Chapter 16

Jared thought he had gotten through their breakfast meeting without bringing up expenses, but Dean Crawford could not bite her tongue any longer as they walked from the restaurant at Green Mountain Greens to their cars.

"Oh, the travel office sent me itinerary's and vouchers for you and the coaching staff for now through the end of July. I know you said there would be a lot of work over the summer but I didn't know we would keep a travel agent in business." She said through a pained smile.

"You go back over my summer expense plan and you'll see exactly what I planned to do and your initial at the bottom. There were no surprises there." Jared said with a big smile knowing he had her dead to rights.

"I guess I didn't realize you were taking a week with EACH coach to see players and recruits." She complained.

"Meredith," Jared said as he broke stride toward his car to walk up to her and make a point. "We made money at Division III with my program and I don't doubt we'll do the same here. The first year may end up being seed money for the program, season ticket revenues and bowl prizes, but you'll never be sorry after my contract is up. I made you that promise, remember?"

"If you're that successful and I'm that happy, how much will your next contract cost us?" She asked somewhat facetiously, but anxious to hear his answer.

"As long as you re-sign me before the end of my deal, just redo the bonus and redo the years for the same price and I'll be happy." Jared replied, ready to deal again as his own agent. "You see Meredith, I have a lot to prove here. I'm comfortable, I'm home, I'm happy. When I'm successful I'll have many suitors and that will be the cheapest publicity for the program that you could never buy."

"Coach Winslow, your confidence is admirable. When I had doubts before the first game was played I was encouraged by fan support. Then I second guessed myself because there just wasn't enough money coming in, but you've made me feel good about all this again." She said shaking his hand before they all left.

Jared chuckled to himself over the hand holding he had to do with Dean Crawford and her lawyer but was happy to appease them and allay fears. Her comments about travel expenses left him sure he knew what the messages on his phone were now. They were probably the travel office and his assistants wanting to confirm dates. After a quick trip to his campus office to get mail he would hear the messages and see how his week was planned.

The "travel office" was Maris DelAire, a retiring math professor who now spent little time in the study and lecture hall and JoAnne Zyrypski, an intern who went to college late in life, her early 30's. Ms. Zyrypski was a widowed travel agent who had sold her business upon marrying a wealthy contractor. He had died only a year into the marriage from pancreatic cancer. Neither Maris or JoAnne had a reason beyond passing the time and the need to be productive to be at NEAT. Travel office was hardly a full time position, but it fit neatly into their schedules. JoAnne was hardly an "intern" at the position, but loved sharing her expertise.

The bright and shiny voice of JoAnne Zyrypski sounded uncommonly professional when her message played in Jared's den.

"Hello Coach Winslow. This is JoAnne Zyrypski from the travel office. I've laid out 3 travel weeks for you and your assistants covering 35 of the 39 players you had hoped to see. Please call me at my home and set up a meeting to finalize these plans by Monday afternoon. My number is 555-0987."

JoAnne sounded as bubbly and bright on the phone as she had on the answering machine and a meeting was set in the Coach's office for first thing Monday morning. Jared had 46 players to see over the summer and 7 were local. Among the 4 she could not book meetings with were Brian Faraday, who was home in his native Wales with a promise to be in the States early, and 3 others who were on travel vacations with family. Those 3 were each told to be in touch with Coach once they returned.

His mini-vacation was over and he spent the rest of Sunday exercising, preparing his laundry and talking on the phone to Meaghan once she had put Declan down for the night after returning from his fathers. That talk was long and left him wishing he were with her. It already felt like they had never been apart and that worried him in certain ways wondering if there were a bubble about to burst. That recurring thought was always dashed by the strength of his feelings for the situation and doubt was waning each time he stepped deeper into the relationship.

His conversation with Meg might have lasted longer into the night except for the tone beeping in his ear that another call was waiting. He ignored it the first time, but when it returned just a few minutes later he asked Meg to hold while he checked it.

"Jared, I thought you might be there. It's Joe Barber and I have some things to go over with you." His athletic director said sounding a bit frustrated.

After asking him to hold Jared went back top Meaghan and said a quick goodbye with a promise to call on Monday.

