PJ was on the ground laughing.
"You're so dramatic," I said.
"Brooklyn get yo' girl, mane. Now she's taunting me."
I smacked my teeth and inbounded the ball to PJ.
"Just for that..." In a play as smooth as silk, PJ crossed Zoo over, sending him to the groundagain,then threw me a pass that was so tough it whisked past Brooklyn’s face, narrowly missing his nose as I went up, caught the ball, and gently laid it off the glass.
“Yasss!" PJ shouted. "That's what I'm talkin' about, Bri!"
We were both celebrating the fact that I had truly just played my first game since before my injury. Not only did it feel like old times, but it felt right. After PJ and I finished celebrating, I walked up to a still arguing Brooklyn, squeezed between him and Zoo, then wrapped my arms around his neck.
"Thank you," I whispered before kissing his lips.
"Don't even try it," Zoo said.
Glancing behind me, I saw PJ trying to hug him, but he kept dodging her.
"Not after you just dogged me like I wasn't the love of your life," he said.
PJ, Brooklyn, and I busted out laughing. Zoo was a fool.
CHAPTER 12
PENELOPE
"Baby, you've been sitting in the same spot for over an hour."
Startled, I jumped a little.
“Oh, uhm... You know this sports drink deal has me stressed." I had to come up with something quick. Zoo had been on me like a hawk for the past few weeks.
"Why? They’re offering you every dime you deserve."
"It's not about the money."
Possibly being pregnant had me thinking differently. About a week ago, I had my period, but it was weird. Weird like, it lasted all of one day, and it was light. That was the first alarming thing. Then came this steady nausea that had been plaguing me the last couple of days. Since then, my priorities had changed. I hadn't told Zoo yet, and neither had I taken a test. For the time being, I was going to wait. For what? I had no answer.
Endorsements meant more time away from home, more energy into something I wasn't fully vested in. I wanted to play basketball, finish school, and... enjoy my family. Zoo and I weren't engaged or anything, but in my mind, he was my last.
"Whatever you wanna do, you know I support. If you wanna walk away from the deal, do it. Contemplating it tells me you're not fully committed to wanting to proceed with it."
"Exactly. Shouldn't I jump on the opportunity? Most female athletes would kill for this chance."Zoo came and squatted in front of me. My hands cupped his cheeks and brought his lips to mine for a quick peck.
"Remember this: Just because it's a wonderful opportunity, doesn't mean it's wonderful for you. If you have ya reservations, then the best thing to do is speak up, before you end up in a deal you're not really feeling."
Smiling, I said, "My man is so intelligent. I love that about you."
He grinned. "I know. Why don’t you get dressed, so I can take you for some steak. I would cook but a nigga ready to eat like right now.”
He had me at steak. I jumped up and went into the closet to get dressed with him laughing behind me. Thirty minutes later, we were pulling into the parking lot. All was well until we stepped foot inside of the restaurant. The smell had me dizzy on my feet.
“You good, Baby?” Zoo had my hand in his and tugged me closer when I stumbled.
“Yeah,” I lied. “These shoes…” That’s all I could blame it on. I was in a pair of four-inch strappy sandals, so he didn’t question me any further.
As the hostess led us to a table, I struggled to settle the bubbling in my stomach. It didn’t help that I tasted straight oil in my mouth—the oil that’s left after ground beef. I damn near gagged.
