Romance: Bad Boy Romance: Rough Play - A British Football Romance (Alpha Male Romance) (New Adult Sports Romance) (77 page)

''Uhm, that tastes good,'' she said.

''Better than the food,'' he replied.

''So, how do you want to play this? Fast or slow?'' Lizzie asked.

''Er...what do you mean?''

''Do you want me in your bed tonight or do you want to court me some more first?''

Sam waved his fork around as if conducting an orchestra. ''You have a habit of asking
difficult
questions. What do you think?''

''That's unfair. You can't answer a question with a question.''

''I just did. What's you answer?'' he said.

''Okay. Let me see. On the one hand, it would be wonderful to sleep with you now.
On the other hand
, it would be wonderful to let the tension build. What do you think?''

Sam laughed. ''That's a great answer,
that told
me absolutely nothing at all. Okay, here's what I think.'' He looked around the restaurant as though checking to see no one was listening. ''I'd like to wait. Maybe it sounds old-fashioned, but I like the build up. Let's date a bit first.''

''I like that idea as well. Let's rack the tension up until we can't bear it anymore.''

''Is kissing allowed now?''

''Of course. That's part of the
tension
increasing process.''

*****

''Thanks for
coming
  Sam,'' Dean Lehman said.

Sam looked at the grave looking people sitting behind the table in front of him. The hall they were in was huge. Sam remembered it dated back to eighteen thirty and was the first room ever used at the
university
. It was more like the banquet hall in an English castle than
a room
for academics. There were many coats of arms on the walls, and flags hung down from the beamed ceiling.

''Sam you know most of the people here. Collectively we are the people who make up the Ethics Committee here at Westchester,'' Dean Lehman said. He was a thin man of around sixty-five. His eyes appeared to be sunken inside his skull because his nose protruded so much. He also looked as if he needed a good meal.

''Yes, I know everyone here.''

''Good. Then I'll get straight to the point. Sam it has come to our attention that you have a relationship with a student. What do you have to say?''

''Are you referring to Lizzie Samson?''

''Yes.''

''I have been seeing her regularly for around three months.''

''Is your relationship intimate?'' the Dean asked.

''Is that any business of yours?'' Sam replied.

''The policy of the university towards staff, student relationships, is quite clear Sam. If a member of staff enters into an intimate relationship with a student, he or she should declare it.''

''Alright. We are dating  but out relationship isn't intimate yet.''

''If you are dating that means it's intimate. I'm not only talking about the bedroom.'' the Dean said. ''In that case, Sam, you should have told us.''

''Alright. I'm telling you now.''

''There is also a question of abuse of power. Let me give you an example. If a male member of staff who teaches, say mathematics, begins a relationship with a female student who studies, say English literature, there is
little
conflict of interest. That member of staff has no professional responsibility for the student and isn't able to influence the outcome of her studies.'' The Dean paused for breath and looked around the room. ''In your case, however, it's different. Lizzie was part of the sports scene here and you the head coach.''

''She was a cheerleader. That's got nothing to do with me as a football coach,'' Sam said abruptly.

''You are the head coach here, you are responsible for everyone who has anything to do with football and that includes the cheerleaders. You were in a position of
trust,
and you abused it.''

''But now she's no longer a cheerleader, she hasn't been to the football field for weeks.''

''That isn't the issue. At the time you began your relationship, she was in your charge.''

''No she'd already given up being a cheerleader.'' What the hell was the Dean trying to get at, Sam thought? Lizzie wasn't a cheerleader when he'd asked her out.

''Sam, we've spoken about the
matter,
and we've decided to suspend you on full pay for eight weeks. After that time, you will resume your role as head coach.''

Sam sat in stunned silence. ''Do you know what I have done for this college? All the trophies I've won for you. We have one of the greatest names in college football, and all you can do is suspend me on a technicality. Well, fuck you. Fuck you all. Do what you have to do. See if I care. I resign.''

''Sam, there's no need to......''

''No, Dean, stick your job where the sun doesn't shine.''

*****

''Sam, where are you? Please pick up,'' Lizzie said desperately. ''Why are you avoiding me?''

Sam sat on the sofa and listened to Lizzie as she spoke into his answering machine. She'd rung countless times
during the course of
the afternoon. He looked at the empty whiskey bottle and groaned. How the hell had it come to his, he asked himself? A few weeks ago his team had been
winning,
and he was a happy go lucky single and well respected. Now he'd been accused of professional
misconduct,
and he was probably out of a job.

''Hi
sis
, it's me.''

''Hey Sam what's up. You sound drunk.''

''That's because I am drunk. Listen, can I come and stay with you for a few days?''

''Sure. But what about work?''

''What work. I'm out of a job.''

''Jesus Sam, are you okay. Can I do anything?''

''I'll be with you tomorrow. Okay?''

The following morning Sam ignored all the calls Lizzie had made to him during the evening and
night
and packed his bag. It was six
am,
and he wanted to leave before Lizzie had a chance to come round. He locked the door, threw his bag into the trunk of his car and set off for the five hundred mile journey to
Flushing
Creek, his childhood home.

