family in the area?”
Oh crap, how do I get out of this now? “No, no family to speak of,” I had to admit, not wanting to lie outright since it was easily verifiable.
“Well now, we can’t have you sitting all by yourself on Christmas!” She straightened herself in her chair, resolve written all over her face. I knew the invitation was coming, then the insistence, followed finally by the not taking ‘no’ for an answer.
“Really, I have my own rituals. I'll be fine,” I said, doing my best to dissuade her from any further comments.
Luckily for me, there was a commotion at one of the student’s tables. Two girls were having a pushing contest, so several of the teachers went to settle the squabble, Mrs. Lewis being one of them.
“Looks as if you stuck your foot in that one, Champ.”
I jerked my head up to see Coach Sutton smile in a conspiratorially smug way, and then wink at me. His expression quickly changed as the other teachers came back.
“I swear, when I was their age, I would have never even thought of acting like girls do today,” Mrs. Lewis commented as she sat back down. “Now, where were we?” Her focus was back on me. “Oh yes, you, not spending Christmas alone.”
“He isn’t going to be alone, Emily,” Coach spoke before I could get a word out. “He’s going to spend the day with me and my family. It’s all set.”
I was so surprised, it was a wonder my eyeballs didn’t pop right out of my head, knocking my new glasses across the room. Nothing could have shocked me more.
“We’ll drink beer, watch some football and have a great time, won’t we, Champ?” When Coach Sutton turned to face me, he did that wink thing at me again.
Seeing this as a way out of the minefield, and gracefully getting out of the mess I’d put myself into, I readily agreed.
“That’s no way to spend Christmas.” Mrs. Lewis scowled at the both of us.
“Hey, it’s a guy thing, Emily,” he proclaimed. “We bachelors have to stick together, don’t we, Champ? Besides, we’ll be with my family.”
Coach Sutton calling me Champ all of a sudden was starting to grind on my nerves, making me grit my teeth. I still needed to remind myself to thank him for getting me out of that situation, but I had no intention of spending any ‘guy’ time with him.
“So much for Christmas spirit,” she harrumphed.
“I’ll have you know I have plenty of Christmas spirit!” It was comical, the feigned indignant look on Coach’s face. “I go all out decorating my house. I put up a big ol’ tree and have a great time. I love Christmas time.”
“Still…sitting around drinking beer all day…” She let her obvious disapproval end the sentence for her.
“What do all the men do at your house Christmas Day?” Coach Sutton queried.
“Well… after the kids open their presents, they usually help them with anything that needs batteries or such.” Mrs. Lewis sat thinking. “Then we all have a big Christmas breakfast before going to church. When we get back home, we normally have a light lunch, then the men...” Suddenly she stopped. “Well…” She started stuttering. “The women start cooking the Christmas dinner and the men…well…the men are usually playing with the kids and watching TV.” Mrs. Lewis blushed violently.
“By any chance are your men folk drinking any type of alcoholic beverages?” he prodded her.
“I don’t know if I’d go so far as to say they were drinking in the same way you were alluding to.” She blushed a deep scarlet, knowing she’d been had.
Coach Sutton, being the gentleman he was, didn’t tease or rub her nose in it, but just let it go. “I think me and Jonsey here will be just fine, don’t you, Champ?”
At that point, I was ready to reach across the table and jerk the man’s tongue out of his mouth, no matter how good-looking he was.
“Yeah…sure.” I muttered, at a complete a loss for what else to say.
Further assuring the ladies I was going to be
Oh crap, how do I get out of this now? “No, no family to speak of,” I had to admit, not wanting to lie outright since it was easily verifiable.
“Well now, we can’t have you sitting all by yourself on Christmas!” She straightened herself in her chair, resolve written all over her face. I knew the invitation was coming, then the insistence, followed finally by the not taking ‘no’ for an answer.
“Really, I have my own rituals. I'll be fine,” I said, doing my best to dissuade her from any further comments.
Luckily for me, there was a commotion at one of the student’s tables. Two girls were having a pushing contest, so several of the teachers went to settle the squabble, Mrs. Lewis being one of them.
“Looks as if you stuck your foot in that one, Champ.”
I jerked my head up to see Coach Sutton smile in a conspiratorially smug way, and then wink at me. His expression quickly changed as the other teachers came back.
“I swear, when I was their age, I would have never even thought of acting like girls do today,” Mrs. Lewis commented as she sat back down. “Now, where were we?” Her focus was back on me. “Oh yes, you, not spending Christmas alone.”
“He isn’t going to be alone, Emily,” Coach spoke before I could get a word out. “He’s going to spend the day with me and my family. It’s all set.”
I was so surprised, it was a wonder my eyeballs didn’t pop right out of my head, knocking my new glasses across the room. Nothing could have shocked me more.
“We’ll drink beer, watch some football and have a great time, won’t we, Champ?” When Coach Sutton turned to face me, he did that wink thing at me again.
Seeing this as a way out of the minefield, and gracefully getting out of the mess I’d put myself into, I readily agreed.
“That’s no way to spend Christmas.” Mrs. Lewis scowled at the both of us.
“Hey, it’s a guy thing, Emily,” he proclaimed. “We bachelors have to stick together, don’t we, Champ? Besides, we’ll be with my family.”
Coach Sutton calling me Champ all of a sudden was starting to grind on my nerves, making me grit my teeth. I still needed to remind myself to thank him for getting me out of that situation, but I had no intention of spending any ‘guy’ time with him.
“So much for Christmas spirit,” she harrumphed.
“I’ll have you know I have plenty of Christmas spirit!” It was comical, the feigned indignant look on Coach’s face. “I go all out decorating my house. I put up a big ol’ tree and have a great time. I love Christmas time.”
“Still…sitting around drinking beer all day…” She let her obvious disapproval end the sentence for her.
“What do all the men do at your house Christmas Day?” Coach Sutton queried.
“Well… after the kids open their presents, they usually help them with anything that needs batteries or such.” Mrs. Lewis sat thinking. “Then we all have a big Christmas breakfast before going to church. When we get back home, we normally have a light lunch, then the men...” Suddenly she stopped. “Well…” She started stuttering. “The women start cooking the Christmas dinner and the men…well…the men are usually playing with the kids and watching TV.” Mrs. Lewis blushed violently.
“By any chance are your men folk drinking any type of alcoholic beverages?” he prodded her.
“I don’t know if I’d go so far as to say they were drinking in the same way you were alluding to.” She blushed a deep scarlet, knowing she’d been had.
Coach Sutton, being the gentleman he was, didn’t tease or rub her nose in it, but just let it go. “I think me and Jonsey here will be just fine, don’t you, Champ?”
At that point, I was ready to reach across the table and jerk the man’s tongue out of his mouth, no matter how good-looking he was.
“Yeah…sure.” I muttered, at a complete a loss for what else to say.
Further assuring the ladies I was going to be
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