Page 25 of Playing to Win
“All right,” she said with a sigh. “He’s smart. And funny. And sweet. He met me outside my classroom to see how I did on the test he helped me study for. I caught the last part of a conversation he was having with a student where he gave the guy some tickets for his friend and their girlfriends to go to a couple of games.”
“That’s so sweet,” Cassie said, sighing romantically.
“He let me drive his car and he hit it off with my dad,” Callie continued.
“And why, pray tell, aren’t you taking this guy off the market?” Aria asked.
“You guys know why. I just don’t want to mess around with another athlete and get my heart broken again. And he’ll be even worse because he’s famous.”
“Honey,” Aria continued, chipping away at the nail polish on her finger, “Matt was an ass. From what you’re telling me about Kyle, he’s the total opposite of that douche canoe in every way. I think you should give him a chance.”
“Me, too,” Cassie chimed in.
“I don’t know.”
“Well, I know a decision is not going to be made tonight. Now, sit down with us and watch Buttercup and Wesley find wuv, twoo wuv,” Cassie said, quoting one of their favorite parts of the movie and handing Callie her bowl of popcorn.
As Callie plopped down in the middle of her two best friends, the little voice inside her head was agreeing with them, too.
Kyle missedanother jumper at the top of the key for the third time in a row. He just wasn’t on his game this morning. He would like to blame it on the late night and five a.m. practice time, but he really knew it was because he just couldn’t get Curly out of his head.
“Man, what is with you?” Trevin Anderson, the other starting forward on the team, asked as they were running back on defense. “You were dragging ass the other day and you’re dragging ass now. Are you getting sick? Maybe you need to have Doc check you out. It’s getting close to playoffs, man, and the last thing we need is you sick.”
“Sick over some dumb woman,” Jamal said, running up next to them and smacking Kyle in the head. “Don’t look at me like that. I know where you was last night.”
“How do you know where I was last night?”
“Man, don’t you know Jamal Jenkins knows er’thing?”
“Whatever. Who told you?”
“Bernie. He said you weren’t shooting because you were going to see about some girl and meet her daddy.”
“Girl? What girl?” Trevin asked, grabbing the rebound and throwing it to Jamal.
“You guys better quit your yammerin’ and play ball or we’re going to get our asses handed to us tomorrow night by the Magic,” Coach Grant yelled at them. “Now let’s go!”
“Don’t think this conversation’s finished, pretty boy,” Jamal said. “We’re havin’ a come to Jesus meetin’ after this about ball and women and how the two don’t mix, especially during playoff time. I don’t care how hot she is.”
Two hours and an ice bath for his back and subsequent soak in a hot shower later, Kyle sat on the bench in front of his locker, facing Jamal and Trevin, who had their arms crossed in front of them, serious looks on their faces.
“Now, I don’t know what’s goin’ on with you and vixen, but it needs to stop ’til after we have gold rings on our fingers. Ain’t I right, Anderson?”
“Who’s vixen?” Trevin asked.
“That little hot number who dances for us. The one with the wild, curly white hair. You know. The one who almost kicked Marshall in the nuts last year for telling her how he could use her dance moves in his bedroom for both their pleasure.”
“He did what?” Kyle yelled, furiously looking for Marshall.
“Now, calm down there, killer. Vixen held her own. Looked up at him and told him the only dancing he’d be doing was one that consisted of him holding his balls and hopping up and down when she kicked them up to his teeth.”
Kyle laughed. That sounded just like something Curly would say.
“Man, Kelly, she’s hot. How’d you get her to go out with you?” Trevin asked, holding up his knuckles for a fist pound from Kyle.
“They’re not datin’,” Jamal said with a girly voice with the emphasis on dating. “They’re hangin’ out. Cuz she doesn’t date athletes or some ridiculous bullshit line she fed Kyle. But he’s all tore up about it, ready to do whatever it takes to convince her he’s worthy. She’s already got him wrapped around her pretty little finger and he ain’t even gettin’ no action.”
“Jamal, you better stop before you say something you’ll regret,” Kyle said, standing up in anger.
“Guys, calm down. Kyle, this girl has nothing to do with how you practiced today, right?”
“No, she doesn’t. I’ve just been feeling under the weather.”
“Okay. Good. Go see Doc. He’ll get you some meds and you’ll start feeling better in no time. And you,“ Anderson said, pointing a finger Jamal’s way. “You need to give our friend a damn break. Nothing’s wrong with him. He says it isn’t about a girl, so we’re going to trust this isn’t about a girl. All you’re doing is putting him on edge. Stop being a twat. Got it?”
“Got it,” Jamal said with a frown. “But if that girl messes up our chances for a ring, there’s going to be hell to pay.”
