Coached 1

Coached

Chapter 1

She sat lying in the darkness on the couch, her body highlighted just by the orange ball of her cigarette, the room was really her husband's study. She was watching on the little monitor as Brian was putting his daughter who is now six to bed.

She watched on and smiled as he kindly kissed her on the head and said good night as he retreated from the room. She tapped and flicked her ash into the glass ashtray on the table beside her and gulped from the large glass of merlot and then took a handful of Doritos from the large glass bowl in front of her. Then loudly started chewing, the crumbs tumbling and cartwheeling onto her chest and down the vee neck of her top and lost between her breasts. Shelley didn't notice. They would only fall out onto the floor later. When she would get up when Brian came back to her.

The study had been his private room in the house where Brian re-watched and studied all his client's successes and failures on the track for hours in the evenings. This would be after watching them all day on the track. It has a very comfortable soft and warm sofa with a large overbearing 70" TV on the opposite wall. Brian had hours and hours of footage of Shelly in her prime running her 800 and 1500 metres. Having watched them he would arrive at the track in the morning bristling with suggestions for training following her results in the last race. Brian would be excitedly suggesting she should have kicked in here, not have been bullied there.

That all changed three years ago. Brian's ex-wife Marian died in a car accident very late one evening, unfortunately she had been drinking heavily prior and for reasons simply explained had crashed the car into a tree. Luckily, she was the only one involved.

Brian had of course been devastated and being a supportive friend, Shelley had tried to help him after being on the track and gym with him all day. Being an athlete running all day and night, she did not have much of a social life, or a boyfriend. As such she tried to help fill the void in his life in the evenings. He was grateful for Shelley being there almost as a nanny in the evenings, but once the evening meal and bedtime routine was finished, Shelley politely left him alone so she could get home to her own place.

It had dawned on her very early on that Brian had a different relationship with his wife to that of the girls he trained, as there were ashtrays all over the house. Brian was an adamant nonsmoker and had endlessly lectured Shelley and other runners endlessly for even thinking about smoking, as the downsides for their sport were obvious. But the bathroom, living room, dining room and kitchen of his house all had a matching glass ashtray.

It took a while, but after six months of looking after the family in the evenings, Shelley finally plucked up the courage, picking the moment to ask Brian when he was in a relatively good mood about the ashtrays.

"Hey Bri, just wondering if I should tidy up these ashtrays around the house, none of us smoke?" She asked as she did the evening's dishes.

"It's ok Shell, don't worry, I like them around the house, it reminds me of Marian." He said wistfully, smiling.

Shelly tilted her head inquisitively "Oh, how come? Surely, she didn't smoke?"

He smiled. "Like a train, she didn't move anywhere without her much-needed cigarettes."

"Ahh that explains why she was never at the race meets?" Shelley asked as she started drying the frying pan.

"Exactly it wouldn't have looked good for the national selectors that one of their main athletic coaches was with a chain-smoking wife." he said with his voice about to break. "She was also..." he paused and took a long laboured deep breath "...drunk a lot of the time, me not being here. Spending time hanging around sexy athletic girls like yourself at weekends and in the evenings. You have probably found bottles of spirits hidden in funny places when tidying up?"

Shelley blushed and then felt proud that Brian thought of her as sexy and smiled. "Ah that explains the half empty bottle of vodka, here under the sink?" Shelley mooted.

"Yup, there will be others, I didn't dare to hunt too deeply. She did look amazing early on in our relationship, a glass of wine in one hand, cigarette in the other. It was sexy and incredibly naughty to her, but to me it was just utterly amazing as hell. She was a brilliant wife to me!" He said in a reminiscent mood. "Once we had Johanna, she, you know, never lost the baby weight, and her smoking and drinking definitely got worse..." he started sniffing then sobbing.

Shelley put the frying pan down and went over to give Brian a hug. He pushed her away "No Shell, first and foremost I'm your coach, I can't touch you like that." He said sternly, holding his hands out flat.

"Oh, it was only a supportive hug." Shelley said calmly walking away, "Shall I see you at the track tomorrow?" She asked.

Brian nodded "Yes, I think that is wise!" he mused as Shelley nervously packed her stuff together and made her way out the door.

