Just as I hung up the phone with Brianna, a call from Coach Kramer came in. I was surprised because he never called cheerleaders, let alone me, and it made me wonder what he would have to say.
Was there something specific he wanted the cheerleaders to do? Or was there a specific problem that had happened? Well, either way, it would be necessary to speak to him.
I was surprised when he quickly dismissed all formalities, looking to speak to me on a personal basis.
“What do you have in mind, sir?” I asked him.
“Look, Mandy, I want to talk about Felix,” he said in a fatherly tone I had never heard before. “I saw what happened last night, and I tell you, he was distraught when you left.” The coach cleared his throat. “Now I know you girls gossip, and Felix has quite the reputation. But I think he is actually interested in you. I’ve been waiting for a while to see that kid turn the corner in his life, and well, I think you might help him with that. Just give him another chance.”
I was initially shocked, and I was unable to respond to the coach. Why was he talking about Felix? What did he know about him and me?
Coach Kramer asked me again to give the tight end another chance. He argued that Felix was error-prone like everybody else, that he had made mistakes in his past, but he was now trying to do the right thing. His primary interest at present was to find a woman he could settle with and that I would not regret being with him.
I listened as the coach spoke for a few minutes, completely baffling me. I wondered why he was saying nice things about Felix, somebody he knew had a bad reputation, particularly among the opposite gender.
The coach spoke passionately about him, telling me that he had never seen him happier and that it was making him happy, too. Felix was the perfect person to be with, and I would achieve happiness with him.
When I finally spoke, all I could do was thank the coach for his thoughts. I was still stunned that he had called me just to speak about why Felix was the perfect boyfriend for me. He must have been feeling guilty for ‘interrupting’ our dinner the previous night.
I was honestly waiting for Coach Kramer to tell me to try out some new drills for the cheerleading team or that we need to handle a specific task during the game. Whenever he called, it was always something technical. It was never a personal phone call.
And so, as I sat there with the phone to my ear, I realized that this was a genuinely unique moment. For the first time that day, my heart started beating slower, and I felt slightly relaxed. It was rare to have somebody talk about Felix in positive ways other than his football career.
The coach told me that the phone call was not merely altruistic but also self-serving. With that, he hung up the phone and left me seated there in surprise. For once, the dark clouds that were hanging over my head slowly disappeared.
Chapter Ten - Mandy
Forty-five minutes later, my phone rang once more, jarring me from my thoughts of what I wanted to do with Felix. I was still confused, particularly after that phone call from Coach Kramer, and I still was not sure I was willing to take any risks with Felix.
But I thought of that hot body, the way he held me tightly against him. He was a strong man, and his eyes were very imposing. He made me melt right in front of him, and even though he had hurt me, there was nothing I could do to fight the conflicting emotions.
When I picked up my phone, I was glad to hear the voice of Felix on the other end. I was surprised that he had opted to call me so soon, but he told me that he had just spoken with Coach Kramer, and he was very eager to see me.
He promised to show up at my place as soon as possible. I barely had a chance to change when he rapped on my front door. He was looking handsome as ever, dressed in a sports jacket and sneakers despite the freezing conditions outside.
Felix had a big smile on his face and was apologetic about what had happened the previous night.
“Look, you have to understand that there is no woman right now I respect more than you.”
“I didn’t realize you were under pressure from your coach; I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay.”
We stared into each other’s eyes sincerely before I offered him a cup of coffee. We sat in my messy den, kissing, touching each other. Just as I had imagined, there was something very clutching about his grip. I sunk into his arms.