I never was much of a basketball fanatic until my son started playing the sport in high school. The coach said Bobby was a natural, and he played really well. So well in fact, that he earned a basketball scholarship to Duke University. Which was a good thing, considering I’m a single parent, and putting him through college will be difficult for me.

Well now, I’m a complete college basketball fanatic, and the NCAA March Tournament is my favorite time of the year. It’s complete madness! This year, my son’s team made the tournament and will play in Anaheim, and I’ll be flying out for it. I’m looking forward to a mini-vacation with this trip.

It’s been a long time since I did anything for myself. My sold focus for the past 19 years has been raising Bobby. But now that he is off to college and starting to build his own life, it’s time for me to start rebuilding mine. While I’m excited about going to Anaheim, I’m completely unfamiliar with the area. I had always been tempted to hire a male companion when I traveled for work to learn about the cities I visited but always backed down.

This time, I’m not going to back down! After all these years of sacrificing, I deserve this. So I Google male companions for Anaheim. As I look over the search results, there’s one company that catches my eye – Cowboys 4 Angels. Catchy name. Wonder what their guys look like? I went to their website, and to be honest, I was genuinely impressed. These men are gorgeous, but more than just good looks, they’re also educated, well-traveled, and some even have their own businesses. I also checked out their Facebook page, and the company looks totally legit. So I sent a private message explaining my situation and what I am looking for, and the CEO himself answered me, providing his number so we could discuss arrangements. That sold me!

In looking at the available men, I chose Knox. He is athletic, handsome, and a businessman, And those blue eyes and bad boy tattoos just called out to me when I looked at his profile. Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm.

I made the short flight to Anaheim Friday afternoon. I would get to see Bobby tonight before he had to get ready for the big game on Saturday. Duke kept a pretty tight rein on the players when they traveled. We met at the Starbucks right outside the hotel where the team was staying, which fortunately was two blocks from my hotel. It was so nice to catch up over a latte. He is growing up so fast!  I won’t get to see him after the game tomorrow night because the team will be leaving to head back to campus right afterward. With a hug, a kiss and good luck wishes for a great game, I sent him back to his hotel to get a good night’s sleep.

As I headed back to my hotel, I wondered if I would sleep tonight. I was nervous about meeting Knox tomorrow, after all, I have no idea what to expect. At the same time, I’m excited about the encounter, too.

I got up in the morning and hit the gym. It’s part of my routine and one of the reasons why I don’t look my age. I grabbed a yogurt parfait for breakfast and then hit the shower to get myself ready. Knox will be picking me up at noon so we can grab lunch and do a little sightseeing before the game.

As I finish putting the final touches on my makeup, I hear the knock on the door. My heart races, and I can hardly breathe. I will myself to walk to the door. When I open it, I’m met by a sight better than I could have ever imagined. Knox is gorgeous! He greets me with a smile, eyes sparkling, and a peck n the cheek, and asks if I’m ready to go. I grab my things, he takes my hand, and we’re off.

We headed to the Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center. As a nonprofit that brings diverse, creative and innovative exhibits to the community, they have some really cool exhibitions. While we were there, they had two different sessions going on the Master Craft of Woodworking and The Egg Paint Art Event. It was very interesting.  By the time we finished looking at both exhibits, we were famished.

Time for lunch. We headed to Slater’s 50/50, known for their amazing burgers. We had some of their famous Vampire Dip – rich, cheesy artichoke goodness. As we ate, we talked about basketball, my son’s future aspirations, and Knox shared stories of his athletic background with me. Looking across at him, I couldn’t believe how easy the conversations was. It was as if we had known each other for years. At one point in the conversation, Knox tenderly reached over to run his finger across my lip. Apparently I had a splatter of cheese dip. That one touch sent a tingle straight down my spine. I think I must have blushed a little because he chuckled and gave me a wink. We finished lunch with a 50/50  Bison burger with red peppers and gouda cheese for me and a PB & J Burger for him. I felt stuffed when we were done.

We had some time before we had to be at the arena for the game, so we went to Newport Harbor and walked along the pier. It felt so comfortable as we walked arm in arm laughing and talking. The harbor was filled with colorful sails as the sailboats skimmed across the water. As much as I love the ocean, I could have stayed there all day, but it was time for some basketball madness.

Knox knew he way around and had us at the arena in no time. As we settled into our seats, he put his arm around my shoulder. “Ready for some basketball?”

“Oh yes,” I replied as my face lit up.

The arena was packed! And the game was riveting! Heading into the half, Duke was up by 2, and Bobby was breaking free down the court. The whole place was on its feet. With an easy lay-up, he sunk the ball just before the buzzer. Before even realizing it, I was jumping up and down, cheering, and hugging Knox. As the realization set in, I suddenly stopped jumping, and with my arms around his neck, I looked in Knox’s eyes and blushed with embarrassment.

“Oh my gosh. I’m sorry. I got a little carried away,” I said.

He leaned down and whispered in my ear, “You can jump on me any time, pretty lady.” Looking down, I blushed a deep shade of red.

I barely remember the second half of the game. Duke won, moving on to the next round, and I was one proud Mom. We left the arena and headed back to the hotel. On the way we stopped for a late dinner at Roscoe’s Chicken N Waffles, where we shared an order.

When we got back to the hotel, we stopped in the lounge for a drink. The day had been wonderful, and I didn’t want it to end. In the elevator heading upstairs, I leaned into Knox with his steady arm around my waist. I could feel the heat between us. As I closed the door to the room and leaned back on it. Knox leaned in, the rest of the world faded away, and the heat exploded into a fireball.