by Joey Bush
“Yeah, my golf game is coming along nicely isn’t it?”
“Well, there’s plenty to still work on. I’m thinking we should hit the greens in a couple of days since I know you have classes the rest of the week. How about 3 PM on Saturday? We can work on your chipping. We don’t want your time in the gym wasted. Let’s put it to use,” he suggested and then winked.
I never knew if he was joking or not about making me a better golfer but I’d do anything to spend more time with him.
“I think I can fit it into my schedule. I will meet you at the public course. There won’t be many of your students there.”
“It’s a date,” Ryder said.
“No Ryder, it’s a lesson – remember?”
“I remember…”
“I will see you in class in the morning. It is a large class. See if you can pick me out.”
“That won’t be a challenge since you’re the most beautiful woman in class,” Ryder said and then smiled as he walked back into the gym.
All I could do was blush and wave goodbye.
I decided to skip showering at the gym. Knowing Ryder was lathering up in the next room was more than I could handle. I ran on the path back to Leach Hall.
Chapter Five
It had become routine. I would roll out of my twin bed to see the fuzzy slippers of my roommate. Kelly slept with the blankets pulled over her head. Her odor did not emanate until she awoke and yawned. It was at its worst first thing in the morning. Morning breath was common, but Kelly’s was unbearable.
Kelly started to stir. She sat up and, as I expected, she yawned. Like a hippopotamus, her mouth opened wide. She had good teeth so the bad breath wasn’t a result of tooth decay. I had looked up the possible causes of bad breath. The fact that there was so much information on the topic led me to believe that I wasn’t alone. I could imagine the questions.
Q. How did your roommate end up in the hospital?
A. Bad breath.
It wasn’t going to end well.
“Good morning Jenna. You were out again last night. How is the professor?” Kelly asked.
It made sense that she was curious. It isn’t every day your roommate comes with such a fascinating story. Even the cleaned up version of my time with Ryder sounded spicy. She probably loved it.
“I’m taking golf lessons from Ryder. We talked about it and concluded that his career and my college education were more important than a silly tryst,” I lied. I felt guilty because one lie often led to another. I did not want to go down that road.
“Well, are you considering exploring what you and Max have then? He is your age; well, at least closer in age than Professor Curran is. He came by to see you a couple of times when you were out the past few nights. He is a jokester and cute too,” Kelly said.
“Max and I are old friends. We were more than friends at one point but we’re nothing more than pals now.”
“Just curious,” Kelly said casually.
“Are you crushing on Max?” I guessed.
“I have no clue what you’re talking about. I’m so busy with classes. I don’t have time for Max or anyone else.” Kelly was turning a curious shade of red.
“I don’t know why the hell I didn’t think of it sooner. You would be perfect for Max. I’m not just saying that. I think you’re a nice person and very pretty. You take good care of yourself in terms of fitness. You are also smart. I have seen your course load and it’s heavy That is saying a lot coming from me because I’m extremely protective of who Max goes out with.”
“Wait a moment. Max is a popular guy with a ton of friends. I’m a girl from Kansas who has very few friends on this campus. I don’t have the confidence to go after a guy like Max.” Kelly needed some help.
“At least allow me to test the waters for you. I will see what is going on in his brain.”
“Ugh. Well please tread lightly.”
“I promise. Speaking of Max, I have to go with him to human sexuality. I missed the last class so I’m relying on him to bring me up to date.”
“Well, have fun with your golf instructor.”
“It’s just class today.”
“Sure it is.”
I rolled my eyes.
****
Outside of Tobin Hall, I met Max.
“Right on time. How have you been Max?” I asked.
“The usual stuff Jenna. I’m behind in all of my classes. I have rush week at the frat so I have been mucho busy.”
“I can tell you have been hard at work in Spanish class,” I joked.
“Not so much. I’m no linguist. I’m in secondary Española and all I can manage is mucho.” Max had bags under his eyes. He looked wiped out.
