Aphrodite #3
“Not necessarily. You can date and not sleep with someone. You’re coming at me with these questions for a reason, though.”
“I met somebody.”
That joy filled her face again and I was thankful to have her as a friend. One who was happy to celebrate some part of my life that didn’t pertain to training, tournaments or my appearance.
“Who is he? What does he do? How old is he? Lord, it’s not somebody that your daddy knows, right?”
I giggled because she was going after me exactly like a big sister would.
She was overprotective and I appreciated that she was looking out for me.
I crossed my legs beneath the bronze brushed suede maxi-length pencil skirt I’d worn.
I had an oversized cream sweater and dark brown boots to complete my outfit.
“I would never do anything with someone that my father knew again. No, he seems like a good guy but I’m not sure.”
We paused to order our food but that didn’t stop her from getting right back to it when the server left the room.
“You’re not giving me the information I need, Aphrodite.” Billy sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. I’d seen this move done plenty of times when she was at the negotiating table and I never thought I’d be on the other side of it.
“He’s in the league.” I was fiddling with my flatware because I didn’t know whether she would approve of that bit of information or not.
“Girl, which one?”
Her exasperation lightened the mood for a moment until I answered her. “Football.”
She sat up but I could see the shift in her body language. Billy’s eyes fluttered slightly as she studied my face.
“I have a lot of questions but I want to hear what you have to say.”
“He’s not very famous. You know him.”
“Wait, are you talking to Anthony?” Her eyes were wide but it wasn’t with disapproval. Shock, yes and maybe hope?
“Yeah. How did you put that together so fast?”
“Because you’ve been calling me less and less so I assumed you were going to talk to me about some friend that you were hanging with but to hear it’s Anthony has me shocked.”
“Why, is he not a good guy?” I hadn’t seen anything crazy from him but now the way she was talking made me feel like I hadn’t judged him correctly.
She picked up her water glass as she shook her head at me. “No, actually, Anthony is a really good guy. He’s gotten his shit together and put his head on straight. I know how you are about having relationships in the public eye so how are you going to make that work?”
Her lack of questions about the why and straight to the oh cool y’all go together let’s figure out the logistics had my head spinning.
“Ummm, just chill in private I guess, I don’t know. A lot of people don’t really pay attention to me when I’m off the court.”
Billy gave me a look like I was being na?ve and I wondered what she knew that I didn’t. “Yeah but you have to understand the legacy that comes with Anthony. You know why he didn’t finish at LSU?”
“Yeah, I know all about the money he took.”
Anthony hadn’t held anything back from me because he wanted to discuss the situation with me before I heard it from someone else.
I appreciated that he was being transparent and it made me sad for him.
Especially since kids in college were getting paid way more now than the little money he’d received.
Billy’s brows rose in surprised appreciation and she was nodding like she approved. “Damn he’s going hard for you if you know something that embarrasses him like that.”
“We’ve gotten closer. A lot closer. I like him a lot.”
“Well, folks are always going to be focused on Anthony because his brother has settled down. Even after he got with Rye they were infamous for making scenes: getting caught fucking in places they shouldn’t, my girl going after groupies.
The press loved to go after them. Add in that shit with their crazy ass mama means drama follows them.
Now they’re going to be looking to fill that void because he doesn’t act out the way he used to.
My goddaughter calmed them all down for the time being.
And Anthony is definitely fair game. His past plus the fact that you’re famous, and a good girl?
When they find out they will do whatever they can to keep y’all in the mix. ”
“I hadn’t thought about that.”
I started to get nervous because the only time I made the news was when I won.
Otherwise, I made a few appearances and slunk back into oblivion.
It was how I could move around so freely: I didn’t live my life in a way that would have people wanting to know more about me.
I was deliberately boring because my private life was stressful enough without a bunch of people sticking their noses in it.
“You want to do the impossible this year, can you do that with him around?”
“It was a pipe dream when he wasn’t around and I’m not thinking about not having him around if that’s what you mean.”
“You’re serious about this. I’m sure he’s serious about you so what is the issue?”
“I’m blind when it comes to the relationship stuff. The one relationship I had was basically staged; only I didn’t know that. I really want to go into this and not mess it up. You know I don’t have a good example in my life on what to do.”
Billy had witnessed my parents’ bullshit firsthand when my father tried to hook up with her after she became my agent.
She wasted no time cussin’ him out and since then she hadn’t been in the room with him since.
With the way her husband was crazy about her, my dad would be in traction if he tried that now.
Billy looked sympathetic and I knew she’d been so career-driven that she hadn’t dealt with many people on a personal level before her husband.
