Anthony #2
“Dang you aren’t even going to soften that?” Her mouth was open in shock but she had a playful smile on her face.
“Wasn’t meant with malice so there was no need, feel me?”
Her head dipped, her light brown skin tinting slightly. “Yeah, I feel you.”
“Ant, you good?”
Antwan walked up, breaking up the moment then and I wasn’t sure if I should be happy he did or annoyed. He was glancing between me and Aphrodite with interest. I knew he was going to grill me on what was up between the two of us but it wasn’t anything. Not yet.
“Yeah. Antwan, this is Aphrodite. Aphrodite, my brother Antwan.” I nodded toward her and he stuck his hand out with a smile on his face.
“She don’t need no introduction. You doing big things in the tennis world. Love to see us dominate in all areas of sports.”
“There are still some areas for us to conquer.” I watched their interaction and saw that she was speaking with respect and not weird admiration. Or desire. She didn’t linger shaking his hand or try to get any closer to him. Damn, maybe she is feeling me like that.
“Yep. Can’t wait ‘til we get more niggas on ice and then do that gymnastics shit on horseback.” This fool rubbed his hands together like he was excited at the prospect and Aphrodite glanced at me confused.
Normally I could translate his Antwanisms because we had similar senses of humor but even I had to wonder cause ‘Twan would talk about some weird shit. Folks thought he was being silly but really it’s because his ass did so much reading that spreading information over random topics was second nature.
“The what?”
He hit me playfully with the back of his hand, as if that would somehow jog my memory of a topic I knew nothing about.
“You know, the equestrian vaulting shit. I’m saying it’s a lot of skill and I haven’t seen us do it yet, but watch.
We gone dominate once we do.” He nodded like he’d gotten a peek in the future and knew his words were the truth.
“I believe you, Antwan. I’m trying to get your brother to do this shoot with me.”
I wasn’t sure if she was changing the subject because she thought he was touched or if she was using his perceived pull with me to get what she wanted.
She hadn’t even given me a chance to agree but the answer was always going to be yes.
Still, I was impressed that she wasn’t above using blackmail to get me to do this.
Lil baybeeh applying pressure and damn I like it.
“What shoot? I thought it was done.” He looked between us and then back toward the photographers.
They were taking down a lot of the sets but were also bringing out other pieces that I guess were for Aphrodite.
They’d started hanging cream and gray fabric from the rafters making the place look like a cloud.
The hell they got going on in here?
“They seem to believe that I may win big this year so they want to get shots they can use on the future interview they believe I’ll be having with when I win.” Aphrodite was fidgeting with her fingertips as though saying that out loud made her nervous.
“Damn, that’s pretty fucking dope. I thought they’d been mad since your daddy was giving everyone hell.”
She winced and I hated that she was getting flack for what he’d done. I glared at Antwan wishing that his ass hadn’t been so blunt but he at least had the good sense to look apologetic.
“Yeah, they’re pissed that he left how he did but he’s not here to take the blame.”
I could tell that she wanted to be angrier than she already was, but there was a part of her that was used to being left holding the bag for her father’s bullshit. I knew something of that and my heart went out for her.
“Well, since I’m all about people speaking positivity in their life I’m definitely with this shit. What do you need me to do?”
Her smile was broad again and that shit made me feel good. “They haven’t said yet. I just needed to get someone else here. I’m not sure what they want to interview us about either.”
“I’m sure it won’t be so bad and they probably just want me to be a prop or something. Let’s go snap these photos however they want us to and then we can get it together.”
“Thank you! I appreciate it so much. I’ll go tell them that you’ve agreed.”
She leaned over and hugged me before she realized what she was doing. That brief contact was enough to set my body on fire and when she pulled back and walked away my ass started to follow her.
Antwan put his hand on my chest to stop me and I avoided his eyes as I watched her meet up with a blond-haired girl and start talking.
“She’s pretty as hell.”
I laughed because I knew he was going to pry and I wasn’t in the mood for it yet. “Don’t have me tell Rye.”
He turned to me with a sly look on his face.
“I said the girl was pretty and Rye’s ass would agree.
She ain’t ever one not to give another woman her props so she wouldn’t mind.
Besides, I think she’d make a great sister-in-law.
” He straightened his black fleece jogging suit and adjusted the strap of his duffel bag over his shoulder.
“What do you mean?”
“What do you mean what do I mean?” He sounded completely dumbfounded at my not being able to answer him but I wasn’t about to confess to feeling this girl off one interaction. “I ain’t got but one brother that I claim so how else am I gonna have her be a sister-in-law?”
“Me?”
I rubbed my hand over my braids trying to keep my eyes on him but failing. As soon as I saw her moving out the corner of my eye, my focus was back on her as I watched her disappear somewhere.
“Yeah you. I can tell you’re interested. You've got that look on your face like you’re interested. And not the regular you just wanna fuck interested. You’re interested in her as a person. I know that look.”
He wasn’t wrong. I wasn’t someone who was sitting there desperate for women or trying to find someone, but this felt like something worth looking into.
Aphrodite was probably out of my league but I never let shit stop me.
If we continued to vibe the way we had the entire time I’d been talking to her, I might try to make a move.
It was a long shot to even think about but I knew this feeling wasn’t going to just go away.
“Anthony?”
I’d been staring off into space so the woman that Aphrodite had been speaking to was now standing in front of me.
“Yeah?”
“We’ve got items for you in the back. You’re still going to take the photos with Aphrodite, correct?”
I imagined her face and answered her immediately. “Absolutely.”
“Perfect.”
