Chapter 5: Breakthrough

On her return to Coddington, it took Brenda several days to regain her focus, both in the classroom and on the court. She was distracted by the events of the past summer and the need to make up her mind if she really did love Pete and would happily marry him. Easier said than done, she thought. She had a long fall and winter to endure without him and it would truly be a test of her resolve. She swore that she would not allow herself to be distracted by another man.

Pete phoned her at the dorm twice a week after establishing a schedule via e-mail of when she would be available to talk. She looked forward to their conversations. She would tell him about the successes of her team and getting acclimated to the classroom routine once again.

He talked about the training camp, the exhibition season and now, sitting on the bench for most of the game and watching others play. He said it was the hardest thing he had ever done. He was used to being a starter and the playmaker on his high school and college teams. Even at Port Huron State he wasn't on the bench long in his freshman season before he was pressed into regular duty. Now he was lucky to see five or ten minutes of action in any game. He never failed to end their calls with "I love you."

She got a surprise visit at Thanksgiving when Pete drove down from Boston before a game with the Celtics. She leaped into his arms after getting over the shock of seeing him waiting for her at the entrance to her dormitory.

"Pete! What are you doing here? Can you stay? Are you hurt?"

He laughed at her questions and kissed her once more, silencing her temporarily.

"We've got a day off and I thought I'd come down and surprise you. I can't stay long. I've got a practice tomorrow morning. I just had to see you when we were this close," he said, squeezing her tightly to him.

"Oh, that's so wonderful of you. I just wish you could stay longer. Where are you staying tonight?"

"I have a hotel room in town and don't have to leave until tomorrow morning. Anything keeping you from joining me tonight?"

"Not a thing. Wild horses wouldn't stop me," she grinned. Let me get some things and we can go. I don't have a game until tomorrow night so I'm all yours for as long as you want me."

"Oh ... don't say that. I want you forever ... you know that."

"Yeah, Pete, I know."

At first their lovemaking was frantic, trying to make up for lost time. Brenda released all the sexual energy she had been storing up over the past three months and Pete was right with her as they joined and rested, and started again, and rested again.

"That was wild," Pete said, lying beside her on the big bed. "Why don't we go out for something to eat, then come back and see if we've calmed down?"

"Why don't we order room service and save time," she smirked.

"Okay," he laughed, "we could do that too."

Pete's coach had mercifully scheduled practice for 11am Friday morning which meant Pete didn't have to get up in the early dawn hours to get back to Boston on time. Traffic would be moderate on the post-Thanksgiving day other than the traditional shopping sprees that were encouraged in every TV ad they saw.

It was just as well. Brenda and Pete had made love into the early hours and slept past their normal 7am rising. They had breakfast together before Pete reluctantly drove her back to her dorm and kissed her goodbye. He promised to see her the next time he was in the area if it was at all possible. In the meantime, they would stay in touch by telephone and e-mail.

Pete's visit did wonders for Brenda's attitude. He had taken the time and the trouble to come to her. They had made up for their missing love-life in spades, she felt. It would keep her going until the next time, whenever that might be. She looked up the Grizzlies' schedule on the internet and was deflated to find that they were in the Southwest Conference and played few games at Northeast venues.

She was resigned to spending another lonely Christmas and New Year's, thankfully her last. The volleyball season was almost over and once again, they had come close to the title but just missed out. All the same, she enjoyed the game, her teammates and their success. It helped keep her motivated and distracted at the same time.

Her class work was fine, her grades well about average. She would undoubtedly graduate with a solid 3.6 average, not that it mattered that much. She would go to work with her father at the store unless something else came up. She wasn't even thinking about sending out résumés at this stage. She was still thinking about Pete.

He called her on Christmas Eve, just before a game with the Wizards. It seemed like strange timing to Brenda. Who would want to go to a pro basketball game on Christmas Eve? It was good to hear his voice and he sounded in very good spirits considering he was away from both her and his home as well.

