“Shit,” Selena hissed, extracting herself from my hold as I did my best to cover with an overacted, “Mikayla. Hey. You’re here early.”
What she’d seen was written all over her face when she grinned and replied, “Looks to me like I’m right on time, Coach Leonard,” moving to drop her bag off in her locker as she added, “Trying to take after my dear teammate here by showing up early to get a little extra work in, and now I know the real secret to her success. Not mad about it. Not mad about it at all.”
Ignoring Mikayla completely, Selena blurted, “I... need to go change,” taking off towards the more private dressing area to do so as I scrubbed a hand down my facial hair and tried to figure out how to best handle the situation. But considering how much Mikayla had witnessed, I quickly realized I didn’t have many options other than the truth.
So that’s what I went with, moving closer to her locker to request, “Mikayla, if you could not say anything about what you just walked in on, I’d greatly appreciate it.”
With her, I knew keeping quiet would be a stretch since the girl not only loved to talk about anything under the sun, but she loved to do that shit publicly. And I could only hope there was some weight to her, “That ain’t no problem.” Though I shouldn’t have been surprised when she waited until I was already walking away to add, “Just make sure I get an invite to the wedding!”
Shaking my head, I continued out of the locker room, getting ready to head towards the court until I heard someone behind me yell, “Dre!” And after peeking back to see the source of the voice, I caught Kat doing a lightweight jog in her heels to get to where I was standing before she pulled her phone out to breathlessly say, “Look. Don’t be mad. And I’m doing my best to get it scrubbed from the internet as soon as possible. But… you should probably see this.”
My face automatically scrunched in confusion since it wasn’t like I was super active as far as social media went. The occasional post to let strangers know I was still alive, but nothing out of the ordinary which made it even more shocking when Kat handed me her phone to show what had just recently been posted on Instagram by one of the popular gossip blog pages, Spilling That Hot Tea.
It was a picture of me, but also not exactly a picture of me; my mugshot from years ago printed onto a t-shirt worn by the Trojans rookie who had apparently shared it to his Instagram story last night with the caption, “New Nymphs merch. #FreeDreLeonard”
His caption was one thing, and STHT’s was another, theirs bringing even more life to the situation.
“#PostAndDelete Looks like @KageBeSteele feels a way about former Tennessee Trojans player @DreLeonard being back in Nashville. Or maybe there’s more to the story? Stay tuned cause you know we’re gonna get the tea...”
“Wow. This little mothafucka is bold as hell,” I groaned, growing angrier by the second as Kat snatched her phone back and agreed with me.
“He’s an asshole is what he is. I mean, what would even make him do this?”
Thinking back to our short conversation in New York, I could only sigh as I told her, “I know exactly why he did it,” before asking, “He’s not coming to the game today, is he?”
I was already planning to have more than just a few words with him when Kat shook her head to answer, “I don’t think so.”
“Wise choice,” I thought as I told her, “Good. Let’s keep it that way for the rest of the season.”
It seemed like a no-brainer to me since it was obvious his ass was up to no good. But Kat wasn’t quite onboard, her expression torn when she replied, “I… don’t know if I can do that, Dre. I mean, maybe we can suspend him for a couple games as like a warning. But having him courtside has boosted our social media engagement massively.”
“So his ass just gets to do whatever he wants, play with my reputation, and I just gotta deal with it?” I snapped, damn near seething when Kat had the nerve to respond from a business mind instead of a personal one.
“Play defense, Dre. Get ahead of his ass. Go comment that it was just an inside joke, or that you’re launching an exclusive clothing line. Don’t let him win.”
Shaking my head, I was quick to disapprove. “Nah, I don’t do that internet shit. I’ll just pull up on his bitch ass.”
“And get an updated mugshot for him to make another shirt out of?! No, Dre. That’s not how we roll around here. I need you to be smarter than that. If not for me, at least for my father, for Sugar, for the team, for Selena.”
