Game Plan: Chapter 4
It's an awesome day.
The sun is shining. The birds are singing, yadda, yadda, yadda...And, I can't fucking help the smug grin I know I'm sporting this morning. I've been on fucking Cloud Nine since last night. Date night. With Padmé. The very first of many more dates to follow. Of that, I'm positive.
She and I hit it off so well last night, it was almost unbelievable. I've never felt that kind of connection with any woman before. Ever. And I doubt it could've gone any better.
One thing's for damn sure...I know I want more with her. And, I'm not talking just sex here...although, that's certainly high up on my 'to do' list with her, don't get me wrong. But, upon returning home after dropping her off after our date, I couldn't stop myself from calling her to wish her a goodnight...and to thank her for such an awesome time, and we ended up talking until almost one in the morning. Again, this is unheard of for me. When I finally did manage to crawl into bed, I laid there, grinning like a fucking idiot, and thought over the entire evening, and I had another damn epiphany. I suddenly realized just how perfect she was for me, and that I don't want to imagine my life without her.
Because I already know what life without her is like. Lonely. Pretty damn lonely actually, now that I think about it.
And, I don't like it one bit.
Never in a million years would I have believed that I, the most notorious womanizer in the MLB, would have my proverbial wings clipped by an unknown, petite, but hot-as-hell, slip of a middle school teacher. Nope. I sure as hell didn't see that coming. I'm still stunned, to be honest. My life has been completely upended...and you know what? I couldn't be any happier about it. So what if I'm 'off the market'? So what if Ryan is going to gloat and give me shit about this for who knows how long? Big fucking deal.
Let him.
Turns out I may just owe him the thanks of a lifetime. Especially if this thing with Padmé continues on the way I hope it does. I wasn't kidding when I said I may just want it all with her. And, by all...I mean ALL...Yeah, the rings, the 'I Do's,' the kids, the 'happily ever after.' Forever.
The whole fucking shebang.
Granted, it's a little early to contemplate that, sure. But, this is me we're talking about here...and for the man who once swore he'd probably never settle down, eating my own crow is starting to look pretty damn likely.
And, I am totally okay with that.
Anyway, now that I have a game plan firmly in mind...I just need my best friend's help for more date ideas, which I am going to pump him for today at practice.
Which, as I climb into my Lambo, is where I'm on my way to right now.
Before I can even start up the car, however, my phone dings, alerting me to an incoming text message.
I pull my phone out of my pocket and unlock it with my thumb print. Figured as much. It's Ryan, wanting to know how my date went.
So? How'd it go?
I have a feral grin as I type my response: Great! Couldn't have gone better!
The three flashing dots appear on my screen before his arrogant response comes through: Ha! Knew it, Bro! :P
I smirk and shake my head. Asshole. Yeah, tell ya all about it when I get to FP.
K. See ya there, Bro.
Locking my phone, I slide it back into my pocket, start my car up and go through the motions of exiting my fortified mansion.
Ok, it may not exactly be fortified per se, but security is something I take seriously. Very seriously. Privacy isn't something I get much of when I'm outside of my house, but when I'm home, I like to know that no one can bother me or harass me unless I allow them to.
If they want to try and jump my ten foot high wrought iron and stone fence with those iron spikes on the tops of every bar then they can be my guest. They'll just end up tripping the security perimeter alarms, and the Brookline Police will be on them before they even make it over.
It's happened before, so I know this from experience.
Unfortunately.
Look, my private life, as I've said before, is just that...private. And, I intend to keep it that way.
So, the security measures I have in place are just the cost of doing business in the public eye these days, and I wouldn't trade in my beautifully stitched ball or glove for anything.
I value my job, just as much as I value my next breath. I enjoy what I do, and I'm good at it. Damn good.
I simply wouldn't be Anakin Skywalker if I wasn't standing on the mound looking down at a guy who's trying to knock my ball out of the park. I love challenges, as Padmé saw last night, and I groan as my blood pumps right to my groin again, as she crosses my mind for the umpteenth time already today.
