Chapter 33

"Coach, I need to talk to you."

"What is it, Hill?"

"Could we talk privately?"

"Sure. Let's go in my office."

We went into Coach's office and I moved some stuff off a chair in front of the metal desk and sat down. He sat down on his side of the desk in a swivel chair with cracked vinyl upholstery.

"What's up, Hill?"

"Coach, I'm thinking of quitting the team."

"You're what?!" He shot forward as he said this, leaning on the desk on both elbows. "Do you have any idea what that would do to the team?"

"Coach, I know how much I mean to the team and I hate to do it, but I need to get a job where I can make some money. And I don't have a whole lot of times I can do it. I figure I can get a job flipping burgers or working at a gas mart for a few hours after school each day. And that means no practice and no meets."

"So, that's it? You just want to find a way to make some money?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"So if I found some way you could work around here while still practicing and being in the meets, that would be OK?"

"Sure, Coach. I don't need a whole lot."

"Give me a couple of days. Whatever you do, don't commit yourself to anything without checking back with me first. Can you do that for me?"

"Sure, Coach."

I went in and suited up and did my regular practice routine.

I got home at 5:45 and decided to see if Jill was around. I called and she answered on the second ring.

She was well aware that it bothered me that I wasn't able to pay for things when we went out together.

Jill could buy whatever she wanted. On a couple of occasions she had pulled out an American Express card. When she did at Fredericks of Hollywood, the clerk had looked at her as if she didn't trust her. I saw her using the phone while holding and looking at the card while Jill was getting dressed. She had no problem when Jill came out and signed the charge slip. In fact, she made a production of inviting Jill back any time there was anything she could do for her.

Those clothes were items she chose to wear to model the corset she was leaving for me to buy when her birthday came around. I have no doubt she could have bought a dozen corsets. No, she tried those clothes on knowing they couldn't be returned and she had to purchase them. But she never even hinted at paying for something that was my idea. If we went to the mall and were window shopping, she didn't mention purchasing a thing. I'd seen her get a tie for her father and a collar for her dog. And that was her right and I had no problems with it.

If I took her to the movies, I wanted to pay for the tickets. And the popcorn and the drinks. If she wanted a poster or a book or a T-shirt, that was something she could pay for. Or tell me so I could put it on the list of things to get when I chose to give her a gift.

So, when I'd gone to her house a couple of days before for the weekly get together, she and I talked about how I could make some money. And the only way I could see doing it without losing the weekends I wanted the money for was the way I told Coach. Jill insisted there had to be a way to do it while staying on the team and keeping up my practices and I told her there wasn't. She had been against me going to see Coach from the start and we almost got into an argument about it.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Gorgeous."

"Oh, is that you, Bozo?"

"Hey. That's the dog's name. You need to call me something else."

"Sometimes it fits you a lot better than the dog. He's adorable and he listens to me."

"Yeah, well, I'm adorable. And I'll listen to you from now on. I talked to Coach today."

"Really. So is he happy you want to quit?"

"No, he's not. He asked if I would still quit if he found a way I could make some money and still be on the team and practice."

"So, did you tell him he was stupid and it was impossible and you knew better than everybody else?"

"No, I told him I couldn't do it because a certain young lady I happen to be in love with would never let me hear the end of it if he did that. I told him I'd rather drop out of school and work at AM/PM."

"You Did Not!"

"No, I didn't. I told him I'd check with him before I took any jobs and would give him a couple of days to set something up before I went out looking."

"It'll serve you right if he has you picking up jock straps."

"I was kind of thinking of handing out soap and towels in the girls' locker room."

"You do that and you'll never get near this girl."

"I know. Even if I have to turn it down and go to AM/PM. Seriously, Jill, I owe you an apology. I just didn't think I could still swim and make any money for us."

"All right, I'll think about it. We'll see how good you beg this weekend. I might forgive you. How's Mary today?"