She was trying to use Selena as a motivator when really this all started with her. But since Kat didn’t know all of the details of that - and I wasn’t interested in giving them - I did my best to calm down enough for her to believe me when I said, “Yeah, aight Kat. Thanks for the heads-up.”
The game was over and won, and I still had an attitude.
It was like no matter how hard I tried to shake Kage’s little Instagram stunt, it kept coming back to me in different ways; wondering how many people had seen it now that it was really making its rounds on the internet even after he’d deleted it from his page, wondering where he’d even gotten that stupid ass idea from, wondering why he was so pressed to try and make a mockery of that time in my life like I hadn’t already lived through the shit while being in the public eye.
Actually, I knew the answer to that one. He wanted Selena and for whatever reason saw me as a threat, surely thinking his post would be some sort of deterrent. But unfortunately for him, Selena already knew the truth. In fact, she knew more than the average person, having a much better understanding of everything surrounding that dark period and fuckin’ with me even harder after the fact.
So really, he just looked dumb. At least, that’s what I kept trying to tell myself as I sat through Sugar’s postgame speech that included an announcement about us having the day off tomorrow. An announcement that had the room going up in celebration as Selena peeked over and shot me a wink that I responded to with what must’ve been a strained smile since Selena was quick to respond with a look of confusion.
Because she had other postgame obligations, she couldn’t address it until after those were taken care of, walking straight over to me when she was finished with her press conference to ask, “Hey. You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good. We still on for tonight?” I questioned, thinking that would not only help take my mind off the Kage situation but also keep her from pressing me about my demeanor from earlier too.
Smirking, she challenged, “You mean, still on for the plans you’ve yet to tell me about?”
“Had to make sure we won first. Cause you know that shit would’ve changed your whole attitude if we hadn’t,” I insisted, watching as she knowingly nodded to agree.
“This is true. But considering we did win, what was that face about earlier?”
“So she really did notice,” I thought, doing my best to play it down when I answered, “It’s nothin’ worth giving energy towards.”
“But still somethin’, so just tell me,” she pressed, her doe eyes sitting even wider than usual as she waited on an explanation. And since it was clear she wasn’t going to let it go, I released another sigh before giving a sample of the truth.
“Your little boyfriend called himself making jokes on the internet last night.”
With a chuckle, she was quick to scold, “First of all, quit with that little boyfriend shit. Second of all, what kinda jokes? Jokes about you? Why would he be making jokes about you?”
Scrubbing a hand against the back of my head, I answered, “We might’ve had a conversation. Back in New York.”
“Back in New York?” she repeated with a frown that only grew tighter once I told her, “Yeah. About you.”
“Oh God…” she groaned with a roll of her eyes, her frown turning into more of a disappointed scowl when she asked, “Dre, why would you even entertain that nonsense?”
“Ask yourself that question, Selena. I mean, if it wasn’t for you entertaining him first, I wouldn’t have had to.”
�
��And if it wasn’t for you and Bleu, I wouldn’t have…”
“Wait. Me and Bleu? Aint’ shit goin’ on with me and Bleu. That’s just my homegirl.”
“And I’m supposed to know that how?” she fired back with her eyes tight and her arms crossed defensively, the sight making me chuckle once I realized - we’re really arguing about this shit?
Gently pulling her arms apart, I answered, “How about you try asking instead of assuming? Ain’t like I’ve ever hid anything from you, so why would I start now?”
Because she knew I was right, she only responded with a sigh, slightly changing the subject when she asked, “So what did Kage say about you?”
Instead of giving a verbal explanation, I just pulled it up on my phone and handed it to her so she could see it for herself, watching her eyes frantically scan the screen as she rambled, “This is stupid. He’s an idiot. Don’t let him get to you, Dre.”
“Easier said than done, Selena. I’ve been workin’ real hard to rebuild my reputation in this city. So anybody who tries to fuck with that is a problem,” I told her, still not exactly sure of how I wanted to handle it but very clear on the fact that it had to be done.
