The Game Changer

by Trio, L. M.

  “It is an Art Museum, not a baseball field,” I tease.

  “I know. God, and look at you. Who are you? Are you going to keep this on later?” he says, tugging at my blouse.

  “And what’s wrong with the way I usually look?”

  We continue the bantering for a few more minutes until I see one of my supervisors walking towards us.

  “As much as I love that you’re here... dirty and all, I have to get back to work.”

  “Do you need me to come back to get you?” he asks as my supervisor approaches.

  “No, I’ll take the bus. By the time you get home, you’d have to come right back. I’ll be done in about an hour.”

  My supervisor walks up to us. “Mrs. Sheppard, this is my boyfriend, Luke. He had to stop by on his way home from work to give me the key to my house.”

  “Nice to meet you,” she says, nodding in Luke’s direction. “Jesse, the couple over there, requested for you to escort them through the rest of the museum. They are very impressed with your knowledge of the paintings.”

  “Sure. No problem,” I reply. She walks back over to the couple I had been with before Luke showed up.

  “Sorry,” Luke apologizes.

  “It’s fine. At least they gave her good feedback on me.”

  “I know, right. See that, everyone is impressed by you. I’ll see you when you get home. I just wanted to see if you needed a ride.”

  I walk in the direction of the well-dressed couple as I watch with my fluttering heart as my supportive, good-hearted Luke walks down the hallway, towards the exit. Filthy or not, he’s still beautiful to me.

  “We’re sorry, Honey. We didn’t mean to interrupt you,” the woman acknowledges as I walk over to them.

  “No problem, my boyfriend was just finishing up work and stopped by to see if I needed a ride home,” I answer sheepishly.

  “Oh, that’s nice. He looks like he was working hard,” the woman replies.

  “Yeah, I was surprised to see him working today. He had a game this morning. He usually doesn’t work on game days,” I reply, more to myself than to them, as we walk towards a section of the museum they haven’t yet visited.

  With that statement I get the husband’s attention. “What type of game?” he asks.

  “Baseball.”

  “Oh, no. Don’t tell him that, he’s a baseball fanatic! Just to get him away from the TV on the weekend is a chore in itself,” the woman jokes.

  “Hey. I’m here, aren’t I?” he exclaims while turning to me. “That’s a big boy. College?”

  “No high school… Senior.”

  “Is he any good? What position?” he asks.

  “Fred!” his wife hollers.

  “What? I’m just asking.” He laughs, turning a bright shade of red as he shrugs his shoulders.

  “It’s fine. He’s pretty good. He’s a pitcher,” I reply casually.

  “Big kid,” he repeats. “Is he looking to play in college?” he asks intrusively. As I start to answer, his wife interrupts.

  “Fred! Honey, you have to excuse his rudeness, but once he gets talking about baseball, he starts to relive his college days through other people. Besides, he’d rather be talking about baseball than paintings.”

  “That’s not true. You know I love visiting the galleries.”

  “Just not as much as watching a baseball game,” she shoots back.

  “Can’t argue that,” he says, shaking his head at me. “You were saying?”

  “Well, to be honest, college is up in the air. I think he’ll get drafted next month,” I say meekly, not sure how much he really knows about this whole thing.

  “Really? That good? What round are they talking?” he asks enthusiastically.

  This now becomes a conversation between me and him. His wife, I can tell, has no idea what we are talking about.

  “First.”

  “Get outta here. What’s his name?” he asks a little unbelievingly.

  “Luke DiAngelo.” I say meekly, expecting him not to know who I’m talking about.

  “That was Luke DiAngelo?” he asks, laughing and shaking his head in disbelief.

  I nod my head in embarrassment. “That’s Luke,” I answer quietly. His wife is just watching us, left out of the loop, while I can feel my cheeks turning a bright shade of red. This is the first time I’ve ever encountered someone outside of Bay Point that has heard of Luke. Furthermore, it brings me to the realization of how popular he already is.

  “Honey, he’s more than pretty good. Forget the first round. Do you realize he’s supposed to go in the first five picks?”