I've never dealt with anything like this before. It's seriously beginning to frustrate the hell out of me. She's beginning to consume my every thought, sleeping and awake, and no woman has ever even come close to that before. I mean, even when I was in the middle of fucking, my head wasn't really focusing on the woman under me. Yeah, it may sound messed up, but all it ever was for me was a pleasurable release, just another form of stress relief. I had nothing invested in it beyond getting off. True, I made sure my female companion got the fuck of her life out of it, but that's all she'd get from me. There were never any emotional entanglements. No messy relationships. It was just fucking. That's all.
My nighttime companions were always just that, night-time companions, and ones that I didn't even remember after I left their place or their hotel room. I always knew better than to bring them back to mine. If I let any of them in, then they may just never want to leave, and I've always been nothing but forthright with every woman who's slept with me. She always understood up front that all we were doing was sleeping together...just fucking, like I said. That was it and nothing more. And, it was a one time deal at that.
I made some serious mistakes when I was younger, back in the minors, and I've made sure since then that I wouldn't be so stupid ever again. That is why I don't let anyone buy me a drink or give me a drink. I get my own. I order my own food. And, I don't sleep with any cleat chasers ever, because chances are high they already slept with either some of my teammates or other baseball players, and I'm not about to let any woman trap me into a relationship because she got knocked up by me or...lied about being knocked up by me. I learned that life lesson the hard way. Yeah, that experience is why I never have unprotected sex, and why I always have condoms in my wallet. An involuntary chill floods my body just remembering that particular dark episode of my life.
Shaking my head though, I clear that from my mind. There's no need to remember that. That's in the past and won't happen to me ever again. I've learned a lot since then, and that woman is the reason why I am so very careful nowadays, and why I don't usually let any woman get close to me.
Until Padmé walked into my life, that is. She's not like any woman I've ever been with before, and what's so refreshing is that she didn't pursue me, and she hasn't tried to get in my pants like the cleat chasers try doing every single day of my life, like they could possibly ever mean anything to me, like they could ever be my 'one and only.'
Honestly, I didn't even think it was possible, y'know. Finding the proverbial 'one true love of your life.' I may have lived the carefree life as far as the public and the media was concerned, the life of a pro athlete, the life of a player off the field, but that was never really me. Not deep down. It was just a persona that I created to protect what I lost, to protect my heart from ever being hurt again. Padmé, though, came in out of literally nowhere and broke down the barrier around my heart. She broke every single damn rule that I had, without even trying - and I haven't even slept with her yet, or even done anything more with her than share in that utterly amazing, toe-curling, heart clenching, electrifying kiss.
That kiss was like nothing I've ever experienced before. She is unlike anything I've ever experienced before, and with every contact I have with her - in person or on the phone or even via text, doesn't matter, she's leaving me wanting more. Like a man dying of thirst in the middle of a desert- she's my only source of survival. I've never wanted anything- or anyone - more than her.
Perhaps not even baseball itself.
There's no doubt about it that baseball saved me growing up. It gave me the incredible life I have today, but with Padmé, the only thing I can see is my future. No, our future. Together.
And, I'm totally digging all the possibilities.
I remind myself, however, for the millionth time since last night, One step at a time, dude. Don't rush this!
Ryan and I need to talk, and then I can figure out what to do for date number two. He may have been a player like me once upon a time, but since he met Dormé two years ago, he's become very well versed in the world of dating, and given how well he knows Padmé, he's the only man who could help me out. He's the only man who could help me figure out my game plan.
And, that's exactly what we're going to do. Figure it out. Today.
Security presses the button inside their little gatehouse, and the barrier lifts, allowing me entrance as I wave at them. I drive my Lambo inside the players' parking lot and park in an empty spot inside and shut my car off, hop out, and lock the doors, as I pocket my keys in my navy Red Sox team zip up sweat jacket and walk towards the clubhouse.
Ryan and a few other guys are already there. We all have our our own workouts and training sessions scheduled depending on our positions, and since I just pitched the last game, my arm and I are taking it easy and just doing strength training and conditioning today. Unlike most other players on the team, pitchers have a very different training regimen, and its mostly because of how we play.
Starting pitchers only play one out of every five games. That means during the other four games, we're back in the bullpen or on the bench in the dugout watching our teammates play. During those four days, we train with the rest of the team, but our training varies based on the day and based on how well we're performing.
