Page 43 of The Girlfriend Game
I’m about to agree when a young boy, maybe eight or nine, walks hesitantly up to our table, his chin angled down shyly as he introduces himself.
“Hey, Zeke. I’m a big fan and I was wondering if you’d…” He peers behind him at who I’d guess is his mother, the woman urging him on with a grin and a gesture of her hand. The boy turns back to Zeke, straightening his shoulders with more confidence this time. “Um, well, would you sign my napkin?”
He thrusts a clean napkin out to Zeke, who takes it obligingly. “Hey kid, it’s always nice to meet a fan. What’s your name?”
“DJ,” the boy murmurs, blushing brightly at the attention from his idol.
Zeke smiles cordially, extracting a pen from his shorts pocket and doing his best to sign the thin piece of napkin without it ripping to shreds. But Zeke seems to be a pro at it. I suppose one learns all the tricks of the trade when you’re recognized everywhere you go.
Zeke seems so unfazed by his celebrity and truly humble with his fans, especially children. Although he’s admitted to his past party boy ways, all I’ve seen is how genuinely kind and generous he is with others. I can’t seem to reconcile this man with the one who told me about his wild days as an NBA star rookie.
Zeke has an innate ability to connect with others on a deep, meaningful level. Maybe it’s the way he looks them in the eye and makes them feel seen. He understands what they’re going through. Because even though he’s a multi-million-dollar professional athlete, at the end of the day, he’s human and knows what it’s like to suffer.
The boy blossoms under the warmth of Zeke’s attention and I find myself wondering what Zeke would be like as a father. I have yet to open that Pandora’s Box of personal questions. Maybe I should have asked when we were getting to know one another online, but I’m not stupid enough to start off with a buzz-kill question of, “Hey, I really like you and think we’d be good together. And oh, by the way, I want to have your babies. Like, tomorrow. You in?”
Whether this pans out with Zeke or not, my goal when the time comes is to find a man I love who loves me in return, a partner who is truly invested in a future including children and a family of their own. I’m not looking to trap a man into a lifelong commitment. That’s not necessary. If it happens naturally, it happens.
I want someone like my father, whose life revolves around his family and his wife.
Zeke hands back the napkin to DJ, who grins from ear to ear, his cheeks flushing with pride.
“Do you play basketball at school, DJ?” he asks, sitting forward in his chair so he can be eye level with the boy.
DJ nods enthusiastically. “I play at the YMCA. Our team is the Wonderful Wizards.”
Zeke reaches out and pats DJ on the back in a supportive gesture. “That’s great, DJ. Keep at it. No matter how hard it gets, okay? You gotta keep practicing. It’s the only way to get better.”
“Cool, thanks. I will for sure.” He smiles, looks down at the napkin, and then turns around to scamper back to his mom before he turns one last time and waves. “Bye, Zeke.”
Zeke lets out a satisfied sigh and reaches for the menu the waitress dropped off at the table during his exchange.
I gaze at his profile and smile. “That was really sweet. You’re good with kids. I don’t think a lot of players would offer their time like that to some random boy.”
He lifts a shoulder. “Eh, I’ve had a lot of practice. Comes with the territory, I guess.”
I slide my hand under the table, placing my palm over his strong thigh, and squeeze lightly.
“I think it’s just you, Zeke. They love you because you’re you.”