"Jared, in the future when Dean Crawford calls you like that make sure you get me involved. I hate to feel like I'm in the dark on those things. I could have calmed her down. She side-steps me because she thinks I hold things back from her. She and I just had it out over expenses, waiting for her to approve overages because SHE hasn't approved a revised budget she KNEW was coming. Then in the middle of it all I find she had you on the carpet over monies and policies." Barber told him, obviously spitting mad.

"Well Joe, you can calm down a bit. I wasn't exactly "on the carpet". She just wanted me to hold her hand a bit on a couple of ethical questions and I stood firm on expenses reminding her that we talked about everything I've put in for and even have her initial on my proposals that were SUPPOSED to be in that budget revision she never completed." Jared said to calm him but also reaffirm that she herself had dropped the ball on budget revision.

"I wouldn't mind her sticking her nose in, or even the cold feet, BUT she's already made the commitments that can't be turned around. Once you and I put this whole thing on recruiting and prospect commitment in motion you can't stop it. She got a bill from a contractor who designed the locker room privacy shield for any females who make the team. I got a bathroom and shower guy to come up with something that we can take on the road with us and not take up much travel space. We'll just need an intern to travel with us to put it together. It goes together easy and it's solid and private. I've done it myself and so has Belle. It's simple and light so anyone can handle it. It fits right in front of two dressing stall positions." Joe told him, getting excited about the prospect and publicity the girls would bring.

"THAT bill set it off? How much was it?"

"It was almost 5 thousand with time spent designing and one new mold they had to make, but everything else is from existing designs." Joe explained.

"Well, cost is cost. Having it done is priority. Are you going to make any of the players trips with us?" Jared wondered.

"No, too busy, too many things going on. Did you get the football schedule yet? I finalized everything and the travel office is booking." Joe asked.

"No, but are there any changes from what we talked about?"

"No, 7 home games, 7 on the road. Two early scrimmages, two non-conference, and 10 conference. It's breakneck, but what you wanted. Camp opens August 14th, Classes begin August 19th. Scrimmage at home the 29th, good luck!" Joe Barber said exhaling, knowing how it crept up slow and then it became everything.

"God, I love it. It's like 3 months trying to tackle a live fire hose and once you finally catch it, they turn the water off." Jared said with a chuckle.

The Northeast 10 was trying a new later practice start date that allowed back to back practice, but no back to back two-a-days. The rest of the NCAA was starting a week earlier with no back to backs. The Northeast 10 would go full pads on the 18th, a full week later than the rest of the NCAA, but with just as many practices in. Winslow felt confident that he could come up with a team by the scrimmage on the 29th with Boston College. His mini-camps had given him lots of ideas and great looks at talent on hand. By not making the mini-camps mandatory spring practices he saw who was serious and who wasn't. His Dad called it "sorting the wannabe's from the gottabe's". He wanted you to show up because you wanted to, not because you had to, simple as that. By the second scrimmage on September 5th against Appalachian State he hoped to have a solid idea who he would dress for the home conference opener on the 12th. Unless there were some major changes of heart he had a pretty good idea who would fill the heart of his roster.

The NCAA had the Northeast 10 experimenting with a limited travel roster of 54 suited players and 70 at home. Jared Winslow was never one to carry wild amounts of players, he felt it watered down the intensity of the squads. The NFL limit was usually 53 and the NCAA really had no set rule of roster numbers. Winslow was never one to throw his schools money around and felt a limit on players would also cut spending. The NCAA rules had always been hard to change and using the fledgling new conference as an experiment for practice rule changes, roster limits, byes, and out of conference scheduling didn't hurt the tradition of the more established conferences. After 3 years the ruling body of the NCAA would decide if the changes would go into effect throughout all Division One football or be scrubbed.

