Ballers: His Game (Ballers Series Book 1)
Blue Saffire
Chapter 1
I am not a hard man to understand. I love my family and I love the game I have given my life to. Once that was it for me, the field and my family; granted I was very young at that time. I think maybe if you hear my story you will think about what you hold dear in your life. I never said I was perfect. I made a hell of a lot of mistakes. Mistakes I can never take back or right. None the less my mistakes have made me the man that I am today.
From the time that I was a small boy, football was the only thing that mattered to me. Other than life on the ranch, it was what my family came together around. I was a star athlete in my home town and everyone got behind me with their support when I became serious about going pro. I didn’t think there was anything that would change the way I felt about the game. Now, I know that there are just somethings that will change your mind about everything.
For me that was Tamara. That woman turned my world inside out and sculpted the man I am and want to be. To know our love is to know our all access, non-filtered, dirty truth. We just ask that you hear it all and not judge what you haven’t lived, but learn from what we give you a picture of.
It’s funny how you can find home in the last place you think you ever will. I am a Texas boy born and raised, so when I got drafted to California I was nervous as hell. To say I was green is an understatement. I had never been that far away from my family for more than a summer camp experience. I was freaked that I wouldn’t be able to handle it or make it. I am the youngest of three siblings and the baby of a ton of cousins.
I wasn’t afraid of the money so much. My family does well enough in the ranching and oil business, so I was used to having money and managing that part of my life. I guess you could say I got caught up in the test of character and fame that comes with the game.
Everything my mama and daddy taught me was put to the test in week eight of my first pro season. I made fast friends with a few of the fellas on my team, but Troy was my right hand. I guess it was because we were always bunked together. He was in his third year with the team and he just loved to play and enjoy the life it afforded him. According to Troy, you just keep it plain and simple.
For a while I followed Troy’s advice. I kept it plain and simple and enjoyed my time before the dream faded away and I had to go back home to Texas. I never thought I would move to second string as a rookie and I sure as hell didn’t think I had a chance at starting. I was happy to be in a jersey on a pro team. But in a blink of an eye, one turn of events can change your life forever.
“I need to find some ass tonight,” Troy mused beside me at the upscale club.
The club we were in was packed but none of that mattered tonight. I got to play the fourth quarter and I threw the game winning touchdown. It doesn’t look so good for our starting QB, but that is sort of good news for me. I’m going to get to start next week at least, according to the doctors maybe even for the rest of the season.
“Good luck with that,” I reply. I take a swig of my beer, scan the club, and bob my head to the music.
“Who needs luck, baby? Look around you. Someone is coming home with me tonight,” Troy smiles.
“You mean coming to our hotel room,” I chuckle. “Maybe you can find one with her own place this time.”
“What you need to do is find you a girl to get your country ass to relax,” Troy teases. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll even let you pick them this time. Go ahead pretty boy, I have yet to see you put your Mac down and I’m interested to see if you are as smooth with the ladies as you are on the field.”
“Okay,” I laugh taking another pull of my beer. “You’re on.”
This is the point where I should be listening to my big brother’s voice in my ear and my sister’s right beside him seconding his sentiments. I had two girlfriends in high school and both were long term relationships and we remained friends to this day. In college I messed around with a few girls, but I have remained friends with all of them as well. A one night stand in a city I am leaving in the morning is not me at all.
Instead, I start scanning the room. If college taught me anything it taught me how to read women. I mean I wasn’t completely na?ve. I knew a quick lay when I saw one and that is what Troy is looking for. Me on the other hand, the voices of my siblings are ringing louder and louder. I have every intention of just playing the wing man tonight as usual.
My eyes pass over the sloppy girls with disinterest. Troy may want a sure thing, but he is not into sloppy. I am coming up pretty empty even with the large selection. The girls that don’t read sloppy, read trouble and I am not going to set my boy up for trouble. Just when I am ready to throw in the towel and tell Troy I’m not into it tonight he is on his own, my eyes lock on the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.
Her head is thrown back and she is laughing at whatever her friend just whispered to her. From this distance she looks like a closer look is more than worth it. Her friend isn’t bad looking either, but I had to hear if her laugh is as beautiful as it looks.
Troy follows my line of sight to see what I am staring at and locks on my target. He laughs and shakes his head. Taking a pull of his beer he looks at me pointedly.
“No,” Troy says and sighs, “don’t get me wrong I have been watching the one in the blue dress since we got here but I am looking for a sure thing, that sister right there is not a sure thing. I don’t have it in me to work that hard tonight no matter how fine she is.”