Preseason Love Read Free Page A

confidante. Sometimes mother and daughter relationships could be trying, but I couldn’t ever recall a time, from youth to young adulthood, where she and I had a conflict or a fight. She was always very straightforward and honest. That transparency nurtured a positive relationship. The day that she found out that she was pregnant with my younger brother, she sat me down on the bottom bunk of my bed—the “My Little Pony” characters staring up at me from my comforter—for a girl’s chat.
    My mother said, “I want you to know that I’m having a baby, and when the baby comes things are going to seem a bit different at first. But I really want you to understand that I love you, cherish you, and I’ll always be your mom.”
    I didn’t quite understand the change she was talking about, but from that moment on, she became my Jolie.
    My Jolie was hands down one of the coolest mothers a girlcould ever have. She was always understanding and respectful of my decisions, which translated into her being very supportive. When I made the announcement that I was moving to New York, she didn’t give me any drama about not wanting me to go. I’m sure that a piece of her was scared as hell for her oldest child and only daughter to pick up and move across the country, especially with all of those potentially crazy people that she watched on Law and Order: SVU every week. But she masked her fear so that I could do what my heart desired.
    â€œHi, my Jolie.” I could sense her smiling as if she had been waiting for this call.
    â€œBaby, don’t be nervous.” Her words were comforting. “This is your time for a fresh start. Enjoy the new experiences.”
    â€œYou always know what to say.” I smiled. “I love you.”
    â€œI love you too, baby.”
    I made it to the gate without a moment to spare. The ticket agent clicked the boarding passes under the scanner like rapid fire, and my heart was racing as I continued inching forward in line. I had to tinkle, but I figured it was my nerves. That was pretty standard when my anxiety kicked in. But there was no time for hesitation or bathroom breaks, no time for second thoughts or an emotional breakdown, which was probably best because my track record as a crybaby would almost guarantee a waterworks show.
    Instead, I click-clacked down the runway corridor in my heels and dug through my ridiculously big purse to check my phone one last time as I headed toward the airplane. Devin, my girl from college and also a member of The Clique, had texted me, “Hey chick! Can’t wait until you touch down! Safe travels.” She was my soon-to-be new roommate and sole friend in New York. I looked at my boarding pass with a sense of disbelief. And I whispered, “I’m finally on my way.”

Chapter 2
Jungle Dreams
    â€œSir, honestly, if you don’t stop slamming on the brakes, you’re gonna smell a sour stench coming from the back of your cab.”
    The cabby responded with a loud silence and a glare in the rearview mirror.
    Did this idiot just look at me like I was crazy? As long as he stopped the madness that he was attempting to pass off as driving, we would be cool. On the positive side, he seemed to be going the right way, according to my MapQuest directions. It didn’t appear that he was attempting to go off course and take me to some deserted warehouse to lock me in a dungeon as his sex slave like Liam Neeson’s daughter in Taken .
    I had traveled to New York quite a few times before I decided to make the move, so I wasn’t a complete newbie to the city. My first visit was through an internship program and that’s when I fell in love. I got a high from the hustle and bustle. I was drawn in by the feelings of excitement and independence that I gleaned from roaming the streets.
    My decision to move to New York was solidified a few months back while on a trip visiting the city with Dev.