To my surprise, Selena agreed, handing my phone back and pulling out her own as she replied, “I’m pretty sure I can find out where he lives. We can go over there and handle this right now.”
“Was… not expecting you to see it my way,” I admitted with a little chuckle, her whole ride-or-die vibe amusing the hell out of me and lowkey turning me on all at once.
That feeling only grew when I watched her aggressively type something on her phone while replying, “People tryna clown others on the internet for clout or whatever is corny as fuck. And to be real, I thought he was better than that.”
Even if I didn’t know all the ins and outs of their involvement, I had a feeling she wasn’t lying about thinking better of him since I was sure she wouldn’t have allowed herself to be associated with him at all otherwise. And honestly, after watching lil’ homie ball this past season, I kind of thought better of him too. But when it came down to it, I knew it wasn’t all that uncommon for niggas to get outta pocket when there was a woman involved, which was why it felt a little easier to swallow once I wrapped Selena in a hug and teased, “See what you make people do, lil’ baby. Got us all acting outta character.”
Because there was no one else around, she sank into my hold, her hands pressed into my chest when she looked up at me and asked, “Was that post really about me, though? Or was he just comin’ for the old man?”
“You gonna get enough of callin’ me old like I ain’t still got it,” I warned, watching her nose scrunch as she snapped her head back and repeated my claims.
“Still got it? Uh… I would like to see it.”
“Check my credentials. That banner hanging up in the arena didn’t get there by itself,” I reminded her without even realizing I was setting myself up.
Selena knew exactly what she was doing though, a mischievous look in her eyes when she taunted, “Yeah, that’s from the bounce you had years ago. I’m talkin’ about right now. Today. Can you still throw it down like you used to, or nah? Cause your mind is probably saying yes, but I can hear your knees screaming nah.”
On one hand, I knew I shouldn’t have been letting her talk me into anything. But on the other hand, I was curious myself, knowing it had been a while since the last time I even tried to do what she was egging on. And once that got into my head, I couldn’t let it go, giving a little shrug as I told her, “Guess it’s only one way to find out.”
Of course she was satisfied with that, grinning as she led the way out onto the court I used to call home as a player, seeing it in that light hitting differently than the times I’d walk out as a part of the Nymphs coaching staff this season. And once Selena grabbed a ball for me to use and tossed it my way, I swear I could hear murmurs from the crowd cheering in my ear, sending me into a zone as I took a few dribbles towards the rim and rose up for a dunk that felt… amazing.
Invigorating.
Felt… “Booooring! Come on, Dre! Talia could’ve done that!”
Smirking her way, I dribbled the ball back towards the top of the key, thinking of another dunk to show off and deciding on a simple three-sixty that Selena reacted to with a golf clap.
“Okay, okay. I’d give that like a seven point five in the dunk contest. Now show me somethin’ worth a ten.”
Laughing her off, I dropped the ball to my feet so that I could remove my dress shirt for more flexibility, taking my time to unbutton it since the first two dunks had me a little winded. And once I got it off, I realized Selena had been ogling me with glossy eyes the entire time, tossing the shirt her way to snap her out of her lusty daze as I told her, “You really tryna have a nigga out here hurt. I mean, no warm-up or nothin’ and you expect a dunk worth a ten?”
“Come on. I’ll throw you an alley-oop,” she insisted, dropping both her duffle bag and my shirt then sticking her hands out for me to toss her the ball. And because it was in good fun, I followed through, Selena throwing up a perfectly-timed dime for me to dunk with ease.
“Ugh. I wish I could dunk. I’d be so good at it,” she whined as she grabbed the rebound, making me chuckle when I teased, “How you figure? I mean, you ain’t even all that good at laying it up, so…”
“Oh wowwww. Is that a challenge? Cause these heels do come off,” she threatened, only making me laugh harder as I moved her way to snatch the ball out of her hands.