“I can see you’re short on sleep…Anyways, I have a couple of things to talk to you about Max. One is I think I’m skipping lecture today,” I said and waited for his reaction.
“No way Jenna. Have you not talked to Professor Curran yet? I wondered why you have been avoiding me. Are you scared to go to class?” Max asked.
I hadn’t been to human sexuality since the first day. It still felt awkward even though Ryder and I had been seeing each other since.
“I’m not avoiding you. I’ve been busy. All I can say about Ryder is that it’s handled. Give me some time before I fil you in. I want to keep things private for now. Please understand,” I begged. He hated to be left out. Especially when it concerned me.
“Okay, but I want you to promise that you will come to class next week. It’s actually a good class. You might learn a thing or two. Ryder is an excellent professor and he’s funny as hell. He has been detailing different methods of birth control. I never knew what an IUD was. Few people guessed correctly when asked what the acronym stood for. He had us write down what we thought and less than 10% of students answered correctly. I guessed Inter-Underwear- Destroyer.”
I laughed. “Nice job Max,” I commented.
“Today is all about condoms. We all know what they are but he’ll tell us how to use them properly. I think he’s gonna give some out. I’m not missing this class. I love free stuff. So, what is second on the agenda?” Max asked.
“I hear you have met my roommate Kelly Womack on several occasions,” I said probingly.
“I didn’t know that meeting your roommate was front page news.” Max was clueless.
“What do you think about her?”
“I don’t think about Kelly. She seems nice, cute girl.” Max was still clueless.
“Fabulous. That is all I needed—cute girl. I can work with that.” I said goodbye and split.
I was intending to go to class, but I still couldn’t get myself to. Oh well. I’d see Ryder at the golf course on Saturday. The sexual tension between us was building. We were constantly aware that what we were doing was taboo to some people…and that made it even more exciting.
****
I changed into my golf garb on Saturday. I only had a couple of outfits and needed more. I put on my best bra and panties. Ryder would not see them, but they made me feel sexy.
Westlake was the public course. I was early for our lesson. I had made a habit of arriving early and I thought that perhaps I seemed too eager. The course was situated on a slough that was connected to West Lake. It was definitely not designed for the country club set. The greens were brownish and, as far as I could see, there were no carts. Walking was fine with me but it would be disappointing to a golf aficionado like Ryder. The clubhouse where we could rent clubs and pay greens fees was a doublewide trailer. There was a stand that sold soft drinks, cans of beer, and snacks. I thought Westlake was charming.
“Hey beautiful. This place puts Magnolia to shame. I expected a little more but you’re here and that’s all that matters.”
Ryder gave me a peck on the cheek. I had to remind myself that he was only my golf instructor to the public. To me he was so much more.
He was wearing typical golf khakis and a shirt that pulled tight around his muscular body. His golf cap was firmly
in place.
“I think we will have to increase the intensity of the workouts. I’m not sore at all. The 4-mile run did nothing. I should expect that you’re a step behind considering your age.”
“With a comment like that, I guess you don’t want your surprise,” Ryder teased.
“Depends what you got me?”
Ryder revealed a shiny new set of golf clubs in a light pink leather bag. A black “J” was embroidered along the side.
“You got me my own clubs?” I hugged him. “I hope they weren’t too expensive. I’m sure I won’t need so many clubs. We can return a couple or I can share them with you.”
My hands started to sweat as I felt his heart beat against me. I slowly pulled away.
“I got a good deal from my friends at Callaway in Carlsbad CA. It’s a set and I’m sure you will use them all. Ready to work on your chipping game?”
“Yep. Let’s get going.”
“I love the fact that you’re earnest but you have to have control when we hit the greens. Forget for a moment that we’re anything more than an instructor and student,” Ryder said seriously.
I had never seen Ryder display this side of himself. He brought intense to a completely new level. I focused on my new set of clubs and knew in the back of my mind that I could loosen Ryder up.