With confusion reigning Shelley still had the twenty-minute jog home to contemplate what she had heard. No wonder Brian wasn't interested in us sporty girls, he likes the smoking fatter ones! It explained many of the gossip stories amongst the group of how he was so professional, his kinks led elsewhere. It also helped her understand the pain and anguish that he is suffering with his loss.

Chapter 2

Three months later Shelley had annoyingly badly torn her left calf muscle. She had been following Brian's instructions to kick on the final bend. She had been straining a little too hard proving herself in a training session. For now, this meant running was out of the question. She could do upper body in the gym, which was fun, but leg work and distance running was a no go. As such to fill her time she had been up at Brian's house a little more just helping, rather than anything more. She just enjoyed his company, she thought he did too.

Over the past few months, she had started to take notice of all the pictures of Marian around the house. It was obvious really how much she smoked. She had a cigarette on the go in many of the pictures. Brian was right that somehow, she did look sexy and sophisticated. It was easy to see why Brian loved her. In the early pictures she looked athletic and sexy, the sort of woman Brian would want to be seen with, and as time passed, giving up her sport she had clearly put on more and more weight. But Marian has clearly been a beautiful woman, Shelley was now even appreciating how foxy Marian actually looked with her cigarettes.

One evening once the 'volunteered' housework had been completed, Shelley helped herself to one of the bottles of vodka she had found under the sink and brought it into the living room. "Hey Brian, I've finished the bits I had planned for today, as I can't run or train tomorrow, do you fancy a glass?"

"Eh? Is that one of the hidden bottles?" Brian chuckled as he looked up from his phone and over his glasses.

"Yup, rather than gathering more dust, thought we could do with a drink? It's nearly my birthday!"

He nodded "Umm, one won't hurt, and sorry for not knowing. Happy birthday!" Brian said thoughtfully.

"Will get some glasses and ice." Shelley replied as she put the bottle on the coffee table and spun around and practically bounced back to the kitchen.

***

"Well coach, I better be thinking about going home now." Shelley her head wobbled slightly as she slurred.

Brian smiled and slowly nodded in appreciation. "You can stay on the sofa if you would like?"

Shelley said in her head 'I would like to be in your bed' but thought better of it. "I will go for a piss, sorry..." she giggled "...My language goes to the toilet too once I have had a drink, and then I should head home."

"Oh, okay, suit yourself." Brian said watching his former protégé drunkenly stumble around his living room drunk just as his wife used to do. He tilted his head and smiled at her pert athletic ass tightly contained in her fitted shorts tight around her buttocks, as she turned around and headed to the door.

"You ok to get home, ok?" He thoughtfully asked.

"Yup, it's not far, the fresh air will help sober me up before bed." She grinned. "I will bring a replacement bottle up with me tomorrow, think we drank a little more than I expected" She giggled again, "And it was a very great talk to you this evening."

"The pleasure was all mine!" Brian smiled and rubbed his chin.

***

As she stepped out the front door and rather than her usual jog or more recent hobble home, she swayed and stumbled to the park halfway to her house. She sat on an empty bench near the entrance under the streetlight for safety and like a naughty school kid looked both ways before going into her rucksack and took out the Marlboro lights cigarette pack. She had plucked up the courage and bought it earlier in the week. The last two nights on the way home, she had tried and failed at smoking. She was no better and just as bad as the last time she had tried smoking. It has been 10 or so years ago at school, and she had coughed her guts up. One of her more rebellious friends had tried to teach her to smoke, but in the two or three attempts it hadn't made her enjoy it. As a result, she focused on her sport.

She was hoping that the numbing power of a quarter of a bottle of vodka would make this process this time a little easier. She retrieved the long cylinder from the pack, double checked the which end was the filter and placed the filter end of the cigarette between her waiting lips and with a deep inward breath of nervous anticipation flicked the cheap Bic lighter. In the darkness of the park, the brightness of the flame five inches from her nose was an illuminating contrast, it was equally surprisingly hot. She aligned the flame with the cigarette protruding from her mouth exhaled from her lungs the last bit of clean air through her nose and then tried tentatively sucking the polluted air of the cigarette between her lips.

