The Seventh At Pebble

"Steve?"

"Yes, Katie?"

"Would you stop aiming at the deer?"

"What makes you think I'm aiming at the deer?"

Thwack

.

"Because you're not hitting it."

"Well what are you worried about, then?"

Thwack

.

"What's that tired line you always break out on those RARE occasions when you hit a good shot? Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then…."

What a glorious morning in Monterrey, crisp and clear. We were out on the driving range getting warmed up for what I figured would be a day to remember at Pebble Beach, and the deer who had wandered from the woods onto the range didn't seem at all concerned about getting pelted with golf balls.

They must be used to hacks like me out here and knew they were hardly in mortal danger!

We were at one of the nicest golf resorts in the world, yet we were hitting off the mats. A minor inconvenience in an otherwise perfect day and I wasn't about to complain!

We had been talking about this for years, Katie's Dad and me, ever since Katie finished high school, but finally, just as Katie's sophomore year at college came to a close, we found a long weekend where all three of us could get out here.

I'd been their neighbor for years. Our families have known each other forever. I can remember when Katie was little, how she loved to play in the inflatable pool in my backyard. What a cutie. I've been alone for some time now. Been through a few rough spots, but Katie and her Dad were always there for me. I always felt grounded knowing they were around.

Early on Katie's Dad discovered she could play just about any sport she wanted to. She was just a natural athlete. By age six she was already whacking golf balls and just seemed to have a knack for the golf swing that I couldn't get from thousands of dollars worth of lessons.

Katie played a lot of sports but after a while, seemed to gravitate toward golf. She started playing in local tournaments, and since everyone in her family would get so nervous while she was playing, I'd volunteer to caddie for her whenever she was allowed to have one. I always hoped her talent would rub off on me, but no such luck. I can't putt worth a damn, so she was always on her own on the green. But I was always there for moral support.

Our golf history went way back. I even told her her first dirty golf joke (

What three words do you hear on a golf course that you never hear in a whorehouse? Bite, you cocksucker!)

She never ratted on me, so I didn't get in trouble for it.

What can I say about Katie? Smart, confident, talented, very focused. Everyone I know thinks the world of her. She's beautiful, too. Blonde-haired, blue eyes, athletic build, she's always had the attention of a lot of boys. But it wasn't just that. She was a nice person and had lots of friends, both boys and girls. She had to grow up a little quicker, I think, than most girls, and it made her tough. At least that's what she always projected. Always wanted everyone to think she was in control. And most of the time she very much was. It was a pretty tight circle of folks who saw her vulnerable side, and I supposed I was one of them.

********************

I'd say I've never been more proud of Katie than I was back in 2002 at the US Junior Girls Amateur Championship. Katie breezed through the sectionals to make it in. I don't think she really expected to make it to match play, but a couple stellar rounds of 74-76 got her in the match play field of 64. She was playing well, winning her first three matches to set up a quarterfinal showdown with Morgan Pressel, the number one seed as the stroke play medalist who was playing in what would be her last Junior Championship.

To everyone's surprise, Katie had Morgan dead to rights on the back nine, 4-up through 11 holes. But there was a reason Morgan was the number one seed, and she fought her way back into the match. With a couple birdies and an eagle she was right back in it, then on 17, she holed out a jaw-dropping greenside bunker shot to square the match. Katie never flinched. On 18 she boomed her tee shot into the middle of the fairway, and crushed a five-iron right at the stick. The ball hit the downslope just behind the hole and settled about 20 feet behind it. Had it hit a foot closer it might stayed right by the hole. Morgan pushed her drive into the rough on the right side and come up short of the green on her second shot.

Morgan's third shot came in a little hot, and as improbable as it seemed, it crashed against the flagstick and dropped in. The cry from the modest gallery that had been forming around the 18

th

green was unmistakable. Pressel had done it again. Since she expected to Morgan to have made no worse than par from off the green, Katie would have been content to two-putt and send the match to extra holes. Her putt wasn't one she'd have ordinarily tried to make, but now that Morgan was in with birdie, she had to hole it just to extend the match.

