Chapter 20

(Twelve years earlier to present)

The start of Dex's Freshman year at Addison was eerily like his Freshman High School year. Purposely or instinctively, he filled every minute of his day. With studies, drills, workouts, and the system project with Dennis, avoiding idle time was not difficult. He found himself wondering when he would be able to handle solitude and inactivity again without being overwhelmed by loss and guilt.

After his parents' death, Dex had been lost. His boyhood had not been good, but even that was completely taken away. Grief, disorientation, uncertainty, and loneliness combined, trying to smother him. This time was different. He had been enjoying a very good life with nothing but bright prospects for the future, until a key part of that future was taken away from him.

As a fourteen-year-old, it had taken Donna's intervention to interrupt Dex's maniacal single-mindedness. That was no longer necessary. One lesson he had learned was his need for support from the people around him. He did not avoid his loved ones in his time of great need.

Dex was still living at Mike and Karen's when school started, so he saw them regularly. While working on the project, he often went to Dennis and Kristen's house. He usually visited there in the evening so they could get some work done without his adoring baby cousin monopolizing all his time. Jenny still sang at the Emporium when she was not on tour, and Dex went there often to see his friends from Doggerel.

Dex and Gerald Archer had hit it off from their first meeting, and after Connie's death, the two of them, along with Gerald's son, Tim, began getting together regularly. The initial impetus was support for their shared grief, but their common business interests took their relationship well beyond commiseration. Gerald emphasized, though, that he was forever indebted to Dex for giving him back his daughter whole and happy, even if only for a tragically short time.

Besides the brokerage firm, the Archer Group included Archer Manufacturing, Archer Holdings (real estate), four auto dealerships, and a chain of golf courses. A more diverse conglomerate was hard to picture. It was the Archer Group, the holding company, through which Dex and Dennis received support for their project and whose computer resources they had use of. Archer Manufacturing was in the process of shifting from traditional appliance parts fabrication to components for the electronics and computer industries. Tim, though only a few years out of college, would soon head up the manufacturing firm. Gerald was extremely interested in the kind of statistical methods he had read were in use in Japan, and wanted to try them at Archer Manufacturing. Dex and Dennis had another project to work on.

There was more than enough for Dex to do, and he threw himself into all his activities with his typical energy and focus. Those closest to him were very aware of the difference in him. Donna described it as the real Dex being back there somewhere working the one out front that everyone saw, but staying carefully hidden himself. Years later, a love-struck but frustrated woman would refer to Dex as 'Mr. If Only.'

During the fall, Dex had nothing close to a date. He didn't purposely avoid girls, but he was so busy there were few opportunities, and he did not feel like seeking any new relationships. His loved ones understood this, and stayed clear of the subject. Through many discussions, they all agreed that some event at some point would trigger at least the partial return of the Dex they all missed.

The first two games of the basketball season were against opponents of similar strength, and Addison won them both. Dex played well - even his mental anguish could not dampen his love for the game, and playing actually had some healing benefit for him. Being new to his teammates, they had nothing to compare with and thought that Dex was just naturally reserved and withdrawn.

For the third game, Addison had been selected as a warm-up patsy for a strong basketball school that expected to reach the NCAA tournament that year and was rated in the top ten early. It was an away game, and Addison started out as if lost in jet lag. The score deteriorated to 19-2, and the opponents were yucking it up on the bench and openly taunting and ridiculing the Addison players on the floor.

Dex's head coach was becoming angry over all the antics, and Dennis was ready to go on the court and start swinging. During a timeout, Dex told the head coach, "Coach, this is really pissing me off. Will you let me cut loose for a while?" Dex had scrupulously played within the established system, controlling the ball and working for half-court opportunities.

"Okay, Dex, what are you going to do?"

"Well, first, I'm going to foul some guys out" Turning to his teammates, he said, "Clear out the middle. I am going to drive every play. If they start to double or triple me, be ready for some treys."

