“Uhh…yup,” was all I could think of as a reply—always the articulate reporter. No way was I going to tell Andy that I was uncomfortable being here and scared that Zave might see me.
The tip-off went to the Nuggets, so the cheering stopped any more discussion, thank goodness. I lowered the program and kept nibbling on my snow cone, keeping it in front of my face. The teams ran up and down the court, trading baskets back and forth, and Zave had a great game, as usual.
At halftime, Andy turned to me, looking animated. “Can you believe Triple X? Man, the way he’s playing tonight. It looks like he’s in the ballpark for another triple-double.” Andy slapped me on the shoulder like I was one of the guys.
“He is amazing.” My heart sank. I didn’t want to spend halftime talking about Zave, so I excused myself for a restroom visit.
I took my time and returned about a minute into the third quarter to see Zave swish another three, putting the Nuggets ahead by ten. The crowd went wild. I had to admit, even though my heart ached, it was amazing to see such a gifted athlete perform. Zave moved so smoothly out on the floor and made those three-pointers look like he could sink them in his sleep.
The crowd roared again.
“Did you see that steal? Can you believe it? Triple X hits a three and then steals the ball. Here he comes. He’s gonna dunk it!” Andy jumped to his feet, as did everyone around us.
I couldn’t see, so I stood up and leaned to the right of the guy in the front row.
Zave was dribbling down the court. He glanced around to see where the opposing team members were, and our eyes met. A zing zapped through me as Zave’s gaze penetrated deep into my soul. I froze.
He must have lost focus on the ball because it bounced to the side and out of bounds. He slowed to a jog as he continued the dribbling motion, bouncing the empty air. The ref blew his whistle. The crowd went silent for the first time all night.
Zave stopped moving but continued to stare at me as his teammates walked toward him. Most of them had their arms stretched out as if to ask, Where’s your head, bro?
Zave snapped out of it, releasing my eyes. My knees gave out and I dropped back into my seat, stunned, my heart pounding a million beats a minute. Whatever we had between us was still powerful, regardless of the break-up.
The coach sent in a sub, and Zave walked back to his seat without looking at me. I couldn’t blame him. I mean, I’d broken up with him without telling him the reason or giving him the chance to confirm or deny it. I’d shut him out by avoiding his calls and texts—very grown up of me.
My protective side reared its head again, and I thought, what was there to tell? He was a player and he played me and…I wouldn’t be played anymore.
An usher reached between the two fans in front of me and handed me a note. Andy leaned over my shoulder to read it with me.
My fingers trembled as I opened it up.
Noelle,
We need to talk after the game.
Things are not always as they seem.
Zave
Things were not always as they seemed. Sure, but that didn’t make any sense here. I’d heard his voice on the phone with Rhonda in that horrible call, loud and clear.
“Is that from Triple X?” Andy interrupted me, sounding excited.
I folded the note and dropped it into my bag, stalling for an answer. “Umm, well, I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?” Good, Elle, real clever answer—I guess we’ll find out. I certainly didn’t want Andy around if—and that was a big if—I decided to talk to Zave.
I fidgeted throughout the rest of the game as it went by in a blur.
Zave seemed out of focus. His timing off. He threw up bricks, turned the ball over, and his passing was almost comical.
The other players fed off Zave’s poor performance on the court. The Nuggets looked more like a college team in the final quarter instead of the number one pro team in the world. For the first time in weeks, the Nuggets lost. The crowd seemed stunned. Many of them left before the final buzzer.
As a fan, I felt bad, too, but it was time to go to work. I wanted to do the interviews and get out of there fast.
“Hey, Noelle, since Triple X wants to talk to you anyway, why don’t you do the interview with him?”
I panicked. Sweat trickled down my back. “Why don’t I do an interview with the sixth man, Carmichael? I made a few notes when he came off the bench. He was one of the few bright spots of the game.”
“Mandy and I usually fight over who gets to interview Triple X, and here I am being a gentleman, offering you the prime interview. Come on, Noelle, take it. You may never get a chance to talk to a superstar again.” Andy winked at me and climbed over the front row seat.
