, why is that?"

"Well, my, uh, wife would never let me see her any way but perfectly done up, except maybe in bed." He blushed when he said that. "I'm sorry, that last was more than you wanted to hear, I'll bet. Anyway, her workouts were at a club, dressed in outfits that cost about a week of my salary. You really just met me, yet you seem perfectly relaxed, even though you probably don't think you look your best, right? I think that's great. You know, I have nothing but finding an apartment on my schedule for about ten days, and I can't think of a more pleasant way to spend time than with you."

Kristen could hardly contain her gratitude to Karen for her wisdom in setting this up. The workout provided an excellent conversation starter as he asked how long she had been doing it and how she got started. As a successful coach, he had a naturally aggressive personality, and a strong presence. Certainly no drooling teenager, he still had a hard time keeping his eyes off of her, and she was acutely aware of his interest. For her part, she liked his direct manner and his easy confidence, and she definitely liked his looks.

When they emerged from the downstairs a half hour later, they were chatting easily. Mike tossed Dennis his keys, and they left. They were unaware of the four sets of eyes that watched them walk away, and the cheers that erupted when they spontaneously clasped hands about two blocks down. Mike mischievously set up a little week by week chart where the family members could place dollars bets on when the two would sleep together and when they would wed.

When they got to Kristen's apartment, she asked him if he could stay for lunch. When he agreed, she asked him to wait while she showered. The bathroom in her little pad opened onto a main hallway, not into the bedroom, and she would be visible from his spot on the couch as she went back and forth. Almost shaking with nervousness, she left her robe and her clean clothes in the bedroom. After showering, she wrapped a towel around her wet hair, and a large one around her torso, making sure a little of her bottom peaked out. She scurried the half dozen steps to her bedroom, then peaked coquettishly around the nearly closed door and said, "Sorry, forgot to take my robe!"

She came out after just a couple of minutes having donned only a T-shirt and some raggedly cut off sweats. She was running a comb through her wet hair as she sat in a chair across from him.

His next move sealed their future lives. "Kristen, I hope this isn't too forward of me, but could I do that?"

"Do what? You mean... Oh, God, YES!" She leaped across the room and plopped on the floor in front of him, handing him the comb. Her T-shirt was baggy and had a rather sloppy neck, and she at first was concerned that he could look right down at her bare tits. She had just decided that that was perfectly fine when he gently moved her forward and got down on the floor behind her.

After about the first dozen strokes, he thougth he heard her sniffling. In a few more strokes, he was sure of it and stopped. "I'm sorry, Kristen, am I hurting you?"

"Oh, no! Please don't stop. It's just that in all my years of so-called marriage, he never did anything this tender and intimate. I... I'm just blown away. Believe me, these are not sad tears." There was silence for a while, then, "Dennis, why would you want to do this?"

"It's not easy to explain. My wife was a maniac when it came to sex, but other than that, it was hands off. Don't muss the Barbie Doll! I always wanted to be closer and more a part of her total life. I was denied these little intimacies, too, just for a different reason. It's not a fetish or anything, but I always wanted to comb her hair. She stayed in the closed bathroom until it was all done. Somehow, I just knew you wouldn't mind - you're so easy and natural about yourself. You walked out here combing it, and I had to take a chance. Thank you for letting me fulfill a little dream."

There was no conscious thought involved when she spun around, threw her arms around his neck and planted a searing kiss on him. His surprise paralyzed him for only a second or two before he swung her sideways across his lap and pulled her tightly to him, matching her intensity with his own. It seemed like minutes before they separated, gasping, and she laid her head against his chest.

"Dennis, what the Hell just happened?"

"You beat me to it, but only just."

"I just broke every promise I made for myself after the divorce. I can't believe how you made me feel!"

"And I had sworn off women forever. Your sister started the first little crack in my resolve, and when she died, my resolve got stronger. Then this morning... ! This kind of stuff doesn't happen, does it? I hope it's not just because I'm lonely and deprived, but Kristen, I believe I've fallen in love with you."

"Well, I don't really care why it is, but I've fallen in love with you, too. It... it's just like we fit so perfectly."

"I'm sure some of it's because we're both needy, and we fill each other's needs, but I think it's more than just that. Kristen, I think we need to tell each other everything. Let me call Mike and see if he needs the car back right away."

