Page 45 of Wood

“Hmm,” Geoff considers, then leans forward, eyes boring into her face. “Let me ask you, Kathy, do you top your husband? Break out a strap on?”

She blanches and stammers.

“Inappropriate question, isn’t it?” Geoff leans back, smiling. “Dennis, what else is on your list?”

Dennis is breathless, trying to suppress his laughter at Kathy’s demise. When he can breathe again, he asks, “What’s next?”

Geoff turns to me and replies, “Where are we going next, Ben? Japan, was it?”

Geoff is howling with laughter as he reads on his new iPad. I’ll have to pry it out of his hands to make him eat.

“Look,” he laughs, showing it to me. I obligingly take the tablet from him and read.

“Gay Golfer fucks his caddie, is this the new American way?”

“I don’t care who he sleeps with, I just don’t need it shoved in my face during a golf broadcast.”

“Hot Silver Fox, I’ll have your baby.”

“Watch the sponsors run from this disgusting spectacle.”

“Geoff marry me!”

“Disgusting, you will burn and rot in hell for eternity.”

“I want to be in that sandwich, yum, these two are hot hot hot!”

“What a shame, he was someone kids could look up to.”

“#theCaddieAndTheDaddy”

God, kill that last one with fire. I toss the tablet aside and pull him against me, nuzzle into his neck. “It will die down soon.” I don’t tell him about the other articles.

“GOLF’S GOLDEN BOY SHOCKS FANS WITH LOCKER ROOM CONFESSION”

“FROM CADDIE TO… WHATEVER THIS IS: Inside Ben’s Bombshell”

“Is This a PR Stunt? Sponsors Quietly Reviewing Contracts After Ben’s Announcement”

I knew there would be backlash. It is no worse than I anticipated, but it still bothers me.

“I need to pound some weights,” I grumble into his hair.

“Mmm, like you pounded me this morning?” he purrs, and I huff against him.

“Bad boy, get ready to add ten pounds to every set.”

He laughs but does as he’s told, changing into gym shorts and a tank top. Yum.

The neighborhood gym is quiet. Several people are in their own heads, headphones and earbuds in as they move between machines. I crank up some metal on my earbuds and focus on bicep curls, alternating with tricep pull-downs. I do my best to zone out, focus on my form as I move, slowly lifting and lowering the weights, maximizing each rep. Geoff settles into the leg press machine, and we work out quietly, moving through our sets. I see an older man glaring my way as he bangs the door open and leaves. Good riddance.

“Hi, Geoff!” a young voice chirps and I look over to see the cute blond boy we met before standing next to Geoff, bouncing a ball on the floor as he vibrates with energy.

“Hiya, Benjamin!” Geoff replies. “How ya been?”

“I lost a tooth! See?” He sticks his jaw out, grimacing to show off the gap.

“Whoa! That’s awesome!” Geoff holds out a fist for a bump, and the kid knocks it with vigor.