“Pretending like your ex still wants you is thirsty,” Nina added. “Actually no, Milan isn’t thirsty—that bitch is parched!”
“Dehydrated!” Aaliyah cackled.
34
“It’s gaaaaaaaaame time!” Nina sang as soon as I answered the phone Sunday morning.
I was riding to the game with Nina and Russ. Aaliyah and Ahmad were driving separately, and the five of us were meeting at eleven o’clock.
With a laugh, I confirmed that I was ready, and I came out of my apartment in my jeans and T-shirt.
Nina was out of the passenger side of the car and meeting me on the sidewalk seconds after I stepped down. “No, ma’am,” she said, shaking her head.
Confused, I stopped in my tracks. “Huh?”
We went back inside my place, and she put together something cute, much dressier than what I’d had on before. Once I’d changed my outfit, Nina and I made our way back to Russ’s sleek car.
“And it’s confirmed he’s not a kingpin?” I asked as we approached.
Her head fell back as she laughed. “You know good and damn well he isn’t!”
I lifted my hands, feigning confusion. “For a while there, we didn’t know.”
Snickering, we climbed in.
“Hey, Russ,” I greeted him.
“What’s up?” He looked back at me. “I see you changed.”
“Nina said I looked like I was going to the game to sell concession snacks, but I didn’t look like a WAG,” I replied.
“What’s a WAG?” he asked.
“Wives and girlfriends of athletes,” Nina responded. “She looked cute before, but since this is the first game and she’s ready to claim her man, she needed to come correct.”
I looked down at my scoop-neck black jumpsuit and the cute green cardigan with the blackMon the front andMonarchson the back.It was a much more pulled-together and sexy look than the skinny jeans and Monarchs T-shirt I’d had on before.
I lifted my shoulders. “I trust Nina.”
Russ brushed Nina’s cheek with the back of his hand. “Yeah, I trust her, too.”
I grinned. “Y’all are cute.”
Pulling out my phone, I sent two texts to Lamar.
Jazmyn Payne:I’m so proud to have watched your dream elevate to this level. You are an inspiration to many, but I want to let you know how inspirational you are to me. You changed my life by coming in and making everything better. Just like you came into the starting position and made the D-line better. You are a game changer. With the Monarchs. And with me. Just by existing, you are already enough. Everything you do on that field is extra. And each week you show up and show out and remind them why they call you Hollywood.
Jazmyn Payne:I look forward to watching you play today. We’re going to be in Section 135, row 3, behind the Monarchs bench.
We arrived at the stadium, and Aaliyah and Ahmad were already there. We linked up, took some pictures, and then went inside. We had excellent seats. We were in the third row, slightly askew from the fifty-yard line.
“Nina, how much were these tickets?” I hissed.
“Huh?” she said, pretending not to hear me.
“Nina!”
“How are you going to do what you need to do if we’re in the nosebleeds?”
