Chapter 1

Coach Martin thrust out the little slip of paper at him. Ivan Horton looked down at it, then back up at his coach, who didn't look at him at all. He was busy talking on the phone. As Ivan hesitated, the coach pressed the 'hold' button.

"It's the best I can do for you, son."

Ivan didn't move.

"Is there something else?"

Ivan took a breath to begin his speech. "Coach, I..."

The older man put up a hand like a traffic cop to stop him from saying anything more.

"Now, I normally wouldn't go this far, but with your record, I thought we owed you something. Ivan, every year at the opening team meeting we told you guys to take care to make sure that your credits were in order. Instead of listening, you were daydreaming about which cheerleader you were gonna bed next. You should have had your priorities in order."

"Coach, I always had the utmost respect for your daughter..."

The older man's stunned, angry glare stopped Ivan in mid-sentence. A wrong assumption, Ivan had always thought that Coach knew about the little affair in sophomore year. Ivan had made a lot of bad assumptions of late and realized that he was lucky that to have that little slip of paper.

"I've got a recruiting prospect on 'hold' right now. This is all I can do," the coach said. He released the 'hold' buttons and reumed his conversation.

Ivan turned to shuffle out of the coach's office. He took a long look around because he knew that it would be his last one. As he reached the door he heard Coach's voice behind him.

"Take care of yourself, Ivan.".

Jerry McMahan was waiting for Ivan as he came out of the door of the Athletic Office.

"What'd Coach say?"

"He told me 'no dice', what did you think he'd say?"

"I dunno," Jerry replied, "I thought he might do something."

"Well, you thought wrong," Ivan retorted.

"Don't feel bad," Ivan's friend consoled. "I'm in the same boat as you are. You don't see me complaining. Think about all the pool we can play over the summer. We'll have the fraternity house to ourselves."

"That might be good enough for you, Jerry, but not for me. I could be makin' big bucks on Wall Street this summer, but instead, I'll be stuck here taking Bio 101."

Ivan stole a glance and his friend looked downcast.

"Sorry," Ivan said, "I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I'm just disappointed, that's all."

"Sure—okay," Jerry said. "I was just trying to look on the bright side. Are you saying that the coach didn't do anything for you at all?"

"There is no bright side," Ivan answered. "all the coach would do is set me up with a tutor for the course. Big deal!"

"Well, that's something," Jerry said.

"That's the difference between you and me," Ivan shot back. "I want it all. You're satisfied with whatever you're given. That's why I was a Quarterback and you were a tackle."

"Hey, you're outta line, Ivan, Jerry protested.

"Why're we talkin' about this anyway," Ivan asked. "Let's go get a beer and shoot some pool."

Ivan's friend shook his head but followed along as the two made their way across the campus to the fraternity house.

The final months of Ivan's college careerm which began at the end of football season and was supposed to have ended at graduation had been a time of rude awakenings. First, he found that professional football teams were not impressed by the exploits of an Ivy League star. That was a disappointment but not the biggest surprise. The real shock came when he was ordering his cap and gown for the graduation ceremony and found out that he wouldn't need them. The neglected biology course, required for his diploma was the problem. He tried everything he could to get the requirement waived, but the Dean insisted: "no 'Bio'—no diploma".

It was four uears earlier, but seemed such a short time ago, that Ivan found himself a newly-arrived celebrity football recruit. In those early days all the coaches and alumni boosters had told him "if there was anything that he needed, just ask." Ivan didn't ask for much. He took what he wanted without asking. The world seemed to acknowledge his right to it. Ivan gave back, too. He ran and passed his way to stardom through four seasons of football crusades, guiding the team to winning seasons in each of his four years.

Considering his exploits on the football field, he assumed that the Athletic Department or a wealthy alumnus would persuade the Dean to relent and let him graduate on time. It didn't take long to find that his assumptions about that were wrong, just like those about the coach's daughter and the pro scouts. As he ambled back to the fraternity house he pondered his plight.

"I'll never pass Bio," he reminded himself. "It's a useless course for me, anyway."

It hadn't been an act of forgetfulness that made Ivan lose track of those bio credits. He had enrolled in the course once and dropped it because he knew that he had no chance to pass. He'd told hiself to forget about it, until the approaching graduation day made it impossible to forget it.

He told his parents of the error. They were patient, as always. His fiancée, Robin, her family and the upcoming wedding was a different story. During the past weekend he had given them the unpleasant news. What a scene that had been!