She knew if she was a success with this cancer stick, she would become a failure in her day job, but the only race she truly wanted to win now was Brian.

"Fuck that was still awful!" Shelley said after releasing the smoke in her mouth, and sticking her tongue out, before licking her lips tasting the bitterness of the smoke on her tongue. She looked at the cigarette with the wafts of putrid smoke gently burning between her fingers, she straightened her back and had a second short pull, this time with the aim of not inhaling. The taste was extremely bitter on her tongue, Shelley couldn't work out why people enjoyed it. She sat there and took a couple of smaller puffs on the cigarette, taking the smoke in the mouth and letting it out. With it getting hot between her fingers she stubbed the cigarette out on the arm of the bench and got up and considerately dropped it in the bin as she left the park.

As soon as Shelley was in her flat, she undressed, put her smelly clothes in the washing machine and headed to the bathroom to urgently wash her teeth.

She fell into bed naked, and played with herself until she came, and soon fell asleep in the comfort of getting closer to Brian.

Chapter 3

This cycle continued for the next two weeks, except rather than one cigarette on the bench she had two. The second pack was bought during week three. Shelley now had a new hobby, people watching. As such Shelley now spent a lot of time out and about noticing smokers, how they held the cigarette in their fingers, how they inhaled, it was a learning process most smokers do as a young teenager. Rather than now in her mid-twenties. She never noticed them before, now she saw smokers everywhere.

Also, as time went on Shelley was spending longer in the evenings at Brian's house, she could spend more time studying the walls and Marian's pictures, it was clear to Shelley her shallow pathetic inhales were, they were no match to Marian. There were amongst the photos on the wall one with Marian in a short skirt with a tight fitted top, showing off her excellent figure, but what was striking was that she was mid cheek hollowing inhale. Her cheeks were practically touching each other, and the cigarette was obviously burning brightly.

Shelley took a pen and mobile out of her rucksack and walked down the hallway to the bathroom and focused on the mirror. She popped the pen in her mouth and tried to recreate the look. Shelley felt childish looking in the mirror with a long blue biro pen in her mouth. She took a selfie of her pose in the mirror with her mobile phone, now knowing exactly what look she needed to recreate but with an actual lit cigarette. She heard a creak above her. It was Brian walking around in the bedrooms upstairs so flushed the loo and put the pen and mobile back in her rucksack next to her pack of Marlboro lights and headed to the kitchen to sort out dinner.

A while later Shelley sat on her now customary heading home bench; she had shared a lovely bottle of red wine with Brian over dinner, but again had only been offered the sofa to sleep on.

She was sitting there smiling at her phone and the silly picture of her inhaling on the pen, the way her cheeks caved in as she sucked the pen. Shelley retrieved her pack of cigarettes and pulled one out using her recently painted red nails. She knew what she was doing so far as she lit it and did her usual small puff and smiled to herself, proud that this time she didn't cough, and she exhaled. Then with a glance at her phone looking at the picture she had taken took an extreme draw on the cigarette.

***

Over the next few weeks, with practice she got better and better at inhaling the smoke after that first disastrous failed attempt. By her third pack she was drawing down and exhaling the cloud of smoke, at least in her eyes properly. She was still going back to the flat, guzzling water and having a shower and then thoroughly washing her teeth to reduce the aroma on herself and her mouth. Before lying down and thinking of Brian on top of her as she slipped her fingers between her legs. Only then would she contemplate trying to get some sleep.

By the time she had finished the fourth pack she was actively looking forward to the moment of leaving Brian's house. She had even got confident in lighting up and smoking a cigarette once she had left his driveway. She liked to smoke well before she got to the bench, then if it was not raining having two on the bench and even having one on the way home.

Shelley had to acknowledge that whilst her throat felt shit, and her voice sounded hoarse when she first spoke for the first few mornings. Her voice was almost as if she had been singing at a concert all night. The strange thing was that the cigarettes actually tasted nice. She assumed she wasn't really addicted as there was no noticeable desire to smoke during the day. Maybe the odd thought when she saw another smoker that could be swiftly dismissed. There were apparently no issues with her gym work or at least Brian hasn't complained yet. She partly thought she might have been overcompensating.

