Hate the Game ( Urban Sports Romance )

FaceTime

"Love you." The call ended.

The phone dinged before she could sit it back down and she saw another message from Amir.

Is it cool if I call you?
Or maybe FaceTime.
Get to know each other a little.

Sure. I'll call when I'm free.

While leaving the office, Sabrina called her mother to let her know she'd be on her way to pick up Niko, but her mother told her he wanted to spend the night. Relieved she could avoid that drive, she went home anticipating her and Amir's FaceTime call.

"Hello," Sabrina greeted him in a soft tone. She was sitting out on her balcony with a glass of wine.

"Hi, gorgeous," he greeted her in a soft tone. "How was your day?"

"It was good. How about yours?"

"It was aight, even better now, though."

Sabrina smiled into the screen, "Oh, you wanted to get me on here and butter me up huh?"

"Not at all." he chuckled, "is it workin'?"

"It might be," she giggled.

"Tell me bout yourself Bri, "

"It's Sabrina." She told him.

"Sabrina," he repeated, liking the way it sounded coming off of his lips. "I like that. You from here?"

"Mmhm. Born and raised." She told him proudly, "Where are you from, 'cause I know it's not here."

"Where you think I'm from?"

"I can't tell." She squealed.

"The greatest basketball player to ever live played there majority of his career."

"Lebron James is from Akron, and you don't sound like you're from no Ohio," she teased, immediately knowing that's not who he was talking about.

"Aww guh, you tweakin. I'm bouta hang up if you think his overrated ass is the greatest player of all time." he laughed, a hearty laugh.

"Okay Chicago. Chill out." She laughed. "I don't watch much basketball, but I can admit, MJ is the Goat, for now. But what we not gon do is keep callin' Lebron overrated."

"I guess." He laughed some more, "You should get into basketball a little more. You might learn there are better players."

"I've watched a few games here and there with my girls."

"You and ya girls should hang with me and my friends sometime. Ya homegirl was vibin with my guy Kirk the other night."

"Yeah," she smiled into the phone. She grabbed her empty wine glass and went inside her apartment as it started to get chilly outside. She sat down on her bed and leaned her back against her headboard, getting comfortable before speaking again. "So, give me three words that describe who you are."

His thick eyebrows dipped, telling her that she succeeded in catching him off guard with her request."Hmm, that's a new one. You got me over here having to use my thinkin' cap. Three words," he paused to think, "Hungry, passionate, and refined." He smirked, "Your turn."

Sabrina nodded her head. She wasn't sure if it was the wine, but she was feeling very relaxed on this call. Things felt so natural talking to him, "I would say spirited, supportive, and courageous."

"I like that. Why courageous?" Amir asked, sounding intrigued.

"Because despite the odds being against me or despite my fears and doubts, I will make a goal and strive for it anyway. Maybe I should've used passionate." She said, with a smile playing on her lips.

He smiled silently, listening to her speak and letting her words sink in before speaking, "Can I say somethin?" He finally asked.

She nodded into the camera permitting him to go ahead.

"The way your eyes light up when you say that you're passionate, tell me what lights that fire for you."

She blushed in the screen. "Life. Living to the fullest with no regrets, just lessons. I wake up every day with so much to be thankful for. I have a beautiful son, who's my best friend, really. That's my baby. I just want to give him the world." She laughed, thinking about her little one.

"How old is he?"

"He's almost 4. You have any kids?"

He shook his head, "No."

"Do you want any? Not that I'm offering, just asking." she chuckled.

"I do want kids. I'm chillin' though. I believe once the Lord is ready to bless me with my wife, then we'll have our child."

"So you wanna get married one day?" She asked sounding surprised. "Most men don't have that goal. It's usually the women who push that."

"Yes, I plan to be married... one day." He stated, proudly. "And, I'm not like most men."

"Sounds like you have it all planned out." She said, more fascinated.

"I've been single for my entire adult life and have been practicing abstinence for over two years now. It took discipline, but I'm very intentional with myself."

"May ask why you decided to take that path?"

"Honestly, I started it because I'd seen too many dudes thinkin' with the wrong head get caught up in the wrong situations. After the first few months, I noticed the physical difference and mental clarity it provided me and that felt amazing." He paused, "It also helped that I didn't want to create the same broken home that I grew up in. I didn't have my father in my life, so I swore I wouldn't follow in his footsteps. Kids need both parents equally."

"That's very true."

"Can I ask you a question?" He asked and Sabrina nodded in the screen, so he asked, "You don't have to answer if it's too personal. Why did things end between you and your son's father?"

She paused a moment before answering "I decided that staying together for the sake of a 'happy family' image would be more damaging for our son in the long run. For us to coexist in a healthy manner we couldn't be in a romantic relationship." She explained, simply.

Amir nodded after listening to what she said, "It says a lot about you when you don't take the opportunity to bash your baby daddy." He chuckled. She slightly giggled at the way he pronounced daddy sounding more like deddy.

"Lots of prayer, lots of therapy." She laughed.

"Ain't nothin' wrong with that."

They hadn't gone on their first date yet, but Amir knew he was hooked. This girl's energy was unmatched over a FaceTime call.