Robin couldn't seem to stop sobbing. Her parents shook their heads with that 'I told you so' look. It was humiliating, but that wan't the only thing ... Robin's father had promised Ivan a position in his Wall Street investment bank after graduation. There were two conditions: marriage to Robin and an Ivy League sheepskin. Ivan was certain that the job offer would not survive past August if the missing biology credits and elusive diploma were not in hand. He was sure that Robin would have no part of a life that lacked the security of that lucrative fiefdom in the family empire.

"I hate the thought of summer-school, but I've got no choice."

As Ivan walked along with his friend, Jerry beside him, he took a look at the scrap of paper with the tutor's name and number scrawled on it. It was his ticket—sort of a ticket--to get his ticket punched.

He read the name: Rebecca Isaacson. He recognized the phone number as being from College Town. It was a Bohemian area adjacent to one end of the campus where crammed, ramshackle apartments were perched over pizza parlors and coffee houses. Ivan didn't go there very often; it wasn't his style.

"You've gotta do what you've gotta do," he said to himself.

Ivan felt lucky to be engaged to Robin. She was a 'knockout' by any standard. Tall and statuesque, she was blond and blue-eyed. Her body was toned and her large breasts stood proudly out from her chest. Ivan was required to cup, caress and suckle them on command, but forbidden to call them by name or mention them at any time. Robin had a classic face whose features were accented by ever-so-correctly applied cosmetics that came from the finest stores.

She was a popular coed, a member of the most popular sorority. She was princess of one of The Hamptons baronies that predated the American Revolution, the youngest child, the only daughter. Her mother was in the DAR. Her parents' home looked like a castle at the end of a long, gravel lane. The lawn could be mistaken for a golf course fairway. There was an view of the ocean. The wedding would be held on the grounds. It was opulent and to Ivan that made it intoxicating.

Ivan and Robin met late in their junior year at a 'mixer' between her sorority and his fraternity. Robin was the best choice among the women. Ivan stepped up for his accustomed first pick. Robin seemed thrilled to have the campus hero with the finely buffed muscular frame in pursuit. Soon they were an item. Then, her parents showed interest because of his gridiron fame. He was always on his best behavior in their presence. As graduation approached, the nuptials were announced.

Robin had run-of-the-mill bedroom skills with her perfect body filling in the gaps. Ivan's challenge was to satisfy his appetite from a menu with a single entrée. Robin did a good job at making him accept monogamy. Whatever she did not do for him, she promised to save 'for the honeymoon'. He made sure his friends knew that he was 'getting it' from the best looking babe on campus, and that was a big plus. Yes, Ivan held all the cards in those days and played them just right.

The Biology problem had to be solved.

Rebecca Isaacson sat in her professor's office. His name was Boyd Gilbert, PhD, Professor of Biology. By reputation, his name was synonymous with dedication to his chosen science, avowing a monk-like existence in a sacred quest. He was like the Knights-Templar of old, a warrior-monk for the department, chasing the holy grail of alumni donations and government research grants. His vows did not prevent him from the pursuit of wealth, or for the favor of whatever department female he fancied. Like the Knights-Templar, his victories and status granted him indulgence from his vows.

On tbhis day Rebecca sat across his desk from him because of his summons to her. She was a top student, now about to earn her baccaulaureate with honors. She had been accepted into the Masters' program with a tacit promise of a Graduate Research Assistantship to pay her way. She earned it with hard work and talent, driven to excel in her field. Rebecca spurned anything that diluted her effort in that regard, including a relationship with a young man earlier in the school year.

Rebecca knew of Gilbert's reputation with the ladies. She had even been told by friends that a single evening spent in the professor's bed would yield up the coveted Graduate Assistantship. She wanted no part of the shortcut.

"They can give it to me because I've earned it these past four years and I deserve it," she told her friend, Naomi.

"What's the difference?" her friend countered. "The important thing is to get you hands on that Assistantship. What would be the harm? It's not like you're attached to anyone—and you've certainly been in bed with enough men. It would just be one more."

"It would make a big difference to me," Rebecca shot back. "I sleep with whom and when I want to—and for the right reasons. I'm not going to sell myself, and I shouldn't have to."

"A lot of girls have," her friend reminded her. "I would if I had to."

"Let's not talk about it anymore," Rebecca snapped.

The two fell silent and returned to sipping their herbal teas.

Rebecca dressed to go to the meeting with the Professor in the uniform of the day for the College Town set: white tee-shirt, denim bib overalls two sizes too large, black knee socks and sneakers. Her black hair was tied behind her and over that was tied a triangular scarf of thin cotton cloth that covered the crown of her head. Her eyes were hidden behind glasses with thick black frames. She wore no makeup or jewelry, except for her watch, which was pinned to the bib of her overalls, and a thin gold chain with a chai hanging from it.

