As I drove the tree lined streets of this small southern town, I couldn't help but think about all the changes in my life. I was here seeking an apartment for the coming semester at the private university where I would be studying pre-med. Just a year before all my accommodations and every other need had been taken care of for me. Many needs that I could have only dreamed and fantasized about growing up in a small town.
I had been our small town's high school hero. Being blessed with a six foot two inch frame as a junior, I had set or broken almost every state record for quarterbacks. My senior year things only got better as we won the state title with ease and the offers from major universities for scholarships poured in. I selected one of the perennial powerhouses of the Northeast so I could be close to home. My father had passed away during the summer of my sophomore year and I wanted my Mom to attend as many games as possible. It also didn't hurt that one the of the largest boosters of the school had tempted me with his beautiful trophy wife with me on each of the three recruiting trips I made to the campus.
The athletic success I enjoyed had always brought great sexual satisfaction my way. Young high school hotties and bored housewives had been throwing themselves at me for quite some time. So as I entered my freshman year I was more than ready to handle myself, on the field and off. It was everything I hoped it would be and then some. The booster's wife was my reward after every victory. I loved it, she enjoyed it, but I think he got the most out of it. He would never watch or ask any questions just thank me for a great win and pat me on the back as she would lead me to their basement playroom. Those stories will come later.
A full year of glory came my way as I led our school, as a freshman, to a major bowl. The accolades of my future greatness were heralded in the press weekly. Trim was coming out of the woodwork to sample a piece of fame and glory. My athletic prowess on the field was matched equally by sexual prowess off. I was a six foot two inch fucking machine. I was good and I knew it.
The snap from center was the same as I had taken a million times before, the crowd was roaring as I sought my receiver deep across the middle. I stood poised, confident that I would deliver the game winning knockout punch. The last thing I remembered was hearing a voice screaming that sounded a lot like me. I learned later that I had been blind sided from a blitzing cornerback. Months later, when I reviewed the game film, my stomach churned as I watched the play unfold. The blow to my knee buckled it grotesquely on the film. It appeared as if I had no bone at all as the backs helmet drove from one side of my leg to the other. In that one fleeting moment, my days of glory were gone.
So here I am trying to escape a life of glory and dreams in exchange for a medical degree. I had transferred to this quiet community to escape the constant reminders of what might have been and the never ending questions about my return and future in a game that I had planned to last forever, but would never be again. Rutledge didn't even have a football team, I made sure of that as I sought my escape.
The beautiful campus was nestled on the slopes of the Smoky Mountains. It's pre-med program was one of the finest in North Carolina and for that matter anywhere on the East coast. Here I would find anonymity and peace to begin my life anew. Or so I hoped.
The gentleman had just turned from hammering the sign into his perfectly manicured yard as I passed. Apartment for Rent was all I needed to see to hit my brakes and backup and quickly turning into his drive. My sudden move brought a broad smile to his face as I hopped out of my car. He started toward me with an outstretched hand. "Damn, I didn't expect to cause a wreck in the first thirty seconds!" he exclaimed.
"Name's Johnson, Carl Johnson" he said as I reached out to shake his hand. "Michael Davies, but please call me Ace." I cringed inside as soon as I said it. It was force of habit and I could only hope he didn't recognize me. "So much for being low key, dumbass," I thought to myself.
"Tell me about your apartment," I said, hoping to quickly avert any of the dreaded questions I had sought to escape. Carl told me that he and his wife Ann had moved to Rutledge just a couple of months before, after Carl's retirement. The previous owners had completed a living area over the three car garage and Carl and Ann thought it would be nice to have a student renter." Keep us young" , Carl told said with a wink that I didn't understand but smiled at anyway. Only one person was allowed and that was great by me. Privacy, I want.
Carl headed up the tree lined drive in his golf cart with me anxiously trailing behind him. As we turned a bend in the drive a magnificent home was in front of me. The main house was probably in the four to five thousand square foot range. "Awesome" I thought as we approached. Carl stopped in front of a huge four car garage that stood a short distance from the main house. Carl explained the apartment was the finished second floor of the garage. I began to get a sinking feeling in my stomach. The garage was massive and I didn't see anyway I could afford that much space. A large hedge blocked my view of the backyard, but as we began to climb the side stairs I couldn't believe the sight. The yard was bordered down both sides by the hedge but after about a hundred feet, the yard stopped at the edge of a cliff. From where I was standing, I could see for miles across the valley and to the mountains beyond. It was an incredible sight. On the edge of the cliff was a long lap pool that appeared to have no end, just falling over the side. It looked like a Hollywood movie set.
I hadn't even seen the apartment and I already knew this was a complete waste of time. Carl had been talking about the place, but I was so enthralled with the beauty, I had no idea what he was saying. As he opened the door I was trying to think of how I could get out of there without humiliating myself. The place was enormous. A vaulted ceiling with a large rock fireplace made the den look bigger than the home I grew up in. "There's only bedroom, but I think that's enough don't you?" Carl said laughingly. The bedroom was a single man's dream. Mirrors were everywhere and the bathroom had a Jacuzzi tub and a separate shower. Just as I thought I'd seen it all, Carl told me to take a look at the balcony. As I stepped outside a long whistle escaped involuntarily. The balcony had been built over the edge of the cliff, the drop straight down was six or seven hundred feet. I was never afraid of heights but it took me a few moments to really appreciate the view without fear of wetting myself. Carl chuckled at my obvious restraint from the doorway. "I guess the hot tub makes it easier to get used to. That a gallon of tequila." I hadn't even noticed the tub situated nearest the house end of the balcony. This was all way too good to be true.
"Carl, this unbelievable, but there is no way I could afford this." I stammered as we walked down the interior steps into the garage. " Thanks for the tour, but I better keep looking for something I can afford."
