SLAM DUNK
by
Mickey Minner
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Pat walked into the living room to find her lover sprawled out on the couch with an arm covering her eyes and a contented smile on her face. “What are you doing?” she asked bracing her elbows on the back of the couch and peering down.
“Can’t you hear it?” Sherry asked in a whisper.
Pat looked about the room. “Hear what?”
“Shhh,” Sherry admonished. “Quiet.”
“Okay,” Pat said pushing up from the couch. “Sorry to bother you.” Before she could move any further, her wrist was grabbed by a strong hand holding her in place.
“I didn’t mean for you to leave,” Sherry explained looking up at her perplexed partner. “I meant I was listening to the quiet… no whistles blowing, no players whining, no coaches yelling—”
“I certainly hope that’s not a comment about me,” Pat said with a grin.
Sherry shook her head. “Oh, heavens no,” she said wryly then tugged on Pat’s hand. “There’s plenty of room on this couch.”
Pat smiled. “There should be since it was the biggest one in the showroom.” She jumped up onto the back of the couch then slid down to squeeze in behind her lover and wrapped her arms around Sherry. “You have any thoughts on how you want to spend today?” she asked kissing the back of Sherry’s head.
Sherry squirmed about, rolling over until they were face-to-face. She snuggled closer. “This seems good.”
“You didn’t get enough last night?” Pat asked grinning.
Sherry leaned forward to capture Pat’s lips with her own. “I could never get enough of you,” she said after a few minutes.
“Mushball,” Pat accused teasingly.
“You got that right.”
#
Jackson pulled open the back door to the arena then slipped inside. She padded down the long corridor, the tunnel covered in shadows as only minimal lighting was operating in the building.
“Wasn’t expecting any players today.”
Jackson gazed down the corridor where a security guard stood eyeing her suspiciously. After a momentary pause caused by the guard’s sudden appearance, she continued toward the locker room. “Just wanted to get in some practice,” she informed the guard. “Greg… right?” The guard nodded. “Didn’t think there were any rules against it.”
“Coach Gallagher told me you all had the day off.”
“Is she here?”
“Nope.”
“Good, then I won’t have her bothering me while I take some shots.”
Greg frowned. “You got a problem with Coach Gallagher?”
Jackson shook her head. “Just a misunderstanding,” she said with a smirk. “Nothing for you to be concerned about; I plan to have it all worked out soon.”
Greg scowled remembering the interaction between the player and coach just a few nights before. “I’ll switch on the lights in the arena,” he said keeping a questioning eye on the player. “Know how long you plan to be?”
“Hour… maybe two,” Jackson said pushing open the locker room door. “Plenty of time for you to take a nice nap,” she added derisively just as the door closed behind her.
Greg shook his head then turned around to walk into the arena. “Maybe I better make a call,” he told himself flipping switches to flood the arena with bright light.
#
Straddling her lover, Pat was taking her time unbuttoning Sherry’s shirt. With each button freed, she leaned down to place a kiss on the newly exposed skin.
“That better not be what I think it is,” Sherry groaned as Pat’s head thunked against her breastbone.
The door bell rang again.
“Dammit,” Pat moaned grudgingly pushing up from Sherry.
Sherry reached for her lover to pull her back. “Ignore it.”
“It could be important,” Pat said looking across the living room to the front door.
“On a Saturday?”
Pat’s lips twitched into a grin as her eyes shifted from the door to Sherry. “Or it could be your parents… Remember they said they were planning a visit.”
“Oh, shit.” The words burst from Sherry’s mouth and she shoved Pat off of her. “I would have expected some warning,” she groused buttoning up her shirt. “Don’t just sit there laughing,” she told her amused lover, “answer the damn door.”
Pat slowly rose from the couch. “I’m coming,” she shouted at whoever was ringing the annoying bell.
Sherry giggled. “You wish.”
After taking a moment to make sure her clothing was in its proper place, Pat pulled the door open.
“Geez, did I interrupt something?” Pete asked brushing past Pat to get inside. “I was beginning to freeze to your porch.”
“Good afternoon, Pete,” Pat told her friend then she glanced at the thermometer on the outside wall beside the door and laughed. “Hell, Pete, its forty two degrees… that’s balmy this time of year.”
“Not for me. Ah, so I did interrupt something,” she said noticing Sherry’s disordered appearance and pointed at her shirt. “You might want to try again on those buttons.”
