Chapter 6
T
hese seats are so cool! I can’t believe I’m sitting courtside at a professional game! Ma, can you take my picture?” Brooklyn squealed as she turned in her seat and posed with duck lips and a peace sign.
“It comes with a suite, too, if y’all want to switch and watch it from the box at halftime,” Loyal stated, chuckling at Brooklyn’s excitement.
“This is unreal! I’m trying to go live, but I get like no bars in here. Is there WiFi?” Brooklyn asked.
“Yeah, let me get you right,” Loyal said. He took her phone and connected the WiFi, and then passed the phone back. “Go ahead and flex all you want.”
Loyal motioned for an older couple, who sat on the end of the row.
“Ellie, this is my stepdad, Robert, and my mom, Tracy,” Loyal shouted the introduction, in an attempt to be heard over the crowd. “These are her girls, Brooklyn and Tessa.”
Ellie leaned in and shook their hands. “It’s nice to meet you!”
“Come on! That’s a foul!” Robert screamed, keeping one eye on the game as he shook her hand. “Basketball is serious business in our family,” the old man explained. “It’s nice to meet you, beautiful.”
“Nah, man, don’t start; this one’s off-limits,” Loyal said, snickering.
Tracy laughed and slapped Loyal’s knee before reaching a long arm out to Ellie to squeeze her hand. “She’s pretty, son.”
Ellie blushed and took her seat.
“Old man always running game on every girl I bring home. He been doing that since I was fifteen,” Loyal said, clueing her in. She smiled in amusement. “Nigga always flirting, and Ma, you just be encouraging him.”
“Kind of sounds like you’re a chip off the old block,” Ellie teased. “I’m just saying, considering I just met you, and somehow, you’ve convinced me and my kids to go on a date with you.”
“This ain’t a date. I’ma do this much differently when you allow me to take you out for real,” he whispered in her ear. “This is…”
“Pity?” she asked, frowning.
“Grace,” he replied. “And us getting to know each other.”
She nodded because she could accept that.
“Mommy, can I get popcorn and soda?” Tessa asked.
“No soda, my love, but yeah, we can get you some popcorn,” Ellie said. “Brook, do you want to take your sister to the concession stand?”
“There’s a waiter for front row,” Loyal informed.
“That’s okay. Tess is an explorer. She only wants the popcorn because she wants to walk to see what she can find along the way,” Ellie explained.
“But, Mom, I’m on live!” Brooklyn protested.
“This girl and this damn live. She’s not even watching the game,” Ellie fussed. “Most girls who sit front row ain’t sitting front row to watch the game. It’s about the look, not the game.”
Ellie shook her head. “I guess,” she responded.
“Come on, little one, let’s go explore,” Loyal said, standing and leading the way up the long staircase that led to the concessions.
Ellie was winded by the time they got to the top. Loyal seemed to be a regular face at the games. Several people stopped to speak to him as they made their way.
When they got to the concession booth, Loyal picked Tessa up and put her on his shoulders so she could see the menu.
“You can get whatever you want,” he said.
“Not whatever you want, Tess. Baby, be polite and choose two things,” Ellie said, placing limits before her daughter got out of hand.
Loyal turned to Ellie, noticing how uptight she was.
She wore her day all in her body language.
Her arms were crossed, and her brow was bent.
Her shoulders were so tight that she looked like she was stuck in a permanent shrug.
The confrontation with Cairo had stressed her out.
“Hey,” he said, grabbing her attention. “She’s fine. Relax. Let that shit go, and let me show you and your girls a good time.”
She sighed and nodded. “And there’s no limit with me,” he added. “You want anything?”
“A margarita, please,” she said, smiling. “I’m sorry. I’m just in my head about facing all this tomorrow.”
“Don’t apologize,” Loyal responded. “You dealing with some shit you shouldn’t be. It’s some sucker-ass shit.” He freed one hand from holding Tess and pulled her closer so he could whisper in her ear. “I’m sorry you’re going through that.”
His understanding somehow made her chest feel lighter.
Tess ordered up the menu. She ordered so much stuff that Loyal had to tip the workers to deliver it to their seats.
“These seats really are crazy,” Ellie shouted over the roaring crowd.
“I’m glad you like ‘em,” Loyal stated. “I figured your kids would like the action. I normally chill in the box instead.” He pointed to the hallway where the players access the locker room. There’s an elevator that takes you up to the suite floor.
Ellie ducked as a loose ball flew her way. “Yeah, the box suite sounds like more my speed,” she said, laughing as she picked up the ball and threw it back to the referee.
“Ma, you’re on the Jumbotron!” Brooklyn shouted.