I'm proud to say that I'm performing better now than I ever have a day in my life. I'm not going to say I'm perfect, because that would be a lie, and I'm not going to lie to myself. No pitcher is perfect. They may throw a perfect game (if they're lucky enough to do so, considering only twenty-three pitchers ever have, and that's in the MLB's one hundred and forty year history), yet that doesn't make them perfect.
Their game may have been perfect, but they're not. Nope, not even some of the all-time greats like Cy Young, Sandy Koufax, or Nolan Ryan.
None of us are, no matter how much we'd like to believe otherwise.
As I walk into the locker room, Ryan has a total shit-eating grin on his tanned face when he lays eyes on me. He makes his way over to me as I stand before my locker and begin to change out of my jeans and polo shirt and into my workout gear. "Wellll..." He says, motioning his hand in circles for me to spill my guts.
I refuse to talk about it in front of everyone else though, and instead, decide to just raise an eyebrow at him. "Wellll...what?"
He arches his brows right back at me and raises them even higher. He shakes his head at me. "Spit it out man, you know you want to."
He's right, I do. But, that doesn't mean I can't toy with him some. Y'know...drag the suspense out till it's almost killing him. I mean, that's what we do after all, tease the hell outta each other. Besides, we'll be exercising together for a little while anyway, just like we always do, and when we're alone, I'll tell him. It's not that I'm ashamed of Padmé, or that I want to keep her a secret. Hell no. Not at all. I just prefer keeping her to myself for now and not being ribbed by the other guys on the team who know damn well how much of a player I am. Correction: How much of a player I was. But, they don't know that...yet. They don't know why I am the way I am or what I experienced in the past that made me that way. Nope. All they know is that I don't do relationships or see the same woman twice.
Hell, I don't even date, and they all know this.
More than a few of them have asked me to go out on a double or even a triple date with them and their significant others or with their dates for the night, and I've always turned them down because I don't do dates.
None of them even ask me to join them anymore. Ryan didn't even ask me the other night with Padmé there. He knows better. He's asked before, several times, and I've always had the same answer: No. But, I couldn't say no to Dormé when she asked, not to mention I wasn't about to say no once I laid eyes on that beautiful angel.
Ryan exhales loudly, trying to show me his displeasure at my silence, but I didn't even realize he was still waiting for me to spill my guts. I thought he would've taken the hint. I motion him along to follow me as I finish changing and walk out of the clubhouse and towards the gym to get a good strength and cardio workout in today.
Ryan could be my spotter, and while he spots for me, we can talk about last night, and my plans for more dates to come...with his help of course.
We walk into the gym, the rows and rows of various state of the art exercise equipment sitting around unused. We're here all alone, and that doesn't get lost on him.
"Sooo..." He drawls into the huge empty room.
"Sooo..." I drawl right back, walking back towards the treadmills to get some running in before we lift some weights. I definitely gotta get the blood flowing and loosen up a bit first.
Starting my treadmill up, Ryan takes the one to my right and starts his up as well. His penetrating gaze doesn't leave me the entire time. He's waiting for me to spill, and I will...when I'm good and ready.
Which is about now..."I like her, ok. A lot," I admit, and that isn't something I say lightly. "I don't think last night could've gone any better, and she just...gets me, y'know, in a way that no other woman ever has or could," I tell him, as we start out on a slow jog. "She's super smart, has a great sense of humor...I mean, I enjoy just talking to her. We talked and talked the whole night, and she kept me riveted on our conversation the entire time. I wasn't bored in the least. In fact, after I got back home last night, I called her just to tell her what a great time I had on our date, and we ended up talking until one in the morning. It is so amazing to actually meet a woman with the intelligence to keep up with me, Ry. You know my mom raised me not to neglect my mind, and Padmé is as sharp as a tack. I was very impressed."
As the program on our treadmills picks up the pace, I glance over at Ryan only to see a smug I knew it smirk on his face. I just knew he was going to gloat about this. Oh well, let the ribbing begin, I guess.
