Swim Coach: A Novel

by Sam E. Kraemer

  His head dipped down and he pecked a kiss on my lips. "I'm starving, and if we try to eat here, we'll have Juan and Lance breathing down our necks in case one of us drops a fry on the floor. Besides, I like being with just you. I'd like to get to know you better without an audience."

  "O-," big swallow, "kay. I should probably take a quick shower," I suggested.

  He laughed and moved off of me, much to my dislike. "No." I did a double take at his answer, wondering if he had some weird quirk regarding a stranger using his shower. Hell, he'd had my cock in his mouth and he didn't seem to have a problem with it. A shower seemed fairly innocuous in my opinion, especially since I’d already showered there the night of the roommate puking incident.

  "No?"

  He leaned forward and kissed my lips again gently. "I like the idea of your skin smelling like me. I guess I've got a bit of the possessive caveman in me. Let's get dressed," he ordered as he grabbed my jeans and tossed them to me. I looked over the side of the bed for my boxers but I didn't see them anywhere. I heard him laughing as the bathroom door closed.

  I hopped up and looked everywhere for my drawers, not finding them. I pulled on my t-shirt and weighed my options, finally coming to the conclusion I only had one. Commando. I pulled back the covers just to be sure they weren't tangled in the sheets, and when I didn't find them, I pulled on my jeans and carefully zipped them up. I definitely didn't want to get anything important caught in the zipper, especially if there was a chance my cock might get a little more attention later that day.

  Andre strolled in with a sexy smile in place. He walked into his closet and came back a minute later in a t-shirt with a pair of jeans in his hands. I must have been squirming a little because he laughed. I wasn't used to going without boxers, and I guessed he’d figured out something was bugging me.

  "Something wrong?"

  God knew I didn't want to tell him I'd lost my boxers in a ten-by-twelve room, but I didn't want him to think I'd left them behind on purpose like some fucking creeper. "I seem to have lost my boxers in here somewhere. I swear, I had them on when I came in, but I can't find them anywhere. I didn't, like, leave them on purpose or anything," I assured him, not able to look him in the eye.

  He pulled on his jeans and tucked what I was sure was an impressive cock inside before he buttoned up. I was fidgeting nervously as I pulled on my socks and trainers. He sat down on the bed next to me with his own trainers, and when the bed started shaking, I turned to look at him, seeing him laughing quietly.

  "You didn't lose them. I took them because I really like the idea of you not wearing any while we go out for a date. You might want to invest in a couple of pairs of button flies because I'd hate for that gorgeous cock to get caught in a zipper. That's a pain unlike any other," he told me with a cocky smile.

  "You took my boxers? That's, uh, weirdly endearing, actually. Well, how about you lose those Armani's? I like the idea of you walking around with only those buttons keeping me from touching you, which by the way, will happen later. It's only fair, after all." He looked surprised at my boldness, and I was sure the look on my face mirrored his own because, where the confidence in me came from, I had no idea. Maybe the pipe cleaning he gave me had released some long-hidden gene that kept the usual stammer out of my voice?

  His breath hitched a bit, but he stood up, dropped his jeans, and stepped out of them, picking them up from the floor and dropping them onto the bed. He slowly, seductively, slipped his thumbs under the waistband of his underwear and lowered the boxer briefs, giving me the first glimpse of a very impressive cock which I planned to get up close and personal with later. I was calling it an afternoon snack in my head, but when I took it in, it was much more than a snack. It was a seven-course feast.

  I licked my lips at the thought of having him in my mouth, and I saw his dick twitch a little. "Colton, stop looking at me like that or we won't make it out of my bedroom. I was a gentleman last night. I don't know if I have the control to do so today."

  I jerked my head up and saw he had a cocked…ha ha…eyebrow at me which I guessed was his "I mean business" look. I laughed. I got up from the bed and grabbed his jeans, taking the two steps that separated us and leaned forward to sweep my tongue over the precum that was about to drip from the engorged head. He gasped, and I was sufficiently smug.

  "Put these on or I can't guarantee I'll give a shit if we leave the room or not. By the way, I never said I wanted a gentleman." I pressed his jeans to his chest and licked up his neck. I walked out of the bedroom and into the hallway, pulling the door closed behind me for dramatic effect.