Before finally ending his day he quickly sifted through the usual pile of letters from accepted students who had an interest in playing football. Most all had letters of reference from their coach or school avowing to the students character. Not every high school was on every recruiters list and lots of real talent slipped through those cracks. The fact that the rumor mill spun stories of N.E.A.T. placing females on the roster, adapting soccer players to football, and taking high risk players into the system, had left hope for those who felt they had enough talent to play at that level. Open try-outs were starting on August 12th, two days before any student was allowed into his on-campus dorm. When you came to town you had to have living arrangements made for those few days or sleep in your car or pitch a tent. You had to be serious. If you didn't attend either of the spring mini-camps or the open try-outs and were not officially excused, do not bother showing for the first full day of practice, no exceptions. Eight returning players were excused for injury, academic or family reasons.

On Monday morning Jared woke just seconds before his alarm went off, thinking it was uncanny how the human condition allowed such things to happen. A moment later his phone rang and he realized it had probably rung a first time that woke him before his alarm. Before it rang a third time his picked the receiver to offer a sleepy hello while slapping at his alarm clock...

"Hello tiger, you said you had to be up at seven, I thought I might wake you." Meaghan said in a sexy voice.

"Mmmm, I LIKE this a LOT better than the damn buzzer I just punched out. Why are you up so early?" Jared replied, happy to hear her voice.

"I dreamt about you and woke up all flustered, randy and wet. Declan is still sleeping and I thought I might get rid of a little sexual tension with you." She said with a bit of urgency.

"Oh, you naughty girl." He chuckled.

"You have no idea how naughty I can get when I'm alone like this. I've bought a few toys from the late night TV erotica shopping channel for just these times." She said with a bit of a swoon in her voice. "I've always denied using these things, but I'll make full disclosure to you, because you're who I fantasize about when I take them out."

"Meg, you're getting me aroused."

"That's the idea silly, grab hold of that fat cock. I've got one almost the same size stuffed up in me right now." She said calmly, but firmly.

"Holy crap, you're serious! I can't help but grab myself!"

"Well, I'm glad of that because the sound of your voice is all I needed to get my rock started, my pussy is trembling and I haven't even turn this rabbit on yet." Meg said as she swooned into the phone and Jared heard a whirring buzz begin.

Jared tried to picture Meaghan's cute little body, legs spread wide with her rabbit stuffed up her little pussy. He's never seen a rabbit in person, but knew what it was and what it did. He knew rotating pearls rumbled under her clit and vibrating tendrils danced on her clit as the bullet loaded end buzzed deep inside her.

"Fuck Jared, I'm going to cum! Fuck Jared, I'm going to cum!!! Fuck Jared, I'm going to cummmmmm!!!!!!!!" She wailed into the phone before her voice tailed off in a scratchy growl.

Jared breathed heavy as he stroked himself and strained his ear to hear more from his lover.

"Mmmmm, that was nice. I was just going to relieve some tension until I thought of calling you. Hearing your voice rocked my world. I hope you're taking care of business." She whispered into the phone.

"I am. Your little phone show drew a pretty explicit picture for me. I only wish it was my cock and my tongue getting the action." He said getting short of breath.

"Don't you think I wish it was my mouth and my hand on your cock right now. I love having that fat head in my mouth when you begin to breathe like this. I love to drive you crazy, know I'm in control of pushing you over. I'd be hungry for a big squirt of your hot cum to hit my tongue, even squirt to the back of my throat to make me swallow already and hear you grunt and swoon just like THAT!!" She growled into the phone as Jared came over his belly and hand.

After a few minutes of heavy breathed silence Jared spoke.

"God, I'm a mess, but what a way to wake up. I'll face the day with a smile." He said with a satisfied groan.

"Someday we'll always wake up together." She said with a cry in her voice.

"Come on Meaghan, don't get all weepy and wishful. Wait and see what the future brings. We'll make it as good as we can. Let's play this out and see what happens. I'm visiting a lot of the team to make personal contact with them in the next few weeks and I know I'll be in and near Chicago a couple times. I'll get my schedule today." He said to comfort her.

"I hope so, I miss you. Even Declan wanted to know when you might be back. I think that just proves that his father doesn't do enough with him when he takes him. I know it's because you're new and show interest with him, but he asked if you were coming the next time he went to Daddy's because he'd rather stay home. His grandparents spoil him, but don't DO things and interact with him. Something's going on with Matt right now too. He said he might be moving to another job, but he's not sure where and then his father slipped and said something about "new troubles". Then I've been getting notices from my credit protection company that my records have been accessed 4 times in the last couple weeks." She said, speaking frankly in her reverie.