“The best thing I can tell you is to go with the flow. You have nothing to press for. You’re solid enough as a person on your own, you only need a man to enhance what you already have.”
I nodded my agreement since Billy’s words only solidified how I’d been feeling. “I’m not already changing my last name and doodling it on notebooks but he feels…”
“Feels?” She was pressing me like she was excited about what I had to say and her joy was contagious.
“Permanent. Like he was meant to be there.”
“Oh, damn I know that feeling. I had it with Coby and it scared the shit out of me.”
I pointed to her as I nodded my head. “That! That’s how I’m feeling. This is some scary shit, Billy. How did you navigate it to the point that you just…” I threw my hands up because I was at a loss for words.
“Got married, added his name to mine and gave him four kids? Oh, and almost died behind his family?”
“Yeah! That. Because honestly, Bills, I ain’t got that in me.”
I was saying that but it had only been a few weeks. There was no telling how deep my feelings would go even a month from now. I didn’t get any dick but I for damn sure must’ve been licktimized by that man and his tongue.
Billy smiled softly and sipped from her water.
“You don’t think you do until you do. If you would’ve asked me any of that I would’ve said the same thing you did.
Like he had me fucked up to think I was doing any of that.
But love, the secure kind that you know will catch you if you fall, will have you thinking you can do the impossible because of who you have in your corner.
And it’s right. You can overcome anything. I’m proof of that.”
“Billy, you're not making any of this love shit sound worthwhile.”
“I got four babies, a fine-ass husband that knows how to fuck every bit of stress and attitude out of my body, and a life I wouldn’t change. I’ve been blessed so there is nothing I could say I wanted.”
“And you think he’s a good guy? Anthony I mean.”
“Yeah. But more importantly, he has to because of how you’re reacting to him. I’ve seen plenty of men trying to get at you. Plenty of men that you’ve bypassed who go through other avenues to pursue you. You never wanted to do any of it.”
I frowned up thinking of the men who’d sent gifts and slid into my social media inboxes wanting to hook up.
I wasn’t sure what they thought I was going to do with such a slack-ass attempt to strike up a conversation but I guess I put off desperate vibes.
I was just thankful that I knew better than to follow any of them up.
“I really like him.”
I confessed it softly as the server rolled in, bringing the cart with our food on it. She set down our plates and asked if we needed anything before she disappeared just as quickly as she’d come.
“I knew that. So what are you going to do?” Billy was grinning as she cut into the petite filet she’d ordered for lunch.
“I’m going to just be happy I guess. He makes me happy, he’s romantic and I like him.”
“Did y’all meet back at the familial shoot in February?” She looked up like she’d just realized how our paths might have crossed.
“Yeah. They had this whole Aphrodite and Ares photoshoot they had us do together. They wanted an interview in case I make history with the majors this year. I got to choose someone to pose with me and I chose him.”
“Well, hell now I need to see these proofs since neither of y’all sneaky asses said anything about it. I should’ve known that y’all’s chemistry was something special if y’all have been talking like that since then. I just know those photos will be beautiful.”
I blushed thinking about the proofs they’d sent over and Anthony had already said he was going to have at least one of them framed.
“Thank you. The article is gonna come out soon and I just know people are going to wonder what’s going on.”
“This is the start of it. Learn to weather it early.”
“Is that what y’all did?”
She and Coby had caught so much hell when their relationship was exposed. It had me wondering whether it was better to expose ourselves or let people find out on their own.
She laughed as she shook her head, letting me know I was wrong. “No. We were together for a long time before the public knew. It helped that people just thought I worked for B it was almost too much.
But that taught us to ignore everything around us and focus on one another.
That’s what y’all are going to have to do.
The beautiful part is that y’all are already communicating about the things that could be thrown at y’all.
Having a solid foundation is probably the best defense that you can have so focus on that.
When the world finds out the two of you will be so locked in no one will be able to say shit to you about your man without your being able to tell them just how wrong they are. ”
“I hear you. I’m supposed to see him soon and I can’t lie; I’m looking forward to it.”
“Please protect yourself. Anthony has the same charisma as his brother and I already told you Rye be fucking if Antwan breathes too deep. We're not trying to have you make history with a stowaway in your stomach.”
“I’m already on it. Not gone lie though, you might need to be prepared to troubleshoot any random public hookups because I make no promises. I haven’t even slept with the man and I’m coming to you for advice so that says a lot.”
Billy sat down her fork and rubbed both of her temples like my warning had caused her pain.
“Lord, let me call Bobby to work on the pressers now.”