“Wait,” I called after him, my heart racing. Apparently, Andy couldn’t hear me above the noise of the crowd moving out of the building.
“You go talk to that boy,” said an exasperated-sounding voice to my right.
I turned to see a head of blue hair attached to Verlayne Sample, the little elderly uber fan.
She took my arm and scolded, “Young lady. You lost us a game tonight. Whatever you let get between you and your man, you go work it out with him and set the Nuggets’ world right. I don’t want any more games lost. You hear?”
My mouth hung open in surprise.
Verlayne reached up and actually pushed my jaw closed before I could reply, and added, “Go on now. Go talk to him. He’s over there.” She shoved me onto the basketball court.
For a little old lady, she had a lot of spunk and some strong arms.
Freddy, the cameraman, appeared at my side. “Come on, Noelle, we need to catch Triple X before he heads into the locker room.”
I sighed. “Well, I guess I’m talking to Zave after all,” I said to nobody in particular.
We wound our way through the crowd on the court to the one man I wasn’t ready to face.
My heart dropped to the floor. My voice shook as I stood before him. “Xavier, a tough game. What happened here tonight?” I purposely didn’t use his nickname, Zave, or even Triple X. That was for friends and fans, and I was no longer either one of them. I managed to hide my emotions and set my face to neutral for the camera as I raised the microphone up close to his lips—those soft, sexy lips. “Stop it right now, Elle.” I murmured to myself, rattled.
“Stop it? Don’t you want me to answer your question?” Zave looked at me with a twinkle in his eye.
“Yes, of course.” This time I glared at him.
His face broke into a huge smile as he said, “It wasn’t our night. I think, overall, our concentration was off.”
“You seem pretty happy for having your first loss of the season.” I looked at his chin—I couldn’t handle seeing that wonderful smile up close.
“You win some, you lose some. That’s all part of basketball. You have to be able to let things roll off and continue to believe. Things aren’t always as bad as they seem. We’ll be ready for our game tomorrow night. Next time I hope to have my lucky charm on my side,” he said in a cheerful voice, matching his big smile.
“A lucky charm? What is that?”
I held the mic close to him again. “It’s my favorite person in the whole world, Noelle Frost.” His grin continued.
I looked at him with eyes narrowed, but a good reporter follows a lead.
“And who is your favorite person in the whole world?” I challenged him, then took a deep breath and braced myself for the moment of complete truth with this man. My self-talk kicked in. Pull it together, Elle. Be professional. If he says “Rhonda,” then ask about the rumor of them being engaged. Maybe I could get something positive out of this, like a scoop on the wedding date…if I didn’t lose it and start crying on camera.
“Noelle.”
“Yes, Xavier?”
“Who’s on first…” Zave chuckled, then lowered his voice and spoke quietly, “I just told you. My lucky charm is you, Noelle.” His smile went soft. He looked at me as if the camera didn’
t exist anymore.
I stared at him.
“Look, Noelle, you have to listen to me now. I’m not engaged to anyone. There isn’t anyone else. I know someone told you different, but that’s the truth. Okay…there is another little lady, named Tatum, who I’m crazy about, but I think you’ll agree that she’s too charming for her own good.”
As usual, I was full of words of wisdom and stared at him with my mouth open, ready to catch passing flies.
Zave leaned closer and said, “Noelle, I need you both in my life.” His look was so intent, I almost took a step backward.
“Uh, we’re broadcasting live. You do know that, don’t you?” I managed to ask as my knees wobbled and those dog-gone butterflies made their way around my stomach as if they were racing in Monte Carlo.
“Yes. And if this is what it takes for you to hear me and believe me, then so be it. You’re a reporter, and now you got your scoop. I’m hoping this is a win/win situation.”
And then that handsome, charming giant of a man leaned down and planted an earth-shattering kiss on my lips for the whole world to see. I forgot everything else and dropped the mic.