"I don't know about you, but I'm starved. I'll fix something quick while you call."

The rest of the afternoon was a maelstrom of emotions. They both cried, numerous times. They hugged continuously. Both were astonished at how their wishes complemented each other. When he was the first to mention his anguish over lack of children, she nearly fainted.

"Dennis, can we have children? I've got a few years left."

"Do you mean that? Their parents would be as old as their classmates' grandparents, you know."

"I don't care! It's the biggest hole in both of our lives. Would you still love me all fat and ugly?"

"Ugly you could never be, and I somehow doubt you would get fat. I have lusted after pregnant women for years. Um, is that a marriage proposal? I think that's supposed to be my job." Kneeling in front of the sofa where they had been sitting, he asked, "Kristen would you be my wife?"

Predictably, she reacted enthusiastically, diving on him and knocking him to the floor as she yelled her acceptance.

"You know, I'm pretty much a poor student. I've got some cash saved up, but I don't make very much."

"As if I give a shit. My job is pretty good, and I got a cash settlement from the divorce. We'll be just fine. We'll live right here until we need another bedroom for the nursery. In fact, you go get your stuff out of that motel and move in right now. Let's start on that family tonight! You're not opposed to premarital sex, are you?"

"As long as it's a forever and only commitment, I'm all for it."

"That's just what I want, too. Forever and only. God, I love you! Now, hurry up and get moved in. I'll go get some dinner fixings while you're gone."

Arriving at the Ferguson's to get his own car, he tried to be secretive about what was happening. With Karen and Donna, of course, any such attempts by a mere male were futile. When they had pieced together the whole story, absolute bedlam erupted. Mike magnanimously suggested they all go out to dinner to celebrate. Karen got to tell him 'lovable but clueless' once again as she pointed out that being with other people was the last thing they wanted tonight.

At the motel where the University was housing Dennis as he looked for an apartment, he had a strongbox with valuable records and items, including Janice's rings. Most of his possessions were stored in a trailer. His hands shook badly as he took the rings and put them in his pocket. After checking out, he stopped at a jewelry store and talked the proprietor into remounting the diamond while he waited. He had no idea of her ring size, but went with what Janice had worn.

Kristen had prepared a nice dinner, but he hardly tasted it, waiting to present the ring to her. When he did, it was received with quiet joy, as if there was no exhuberance left after the unbelievable day. His thoughtfulness and concern for her was almost overwhelming. Once, she wondered if it would last for the long haul, but quickly stuffed that question when she remembered how he had treated Janice even after her betrayal, and how he had looked out for Dex. Her main feeling that evening was disbelief. Disbelief that they had actually found each other. Disbelief that her most important dreams, long abandoned, were now alive again.

Once cleanup of the meal was done, there was one thought on both of their minds. Stepping back from a brief hug, he gently pulled off her T-shirt, and she quickly returned the favor, kneeling to pull down his shorts and briefs as well. While he kicked off his shoes, she stepped out of her shorts, the only other garment she wore.

"Kristen, I want to be clean and fresh for our first time. Let's shower together." She squealed in response and towed him to the little bathroom. The shower was definitely cozy, but neither wanted to be out of contact with the other, anyway. She made a mental note to thank Dex for the wonderful night they spent together, especially for encouraging her to play with his cock with no pressure. She felt no fear when his organ rose to it's full extension, in fact felt herself tingle all over as she reached out to stroke it.

"Dennis, Honey, I know you are an experienced lover, and I am really quite inexperienced. I want you to teach me all the wonderful things you know. The first time, though, I just want you inside me as soon as possible. Let me make you cum so it will be easier for you." Not waiting for an answer, she knelt in front of him, ignoring the spray wetting her hair, and took him into her mouth. She had given her ex many blowjobs. He had considered them the perfect humiliation, and used them to put her in her place. Now, she felt nothing but love and pride as she addressed his cock, and simply grasping it gave her a small shudder. Jerry had forced her to swallow, and would strike her if she did not take it all. Now, she found herself drooling for the load she was going to get. She had one small thought that it was a shame it was not making her pregnant, but told herself there would be plenty more for that.