Chapter 18
Jazmyn Payne: What type of workout is this, Nina? I said I wanted to increase my flexibility not do a floor routine in the Olympics!
I sent a photo of my sweaty face to the group chat after a failed attempt to do the last move.
Nina Ford: I am so weak right now!
Aaliyah James: Ever since you got home, you’ve been glowing! I love that for you. You deserve these wins!
Nina Ford: Right? Jazz got her rent paid and she got her back blown out. What’s next? A raise? A book deal?
Jazmyn Payne: After a trip to Chance, Richland always feels good. But this week feels different.
Nina Ford: Because you got dicked down and extra money in your pocket. A great start to the month!
Amused, I shook my head. She’s not wrong.
Aaliyah James: Because you’re in love!
I froze before ignoring Aaliyah’s comment.
Jazmyn Payne: With everything going on, I still can’t wrap my mind around my rent situation!
Nina Ford: Maybe you’ve been overpaying for a one-bedroom, one-bath for too long and they decided they owe you.
Jazmyn Payne: You’ve met the property manager … She’d rather burn this bitch to the ground for the insurance money than to make it more affordable. This is definitely not her. The leasing agent said she’s heard of people coming in to bless accounts, so I just chalked it up to that.
Aaliyah James: Oh, I’ve heard of that too! And if anyone deserves an extra blessing, it’s you.
Jazmyn Payne: With everything going on, this came right on time.
Nina Ford: From the way you talked about Lamar, you also came right on time.
Aaliyah James: I just laughed so loud Ahmad came in here asking what was so funny.
Jazmyn Payne: Don’t tell him what Nina said!
Nina Ford: Don’t be ashamed now, Jazz! You needed a special workout to calm your muscles down after Lamar turned you every which way but loose!
Jazmyn Payne: You don’t take nothing seriously!
Aaliyah James: From what I understand, Lamar took you very seriously and that’s why your body hurts.
My head fell back as I laughed.
Nina Ford: That’s hilarious!
Jazmyn Payne: Congratulations on getting under my skin!
Aaliyah James: We’re just playing! We’re happy for you Jazz!
Nina Ford: Congratulations on getting the kind of dick that requires a deep stretch!
Cackling, I tossed my phone on the couch and struggled to get up after those exercises. It was Saturday morning, the first week of school had been rough, and my body ached for Lamar in an unhealthy way. I was sore from the positions he’d put me in. But the throbbing between my thighs was agonizing.
And I had no idea when I was going to see him again.
Fortunately, we talked every night.
Sometimes it was for ten minutes, and sometimes it was for an hour, but since the party, we’d made a point to talk every night. It wasn’t something that was stated or planned. It just happened that way. But due to our nightly chats, I found myself dreaming of him and waking up with a smile.
This is a problem.
After cleaning, doing laundry, and making lunch, I spent the rest of the day grading assignments. When my phone rang, I welcomed the break.
“Aunt Addy, I was starting to think you were avoiding my call,” I answered.
“Hey, Jazmyn,” she replied, sounding lethargic. “How are you?”
I scooted to the edge of the couch and turned the volume up to hear her better. “How are you?”
“I’m okay. When are you going to see Lamar again?”
A nervous laugh jumped out of me at the quick, unexpected shift. “Um. The season has officially started, so … I’m not sure.”
“Do you want to see him again?”
“I do,” I admitted.
“Then do it.”
If only it were that simple.
I cleared my throat. “Okay, what about your party? I haven’t seen my invitation in the mail. Are you trying to uninvite me? Because I’ll just show up.”
She laughed, sounding slightly winded. “No, no, no. It’s coming though. Where are you on your list?”
We talked for a little while longer, and then we said good night.
Closing my eyes, I slumped into the cushion because I could hear it in her voice. I wasn’t in denial, but I wasn’t ready for her to go.
I need to work on my book, I thought, before pushing myself up and getting to it.
I woke up early on Sunday to write before going to the sports bar up the street. I was still thinking about my storyline up until I watched the Monarchs jog out onto the field to start the game.
“Hey!” Aaliyah greeted me, touching my back as she took the seat next to me.
I hugged her. “Hey, Liyah! I love these glasses!” Smiling at her man, I hugged him as well. “Hey, Ahmad!”
“What’s up?” he said, before taking the seat next to Aaliyah. “We didn’t miss anything, did we?”
“The first quarter just started. Monarchs lost the coin toss so they’re getting the ball first.” I’d caught them up. “You didn’t miss anything.”
The game came back on, and the Monarchs ended up scoring. So, when the Wasps were on offense and the Monarchs were on defense, I paid close attention.