Chapter Nineteen
That kiss of all kisses finally had to end. If Zave hadn’t whisked me off into the team tunnel, I think I might have melted onto the basketball court.
“I’m going to take a quick shower,” he said. “Please, please, say you’ll wait for me.” Another sparkling grin jumped out at me.
“Yes.” I laughed.
“Good—no, great!” He punched the air. “Jordan, will you please take Ms. Frost up to the Team Box and help her avoid any fans hanging around?”
“Will do, Triple X. This way, Ms. Frost.” The man looked delighted to be asked to help us as he motioned me toward the elevator.
We managed to enter the box without being interrupted by anyone. There were at least thirty soft seats facing the glass wall overlooking the court. Rhonda was out on the balcony talking to an extremely tall young man. I knew that the Nuggets often brought in recruits and treated them to a game or two in the corporate box as part of wooing new players. He must be one of them. Rhonda laughed at something he said and flipped her hair with her fingers. Looked like Rhonda had moved on to another victim, the poor guy. I stayed inside the glass walls and sat down in the back corner where I was sure they couldn’t see me.
I couldn’t believe Zave had just done that on air. My whole body tingled and the huge cloud of doom and gloom that had trailed me since we broke up evaporated with that one delicious kiss. I touched my lips. They were still warm and tasted a bit salty, yet sweet. It was a kettle corn kiss.
This kind of thing had never happened to me. I was Cinderella—no—Noella or Ellerella, I thought as a giggle spilled out. So, this was what it felt like to be a princess, to win the lottery in love, to finally have someone I could believe in and share with. I felt flushed and never wanted to stop grinning. Good thing most of the people in the box were gone and the few who remained weren’t looking my way.
Zave was known to keep his private life private. He would never, ever do something like that in front of the television cameras unless he meant it. I had no doubt that he meant every word he said. He’d taken a big risk out there. I couldn’t even imagine what would have happened if I had pushed him away or stormed off in the middle of the interview.
That would have been horrid, lonely, sad, and an absolute tragedy. I’d been so caught up in my own story, my strong distrust, and had been wrong all along. I’d let the damaged part of me taint my thoughts. No more. I was ready to allow myself to let this happiness take me on an incredible journey. “This must be what it’s like to float on a cloud, win the golden ticket, take the world championship, live happily ever after,” I whispered.
I don’t think my grin had gone away since that magnificent kiss—that kiss that a good million or more people witnessed, I thought, laughing.
A high-pitched giggle from Rhonda interrupted my thoughts. I watched her as she ran her fingers up the young man’s arm.
“Yuck.” Rhonda, Rhonda. I should have talked to Zave. There would always be Rhondas, or ladies like that homewrecker, Cherise, who chased men and didn’t care who they hurt. It took two people to have integrity, to remain faithful in a relationship, to make it work. Zave’s declaration before the world tonight showed him to be a man of integrity, if not a little crazy, and now I needed to show faith in him.
I’d let Rhonda get to me because of my own paranoia and fear after the betrayal and cruelty I had lived through during my former marriage. I vowed to move forward and face those fears and realize that not all men were wired to be or chose to be abusive. My own father was never that way. Joy’s husband was never that way. Some of my friends and co-workers seemed to have great marriages and relationships. Zave’s bold move tonight had saved me from sabotaging the best thing—no, the best man ever for me, and Tatum, too.
Tatum—oh no—Tatum may have seen that. I was sure Joy did and had called Holly and Chrissy by now. I’d better talk to them. I made a group call and only managed to get in a few words with all of their whooping and teasing. All three of them had seen the interview.
Joy did manage to tell me that Tatum had fallen asleep before the end of the game. She said she’d let me share my news and show her the video clip myself but cautioned me to do it before the weekend was over, so the story didn’t come from kids or teachers at school.
A peaceful warmth surrounded me. I took some slow breaths and thought about my parents, wishing they could have met Zave. They would have liked him.
I heard the door behind me open and there he was. Zave glanced around the empty room, looking worried, until his eyes met mine.
