Page 12 of The Lawyer’s Quandary

C hapter S ix

It was over a week before Greg was able to come down for another swim session, and Mark had been looking forward to it for days.

They had both been very busy, and with the exception of dinner the previous weekend, they hadn’t been able to see each other.

Mark got his gear together and met Greg outside the natatorium.

He always smiled to himself at that sign outside the pool building.

Sometimes the college was just trying to be too fancy.

“How was your week?” Mark asked as he strode to where Greg waited.

“Crazy busy. I worked late almost every night so I wouldn’t have anything to do today.” He was smiling, and Mark loved that. “Come on. It’s a beautiful day and….” He leaned closer. “I get to see you wet.” He hurried inside as Mark groaned and followed him.

The locker room was empty, and Greg changed quickly before heading to the pool.

Mark found him already in the water, swimming laps.

“Remember to take long strokes and rock to the side so you can breathe.” That was the part that Greg was having difficulty with, but Mark was fairly sure it would come in time.

The technique just took some practice, and once he had mastered it, Greg would be able to swim for as long as he’d like.

Mark slipped into the water and warmed up with a few light laps. Then he put on the speed, catching and passing Greg to touch the wall first.

“Always so competitive,” Greg laid, laughing as he stood in the lane next to Mark’s.

“It’s in my blood. I was always driven to try to be the fastest.” He shrugged. “I know I’m not. There are swimmers out there who are faster than I was at my peak, and I suppose that will always be the case.”

“It doesn’t matter. You’re the one who won the most important race.” Greg drew closer, his gaze hot enough that it might have boiled the water if that were possible.

“I see. And what race is that?” Mark whispered because he did not want anyone to overhear them. Greg cupped his cheeks and drew him into a kiss that instantly sent the temperature soaring. “Oh… that one.”

“Yeah,” Greg said. “Now, you and I can swim for a while, and then maybe we can go somewhere we can really burn off some energy.” He backed away and sank into the water, swimming toward the far side.

“Jesus, you are such a tease,” Mark called after him.

Greg stopped and stood. “Not if I follow through.” He slipped back into the water.

Mark groaned and gave chase, catching Greg easily. “You really are a tease, you know that. We’re in the pool, and there’s nothing we can do here,” he said softly. “I know they aren’t on, but there are cameras and things in this area. We use them for practices and swim meets. So….”

“I get it.” Greg wriggled away. “Then you’ll have to wait before you have your wicked way with me.

” He swam off once more, this time as fast as he could.

Mark knew he could catch him pretty easily, but the chase was half the fun, so he let Greg think he had the upper hand before catching up and pouncing.

It was a game they played over and over until Greg seemed to tire.

They got out of the pool, and Mark changed before going to his office. He checked his email quickly and groaned.

“What?” Greg asked from behind him. His hair was wet and his skin pinked. He looked amazing, and Mark tugged him to him, wrapping his arms around his waist, resting his head against his chest.

“Coach Bates is returning to work on Monday. Classes have only a few weeks, and the lacrosse season is almost over. But he’s going to return anyway.”

Greg sighed. “I was hoping he wouldn’t come back this year, but….”

“Yeah,” Mark said. “Look, we have a plan. The guys are all going to join the rest of the team in being happy to see him return. And at some point, Steven is going to ask him for help. He’ll text me so I can watch the video.

It will be some ordinary message about practice or something.

I’ll then text him back once we have what we need.

Steven can then get the hell out of there.

That is all you need to know, and once we have something, we’ll turn the video over to you.

” Mark wanted the guys to be safe. “I know you disagree with this, but we have to have the silver bullet.”

“It would be nice….”

Mark shook his head. “If we have him on video, then it’s hard for him to refute, and the guys aren’t going to have to sit in front of a dozen people and say what happened to them. Their statements will be enough. Right?” Mark asked, hoping to hell he had thought this through correctly.

