Against Otosan’s wishes, she signed me up for basketball lessons and took me to my very first NBA game. I still remember the rush of seeing Kyrie play live. Despite her demanding schedule as a Michelin-starred chef, she always made time to be there for most of my games.
I smile to mask the sting in my chest, and pat the tops of their heads. “It’s okay, Okasan.You and Asami are here. That’s all that matters.”
“Bro, that shot was fucking wild!” Elijah Callahan—our point guard and my best friend—shouts as he smacks me on the back.
We’ve known each other since childhood. In high school, we were an unstoppable duo.
After graduation, Elijah stayed in San Francisco while I moved to Chicago. During our sophomore year of college, we were drafted to different NBA teams—me to the Houston Phoenixes, and him to the Seattle Sphinxes.
So when we reunited this year to play for our top-choice team, I was beyond thrilled.
“I still can’t believe I made it in.” I grab a bottle of water, gulping it down. “I would’ve died from embarrassment if it had been an airball.”
“The look on Baker’s face was priceless,” says Andrés Navarro, our power forward, grinning like he’d just won the lottery. “That smug bastard acts like his shit doesn’t stink.”
Andrés and I were roommates when we attended Millennium University in Chicago. Having my two closest friends on the same team feels like a blessing.
Our chemistry is off the charts—which is probably why we’re ranked the number-one team in the league right now.
“I wish we could skip the post-game interview,” Elijah mutters, tugging off his sweat-soaked jersey. “I’m ready to hit the club.”
“Same. I’m ready to celebrate,” I say, grabbing a fresh towel. “They reserved a VIP section for us at Blackout—you know, that new spot that just opened.”
“Oh, sweet! Are we allowed to bring a plus-one?”
“Yeah, everyone can bring a plus-one,” I tell him. “You thinking about bringing Lauren?”
“Oh nah.” Elijah shakes his head. “Had to cut things off with her. She was trying to be exclusive, and I’m not about that life. I’m only twenty-two—I’m not trying to be tied down to anyone.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” I say with a smirk. “Single life is the best life.”
“Amen to that!” Elijah throws up a fist, and I meet it with a grin and a solid bump.
“Being single is boring. Just wait until you find the one, and your life will change,” Andrés says, grinning as he glances at the photo of his wife hanging in his locker. “Being in a loving, committed relationship is the key to happiness.”
He’s been with the same girl since he was eighteen, and they got married last summer.
Elijah rolls his eyes. “Don’t you ever get tired of sleeping with the same person over and over again?”
“Don’t you get tired of worrying about catching an STD?” Andrés snaps back.
Elijah hurls his sweaty jersey at him, smacking Andrés right in the face. The whole locker room booms with laughter.
“Fuck, man! You’re disgusting!” Andrés wrinkles his nose, wiping the sweat off his face.
“I never have to worry about that,” Elijah says with a shrug, a cocky grin spreading across his face. “I’m God’s favorite.”
“Oh, yeah, because Hetotallyapproves of you having sex out of wedlock,” I say, sarcasm thick in my voice.
“Please. You’re no saint yourself,” Elijah fires back.
“I never said I was.”
I have a bit of a reputation for sleeping around. After celebrating a big win, my usual routine involved hitting up a club and then bringing a beautiful woman back to the hotel. And itwas usually never the same one. I’ve hooked up with countless celebrities, from Oscar-winning actresses to global pop stars.
I never led them on and always made it clear from the start that this is purely sex and nothing more. But the moment I start to notice they’re getting too attached is when I have to cut things off.
I don’t have time for relationships, nor do I have the desire to be in one. Not after what happened the last time.