"He's not signing your name to anything, is he? He can't get at your personal finances can he? Is he all paid up with what he owes you each month?" Jared fired back, worried something might be askew.

"No, no, no, all of that is protected and he's always been on time. He's a lot of things, but I can't add deadbeat Dad to the list, ... yet!" She assured him.

"Well, I'm sort of a mess here and a little late getting started, but thanks for the phone sex." Jared said laughing.

Meg wasn't as amused as Jared and after a long silent pause she told him as much.

"Jared, this wasn't just phone sex, I made love to you! I didn't do it because I was horny and needed the relief, that was a by-product. The reason I called was because thoughts of you and how I missed you made me want you. Don't make it, or me sound cheap. Being your cock whore behind closed doors is the most exciting thing in the world, but it's all because I love you. Am I making sense?" She said, finding the words to express her feelings hard to emote.

"Yes, and I wasn't making light of anything. It was just a poor choice of words, ... and I don't exactly think of you as "my cock whore" behind closed doors." He said wondering about HER choice of words.

"Well, I am, just like you're my gigolo behind closed doors. We do each others biddings for sexual gratification, but not for money, we do it for love. Am I making sense?" She asked.

"NOW, you are. I was confused at how you called yourself that, but now I understand." He answered.

"Well then, ... NOW you can go." She said with a little laugh. "Have a great day my lover, call when you can."

Jared kissed the air for her hear and hung up to make his way to the shower and clean himself up. Making his meeting with the travel office person would be tight, but not a problem.

As he showered his mind wandered and one thing nagged at him more than anything lately, the fact that unless there would be a huge walk on contingent, he was working with a small field of candidates for him to form a team. With the eight known walk-ons, the light recruitment and the known returnees he had 74. Some teams in other NCAA divisions would carry that many. He hoped to dress 54 on the road and 60 at home. It was the first time that he was afraid of embarrassment. He took the team late with virtually no time to recruit on his own, not knowing that Sherm Woodard saw the writing on the wall and had recruited only from the top echelon. He hadn't beat the bushes for the sleepers. Only the fact that unless having a mixed gender roster blew up in his face, with the 2 girl kickers and soccer conversion, he had already addressed and resolved 2 of the teams most glaring weaknesses. Now if he only came up with a quarterback with only minimal skills who could follow instructions and lead his teammates. After his meeting this morning he decided he would look up Marvin Hudson and see how his summer was going and see how his "quarterback" experiment had matured in the Petrie dish.

The "travel office" was in a building adjacent to the administration building where the sports offices were. It was an office getting more and more use since NEAT had went Division One with football. Maris DelAire led the department but once travel turned into a more demanding part of the operation of Division One sports, usually finding charter airfare and accommodations for groups of 50 or more, she was over matched for the position. That was when JoAnne Zyrypski came is as a student intern. JoAnne was a late life student who previously ran a travel agency and was more than happy to use her expertise and build her credits interning. Her eventual goal was to get a degree and write a book based on her unique life experience. She could easily handle the department by herself, but Maris was the administrations guarantee of financial fortitude. Maris was the longest tenured prof at the University whose vanity kept her from retirement. Her occasional lecture, guidance counseling and overseeing the travel office made her feel needed and wanted.

Jared Winslow was on time for his appointment with seconds to spare. He was smoothing his tie and patting his hair down as he lightly knocked and opened the door to see the stately Maris DelAire behind her desk.

"Good Morning Mr. Winslow! So glad to make your acquaintance. I'm Professor DelAire, but I would so happy if you called me Maris." She said as she offered her hand.

"Please call me Coach or Jared, Mr. Winslow is my father." Jared said as he lightly shook her hand.

"OK, um ... Coach. Miss Zyrypski has submitted your travel needs and we've approved everything and she's waiting to go over everything with you. She was here a moment ago but went to get a pot of coffee for us." Maris said just as the door opened.

"Oh so sorry I'm a bit late, but I thought coffee would be nice." JoAnne said as she came in with a tray with a carafe and 3 cups.