by Blue Saffire
“You’ve read my books? Really?” he chuckled.
Immediately my mind went back to the conversation Crystal and I last had about her father. I knew he was inferring to what Crystal implied, about her being trouble. I wasn’t sure how to feel about that.
“Crystal,” Craig called, pulling her attention.
She looked up at me nervously biting her lip before rushing off to see what Craig wanted.
“So Lee, if you read my books, what are your intentions with my daughter?” Mr. Livingston asked.
“Sir, Crystal is on my priority list. I have the game and school in the right perspective. Now, I have Crystal in the right place to complete my goal. Sir, I intend to make her a part of my life,” I responded.
“You should stay focused, but Crystal has grown up a lot this past year. This place proves that. I hope she sticks to you with the same determination. You have a bright future,” he said sternly. “If Coco is what you want, I suggest you make sure up front, you’re what she wants.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Daddy, what brings you here?” Crystal asked as she returned, cutting off the intense conversation.
“Your mother is looking for you. She asked me to stop by and see if I could catch you.”
“Oh, no… what now?” Crystal whined. “If she isn’t calling my phone, she wants something I need to run away from.”
“You know your mother, honey,” Mr. Livingston chuckled. “She wants you to come up to the house.”
“Would it be okay if we stop at my parents’ place?” she asked.
“Sure, no problem.”
“Thanks. I promise it won’t take long,” she said, but wrinkled her nose at her father.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” he laughed.
“Daddy, we have plans. Mommy can’t hold me hostage today,” she pouted.
“You can’t blame your parents for wanting to spend a little time with you Coco.” Her father cared about her, you could see it in his eyes and the way he talked to her.
“Okay,” she huffed. “Well, I just wrapped up here. Ready?”
“Yes.” I answered.
“Make sure you’re driving safely with my little girl,” her father said and kissed her forehead.
“No problem, Sir.”
My head was still reeling from the fact that Greg Livingston was Crystal’s father. I mean this guy is huge in person. Crystal is a little thing. I towered over her at six-five and her dad was taller than me.
I would never have thought the way she talks about her budgets that her father was Greg Livingston. Crystal didn’t need my money. Her father’s money made what I have look like cheese on a mouse trap.
We all left out, heading for the parking lot. Her father climbed into his grey Bentley, while we got into my car. Once we were in the car, she entered the address to her parents’ house in the GPS.
“Why didn’t you tell me who your father is?” I asked.
“You of all people should understand. You’re not the only one with groupies,” she scoffed. “People get stupid when they know I have money.”
“I guess I understand that,” I mused. “But Ma, you thought I would trip.”
“I don’t know. I was going to tell you. I just wanted to see where this was going. If…if you feel the same way about me as I feel about you,” she said softly.
I leaned over and kissed her.
“Crystal, I love you and who your father is has no effect on that either way.”
I told her while rubbing my nose to hers. I let my words hang between us while they sunk in. I knew how I felt and I had already resolved that I planned to tell her.
“I love you too. Baby, I’ve never felt this way about anyone.”
Her words caused me to beam down at her. My chest filled with joy. It was one thing for my mother to tell me Crystal had feelings for me, but another to hear it out of her mouth for myself.
“Maybe we better go. My father will worry if we are too far behind him,” she said as she stared into my eyes.
I started the car, following the instructions the GPS started to call out.
Chapter 14
Meet the Family
It didn’t take us long to get to the large estate Crystal called home. Pulling up to the gates made me feel more embarrassed about the thoughts I once had about Crystal. She was so far from a gold digger.
I had signed a nice contract and gotten some great endorsements, but I still wasn’t in a comfortable enough place to do this for her. This place screamed wealth and planning. It said those behind the doors knew what they wanted in life and made it happen.
I was still in the planning stages for all of this to come. I started to question whether I was even worth Crystal’s time after all. Clearly, I needed to step things up to be with her. Her father was one of the men I looked up to as a mentor. I needed to accomplish some of my goals to even look like I’d been a worthy mentee.
Excitement covered Crystal’s face as we got to the front of the house. I have to admit I had become nervous. I wondered if her mother would like me. I still wasn’t that sure about her father. It seemed like he was cool with me dating Crystal.
“Park right up front,” Crystal nodded in the direction she was suggesting.
I got out of the car to open her door so she could climb out. She eagerly grabbed my hand, pulling me along through the large front doors of the house. Her face lit up as she watched for my reaction to the house.
The place was beautiful. The kind of house you dreamed about. As I looked around and then back at her, it all fit together. She looked like she belonged in this house. I couldn’t see how I had missed it before, but Crystal looked like money. Pictures of her coming to class all dressed up, started to flash in my head. I could see what I had been missing all along.
“What are you thinking?” she stopped to ask.
“This place is huge. I have a lot of work to do to give you what you deserve.” I said the first thing that came to mind.
After I said it I wasn’t so sure I meant to be that honest. I looked down at my feet, my brows drawn together. This all caught me off guard.
