He was slightly embarrassed that Tika saw his refrigerator bare. It was not always like that, but since he was rarely there and when he was there he was not cooking, why did he need to buy food? And he had to admit, he didn't know much about grocery shopping.

Sure when he was in college and down in Springfield, he would go to the store and buy things, but there was no rhyme or reason to it and it was food that he did not have to cook. And most of that was unhealthy. So when Anthony told him about getting fresh food delivered to him, it was the perfect situation.

Now he had a girlfriend, and if she wanted something to eat, he had nothing for her. He should have thought this through before inviting her over to his place.

"If you want something to eat, we could order something."

"I think it's too late for that, so you're lucky I'm not hungry." She leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his neck. "I think I'm just down for making out again."

That was all he needed anyway. He let her plant kisses all over his neck, and then she began sucking on his neck. He felt himself get hard in his pants and the way Tika was sitting on him, he couldn't even adjust himself.

He felt so warm he started to sweat.

"Hold up Tik...are you hot? It's getting hot in here." He slightly moved her away from him to give himself some air. And he could discretely adjust himself.

"Well, we could just get naked and that would cool us off." Her hands slipped up his shirt, but he took her hand and gently moved it away. "Unless we want to just get all sweaty and then-"

"I told you, we'll make it special, so not tonight."

She groaned and pouted her sexy lips. That made him pull her to him for a kiss.

"Thank you for being patient with me. You know I want you and will make it worth the wait. I've been dreaming about being with you for years."

She perked up and smiled at that. "Oh yeah? How long?"

"Since I first laid eyes on you. But I didn't know you, not the real you. Like now, knowing you in person and all your thoughts and dreams, how you feel about life. I like everything I'm learning about you."

"That I'm a horny toad that wants to jump your bones?"

"No," he took her hands. "I saw how you were with your daughter today. She came first, as it should. I could see the love between you, how you look at her, and how she looks at you. And I know you don't get to spend as much time with her."

"She's the one thing I did right in this world."

"You know that's not true." He kissed her forehead. "Your whole life is everything you have done right."

She laid her head on his chest and his arms automatically went around her, holding her, to protect her.

"I like how you were with her. I mean, I haven't told her about us...but I hope when we're ready, you two get along."

He had never really been around kids before. Outside of volunteering with organizations, which didn't count much when it came to raising kids. He never dated anyone with kids or even had friends with kids. His nieces and nephews were born when he was still young, now they were far from little kids. His oldest niece was twenty years old, his youngest was eleven. And none of them lived in Caruthersville or came to visit him often.

Not that things were serious enough Tika would have her around Autumn like that. Now he was nervous. This was something he should have questioned before now. Was he ready to step up and take the role of dating someone with a kid? How would that work? Just be friends with her. Hang out with her? Treat her as if he was his child?

No. Autumn had a father. Tika did not talk much about him, but judging by what he saw about him on social media, he was not with Autumn that much. Or maybe he did not post pictures about her like Tika did. He did not seem like a very involved father.

He did not know the situation, so he did not ask.

All he could do was what Tika allowed him to do. Be there as she needed him to be. The boyfriend.

The next day while he was at the stadium and busy doing his ritual workout, Anthony and Perez came over to stretch with him. Typically they all had their own separate ritual to do. Anthony didn't do much stretching but said he did enough with their pre-game warmup. Perez had a whole weird thing he did that was not stretching nor prepping to play

"I wonder if Tika is coming to the game again tonight," Perez said doing toe-touches with him.

He inwardly cringed at that. Here they go, about to say something out of pocket about Tika and he would have to lose his cool.

"Yes, I can get used to seeing her around here," Anthony said and gave him a little shove. "I know you would."

"Dude!" He gave him a shove back. He was not going to talk about Tika at all with them. She was off limits for locker room talk.

Perez finished his toe touches and stood straight up. "I think she has the hots for me." He said this matter-of-factly and with a grin. "Yesterday after the game, with her kid, I met her father. See, already meeting the parents."

Tika, Autumn, and her father met several of the players yesterday. He hated to bust his teammate's bubble, but he wanted to tell him so badly that if Tika was there again, she was there for him. That he was hot and heavy with Tika Foster. That he saw Tika in the nude, well topless anyway, and in a skimpy thong. And he rubbed cheap lotion all over her body. AMerica's dream girl and he could call her his girlfriend.

Then he would hear more crass remarks from the guys in the locker room. He did not want to have to defend Tika's honor to a bunch of chauvinist pigs.

He ignored them and finished his routine. He grabbed his bands to do some wrist stretches, ignoring the guys. He stretched his neck, back, and shoulders. Did lateral lunges, trunk twists, and waist circles. He was loose. He found a corner to sit and relax, and meditate. He put on his arm warmers, earbuds in his ear, and listened He was ready to take the field for the pre-game warmup.

After throwing his ritual of pitches, he hung back while the rest of the team talked with the press that was always there pre-game. He never had any interest in that, even though they tried to get his attention.

"Yo!" Anthony came over and sat beside him in the dugout. "They asked me about Tika."

He was going to regret asking this, but he had to. "What did they ask?"

"If I or anyone on the team was dating her."

This was the type of madness he did not need before a game. If everyone around him was going to talk about Tika, his focus would switch from the game to her. As much as he wanted to scream to everyone that he was dating Tika Foster but their relationship was private and none of their business, but he knew he could not.

"Don't worry, I didn't let them know you were the lucky guy."

His mouth dropped open in shock. Did Anthony just say what he thought he said? How in the world did he know? He never gave him any reason to know.

"Look, don't be shocked I know. You've had the hots for her for years. I know you helped her with the pitch and I know you made a move then."

"I didn't."

"Yes, you did. Or she made a move, whatever. Because ever since that she's been hanging around. I saw you with her kid yesterday."

"Autumn met the whole team."

"No, you were different with her. It's cool. I think you're the right guy for her. If it's not me, why not my best friend? Count on me to not let it out of the bag. I got you, bro."

He still did not want to admit it to him. He trusted Anthony would not talk to the media or anyone else about Tika and him. But if he figured it out, maybe Perez and the others could. The way he defended her when they were at the club. 

He did not need this before a game.

He cleared his thoughts of Tika and wanting to be with her. He wished she was here at the game, cheering him on. Not as if he could hear her from the stands, but he could feel her. But he knew Tika had a busy day and was spending most of the day with Autumn. He would love to spend time with her but this was his job. His career. His life.