Well, tried to snatch the ball out of her hands, Selena turning away to guard it when she pressed, “You’re scared I’m gonna whoop that ass, huh?”
Shaking my head, I groaned, “Selena, stop. I don’t want you gettin’ hurt. Not on my watch.”
Considering the scope that was already on us for our personal shit, I could only imagine how Kat would react if I did something to really jeopardize the season. But leave it to Selena’s competitive ass to already be unstrapping her heels as she said, “First to five, counting by ones and twos. Make it, take it.”
Because I knew she wouldn’t let it go - and that I could make it to five real quick - I agreed, “Yeah, aight. Let’s go then.” And that was all Selena needed to hear as she kicked her shoes out of the way and checked the ball up, taking a few dribbles to her left and putting up a quick shot that went in all net.
“Jordan DeAndre Leonard, you are guarding the leading three-point shooter in the league right now. You better put some respect on that shit and step up,” she gloated, amusing the hell out of me as I bounced the ball her way to check up again. And this time when she took her little dribbles to create some space, I stole the ball from her, setting up for a three-pointer that was easy to get off thanks to our height difference.
Once the ball went through the net, I did a little bragging of my own, catching the smirk on her lips when I announced, “Tied up, lil’ baby. Now put some respect on that shit,” pointing to the championship banner hanging in the rafters.
With a confident nod, she bounced the ball my way and said, “I’m gonna have my own to point at one day. Just watch.”
There was no doubt in my mind that that time was coming sooner than later. But right now, I was only focused on our game of one-on-one, backing her down to the rim as I replied, “Nah, you just watch.”
She was giving me a lot of body, but it still wasn’t enough to keep me from scoring on a hook shot right over her head that somehow made her fall in the process. And while she probably expected me to apologize for it, I didn’t, looking down at her to snarl, “What? I’m supposed to feel sorry for you? Get your ass up and play ball, SeSa.”
From the determined look on her face, I could tell I’d awoken the beast, not all that surprised when she checked the ball and immediately got right in my face to play real defense. And even though I was still able to get a shot off, I missed it, Selena rushing to chase down the rebound in her jeans and setting up for another jumpshot I was too slow to defend.
>
“Tied up. Again,” she sang as I grabbed the ball from under the rim, shaking my head as I bounced it to her to check and found myself really d’ing up too since there was no way I could let her beat me. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to try, taking a few aggressive dribbles towards the hoop and then crossing backwards for a stepback jumpshot that made me stumble as she fired it to the rim and I… shit, my ankle.
By the time the ball went through the hoop, I was already on the ground, Selena holding a hand over her mouth like she couldn’t believe what she’d done before rushing over to check on me. But once she got close enough, I pulled her down on top of me, playfully wrestling her into a hug as she whined, “You only faked an injury cause you knew I was about to win!”
“Nah, my shit really is a little tweaked,” I admitted, burying my face in her neck to add, “But yeah, that’s the story you can tell yourself.”
Between my response and my facial hair tickling her skin, she was all giggles when she announced, “Bucket List item number 368 - Break Dre Leonard’s ankles. Check.”
“Wowww, really?” I groaned with a chuckle, tickling her into a fit of giggles as she joked, “And you were worried about Kage messin’ with your reputation. You’re lucky nobody saw that shit.”
“I’ll give ‘em somethin’ to see alright,” I mocked, nibbling at her neck in a way that had her quick to moan, “Mmm. Your place or mine?”
“It’s up to you,” I told her, knowing the location didn’t even matter.
She was getting this dick regardless.
Pressing her hands into my chest, she created enough space between us to look me in the eyes and say, “Come to mine. And bring a bag just in case.”
“That’s what you want?”
“I mean, we do have a day off, so…” she trailed, gnawing at the corner of her lip like she was already making plans for more than just tonight. And considering how much catching up we had to do, I was down for whatever, quick to express that with a simple request.
One Last Shot (Nymphs & Trojans Series Book 2) Page 11