She always claimed that her attire was designed for comfort and practicality, although she admitted that the expression of her conformity with the nonconformity was appealing. She was, after all, a young, independent Jewish woman from Nassau county on Long Island so why not show it? Not all of her Jewish sisters dressed this way. Some had a fashion-first look to portray their next to New York City roots. Rebecca crossed in and out of her traditional and 'counter' look with ease.

Professor Gilbert sat at his desk in a large, leather chair. Rebecca sat across from him and waited for her mentor to begin. The professor frowned, which Rebecca judged to be a response to her 'kibbutz look'.

"Rebecca," he began, "I asked you to come in for two reasons."

Rebecca leaned forward to listen because she had a feeling that her Assistantship was on the line.

"First," he continued, "I am pleased to tell you that your position as Graduate Research Assistant has been approved for the next semester."

Rebecca gushed. "Professor, that's wonderful! You don't know how happy I am! You won't be disappointed, I promise."

"The only guarantee is for next semester," he cautioned. "You've impressed me in your undergrad work, Rebecca. I hope someday you'll take a doctorate from this institution, but who knows..." His voice trailed off.

"The second reason, Professor?" Rebecca wasn't quite done gushing.

"We need you to tutor a young man so that he can pass Bio 101 this summer. He has your name and number. He'll get in touch with you. I think that he is one of the football players that didn't get his requirement in for graduation."

Of course, Rebecca was planning to stay the summer, but this assignment was unwelcome. A summer of working on projects in the lab meant plenty of free time for bicycling around the nearby lakes, visiting her parents in Nassau County, maybe finding a new boyfriend. Besides, she didn't like the 'jock' type. She didn't know many of them, but she knew what they were like: beer guzzling brutes that were loud and crude. She wanted no part of it.

"Professor Gilbert" she replied, "I don't think that I can do this. I don't have any teaching experience and I don't think that I'll have time."

"You'll have to make time," he answered. "It's only Bio 101. If you can't handle that I've mistaken your abilities."

"But Professor Gilbert..."

"Look, Rebecca," he continued as leaned forward in his overstuffed chair, "a rich alumnus, who's a sports booster, asked me, personally, for this. He is also considering a research grant for this department. You're a grad student now. You'll find that that your job includes favors like this."

Rebecca cast her eyes down. "Of course, Professor."

"Good!" he exclaimed. "Well, that's all for today. I'll see you next week".

On Graduation Day morning Ivan woke up with Robin sleeping alongside him. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was three-thirty in the morning. They were still nude. Robin slept on her side with her back to him.

Ivan carefully pulled down the sheet that covered them to get a better look at his nude fiancée. He never tired of letting his eyes roam over her body. Although he could only see her back, he was reminded what he loved about her. She was soft, yet lean. Her skin was blemish-free. Robin's backbone blazed a trail that pointed to her sculpted buttocks. He couldn't see them under the covers, but he knew her legs below were perfectly shaped, too. Before he could contemplate the front he decided to wake her for another round of sex. Their earlier session had been unsatisfying. Ivan sensed that Robin was going through the motions. He nudged her to start the waking-up process.

Robin turned on her back, yawned and stretched. Her award-winning breasts were finally on display. (Well, they would win awards if there were such prizes and if Robin was willing to display them for that purpose.).

"I'm glad you woke me up! I've got to get you out of here," Robin whispered. She had smuggled him into her sorority house bedroom against the rules.

"That's not what I had in mind," Ivan answered. He pressed his hardened member against her flank, in case Robin didn't know what he had in mind.

"Just put that thing away, Ivan! You're leaving now—you're not supposed to be here." She was already putting her clothes on, and throwing Ivan's discarded clothes at him.

"What are they gonna do, throw you out? You're graduating tomorrow."

"I don't care, you're leaving now!" she snapped back at him.

Soon, Ivan found himself walking back to the fraternity house disappointed.

He realized that Robin had good reason for not wanting to get caught with 'contraband' in her room. In the morning her parents would arrive for the graduation ceremonies. A discovery of Ivan by the wrong person would surely bring a snide remark as she showed Mom and Dad around the sorority house. Besides, she had last minute packing and cleaning to do before they arrived.

Ivan did not attend the graduation. He met Robin and her parents as planned at her sorority house afterward. He was duly scrubbed and primped in his navy blazer and khaki slacks, blue oxford shirt and striped tie. His athlete's physique underneath brought the whole look together. He wanted to remind Robin's father that he looked just how a young Wall Street knight-in-armor should, and he hoped for some redemption for his confessed academic sins the weekend before.

He spied the three of them near their Mercedes in front of the sorority house. He stepped forward smartly and grasped the older man's hand in a firm handshake.