What happened the rest of that game was an anomaly born of anger, frustration, and the accumulated heartache of the past months. Dex had always been able to focus his emotions and use them to improve his performance, and he unleashed so much emotion this time that he became almost super-human.

On the very next possession, Dex eluded his man on the perimeter and drove to the hoop. The opponent's power forward was the worst of the taunters, and he came over to cover. Backing in, Dex juked twice and spun around the defender for a reverse layup and a foul. Two plays later, he repeated the exact same move on the same player with the same result. This time, the opponent swore at Dex and uttered a few racial epithets.

Dex had left his patented first-possession charge behind when he left the high-school game. He decided this was a good time to revive it. He scored without being fouled on the next two possessions before seeing the same opponent move to cover the slot as he drove. This time, he accelerated straight toward the defender and leaped as high as he could on contact, driving the opponent to the floor behind the basket as he shot. He was pretty sure what the response would be, and sure enough, the enraged defender came up swinging. Dex easily avoided the blows, and the top scorer and biggest jerk was ejected. Dex got the foul, of course, but the replacement missed one free throw and Addison made the technical.

This little flurry had taken only a few minutes of playing time and the margin had shrunk to twelve points. The defense doubled Dex in the middle the next time he drove. Addison did not have many exceptional athletes on the squad, but they did have some very good shooters. As often happens, the actions of one player energize the others, and suddenly, no one could miss as Dex's teammates connected on three straight three-pointers.

The margin was now down to nine, but Dex wanted two more opponents out of the game. The next mouthiest was the center, and the first two fouls on him were easy. For the first, Dex triple-faked before going up for a jumper. On the next, he squeezed in front for a rebound and got the over-the-back call. A few plays later, he isolated on the center and backed out to three point range, faking constantly. Behind the line, he got his man up in the air and took the shot, ending up knocked to the floor as the ball ripped the cords. Four point play, third foul.

Now rattled, their center fouled another Addison player just before halftime, and was effectively neutralized. The teams went to the locker room separated by only five points. The one other player Dex wanted out was the point guard. He was as quick as Dex, but the quintessential hotdog. Privately, Dex asked the head coach if they could try a box and one to start the second half. The coach had not had so much fun in years, and readily agreed. He announced the strategy to the team and admonished them not to resort to the kind of bad sportsmanship that had gotten them so upset.

In the first ten possessions of the second half, Dex stole the ball from the point guard four times. On the last one, Dex got tackled, then slugged. Another ejection. The technical gave Addison the lead.

Emotion and momentum are much talked about by sportscasters, and they are real phenomena. With the tide of this strange game turning their way, the Addison team totally changed character. Previously, Addison had never moved the ball across the midstripe in less the seven seconds. Now, they started fast-breaking and throwing long upcourt passes. Everything worked, and at the ten minute mark, Addison led by ten.

The opposing coach called timeout, and there was major commotion on the sideline. Their coach was yelling at a tall black youth who was shaking his head vigorously. It was not until later that the cause of the hubbub would be discovered. Addison's coach again cautioned about sportsmanship, then, grinning widely, he said "Let's mop the floor with them!"

In a perfect exhibition of the importance of morale and team unity, Addison did exactly as the coach exhorted and won going away by twenty-three. At the end of the game, the opposing coach and all but three of his players stormed straight for the locker room with no attempt at congratulations. The player who had been in the argument with the coach was one of the three who spoke to Dex and the others.

The game was televised regionally, and one of the announcers made a beeline for Dex. Dex gave fairly bland, typical answers, but the announcer wasn't buying it.

"There had to be some other reason for the turnaround. What was it?"

"Well, what did you see out there early in the game?" Dex asked.

"You were getting beat very badly. It looked like your team was asleep."

"OK. What else?"

"Um, I don't know what you mean." The announcer looked baffled.

"Sorry. If you didn't see anything else, then you will never understand what happened." With that, Dex went to join his teammates. His game totals were 51 points, including 26 of 30 free throws, 11 rebounds, 8 steals, and 13 assists. He would never again in his career see numbers near those.

