“I got your text, but the reason I’m calling is to see when you wanted to play one-on-one?”
Ariana sat up and leaned against her headboard. “I’m ready when you are.”
Nicole chuckled. “Your sleepy voice is kind of cute.”
Ariana cleared her throat. “I almost called you last night. I was so hyped from the game that I couldn’t go to sleep.” She stifled a yawn. “What time is it?”
“It’s ten o’clock. I’m on my way to the airport.” Nicole sighed. “You are obviously more thoughtful than I am. I should’ve waited until this afternoon, but I thought you’d be busy.”
“Nic, it’s okay,” Ariana said. “I’m glad you called me.”
“You played such a good game last night.”
“Thank you.” Ariana smiled. Why was it when Nicole complimented her it meant more than hearing praise from her teammates and even her coaches. “So how many points am I going to have to spot you? Your information was obviously valuable.”
“Hmm. How about ten?”
“Ten points! Okay, done,” Ariana replied. Nicole’s laughter through the phone warmed Ariana from the inside out.
“We’re only playing to twelve, so now I have a chance!” Nicole exclaimed.
“What? No fair!”
“Oh yes it is!” Nicole fired back. “You’re a professional basketball player!”
“Okay, okay,” Ariana said. “I’ll get you back. I’ll call you in the morning and we’ll see what your sleepy voice sounds like.”
Nicole chuckled. “I’m not coming back until tomorrow. Our game is late so we’ll fly back in the morning.”
“Oh. Hmm, then you’ll have fans and groupies keeping you up tonight?”
“Uh, I don’t think so,” Nicole said. “We don’t have fans.”
“You have one,” Ariana said. “Chloe has your autograph.”
Nicole laughed. “When you don’t come home after a game, do you really have groupies knocking on your hotel door at night?”
“Sometimes they sneak through,” Ariana said.
“And?”
“And what?”
“Do you let them in?”
Ariana yawned into the phone. “I may have a couple of times my rookie year, but no, I don’t let them in. Besides, they're not interested in me. I do have a couple of teammates though…”
So far her team’s games had been close enough for them to fly back the night of the game. New York was a popular team though and some cities had a healthy fan base who wanted to see their favorite New York players. Fans would wait after the game and try to follow them to dinner or to their hotel. Ariana had one teammate who met a fan after a game last year and ended up in a relationship with her the entire season.
“Is that where your party-girl reputation comes from?”
“What have you heard?” Ariana’s stomach fell. She knew her reputation was unfounded, but if she tried to defend herself it would make things worse. After her first year, Ariana was more aware of her surroundings when she went out in public and always conscious of how she could be perceived. It was one of thefew things she didn’t like about being a professional basketball player.
“Nothing you haven’t heard.”
Ariana sighed. “I like to have fun. That includes dancing, laughing, and sometimes I can be loud. But I rarely drink and I don’t go out during the season. I celebrate victories with my teammates and we go out for team dinners, but I don’t date.”
“Why? Because your focus is on basketball?”