“Something is going on with Channing,” I pointed out as Channing missed a tackle. “Watch the way he moves on the ball. He used to be quick. There’s something wrong. I’m telling you.”
“He got hurt last year,” Ahmad reminded us. “Maybe he never fully recovered because his ass be on the field limping.”
I laughed. “It is a limp!”
“Who are you talking about?” Aaliyah asked, looking between us.
“Number ninety-nine,” Ahmad answered her, pointing at the screen.
“On the Monarchs?” she wondered.
I looked at her with my brows furrowed because they’d just showed the replay twice. “Girl!”
“Baby, take those glasses off, and you might be able to see something,” he teased.
She looked like she was holding in her amusement. “I need my glasses to see, thank you very much!”
“Those glasses ain’t got the first bit of prescription in them.” Ahmad chuckled. “They might as well not have lenses!”
Aaliyah was trying not to laugh as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
I, on the other hand, was weak.
Tears were in my eyes, and my body quaked. I almost missed the next play because I was laughing so hard.
“Jazz, don’t encourage him. He doesn’t know how to act. Just bad!” She turned to Ahmad. “You had silver teeth as a toddler, huh?”
He burst out laughing.
She put her hands on her hips. “Y’all ain’t about to sit here and talk about my fashion-statement glasses!”
“Y’all?!” I reacted with wide teary eyes. “What do you mean y’all?! I didn’t even say anything! How did I get in this?”
“You laughed a little too hard. It felt like laughter of agreement.”
“Those glasses don’t have prescription in them though! He wasn’t lying!” I argued. “You have twenty-twenty vision, and you still missed multiple replays.”
“Your glasses look beautiful on you.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “But now use your eyes to watch number ninety-nine on this play. He’s playing defense.”
“In my defense, I was watching the offense.” She giggled, snuggling against him.
Watching them, I couldn’t help but smile. They were so cute and playful with each other. They had spent every day together since her party. For the past week, Aaliyah had been in the healthiest, happiest, and most hilarious relationship, and I was thrilled for her. She deserved it.
“That should’ve been a flag!” I exclaimed, throwing my hand up in the fourth quarter.
I’d been ignoring my group chat with my work friends, Ben and Alexa, since halftime. The game was close, but it shouldn’t have been. The Monarchs defense was letting the Wasps make plays on them because they’d located the weak spot—Channing.
“He’s going to have to come out if he keeps letting people run by him,” I commented.
“I think whatever injury he had last year, he reinjured it,” Ahmad mused.
Aaliyah frowned. “Did he trip on that last play?”
I nodded with my eyes fixed on the screen. “Yeah, I— Oh shit!”
Channing got to the running back first, and two other defensive players tackled him, too.
Channing attempted to get back up for the next play and couldn’t.
He ended up being carted off the field, with a towel over his face and trainers protecting his right leg.
It was later announced that he experienced a severe knee injury and that he would be transferred to the hospital.
“I wanted him out, but not like this,” I said, making a face.
“How is this guy?” Aaliyah asked, gesturing to Channing’s backup who came onto the field. “Bennett?”
“He might’ve subbed a few times, but I don’t remember it. I’ve never seen him play with the game on the line,” I responded distractedly.
“Game over,” Ahmad pronounced as the quarterback for the Wasps scrambled and then dumped the ball to the tight end. “The Monarchs need to step their defense up.” He turned to look at me. “Lamar said he works with the Monarchs, so tell him to help them on defense.”
I laughed but said nothing.
I knew he hadn’t told them he played, so I wasn’t going to say anything either.
He preferred to refer to his role as a help to the fifty-three men on the active roster—which was the truth.
But he was a player—a defensive player. And there was no way for me to tell Ahmad that his exact role was directly related to helping the Monarchs on defense.
The irony.
Ahmad got up, and as soon as he was a few feet from the table, I glanced at Aaliyah.
“I love him for you,” I told her.
She grinned. “Me, too.”
I started to say something, but a trick play pulled my attention, and my eyes widened.
“What happened?” Aaliyah asked. “I missed it.”
“They’re about to show a replay,” I told her.
Everyone in the bar got loud as the twenty-yard play captured everyone’s attention. I glanced over at her, and she was staring at Ahmad, who was talking to our waitress.
“You know what I can’t get over,” Aaliyah mused.
“What?”
“We alternate between his place and mine, but I haven’t slept alone in a week. And I don’t want to ever sleep without him. And not just for the sex even though mm-mm-mm-mm-mmmmm.”