Brenda called home on Christmas morning as she always did, talking at length to all the family. Her grandparents on her mother's side were already there and she spent some time catching up on their lives as well. When she finally hung up, she was feeling her typical post-phone-call blues, missing her family as she always did on important holidays.

When the buzzer sounded at the front door she wondered who it could be. Most of the girls had gone home for the holidays and she had the place almost to herself. She pushed the talk button.

"Who is it?" she asked carefully.

"Special delivery," came the gravelly voice.

"What? From who?"

"Don't know lady. Just says to deliver it here to B. Reichart."

Brenda thought for a minute, then, "Okay, bring it up," as she buzzed the delivery man in.

Less than a minute later, there was knock at the door.

She looked through the peep hole in the door but could see nothing except the back of a man's head and shoulders. She cautiously opened the door on the chain. She was about to say something when the man turned and grinned at her.

"Pete!" she shouted, pushing the door closed and releasing the chain. He walked into the room with a large gift-wrapped package in both hands, making it impossible for Brenda to jump at him. Within seconds, the package was set on the nearby table and they were in each other's arms.

"Oh, God, Pete! It's so good to see you again. I can't believe it's you. What a wonderful Christmas present. How long can you stay?"

"I've got a game in New Jersey the day after tomorrow. I'm all yours for two days."

"Oh, yeah! We've got the place all to ourselves, as long as we don't get caught by the dorm warden. Just one thing, though," she grinned, "no room service."

"Well, we could check into a hotel for a couple of days," he suggested.

"Naw ... I want to show you off and make all my girl friends jealous."

"Well in that case, I guess it'll be pizza and Chinese delivery," he chuckled as they continued holding each other.

Pete's arrival had so completely surprised Brenda that she didn't even ask about the wrapped present he had brought. It was he who picked it up and handed it to her.

"Merry Christmas, Bren."

"Oh, Pete. I didn't get anything for you. I didn't expect you at all."

"I know. I didn't expect you to. This is something special from me to you."

Brenda began unwrapping the present, ending up with what appeared to be a garment box. When she opened it, she gasped in shock. Inside was a tan fleece-lined suede coat.

"Oh, Pete, it's beautiful," she cried as she tried it on. It fit perfectly.

"Your mother told me what size to get. I couldn't let you catch cold in this winter weather up here. I'm glad you like it."

"Having you here is just as wonderful. Thank you, Pete. For the coat and for being here. It's the best Christmas I've had in a long time."

"Well, with any luck, it's the last Christmas either of us will spend alone."

"What's luck got to do with it," she grinned as she embraced again, kissing him with increasing passion.

"You'd better translate that for me," he said, eyeing her carefully.

"You know that question you asked me last summer? The one I wasn't sure about?"

"Of course. How could I forget?"

"Well ... if you ask me again ... you might get a different answer."

The look on Pete's face was one Brenda would remember for a long time to come.

"You mean it. If ... if I ... aw hell. Brenda, will you marry me?"

"Yes, Pete. I will. Maybe not right away but I will marry you," she smiled, almost in relief.

"Oh, Bren, you don't know how good that feels hearing you say that. You have no idea how I've wanted to hear you say that. This is the best Christmas present I could ever get. God, I'm glad I came up here today. What a day! What a day!"

"Calm down, lover. We've got a ways to go yet. I've got to finish school and you've got your basketball career."

"Yeah, but it doesn't matter. Is it okay to phone my parents and tell them?"

Brenda laughed. "Yeah ... it's okay. Then I'll phone mine before yours do it for us."

They spent the next hour on the telephone and the consensus was that it wasn't a surprise and it was good news. There was no hint that anyone in their families thought they weren't perfect for each other. Now it was a matter of deciding when. That would be a little more difficult.

There were some unknowns yet to be determined, chief among which was whether the Grizzlies would pick up the option year in Pete's contract. He was getting very little playing time, although the coaching staff had complimented him on his improved play as he adapted to the rough and tumble of the NBA.

