Queen Vee: Who is this? And don’t tell me what to do.
Me: You know who it is, darlin’. You called my name about a dozen times this mornin’.
She sends a GIF of someone doing an eye roll. I shut off my phone in anticipation of takeoff and look up to see my teammates staring at me.
“Yeah, he definitely got fucked,” Gilbert, another teammate shouts. Everyone cheers. Wakowski jumps up from his seat and dives on top of me while everyone catcalls. I manage to push his lanky body away.
“A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell,” I announce to the plane.
SEVENTEEN
“I’m not going,”I say to Tara for the millionth time. I have my phone on speaker while I look at my reflection in the mirror. My hair is curly tonight and my makeup is minimal, but my red lipstick sticks out like the hot sun on a desert island.
“And why is that?” she asks. She coughs a few times.
“Because I don’t date athletes. I don’t date. At least not at this moment. I’m focusing on these books and—"
“And you’re allowed to have a life, sister.”
I sigh. She’s the wrong audience. I should have called my twin. He always agrees with me.
“I have a life. I have a great life.” It’s true. Working in the public school system was an eye-opener. This black girl who grew up in Harlem is privileged, pampered, and adored by her entire family. The things that some of my students experience daily only shed light on my privilege. Not only the love of a family but money and wealth. I left college without owing a dollar in student loans. My father gave me an apartment when I was twenty-two. I’ve traveled the world. There’s nothing that I want that’s not attainable. At least not anything that money can buy.
“You do, but also need—”
“Don’t even say it.” I cut her off before she can say the dreaded word. “I don’t do that.”
She lets out a loud snort. “Yeah, okay.” I grab a pair of tweezers and pull out a few stray hairs in my eyebrows and curse myself for not getting them waxed earlier. But I came home right after school, wrote for a solid two hours and got ready for this. Now it’s the middle of the week and I have to go to a basketball game. Which means I probably won’t be home until after midnight. But it’s the last week of school and there are no assignments to grade this week. I can afford to stay out late a few nights.
“It’s just a game. I’ll go tonight and that will be it. God, I hope Dad doesn’t see me because I’m not ready to answer any of his questions.”
“We’ll all be at tomorrow’s game. We’re bringing dad. Evan’s going with us too, so we can all sit together.”
My heart drops at the mention of Evan and how he reacted when his father paid me a little bit of attention.
Um, nope. I’m not going tomorrow. This is a one and done. I don’t even like basketball. And we’re not a couple. We’re just two people who enjoyed a night together.
* * *
I’ma city girl who has lived with two avid sports fans. Basketball is Dad and Alan’s favorite sport, but they also watch football, baseball, soccer, and even hockey. You can walk into the Taylor household and find one of them watching a game. When they’re together, they’re loud, often cheering for the home team or cussing up a storm if they lose.
None of that has prepared me for the experience of Madison Square Garden. The entire stadium is full of people dressed in gold and magenta.
“Chica,” Hunter whispers from behind me while I follow the usher to our seats, “this is center court. Holy shit, Cody is going to be jealous, but heaven help you if I get hit in the face with a ball.” I ignore him and say another prayer that my dad doesn’t see me. I know he’s watching. We talked about it this morning over coffee, but I didn’t mention going to the game.
“Magenta is my color though,” Hunter says. We take our seats. “You don’t look so bad yourself. Nice boobs.” I look down and do a little shake for my friend. After fighting a war with myself, I put on the jersey, along with the matching Mischiefs cap. I pull it down, hoping it will shield me from any prying eyes.
Colt promised he would not acknowledge me. I’m just a fan watching the game. That’s it. And even though I didn’t want to be here, the excitement of the crowd and the enormity of the stadium has given me unexpected excitement.
“Will you calm down?” I put my hand on Hunter’s thigh and wonder if I made the right choice in bringing him. Tamron would bring too much attention, my dad would ask too many questions, and Alan’s not here. Tara is coming tomorrow and couldn’t make it tonight.
“So, you and Colt doing the nasty or what? You’re going to have to climb him like a tree with your short ass.” Someone offers each of us a cup of beer, and I happily accept. Apparently, we get free food and snacks too. “And if you’re not, start because I can get used to this.” He sighs and leans back in his seat.
We take selfies with each other, and he posts on his social media. I relax slightly and tell myself that I’m going to enjoy tonight. I might not know how to follow the game, but I’m here with a friend, and I promised him a good time. The Mischiefs won one of the away games, tying the series. If they can win both games while on their home turf, that would mean they only need to win one more game to move on to the championship.
The stadium fills up, the lights dim, and they announce the opposing team. Hunter grabs my hand and squeezes when the Mischiefs are announced. When Colt comes out, the entire stadium stands and cheers. He won the last game in the last second by throwing up a three-pointer, giving them the win by one point. Hunter and I stand and cheer. All thoughts of not wanting to be here flee, and I give in to the enthusiasm of the crowd.
Colt waves, looks around, and I swear that his eyes lock with mine. He winks, and I wink back.
