Page 37 of Pretty and Loco

“His name is Ricardo Sanders. He plays for the Santa Clara Astros.”

“Rocko? Number 24?” My father asked, half surprised, half in disbelief. I should have known the name would ring bells for him. He was an avid sports enthusiast. He watched anything competitive: baseball, tennis, hockey, and if two ants could race or tackle, he’d watch that too.

“Yep.” I beamed with pride.

“Where the hell did you meet him?”

“The Halloween event that I’ve done the last four years. That’s his coach’s event. He was there this year, and we crossed paths.” I answered nonchalantly.

“How serious is it?” My mother chimed in.

“I would say very serious. I see him often; I’m sure Dayari has told you that as well.”

“You know these guys in the league, Leah. These are their golden years, and their idea of fun is not being tied down to one woman. Has he told you that he wants to be serious?”

I smirked because he’s explicitly told me the exact opposite. But the way he handled me told its own story. His mouth said that he wanted to focus on baseball and longevity. His mouth said he didn’t have time for a woman and had goals to accomplish before he could commit to a relationship. But his body and his actions told me that he was ready to make me his wife. The way he pulled me close when he slept, the way he kissed my forehead when he thought I was still asleep. The way he would sense my attitude and get me together before I could even say a word told me that he cared, and the way his dick tapped places inside of me that I thought were uncharted told me that he was trying to make his mark. So, I was inclined to go with his actions this time around.

“Yes, mother, he’s told me that he wants me to be serious. Since you must know, I’m moving a little bit closer to be with him. The commute makes it harder for us to see each other.”

The last part of that statement came out before I could stop it. I hadn’t planned to tell them about the move until it was actually happening. I don’t really have much in motion now. I had virtually toured a couple of places, but I had no concrete plan to move. I could kick myself in the ass for speaking too soon, because now I knew they’d try to stop me. I also didn’t want Dayari to find out like this.

Leah, why the hell do you do this? I scolded myself.

Everybody stopped eating at that moment, and it was a pure testament to the hell I had caused in the past, but they shouldn’t hold it against me. I’ve been a completely different person.

“What about your business?” My father asked, frowning as he looked at me.

“I’ll still be there daily. If not, my assistant is more than capable.”

Event planning is where I shined. I studied fashion and interior design, but after a year or two, it didn’t feel like home. Once I planned my first event, the rest was history. I prided myself on throwing my clients the grandest events the city has ever seen. The reviews and my reputation show I do a damn good job at it, too.

Now I would have a longer commute to my office, but that didn’t stop me. It’s amazing the crazy things we do for love.

“Does…. he…. know?” My mother's gentle tone returned as she eased the question out.

“He asked me to, Mom. You all can meet him or come to a game or two. Goodnight, thank you for the invitation.” I said casually as I pushed the chair back and rose to my feet. This time not in anger but in weariness. I was growing tired of the questions. She had me stuffed to maximum capacity, and I had a severe case of the “itis.” I didn’t want to hear anything other than the sound of my fan turning on as I crawled into my king-sized bed and went to sleep.

This time neither of them stopped me as I walked through the house, my heart hurting at the realization that I couldn’t even take the deviled eggs to go because I had a point to prove.

I closed the door behind me and kept walking down the driveway to my car.

“Leah.”

I groaned as I heard Dayari’s voice behind me.

I turned toward her with my hand on my hip. I wasn’t mad at Dayari. I expected this from her. If you asked me, she held on to the information longer than I thought she would before she called in reinforcements.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ambush you. I honestly never thought this was the reason for the dinner. I would never let you walk into something like this.”

Daya and I normally took a playful tone with each other. Our love language was fussing and cussing, so I knew by her tone alone that she was sincere with her apology.

I exhaled as I looked down at the face that resembled my own so much.

“It’s fine, Daya.”

“It’s kind of not, though. Why didn’t you tell me that you were about to move?” she asked.

“I’m not sure.”