She hit her putt exactly where she wanted, but the ball broke at the last second and just skidded past the hole. Devastating. I felt like I was going to cry. But Katie? She walked over to her ball, and actually tapped it in even though the match was over and she didn't need to. She walked over to her opponent as Morgan was still heaving a huge sigh of relief, gave her a hug and congratulated her. Katie even hung around long enough for Kelly Tilghman of the Golf Channel to do her "Cinderella Story that Just Came Up Short" interview with her there on the green, answering every question confidently and professionally while completely keeping her composure.

We all loaded up the car to go back to the hotel. I was in the back seat with Katie, who was still holding it all together. Until the moment we left the course grounds. It was at that point she felt she could let it all out. I don't think she stopped crying for two hours. She knew she had been so close, and that she had played well, and best of all, that she didn't choke. But somehow, she felt she'd let herself down, her family down, and even me. I felt bad she took so much on herself. I just let her cry it all out on my shoulder, something not too many people would ever see from Katie.

********************

Katie's Dad promised that since I'd caddied for her all these years that the least he could do was fly us all out to Pebble Beach for a long weekend at the Lodge. Of course, I'd caddied for Katie with no expectations whatsoever, but who was I to say no to such an offer?

Her Dad was already warmed up and had headed back up toward the first tee. For a few minutes I just stood and watched her graceful swing. The iron she was hitting seemed be suspended in the air forever at the top of her backswing, and each time she repeated that same, rhythmic downswing and follow through, the result was some of the most consistent shots you'll ever see. I've always said that if you're having trouble with your swing on the range, pick out any woman who's pretty good, because she's relying on that consistent rhythm some of us guys need but don't bother to develop, as we're always just trying to simply hit it as hard as we can.

Of course, that's what I've always said. Katie always accused me it was just an excuse to stare at women's asses, and she was right. Or at least partially right. I gotta admit there was always something erotic about an athletic girl who could hit a golf ball. The cute outfit, the golf cap with the ponytail out the back. The pretty little top that would bare the midriff on the follow through. Forget your parochial schoolgirl uniform fetish (though I admit after seeing Gogo in

Kill Bill

I was starting to get that one!), give me Sexy Golf Girl any day!

The Golf Girl next to me now was no exception. All grown up, same graceful swing, but now I was certainly noticing that whole midriff baring on the follow through thing. Always on the ready to call me out, Katie drilled her last range ball and turned to me. "So, you ready to go play or do you just want to stand out here all day and stare at my ass? And don't give me that whole 'admiring the rhythm of my swing' thing either!", punctuating the dig with the annoying yet universal quote-unquote flick of the fingers.

We'd always been pretty blunt with each other. All in good fun. For the first time, though, I was genuinely embarrassed. "Uh, yeah, Katie, I'm ready. Let's go."

"God, what's your problem? We're at Pebble Beach, c'mon."

She was right, of course. We made our way to the first tee and met her Dad there. We couldn't have asked for a better day. Even the seventh hole, a short par-3 that could give even the best players in the world fits on a windy day, was pretty tame. Katie's Dad and I both parred it, and Katie stuck one of her patented wedges to three feet and made her putt for birdie.

All in all it was a great round. Katie and her Dad were griping about their respective 77s, playing the "iffa woulda shoulda" game and convincing themselves they'd both left a few strokes out there. Me? I was happy with my humble 87. I'd driven the ball well all day, especially on the par-5 18

th

, but I kicked my next three shots around and had a 20-footer for par. Katie gave me the line, and lo and behold, I drained it, dancing around the green like I'd won the freakin' US Open.

Great day.

And we topped it off at Chiante Ristorante in Carmel. Katie and her Dad each had a few glasses of wine and were pretty relaxed. I had some ginger ale and the keys to the car.

"What does everyone think of their food? Mine's great", Katie's Dad said.

"Pretty fabulous. But not as good as that shrimp angel hair pasta thing you supposedly do, Steve. Or at least did, back in the day". She looked over at me and gave me little wink. I was starting to see how easily she could get a man's attention with the subtlest of moves. Not that I thought she was putting any kind of move on me, I once kissed a boo-boo on her knee to make her feel better for God's sake.

"I'll make it for you anytime, sweetheart, it's just if I go into the kitchen now the head chef'll chase me outta there with a meat cleaver."