When Dex left the locker room after showering and dressing, the same player, whose name was Luke Jefferson, was waiting for him. Almost timidly, he asked, "Um, could I talk to you and your coach?" Dex escorted Luke into the locker room and found both coaches.

Luke started the conversation. "I was embarrassed by my team today. The coach did a great job on me and my Mom when he recruited me. Now that I'm here, he's pretty much ignored me, and the rest of the team are jerks - you saw what they were like. Today, he wanted to put me in, but I refused. I want to transfer, and I thought it would be better if I had never played. I'd like to play with you guys, even if I can't get any money."

Same-year transfers are rare in the NCAA. In Luke's case, his coach was so angry over Luke's refusal to play that he appealed to have Luke's scholarship rescinded for insubordination. Luke, of course, did not fight it, and was able to enroll at Addison for the second semester. He proved to be an intelligent, courteous young man, who was an extremely talented player.

With Dex and now Luke, Addison suddenly had two top-notch players, and the ability to change their style of play. The head coach decided it was time for him to step back, and Dennis was appointed head coach. Dennis insisted his predecessor stay on as assistant, at least for the rest of the year. Dennis installed a running style of play immediately, with mixed early results. When Luke took the court in January, however, Addison began to look like a major college power. Dex had not lobbied for the change in style, but he could not have been happier.

It was immediately clear to Dex's loved ones that the hoped-for event had occurred. The most debilitating part of his grief had been left on the floor during 'The Game.' Even the day after The Game (Sunday), Karen's little impromptu celebration showcased a Dex that had been missing since August.

Judy Morrison showed up toward the end the reception. Dex knew this was not just a social call, and eventually, she told him she wanted to do a story on him.

Dex was definitely not interested in any more exposure or notoriety, and he quickly refused Judy's request. She was not a rising young journalist for no reason, however, and she brought all of her persuasive powers to bear. She got his agreement to a TV interview about what really triggered the unbelievable game, and had a camera there in a half hour. She also set up another visit to talk about the article.

In the TV spot, Dex talked about respect for the game, and how disrepecting your opponent was disrespecting the game. He pointed out that the opposition had even ignored the after-game congratulations. "When people try to degrade something you value, it sometimes pushes you over the limit. I guess that's what happened to me."

"Will we see a game like that from you again?"

"No! That was a one-time deal. It wasn't even good basketball."

"Really? Why do you say that?"

"It's a team game, and I kinda made it a one-man show. I just hope I didn't bring any disrespect on the game myself."

"Judging by the national sports press today, I don't think anyone's saying that. I have seen terms like cold-blooded, emotionless, and assassin in the reports. Did you feel like you were on a mission?"

"I guess I sorta did. Look, when you get in a zone like that, not everything you do is rational. I was just upset about what was happening and wanted to make it right."

"Dex, you've recently experienced the second tragic loss of your life, your girlfriend. Does that affect you at all when you play." Dex just looked at her. He had not agreed to this line of questioning, and was ready to end the interview. Judy put her hand on his arm and just said "Please?"

Taking a deep breath to formulate his answer, Dex did respond. "Judy, I thinks it's more the other way around. When I play, it's like a whole different world. A world where the rules are clear cut and I have a lot more control over what happens. If there is any effect, it's that I treasure the time I play even more."

"You've always been a martial arts devotee. How does that affect your play?"

This was a lot easier for Dex to handle. "Well, the improved physical conditioning is obvious. More than that, though, the forms I practice emphasize focus, discipline, and composure more than aggression. That's really helpful when I've blown a play or there's been a bad call against me."

"So that's why you never seem to react on the court?"

"I guess you could say that. I kinda reacted the other day, though, huh?"

Dex's accompanying grin made a perfect ending, so Judy added a few wrap-up comments and the interview was over. Once again, it ran on all four news shows for that channel, and helped to build a lot of interest in Addison basketball.

