On The Rebound

by Alexandra Warren

  With that, I started to resume my walk towards the locker room until the woman had the nerve to grab my arm when she asked, “Bitch, who said I was done talkin’ to you?”

  The feel of her greasy ass fingertips against my skin was already enough to have me on edge. And when you combined that with her choice of words, it was just the extra bit I needed to send me over, my face tight when I turned back around and warned, “I let you get away with two. But that third bitch? Is the mothafuckin’ charm.”

  In the blink of an eye, I’d launched myself in her direction, only to be pulled away by someone yelling, “Yooo! Baby Bleu!”

  Even with Dre now holding me back, I still managed to get a good grip on her hair, giving it a stiff tug as I growled, “These bitches love to bark but act scary when it’s time to bite.”

  With her friend’s assistance, the girl was lucky to be able to get out of my reach, looking pitiful as hell when she whined, “I should press charges on your ass for touching me.”

  “You touched me first! And I was doing you a favor cause that wig is trash!” I yelled over Dre’s shoulder as he backed me into the nearby training room, quickly shutting the door behind us and giving me the most concerned look when he asked, “What the hell just happened?”

  “It’s nothin’. I’m good,” I answered, pacing back and forth as I inquired, “How much time do we have left before the second half starts?”

  Glancing at the watch on my wrist that really wasn’t much help, I could already imagine the production team beginning to wonder my whereabouts as Dre calmly replied, “Just enough for you to tell me what the hell that was all about.”

  “It was about disrespect, Dre,” I told him, feeling myself grow hot in the face as I explained, “Mothafuckas thinkin’ they can say and do whatever they want without any repercussions.”

  “If anybody knows how that shit goes, it’s me,” he responded. “But uh… you do know where you’re at, right?”

  “I know, I know. I’m trippin’,” I admitted, recognizing how far out of character that interaction was for me even as I continued to defend, “And I swear I was walking away. But then she put her hands on me, and let that third “bitch” fly, and I…”

  “Almost made her wig fly is what you were about to do if I ain’t jump in when I did,” Dre finished with a bit of a chuckle, the thought making me chuckle too even though I was lowkey embarrassed now that it was over.

  I mean, what if other people had been around?

  Or somebody had filmed us?

  It would’ve been a whole thing about me getting into a fight with Todd’s side piece even though I knew it wasn’t really about Todd at all.

  And what if Dre hadn’t been around to stop it?

  How was he around to stop it?

  Like he’d read my mind, Dre tossed an arm around my shoulder and led me out the door while advising, “Just be grateful the friends and family bathroom has my favorite stall in the arena to take a dump in. Otherwise, your ass might’ve been gettin’ hauled out of here in the back of a police car.”

  After his admission, it felt weird to tell him thank you. But I did anyway as we parted ways so that I could get back to the court, praying to God that someone else had something for me to get on-camera and talk about since I had none of the information I needed to report anything back.

  Once the assistant sideline producer saw me coming, she breathed a sigh of relief, rushing me towards the on-court set as she said, “There you are. We were looking all over for you.”

  “Bubble guts almost took your girl out the game,” I lied jokingly as I turned my earpiece back on and then started making a few adjustments to my clothes, the producer immediately offering to feed me some lines from the truck before giving me a countdown that eventually signaled we were back live. And it really felt like acting as I plastered on a smile and rattled off everything she told me to say word-for-word, the broadcast cutting to the courtside commentators with the start of the second half providing some much-needed respite as I thanked both the lead and assistant producer for covering for me before I resumed my position on the sideline for more off-screen reporting.

  With a blowout underway, there wasn’t much to talk about. Even the commentators had started joking with each other about nonsense instead of making observations about the game, pulling me into their conversation as the tiebreaker to their silly arguments as the third quarter came to an end. And with that commercial break came time for me to film the quick interview with the home team’s coach who was in a good mood for obvious reasons, making my job even easier as I threw two quick questions his way about how they planned to finish the game before I thanked him for his time.

