Chapter 10: The Storm

Eric was in his home office again the next evening reading an e-mail from the head coach over at Dillon when the door opened abruptly. His hand flew to the monitor, and he pushed the button. The screen flashed and went black.

Tami stood with her hands on her hips. "Seriously, Eric? I'm not going to make a fuss if it's every now and then, but this is two nights in a row."

"I wasn't looking at porn."

"You have to keep that to a minimum. I don't know if you realize this, but it's a turn off for me to think – "

"- I wasn't looking at porn! But talk about double standards from the landscaping aficionado!"

She leveled a finger at him. "They never landscaped two days in a row and I didn't pretend not to be looking out the window."

"You didn't have to pretend to not be looking out the window," he said, "because I didn't flip out about it."

"You didn't flip out about it because you were at work. I didn't look out the window on weekends when you were just a room away!"

"Oh, hell yes you did!"

"I did not!" She insisted. "And even if I did, I brought all my energy to you. You benefitted."

"Well I'm more than happy to bring my energy to you, babe. You're the one who shuts me out when you think I've been – "

"Because – okay, I know it seems like a double standard. I know it sounds illogical. But there's a lot of emotional stuff tied up in sex for me. I didn't code the DNA. You just have to deal with the package as it comes to you. And I get turned off when I'm thinking of you looking at – "

"Really, Tami, I'm not looking at porn."

She sighed and went to return a book to the bookcase. She came and stood behind him and patted his shoulder. "I just want to be the center of your world. Is that too much to ask?"

"You are the center of my world." He turned and looked at her. "Don't you believe that?"

She nodded. "Absolutely. When it's not football season."

/FNL/

Eric was walking from the locker room after practice when his cell phone rang. They were not ready for Friday's game, the second game of the season. Even if Coach Erickson did finally listen to Eric and run the plays he suggested, they'd still lose. They'd lose by less, but they'd lose. Coach Taylor tossed his duffle bag into the back of the pick-up. It was time for a new truck. This thing was old and worn and beat up. He wanted a Suburban. He just didn't want to finance it. He was waiting until he had enough in savings to pay cash.

"Yes, sir," he was saying into his cell phone as he got in the cab. He had one leg still half out the door as he put his keys in the ignition. "I understand. Yes, I'm very interested." He pulled his leg in. "Yes, I got your e-mail." He'd been reading it when Tami had walked into the study last night. When she'd left, he'd finished reading it. Then he'd read it again. And again. "Those are definitely fair terms. I'll have to discuss it with my wife, of course." He was in no hurry to do that. He had a plan to be extra nice to her for a few days before he broached the subject. He'd do a lot around the house, bring her surprise flowers, soften her, and then break the news.

"When do you need my answer?" Eric asked as he closed the door. "Tomorrow?" He stared straight ahead through the dirt-speckled windshield. "Why so soon? When would I be starting?" He put the keys in the ignition. "On Monday? You mean, this coming Monday?"

/FNL/

Julie was asleep, or at least in her room with the lights out, when Eric joined Tami in their bedroom. He stood at the foot of the queen-sized bed where Tami sat reviewing a file she'd brought home from school. His hands were tented together and pressed against his lips. "Can you put that down a sec?" There hadn't been any time to butter her up. He had stopped off at the grocery store on the way home and picked up some flowers, but that was it. He was just going to have to jump in the water all at once and hope it didn't get too stirred up.

She closed the folder and set it on the night stand.

He moved his hands out slightly from his lips. "I have some really, really, really good news," he bent his hands forward in her direction with each really. Take the optimistic approach, he told himself. It's all in the framing. He saw her face brighten. "You and I have been working really hard, baby. You and I have worked so hard to get to this point. You know it's always been my dream to coach for a top Texas high school, and you know the Panthers are a top team."

"Yeaaaah…" Her voice was curious, skeptical, and wary.

"Well, it just so happens the Panthers are in need of a QB coach. Right now. They're firing the other one after this Friday's game because he had an affair with one of the player's moms and it's stirred up all kinds of tension."

"And you want to apply?"

"Well, I already sent over my resume. And they want me. And it's a two-year contract." Her face was being diffused with gradual understanding and growing disbelief as he spoke. "And it pays more than I'm making here. And it's a better school. And Jason's there now. And it's the stepping stone we've talked about for years."