“See, that’s why I don’t tell guys who my family is. I don’t want you to think you have to do what my father does. It took him time to build this,” she said, reaching up to cup my face. “Time and a great woman by his side. You can have this and give it to me, but that work will not just be yours. Don’t let this intimidate you.”
“See, that’s why I love you,” I crooned, dipping to kiss her.
“I love you too,” she giggled. “Let’s go find my mom.”
“Alright.”
“Mommy,” she started to call through the house. “Mom.”
“I’m in the kitchen, Crystal. How many times do I have to tell you kids not to call through the house,” I heard a woman’s voice call back to her.
We turned a corner and entered a large kitchen area. There was a woman dressed like a maid at the sink and another woman at the bar counter sitting on a stool with a bunch of magazines, a legal pad, and what looked like checklists. I could tell right away she was Crystal’s mom. They looked like twins. The woman stood up the moment she saw us.
“Hey Coco, who do we have here?” her mother sang.
“Mommy, I want you to meet Lee. Lee, this is my mother.” Crystal looked so proud to introduce me to her mother, which made me feel good.
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Livingston,” I reached out to shake her mother’s hand, but she stepped forward to hug me.
“Nice to meet you,” she chimed. “Crystal, are we keeping secrets?”
“No, Mommy. I just wasn’t sure I was ready to bring him home.” She shrugged and bit her lip as she looked at me.
“So does this mean Lee will be escorting you to your ball?”
“Mommy, that’s in four months.”
“And you need to pick a dress and have his tux coordinated.”
“He works on weekends,” Crystal whined.
/>
“Well, four months is plenty of time to give notice to get the day off.”
Mr. Livingston entered the kitchen laughing at their exchange. “Honey, the NFL does not just give their starting quarterback the day off for his girlfriend’s graduation party,” he teased.
“Oh! You’re a player. Coco how did that happen?” her mother snorted in the same cute way she does.
“Mommy,” Crystal grumbled and gave her a look.
My curiosity was peaked. I wondered what exactly that was all about. I looked at Crystal, but she wouldn’t look at me. When a few beats passed I decided to relieve some of the tension.
“Actually, Crystal I meant to tell you, I checked and we have a home game that weekend. I want to be your escort.”
“Really?” she turned towards me this time. She threw her arms around my waist. “Thank you.”
“No problem.”
“Finally, so we can go dress shopping tomorrow,” her mother sighed.
“I have plans with Lee this weekend.” Crystal huffed.
“Well, we need to start looking Coco or you can have one made as I’ve been suggesting.”
I liked her mother, she was funny. I see where Crystal gets her determination to get what she wants. I could see Crystal would cater to her mother’s requests one way or another. It was only a matter of time.
“What’s up, sis,” a tall built looking kid called as he entered the kitchen.
Crystal’s face lit up as he came to hug her. She held his hand while turning to look up at me. Again she looked proud to be able to introduce me to her family.
“Ricky, this is Lee.”
“Oh word! What’s up man? My sister has been asking me all types of questions about you.”
Immediately he looked like he didn’t mean to blurt that out. Crystal frowned, throwing an elbow at him. Ricky reached to rub his ribs.
“Nice to meet you,” I chuckled.
“You’ve been doing your thing out there.”
“Thanks, I told your sister you should come out to a game. I’ll give her my home game dates. Just let me know when you want to come.”
“I’m with it. Coco, what’s good?” He crooned with excitement.
“If you want to go,” she shrugged.
“Crystal, I would love if you would come this weekend. I can get you guys in the skybox.”
“Is that cool with you, Ricky?” she asked.
“Yeah, Coco, please.”
“Okay,” she giggled.
“Mr. Livingston, I would be honored if you would come too.”
I wasn’t trying to suck up. I actually wanted him to come to my game. I mean, he knows the game, the league, everything.
“A chance to spend time with my Coco, I don’t see why not,” Mr. Livingston replied.
“Well, speaking of time. Mommy, Lee and I have plans tonight. I know you wanted something. What’s up?” Crystal went over to her mother and rested her arms on her shoulders.
“I had a great idea. Since the salon will be finished by the party, I thought we should promote the grand opening. I found some great ideas,” her mother sang, pointing to some things she found in her magazines.
Crystal switched into business mode again. Her father winked at me and laughed. He nodded for me to follow him out of the kitchen. I figured we weren’t leaving anytime soon. I didn’t mind. I always wanted a chance to sit in a room with Mr. Livingston to pick his brain.
Pick his brain is exactly what I did. He quizzed me for about two hours and then he let me have my turn. We talked about the game, how to stay on top of my finances, watching my agent, being aware of decisions and changes around me, and balancing it all. We talked more in detail about Crystal too.
Her father truly wants the best for her. He said she has a habit of finding guys that are ideal and walking away from them. I had my own questions about that.
I did consider that this could totally be his opinion, but I wanted to know more about the fact. There had to be more that lead him to his beliefs. I guess my questions were written all over my face.
