Housing A Dragon

It was on the bus ride home when he received the news. He was called to the front of the bus where the manager and coaches sat. The manager motioned for him to sit down next to him.

"Congratulations, Zeke," he said while gripping his hand. "You're going to Chattanooga and you'll take your regular turn on Sunday."

Zeke looked at him with disbelief and said nothing. How could he be entirely happy with that? He knew he should be happy about his promotion, but he wasn't. Just when he had let someone into his life, it was screwed up. It just figured.

"When do I have to be there?" he asked quietly.

"They want you there by three o'clock on Saturday. Your plane ticket is waiting for you at the ballpark. It's a noon flight."

"Saturday?"

"Yes."

"Okay," he sighed.

"Are you alright? You don't seem too thrilled about this. This is a great opportunity for you, Zeke."

"I'm happy about being promoted," Zeke conceded, "but, it's just bad timing for me, that's all."

"Bad timing? I don't understand."

"It's nothing you have to worry about," Zeke replied. "I'll work it out." He moved to get out of the seat. "Thanks for the news," he said before he made his way back to his seat.

* * * * *

The phone rang in Keri's apartment Thursday evening just before she was getting ready for bed. She didn't know how she was going to sleep with Zeke on his way home, but she was going to try. Her skipped a beat as she thought that Zeke was somehow trying to call her.

"Hello," she said as she answered on the second ring.

"Hey, girl, it's Fran."

"What's up?" Keri asked. She was puzzled by the lateness of the call.

"Are you sitting?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I hate tell you this, but Zeke's going to Chattanooga. Jean just called me. He's pitching Sunday against the Carolina Mud Cats."

Keri was stunned by the news, but it hardly surprised her. In the back of her mind, she knew it was going to happen sooner or later. But now it happened, just when things were taking off between the two of them. Wasn't that just her luck? If she didn't have bad luck, she would have none at all.

"Thanks for telling me, Fran," she said quietly and sadly before she hung up. She then went to her couch and cried.

* * * * *

The bus trip home felt even longer now as Zeke pondered the news. This would have been exactly what he wanted at the beginning of the season, but things changed. Oh Lord, how they changed. He didn't know how he was going to break the news to Keri and he was dreading it. At least they would have a little time together before he left. But after he left, what then? There was still two and a half months left in the season and he knew the Southern League didn't have any teams near Dayton. He didn't know if or when he would see her again. Zeke truthfully didn't want it to be the end of their relationship, not after what just happened. He didn't know how they would survive that length of time apart from each other. He would also have to find a place to stay all over again and he wasn't looking forward to that, either.

He tried to sleep, knowing full well they would be talking well into the morning, but sleep escaped him. His mind was in a whirl, full of thoughts of his promotion and of Keri. He knew he'd have to call his family to tell them the news and somehow, he would have to sound cheerful about it. He didn't know if he could pull it off.

He dozed on and off throughout the drive to Dayton, but never got any real sleep. They pulled into the parking lot at two o'clock in the morning. After he picked up his gear and put it in his car, Zeke drove home. Tired and upset, he took his time.

When he pulled into a parking space next to Keri's car, he looked up to the apartment to find a light still on. As he turned off the car, he sighed deeply, dreading the talk he was going to have with her. There was no avoiding it.

He dragged his tired body up the stairs to the apartment. As he fumbled with the keys, the door opened in front of him. Keri looked at him and tried to smile, but he could see her struggle and he also saw the puffiness around her eyes. She already knew.

He dropped his bags inside the apartment and gathered her in his arms. "I, I...." he began to say.

"Shh, there's no need to say anything," she replied, choking on her words. "Just hold me."

There was no long talk that he had anticipated, only wordless acceptance. After several minutes of holding and gentle kissing, Keri led him to her bedroom where they solemnly undressed and got under the covers. He held her close, her breasts pressed against him as they began to love each other. As tired as he was, he knew how much they both needed this. They took their time and accepted everything the other could offer. It was bittersweet for both, but it was especially hard on Keri, who buried her face in his chest and cried when they finished. She tried to keep him inside her as long as possible, not wanting their bond to break, but eventually, he slipped out.