"You already applied?"

"I didn't apply, exactly. I sent my resume over in case the rumors about Coach Alder – "

"- You applied. You applied without telling me!"

So much for the optimistic approach, he thought. Time to rip the rest of the bandaid off, and fast: "They want me to start Monday."

"This Monday?"

"I realize it's sudden."

Tami shook her head. "I just started my new job on Monday."

"I know. I'm sorry about that. But maybe you can find a job in Dillon, after we're good and settled."

"Julie just started junior high here."

"Dillon has two decent junior highs." He'd taught and been an assistant coach at one of them.

"Our lease on this house isn't up until January 1st!" she insisted.

"I've thought of that. Here's what I'm thinking. The renters in our old house in Dillon have gone month-to-month." They'd been renting out the place for years, knowing that Eric hoped to return and coach the Panthers one day. "We give them warning to be out by December, and that gives them a little over two months to find a new place. We can move winter break."

"Dillon's a three hour drive from here! You can't commute six hours a day!"

"No, but I've talked to the Streets, and they've very generously offered me the use of their guest bedroom for the rest of the season. I'd be home weekends. I'll leave at 5 in the morning on Mondays to go to Dillon, be back late Friday night after the games. You and Julie could stay here and pack up the house. Let Julie finish out the semester here, start at Dillon Junior High after the Christmas break."

"Oh, well you've got it all planned out don't you!" she shouted.

He lowered his hands as though trying to dampen her volume. "I just didn't want this move to be stressful for – "

" - You've already told the Streets you got the job? Before you told me? You've already arranged housing?"

"I – "

She virtually leapt from the bed. "You applied without telling me you applied? You made plans without discussing them with me?"

"I didn't want to worry you, babe. If I didn't get the job, I didn't want you to get worked up for nothing.

"You didn't even discuss it with me! You kept this all from me! You lied to me!"

"I didn't lie!"

"You lied! You weren't looking at porn, you were sending off your resume, weren't you?"

"Well, aren't you glad that's what I was doing? I didn't lie! I told you I wasn't looking at porn."

"I don't care about that! I'd much rather you were doing that than lying to me!"

"Shhh, shhh!" He said, stepping forward and putting a finger to her mouth. She swatted his hand away. "Julie!" he reminded her. "Shhh!"

"You gave me no say in this."

"We've planned for this, Tami. Maybe not right now, but we've planned for it together. It's good for my career. It's good for our family. You've worked hard to support me, babe, and this is the first step on the road to the payoff. Do you want me to turn down this job? I haven't accepted it yet. I just got the offer today. That's why I'm talking to you. You want me to turn it down? Is that what you want?"

"No. Of course not. The Panthers are a great team, and Jason is going to make them greater. I know how long you've wanted this. I know it's good for you."

"Then what's the problem?"

"The problem is you applied without consulting me! You snuck around behind my back! And you could have waited until next season, so I could at least work a full school year!"

"I couldn't have waited until next season. The opening is now. It's now or never."

"You could have talked to me about it at least! I finally get a job and you – you – you – you don't even care!" Her hair was bouncing now. "It's nothing to you! It's my hobby as far as you're concerned. That I can just drop! Anytime you need me to!"

"Tami –"

She grabbed a pillow from the bed and threw it at him. He caught it.

"Go sleep on the couch," she said. "I can't talk about this right now."

"Tami – "

She held up a finger and waved it in his face. "Go. Because if you don't, I'm going to say some things I seriously regret."

He let out a shaky sigh and took two steps backwards. He turned and walked to the door. His hand on the knob, he turned his head back and said, "You know, I was just trying to protect you from unnecessary worry by not telling you before I knew for sure. Because I do know what this job means to you and I did know it would upset you if you had to leave it. I didn't want you to be anxious and upset until you had to be. I did it because I care about you. But you've always got to assign the worst possible motives to me, don't you?"

"You know why you didn't tell me, Eric? Why you didn't come to me, face to face, and tell me you wanted to apply for this opening now? Because you wanted to put off the confrontation as long as you could. Because you're a coward."

He bit down tightly on his tongue. He could feel it almost beginning to bleed. He stepped out of the bedroom. "I guess I didn't leave soon enough," he said and slammed the door.