"Well, I s'pose I'll just have to come over to your house when we get back. I've heard how good it is. You might just have to prove it to me." OK. Now that had "move" written all over it. But it couldn't have been.

God, her Dad was sitting right there,

so I'm sure it was innocent. But as always, whatever it was Katie was doing, she was in full control of it!

"All right, it's a date then", I replied. By Katie's little chuckle I realized she sensed my discomfort and was thoroughly enjoying it. No doubt she was punishing me for staring at her ass at the driving range!

We got back to the Lodge, and Katie's Dad called it a night. I wasn't quite ready to go to bed and neither was Katie. After she kissed her Dad good night, she turned to me and said, "It's still gorgeous outside. Hasn't even gotten cold yet. Let's go out for a walk."

"I'm up for that, sure." Having convinced myself nothing was going on, I figured we'd enjoy a quick stroll before retiring, since we had an early tee time in the morning.

We started just as we had that afternoon, walking along the first hole as we recounted every shot we'd hit that day. Of course I had more shots to remember than Katie did as we made our way through the first few holes. I don't think we were paying much attention to where we were going, and before we knew it, we were standing on the 7

th

tee, which was about as far away from the Lodge as you could be.

"Katie, we should probably turn around and head back."

"Yeah, you're right, but let's just sit out here for a little while. It's beautiful out here."

She was right about that. The tee box on number seven was elevated, and so there we sat, our legs dangling over the side, watching the shimmering moonlight against the waves of the Pacific Ocean that served as a backdrop to this picturesque golf hole. We chatted and laughed. I told her every stupid joke she'd heard a hundred times before; in fact, she finished half of them for me. We groused about our love lives or in my case, the lack of one. It did finally start getting a little chilly and Katie snuggled up next to me just a bit.

"Steve, you gotta get back in the game, hun."

Katie had never called me "hun" before. I didn't think too much of it, other than I liked it. "I still miss her."

"I know you do. We all do."

"I know, Katie. It's just…"

"Just what? You're still a good looking guy, and…"

"Still?"

She gave my arm a little whack. "You know what I mean. God, aren't we the touchy one? You can have any woman you want. You think she'd want you standing around staring at women's asses on the driving range the rest of your life?"

"OK, howzerbout dialing up Anna Kournikova and getting her over here. Stevie needs to get his oil changed…"

"OK, almost any woman. Still a sucker for blonde, athletic types, huh?"

I looked directly back at Katie. "Uh-huh, I guess I am."

Katie paused a second, and then said, "Three hours."

"Huh?"

"Ummm, and about twenty minutes. Yep, three hours and twenty minutes."

"Until what?"

"Not until what. Since what."

"Since what what?"

"Since I said something about you cooking me dinner. Ever since then you desperately wanted to kiss me."

"Whaaat? I do not, Katie. What, have you got another boo-boo on your knee?"

"No. Not on my knee. Right here." With that she pointed to her lips and gave them a little pout. I swallowed hard and managed to say, "Well, uh, guess I better kiss it and make it all better, huh?" My voice cracked on "huh".

"Uh huh."

I closed my eyes and leaned towards Katie. When our lips meet I felt a shock run up my spine. I think it had been a LOT longer than three hours and ummm twenty minutes since I desperately wanted to kiss Katie. She returned my kiss and opened her mouth so our tongues could play. I put my arm around her and drew her closer.

The kissing was starting to get a bit intense, so I tried to ease the tension a bit. "I shoulda eased up on the garlic tonight, I suppose."

"I don't care", Katie said as she placed her hand on the back of my head and kissed me even harder. I started to feel a little funny but I wasn't about to stop. I realized how much I'd longed for this girl, and it seemed she felt much the same way.

Suddenly, Katie pulled away from me. "Steve, you'd never hurt me, right?"

"No, of course I wouldn't."

Katie bit her lower lip. "Then why are you hurting me now?"

"How am I hurting you?"

"You're killing me."

I started to laugh. "How am I killing you?"

"Cuz you're not ripping off all my clothes and having your way with me. What's a girl gotta do, anyway?"

I have to admit I was a bit shocked. To be honest I was more than content with our little smoochie face session.

A jillion thoughts musta gone through my head. What was going on here? Was I taking advantage? What did this all mean?

