Chapter 1: Conception
Beckoned by the slowly building aroma of roasted duck and fried okra, Greg wandered into the kitchen. Jenny, intensely focused on her latest culinary experiment, hadn't heard him enter, and, as he was wont to do in moments like this, he took a break to simply stand there and admire her beauty. Her strawberry blonde hair gleaming brilliantly in the late afternoon sunshine that beamed through the window. The porcelain skin of her delicate shoulders adorned by the colorful straps of her favorite sun dress. Her slender back trailing down to her temptingly full ass... only the impending arrival of their guest could force him from what was becoming a lustful reverie.
She tilted her back and smiled brilliantly at him. "It's almost ready, hon. I hope he likes Southern food!"
Her smile always washed all the stress away. The difficulties they'd been having conceiving a child -- which that bastard doctor had pinned on
him
and his "low sperm count". The normal everyday grind of teaching high school. Still, something about the occasion for this special meal ate at him.
"I still don't get why you invited the Connor kid. Four years now we've been teaching at Westpoint and never before today have we had a student over. I mean, I could maybe see it if he was a young kid desperate for a mentor, but Connor's already 18. He'll be graduating next month!"
"Honey, his name is Jesse. And I invited him over because I think he has enormous potential and I don't think anyone in his life has fully driven that point home to him yet. I mean he gets decent grades and does well in sports, but he doesn't seem to have a
passion
for these things that I see in other kids. You know, his mom died when he was very young and I don't think his father is too involved with him; he never comes to any of the functions. Anyway, I think he's a special young man and I expect you be a gracious host tonight."
Jesse was special, Greg would give him that. But as for being special in a good way, he was less sure. More like
creepy
special. Over the years he had seen normally tough, independent-minded kids bend over backward to try to ingratiate themselves to Jesse, for seemingly scant reward. Then there was the year Greg had helped out with the basketball team. Nothing in Jesse's offensive game was particularly remarkable but he had by then, and only as a sophomore, worked his way into the varsity squad on the basis of his defense, which was anything but traditionally sound. Instead, it tended to involve opponents inexplicably losing any semblance of ball control whenever they got near him. And finally there was the way Greg's colleagues, even the notorious hard-asses, always seemed to give the Connor kid special treatment. Including now, it would seem, his own wife. Greg had resolved a while back that the best thing to do with this kid was to just try to stay the hell away from him.
"Just in time!" Jenny said, holding the steaming pan of duck as their visitor knocked on the door. Greg welcomed him inside.
"Hi Mr. Jensen. Thanks so much for having me over for dinner tonight."
"Our pleasure Jesse. Come and have a seat at the table.
Greg and Jenny set the table and they all sat down to eat. For a while the conversation was sparse as they all focused on the delicious meal. Then Jenny started in on his plans for the future.
"So, Jesse, I haven't heard anyone mention what college you'll be attending in the Fall. Don't tell me you still haven't decided!"
"Honestly Mrs. Jensen, I still haven't fully committed to the idea of college. It would be fun and all -- a
lot
of fun. But there's so much stuff I want to do in life; I just don't know if I can afford messing around for another four years when I can be out there doing real things."
"Jesse, I know I'm not the one to tell you what to do with your life, but I think you'll find that college will greatly
expand
the number of opportunities in your life. Why don't you at least give it a try? Surely there's some subject that really interests you."
"Well... for the most part I'm interested in people. And I've found that, if you just sit down with someone and talk to them, they're usually reasonable enough to give you what you need, be it a good job, knowledge, whatever. So I'm not too worried about having a piece of paper in my hand saying that, according to some dean somewhere, I know what I'm doing."
"Jesse, it's not that simple..."
Greg cut her off. "Listen Jesse. I know things have gone really easy for you here at Westpoint. People are always giving you what you want, just like you say. But trust me on this -- the real world is a whole different ball game. Unless you have some plan -- a vocational school, a job that's already set up, something -- you're gonna be glad you have that piece of paper to cover your ass."
"Now Greg..."
"Hey, I'm just trying to help you Jesse."