"Hello, sir!" he intoned. "I hope that you had a pleasant trip."

Robin's father gave no expression and passively returned the pleasantry.

"Yes, fine, thank you, Ivan."

Off to the side, Ivan caught a glimpse of Robin's mother—a woman somewhat younger than her husband—trying to be discrete as she licked her lips and resurveyed the young man from his broad shoulders to his muscular buttocks. Ivan thought little of it. Women did that to him all the time.

Ivan turned to her.

"Always nice to see you, Mrs. Tutlock."

She just nodded and smiled.

The four loaded into the Mercedes. They soon arrived at a fancy restaurant a short distance outside of the campus, where they luncheoned. As they ate, Mr. Tutlock questioned Ivan about his progress on his biology course.

"So, you're enrolled in your Biology course for the summer session?"

"Yes, sir."

"And it's the only credit that you're missing for degree, do I understand that properly?"

"Yes, Mr. Tutlock," Ivan assured his father-in-law-to-be. "I'll be staying at the fraternity house for the summer. By august I'll have my diploma. I even have a tutor that coach arranged for me."

"Let's be sure of that," Mr. Tutlock warned.

Out of the corner of his eye Ivan spied Robin frowning.

"Daddy, can't Ivan come down and stay with us on the estate on weekends?"

Ivan figured that Robin was taking no chances. She didn't like leaving him alone on campus unattended through all those hot summer months and she had already guessed that his Bio tutor was of the female variety as most Biology Grad Students tended to be. She would make sure he knew on which side the bread was buttered.

"Of course, Bobbie!"

'Bobbie' was Mr. Tutlock's nickname for Robin. No one else was allowed to use it. He turned to his wife, "We wouldn't dream otherwise, would we Beryl?"

"Of course, Marsden!"

As the meal ended, Ivan spoke up and suggested that his parents might be invited for a pre-wedding get together some weekend during the summer.

Robin's father responded, "Oh, well, we'll have to look into that, won't we? But Ivan, isn't it such a long drive from Batavia?"

"About eight hours, sir. But I know that they would do it."

Ivan told himself that he had done his best. He knew that the Tutlocks had no interest in hosting his parents of middle class means. He felt bad and knew his parents deserved more respect than they were getting. He reasoned that it would be worse to make them travel to the Tutlock Estate only to be exposed as the small town folk that they were. They lacked the sophistication and the finances to keep up with his soon-to-be in-laws. To Ivan it was the price he had to pay to cross over those invisible boundaries. Nevertheless, he had an empty feeling. After the wedding, he vowed he would set it right.

"Make sure that you come down this weekend," Robin piped up.

The three Tutlocks dropped Ivan, Tutlock to be, at his fraternity house then and departed on the journey down Route 17, through the city and finally out on the Island to their Estate.

Ivan spent the next few days roaming around the near-empty fraternity house. He shot pool and drank beer with Jerry. He didn't call his tutor; Monday would be soon enough. He went to the bookstore to buy his textbooks for the Biology course. He hoped that the heft of the texts didn't reflect the weightiness of the course, but he was sure that they did. Then, there was the lab book that represented the part of the course that he hated the most.

On Monday morning his Biology class met for the first time. Ivan paid attention for the full hour. After class he perused the sheaf of papers given out to outline the course, the lab requirements, and the grading scheme.

He was sorry that he hadn't opted to major in history several years ago. It seemed like too much reading back then. If he had, he wouldn't be faced with this impossible-to-pass course standing between him and the Wall Street job and marriage with Robin.

He hoped that he hadn't lost the slip of paper with the tutor's name on it. He hurried back to the fraternity house to find it because he was more convinced than ever that he needed it. He did find it on his dresser and hurried to make the call.

"Hello," Answered a voice on the other end of the line...

"Hi, my name is Ivan Horton. If this is Rebecca Isaacson, then I think that you were assigned to be my bio tutor this summer."

"Yes, I've been expecting you to call. I saw you in class today. I am the Teachiing Assistant and sat in the back of the room. Meet me in the library at four, this afternoon? I'm a grad student, so I have a carrel. Ask at the desk and they'll tell you where it is. I'll meet you there."

Ivan was unused to having girls - especially Jewish grad-student tutors - tell him where and when he would meet them.

"I was thinking about tomorrow morning after class." He said.

"No, I'm not available then," Rebecca snapped.

There was a pause and Ivan heard her 'huff' before she started speaking again.

"Look" she continued, "I have a busy schedule. Besides tutoring you, I have to TA this class and a research project in the lab. On top of that, I may have a life! You're the one who needs the help and you're getting it for free. You will have to meet with me according to my schedule