  I walked down the hallway to the kitchen, seeing Juan and Lance sitting at the table with books spread in front of them. Juan looked up and smirked. "Nice hair, Squid. I moved your whites to the dryer and put in a load of colors. You guys wanna order food?"

  "Thanks, Juan. I'm taking Dre out for lunch, but we can bring you guys something back," I offered.

  Lance perked up, glancing down the hallway and turning back to me. "He likes that diner over off 36th. Roxy's."

  "Thanks, Lance. Anyway, you want something?"

  "Actually, I think I'll follow your lead and take my guy out for lunch. Can't let the romance die, Squid." He picked up Juan's hand and kissed it before he pulled him from the chair and led him back to his bedroom. I had a feeling they wouldn't be leaving it anytime soon.

  Chapter Eight

  Message Received

  Andre strolled into the kitchen and walked over to where I was standing. He reached up and ran his hands through my hair, kissing me gently. "As much as I love that freshly fucked look on you, probably not a good look for public consumption. So, where should we go?"

  I reached into my pocket, actually feeling my hand brush over my cock through the thin cotton, and I knew it was going to be quite an adjustment for me with going commando, but if it turned him on, then hell, why not? I pulled out a rubber band and pulled my hair back out of the way. "I need a haircut. Anyway, how about Roxy's Diner?"

  "Oh, fuck, I love that place. They have the best French toast aside from…Well, let's go. I’ll drive." He took my hand and led me out of the apartment and down the stairs to the street. I followed him to his black SUV, seeing it was a Mercedes which was something I hadn't noticed the night he picked me up from the quad. He opened the door on the passenger side, and before I got inside, he stopped me and kissed me. I glanced around to see if anyone had been present to witness it because when I reported back to Amanda and Bryana, I wanted a damn witness.

  I wasn't exactly sure how Andre felt about public displays, and while it was new to me, I wasn't opposed to every mother fucker on the planet knowing I was taking the man out. "Colton, does it bother you if I kiss you or hold your hand in public?" he asked.

  I looked into his eyes and saw concern. I didn't want him to worry about me. I was worried about him. "I've never been out with a guy before. It doesn't bother me, but I wasn't sure how you felt about people knowing you were going out with me."

  He motioned for me to get into the car, and after he shut my door, he hurried around and got in on his side. He turned to look at me and took my hand. "We Duprees are a very affectionate bunch, and PDAs are not uncommon. I’m proud to be seen with you in public. Will it bother you if someone sees us kissing or holding hands?"

  I thought about it and smiled. "No, I don't believe it will in the least." I leaned forward and kissed him gently, and I knew, nope, it wouldn't bother me in the least.

  After waiting for twenty minutes, we were finally seated at a booth. The waitress gave us coffee and menus before she bustled away, and I settled into my side of the table, perusing the offerings. There was a lot of stuff on the menu and it all looked really good. Just as I looked up to ask Andre about a scramble that looked interesting, a really hot guy walked up behind him and put his hands over Andre's eyes.

  He leaned forward and whispered, "Guess who, Sexy." I closed my menu and took in the appearance of the stranger. His ta
nned skin and dark eyes reminded me of Juan, but his hair was short and very straight. He had a bright smile, and he was built like a bodybuilder. My swimmer's physique definitely couldn't compare.

  Andre pulled the guy's hands from his eyes and captured his wrists, pulling his arms around his neck as he turned his head and kissed the guy on the cheek. "Chip! Babe, I've been calling you for a fucking week. Where have you been?"

  I took a sip of my coffee and tried to rein in the jealousy. I knew Andre wasn’t a one-man’s-man, but having it thrown in my face wasn't pleasant. It was like I wasn't even there, and as excited as they seemed to be to see each other, I wondered if I should just get up and leave.

  "Sorry I haven't called you back, but some of us have to work more than just the summer. What's up?" the guy, Chip, asked as he took a seat in the booth next to Andre and pulled him closer, kissing him on the cheek again. Andre pulled away and glanced across the table to where I sat with my arms crossed over my chest, none too pleased with what I was witnessing.

  "Um, Chip, this is my friend, Colton Wixsom. Colton, this is my friend, Chip Littlehorse." The guy leaned forward and whispered something in Andre’s ear which made him laugh, and I wanted to be sick. Andre shook his head "no" and looked around, not meeting my gaze.

