“You’re real funny, Lucky. But just so you know, my girl's got the money where she could buy a necklace like this without a second thought. So while you were trying to call her a gold digger she’s the one with the gold. Bet you’re pissed at how badly you fumbled that night. Not like you had a chance, anyway. That was always me, bitch.”
“Yeah, whatever nigga.”
“Oh, one more thing, Lucky. I hear you say my girl’s name wrong, I’m on your ass. I don’t play about her respect. Don’t get fucked up. Hate for that jaw to be wired shut the whole season cause your mouth wrote a check your jaw couldn’t cash.” I winked at him and walked off to find Marcel or Runt. One of them niggas would have to keep me off Lucky if he said something wild.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Press Pressure
STERLING
“You’ve got to stop looking at the papers.”
I put my phone down because Aphrodite wasn’t wrong because I was hyper-fixating on what people had to say.
I’d made the gossip pages. For the first time in my entire life, I’d been thrown out there to the media with no type of pre-released press release for protection. I hated that I was obsessing over this how I was but I couldn’t help it. Before it never mattered much to me but this time it did. I was never worried about being a reflection on my family. Well, that wasn’t accurate. I worried about it only to the extent that my desire for perfection would keep them off my back. This time I truly cared. Wanted the people that mattered to Aldrich to think I was good for him. I knew they wouldn’t base my worth on a tabloid but that still didn’t shake the bad habit I had of trying to make sure they weren’t ripping me to shreds. And of course they were.
“I know. I can’t help it.”
Aphrodite nodded her understanding as she leaned back in her chair. She was wearing a full face of makeup despite being in a t-shirt because she’d been doing press from home all morning.
We were having lunch at our place and cooking helped to relieve the stress the morning had brought. Aldrich had treatment and I saw the way he got banged up at the game. When we got home and got Ami settled to sleep I was happy to start our night in the shower. His body had been covered in bruises and they looked so painful I wanted to cry. Instead of letting me feel sorry for him, he put my ass up against the wall to show me that a few bruises weren’t going to stop him from pleasuring me.
That kept me from seeing any of this until he’d gone to work. I’d gotten nosy and looked for the link on Athlete Dirt that had my cousin Denise telling the family group chat my business. And I’d been hit with an avalanche of people’s opinions of me.
Aphrodite didn’t drive so I sent a car service out to her so that she didn’t have to worry about getting to me. Besides, I needed my friend and I had no issue with making her comfortable here.
“I know I’m being a hypocrite by telling you that because I look. I look when it’s someone talking about my game. I for damn sure look to see if they’re talking shit about Anthony because that’s the quickest way to piss me off.” Her pretty face frowned up as she reached for a cracker on the charcuterie board I’d laid out. I hadn’t wanted to pay to have some of my entertaining pieces shipped from my house because the cost would’ve been ridiculous. Having to find a mover I trusted enough to go in my home with just my housekeeper and then ship things without breaking them wouldn’t have been cost effective. Instead, I finally gave in and used Aldrich’s card to stock his kitchen the right way. I still tried to bargain but for some items I just had my Freedman’s shopper source what I wanted and put it on my account.
That lady was going to get a huge commission check for the next few months with everything she’d been locating for me.
“Not you going allNiveaon them folks.” I laughed as I stirred the lobster bisque that was simmering on the stove. This lunch was my way of telling her congratulations on her accomplishments but keeping it small enough so that she didn’t have to beonany longer than she already had been today.
She grinned with a look on her face that she’d happily catch a charge behind herBam. “And will. People got a lot to say but now that he’s making waves they’re starting to think he should level up to someone else.”
My mouth dropped open as I looked her up and down. Face was flawless, body was enviable, and the bank account was next level. “Girl, who’s supposed to be better than you?”
“Some surgically built social media baddie that’s the new hot girl of the week now that her BBL has settled.” Her words wereso oddly specific I knew that a chick just like that had tried to slide in Anthony’s DMs after his performance yesterday.
“I heard those things stink. Nobody wants to risk that and mess up a beautiful thing with you.” I didn’t need to reassure her because that was Anthony’s job. But just like she was giving me good advice I was going to do the same with her.
“I wouldn’t know but I’ve heard plenty of people telling me I should get one to keep him.”
Okay, now I was pissed. “You've gotta be kidding.”
“Nope. Your mom fucked with your head the same way mine did with me. Both of our mamas were too worried about their ideal body types instead of understanding who we were as individuals. I enjoy being in shape. Like having muscles instead of little spaghetti arms that can only hold a twenty-five centimeter designer bag if it’s empty. But that’s not good enough for her.” Aphrodite rolled her eyes as she had some of the spinach dip I’d prepared. She said it was one of her favorites so I made it.
I knew her parents had been in New York and I wondered if they’d had something to say to her after her win. She hadn’t mentioned them during any of the acceptance speeches I’d seen her give on Saturday and I was sure they’d taken it some kinda way.
“My mother would be thrilled to have you as a kid instead of the one she got.” Aphrodite looked the part of the type of woman she wanted to claim as her kid. I started grilling the buttered buns on the flat-top griddle so that I could finish plating our meal. I’d made lobster rolls with two kinds of homemade chips, the lobster bisque from the lobster shells and a spinach and kale salad. I knew she thought I was doing too much but I enjoyed entertaining now that I had people I actually wanted to be around. Funny how that worked.
Aphrodite sat back in the heavy-duty leather chairs that we’d picked for the island in the kitchen. “No, she wouldn’t. Your mother picks at you because she finds fault within herself. Not to be in your business but with the way Money looks like he’s trying to put a baby in you I doubt that man has an issue at all with your looks. And if he did he’d be blind and dumb because you’re stunning.”
“The craziest part about it is that my mother made me feel like eating like a bird was the way to go. But watching Aldrich eat and talking to him had me ignoring her voice in my head and actually using the knowledge I have to be healthy. We work out together and I like feeling better. I know I look better but I don’t desire to be skinny. Having a regular schedule where I wasn’t basically starving myself and actually moving my body and lifting weights has helped. I didn’t do it to please anyone, it was just a change he suggested and I actually agreed with it. But it’s still messing with me.”
“That you’ve changed and yet people still have shit to say that’s negative?” She was smiling but it was one of commiseration and I knew that despite the feats she’d reached in her career, there would still be folks trying to say she’d gotten lucky. I’m sure her hatting ass daddy would be at the top of those voices trying to knock her down.
“Yeah. Like I didn’t do that for them but dang I made improvements and folks still talking shit.”
