Nicole grinned then leaned a little closer. “You should’ve seen me cheering every time you took the shot.”
Ariana laughed. “I could hear your voice in my head.”
They stared at one another, simply enjoying the moment.
“Okay, you have to go,” Nicole said. “Your team is waiting.”
“What if I want to drink a beer with you?”
“Sunday,” Nicole said.
Ariana sighed dramatically and Nicole laughed then winked at her.
“Safe travels tomorrow.”
Nicole nodded. She watched Ariana slowly walk away and was glad she waited to see her. Sunday couldn’t come soon enough.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ariana walked towards Nicole’s apartment and couldn’t wait to see her. She thought back to last night, watching Nicole and Shealyn calling the Dallas game. Now that she knew Nicole as a friend she thought the sound of Nicole’s voice would lose some of its magic. But she had leaned her head against the back of the couch, closed her eyes, and let the smooth timbre of Nicole’s voice wash over her. If anything, her crush had deepened.
As she walked through the entrance to Nicole’s building she was surprised to see Dave at the desk. He smiled at her. “Great game Friday night.”
“Thanks,” Ariana said. “You work on Sundays?”
“Sometimes,” Dave replied. “I was off earlier in the week. Ms. Neal is waiting for you on the roof.”
“Oh, thanks,” Ariana said. “She thinks she’s going to beat me again at one-on-one, but I have news for her.”
Dave chuckled. “She beat you? Why does that not surprise me?”
It was Ariana’s turn to laugh. “I know. Talk about competitive!”
“Enjoy your day.”
“Thank you.” Ariana walked towards the elevators then turned back to look at Dave. “Hey, would you like to go to a game sometime? I always have extra tickets.”
The surprise on Dave’s face made Ariana chuckle. “I would love to,” he said.
Ariana nodded. “I’ll bring tickets by the next time I’m here.”
She stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the roof. Once the doors opened she could hear the ball bouncing on the pavement then a swish as Nicole made a basket.
“Getting in a little practice before I beat you, huh,” Ariana said, dropping her bag before stepping onto the court.
“All the practice in the world will never make our skill level even.” Nicole turned and gave Ariana one of those smiles that melted her heart.
“Ah, but you have tricks.”
“That I do.”
Ariana had to fight the urge to wrap Nicole in her arms. The other night in her excitement she’d grabbed her by the shoulders and a jolt of heat had surged through Ariana’s body. Her heart had immediately sped up as flutters ignited deep inside her.
She walked over to Nicole and swiped at the ball, but she held it behind her back. Ariana didn’t let that stop her. She pulled one of Nicole’s favorite tricks and grabbed her around the waist then tickled her. Nicole’s laughter rang through the air as she dropped the ball. Ariana scooped it up and dribbled to the basket for an easy layup.
When Ariana turned around Nicole was staring at her with her hands on her hips. “You are very handsy, Villa.”
“I learned from the best.”