  Again, I nod my head, starting to feel a little uneasy with this fame thing and ready to change the subject.

  “Fred, can’t you see you’re embarrassing her. Look, she’s turning red,” the woman looks at me apologetically.

  “It’s fine,” I say shyly.

  I can sense his wife is getting bored, though, so I divert the conversation back to art as we walk through the remainder of the museum. Although he does manage to ask a few more questions. They’re an adorable couple, I enjoy their company and by the time I have finished guiding them through the museum, my shift is finally over for the day. The couple thanks me on a job well done. They wish Luke luck and say they’ll be watching and rooting for him. I see them speaking with Mrs. Sheppard on their way out. As I’m signing out, she tells me she is happy with my performance and that the museum is lucky to have me. I text Luke from the bus to let him know I’m on my way home.

  He is waiting at the stop for me when I get off the bus, looking much cleaner than before. “What are you doing here?” I ask, surprised to see him for the second time today.

  “I wanted to see you, again... looking so...”

  “Sophisticated is the word I believe you used.”

  “Exactly,” he says as he kisses me hello and throws his arm around me as we head in the direction of my house.

  I fill him in on the couple I met and how strange it felt to have a complete stranger talk about him. He listens, but doesn’t say much, I’m waiting for a smart ass comment.

  “Hello? Are you listening?”

  “Yeah, of course I’m listening,” he says calmly.

  “No comments?” I ask, searching his eyes.

  “It’s weird, huh? All of these people... watching. It’s strange to me sometimes, too. I should be used to it by now, but sometimes... I don’t know. Do you know what I mean?”

  I’m a little taken aback by his reaction. He’s usually so confident and matter-of-fact about the whole thing, especially now that he’s so close.

  “I know exactly what you mean, but this is such a great thing that is happening to you. I’m really happy for you. You’ve worked so hard to get here. Everything is going to be great and I’m right here for you.”

  “That’s what I’m countin’ on,” he says as he gives me a huge bear hug. “So what’s our plan for tonight?” he changes the subject.

  “First off, I’m starving. De said there was a party at Shane Donovan’s house.”

  “Yeah, the guys were talkin’ about it today. Is that what you want to do?” he asks, but reading his mood, I can tell it’s not what he wants.

  “Actually, how about we do something together? Is that okay?”

  “See, that’s why I love you. We’re always thinkin’ the same thing. Good, because I already have somethin’ planned. What do you have to do?” he asks as we walk up my driveway.

  “Jump in the shower. I’ll be ready in ten minutes.”

  “Okay, take your time. I’ll be back in twenty,” he says as he turns to leave.

  “Wait, where are we going? How should I dress?”

  “Comfortable. It’ll just be us.”

  “Sounds perfect already, but, don’t forget, I’m hungry.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” he says as he jogs down my walkway.

  Chapter 33(Jesse)

  The warm water flows, washing away Luke’s favorite scented sh
ower gel that I have lathered on my skin. I can’t help but wonder what he has planned for us. I freshly paint my toenails to match my Juicy Couture Pink Terry Hoodie Mini Dress. I look at the clock on my dresser, it’s been a half hour and Luke still isn’t back. I check in with my dad at work. He won’t be home till after midnight so Luke and I have plenty of time to ourselves.

  I impatiently stare out the window, waiting for Luke’s return. The sun is beginning to set. Killing time, I pull out my sketchpad, but before I have a chance to begin, Luke bursts through the front door, I jump from the couch to greet him.

  “It’s about time. I thought you forgot about me,” I say.

  “Fat chance, you’re all I can think about,” he says, grabbing me and kissing me. “I said I’d be back in twenty minutes.”

  “It’s been forty-five,” I say impatiently.

  “Sorry, I had to do a few things... You look pretty.”

  “Thanks. Where we going?”

  “You’ll see.”

  “Do I need anything?”

  “Just you.” He grabs my hand and leads me out the door.