"I had a feeling you two would hit it off," he says with a wolfish grin. He's right about that. We sure did hit it off. Amazingly well at that.
I nod, picking up my pace even more, "Yeah. we did. Really well. I took her to Drake's. Turns out, she'd never been there before, and we had a blast. We split a large deluxe pizza, which we both enjoyed. Then we bowled three games, and you were right...she's really good at it. She even beat me once. We were tossing smackdowns at each other the whole time, just laughing our heads off. And, she gives just as good as she gets, too. Again, impressing me. Finally, we shot pool for an hour, and she kicked my ass the first game! It was like she was some sort of pool hustler." I pause and shake my head and whistle, momentarily at a loss for words to describe just how bowled over I was by her. Yeah, pun intended, but dammit, it still applies. I was bowled over!
And, I just know my life's never going to be the same now that I've met Padmé.
Ryan keeps grinning as we continue our run, obviously delighted at this turn of events. I'm sure he can't wait to compare notes with Dormé, who undoubtedly is pumping Padmé for information this morning, too. I can hear the I told you so's already. We finish up our run after another twenty minutes, and as we turn off the machines, we decide to get in some push-ups next. It's important for pitchers to train both the large and small muscles of the upper body. This aides in both performance and reducing injury, but we have to be careful and keep our training balanced so we're not overdoing it and overtaxing our shoulders joints. Have you ever really looked at pitchers? They don't have the physique of a weightlifter or a body builder, and that's intentional. If we lift weights too much, we risk shoulder injuries, like rotator cuff tears for example; injuries that could potentially knock us out of baseball entirely, if it's a severe enough injury.
Even though I'm still pretty young at twenty-four, to protect my shoulder joints and muscles, I am very careful about my workouts. To that end, I tend to avoid palm down lifts like lateral dumbbell raises, excessive bench pressing, and Olympic lifts. Instead, I do exercises that work just as well but are less risky like seated rows, pull-ups, push-ups, and isometric and rhythmic stabilizing exercises specifically to work the rotator cuff, just to name a few. My workouts are designed to keep me physically fit, toned, and strong from head to toe. After we do a few reps of basic push-ups and then pull-ups, we move on to do seated rows. Surprisingly, the gym is still empty aside from the two of us, which I appreciate. After adjusting the weights on our respective row machines, we each straddle the bench and grab the handles to begin, and with that, I pick up our conversation, "So, I asked Padmé out again."
Ryan's response is highly enthusiastic, "Awesome, Bro! What'd she say?"
I flick my eyes over at him and see a huge grin on his face, and I can't keep the mile fucking wide one off my own when I reply, "She said yes."
He lets out a loud whoop, and because he knows me so damn well, he gives me a sly smirk, "Lemme guess...You need more date ideas, don't you?" Dammit, he's gloating already. But, he's also right. I do, and he's the only one I could come to for help, even if he is being a smug bastard about it.
Sighing, I pause in my row lifts and turn to face him. Slinging my right leg over the bench, I lean forward, draping my forearms on my knees. "Yeah, man, I really need your help. I mean, come on...You know this is all totally new to me, Ry. I've never dated before, and I'm fucking clueless here. I need ideas for fun things we can go out and do, y'know, because I want to keep seeing her. I don't have to pitch again for the rest of this home stretch, and I'd like to have several dates planned and ready to go before we have to head out on our next road trip. Besides, Bro...You've spent a lot of time with her since you started dating Dormé, so you know her better. Gimme some ideas of things she'd like to do."
Ryan turns to face me, propping his own arms on his thighs and gives me a, "Hmph," as he purses his lips and seems to really consider my request. He's known Padmé for about two years now. I'm sure he can come up with a few ideas. But, the minutes drag by, and I can't help getting nervous when he's still quiet. I'm about to bust when he finally looks up at me and rubs his right hand along his jaw, "Well, surprisingly, she really likes video games. Her parents have a Wii and an Xbox, but she actually enjoys arcade games. In fact, the three of us plus Padmé's roommate, Sabé, have been out to A4Cade in Cambridge and made a night of it. It's great fun. They've got all kinds of pinball games and skee ball, and the beer and food are great, too. Ever been there?" he pauses and looks at me with his eyebrows raised. I quickly shake my head no, but I will damn well put it on my 'To Do' list for sure. Not only that, I am thrilled to find out something else we have in common...I love video games, too, and I have both a Wii U and an Xbox One myself at home. So, going to an arcade together sounds like a winner to me.