She had seen the team doctor about her leg, and he had been advised another month without running and then it would be the end of the season, so she was told to take it easy and get her preseason sorted once better. A runner not running wasn't right. Taking it easy from the gym was however extremely easy. Missing a few days here and there was not complained about. Shelley at least had another distraction. She had a month or so to convince Brian to be her lover.

The following evening, they sat in the living room finishing off their evening bottle of merlot. As with the last few days Shelley had not bothered to get dressed in her gym gear. There was no point pretending she was currently doing exercise. She was wearing her green short skirt and a fitted blouse with a push up bra which for the first time in ages actually matched her panties. It was an attempt to try and smarten up, no point being in athletic gear if you are not being an athlete. As it got close to 9pm she had started to get a little fidgety, constantly looking at the clock almost repeatedly. It was her time. It was time for a much-needed evening cigarette or four.

Shelley liked routine, that's why being an athlete was fun. Every day was similar. Gym work and or running.

Shelly was surprised by Brian's position in his chair. Leaning forward on pensively. She knew something was coming her way. Another change.

"Shelley, my parents are going to look after Jo for me, as I am thinking of having a holiday."

"Oh?" She said disappointedly, seeing as the conversation had started again, and she really needed to escape. "When and where are you going?"

He smiled confidently, "I was planning on a little last-minute holiday and going next week, to my parent's apartment in the South of France. I haven't been out there for ages, and it's about time I got back there!"

"Oh, that is soon" She said before draining her glass of wine in one long gulp, "And wow I can imagine that will be gorgeous, I guess that means I get the bonus of a week off not training...properly?" She nervously smiled leaning forward to put the empty glass back.

Brian grinned, "Yes, you do, mainly because I would like you to come too, as a thank you for being here, and looking after the both of us, there is a second bedroom, so there will be plenty of space for you."

Shelley's eyes lit up with excitement, the thought of her imminent cigarette forgotten about. "Oh, wow, thank you coach!"

"Oh, yes, on the trip I will be Brian!" He said smiling, "Don't worry about the cost of the flights and food, I have got everything covered."

"Oh, wow thanks Coa...Brian," Shelley beamed, "I guess, I will still come up here as usual tomorrow? Seeing as Dr has suggested I take it a little easy now?""

"Absolutely!" Brian confirmed.

"Cool, I will text my parents now, I feel so excited!" She fizzed as she got out of chair and in the process of bending down to pick up her mobile out of her bag, her Marlboro Lights pack fell out onto the floor. Both their eyes followed the gentle thud and looked down at the floor.

"Ahh that explains some things!" laughed Brian.

As the semi horrified, but semi pleased Shelley scooped up the pack and put it back in the bag along with her stray 'practice pen'.

"Erm, yeah, well, erm yeah..." stuttered Shelley, she had been dreaming up ways of letting Brian find out, but that wasn't one of them. "I have...er... yeah.... well, yes... sorry..." She looked at him with a very guilty face.

Brian nodded and stared across at his protégée, an intense smile crossed his face. "Shell, light one and smoke it, if you want one that is?" Brian asked before taking a sip of his wine.

"Erm, are you sure? In here?" She looked around with an uncomfortable feeling, as nervous sweat trickled down from her armpits and she could feel it wicking into her strap bra.

Brian chortled and nodded, "It's not as if I haven't seen a woman smoke a cigarette in here before. Is it?" He pointed at the clean ashtray right next to her in her seat. Shelley's head turned and followed the finger.

"Er, could I open some more wine? My throat has suddenly gone very dry." She smiled unconvincingly.

"You see, I was thinking of going to bed once you left, so please take a sip of mine." Brian offered his glass to her. Shelley nervously, like a naughty schoolgirl accepted the glass and took a large gulp to wet her pallet. Then handed back the glass and proceeded in a flurry of nerves to pick up and reopen her bag and get a cigarette and her lighter out.

Feeling the intense glare of Brian's eyes, she nervously lit the cigarette that she had been thinking off for the last half an hour, as for the last few weeks she had habitually had her few cigarettes after nine each night. She took her normal little first inhale, letting a small amount of smoke out of her mouth, before taking one of her now practised deep inhales.