Page 18 of Saved By the Game

Kybella took a deep breath. Adonis was a breath of fresh air in her life. She blew him a kiss and they continued to watch the movie. The next stop was home. Bella was looking forward to her next chapter with Adonis Ferguson.

12

Adonis Ferguson

“Get ready for landing. The weather is nice today with a temperature of seventy five degrees. Stay seated until we completely land.” the pilot advised. Adonis’ jet flew down the long black runway strip alongside his mega mansion. His property was large enough to accommodate a runway, with appropriate pavement and lighting. He also complied with all local and federal aviation regulations for the weight of the aircraft in his residence. He watched as Bella admired the view. The beautiful land consisted of a manufactured lake, cattle, horse stables, pools, and its own basketball court. “Wow, you have everything at your house. I’ve always wanted my own cows to make my own milk. I plan to make everything all natural to heal my cancer.” Adonis smiled at Bella’s excitement.

“We’ve safely landed. You all may unbuckle your seat belts and exit the jet.” The pilot announced. Bella immediately began to unbuckle her seatbelt to get her luggage from baggage claim.

“Aht, aht. Don’t pick up a bag. I need to get you out of the habit of trying to do everything on your own. You’ve got me now. I don’t want you lifting a finger.” He watched as she lifted her fingers to her lips, hesitation flickering in her eyes. She didn’t speak, didn’t protest or agree, just stood there, caught offguard by how fast he anticipated her need. She lingered a second longer, as if waiting for him to show her the way out.

“Okay, follow me my love.” He took her hand softly leading her off the plane. The Texas air was humid, but the sun’s energy was welcoming. “I hope you enjoyed the flight. It was a long flight, but we’ve made it safely to my humble home.”

Bella laughed as she looked over what seemed to be a one hundred acre property. “I don’t consider your home humble, but I enjoyed the plane ride so much that I forgot it took ten hours.

“You’re right, my property isn’t humble because it’s one hundred and fifty acres of land with a thirty thousand square-foot mansion. I call it Chateau Ferguson. I had it custom built to match the home I dreamed of having as a nine-year-old. I always knew I’d become an NBA star and would be able to afford the lifestyle I deserved.”

The weather was perfect for swimming, Adonis’ second favorite past time. It was a form of therapy for him. He was relieved the plane ride was over because his nerves were a wreck. “After we get settled into the crib, do you mind taking a swim with me? It’ll help soothe my mind from the plane ride.” Bella looked at him with empathy.

“Sure, I can join you. I just need to find my swimsuit in my luggage, and I’ll get ready to join you. I assumed you would expect me to cook immediately after the flight, it’s just something I’m accustomed to from my last relationship. Brian treated me more like a caretaker than a partner. I’m not sure if you have all the ingredients I’ll need to cook. We’ll see.” As soon as they walked through the front door, they were welcomed by the impressive foyer. All the lights in the house lit up from the motion sensor. The butler had jazz music playing over the speakers. The entryway took her breath away seeing beautifullypainted art by famous black artists. The white marble floors were so immaculate that she was tiptoeing on them. Adonis looked at her and chuckled. He sat her bags by the door and allowed her to tour the house. “Oh my God, look at this gigantic kitchen! I could bake the most creative cakes here. This layout is a baker’s dream. Opening the fully stocked refrigerator and cabinets she took note that it had everything she needed to cook. “Well, I guess I don’t have to worry about a lack of ingredients. You have it going on in your kitchen. Show me to the bathroom where I can change into my swimsuit.” Adonis raised a brow and began to lead the way. They had their own vibe. Didn’t need to say much; just a look or a nod, and they were on the same page. Their connection ran deep, speaking volumes without a single word. Adonis understood that Bella loved his home vibes. He wanted her to feel at home.

“Please take your pick of the five bathrooms in the house. Remembré mi casa es su casa nos. If there’s anything you want to change in the house, do it. I just ask that you don’t move my trophies from trophy case. My trophy case holds valuable memories that I cherish.”

“I promise to not touch your trophy case. I’ll take this bathroom right here because it’s full of beautiful flowers. However, your decorator deserves a raise. It’s chef’s kiss.” She said mimicking the gesture. She then shoved him out of the way to get dressed.

A few minutes later Bella came out in a Fendi high waisted swimsuit. The swimsuit fit her petite body nicely. Adonis took two fingers and whistled as she walked towards him. He had on his favorite Polo swim trunks, along with two towels in his hand. Gripping a towel in each hand, he rubbed them together like he was hyping himself up, ready to dive in the water.