Pete never got close to visiting Brenda again during the regular season. The only time he was anywhere near was a game in late March in New York but the crazy schedule had them flying all night to Sacramento for a game the next evening. Still, they talked even more often on the phone, counting the days until Pete's season would be finished and they could be together again in mid-April. There was no hope that Memphis would be in the playoffs.

Once again, Pete surprised Brenda when he took a suite in Providence for a month. The regular season was done and he wanted to be close to his fiancée

during her last month of school. He could find plenty to do while she was in class or studying for exams. His limited action during the year kept him from being worn down as so many of the regulars were. Besides, he had objectives for himself and Brenda.

First he had to find just the right engagement ring. In the meantime, Pete had spent a good deal of his spare time looking for a suitable plan for their new home. He knew what he wanted but it wasn't easy to find. He wanted a traditional farmhouse outside but a modern open-frame home on the inside. Then, once he had two or three designs, he would show them to Brenda for her opinion. He was hoping she would want the same thing, just as she had said she did almost two years ago.

But what was best about that month was their togetherness. Not just the lovemaking, but the shared meals, going to the laundromat, washing the dishes, supermarket shopping and all of those things gave them a taste of what their married life might be like. True, the hotel looked after making the beds and vacuuming but the remainder was much like living in an apartment.

"Bren, I'm still struggling trying to find a ring for you. I need your help. Can we do that this week?"

Brenda wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a soul-searching kiss. "Yes," she said between kisses. "Anytime," she continued with her lips locked onto Pete's.

Pete was almost gasping for breath by the time she had finished her demonstration of approval. "Jeez, Bren. A simple 'okay' would have been fine," he said wide-eyed.

"Not for my guy it isn't."

It was the third jewelry store that they visited when Brenda pointed at a particular ring in a large display tray. A single rectangular cut diamond with two smaller diamonds on each side in a very simple setting. When Pete saw it, he knew she had chosen well. A big girl needed a big ring, and this was a big ring.

Pete was given the task of finding the wedding bands but that was no where near the challenge of the engagement ring. He chose a woven band of white gold almost a quarter-inch wide. "The ties that bind," he said. Brenda smiled at his choice and kissed him for confirmation. It was now official, they were engaged.

While he was in the process of hunting for a house plan, his agent, Paul Cooke, called him.

"Hi, Pete. I saw your e-mail about getting engaged to Brenda. Congratulations. I know you two are going to be great together."

"Thanks, Cookie. It's a big step but I'm sure about this."

"Well let me throw in some more good news, then. Memphis has decided to pick up your option and is offering a two year contract at a substantial raise. We haven't really discussed any numbers, but I'll be really disappointed if it isn't north of two million per."

"Wow! That's a surprise. I didn't think they would keep me after playing me so little this year."

"Their G.M. said they were happy with your progress and were trying not to push you too hard during your rookie season. They don't see you as a ready-made superstar but they feel you can be a solid contributor at shooting guard and fill in at point guard. What do you think?"

"It's a ton of money, Paul. It would set Bren and me up for life practically. But ... I need to talk to her about it. It'll mean two years of me being on the road often. At least I'd see her once a week, if not more. I'll talk to her about it and let you know. If we decide to go ahead, I'll leave it to you to use your best judgment about the contract. Anyway, thanks very much for calling. I won't be too long getting back to you."

"Great! Take care, Pete and say hello to Brenda for me. You are one lucky guy to catch 'Big Red.'"

"Big Red?"

"Yeah ... didn't you know? That was her nickname at high school. I wouldn't be surprised if it followed her to college too."

"No, I didn't know," he laughed. "I should have guessed though. It fits. Talk to you later, Paul."

When Brenda arrived back from grocery shopping an hour later, she was greeted at the door by Pete, taking the bags from her while giving her a lingering kiss.

"Oh ... that was nice, Pete. I'll have to go shopping more often if it brings me this kind of welcome."

"How else would 'Big Red' expect to be greeted by her fiancé?" he asked, putting the bags on the kitchen counter. He turned to her, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her to him for a more passionate kiss."