  Finally, the guy turned to me and offered his hand. "Nice to meet you, kid." I shook it, resisting the urge to squeeze it hard, and then I looked at Andre who appeared to be quite nervous. My gaze moved between Andre and the interloper who was ruining my date, and I knew they had a history I didn’t want to know.

  "Yeah. Back at ya," I responded as I looked down at the menu again. If the guy was staying, I wasn't.

  "Look, Dre, I should go. Seems you and your friend have some catching up to do. I'm gonna stop by the apartment and pick up my stuff, and I'll see you around." I sounded like a whiny kid, but fuck, I didn't need shit rubbed in my face.

  "Kid, don't go anywhere. I'm just on a break. Anyway, when I looked out from the kitchen, I saw this unruly mop and came out to say hi. I'm working weekends now, but I've got Monday and Tuesday off. Call me if you wanna hang out. I've missed ya." I noticed he was wearing a t-shirt with the restaurant logo on it, so I guessed he worked here.

  "I didn't know you, um, were working weekends," Andre said nervously.

  The guy's face screwed up a little. "I told Lance to let you know when I ran into him the other day. I'm surprised he didn't tell you. Anyway, I better get back to the kitchen. Call me," Chip ordered. Andre nodded, and I was seething.

  Lance knew the guy would be there and that was why he suggested we eat there? I wasn't sure why, but I was damn well going to find out when I went to the apartment to pick up my laundry.

  I didn't say anything to Andre, and when the waitress returned to take our order, I motioned for him to go first. He ordered the French toast and when she turned to me, I smiled. "I'll have the western scramble…to go. He'll have his to stay." She looked at me like I was crazy, but I just smiled.

  She walked away, and I sat there sipping my coffee, not saying a word. I wasn't going to fill the silence. I hadn't been accosted by another guy while I was on a date with him.

  Finally, he cleared his throat. "Look, Colton, Chip's just a friend, okay?"

  I chuckled darkly. "Yeah, no explanation necessary. You have a lot of friends, apparently. Hey, you're entitled, a good-looking guy like you. I'm under no assumptions I'm going to be anything different to you than just a fuck.

  “Someday, I'll walk into a place and see you with another guy, and maybe I'll walk over to you and throw my arms around your neck and whisper something dirty in your ear, reminding you of a time when we fucked or something. It's the civilized thing to do, right?" I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Nick, asking him if he wanted to do laundry after Damon left. His response was pretty quick.

  Dude, I thought u were bzy. Come by when ur ready. Anton isn't back yet. Damon says hi. Nick

  "So, do you have any siblings?" I asked. I had to get over the jealousy because really, I knew what kind of guy he was and I still went out with him. It was my own fucking fault.

  "I, uh, I have a sister. She's older. She lives in Paris, actually. You?"

  "I do, as you should remember. Zoey, the ballbuster. You two were in the same grade, and you likely fucked her at some point in time, seeing that the two of you were both, uh, popular in high school."

  It was only then I allowed myself to consider he'd fucked my sister, and I wasn't really thrilled at the prospect. It would definitely be too goddamn strange for me, picking up my half-sister’s sloppy seconds.

  As if he was reading my mind, Andre laughed. "Colton, I never slept with your sister. She hated me, as a matter of fact. Tell me what's got you pissed off, please."

  I gulped down the rest of my coffee as I saw the waitress approach with his plate of French toast and my "go" box. I stood next to the table and strapped on my best, unaffected smile. "There's no reason for me to be pissed, Dre. You've been perfectly upfront with me regarding your lifestyle. It's just that, well, being as inexperienced as I am, I guess I kinda hoped my first shot out of the closet would be more than a notch on some guy's bedpost."

  I turned to the stunned waitress. "How much I owe ya, sugar?"

  She handed me the bill, and I handed her thirty dollars with a "keep the change." I walked out with the smallest shred of dignity I had in place. I got a cab and went to his apartment, knocking on the door. When Heidi the Whore answered, I was fucking ready for her.

  "Dupree's not here, Bookstore. I'll tell him you're stalking him." She started to close the door, but I shoved my foot in.