  Now I could chill a little bit.

  Not that my job was completely done since I still had one on-camera interview left with whichever player ended up having the best stat line of the night. But with the game playing out the way it was, I could relax and have a little more fun with my off-screen reports, being sure to share my observations about the way the starters on the Trojans bench were loud and proud about cheering for their reserves and how building that overall team chemistry now would help them greatly in the postseason.

  As the game clock winded down to the final minute, I got in position so that I could hit the court with my camera crew the second the buzzer sounded, the producer in my ear advising me to catch up with Kage who’d played a monstrous three quarters. And even though I still wasn’t sure what his deal was earlier, I knew I wasn’t going to let it affect my ability to do my job the same way I hadn’t let those chicks in the hallway rattle me, a smile on my face as I watched both teams share a moment of sportsmanship before I motioned Kage over to join me.

  Because he’d had the privilege of sitting on the bench for the entire fourth quarter, he was dry and dressed in his warm-up gear, serving me a smirk as he asked, “Oh, so now you wanna talk to me?”

  “You’re the one who’s been ghost,” I responded through my broadcast-ready smile as I waited for the signal that we were live. And I suppose since this wasn’t his first time to the rodeo, Kage knew what to look for too, using the couple seconds we had left to respond, “Says the one who got back on T.V. and forgot all about a nigga.”

  “Anyway,” I groaned just as the assistant producer gave me the cue, my microphone in position as I leaned in closer to start, “Kage, the Trojans have been on somewhat of a hot streak as of late. What would you say has been the biggest contributing factor to your team’s success?”

  After I lifted the microphone to a comfortable distance near his mouth, Kage responded, “I think we’re all just on the same page when it comes to our goals for the season and what it’s gonna take for us to continue to compete at the highest level. If we don’t get into the routine now, we can’t expect to be able to turn it on when it really counts later down the road. So we’re treating every game, every possession, like preparation for the playoffs.”

  Nodding, I probed, “Okay, so not only have the Trojans been on a hot streak, but you personally have been lighting it up in almost every major stat category. How does it feel to be off to such a great start this season?

  Once again, I held the mic his way as he answered, “It feels great. But I’m really just doin’ whatever it takes to get my team the win, whether that’s scoring as many points as I can, helping others do the same, or just getting some stops on defense. I know it takes all of us to get the job done, and I wanna make sure I’m always doing my part.”

  “Congrats on the win, Kage,” I finished before turning it back over to the courtside team, holding my professional smile until I knew for sure the camera was no longer on me. But once I got the signal that we were in the clear, I started to turn Kage’s way so that I could get back to the shit he was talking before, only to discover he was already gone.

  Apparently, there were some fans who’d wanted his attention, so I understood why he’d dipped out the way he did. And considering my job wasn’t exactly done either, I tried no
t to think too much of it as I slowly made my way down to the postgame presser, bumping into Katianna who I couldn’t wait to share all the drama of halftime with.

  Of course, now that it was all over, she found the story amusing as hell. In fact, she insisted on the two of us going down to the security office so she could pull up the footage and see it all for herself, just the thought of watching it back embarrassing the hell out of me since I still couldn’t believe I’d let their asses get under my skin. But now, it was what it was. And honestly, I was sure my mother would’ve been proud of me for standing up for myself, that alone making me feel a little better about the situation as Kage and Zeb made their way to the table for questions.

  Correction.

  Zeb made his way to the table for questions while Kage followed in behind him looking like a damn tease, his white button-up shirt and the tailored dress pants he had on leaving very little to the imagination since they fit everywhere. And honestly, the fact that I didn’t have to imagine anything made it hard for me to even look at him as he took questions, my eyes on everything but the table as Katianna leaned my way to ask, “You two finally fucked, didn’t y’all?”

  “Huh?”

  “If you can “huh”, you can hear, Bleu,” she whispered, already giggling to herself about it as I continued to play dumb.