“Are carts available?” Ryder asked the man in the trailer.
The man laughed. “We stopped using carts years ago. We are required to keep a few around for folks who can’t walk. We are called Westlake Public because the taxpayers provide for us. They have been grumbling about throwing up some low-income housing. That is a lie because they will probably sell the land for condominiums. I can tell by your garb and your set of fancy clubs that you have golfed at some resort spots. We cater to the average Joe or the duffer. Most people buy a few cans of beer and pay their greens fees before they head out. Some I never see again. I expect they’re passed out in a bunker or they dropped in the slough. Why are you and your wife in a place like this?” the man asked.
“I’m actually her golf instructor.”
I smiled in agreement.
“Golf instructor. I have heard that one before.” The man grinned and handed us the scorecard. It had a photo of Westlake taken about 10 years ago and a cheap printer had produced it.
“Thanks” I chirped as we left the trailer. The jingle of a bell secured to the door accompanied our exit.
“First we will refresh the skills you have already learned. How’s your grip? Now that you have your own clubs, you can keep one by your desk. Pick it up when you’re studying or watching television. It will help the grip feel natural.”
He was really taking this too serious.
“Yeah, I can use it for personal protection too, if I leave it lying around. I know some women keep a baseball bat next to their bed.”
I had completely forgotten how to hold the club properly.
“Allow me.” Ryder placed his hands over mine. The electricity between us was immediate and undeniable. I had missed his sweet breath and the firmness of his touch.
“Much easier this way. It is all coming back to me now.” I looked into Ryder’s green eyes and he seemed to connect with me as a woman and not as a golf student. The moment was fleeting as he took golf too serious. He pulled his hands away slowly as he caressed the length of my arm to my shoulder. My heart paced faster and my hands began to sweat.
“Okay, where were we. Stance. Let me see your stance. Show me some posture like your mom taught you,” Ryder said.
“My mom never corrected my posture.”
“Well, bend at your knees and keep your upper torso straight. Feet should be spread and aligned with the shoulders. Now curl your shoulders in.” Ryder provided verbal cues when I preferred a manual assist.
“I feel like I’m sitting on an imaginary toilet, poised to take a shit,” I said and Ryder laughed.
“I have never heard it put that way. It is something that might come out of John Daly’s mouth but not Byron Nelson’s or Ben Hogan’s.”
“John, Byron, Ben. It is coming out of Jenna Walsh’s mouth,” I said with a smirk.
We practiced some of the fundamentals before moving on to chipping. I thought it was sexy the way Ryder took command of his space on the golf course. I wanted to invade his space—and I would, when the time was right.
After chipping for a while Ryder asked, “So what two types of chips do you not want to hit?”
“I have a full schedule of classes. I wasn’t aware I had a quiz today. I have no idea how not to hit the ball.”
“Okay smarty pants. I will tell you. First; don’t tell me about your full schedule when you have been skipping my classes. I hope you’re not expecting special treatment from the professor.” Ryder smiled. I was relieved because I thought he had left his sense of humor in the car.
“Touché. Now, onto golf,” I said.
“You don’t want to hit the ball fat. Some refer to it as a chunker and the ball doesn’t go anywhere. I expect you will hit quite a few of these in the beginning. You may overcompensate for this flaw by hitting the ball thin, which is commonly called a skull. This ball will careen across the green, past the hole and into the opposite bunker if there is one.”
“It is like Goldilocks. You want to get it just right and avoid the extremes. Right?”
“I suppose. Whatever works for you. I have hit many balls in the bunker and it has taken time to learn how to safely get out. Some people are so good at a chip shot that they don’t consider the occasional bunker a bad thing. Chipping requires acceleration, which is difficult because it’s really a component of the short game. Our mind tells us that we should be practicing control at this point. The trick is to achieve controlled acceleration. It’s a tough one. Keep it low. A high ball is an unpredictable ball. It can end up anywhere. Sometimes you luck out and it ends up in a good place but you can’t rely on luck. Any questions?”