I have two outdoor pools and one indoor pool. Since the weather is so nice today, I want us to swim in one of the outdoor pools. He stepped into the pool area, set up like a VIP entrance to an award show, with a canopy overhead wide enough to shade four people comfortably. There were red chairs alongside the pool. Bella dipped her feet inside the pool to test the temperature. “The water is perfect.” She stated. Adonis touched her back to help guide her into the pool. As soon as they were comfortable in the pool his butler approached.

“Sir, I have your swim student here to train with you.”

Confused, he glanced at his watch.Who scheduled this?He hadn’t held lessons in weeks.Had someone else taken over his calendar while he was away or had the student made a mistake?

Adonis slapped the top of his head. “Oh, it slipped my mind that I have a private lesson scheduled for today. I’m sorry, baby. I’m a swim instructor on the side. One of my students paid for a one hour lesson today. I can’t reschedule because he has a national competition tomorrow.” This lesson was essential for students participating in national competitions, as it not only enhanced water safety and survival skills, but also helped with discipline, perseverance and teamwork. These qualities are crucial for success in competitive environments.

“Oh, no worries. I can just go and sit in the jacuzzi until you’re done.” Bella smiled and went on her way to the jacuzzi without a fuss. She watched Adonis train his student on proper swimming speed. He planned on showing her better swimming techniques as well. It was his plan to help her level up in every aspect of her life. He knew she wasn’t a strong swimmer yet.Once she developed stronger swimming skills, they would have another sport in common that they loved. Adonis lookedover at Bella while she was in the jacuzzi and noticed she’d received a phone call. After answering, she stepped inside the house. He wondered who she was talking to on the phone. His desire to know wasn’t about control but out of curiosity regarding her well-being.

He glanced up. One of the security cameras on the back wall blinked red. Bella’s full conversation from inside the home was captured by the camera’s audio. Adonis couldn’t help but stop what he was doing to look at the camera. Bella had the phone on speaker, so both ends of the conversation were heard.

“Hi, Mom. I’m glad you called me because I was thinking about you. He noticed her smiling and wrapping her towel around her body. I’m back in Texas from a Paris trip. I have some news that I would like to share with you. I was wondering if you could visit me in Texas. I’ve moved to a new location, so I’ll text you, my address.”

“What do you mean you’ve moved without telling me darling? I don’t like that you couldn’t tell me before you moved. Where are you staying?”

“Mom, I’ll tell you all about it on your visit. Can you bring my sister too? I want to tell you both about my news in person. Please come by Tuesday morning. I’ll see you both then.”

After ending the call, Bella went back to the pool area. Adonis took a break with his student and rushed toward Bella. “Hey, are you okay? I noticed you were in the middle of something important on the phone. Do you want to talk about it?”

“I’m fine. I was speaking with my mom. I asked her to bring my sister here to visit. Remember, I wanted to tell them both about my cancer diagnosis. It was hard not to tellher everything. She was upset that I withheld information. I asked them to come by Tuesday morning since my doctor’s appointment is on Tuesday.

“I’ll have my assistant book their flights. Text me your mother and sister’s contact information so I can set it up.” Adonis patted Bella on the back and ran back towards the pool to complete the swimming lesson. Once he made it back, he saw his phone flash. It was an iMessage from Bella. She sent the information promptly like he’d asked. He’d told her before to learn to let him help her. It made him happy to see she was allowing his help. It made him feel needed. It was a different feeling having someone at home with him. It was time to adjust his schedule now that Bella was here. Typically, he didn’t care if he was unprepared for a swimming lesson. Now that Bella was in his life, he needed to start taking action to consider her needs. He looked at his watch and began to work on the last part of the swimming lesson. “Good job. Time to wrap up your session, pal.” he started his timer. “Last lap. Ready, set, and go!”

While he was focused on his student’s last lap, Bella went into the house. “I’m about to slip into my Versace robe and cook us a juicy steak dinner with cheesy potatoes, veggies, and garlic bread. Oh, and a yellow cake with chocolate icing for dessert. It’s that kind of night.” Bella announced.

Meanwhile in the kitchen

The kitchen space was clean as if it had never been used before. The spice rack had every seasoning, herb, and spice her imagination could think of. She quickly began to season the meat after washing it. Next, she took out a cast iron skillet and sautéed the steak. The sizzling sound of the steak cooking was a delight to her ears. While it sizzled, she stirred the potatoes. In walked the butler. “May I help you with anything my dear?”

“Sure, you can help chop the vegetables for me.” Bella replied as she remembered Adonis’s advice to allow people to help her. He was trying to alleviate her urge to take on everything herself. Delegating would become a new norm in her life with Adonis. He had a pretty large staff to help around the house. The butler chopped the vegetables, then made a salad. Meanwhile, Bella began to mix the ingredients for the cake.

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