After his breakthrough game, Dex achieved national notice that was the last thing he wanted. His role in upsetting a ranked team was newsworthy enough, but it was his rather combative interview right after the game that kept the sports talking heads busy that Sunday. The clueless decried his lack of courtesy to the reporter. The more thoughtful pondered what he had meant, and quite a few actually got it. The debate over on-court behavior and taunting lasted for nearly a week before it died out, fueled by Judy's spot when it was discovered by the networks. Just as it was subsiding, the news of Luke's transfer came out, and Addison's name was mentioned in more sports reports that week than in the last ten years combined.

The flood of phone calls for Dex made the recruiting barrage seem minor. He took the simple but firm step of referring everything to his head coach. The few cheeky enough to actually come to the Ferguson house got absolutely nothing.

Judy did get to do her article, and after several sessions she had copy that was acceptable to Dex. She sold it to a sports magazine, her first big-time byline. The article did cover the deaths of his parents and Connie. He made her rewrite the references to Karen and Mike several times until he thought they were portrayed properly. They battled for a week over the several encounters where his martial arts expertise came into play, but she won out in the end and included them. The thinking behind his choice of Addison was covered in some detail, and the article ended with a recounting of the big game and Luke's transfer.

Judy invited Dex to her place for dinner as a thank you when the article was sold. As he walked into her apartment, he was struck by two things. First, her place was spartan. She was clearly a woman focused on something other than her domicile. The second impression was just as clear: he was about to be seduced!

That realization froze Dex in his steps. Judy probably noticed only a slight hesitation, but it was long enough for him to do some serious soul-searching. He had not considered a sexual liaison when he accepted her invitation. He had hardly considered sex since August, in fact. Faced with the very real possibility, he was caught off guard. Part of him recoiled from the thought of being unfaithful to Connie. A more rational part wondered if mourning would last his whole life, or how long was long enough to honor her memory.

The weeks since The Game had forced Dex into more contact with the outside world than he had ever experienced, and forced him to be less introspective. The increased intrusions through his emotional defensive perimeter had forced some healing. It wasn't that he hadn't sought healing - he was just too focused on coping and forgetting.

As was typical, Dex's decision was not based on his relative state of recovery. Judy had helped him greatly in a time of need. Her conduct with him was enough to reverse the contempt in which so many journalists were held. A woman he respected and cared about wanted something that he could provide.

Not that he was facing tough duty. At twenty-nine, Judy was certainly an attractive woman - there were few homely female journalists, after all, at least among those who made it to TV. Dex had, of course, noticed her positive attributes, but she had always been 100% professional around him. That, apparently, ended today, judging by her dress. She had on a silky, flowing lounging pajama outfit along with gold sippers. On the job, she was always perfectly made up, but today, she appeared to have nothing on her face with her hair loose and casual. Dex was impressed.

Hardly devoid of ego, Dex saw a ripe opportunity. In all their prior dealings, Dex had been the subject and Judy was in charge. He had no idea if she wanted him to take the upper hand, but he knew that's what he wanted. He was genuinely fond of her, and sex with her was an appealing prospect.

After exchanging greetings and hanging up his coat, Dex turned to her and enfolded her in a full-body hug, kissing her fervently. She stiffened at first, but it took only a couple of seconds for her to respond in kind. They held the hug for a long time, kissing all the while. He put his hands down onto her ass and pulled her even closer while he squeezed both cheeks. She responded with small wriggling motions and clamped her arms around his neck.

He was a little concerned that his hands might be cold, but decided they weren't too bad, and slipped them inside the silky bottoms of her outfit. Not surprised, he encountered nothing but squeezable flesh. Even this escalation was not enough for her to break the kiss, and it intensified, if anything. Deciding he could ramp it up one more level, he pushed the bottoms down so they puddled around her feet. This got a reaction, as she flinched in a brief, protective, crouching motion, then pulled back from the kiss with a questioning look on her face.

Enjoying developments immensely, Dex just said "Yes?" She blushed and lowered her head so her forehead was on his chest. He used a finger under her chin to raise her face so he could look her in the eye. "Do you want to give me your little speech now, or when we take a break?"