The journey passed uneventfully. He stopped a couple of times to refuel and eat, both times he ignored Lizzie's frantic texts.

''Hey Davy,'' Sam shouted as he pulled into the driveway at his sister's home and saw his seven-year-old nephew sitting on the yard wall.

''Uncle Sam,'' Davey exclaimed jumping from the wall and running to Sam's car. ''How long are you staying?''

''A few days,'' Sam said as he got out of the car. ''Here, I brought something for you.'' Sam reached
onto
the rear seat and handed Davey a new football with the name Westchester College in it.

''Wow, thanks,'' he said and ran off to test its aerodynamic potential in the yard.

''My older brother,'' Alison exclaimed as she put her arms around Sam.

''That's quite some bump you've got there.'' Sam put his hand on her swollen belly.

''Another six weeks and she'll be with us,'' Alison said proudly.

''That's great. How's George?''

''He's
fine
, working too hard as usual. But his firm is doing
really
well.''

Sam looked at the house his sister lived in, and could see how well her husband's business was doing. It was a large detached house with a pool and a tennis court.

''Come in and eat,'' Alison said.

After Sam had eaten, he rested for a
while
and talked to George when he arrived back from work. George was an accountant and a man Sam had nothing in common with at all. They managed to hold a conversation for thirty minutes before they resorted to the weather and intermittent silence.

''I'm going
to the Lion
to see what's going on,''Sam said at around eight.

The Lion was a music cafe in town which Sam used to frequent when he was
young
  man.

''You're a bit too old for that aren't you?'' Alison joked.

''
Thanks,
sis
,'' Sam shouted as he closed the door behind him.

The town looked just the same as it had twenty years ago. It was a sleepy place with around three thousand inhabitants. The Lion was on the corner of the main
square,
and as Sam approached it, he heard the familiar sound of jazz emanating from the door. A few people
were gathered
outside smoking. Sam pushed passed them and went inside. The Lion also hadn't changed much. Many of the same pictures were hanging on the walls as twenty years ago. Most of them were pictures of musicians from BB King to Jimi Hendrix.

A jazz band was playing on the stage by the rear wall. The bar was to the left and ran the length of the room. There were a few characters who Sam recognized standing at the bar. A couple of them he'd been to
school with
. He walked to the bar and ordered a beer. The young lady with pink and blue hair put a beer mat down in front of him and poured his drink.

''Sam?'' a woman's voice said.

''Jesus, Elvina,'' Sam said as he looked at the attractive woman standing next to him. She was about five six and had long black hair. ''You look great.''

''You don't look so bad yourself.
What brings you home to Flushing Creek?''

''Needed a break.''

''Are you still a football coach?''

''Sort of.''

''It's so
nice
to see you. Can I get you a drink?''

''No allow me.'' He ordered a beer for
Elvina,
and they clinked glasses. ''How long is it since we've seen each other?'' he asked.

''Fifteen years. Something like that,''she said.

He'd forgotten
quite
how attractive she was. She was wearing tight jeans which clung to her shapely figure. ''Wow it's so great to see you. Are you married?''

''No, divorced. I've got a couple of kids. Two lovely girls.''

''What brings you here?''

''I live close
by,
and when I'm at a loose
end,
I come for a drink and listen to the music. How about you? You got married didn't you?''

''Yes and divorced like you. But I haven't got any children, unfortunately.''

''You sound sad about it,'' she said pushing her hair from her face.

Sam looked at her. He liked women wearing lips
gloss,
and she was wearing plenty. In fact, she was very well made up. ''It's something I regret.''

''You talk as if your eighty,'' she said.

''Forty next birthday.''

''It only seems like yesterday when used to hang around together. We even made love once, do you remember?''

Sam cringed. ''I do. And I remember I wasn't very good.''

''You had a premature ejaculation,'' she said without consideration
to
his feelings.

''Yes. How embarrassing.
I was only seventeen, and you were so hot.
I remember I couldn't help myself.''

''It didn't matter, though. I got you to satisfy me in another way I remember.'' She sipped her beer and narrowed her gaze.

''Yes. You taught me a lot,'' he said.

''How about you come and sit down with me? Let's talk about old times.
It's been
so long.''

''Okay. Let's do it.''

Three hours and several beers later Elvina was leaning on her elbow and staring deep into Sam's eyes. ''Do you want to recreate a bit of the old times. With me, tonight?'' she asked. ''Come back to my house with me.''

''Do you think I'd last any longer than last time?''

''I'm sure you would. A hell of a lot longer.''

Sam leaned across to her and whispered in her ear. ''Then let's go.'' As he stood
up,
he felt his phone vibrate. It was Lizzie again. He turned it off before putting it into his pocket.

When they got outside the air was
cool
and fresh. ''I'm a bit drunk,'' she said.

''Me too, but what the hell does it matter. Let's go and have some fun.''

He pulled her to him and kissed her. She put her tongue in his mouth and matched the movement of his lips. ''You haven't forgotten how to do that,'' she said. ''You always were a good kisser.''

She put her arm in his as they walked towards her house. When they arrived at
the front
gate, they kissed again. Sam put his hands on her buttocks and pulled her to him.