Chapter 22

"I think that can be arranged."

Robbie hung up the phone and grinned at Tami. I had an image of a lion smiling at her partner before attacking a herd of antelope. And I felt very antelopish.

"Who was that?" I asked. We were sitting in Robbie's living room. The twins were lying on the floor watching something on the Disney Channel. The girls on the screen had cute tits, but other than that, I had no idea what was going on.

"Coach Vickers. He wants me to come in a little early."

"Early?" I said as I tickled Tami's ribs. She was sitting across my lap. "Doesn't he know you're off the team?"

"Not anymore."

I raised an eyebrow and waited.

"Seems there was a conference call between Parker, Mr. Reed, and the WSAA right after school."

"Oh?" The Washington School Activities Association governed high school football along with a lot of other things.

"Seems some enterprising reporter faxed an advance copy of her article and..."

Tami started to get up. I clamped my hands on her hips and held her there.

"... copies of a Texas suspension and the school's random drug test list. Parker's been suspended from coaching pending an investigation. Coach Vickers will take over, and he says I'm not kicked off."

"You know it's funny that that enterprising reporter didn't say anything to her best friends."

"It didn't seem important," Tami said innocently.

"Not important!" Robbie sputtered. "We could have set a camera up in Parker's office. His face during that call would be worth everything he's put us through over the last three-and-a-half years."

Tami pulled herself out of my grasp and stood up. "I may not like Mr. Parker, but I don't think we have to enjoy watching his life come apart."

Robbie started to say something, but I caught her eye and shook my head. Parker may have brought most of this on himself, but to revel in it brought us down to his level. I guess that's why I love Tami: she makes me better than I am.

"I'm getting a Coke. Anybody else want one?" Tami asked.

"We do," The twins said in stereo.

Robbie stood. "I'll help."

A commercial came on and the twins jumped up and moved to my lap.

"You know how I hate girls sitting in my lap," I said, sliding my arms around them.

"No, you don't. Robbie said that on your trip this summer you almost always had a girl in your lap," Betty said.

"That doesn't mean I liked it."

"Yes, it does," Jo said.

"Can we come next summer?" Stereo again.

"I can never tell you two apart," I said to change the subject.

"I'm Betty," Jo said.

"And I'm Jo," her sister added.

I looked at Betty. "So how come you don't have a middle name?"

The girls giggled, realizing that I knew their true identities.

"Mom says that after three other girls, she was running out of cute," Jo said. "Which I think proves that I was born first."

"No it doesn't," Betty snapped at her sister. "Besides, I was named after Mom's great aunt and she didn't have a middle name either."

"I see you wasted no time replacing me," Tami said, coming back with a can of Coke in each hand. She handed one to each of the girls. "I'm borrowing your car," she added, saving me the necessity of answering. She reached down on the coffee table and picked up my keys.