Pounding lightly on his chest in mock anger, she complained. "You're supposed to let me seduce you. You take all the fun out of it!"

"Hey, when you've got the mic or the recorder, you're the boss. Now it's my turn. Besides, I promise to put plenty of fun in it for you."

"Oh, you do, do you? Pretty cocky, aren't you?" In a moment, she realized her unintentional pun, then broke into laughter. When her laughter subsided, she stretched up and kissed him again, then said. "There are parts of dinner that can't wait. We'll have to hold off for a while" She bent over to pull her bottoms up, but restrained her.

"Huh uh! If your ass looks as good as it feels, it shouldn't be covered up."

"Do you expect me to serve you bare-assed?" When he grinned and nodded, she exclaimed "Pervert! Do you have any idea how much I paid for this outfit, just to seduce you?"

"No, I have no idea." He turned her around and caressed her bare cheeks as he looked at them. "You could have saved a lot of money and just used this. It's priceless."

She actually shook at this comment, then stepped out of the bottoms and folded them carefully over a chair arm. She put her hands on the buttons of her top as if to undo them, but dropped her hands, took Dex's hand, and led him to the dining room. As she was sitting down, she suddenly stood back up, walked down the hall, and returned with a small towel, which she placed on the fabric seat of her chair. She saw Dex grinning at her, and said "Stop your gloating! I just didn't want to stain the chair. You ARE a pervert!" Her expression took any possible sting out of her words.

The sight of Judy serving dinner bottomless was pleasant indeed. The top of her outfit had not quite reached the bottoms, so she was now completely exposed below the waist. Her ass and then her legs were definitely her best features. Dex had thought this from seeing her in her usual work outfit of short-skirted suits and heels. On her first couple of trips to the kitchen, she seemed like she wanted to cover up, but later on she had enough confidence to add an extra sway as she walked away.

The dining table was modish glass and brass, so Judy had to deal with being exposed even as she ate. When she sat to eat, she gave Dex a look that was part irritation and part embarrassment. When he gave back nothing but a lascivious grin, she jutted out her jaw and spread her legs. "Is that what you were hoping for?" she asked sarcastically.

"Oh, definitely. I like checking out dessert while I eat the main course."

Once again, Dex saw the little quiver. This woman was keyed up! He was going to enjoy taking her to Heaven. Just now, he realized he was very much ready for sex, and he was grateful to Judy for giving him the opportunity.

"Um, Dex?" Judy interrupted his short reverie. "About that little speech, as you called it." She paused, then "God, how do you know everything? Anyway, here's what I need to say. I have become very fond of you. I'm a lot older, and I've been around with men. I even got almost to the church steps once. The problem is, I've got my sights on the big time. I won't let marriage or romance get in the way of that. My big break could come next week or not for ten years, I don't know."

"What I want is a good, loving relationship that neither of us expects to last forever. I just have a feeling you would like that, too." A mock fierce look came over her face, and she told him "If you say 'no' after the way you've got me worked up, I will write an article wiping out every nice thing I've ever said about you. Got it?" Her gaze at him was first fierce, then softened into uncertainty. "Maybe I'm foolish thinking you'd want to be with me when you must have sexy coeds falling all over you."

This was another revelation to Dex. This talented, assertive, supremely confident professional woman was worried about her sex appeal. Thinking about it, he scolded himself for being surprised. From his first encounters with his mother, he had seen how important it was to acknowledge and praise a woman's sex appeal. Probably by blind luck, his teasing, flirting, and stripping her had been just what she yearned for. He walked over to her, turned her chair away from the table, and knelt in front of her.

Sliding one hand up under her top to rest lightly on a tit, he said, "Judy, you're right. On campus, I could find plenty of these (he squeezed her tit gently) and these (he ran a finger lightly over her slit) to have sex with. I prefer to make love. That takes more than just this (again squeezing a tit) and this (another stroke up her slit). It takes this (he tapped his finger lightly on her forehead) and this (he laid his hand gently over her heart). On you, this (the tit squeeze again) and this (another slit stroke) are very lovely. This (a forehead tap) and this (hand over heart) are absolutely awesome.