"I love you so much," he said, trying to soothe her. She could only nod and let the tears continue to flow onto his skin. After she finished, she wiped her eyes with the sheet.

"In the back of my mind, I always knew this would happen," she said haltingly. "You were pitching too good to stay here."

"I know," he agreed. "Maybe I shouldn't have done so well."

"Don't say that!" Keri propped herself up on one elbow. "Don't ever settle for less than your best." She put her hand to his face.

"I didn't mean it that way, Keri. I just don't want to leave now. I don't want to go without you."

"I don't want you to go, either. We'll just have to wait it out until the end of August, unless you get called up to the Reds for September."

"I don't think that will happen," he replied. "I don't think I could stand it being away from you for another month longer than I have to. It's hard enough for me to be away from you for a day."

They were silent as each went deep into their own thoughts. It wasn't really necessary for them to speak about it anymore as they knew what the other was thinking. Keri settled her head upon his chest once more as Zeke wrapped his arms around her. Within minutes, both were sound asleep.

* * * * *

Keri called the office early in the morning and told them she was ill and wouldn't be in. She felt no guilt about her deception. She had only missed three days of work in her four years there, so she never abused it. She truthfully did feel ill and she knew she wouldn't any good to the firm if she was there. It wasn't an illness such as the cold or flu, but her heart was breaking and there was no medication to help her.

She went back to bed with Zeke after the call and they slept almost until ten. Zeke didn't have to be at the ball park until four and there was no practice scheduled. He toyed with her small breasts, cupping them, fondling them, and massaging them. With her back facing him, his one hand traveled down her fair skin until he came upon the beginnings of her soft pubic hair. Keri turned her face to his and kissed him, all the while opening her legs. His fingers found her clitoris easily and he slowly began to play with it. Slowly, sensually, he moved his forefinger and middle finger in a circular motion over it. Keri's breathing quickened and her kisses became more urgent and passionate. He moved his hand down further and felt her slickness as her juices were beginning to flow.

As he started to probe her soft inner labia, she said, "No, Zeke, please. I want something else in there." She reached down and placed his hand back against her special nub and began to rub his hand against it.

Soon, her breathing was uneven and the tremors began to invade her body, convulsing and shivering from the pleasure he was giving her. Not too long after, she arched her back, gritted her teeth, and let out a yell. Her body twitched and jerked as each spasm went through her. Her own hand replaced his as she rubbed herself furiously as she had done so often when he wasn't home. Finally, the gentle waves swept through her once more and she was able to relax. Keri continued to kiss Zeke deeply and lovingly as her breathing returned to normal. She took her hand away from her soaked inner thighs and found Zeke's rigid pole of muscle. Just by the hardness of it, she could tell he was more than ready to be inside of her.

Keri shifted her body until she was laying on her back, her long brown hair flowing out to the sides. Her small nipples, so wonderfully tender, begged to be sucked once again. They would have to wait, though, because Keri wanted something else then, something that would be forever etched in her mind until the next time they would be joined. She didn't know if it would be that day, that month, or that year. She only knew their time together was growing short and she needed him inside her at least one last time.

Zeke took his time as best he could, using short, slow, easy strokes as Keri wrapped her legs around him. They kissed throughout their coupling as Keri fought gamely to keep her emotions in check.

"This is feeling wonderful," she moaned as gentle waves of pleasure rolled through her. He felt fantastic inside her and this was one of the things she would miss very much. Not only would she miss the closeness they shared and the bond they created, but she would very much miss the physical act of love between them. Her body felt alive and very sexual around him. Her confidence in herself had grown immeasurably as his obvious love of her nakedness empowered her. The way he looked at her, touched her, and made love to her was more sensational than she ever imagined. She now trusted him and loved him more than any man she had ever known.

"Oh Zeke," she moaned, as her breathing quickened and became more erratic. "Faster, please. A little faster."