“Oh good. For a minute, I thought I’d imagined the last half hour.” With long strides he reached me in a few seconds. He pulled me up and into a big bear hug. We clung to each other for what seemed like eternity but was definitely eons too short.
He whispered in my ear, “Do you forgive me for the on-air stunt I pulled?”
I leaned back to look at him. “What? Are you kidding me? It took a sledgehammer for me to realize that I’d misjudged you. I’m so sorry I didn’t have enough faith in you to talk to you. Can you forgive me? I expected the worst and didn’t give you a fair chance.”
I knew I was rambling, but I couldn’t stop, so I continued, “I thought I’d dealt with the reality of my past—of a selfish and abusive and unfaithful ex-husband. I thought I was over it. But now I see why those dreams keep haunting me.”
“Dreams? You mean you have nightmares about what he did to you?” Zave looked horrified.
“Yes. It’s boiled down to the same degrading two-act-play over and over again. Maybe they’ll stop now. But we can talk about that later. I’m so sorry for doubting you and shutting you out. I should have talked to you after that nasty run-in at the jewelry store.”
Zave tilted his head to the side and squinted his eyes. “Jewelry store run-in? What was that?”
“Oh, we can talk about that later, too. It’s another long, sneaky misunderstanding that includes Rhonda. I don’t want to let Rhondas ever come between us ever again. I just want to hug you now and tell you I’m sorry I didn’t give you a—”
Zave lowered his lips to mine. I forgot all the things I was sorry about and lost myself in his kiss…again.
“Uh hum.” A cough interrupted my bliss.
“So it’s true. You have the hots for the TV lady.” Rhonda’s voice sounded screechy.
We separated, reluctantly. Zave kept a protective arm around me.
I noticed Rhonda and the young man were now holding hands.
“Hello, Rhonda. Meet my girlfriend, Noelle Frost. Of course, you may have seen her before.” Zave glared at her.
She remained silent. At least she had enough sense to lower her head as she stood there, caught in her deceit and nasty manipulations.
“Uh, hi, Triple X, I’m Bracken Trudeau. I’m a big fan.” The young man stuc
k out his hand. He seemed to miss the tense atmosphere surrounding us.
Zave shook his hand, ever the gentleman. “Hello, Bracken. Nice to meet you. Where’re you from?”
“University of Arizona. Junior year, thinking of jumping into the NBA early.”
“Can I give you a bit of advice?” Zave asked him.
Rhonda was now looking all around the room, anywhere but at us.
“Sure.” The young basketball player sounded eager.
“Stay in school. Finish your degree. Injuries are a way of life in the NBA and often cut careers short, but your degree will last you a lifetime,” Zave said in a serious voice.
The young man looked crestfallen but thanked him and said he would think about it.
Rhonda yanked on his hand, and they left.
I turned toward Zave. He pulled me close.
“What you told that young man was certainly not what he wanted to hear. Great advice, though.” I beamed up at him.
Zave nodded. “I try to tell it how it is. These young guys get stars in their eyes and want the money right away. I have seen too many of them come and go because of injuries. I hope he listens.”
“You never cease to amaze me.” I tapped his chin with my finger.
“I hope I can continue to amaze you for a long time, Elle.” He lowered his lips to mine, and I was happily amazed once again.
Too soon, the kiss ended.
Zave whispered, lips close to my ear as he held me tight, “I thought I had lost you and Tatum. I’ve never given up on anything that I really cared about in all my life.” His voice came out soft and ragged. “I just couldn’t lose you two. I love you, Noelle Belle Frost. Would you and Tatum like to fly kites tomorrow?”
“Wait. What?” I leaned my head back to look him straight in the eye.
“I said, ‘Would you and Tatum like to fly kites tomorrow?’” The right side of his mouth twitched.
“No. What did you say before that?” I wrapped my arms around his neck, thinking how great it was that I was tall enough to actually reach that far.
Noelle's Kiss Page 10