"Cool! That's perfect. Any other ideas?" I ask eagerly. Now that he's talking, I can't wait to hear more suggestions.
"Well, Dormé and I have been out to Dorchester Brewing Company on several occasions and had a ball. They have a pizza and game night every Monday from 5 to 9pm, which was a lot of fun, and they have good beer and free pizza, too. That's always a plus. You could try that. I think Padmé would like that a lot. There's also the WGBH Craft Beer Fest coming up. We already had plans to go. Why don't you and Padmé come with us? We'll make it a double date...They've got live entertainment, all kinds of local breweries serving up beer, not to mention a variety of food trucks. Should be a lot of fun." He gives me a shrug and that look...the pleading puppy dog look he tends to give me that he knows I have a hard time refusing, but he doesn't have to worry. I think it's a great idea, too, and I'm on board with it already.
Nodding my head slowly, I smile, "That sounds like a plan, Bro. We could make it a couples night out. I like it. Good idea." I turn back around and pick up the handles again to continue my rows. I do a few more lifts when I realize Ryan is still sitting there staring at me with a huge smirk on his face. I pause my workout again and cock an eyebrow at him, "What?"
He grins all the wider, "Soooo...Now you're a 'couple,' huh?" He even has the audacity to use fucking air quotes when he says it.
Asshole. So fucking smug. I knew this would happen.
Still, he brings up a valid point. One I hadn't really considered...at least not yet. Do I consider Padmé my girlfriend already? After just one date? Hmm...I guess maybe I'm leaning in that direction, yeah. I mean, I've never had a real girlfriend before. Not even in high school. But, aren't you planning on making Padmé yours, in every way, shape, and form...exclusively? a little voice says in my head. Yep. That's my game plan, alright. I want her and only her from now on, for the rest of my days. But, even though that's my plan, I've not discussed this with her yet. I mean, I don't want to fucking scare her off at this point. We've only been on one date so far, dammit. I think it'd be better to get a few more dates under our belts before we broach that topic.
Which reminds me. I still need more date ideas.
I pick up my handles and begin lifts again, shaking my head while I'm at it, "No, it's too early to really label us like that, Ry. I mean, I really like her...and I want to keep dating her. I want to see where this thing goes, y'know...but we need to go out on a few more dates first before we attempt to label ourselves as a 'couple,' I think," he nods in quiet understanding and turns back to continue his own lifts, and that's when I bring us back on topic, "So, got any more great date suggestions. You're on a roll here, after all."
He shrugs, "Well, if you want something truly romantic to enjoy, there's the Gondola di Venezia boat tours on the Charles River at the Esplanade. I took Dormé on that when I proposed...and she loved it, but that might be something to save for later on down the road." It's a great idea, and it does sound romantic, but I have to agree...it's too soon to indulge in such an outing. Not that I won't look into it for later. I most certainly will. What woman wouldn't swoon at such an expedition?
He continues, "Well, she loves anything to do with water sports. She water skis, jet skis, snorkels, swims like a fish...Hell, she's even licensed to scuba dive, Bro. Along those lines, you could go kayaking on the Charles River or even go out paddleboarding. I'm sure she'd really enjoy either of those a lot. In fact, I bet you'd enjoy those, too." He's right. I would. I love being outdoors, and I do like to swim. I've even vacationed in the Caribbean before and tried my hand at both water and jet skiing and even snorkeling, and it was a lot of fun...Great! More common interests with Padmé.
It really seems like we have a lot in common, and the more I hear from Ryan, the more I fall for her. It's hard to even explain how I feel. I've never felt this way before, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I mean, I like it, of course, but it's still such a fucking surprise to have these feelings when I honestly never thought I would.
Padmé seems too good to be true, honestly. She's downright beautiful, breathtaking really. Her personality matches mine to a tee. We have a lot in common, and we can talk all night- after all, we did talk all night.