Zeke kissed her hard and tried to accommodate her as his hips ground into her at a quicker pace, his penis pushing in and out of her quivering vagina as she tried to spread herself even wider for him.

"That's it, baby, that's it," she said more than a few times.

Keri bit her lower lip and concentrated on the tremors that were invading her body at a rapid rate. She knew she would be over the edge soon. Within a minute or so, Keri wrapped her arms around his neck as the first of many orgasmic spasms ripped through her body. She let out high-pitched groans, almost animalistic in its sound as she ground her pelvis against him and held onto him tight. It was she, now, who was thrusting into him, panting and moaning as the waves kept coming and coming.

Once the spasms abated, her emotions took over and she began to cry. Her face was in his neck and her legs were still around his waist in an effort to keep him inside her. Zeke held her and kissed her, trying to assure her that things would be okay for them.

"I never want to let you go," she said, sniffling, as the tears had yet to cease.

"I know. I don't want to you to let go."

Keri released her grip around his neck and he eased her back down to the bed. She looked at him adoringly through tear stained eyes, wondering when their next time would be. "Come inside me," she whispered. "I want to feel it again."

"I won't last very long," he replied, "I'm pretty close."

"I don't care," Keri said.

Zeke leaned forward and kissed her again and then made his way to her nipples. He sucked on them briefly before stopping and placing his hands under her soft butt. He started slowly at first, but soon, he was pushing into her hard and rapidly, their sweating bodies smacking into each other with wet sloppiness. As he thought, he wouldn't last very much longer. After only a minute or two, he stiffened and Keri could feel his penis get seemingly bigger before she felt the pulsing. As he groaned and grit his teeth, Keri could feel stream after stream of his sperm coat her walls. It was a long an powerful orgasm for Zeke and he collapsed beside her when he finally finished.

Keri touched his face and kissed him. "Thank you," she said. "I love you so much."

Zeke wiped away the tears that were starting to spill from her eyes. "I love you, too, babe," he replied.

After lunch, Keri took him by the hand and they sat on the sofa. "We're not going to have much time to talk between now and when you leave," she explained, "and there's been something on my mind that I wanted to discuss with you."

"Okay," he said. He brushed a bit of lint from his jeans.

Keri hesitated and wasn't sure how to begin. She knew what she was about to say might irritate him, but she hoped he wouldn't take it the wrong way. She sighed heavily and looked away for an instant.

"When Michael moved in," she began, "I thought I found someone whom I could trust, love, and not worry about. I really loved and trusted him, but he screwed me over. I tried to forgive him, but I wasn't strong enough to be able to trust him again. Then, you moved in, and I've found that I'm even more in love with you than I ever thought I was with Michael. Now, you're going away." Keri blinked to fight back the tears that were forming in the corners of her eyes. "I need to know something." She looked at him and sighed.

Zeke squeezed her hand softly. "What do you need to know?"

"I need to know if you're coming back to me. I want you to be truthful with me. If you're not coming back, let me know now so I can get on with my life."

Zeke's eyes narrowed briefly as he tried to keep his anger in check. He couldn't believe she said that, especially since he had treated her with nothing but respect, kindness, and love over the past few weeks. Hadn't he shown her that he loved her? Didn't she know him well enough to know he would come back to her? Didn't these past few days and weeks teach her anything about him?

Keri looked down and away knowing she made him angry. It was the last thing she wanted to do, but she had to know. She didn't want to spend the rest of the summer pining for him, then only to find out he didn't want to come back to her and resume their relationship.

Zeke let go of her hand and got up from the sofa. He stuffed his hands into his pants pockets and walked to the window. His jaw was clenched as he breathed deeply and in control.

"I'm sorry if I pissed you off," she said quietly from behind.

Zeke turned to her, still seething. "What did you expect? What have I done to you to make you think that?" His southern drawl became more pronounced with his anger. "I thought I made it very clear to you how much you mean to me and how much I was going to miss you. If you think I think of you as nothing more than a fuck buddy, someone whom I'm just going to throw to the side when I feel like it, then you know absolutely nothing about me." He turned back to the window, his hands still in his pockets.