  We head in the direction of the inlet; I figure we must be going to the beach, which is fine by me. It’s the first time we’ve been here since the weather changed and tonight is a perfect evening. The stars light the sky and the warm ocean breeze is blowing; it’s unusually warm for this time of year. He makes small talk as we walk, asking about my day at work. He’s anxious, I can tell. We walk hand in hand along the water. The cool ocean water rolling over our feet adds to the whimsical feel of the evening. We walk along the beach much farther down than we usually do. We finally settle on the rocks for a few minutes to talk.

  “This was a good idea. It’s beautiful tonight. We’ve never been this far down.”

  “It’s private. No one comes down this far. Are you still hungry?”

  “I’m fine,” I answer, ignoring my growling stomach.

  “Wrong answer. You’re supposed to say yes.”

  “Okay, yes. I didn’t want to make you feel bad, I thought you forgot and being here is so nice. I don’t want to leave; it’s such a nice night.”

  “Who says we’re leaving? Come with me.” He grabs my hand and helps me down from the rocks as he leads me a little further down the beach. “Okay, now I need to cover your eyes.” He places his hands over my eyes as he walks behind me, guiding me along. “No peeking.”

  “I can’t see a thing,” I promise, my whole body tingling with excitement. Finally, we stop and he removes his hands.

  Blankets are spread out in the sand on a secluded section of the beach, surrounded by trees, but with the water so close, you can practically touch it. The only light is from the moon, the stars and the numerous candles flickering in mason jars. “Oh, my God, Luke! How did you do this? It’s beautiful. How did you ever find this spot?” I ask, regretting that second question as soon as I say it.

  “Okay, I know what you’re thinking. No, I’ve never been here before. I wouldn’t do that.” He knows instantly what entered my mind. “I was trying to think of something that means a lot to both of us and I thought of the beach. I came down after work today looking for a spot that would be totally private, no interruptions. I found this. I don’t think anyone ever walks this far down. I didn’t know it existed, to be honest.

  Anyway, I set everything up earlier, before you got home from work. The only thing I had to do was pick up the food and come back and light the candles. That’s what took me so long.” He opens up a cooler filled with food and drinks. “Oh yeah, and I was banking on you saying you didn’t want to go to the party tonight. That would have sucked.”

  I laugh, thinking about how that would have sucked. It’s even more special to me, knowing the time he spent planning this. It looks like something you would see in a magazine or a movie.

  “Sit. Eat.” He directs as he turns on his iPod’s portable speakers.

  “I don’t know if I can... My stomach is doing flip-flops.”

  “Yes, you can. You said you were starving. I got all of your favorites. I wasn’t sure what you would be in the mood for; the Turkey with Avocado, the Chicken Salad Wrap, or the Santa Fe Turkey with Jack.”

  “You thought of everything. What about you?”

  “Me? You know how that goes. Whatever you don’t eat, I will. Relax. You look really nervous, which, for some reason, is making me really nervous.” He hands me a Pomegranate Mike’s Hard, another of my favorites, as he opens up one for himself.

  “Sorry. This is perfect. I don’t know why I feel nervous,” I say as I pick up half of the Turkey and Avocado sandwich and take a bite.

  “See, that’s my girl. I just want to hang out and chill with you tonight. We don’t have to make it anything other than that,” he says calmly as he picks up the Santa Fe Turkey and takes a huge bite. Just then, his cell phone starts buzzing. “No interruptions,” he says, turning off the ringer.

  “Good idea,” I agree, copying.

  With the warm, ocean breeze and the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks, it would have been difficult not to feel relaxed. We are enjoying being together as we usually do. Especially, while listening to the music, which is a crazy mix of Luke’s favorites; Lifehouse, Led Zeppelin, The Script, Kanye, a little bit of Coldplay and of course Springsteen; to name a few.

  We finish up our sandwiches as we discuss his meeting today with the scouts from Tampa Bay. We also talk about his other strong possibilities, Arizona and Atlanta. Tampa is actually interested in him and Mikey, which would be totally cool for them, but what are the odds of them being on the same team? Chicago and the Dodgers have their eyes on Mikey, as well.

  Luke rests flat on his back with one arm folded behind his head while the other strokes my hair as I lay my head against his stomach and we gaze up at the twinkling stars above us. “Enough about me. What’s my little Picasso going to do while I’m gone?”