Could she really be the one for me?
I fucking hope so, because like I said before, I know what life is like without her, and after just one date with her, it's hard for me to imagine life without her.
This was part of the reason why I never allowed myself to see a woman more than once, I didn't want to start developing feelings for her only to find out that she was just using me or didn't feel the same way I felt, or didn't want what I want.
To give my heart to someone like I have before and to have it shattered again isn't something I want to experience ever again. But, Padmé is nothing like her. I know this, and my gut is telling me that she's the one for me.
It's like I know it deep down in my heart, and there isn't anything I wouldn't do to make her feel the same way about me.
To make her want me, like I want her.
"Ry," he looks over at me, a questioning eyebrow raised. "You know her, am I...y'know, her type? I mean, I like her a lot, a whole lot, and you know my past, man. I may never have thought about putting a ring on any woman's finger before, and I know it's waaay too soon to even ponder such a thing, but..." I pause, frowning, a look of concern sweeping across my face, "...is that, y'know, settling down and the 'happily ever after' with the rings and kids and stuff... is that something Padmé wants? Is that something she'd want...with me? I mean...Is she aware of my reputation? Because I'd hate for my past to scare her off."
Fuck. I hate sounding vulnerable. I hate putting my heart out there. But, I need to know that what I feel is something that Padmé could reciprocate, and it's not something I can just flat-out ask her after just one date, and I just don't think I could continue to see her more and more, only to fall in love with her more and more, only to discover that we're in two completely different places in our lives.
I'm not known to be a man who's ready - hell, even willing - to settle down, and I'm sure it'd be hard for people to believe, but fuck it, I am ready to settle down! As much as the thought terrifies me, it also excites me too, and I do see a future for us- together.
I'm twenty-four years old, and my best friend, who is the same age as me, is getting hitched to the love of his life, and I now realize that I want that, too. I want to be able to go home to the same special someone every night, to have that special someone waiting for me to come home to her, to want me, to talk to me, to love me everyday for as long as we both shall live.
I just want someone to love me, really, truly love me, and I want to love someone. I want Padmé to love me, like I'm already fucking loving her.
Man, I'm turning into a sap.
Ryan forgets the weights and sits up, looking over at me like I'm an impostor. He's not the only one thinking that. I gotta admit I am, too, and I'm fucking me.
"Dude," he says, standing to his feet and moving over to where I am, until he's standing before me, and he crosses his toned, muscular arms. "You know I always have your back, and true, the women we tried to set you up with before were all failures, I'll admit that. But, Dormé and I have been trying to set the two of you up for a while now, for more than nine months actually. We've just had conflicting schedules or something or other always came up, and she had to cancel last minute." He shakes his head. "Anyway, yes, I'm positive you two are a perfect match, and she is a fan of baseball and a fan of yours in particular. Trust me. She's asked both myself and Dormé lots of questions about you for months now, loooong before we set you two up, and she would even blush when we called her out on it. And, yes...she's aware of your reputation, and it didn't stop her from wanting to meet you."
Ryan raises his eyebrows and shrugs. "Look, Anakin...Padmé isn't one to fake anything. She's honest and forthright and straight up. If she didn't like you and didn't want to see you again, she would've said no when you asked her out on a second date. But, I'm also warning you, too...She's not the one night stand type, either. She's a true lady, not a whore, ok. Just take it slow with her. Show her the real you, not the you, you pretend to be to the public, and I'm sure she'll fall for you, like you've fallen for her."
I nod my head silently at his advice. His words have the desired affect on me. They reassure me, and I do know he always has my back. It's also nice to know that Padmé was interested in me before we met. Maybe she even has a crush on me? That could explain why she was a bit nervous when we were at dinner after the game, that first night.
It could also explain why she was wearing my jersey. She wore it because she's a fan of mine, and I couldn't be any happier about that. She took my breath away from the moment I saw her, and seeing her in my jersey? Oh fuck, did that do something to me.
I'm not kidding. I've been dreaming about her in my jersey ever since.
A shudder runs through me, I'd honestly like to see her in nothing but my jersey and have that jersey be unbuttoned, so I could see what she's hiding underneath. I think I may just come to that image alone. Fuck, I can't be thinking like that. Not out in public at any rate.