  “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, Kat.”

  She didn’t let my lie ride for long, glancing back and forth between the two of us as she quietly insisted, “All this overly-avoided eye contact and the distant sexual tension I’m pickin’ up on? Yeah, y’all definitely smashed.”

  “Okay, so maybe we did. But it was just a one-time thing,” I whispered back, that response giving Katianna the wrong impression as she leaned over to ask, “So you tellin’ me the dick wasn’t worthy of the first-round pick?

  That question made me snort a laugh, drawing a few eyes from the back of the room that I did my best to play off before I quietly admitted, “Nah, the dick was… All-Star caliber. But you and I both know I don’t have time for those kinds of problems right now. I mean, shit. I’m still fighting off the bitches from my last situation.”

  “And now she and her little friend will be banned from the arena for the rest of the season,” Katianna added with a smirk before telling me, “You’re welcome.”

  There were definitely perks to having friends in high places, and I really was grateful that I at least wouldn’t have to worry about anymore Nashville run-ins. But unfortunately, Katianna’s gesture didn’t make all my problems go away, Kage’s popularity with the other members of the media never giving us a real chance to catch up before I left the arena to head back to the hotel.

  At least there, I had some peace and quiet.

  I also had some food from my favorite black-owned pizzeria, Slim & Husky’s, the “Rony, Roni, Rone!” hitting the spot as I sat on the hotel bed and devoured it while watching the second half of a Western conference game until my phone buzzed with a FaceTime call.

  It was Kage.

  Usually, we only texted. So him straight-up calling caught me a bit off-guard. But it made sense once I clicked to answer, and the first thing out of his mouth when the video connected was an amused, “Yo, what’s this I hear about you goin’ fisticuffs during halftime?”

  “Hello to you too, Kage,” I responded with a roll of my eyes that I was glad he could see as I held the phone in one hand and used the other to hold my pizza, my big bite only making him laugh as he asked, “Why you ain’t get me none? I like pizza.”

  “I’m sure Pizza Hut is still open,” I told him before I finished off my current slice just to rub in the fact that mine was much better quality, Kage watching with his bottom lip just slightly caught between his teeth before getting back to his original reason for calling.

  “So what happened, Bleu? Dre told me you almost went home with somebody’s wig.”

  “Well Dre told you a lie cause there’s no way in hell I was bringing that dusty ass wig anywhere near my home,” I responded, grabbing another slice of pizza from the oblong box as Kage started chuckling again.

  “Aight, so tell me what happened then.”

  With a shrug, I answered plainly, “She touched me, so I touched her back.”

  “Who touched you?”

  “Todd’s crash dummy,” I replied, finally getting around to my bite as Kage repeated more to himself than me, “Todd’s crash…”

  I could tell when the recognition hit him, his voice getting a little louder when he asked, “Ol’ girl from the accident was at the game?”

  “And is apparently now dating one of your teammates since her and her little sidekick had access to the friends and family area,” I shared. “It’s all good, though. I handled her hands and bad wig the same way I handled Todd’s.”

  Ever since Katianna had pointed out Todd’s hair, it was like I couldn’t unsee it.

  Not that I hadn’t known something was up.

  But while we were dating, he had so many other things going for him that it hadn’t stood out to me the way it did now, making it clear just how easily I could’ve been ignoring other red flags as Kage interrupted my thoughts to ask, “Hol’ up. That nigga put his hands on you?”

  With another shrug, I explained, “I ran into him in Bristol, and we… shared some words in the elevator.”

  “That didn’t answer my question,” Kage replied sternly, his scowl only growing more intense once I went on to share, “He grabbed me by the arm, and I pulled away.”

  “I don’t like that shit, Bleu.”

  Frowning, I asked, “And you think I do? I’ve been tryna put everything about his ass behind me, but…”

  Before I could finish, Kage interrupted, “You need me to handle it?”

  “I got it,” I assured him with a sigh, knowing the last thing I needed was for him to get involved. “But thank you.”