  “Look for colleges with good art programs in Florida, Arizona or Georgia,” I joke.

  “Now, if I was a selfish person, I would tell you to skip school altogether and just follow me around... but, I’m not, so I’m happy with you looking into one of those three states only,” he jokes. “But seriously, you know I’m kiddin’. You have to go to the best school there is, you are so good at what you do, I’m really proud of you. I’ll follow you whenever I can. I’ll be movin’ around a lot, but in the off season and any other chance I get, I’ll be wherever you are,” he assures me.

  “This is going to work for us, Luke. I know that. I’m not worried,” I say without a doubt as I lean in to kiss him.

  “Me, neither. We’ll be fine. Look at my mom and dad. They’re perfect. They just stick together through it all.”

  “I know. Maria and I have talked about it. It doesn’t matter where you end up... thank God for technology.”

  He props himself on one elbow, as he runs his hands softly over my body. “I’m not going to lie to you, I’ll miss this.” He leans down and kisses me softly on the lips.

  “Me, too, but you know what they say... Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

  “I don’t know if that’s possible.”

  “We’ll know soon enough... I don’t know... You may find someone out there more... sophisticated than me,” I tease.

  “I don’t think so, especially after seeing you today... But I think I should be worried about you. Don’t think I don’t notice that Blake Christiansen kid always trying to get under my skin, walkin’ with you after Art class. He always has this smug look on his face like he can’t wait for me to leave... waiting to pounce... And, now that we are on the subject... how about Timmy’s friend, what’s his name? He’s always lingering around, too, watching you. If it wasn’t for Deanna, I’d be telling him to take a hike, too.”

  He is cracking me up, because I’ve never heard him act jealous before. “You are so weird. I have no idea what you are even talking about.”

  “Uh, huh... Don’t play dumb. Mikey no
tices it, too,” he says, tickling me.

  “Mikey’s a trouble maker.” I giggle. He laughs, too, agreeing with me. I can just picture Mikey getting him riled up.

  He opens up two more Mike’s Hard and we walk quietly hand in hand back to the rocks, it is one of those times when we can just sit there forever in silence, enjoying the peaceful night, feeling the spray from the water, taking in the scent of the ocean and just enjoy being together. After a while, he jumps down, once again turning to take my hand as he helps me down.

  He leads me back to the blanket and we sit side by side. He kisses me softly while carefully laying me back on the blanket. My fingers entwine though his thick, black hair; dampened by the spray of the water. I pull him closer and he smiles. Our eyes never leave each other as everything seems to follow so naturally. The smell of his skin and the sound of his breathing, seem to arouse me even more.

  He takes his time with me, not rushing any moment of this. His dark eyes search mine, confirming that I’m ready, enjoying every part of his touch. Slowly, he removes my clothing and I watch his face fill with desire as his eyes and hands roam my body. Not breaking my gaze from his, he helps me remove his clothing so that I can feel his bare skin against mine. A soft groan escapes his mouth as his tongue moves softly, but skillfully, over my lips, making their way down the rest of my body, causing each part to burn, wanting more.

  Again, he looks to me for reassurance. Hungrily, I pull his head up towards mine; wanting to taste his mouth again and give him confirmation that I am ready, relaxed and waiting. I tell him I love him as he carefully positions himself between my legs. Tenderly, and slowly, he enters me, asking if I’m okay. I feel a slight pain, but one that passes quickly as he whispers my name and tells me he loves me, too. He takes his time as he masterly, but gently, moves inside me, slowly, watching me carefully, knowing when he has me filled with complete desire.

  A moan escapes my lips, causing him to smile and tell me again how much he loves me. I begin to move my hips faster in rhythm with his. I’m savoring every minute our bodies are joined. I can barely stand it anymore as both of our breathing becomes more erratic the faster he moves inside me. I clench onto his dampened skin, pulling him closer as again, a moan escapes my mouth. Together, we explode in complete desire. His eyes hold mine and he’s breathing heavy as his body collapses over mine with his strong arms holding me tightly.