Keri got up slowly from the sofa and walked over to him. Her hand touched his elbow, but he didn't acknowledge her and continued to stare at the parking lot below.

"I thought you knew me better than that," he said in a low, hurt voice. "I thought you knew I would never hurt you like you've been hurt in the past. Don't you know that?"

"Sometimes," she replied, "it's hard for me to believe that someone actually truly loves me. I've had so many dreams shattered and I've been mislead so many times. I don't know. The last thing I want is for you to be angry with me. I want to believe so much that you'll be back with me. I don't think I could handle it if you didn't come back."

Zeke hung his head and sighed. He didn't know what else to say to convince her. Keri's confidence had been rocked pretty hard in the past and he didn't know if she would ever be able to overcome that.

"Keri," he said gently, "I'm coming back whether you can believe it or not. Come September 1st, I'll be on my way, so you can mark it down in your calendar. I love you, I need you, and I want you in my life. I don't know what else I can say."

Keri looked at him and tried to smile. "Just keep telling me you love me over and over until it sinks in."

Zeke stared deep into her brown eyes. "I love you."

"Thank you. I needed to hear that."

* * * * *

Keri drove him to the airport Saturday morning and his flight was on time. They loved each other into the wee hours of the morning and once more before they left. When it was time to let him go to the terminal and board the plane, Keri held up much better than she thought she would. She cried only a little and let him go without making a scene. With a heavy heart, she sighed and watched until she saw his plane take off and disappear into the brilliant June sky.

The next weekend, Zeke's father and brother came to Dayton to pick up his car and drive it to Chattanooga. Keri had wanted to do it for him, but his father insisted on doing it, so Keri relented. Cathy was the only one who knew how close Zeke and Keri had become. Zeke had only told his family they were good friends and had let it go at that. He hadn't told them he intended upon moving back to Dayton after his season in Chattanooga was completed. He didn't know what their reaction would be, but he intended to tell them when the season started to wind down.

Keri sent along a care package with them: cookies, nuts, and a small cake. They were very friendly and were anxious to hear what she said about his pitching that season. They still hadn't been able to see him play, but they got letters from him and used the Dayton Dragons' website to keep track.

In Chattanooga, Zeke had been placed with a middle-aged couple whose children were grown and out of the house. From his letter, he seemed happy with the arrangement. He teased her, saying he wished he had been placed with another cute single girl. Keri smiled when she read it and laughed at his joke. She knew she would have to get back at him somehow for that wisecrack, but she wasn't sure how to go about it. Briefly, she thought about putting ex-lax in his cake, but she thought that to be a bit too harsh. She didn't want him to miss a start because of anal leakage.

His first start went okay for him as he went six innings and gave up three runs, eight hits, and had four strikeouts. He was reasonably happy with his performance, but complained good-natured that these batters didn't seem to swing and miss as often as the Dragons' opponents.

Keri was thrilled to receive his letter and secretly wished he could write more often, but she knew how busy he was and she understood.

She continued to go to Dragons games with Fran and still enjoyed them. It was at night after the game when she had time to think that her sadness appeared. For the first few times, she still thought he would walk through the door a half hour after she would return. She made extra food on numerous occasions for him to eat after the game, only to realize her mistake. For having only slept with him a few times, she missed having him next to her in bed. She missed the warmth of his body, the way he held her, and the way he loved her.

For the next month, they continued to exchange letters once or twice a week, depending on how much traveling he did. While the league in which the Dragons played had teams in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana, Chattanooga's league had teams in Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Florida.

One splendid weekend, about six weeks after he left, the Dragons were on the road and the Lookouts were at home, so Keri traveled the six hours and stayed the weekend. Much to their surprise, they only made love once while she was there. They were content with just being with each other. He showed her the sights and sounds of the downtown area and it was a wonderful time for both. She saw one game, but he didn't pitch. He had been doing pretty well in his six starts, winning two, losing two, and having an earned run average of 3.64. He wasn't overpowering the hitters like he did for the Dragons, but he was getting them out nonetheless.