“Have fun, fam. I’m ‘bout to head out and run up a check for my girls while I’m in the city before I head back to my room. Don’t miss the flight tomorrow.” He gave me a knowing look like I was going to try to fuck this girl on the first night when even I knew he could tell she wasn’t like that.
“I won’t. I’ll check in with you when I’m done here.”
Antwan laughed at my safety measures as if I were doing too much. “Shit, you ain’t got no curfew but yeah, make sure you let me know when you get in.”
I nodded and stepped toward him with my arms open. We hugged the way we always did. Since we were kids, there wasn’t anything that would prevent us from showing love to each other. Even with the rift we’d had, we never parted without showing love.
“Love you, bruh.”
He knocked my shoulder with his fist as he stepped back. “Love you too. Have some fun and shit tonight. It feels like you’re going to have a good time today.”
“Oh, this will be so good.”
Rachel had her hands pressed together and the excitement was all over her face. It was cool that she was so excited but I was mildly uncomfortable in this outfit.
Aphrodite looked at me with apologetic eyes, and I just smiled at her.
They’d gotten the idea that since Aphrodite was a Greek goddess and being on the football field was akin to being a modern-day gladiator, they decided to visually play off those themes.
She was draped in a cream dress that clung to her frame the way I wanted to.
Her makeup had hints of gold that made her eyes look even more feline.
Her locs were piled high on her head and I swore I wasn’t trying to be a creep but I couldn’t keep my eyes off her.
She was so fucking beautiful that looking away wasn’t possible.
I ain’t even care what they had me in and even though I felt like a piece of meat, she was staring at me just like I was at her.
This is some crazy shit.
I wasn’t about to put a name on the feeling because I didn’t have one. The intensity of this attraction wasn’t on no fan shit and it wasn’t lust. Well, not solely. She had a hold on me and I was fine being trapped in whatever spell she’d cast.
She might be related to the voodoo ladies down on St. Anne’s.
“Okay so she’s the goddess, you’re humbly asking for an offering so you’re going to be on bended knee with your head bowed.”
“Okay.”
He could’ve told me I was going to be buck naked on the back of a horse two stepping and I would’ve been fine as long as it served her.
Damn Antwan and his visuals, because now that horse vault shit was going to be stuck in my head.
“Not paying me any attention are you?”
I looked at Rachel and shook my head because there was no use in pretending I hadn’t gotten caught. “Would you be paying attention to me if she were looking at you like that?”
Rachel’s abrupt chuckle was filled with humor. “No, I can’t say I would. Y’all good to continue?”
“I’m her humble servant. Whatever we need to make this work is good with me.” I held my hand out, her face still flushed adorably at my words but I was happy when she took it.
“We're doing it like that?” Her face was impish; her smirk undeniable.
I tilted my head toward her solicitously. “Whatever you need.”
“This is going to be good just like I said. So, the two of you are next to the golden clam.”
I kept her hand as we walked toward the prop and truthfully none of these people mattered to me.
We went through the shots of me kneeling and the two of us individually.
My only direction was to stand near the clam shell and look at it longingly as though she were inside.
That was easy for me to do because I just imagined she was actually in there.
But before we came to the other shots I had to take a minute and pulled Aphrodite to the side.
“You good?”
“Yeah, I’m not tired.”
She seemed happier taking photos now than she did with her pops but I still needed to get her consent on what they wanted us to do.
“No, I mean with what they’re asking. I get that you want to get the shot or whatever but not if the physical aspect of it creeps you out. I’m not trying to push up on you or do shit that makes you uncomfortable.”
They’d tried to say they wanted the two of us to be more affectionate with one another. I had no issues with it, but that didn’t mean that she would be fine with it. And I didn’t want to get swept up in the moment and do some shit that had her wanting to slap my ass.
She glanced up at me and then looked around at the people before looking at me again. “You think there’s some type of hardship of being around you?”
Now it was my turn to blush because she was being smooth with her words. “I’m not saying that. I’m a stranger and have someone touching on you—”
“Okay and mostly, I am to you too. I chose you so I was definitely going to be game for whatever they had us doing. And like I said, it’s not hardship.”
“If that’s what you think then we’re good.”
Her hand on my bicep stopped me from turning fully. “Thank you for caring enough to ask. Most people wouldn’t do that.”
I shrugged because I didn’t want to think about somebody putting her in a weird-ass position. “Yeah, well, I’m not most people. And you never have to thank me for doing what’s right.”
“Then I guess that was a good pick on my part.”
“Of course I’m going to say that, but then again I’ve been arrogant every once in a while.”
“Channel that shit to what we’re about to do then. If I make history I need these pictures to look good as hell.”
I thought nothing of tilting her chin so she was looking at me. “When. We always speak positives into your life, Aphrodite.”
That earned me another smile and I led her back to the set.
Without missing a beat, I pulled her closer to me, wrapping my arms around her waist and nuzzling my head into her neck.
The heels they put her in were tall enough to shrink the over half a foot difference in our heights.
I could feel her body tremble but when I went to pull away she kept me in place.
Part of me was cheering but the other part was silently screaming because I was bricking up. I felt like a kid waking up from a wet dream but I took a deep breath and just let it ride.
“That’s right, Aphrodite. Throw your arms around his neck.”
She did what was asked and we pulled one another closer. The people seemed to fade away as we just stared at each other intently.
“This is going to be the money shot. Keep your arms around my neck, I’ll keep my head down but turn to the camera and let them see your fine ass. I can’t wait to see this shit on the cover after you make history this year.”