An extremely uncomfortable hard-on forms in my workout shorts, and I have to start thinking of something else to quell it down. I can't let Ryan see me like this, but he's standing right in front of me! Shit!
I clear my throat and try to strategically rearrange myself, but we're guys, best friends at that, and know each other pretty damn well.
"Wow," he says, a feral grin on his face, completely oblivious to the image that was running through my mind. "I bet I know what you're thinking of right about now. Turned you on, huh?" Damn straight it did. Asshole. He keeps grinning like a fool and pats me on the shoulder and goes back to his rowing machine. "Just promise me you won't let your past interfere with your present and future, Bro. Padmé is special. A one of a kind type of woman. I guarantee you won't find anyone else like her anywhere."
No kidding. I've been with many women - hell more women than I can count really, and none of them have ever stayed on my mind, and none have ever had the effect on me that just imagining Padmé in my mind alone just had. It doesn't take much to get me hard. I mean, I'm a young guy who loves sex. What guy doesn't? But, usually, it takes a woman getting all up close and personal to turn me on, not just appearing in my mind.
That brings up the obvious question, When's the last time I had sex? Easy answer. The night before I met Padmé. I went clubbing with some of the guys and picked up some random chick from the bar and went back to her place and banged her...Sounds horrible to say this, I know, but I don't even remember what she looked like, and since I met Padmé, I haven't even thought of satisfying my very real needs with anyone else, because waiting to get her in my bed will totally be worth it.
I have no doubt in my mind about that.
And, once I get her there, I'm never letting her leave it. I told you...I am serious about what I'm contemplating already...Total exclusivity. Permanently. Legally. The whole deal. Forever, with Padmé. But, Ryan's right. I can't rush this, and she is definitely worth taking the time and effort to woo her, to court her. I need to take this slow and steady. But, Ryan breaks into my thoughts with more ideas, "Hey...We've been talking about going away for two or three days later this month. We were planning to go to Six Flags New England and Hurricane Harbor Waterpark for one day, and then drive across the border to Connecticut to go to Foxwoods. Padmé already agreed to come. She loves roller coasters as much as she does water sports and arcades, and you'd get to meet Sabé, her roommate, that way. She's coming too, with her boyfriend, Travis. He's a paramedic in Boston. Super nice guy. You'd like him, I'm sure."
That does sound like fun. I've been to Six Flags several times in the past, and once more, I'm thrilled that Padme and I have yet something else in common. A love of amusement parks. It's a two hour drive west from Boston to get there. So, taking a two day trip away together - especially with our good friends with us - really sounds awesome to me. "Yeah, Ry...that sounds perfect! Count me in!" I give him a nod and a big grin with my agreement.
Foxwoods sounds like fun too. It's a resort casino, and it's been a long time since I've been there. The last time I went I was actually with Ryan. We went to celebrate my twenty-first birthday, which shouldn't come as much of a surprise. I mean, he is my best friend, and we do practically everything together, and we had a helluva a great time that trip, I gotta say. I can't help smirking at the memory...Shit, it's a wonder we ever managed to sober up after that particular expedition.
He's nodding his head, "Good! We gotta nail the dates down for sure so Travis can request the time off, but we're thinking of going over the All Star Break, since neither of us is playing in that this year. That way we can squeeze it in before the girls leave on their trip."
Trip? What trip?
I stop my lifts and shoot Ryan a confused look, "What the hell are you talking about, Ry? What trip?"
He pauses in his lifts and gives me a surprised look, "Oh. That's right. You don't know, huh?" I shake my head no, a bewildered look on my face. I really have no clue what he's talking about. He enlightens me. "Well, see...Dormé wanted to go away for a girls' only trip before the wedding. So, she and several of her girlfriends, including Padmé and Sabé, are heading to Barbados for ten days later this month."
Ten days? Did he just say ten fucking days?! Because that's the only thing I really heard, but I shouldn't really be surprised. We are in the middle of the baseball season, after all, and there will be times where we'll be gone on road trips for away games, and we could end up having a ten day stretch where we're not even around. Maybe these days coincide?