"So ... who told you?"

"Told me what?"

"Don't be cute, Pete. Who told you my nickname?"

"Oh ... someone who knew you or about you in high school."

"I hated that nickname then. You haven't seen my high school pictures, especially the early ones. I looked like a walking Brillo pad. Frizzy hair, almost looking like some clown's version of an Afro. A face full of freckles, and the physique of stick. No tits, no hips, and no butt. Thank god that all changed."

"Boy ... did it ever!" he chuckled, pulling her to him once more, his hands squeezing her fully developed muscular backside.

"Keep 'Big Red' to yourself, okay? I'd just as soon forget those days. They were no fun."

"I promise. Just the same, you are a big woman and you do have beautiful red hair. It'll be hard to keep that promise but I'll try."

"Why do I think you're putting me on?"

"Well, I have other things on my mind right now."

"Such as?"

"Finding the right house plan for us. Washing the car. Taking you out to La Napolitano for dinner."

"Oh ... that sounds lovely. What's the occasion?"

"Well, while you were out, Paul Cooke called. Memphis is offering me a new contract. It's for two years and Paul thinks it could be worth two million a year."

"What! Two million! Are you kidding?"

"Nope. Nothing's been signed yet. In fact, I didn't give Paul the go-ahead to negotiate until I talked to you. This has to be our first big joint decision."

He saw the start of a tear in the corner of her eye as she folded into his arms once more.

"God, I love you, Pete. How did I get so lucky?"

"I feel the same way. Ever since I met you, my life has been turning up aces all the way. We're going to make a great team, Bren. We're going to make beautiful babies, too."

"Yes we are. I think we should be practicing for that, don't you?"

"Absolutely!"

Lying in the afterglow of their lovemaking, Brenda rolled up onto Pete's chest, kissing him gently.

"Do you want to play for two more years, Pete?"

"Only if you're okay with it. Whatever I earn will pretty well set us up for life. We'll have nice home for our kids, money for their education and a big nest egg for whatever we want to do. I don't think I want to play any longer than that, though. I'll be twenty-six. It would be the perfect time for us to start a family. I wouldn't be on the road so I'd be there to help you with the kids. We'd be living close to our parents so we'd be able to help them. What do you think?"

The tears were threatening to return as Brenda blinked, smiling at Pete. "You are something else, Peter Polson. Something else. I think I love you more and more every day. The only thing that bothers me is when you're playing I don't want to be far away from you like I have been. I'd want to live in Memphis with you until it's time to go home. Is that okay?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way. I don't want to be apart from you either. These past two years have been hard on both of us. Maybe it's what helped us decide how we really felt about each other so it wasn't all bad. But just the same, I don't want to do it again."

"Then why don't you call Paul and tell him to go ahead?"

"Okay ... I'll do it later. Right now, I'd like to make love to my future wife and show her just how I feel about her."

"Hmmmm ... I'm in favor of that."

The day before the July 4^th weekend, Pete had a telephone call from Paul Cooke.

"Hi, Pete. How are you?"

"Great, Cookie. I'm really enjoying the summer off with Brenda. I rented a mobile and we've parked it on our property. It's like camping out with color TV," he chuckled.

"Good for you. Have you found a house plan yet?"

"Yep. Brenda found it, actually. It's just what we want and we're putting the contract out to bids next week. Dad's going to act as our site supervisor with some help from Brenda's folks when we're back in Memphis."

"That's great. So then, you can have a look at their proposed contract if I fax it to you?"

"Sure. Any surprises?"

"No ... it's the easiest negotiation I've ever had. They're offering two mil in the first year and two-and-a-half in the second, all guaranteed. I requested the guarantee because when you're not a top contender coaching changes can happen at any time and you never know how the new guy will feel about any of the players. I could have got more money but I thought the guarantee would be better. I hope you agree."

"Absolutely! Go ahead and sign or send me something to sign. Let's get it done."

"I'll be down there Monday so we can tidy it up then and you can show me around your new place."