Greg didn’t move for a few seconds. “Yes. I think that’s true. But I’d rather go in front of the trustees with a weaker case than put someone in harm’s way.”

“I get that. But you’re thinking like a lawyer, and the guys are thinking like athletes.

If possible, shut down your opponent with everything you have.

” Mark loved that Greg listened. “There is another factor. Once this is over, you can go back to your practice, but if this goes south, then these players are the ones who suffer. They know that. They have the most to lose here.”

“Are you saying I don’t care?” Greg asked, his eyes blazing in an instant.

“Not at all. You have been a rock through this, and we all know you care. It’s just that the guys have more to lose, so they are willing to take more of a risk.

” Mark hoped that Greg could understand that.

Mark tried again. “Do you know what the worst part of being on a team is? Sitting on the sideline while someone else is playing. That is the hardest thing ever. And these guys are just like that. They have to do something.”

Greg shrugged. “I suppose you’re right. But….”

“We aren’t going for a court of law. Our first stop is the board of trustees and the administration. So the biggest thing is to give them something they can’t deny.”

“As long as the guys are safe.”

Mark drew closer. “I’ll do my best—you know that.”

“Yeah, and while you’re at it, be sure to keep yourself out of the line of fire.”

Mark was well aware of the position he had put himself in. But he wasn’t going to back down any more than Greg was.

“Why does swimming make me so danged hungry?” Greg asked later as they sat down at a sandwich shop just outside the campus area.

“Because even though you’re in the water and don’t sweat, swimming uses the entire body.

Arms, legs, core… all of it works together to propel you through the water, and that burns a great deal of calories.

You also don’t drink the pool water, so even though you’re surrounded by water, you can still get dehydrated.

Swimming is exercise, the same as any other activity, so the same rules apply.

Eat good food, drink plenty of water, and give your body a chance to recover. ”

They ate their sandwiches, and Greg downed a glass of water before requesting some more.

“I never really thought about it like that. When I was a kid, swimming was something we did to cool off and have fun. A neighbor family had a pool, and it had one of those slides. We used to love going down it and into the water. We’d play games and things in the water, and I did okay, but I was never a strong swimmer.

Some of my friends used to do fancy dives and have contests to see who could go the farthest. I was just happy to be able to go off the board and reach the side of the pool without sinking to the bottom. ”

“Well, you can swim now, and if you practice, you’ll be able to do even better. They have leagues and things at the Y for people who are older.”

Greg shook his head. “No thanks. I’m happy to be able to swim better, but I don’t need a bunch of people watching me flail in the water. I just want to be able to have fun in the water without worrying, and you helped give me that.”

Mark finished his egg salad sandwich and threw away the paper. Greg finished as well, and once they were done with their drinks, they headed out into the May warmth.

Without thinking too much about it, Mark led Greg back to where he had parked.

Greg slipped into his car, and Mark drove to his three up, three down home a few blocks away.

Over the years, his little house had stood as a bulwark against the encroachment of the college.

He purchased it from a couple who had lived there for fifty years, raising their son in its small rooms. The other homes in the neighborhood were largely used as off-campus student housing.

He had a tiny front yard, but a nice-sized back one that was mostly grass, with two neighboring trees that provided shade at various times during the day.

“This is nice,” Greg said as he stood in front of the house.

“Yeah. I was lucky to find it. Most of the houses had that fake stone stuff stuck on them in the forties. But no one did it to this one. I really like that it wasn’t messed with.

” He had scraped all the wood siding and had the entire place repainted a soft gray with white trim.

The house looked neat and warm. At least he thought so.

Mark unlocked the door and welcomed Greg into his small kingdom.

The first floor was a living room, small kitchen, and a dining room perfect for no more than six.

The house had all its details, like the crown molding in the living room and even the old cabinets in the kitchen that Mark had stripped down and repaired.

Whoever had built the house hadn’t had a lot of money, but they had poured themselves into it.

“Did you redo the floors?” Greg asked.