Ellie looked up and waved shyly as the camera focused on her and Loyal. He gave a quick smile to the camera and slapped hands with one of the players on the bench before focusing back on Ellie.
“You’re so much cooler than me,” Ellie laughed. “Everybody knows you here.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “They just showing love because I’m a season ticket holder.
My old man used to buy season tickets every year.
He would work double and triple time, just to scrape up enough money to afford that little luxury.
We’d be so high up you couldn’t even see the players.
They looked like ants way up in the nosebleeds.
Now, I gift him floor seats every year.”
“That’s really sweet,” Ellie said. She glanced down at Robert. “He clearly loves it.”
Loyal nodded. “He does,” he chuckled.
The whistle blew, and another loose ball came rolling their way, knocking over Ellie’s drink.
She leaned down to clean up the mess.
“Don’t worry about it, they’ll get it,” Loyal said, flagging over the wait staff.
Ellie looked over to her girls who were having the time of their young lives. “You guys want to maybe go up to the suite for the rest of the game?”
“No way!” Brooklyn said.
“It’s so much fun down here! Can we stay? Pleaseee!” Tessa begged.
Tracy waved a hand at Ellie. “You two go on up; they can hang out down here with us. We’ll meet you at the top when it’s over,” Tracy offered.
“Oh, no, I couldn’t ask you to do that,” Ellie stated.
“They’re fine, hun. We’ve raised plenty of kids. Go ahead,” Tracy insisted.
“Ma, you’re being a helicopter mom. I’m a teenager. We’re fine,” Brooklyn added.
“Okay, okay,” Ellie sang as she reluctantly lifted out of her seat. “Do you want me to take you to the bathroom before I go?”
“No, Mommy, I don’t have to go,” Tessa insisted.
“I’ll take her at halftime, Ma,” Brooklyn promised.
Ellie looked around unsurely but followed Loyal as he took her hand and led her up to the suite. It was empty and pure luxury.
“Now, this is how I prefer to attend a sporting event,” she said as she stepped inside. A buffet was set, bottles of liquor awaited them, and television screens lined the wall.
“I figured you’d be more comfortable up here,” Loyal snickered. He grabbed a bottle and carried it to the leather sofa. “Grab two glasses for me?” he asked.
She did and then joined him on the couch.
“Thank you for this, by the way,” she said. “And thank you for standing up for me.”
“Don’t mention it,” Loyal stated.
“Why did you? If you don’t mind me asking.” Ellie hadn’t been able to take her mind off the encounter.
“You looked like a deer in headlights,” Loyal said. “You were confident and assertive when I met you at the bar. As soon as he walked into the room, you shrank. It felt like he had bullied you before. I ain’t mean to overstep, because I know I did, but I ain’t like that shit at all.”
“I really appreciate you standing up for me. I haven’t had someone do that in so long.
I guess that’s what I’ve been searching for since my brother got locked up.
Cassidy was always my muscle. He was always my protector.
People knew not to fuck with me because they would have to answer to him.
When he went away, I went through a few niggas just searching for that feeling, that loyalty.
There was an unconditional love that suddenly was missing in my life. ”
“And your husband gave you that?” Loyal asked.
“I don’t think he did. When I look back, it’s crystal clear that he was never man enough to fulfill such a big duty.
He almost love-bombed me, coming with my first big wow moment for everything.
He was the one who bought me my first Louis; he took me on my first little Caribbean vacation.
He did basic shit like make me call off work but give me the money I’d make in a day.
Hair money. Nail money. Little girl shit.
I fell too fast, too hard, and next thing I know, we were married,” Ellie whispered.
“Do you still love him?” Loyal asked.
“He up and left me four years ago after we adopted Tess. No warning. No explanation. Just left. He refuses to give me a divorce to avoid paying me alimony. He’s holding my life hostage, and now he wants to break my baby girl’s heart.
I loathe that man,” Ellie admitted. She cleared her throat and reached for the bottle in front of them. She poured two shots.
“They say you aren’t supposed to tell a man how the man before him broke your heart. It’s a playbook for them to manipulate you,” Ellie stated.
“Manipulation isn’t my game,” Loyal replied. “I don’t lie to women. Ain’t shit playa about a nigga that got to lie. I live in my truth and let women choose what they’re okay with and what they want to walk away from.”
“Like you having a girlfriend,” Ellie interjected. “Or was that an engagement ring I saw on that girl’s finger? She’s gorgeous, by the way.”
“She’s beautiful,” he replied. “She also fucked my potnah in Miami three months ago, which is why she’s my ex.”