“Sorry, what?” I asked. I had not heard a word of his dissertation.
“This should be good. Let me see if you took in anything I was saying.” He chuckled.
I hit a clean shot out of the bunker. It wasn’t too thin or fat. Like Goldilocks, I had found perfection right in the middle. The ball rolled to within inches of the hole. Ryder was stunned.
“Yippee.” I threw down my club and pumped my fist like Tiger Woods.
Ryder gave me a congratulatory high five. He scooped me up into a hug. His muscular hands were on my ass where they belonged. I buried my head in the cradle of his sinewy neck.
I pulled away and noticed his hat had moved to the side. I straightened it out and asked, “What is so special about the hat?”
“I went to the Ryder cup in 2012. It was in Illinois. It was kinda a watershed moment for me. I had Arnold Palmer sign it on the inside. I’m not star stuck easily, but this guy is it to me. He wasn’t on the team, of course, but I ran into him in the clubhouse getting lemonade mixed with tea. I hesitated to ask him for an autograph, but I did it anyways. He was polite and more than I had ever imagined. I was afraid that meeting a person who I held in high esteem would be a letdown. The United States lost that year on the last day, so in that way it was a disappointing week, but meeting Arnie and getting him to sign my cap was epic.”
“I don’t have a living hero.”
After my comment, Ryder went to my golf bag and pulled a black sharpie out of a side pouch.
“What’s with the pen?” I asked.
“You want a living idol? I can hook you up with one.” Ryder scrawled his initials on the underside of my new golf bag. “Ta-da. Now you will always remember who gave you your first set of clubs.”
“You are a bit of a narcissist...but a sweet one.” I tugged at the bill of his cap and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. “I won’t need initials to remember you Ryder Curran.”
He kissed me back before pulling away. “Restraint Jenna. I think even this golf course enforces some sort of code of conduct around her
e and who knows who might see us.”
“It’s not as if I’m giving you a blowjob in the bunker.”
“Yet.” Ryder smiled.
I giggled. “Let’s see if my chip shot was a fluke or if I really have the hang of this.”
It was a fluke, and I continued to chip away at the ball. My shots were fat, thin, up-in-the-air and all together shit. Ryder was amused at my frustration.
“You don’t get the hang of golf. It will take time and practice to buildup consistency.”
“Some things come naturally. I guess golf isn’t one of them.” I was referring to the night I had spent at his house. There was nothing about my actions that was practiced or learned.
“Name one thing that comes naturally. Even a child finds walking difficult at first.” Ryder was slow to catch on.
“You are too focused on golf right now to follow my conversation. Too bad, as I think you would like where it’s going.” I shot him a coy look.
“I’m distracted, but it has nothing to do with golf. Why don’t we grab a drink and take in the view.”
“Ryder, the slough doesn’t have a view.”
“You will be my view. Maybe we can find some of those lost duffers floating in the water,” Ryder joked.
“That’s kind of sick, but I’ll take you up on it.”
We grabbed drink. As we walked away from the concession stand, we heard the man mumble, “Golf instructor my ass.”
It was a successful lesson and I drove back to Leach Hall.
Chapter Six
I woke up Monday morning reminiscing about my day of golf with Ryder on Saturday, just like I had Sunday morning. I had my pink golf bag propped up against the wall where I could see it. His initials were not visible, but I knew they were there. I had human sexuality class, which I couldn’t miss. I had both Ryder and Max on my case. I had to get my head out of my ass and attend class. I was at school to learn and I couldn’t afford to skate by as a result of a romance. Although, at the time, it was foremost on my mind.
I was feeling upbeat and it was a hot day so I threw on some white jeans and a yellow tank layered with a black one. I took the time to dry my hair and wear it down, forgoing the ponytail. I looked like a sunflower but I approved of the positive look. I was happy and it showed. Professor Curran would notice me quickly. I thought it would be fun to tempt him and see how he reacted.