"Great! See you then and thanks, Cookie. You did a great job."

Brenda walked up to the front of the trailer where Pete had just hung up the phone. "So you have a new contract?"

"We ... have a new contract, my dear. Two million in year one, two-and-a-half in year two, all guaranteed."

"Wonderful. That's one more thing we can quit worrying about," she beamed.

"Yup. How's your Internet search for a place to live in Memphis going?"

"Not bad but it's hard to tell what kind of neighborhoods these listings are in. I think we're going to have to look for ourselves but at least I've got some potential places that look good on the site. I've printed out about ten of them so it will give whoever we choose for an agent a head start."

Pete smiled, "Good. Love that Internet. Sure saves a lot of wasted time."

"Yeah ... and there's lots of interesting other stuff on it too," she growled with an arched eyebrow.

"Oh ... such as?"

"Well ... I stumbled onto this website this morning when I made a typing error."

Pete took one look at the site and burst out laughing. "What the heck do you need with a porn site? Don't we have a good enough sex life already?"

"Peter, we can always learn something new. For instance," she said, clicking on a particular image.

"Oh ... wow ... doesn't leave much to the imagination, does it? I don't think I can match him for equipment, though."

"Oh ... I don't know. As far as I'm concerned, you do pretty well in that department. I'll never complain."

"If you want to do what they're doing, it's a good thing we're athletes. I wonder how many takes they had to do to get this?"

"She probably thought the more the merrier, although she does look bored."

"Yeah ... bored and stretched."

"Very funny. Don't be jealous, Pete. I'm just looking to find things we haven't tried yet."

"You really think we need that?" he asked with a frown.

"No ... not now ... not yet. I just want to make sure everything stays fresh. That we don't get bored."

"I can't believe I could possibly get bored making love to you. That just doesn't seem possible."

"I'm counting on that, Pete. But in the meantime, it never hurts to have a little insurance."

He shook his head as he walked away from the computer. Porn sites weren't new to him but when he had the real, live, fantasy woman already, what the hell did he need with contrived and badly acted sex acts. A couple of years ago he might have been more interested. But today? Pointless!

Pete and Brenda stood on the small hill beside the location of their new home. The foundation was done and the builders were ready to frame the main building. A separate three-car garage would be connected to the main house by a covered breezeway. A crushed stone driveway would branch off to the front of the house after winding its way up from the rural road.

Brenda could see it all in her mind's eye but Pete worried over whether it was going to be big enough. The foundation seemed so small, now that he saw it in place. How many times had he looked at the plans and studied the measurements just to be sure. Now it was all under way, with Brenda's assurances that it would be just what he wanted.

Their wedding was scheduled for early August, well in advance of the start of training camp. They had taken a one year lease on an apartment in downtown Memphis, right on the Mississippi River. They were on the fifteenth floor, with a fabulous view across the river into Arkansas. The unit was furnished and they had already begun to move their things in.

The reception would be held at the Walnut Grove Founders Club building, only a block from the church. Pete had insisted that he pay for much of the reception since he could easily afford it and he didn't want to burden the Reicharts. After all, they had another daughter and a son still to come, plus their college educations. Brenda's family reluctantly but gracefully accepted.

Paul Cooke had happily agreed to be best man, while Frankie Sampson-Willis and her husband traveled from Chicago to be Brenda's matron of honor. Brenda's sister Theresa was a bridesmaid and she was on cloud nine. The wedding had attracted quite a bit of local attention due to Pete's basketball fame. The ceremony was held on a very hot Saturday afternoon and the minister mercifully kept the service short. As it was, there were a lot of very uncomfortable people leaving the church that afternoon.

The merger of the Reichart and Polson families was so seamless that it was as if they had been together all along. Now good friends had become in-laws and got together even more often. Both families knew that it would be two years before Brenda and Pete would be living in their new home permanently. True, they would be back each summer but everyone was aware that the short term plan was for Pete to play for two more years, then retire and take up a partnership with his father.

