“I have to work, Marquise. Your schedule does not dictate my day,” she announced.
Pursing my lips upward, I relaxed them once she cackled. She knew damn well Jhae wasn’t doing anything but lying under Malcolm. In some ways, my schedule did dictate her schedule.
“Jhae gave me my marching orders. It will only take me a few hours, which means you need to find something to do,” she said.
I scoffed at her statement because she was my something to do.
“I'll babysit you until your work is done. Then you belong to me. We will try this lesson again with my home game this week,” I said.
Erin rolled her eyes before nudging me out the doorway.
It was the third quarter, and I knew something was off about Erin. She’d been mean-mugging me since the shoot around. During halftime, she gave me one-word responses, further pissing me off. The entire family row was tense, with Pops sitting between Mom and Jhae, along with Toni’s leaching ass. Next to Erin was a case manager from the homeless shelter Malcolm and I fund and her guest. Monica was given the tickets as part of her bonus. She went above and beyond for the families in need, and we had already decided to give her a raise.
I exited the press conference, forgoing the medical treatment, to see what the fuck was wrong with Erin. Standingin the arena, I knew it was some bullshit when Erin separated herself from the group. She was hyper focused on her phone and her body language was tense. Malcolm nudged my elbow, hipping me to what I already caught on to. I crowded Erin’s space, hovering over her, but she moved away, causing me to grip her elbow.
“Marquise, are you okay?” she asked, as she shuffled away from me.
The light tone of her voice didn’t match the intensity in her eyes or body language.
“Yeah, I’m good. Are you good?” I asked with raised brows.
Erin shook her head yes, but her stiff shoulders continued to confirm my suspicion. My eyes followed her as she cut in front of me and positioned herself next to Jhae. Malcolm and I glared at each other, peeping her mood. He moved forward with introductions as I stood beside him.
“Jhae and Erin, please meet Monica and...”
“Amber,” she interrupted Malcolm with a soft smile aimed in my direction. Erin chuckled as if she solved a puzzle. If I weren’t stuck on the short, thick girl with the attitude, I would’ve been on Amber. She was attractive and willing to hand over the pussy with not much effort.
“Monica runs the shelter Marquise, and I fund. This month alone, she placed ten families in stable housing,” Malcolm said.
Jhae hugged my brother as she glared up at him with an approving smile. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. Erin tapped his hand, but she wouldn’t recognize my presence.
“Thank you for inviting us, and the limo ride was amazing,” Monica said to us.
Amber’s eyes roamed my body, not hiding her intentions. I diverted my eyes over to Erin, but she retreated to the comfort of her phone. The tense atmosphere introduced an uncomfortablesilence as we stared at one another. Monica tapped Amber’s elbow, but she froze.
“Jhae and I have plans for tonight, but thank you ladies for coming out,” Malcolm said.
“The driver will take you ladies home. Thank you for the hard work you do,” I followed.
Monica gave Amber widened eyes, but I rounded Malcolm to get Erin’s attention. I tugged on her elbow to distract her from her phone. She peered up at me with anger-filled eyes.
“Bestie, you cool,” she said, removing my light grip of her elbow.
I shook my head because privately we were going to discuss this issue. Malcolm and Jhae glared over at us as Erin put more space between us. The heat radiating off my body could light a bonfire. I followed behind the group, staying within reaching distance of Erin. Putting two and two together, some conversation happened, and my name was slandered. If Erin opened her mouth, I could properly defend myself. Climbing onto the elevator to travel down to the parking garage, I gave Erin her space. We entered the parking lot and I tossed my hands up at a few teammates.
With my brother going out tonight, I paid for an additional driver. Although we lived down the street, it’s getting around the paparazzi that made the ride longer. Before I passed Malcolm’s car, I called out to Erin, “we are in the white SUV.”
She ignored me and continued to stand next to Jhae and Malcolm. My brother dropped his head in laughter as Erin refused to acknowledge me. I brushed my beard, as I lingered at the hood of Malcolm’s car.
“Erin, bring yo short, thick ass to this car,” I yelled but she turned her head in the opposite direction. “So, you gon’ ruin their date because you’re upset with me. Can I at least know what I did wrong?” I asked with folded arms.
The lights from the camera flashes grew closer the longer we played this cat and mouse game.
“Erin,” I called her again, but this time she rolled her eyes. Malcolm covered his mouth to mask his laughter. I’ve never begged a woman to leave with me. It’s usually the other way around.
“Do you want to be on USPN with me carrying you to this car?” I asked.
The movement of her chest suggested she exhaled a hard, annoyed breath. Before departing, she hugged Jhae and rounded the car with a chip on her shoulder. I followed her with my eyes as she walked around me. She had climbed in before I took my first step. The driver snickered as I joined her in the backseat. I examined her closed off position as she sat with her legs crossed.
