“Should Warriors Coach Gilmore Step Down?”
“The Pressure Is Mounting for Coach Gilmore as He’s Fined $25,000.”
Two text messages come in at the same time one from my father and one from my sister Ashley.
Dad:
Keep your head up.
Ashley:
Remind me never to piss you off.
I answer my father first.
Me:
Will do.
Then answer Ashley.
Me:
I learnt that from you.
I put the phone in my pocket and when I arrive at the hotel, I pull up Beautiful Goddess on my phone and call her.
“Hey,” she answers right away, “how are we doing today?”
“I don’t know,” I admit to her.
“What room are you in?” she asks me. “I’m going to send you a Bundt cake; that makes everyone feel better.”
I laugh at her. “I’m in room four twelve, but I don’t need a Bundt cake.”
“Really?” she asks. “What do you think would make you feel better?” I hear her moving on her end and I wonder if she’s working from home today.
“You,” I reply. “You make me feel better.”
“I was hoping you would say that,” she says at the same time there is a knock at my door.
“Did you already send the cake?” I laugh, walking over to the door and pulling it open, and my mouth hangs open when I see her there.
“I did better, I brought me.”
twenty-four
Victoria
I sit on the bed and wait for him to call. Trying to tell myself this is a good idea and not that I shouldn’t have booked a fucking flight to surprise him on the road.
I literally had no one to ask if this was a good idea or not, since our relationship is on the down low. “What do you think would make you feel better?” I ask him as I take off toward his room. He tells me his room number and I walk out of my hotel room, looking right and left as I put the hoodie on and head toward the stairs. I’ve been here for four hours so I had a chance to do a dry run before he called, even though I didn’t have his room number. I open the door and step into the stairwell as I walk down to the fourth floor. I peek into the hallway through the little window, my pulse picking up like crazy. I open the door and listen for a second before I rush past the rooms to his room.
“You,” he says right when I get to his room. “You make me feel better.”
“I was hoping you would say that.” I put the phone on mute and knock on his door softly, hoping like fuck no one comes out of their rooms, especially my brother. That would be an awkward conversation, especially after last night.
“Did you already send the cake?” He laughs as he pulls open the door and I see his mouth open and his eyes widen.
