Page 34 of His Starr Player

“Likewise, ma’am.” I swirled my fork around the lo mein and spun the noodles in a spiral. I stuffed the fork into my mouth and nodded my approval of the taste of the meal.

“The chef does amazing work. Dinners are always well prepared and seasoned perfectly,” Mrs. Starr explained.

“I’m enjoying it very much. Thank you again for being patient with us. I started a new league, and learning the controls and combinations has been hard.”

“You’re a gamer, right?” Axel questioned.

“Yes, sir.”

“I never understood how people make money playing games.” He bit into his egg roll.

I shrugged. “It’s the same with anything. It’s turning what you love into a lucrative business. Millions of people watch shows; it’s no different to tune into somebody playing a game.From quiet gameplay tutorials to game reactions and feedback, the audience is there. I know my core fanbase enjoys when I play sports games, so I stream 2k, Madden, and NCAA. I play other games and will upload good clips, but the bulk of my money comes from raging over something that happens on the game. Whether it be game animations, player errors, or lag spikes. People find crash outs amusing.”

I could get carried away in talking about games like people could get carried away talking about their favorite books, movies, or shows. Everybody had a passion and used different vices to find happiness.

“I can respect that. You have a beautiful way of explaining things.” Mrs. Starr smiled as she directed her attention to her daughter. I zoned out of their conversation as I returned to stuffing my mouth. Most times, family dinners comprised of us seated in front of the television, watching whatever sport was in season. Sports had always been a bonding time for my family. We enjoyed everything from basketball to hockey and baseball. Cade’s Cove had them all. A couple of our sports teams weren’t worth a damn, but we were loyal to them.

“Thank you for behaving tonight, Daddy.” Ava joked with her father as we exited the dining room and went into the den. We sat around on the couches as the television played the latest game between the Lakers and Mavericks.

“I always behave,” Axel replied.

“I will not call you a liar, but you’re telling a tall tell.” Ava twisted her lip in the universalthis nigga lyingface.

“She’s not wrong. Remember Ava’s middle school graduation ceremony? You saw a little boy push her on accident and nearly got the whole district involved.” Mrs. Starr held her husband’s hand in hers as she giggled.

“That little fucker should have watched his step.” Axel shrugged.

I laughed. “Don’t worry, baby. I’ve had my fair share of embarrassing moments with parents.”

“Yeah, let’s get that dinner scheduled because I need to hear accounts of these moments.” Ava grinned.

“I’ll see what I can do. We’re always busy. We see each other in passing all the time but rarely have dinners anymore. It’s definitely something I want to do more of.”

“Perfect.”

The rest of the evening went by smoothly. It was so beautiful to spend time with Ava and her family. Their love was unwavering. I didn’t feel ostracized or like a stranger in their home.

“I had a nice time tonight,” I announced when we’d made it back to her place. We sat in the parking garage, not ready to say goodbye. Even though I wanted to be in her bed every night, we both had busy schedules that required us to sleep apart most nights.

“Me too. I’m glad you and my daddy got along well. I knew you would, but the confirmation made all my stress leave.”

“You know I’m a cool dude. People love me.”

“Yeah, but my daddy is a protective jerk.”

“Even the most closed off people can find comfort in being in my presence.” I held her hand in mine and rubbed her knuckles with my thumb.

“Is it bad that I want you to stay with me tonight?” Ava bit down on her bottom lip.

“Nah, because I want to stay with you every night.”

“Are we moving too fast?”

“Time is an illusion. Our love is timeless. I knew from the moment I stood beside you in the club I wanted to give you the world and some. I would move across the globe with you if you asked me to.”

Ava smiled and placed her hand on my cheek. “Let’s move in together.”

“My place or yours?”

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