That'd surely help me to not entirely miss seeing her I guess, since I wouldn't be around either. A groan tears out of me, and I shake my head in vain.
Fuck, who am I kiddin'? I have it bad, don't I? Real bad. What the hell is happening to me? Why can't I get her out of my head? Why can't I push her to the side and just concentrate on what I'm supposed to be doing? Because you want her - and only her - for the rest of your life, remember? a little voice in my head reminds me. Not that I really needed the reminder. I'm more than aware of the upheaval in my life since Padmé entered it, and though still mildly shocked by all of this, I gotta admit I am digging the changes my life is undergoing, and I'm more excited for the future than I have ever been before.
Glancing at Ryan, I finish my lifts and stand up from the bench and stretch, "So, when do they leave on their trip?"
Ryan finishes his lifts and stands up as well before we make our way over to do some leg presses, "They leave on Friday, the twentieth, and they fly home on Monday, the thirtieth." I nod as I wave Ryan to go first, and I assume my position as his spotter. As he sets his weights and then starts with his leg presses, I'm left to ponder the dates the girls will be gone, and if I remember correctly, we'll be out on a road trip for most of those days, which is a good thing, I guess. I don't know if she'll be able to get voicemail or texts out of the country, though. I guess I'll ask her about that...and if she can't, well, we'll just have that much more to talk about when she gets home.
We wrap up our workout an hour later and head to the showers. We continue to discuss dating ideas as we both lather up and wash off. Turning off the water, we dry off and head back to our lockers and get redressed in our clothes from earlier. I gather up my stuff, grab my jacket, fist bump with Ryan and thank him for all his help and tell him I'll see him tonight for our home game against Toronto, then make my way back out to the parking lot and my car. It's just after 11 a.m., and I don't have to be back at the stadium until five this afternoon. I'm thinking of going and grabbing some lunch before heading home to catch a nap when my phone buzzes in my pocket. Pulling it from my pocket, I thumb it open, and I'm thrilled to see a text message from Padmé, and I can't help the jolt of pleasure that shoots straight through me at hearing from her.
Hi! Whatcha doing? Busy? :)
Using my key fob, I unlock my Lambo and climb in, shutting the door and setting my bag down on the passenger seat before hitting the call option by her name. She answers after the second ring, and I feel pleasure wash over me again at just the sound of her soft melodic voice. "Hello? Anakin?"
A grin a mild wide forms on my mouth, "Hey, Padmé. Y'know, you must be psychic."
"Oh? How so?"
"Because you read my mind. I was just thinking about you. Actually, I've done nothing but think about you all morning." My voice is deep and husky, and it has the desired effect.
She gasps and then giggles, and I can just imagine the beautiful blush I'm sure is sweeping across her cheeks at this moment. "I've been thinking about you, too," her response is soft and shy.
Suddenly filled with the need to see her again, I grab the bull by the proverbial horns, "I just finished my morning workout, and thought I'd grab some lunch. Would you like to join me? I mean, if you're not busy, of course." Please don't be busy, I think to myself. Fortunately, her answer is immediate, and I can't stop the rush of excitement I feel when she speaks.
"Sure! That'd be great! It's a gorgeous day out...How about a picnic? We could grab some sandwiches from Sam LaGrassa's and go to Christopher Columbus Park and hang out. Does that sound good?"
"That sounds perfect, actually! Get ready. I'm on my way to get you. Be there in about thirty. Ok?"
"Sounds good. Text me when you get here, and I'll be right down."
"Great, Padmé! See you in a bit."
"I can't wait, Anakin! Bye!"
"Me, too. Bye."
We hang up, and I let out a loud whoop and a Yeah, Baby! as I fist pump the air in triumph. I wasn't expecting date number two this quick, but I am not going to complain about it, that's for damn sure. I shove my phone back in my pocket, put on my Ray Ban sunglasses, start up my car, and pull out of the players' parking lot, waving to the security staff as they raise the gate for me, and then head off for Padmé's.
Gunning the motor, my grin is positively feral as I maneuver through traffic, more sure than ever that my game plan is going to work and that Padmé will soon be mine.
And, I can't fucking wait.