Dex looked into Judy's widely staring eyes long enough to see some moisture collecting in them. Then, he put his hands on her ass and pulled her forward until her pussy was over the edge of the chair. With no further preliminaries, he used his tongue to find her clit, then began sucking it and flailing at it with his tongue. He was quite sure she was highly aroused, and would come very quickly. He was more right than he knew, for she stiffened and shuddered almost instantly.

He kept his mouth in place long enough to be sure he wasn't quashing her orgasm. Then, he unbuttoned and removed her top and picked her up. She was still feeling some aftershocks as he carried her down the hall. She had not had time to give him the nickel tour, so he took her to the first bed he found and, holding her briefly in one arm, he threw back the covers. Stretching her out near the edge of the bed, he put a hand on her pussy and kissed her. He had no problem inserting first a finger, then two fingers in her slippery channel, and began stroking immediately.

He had a brief thought that if he didn't pay some serious attention to her tits, she might think he didn't like them. They certainly were not centerfold material, but they matched her rather thin torso well, and the nipples were unusually large. Breaking the kiss, he took one nipple in his mouth and used his free hand to knead the other tit. This brought her out of her orgasmic torpor, and she began panting and moaning.

It was not really competitiveness that drove Dex when he was making love, but he did feel compelled to make sure his partner felt she got the better of the deal. Any appearance of selfishness in love making would seem like abuse to him, and he could not let that happen.

As the outcome of this evening had become more certain, Dex had decided Judy should have at least three orgasms before he even removed his clothes, and that looked like an easy goal right now. Guessing that her clit could now take some more stimulation, he put his thumb on it as he continued to thrust with his fingers. With both nipples involved as well, she now had four points of stimulation. Her first come had been quick and fairly mild, and had discharged only a small fraction of her sexual tension. She built up quickly to her second, and after about five minutes, she exploded again.

This one was larger, but not the enervating event Dex wanted for her. Quickly, he got on the bed, moved her legs apart, and began licking her pussy with long swipes of his tongue. He reached a hand up to one tit and teased the nipple, causing her to flinch slightly. He backed off of her nipple, just kneading the whole tit for a while until she could stand it again, and settled in for some extended attention.

The two comes Dex had brought Judy through did not give him a complete picture of her response pattern, so he could not be sure when she was close to coming. He guessed fairly well, though, bringing her up then backing off three times before taking her over. At the end, he had his mouth on her clit, two fingers in her vagina with his thumb on her anus, and one hand rolling and pinching a nipple. He had to keep this up for a little over ten minutes, and he was suffering a few cramps and sore spots by the time his mission was accomplished.

The intensity of Judy's convulsions, the agony/ecstasy etched on her face as she came, and the serenity of her expression as she slid into a semi-conscious state were generous compensation for Dex's minor discomforts. His hand was still on her pussy, with his fingers still embedded, and he just sat motionless and looked at her. It seemed to him that this was the time when every beautiful aspect of a woman was enhanced, and many less attractive features masked.

"Dex," Judy murmured in a very small voice, somewhat surprising him that she was conscious. "You timid?" At his slightly puzzled, amused look, she added, "Clothes!" He moved the hand on her pussy a little, generating a slight moan from her. "Got cock?" A few labored breaths, then "Lemme see!"

This was great, as far as Dex was concerned. She was witty and playful, even when almost out of it, which bode well for their future sexual adventures. This was not surprising, because she was a very bright woman. He was just glad she didn't become maudlin or overly serious, but would keep the fun in their sex. When he stood naked beside her, she again spoke haltingly. "Yup. Got cock. Nice!" He was tempted to take her right then, but decided she was too out of it, and crawled into bed beside her. Pulling her over against his side, he let her drift off to sleep.