“Oh, damn,” Sherry said looking down to see that a button hole was missing it’s matching button. “This better be good,” she snarled making the proper adjustment.
“Oh, don’t be so grumpy,” Pete told the unhappy woman. “I won’t be long and you two can go back to whatever it was you were doing. But I might recommend you moving it to the bedroom.”
Pat smacked Pete’s arm. “Don’t get fresh.”
Sherry motioned to the empty section of couch beside her. “Sit down, Pete.”
Pete shook her head then laughed. “Ain’t no way I’m sitting there… especially now that I know what you do on it,” she said dropping into one of the recliners instead.
“What makes you think we don’t do it there, too?” Pat asked sitting beside Sherry.
“Yuck!” Pete exclaimed. “You know, sometimes you share way too much information.”
Sherry and Pat laughed.
“Are you telling us that you and hubby don’t—”
“Stop!” Pete shouted. “Time to change the subject.”
“Look, she’s turning pink,” Sherry told Pat.
“I guess we should give her a break.” Pat stood. “Want a beer?” she asked the others. “Be right back, she added after receiving agreeable nods.
“So, what brings you here?” Sherry asked arranging a pile of pillows against the arm of the couch.
“I talked to Stacy.”
“How is she?” Pat had returned from the kitchen carrying three bottles. She handed one to Pete then moved to the couch and sat down before passing a bottle to Sherry.
“Upset with herself.”
“It was a reaction play,” Pat said casually. “She probably didn’t even realize she was diving for the ball until it was too late. She shouldn’t be beating herself up over it.”
“You’re being awfully calm about it,” Pete observed.
“Would me yelling help the situation?”
Pete grinned. “You’re maturing.”
Caught off guard by the comment, Sherry laughed snorting beer out of her nose.
“Another comment like that and I’m throwing you out,” Pat threatened reaching for a box of tissues on the coffee table. “Sheesh,” she grumbled handed the box to her giggling lover.
“Sorry,” Sherry said attempting to maintain a serious expression. She failed and burst out laughing. “You have to admit, honey, it was funny.”
Pat rolled her eyes at Sherry. “Let’s get down to business…” she said then turned to their visitor, “at least, whatever business you have on your mind, Pete.”
Pete swallowed a mouthful of beer then placed the empty bottle on the coffee table. “Just thought maybe you could give Stacy a call.”
“You could have called me to tell me that,” Pat observed.
“Yeah, I could have,” Pete agreed standing up. “But since we were driving by, I thought I’d pop in.”
“Driving by?” Sherry asked.
Pat jumped up from the couch then headed for the door. “Are you telling me that Keith has been sitting outside all this time?”
Sherry shook her head at her friend. “Tsch, tsch... and after you were complaining about how cold it was out there.”
Pat pulled open the front door then stepped out onto the porch to see a car idling at the curb. “Why didn’t you bring him inside?” she asked waving at the car’s occupant. “He probably is cold.”
“The car has a heater,” Pete retorted exiting the house. “And I wasn’t inside that long,” she defended herself against her chuckling friend. “Would have been a lot less time if you hadn’t taken so long to answer the door,” she added scurrying toward the waiting car. “See you Monday, Coach.”
Now joined by Sherry, Pat walked down the driveway.
“Hi, Keith,” Sherry said when he rolled down his window as they arrived at the side of the car.
“Hi, Sherry. Hi, Pat.”
Pat placed her hands on the window opening then leaned down. “Tell me, Keith, how in the world do you put up with that crazy wife of yours?”
“I have to admit, Pat,” Keith said in an overly serious tone, “I wonder that myself sometimes.”
Everyone laughed but Pete who stuck her tongue out. “Come on, let’s go,” she said punching her husband in the arm. “We have things to do.”
Keith smiled. “Yes, dear,” he said shifting the car’s gears.
Pat straightened up and released the car door.
Sherry leaned against her lover. “Brrr,” she shivered rubbing her arms.
“Ha! Told you so,” Pete declared triumphantly as Keith rolled up his window.
Pat slipped an arm around Sherry’s shoulders and waved at the departing car with her other hand. “Are you really that cold?” she asked when they turned to return to the house.
“Yes.”
“I know a great way to warm up.”
“Do tell.”
“A nice hot… shared shower. Interested?”
“Oh, I think I can be talked into that.”
#