  "Look, you don't like me, and I don't like you, but if you let me grab my shit, you'll never have to see me again." I saw her consider my statement before she stepped aside.

  I went to the laundry room and gathered up all my dirty clothes to leave. Just as I was almost out the door after leaving my breakfast carry-out on the table, the door opened and Lance and Juan walked in, laughing together.

  "Oh, you're back. Damn, you guys must have…" Lance began. I walked up in his shit and punched the fucker in the nose. It hurt me a lot more than it hurt him, I was sure but he did stagger a bit. I saw Juan start for me, so I gave him a roundhouse in the chest, sending his ass flying into the wall behind him.

  "You fucking sent me into that on purpose, didn’t you? Well, message received. You don't want me with Andre so you sent me there so I'd see how wrong we were for each other. Well, I get it. Thanks for fucking nothing." I grabbed my bags of laundry and was grateful I hadn't brought my homework.

  I left the building and started for the dorms, dragging my pathetic bag behind me and not really seeing anything because of the tears. When I got back to the dorm via the shuttle, I knocked on Nick's door. Unfortunately, the asswipe Italian answered, and I wasn't in the mood for his shit either. "Nick here?"

  The guy was a lot thinner than me, and if he started up anything, I'd beat the fuck out of him just because. I wasn't in the mood for bullshit, and since I couldn't beat the shit out of Andre, I'd take out my aggression on the Italian fucker who made Nick miserable.

  The dick began screamed at me in Italian, so I grabbed him by the throat and pulled him out of the room, pinning him to the wall in the hallway. "You're in America, you fucking douche, so speak English. Where's Nick?" I snapped.

  Just then, I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Nick with a look of fear. "Colton, let him go."

  I released him and he coughed, staggering away from me. I turned to Nick. "You got clean sheets?"

  "Uh, yeah. You need some?"

  "No. You can move in with me. I'll clear it with Ahmed. You shouldn't have to deal with this shit, and I've got an empty bed in my room. I'm tired of being pushed around, and I'd guess you are too, so we're going to take a proactive stance on the rest of our college career.

  “Grab what you need for the night and come down. I'll talk to Ahmed and get you the extra key. I mean, if you wa
nt to," I offered, tempering back my anger because Nick was just as weak as me, for the most part. He and I were going to do something about it, but I wasn’t about to bully him.

  I’d been bullied all my life and I was fucking done.

  Chapter Nine

  What’s Left to Say?

  "Colton, that's the biggest shirt I have. You should just call him and ask to get your clothes back," Nick complained. It was Tuesday morning, and I was in a jam. I'd left my whites and colors at Andre's apartment in my haste to leave, and I refused to go back to retrieve them.

  We'd moved Nick into my room after I spoke to Ahmed and explained that Anton was a prick. He agreed to make the switch, and he even helped us move some of Nick's stuff. Nick and I were a lot more alike than I'd thought, and I found that even as devastated as I'd been about what happened with Andre, things were actually looking up.

  "You don't have one of Damon's shirts I could borrow? I'll go shopping at the thrift shop on 45th after class. I just need something to wear today." I could see Nick thinking for a moment before he hurried to the chest of drawers on his side of the room and pulled out a basketball jersey. It had Morehouse on the front and Jennings on the back. It was like a tank top, and I wasn't exactly that secure to wear it to class.

  "Um, that's, well, I could…no I can't wear this."

  He opened a drawer and pulled out an undershirt of his. "Look, you can wear this under it, and nobody will know your six-pack is hanging out like a twink in a go-go club. It'll get you through the day, Colt."

  That idea wasn't half bad, so I did as he said. I grabbed my bookbag and reminded him I was working at the bookstore after classes were over so he shouldn't wait for me to get dinner. It was then I remembered I didn't have a work shirt, so I'd be working in the stockroom again which didn't hurt my feelings.

  "Bye," I called as he went to the bathroom to finish getting ready.

  "Chin up, Wixsom," he replied in support. When I opened the door, I was surprised to see a laundry basket sitting in front of my door with my clothes. All were clean and folded, and there was an envelope on top. I hauled it to my bed and left without looking inside. I wasn't prepared to read whatever was in that envelope because I wasn't about to let thoughts of Andre keep me from making it to class on time.