  Responding with a nod, Kage stared at the screen for a moment, his scowl slowly relaxing into something more neutral when he said, “It was good seeing you today.”

  “You mean when you dapped me up like a homeboy?” I asked teasingly, the mention making Kage’s neutral face turn to more of a grin when he explained, “If I don’t keep you in that category in my head, I’ma be tempted to grab some ass. And I know you ain’t goin’ for that, so…”

  “Daps it is,” I finished for him while also finishing off my slice of pizza, Kage watching me chew with a smile until I asked, “What?”

  “I missed you,” he blurted, those words immediately making me blush even as I told him, “I haven’t gone anywhere, Kage.”

  “I mean, I know that. But we ain’t been speakin’ as much lately, and I miss that. I miss this.”

  His sincere and direct acknowledgment of what I’d been feeling too made it seem a lot less damning, a soft grin on my lips as I reminded him, “You have my number.”

  “And you have mine too,” he suggested with a grin of his own, leaning back against his couch in a way that put his chest on full display as he continued, “But I know you’ve been all extra busy now that you’re back at work, so I ain’t been tryna bother you too much.”

  “And I know you’ve been extra busy with the season, so…”

  Chuckling, Kage flat-out asked, “Are we gonna keep makin’ excuses, or are we gonna commit to doing better?”

  Averting my eyes, I playfully pushed out, “I meannn, I guess I could do a little bit better.”

  “Eating the good pizza all in my face and shit like we couldn’t have just linked up to share,” he suggested with a frown, legitimately looking hurt about it as I giggled and defended, “Okay, but you really were busy though, so…”

  “Aht-aht, I’on wanna hear it,” he interrupted, my lips amusedly snapping closed as Kage licked his to say, “Just don’t let it happen again, aight?”

  Considering how damn good he looked on the screen, he probably could’ve gotten me to commit to a lot more than a better friendship and shared pizza. But I a
lso knew allowing myself to experience Kage in that way was like a restricted area that I had no business trying to enter; though it was starting to feel like I couldn’t help myself as I gave a playful roll of my eyes and responded, “Yeah, we’ll see.”

  Ten

  Having Coach Joe in Nashville with me for Christmas was a gift and a curse.

  The gift part was obvious since any time I got to spend with him was valuable, and him being here for the holiday meant he could finally see me play in our home arena. But the curse part that I couldn’t have predicted was him trying to get at Ms. Jeanine, our early arrival to the arena allowing him to get a sneak peek of the Golden Geras rehearsal for tonight’s game that had him groaning, “Mmm. All I want for Christmas is that.”

  No lie, I couldn’t help but laugh at his ol’ horny ass even when I told him, “Watch out, man. Ms. Jeanine is like a second mom to me.”

  “And I’m damn near like a second dad, so that’s perfect,” he responded with a suggestion that made a little too much sense.

  In fact, I couldn’t even argue with him as Ms. Jeanine issued a five-minute break to her squad so that she could come say what’s up to me. Or rather, come say what’s up to us, being all extra sweet about it when she said, “Hey Kage. Hey Kage’s Friend.”

  Since it was obvious what was going on here, I went ahead and introduced the two. “Ms. Jeanine, this is Coach Joe. He’s visiting from Bridgeport.”

  “Coach Joe, I’ve heard so much about you,” she sang, extending her dainty hand for a shake as she said, “I’m Jeanny.”

  “Jeanny?” I repeated, the fact that it was always Ms. J or Ms. Jeanine to me making me frown confusedly as she glanced my way to emphasize, “Yes Jeanny.”

  Returning her handshake, Coach Joe held onto it a little longer than necessary when he responded, “The way you were dancing out there, I thought you were Janet.”

  “Nah, the little Jackson sister ain’t got nothin’ on me,” Ms. Jeanine bragged, the two of them sharing a laugh, that transformed into a look, that turned into me feeling like a third wheel as I decided it was officially time to excuse myself.