Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
D amon didn’t have a game tonight, but he was on his way to the gym to work out. After he merged into traffic, he dialed his father’s number in Arkansas.
Chadwick Foster tended to rise early, sitting out on the back porch as he sipped his coffee, so Damon wasn’t surprised when he answered at this hour.
“Hey, Pop, how’s it goin’?”
“Hey, son. Going all right out here. How’s your shoulder?”
Damon rotated his right shoulder, which had suffered a minor injury weeks ago during spring training.
“Much better. I’m headed to the gym now to work out. Where’s Ma?”
“She left the house early today. You remember Joanna from down the street? Her husband died, so your mom has been keeping her company and helping her out since she doesn’t have any family living close by. They have an appointment at the funeral home this morning.”
That didn’t surprise Damon. His mother was that kind of woman—very caring and in tune with other people. No surprise, since she had been a social worker for years.
“What can I help you with?” Chadwick asked.
“What makes you think I need help with something?” Damon replied.
“You have that sound in your voice.”
He chuckled softly. His father knew him well. “You’re right. It’s about a woman.”
“Uh-oh.”
“It’s not bad. I met someone, and I really like her. Real talk, I’m obsessed with her.” He gave his father a quick explanation of how he met Audra, the flowers and gifts, and their first date a couple of days ago.
“I think she had a good time, but before she agreed to go out with me, she treated me like a regular dude and took a long time to give me a shot. She probably wouldn’t have if I didn’t go up to her job. That’s why I have my doubts. I want to call her, but I don’t want to come across as a stalker.”
“Too late,” his father quipped.
“Damn.”
Chadwick chuckled. “Let me see if I understand what you’re saying. You went on a date and had a good time, but now you’re worried about calling her too soon. Do I have that right?”
“Yes.” He never had this problem with other women he dated. They understood he was seeing multiple women at the same time, and they were happy when he called. He knew he couldn’t treat Audra the same way, but at the same time he didn’t quite know how to move with her.
He’d been an athletic star since middle school and was used to being catered to—by women, teachers, fellow students, and adults. This was the first time he had to put in the work and didn’t want to mess things up.
“Have you communicated with her at all since the date?” his father asked.
Damon checked his side mirror and switched lanes. “I sent a text after I dropped her off on Saturday night. That’s it. Nothing since then.”
“So you put in all that effort to win her over, and now that you’ve got her, you’re pulling back. Do I have that correct?”
“When you put it that way…”
“That’s not me. That’s how this young lady will see your lack of communication, son. Now she’s probably thinking you didn’t have a good time or were somehow disappointed by the date. She probably thinks you’re no longer interested.”
He had never considered that angle. “I don’t want her to think that I didn’t have a good time, but it’s only been a couple of days. I don’t want to be too pushy.”
“But you’re interested?”
“Hell, yeah.”
“Well then, it’s time to let her know. Talk to the young lady. Make plans for another date. If she’s not interested, she’ll let you know. Then you can move on.”
Move on. Those words sounded so final. “I don’t know if I could.”
“What do you mean?”
He’d thought long and hard about his feelings for Audra, and only one answer made sense. “I think Audra Connor is my future wife.”
There was silence on the other end for several moments.
“I’ve never heard you talk like that before,” his father finally said.
Damon enjoyed the women he spent time with—models, actresses, female athletes, unknowns. Yet no one had captured his interest the way that she did.
“There’s something about her.”
“Well then you better hurry up and call her, because if she’s that amazing, someone else is going to swoop her up.”
“I’m not letting that happen,” Damon said with determination.
“She must be something.”
“She is. She has the best laugh, a beautiful smile, and a great sense of humor. She’s fine as hell, and the fact that she doesn’t care about my career or who I am is kind of nice, you know?”
“I know what you mean. I experienced the same with your mother,” Chadwick said, his voice sounding wistful. “It’s like coming home.”
Warmth filled Damon’s chest. “Yeah. That’s the feeling. Like I’m home. Safe.” He swallowed. That word— safe —had slipped from his lips unexpectedly.
“You doing okay otherwise?” Chadwick asked in a gentle voice.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m cool. Just dealing with the usual stuff on the field and off. Audra’s a temporary distraction.”
“Good to hear.”
For a moment, awkward silence hovered between them like a dark cloud before a rainstorm. Damon knew his father wanted to say more but probably wouldn’t because he knew Damon didn’t want to hear it. The nightmares from the abuse had stopped years ago, but the memories lingered. Unfortunately, he would never fully be free of them. He couldn’t control his thoughts, but he could control whether or not he gave those painful moments any space in conversations with his loved ones.
“Listen, I better go. Thanks for the talk, Pop.”
“Any time, son. Take care.”
After he hung up, the pressure in Damon’s chest eased. He cursed under his breath, hating that he continued to have such an adverse reaction to what had happened to him as a kid.
But life was better now. Much better.
His mind shifted to Audra, and like the sun peeking through the clouds, the memory of her radiant smile pushed aside the last trace of his pain. He breathed easier.
He’d give her a call today. He’d gone long enough without hearing her voice.
Today hadn’t been the best day for Audra. Several times she’d caught herself doodling distractedly on her notepad.
Except for a short Good night text, she hadn’t heard from Damon since Saturday. In the meantime, he’d taken over her mind. As she typed a memo at her desk, she kept seeing his white-toothed smile against milk chocolate skin. She heard his deep-throated, sexy male laugh and felt the tingles from the intense way he studied her, as if he hung on every word she spoke.
He hadn’t even kissed her—well, not a real kiss—but she still felt his soft lips on her skin and the brush of his beard against her cheek.
Why didn’t he kiss her properly!
That’s what she had been expecting when he gazed down at her, and that’s all she could think about now: kissing him. She knew he’d be a good kisser too. With lips like that and all that swagger, no way that man wouldn’t deliver.
With a loud sigh, Audra pushed away from her desk and went to copy a document. She placed the duplicates in an interoffice envelope and dropped them in the outgoing mailbox near the door.
Back at her desk, she sank into her seat and stared at the report on her computer screen. Maybe he didn’t enjoy himself.
Audra buried her face in her hands. Get back to work! she screamed inside her head. And that’s what she did, forcing Damon from her mind and concentrating solely on the work at hand to preoccupy herself.
After lunch, she had a quick meeting and then returned to her desk to see a missed call on the phone in her drawer.
Damon.
She gasped, her pulse jumping erratically. He’d followed up the call with a text.
Hey there, hope you aren’t ignoring me. I called to see if ur free on Saturday night. If not, clear your schedule. I’m taking you out again.
Biting her bottom lip, Audra replied.
Was that a question or a demand?
A minute later, he responded.
Which one would have you saying yes?
Honestly, either.
Good to know. So you’re free?
Yes.
I’ll pick you up at 7:15 for dinner. Casual dress. Comfortable shoes. We’ll be doing a little walking after our meal.
I’ll be ready.
“What are you smiling about?” Claudia stood beside Audra with a hand on one hip. Her blonde hair was styled in a single braid that rested over one shoulder.
“I have another date,” Audra said. She had been worried she wouldn’t hear from Damon and couldn’t stop cheesing because she had.
“Is it with the person I think it’s with? Mr. Foster of the Atlanta Braves?” Claudia asked.
“Yes, it’s him.”
Claudia let out a quiet squeal, and Audra joined her.
“Aren’t you glad you came with me to that party?”
“I was already glad because I had a good time. Now I’m doubly glad,” Audra admitted.
“Keep me posted.”
Claudia sauntered off, and Audra sat at her desk, staring at the messages exchanged between her and Damon.
Saturday was too far away.