I started pondering all the ramifications…

…for about a nanosecond.

I swung my legs back over the side of the tee and stood up. Katie stood up, too, and so I grabbed her and slung her over my shoulder. "Where are you taking me? My shoe!" One of her shoes had dropped to the ground.

"We'll get it later. You're coming with me."

"Where?"

"To the green."

"Well I can walk."

"Naaah, I can carry you." (

I hoped!

) "It's only 100 yards, and you don't weigh much more than your bag does."

I ran with Katie over my shoulder, she was kicking and giggling, and also realized that I was getting winded. Fortunately Number 7 IS a short hole, and when we got to the green I half-placed, half-dropped Katie to the ground. I also felt my leg start to cramp.

"Nice move, Schwarzenegger", Katie started to laugh.

"You think I'm done?"

"Stick a fork in ya, we'll see."

"I ain't done." With that I caught my breath and ripped at Katie's blouse. The buttons started to pop as I pulled it off her. I laid her back to the green as she undid her bra, revealing her firm breasts. I made a "I'm gonna have a helluva time playing with those" face as I pulled my shirt over my head, my shoes off, pants down, trying to get naked as quickly as I could. I didn't care how cold it was starting to get. Katie pulled off her skirt, and then gave me a naughty little smile as she ran over to the flagstick, pulled down her panties, and ceremoniously hung them on the stick. I gave her some light applause, then walked over to her.

"Steve, your socks."

Shit.

Left my socks on. I pulled them off and took Katie back into my arms laying her back down on the green. Katie wasted little time. I never did get to her breasts. At least not right then. She was excited and guided me inside her as I began thrusting in and out. Seems we'd both wanted this for some time. A question flashed through my mind and I felt I had to ask. Always thinking.

What a dipshit

.

"Katie…why are you…doing this?"

"Stevie…if I felt sorry for you…I'da bought you some chocolate and…rented Nottingham…or whatever…that sappy movie's called you….oh shit…….will you just FUCK ME ALREADY?"

Notting Hill

. My favorite. But not the best time to correct her.

After just a few moments, though, Katie said, "Steve?"

"What is it, baby?"

"This is fucking awesome, but the green is really getting cold. Little slimy, too."

"Well, I can fix that." I rolled on my back and lifted Katie on top of me. I finally got a glimpse of her entire naked body, the rays of the moon lighting up her face as she smiled down on me. I played with those breasts, swollen and flush with excitement, her nipples rock hard, thanks either to me or the cold air! I was ready to enter her again when she pulled her legs together and grabbed my stiff cock.

"Hey, look at me. You like my dick?", Katie started to laugh. She began playing with it. "You want some o' this, bitch?" It was pretty funny I had to admit. Had kind of a kinky Chicks with Dicks look about it, course her schlong was upside down but hey, who was this bitch to complain?

She continued rubbing my (her?) dick some more as she rubbed her clit against the base of the cock. With her legs still together and mine spread wide apart I entered her again, thrusting my cock as deeply as I could inside her. I grabbed her right breast in one hand and her ass in another as we fucked each other hard and fast. I felt myself about to let go when Katie slowed down and demanded, "Call me a dirty little slut."

"What? I'm not calling you that!!" I had thought about breaking out a "Who's Your Caddy?", but didn't get the chance.

"Well, why not, you pussy?" From outta nowhere I felt a slap right across my face, as she demanded yet again, "What AM I, Steve?"

"Well if that's the way you want it." I rolled Katie off of me and pushed her face down into the green. With her legs together again I entered her pussy, taking her from behind, once again hard and fast. We started moaning and screaming. I think even the cats in a one mile radius wished we'd both just shut the fuck up. The sex was noisy and passionate (I never did call her a dirty little slut, though), and when I exploded inside of her, Katie's entire body shuddered as her pussy twitched and grabbed my cock. I wasn't sure, but I think she actually started mumbling something in Italian, I think it was. I wondered if she'd called me anything.

We finally started to calm down, and I lied down on my back. Katie crawled on top of me and buried her head in my chest, eager to get back off the slimy green. She didn't seem to care too much though. "That was long overdue", Katie said. "I know how much you wanted me. Hope I didn't take advantage of you. But I think you know how much I wanted you, too."