“There’s a reason I refused to pay for Coco to go to school. That girl would start something new every week. Usually right after quitting whatever it was she just started.
“Let me see. There was singing lessons, piano, did you know she was in a group with her cousin, KG,” he chuckled and shook his head. “At one point, she was dancing in his videos. Then she was his stylist. There was the time she wanted to be a stewardess and fly around the world. Oh, and a race car driver. I blame her giving up on that one on her mother.
“It didn’t stop there though. She’s the same with relationships. Coco loses interest in things. I wanted her to learn the cost of starting something and not finishing. I know I spoil my daughter, but I think not paying her tuition was one of the best things I could ever do for her.”
“She finished,” I chuckled.
“That she did. She had to work for it and this time she had boundaries. Being told no made her determined to have it,” his smile broadened. “I’m damn proud of that girl. She not only stuck to it. She exceled at it. Her grades have been remarkable and she did it all full-time.”
“She’s amazing,” I said proudly.
“She sure is. I watched her map it all out and execute her plan. The girl is damn smart,” he nodded.
“Yeah, she is.”
His next words answered a question I’d been wondering about. Crystal is a full time student and she’s paying her own way through school. If her parents aren’t helping the money has to come from somewhere.
“You have no idea. Did you know she goes around and consults salons on how to increase their revenue? She does hair in their shops every now and then to make some cash.
“In addition, she trains their stylists. Made enough the first year to pay for her tuition and the dorm. She has a gift for those salons.
The more I learned about Crystal the more into her I became. When she and her mother were done they came to the study we were in. Her mother took her turn getting to know me while telling me stories about her daughter.
As usual, Crystal was doing Crystal. She made sure I ate and had plenty to drink. Every chance she got, she placed her hands on me in small comforting gestures. Touching my knee, my face, my shoulder—every now and then—casually placing a hand on my chest.
We left her parents’ house pretty late, after they insisted we stay for dinner with them. When we arrived at my place Crystal was wiped out. I had a million questions I wanted to ask her.
However seeing her exhaustion, I held them all in. I let her shower sorting my thoughts while I waited. When she came out, I massaged her back while she fell asleep.
I figured I would have plenty of time to ask all of my questions later. I wasn’t going anywhere and I was almost sure that neither was she. Hopefully, I was something she would stick to.
Chapter 15
Move In?
I was hyped on Sunday to play with Crystal and her family in the box, especially her dad. It showed in my game. I had five hundred yards passing, forty yards rushing, and three touchdowns.
After the game I got Crystal’s father and brother access to the locker room. A few of the players talked to Ricky about the game, which got him charged up. I could see in his eyes he went from wanting to play to needing to play.
I was happy I could help. Mr. Livingston looked happy to see Ricky focused on the game, while deciding to become more dedicated. A few of the guys on the team surrounded Mr. Livingston. Each one trying to get information and pointers. It made me feel privileged that I’d gotten a one on one with him.
After the game, Mr. Livingston took us all out to dinner. I could see how excited Crystal had been for me. She mentioned it was the first time she’d gotten a chance to see me play.
She doesn’t watch sports a lot. She went to her brother’s games as much as she could to support him, but she wasn’t one to faithfully sit and watch. She understood the game though. It was cute
to hear her talk about the numbers I put up and different plays from the game.
On the way home, she made it a point to let me know how excited she was to see me play. I needed to get home before she made me crash my car. I was holding on by a thread. I was already charged up from the win.
She leaned into me, placing a hand on my thigh. My dick twitched in my pants. Stopping at a light, I turned to look her. I could see the mischief in his eyes. Kissing those full lips quickly, I turned back toward the road.
“I’m so proud of you, Baby,” she whispered in my ear.
“Crystal,” I warned.
“Yes,” she purred. “Tell me what you want. I want to show my man just how proud of him I am.”
“I want to beat that pussy up right,” I licked my lips, looking out the corners of my eyes.
“Mm, you can do that. But let me tell you what I plan to do for my man,” she said, squeezing me through my pants. “I’m going to lick you from head to toe. I want to taste every single inch of you. When I’m done, I’m going to climb onto your face and ride it while I suck the cum right out of your—
“Shit,” I hissed, slamming on the breaks.
Crystal tried not to laugh, but it slipped through her lips. I turned to narrow my eyes at her. I’d almost run into the back of the car in front of us.
“Focus, Mr. Johnson,” she taunted.
“I got your Mr. Johnson,” I muttered.
“Yes, baby. You do,” she sang, reaching to cup my strained erection once more.
She sat back in her seat, bouncing her leg over her other thigh. I did everything I could not to run a light or get a speeding ticket. I was almost ready to burst. All the dirty things going through my head. I planned to work that ass out.
However, something changed though when we got to my place. Crystal went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. I sat waiting for her to come out, still turned on from the ride home.
Something shifted when she stepped into the room dressed in a pink silk nightgown. I saw her differently For the first time, I saw my wife.