Pete left for training camp in mid-August, determined to make a stronger impression on the coaching staff. If he was going to be bound to a contract for the next two years, he was not going to willingly or patiently sit on the bench.

In the meantime, the Grizzlies had drafted a very talented young point guard from Western Nevada. Demetrius Saunders had extraordinary ball-handling skills, a good shot and plenty of speed. What he lacked was discipline and consistency. The young African-American was determined to be a starter in his first year and set out to prove he belonged in the NBA.

Pete knew he was in for a challenge right from the beginning. Last year's starter had been traded away for a draft pick and the remaining three guards were adequate replacements at best. It was Pete's best chance for a starting role and both he and Demetrius knew it.

Throughout the training camp and exhibition season Pete and the young rookie battled for supremacy. Pete was a better passer, setting up plays more quickly and decisively than Saunders. His shooting was more consistent because he took very few low-percentage opportunities. The rookie was a streak shooter; hot one moment and cold the next. The day before the opening game, coach Sandor Angelli called Pete into his office.

"Pete, I'm really happy with your progress this camp. You came in shape, you worked hard and you've really come into your own as a playmaker. Unfortunately for you, the team has spent a ton of money on Demetrius and we've got to find out if he can do the job. I personally think we're putting too much on him too soon but the boss says play him and the boss is the boss.

"I'll get you as many minutes as I can, I promise. Don't get discouraged. I have a feeling you're going to be very important to this team ... maybe sooner than you think. Hang in there. You're a great 'team' man and that counts for a lot in my book."

Pete nodded, looking unhappy but not frustrated. "I'll do what I can to help. Just let me know what you need," he said, extending his hand to the coach. He was disappointed but he knew the realities of the game. Memphis had given this twenty-year-old kid a three year nine million dollar contract, the maximum a rookie could earn. They had to play him.

When he arrived back at the apartment that afternoon, Brenda knew immediately that something was bothering Pete.

"What's wrong, Pete?"

"They gave the starting job to Demetrius. In the end they figured they had too much money tied up in him to have him on the bench. I should have guessed something like this might happen."

"Don't get down, love. You'll get your chance. Wasn't it you that told me the rookie has a bad-looking bunch of hangers-on?"

"Yeah. His posse looks more like gang-bangers than anything. Why he has them around I do not know. I've seen this before and it usually ends up ugly. Bloodsuckers ... leeches ... they just want some of that big money for themselves. The first thing that kid bought with his big contract was a tricked-out Escalade because Shaq had one."

"Can he play?"

"Yeah. He can. He's good ... when he wants to be. Every once in a while he takes a mental time-out, though. You can't do that in this league and he's going to have to learn that."

"Will they play him no matter what?"

"Up to a point. If he starts costing them games or upsetting the locker room, then the pressure will be on Sandor. I just have to make sure I'm ready if that happens."

"Pete Polson is always ready. I've watched you even when you've been sitting on the bench the whole game. You're into it. You're not yakking with the other players or rubber-necking around the arena. Besides, you've got me as your lucky charm this season. I'm going to be at every home game, making my mojo work," she grinned.

"I'm counting on it," Pete smiled.

It only took a dozen games to satisfy Coach Angelli that Demetrius wasn't ready for prime time. Too many turnovers, too many low percentage shots, too many needless fouls, and too much showboating.

"Pete, you're in at point guard. Go out there and show Demetrius what a real pro looks like," he deadpanned. "Keep the passes short and crisp and make your shots count. You can do it."

He was instantly nervous. I wasn't like he'd never played before but this time ... this time ... it was his best chance to shine. Down five points at the end of the first quarter to a top caliber team, he was being asked to pilot the offense and make a difference. He knew what was at stake and once he'd calmed himself down he was as ready as he could be.

The horn went and the nearside ref handed Pete the ball. It was the Grizzlies turn to inbound. Pete didn't waste a second, bouncing a quick pass to the small forward and immediately moving to his position. His concentration was total and in some way it seemed to slow the game down. He could see what was happening clearly, knowing where the pass could or couldn't go.