Chapter 3 #2
Annalise cut their bickering short by asking a question of her own. “You two are cute. Are you a couple?”
Kenna had snatched one of the drinks from the tray Cam set down on his lap.
It was a vodka cranberry, but she didn’t have a moment to enjoy it before she choked after hearing the question.
She swallowed the drink quickly and then laughed out loud at the same time Cam said, “Me be with someone like her? Oh, no, sister girl. I bat for the other team.” Cam swished his neck back and forth as if to prove his point.
Annalise laughed heartily. “I thought so, but I didn’t want to be rude.”
Kenna laughed even harder when Alanzo asked, “You play ball? What kind?”
“Chile, I play with all kinds of balls?—”
Kenna cut Cam off before he got to saying too much. Again, she wasn’t sure how he was allowed to teach the third grade. She had to bet that he had a professional hat when he went to work. He definitely took that shit right off as soon as he was off the clock though.
“Cam, why don’t you tell Alanzo about your comic book collection instead?”
He’d been collecting comic books since he was a kid, and anime was his jam. He loved nerding out with people about that kind of stuff. Kenna could only keep up for so long before she either got lost or lost interest completely.
“Wow! Comic books? Which ones do you have?” Alanzo had completely crossed over Kenna’s lap and into Cam’s by this point. So much for their little rivalry.
While Kenna listened on as Cam schooled Alanzo on the Marvel universe, she felt her nerves rolling around in her stomach.
She looked around the arena and tried to see the court around the pole that sat right in front of them, but it was of no use.
She took deep breaths as her knee bounced.
Cam automatically reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it in reassurance without breaking his conversation with Alanzo.
“He seems to like you two,” Annalise said, tearing Kenna’s gaze from Cam and Alanzo to her.
Kenna shrugged. “We both have a soft spot for kids. Cam is a third grade teacher.”
Annalise’s eyes widened. “I never would have guessed. I’ll have to ask him for recommendations on some good schools. Alanzo is taking a bit of time off.” She leaned in with a sad look on her face and whispered, “His mother passed last month.”
Kenna’s eyes widened this time. “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that.”
And she really was. She was lucky enough to still have both her parents, even though things had been hard with them.
After they divorced, Kenna sometimes wished she could live in solitude instead of dealing with her brother’s loss and their separation, but she knew now that she needed her parents. She was thankful she still had them.
“Thank you. She was my daughter. Never knew who his daddy was. It definitely hasn’t been easy. I’m an old woman, unfit to raise another child, but there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my grandbaby,” she said tiredly.
Kenna’s heart hurt hearing Annalise speak. There was something about the woman that made her feel comfortable, and that never happened. She wasn’t a people person at all, but everything in her wanted to help Annalise and Alanzo.
“Take my number down.” Annalise looked at her with questioning eyes, but she took out her phone. Kenna rattled off her number and said, “Text me his sizes and anything he might need.”
Annalise’s eyes ballooned. “Oh no. I wasn’t telling you so you could help. I’m so sorry. I just… I honestly haven’t had much adult conversation in a while, and I should have been more mindful?—”
“Ms. Annalise, please,” Kenna said in a soothing tone. She wasn’t even sure where that tone came from because most of her words normally came out clipped with irritation. “You didn’t ask. I’m offering. Please, just send me the list.”
She barely had time to nod before there was a commotion behind them. Kenna stiffened and whirled around, ready to grab Alanzo and bolt. Never would there be a time where she would leave kids behind ever again. She had done that once. She should have tried harder to get her classmates to freedom…
The images of her high school flooded her, but Cam was there. He was always there. She felt his hand on her back before he whispered, “You’re good, girl. It’s all good.”
Finally, Kenna’s eyes focused, and she noticed a couple of big men standing by the stairs, scoping the area out. One of the men was tall, really tall, with skin the color of chocolate, while the other was shorter and white. Both had muscles for days and wore all black with earpieces.
“What do you think is going on?” Kenna asked Cam. Her nerves bounced around as sweat formed on her forehead. She felt like she might be sick as anxiety clawed at her, trying to make her believe something terrible was wrong.
“Ohhh, girl.” Cam bounced up and down excitedly, his hand leaving her back and clapping Alanzo on his faded head. Alanzo immediately got annoyed and scooted back onto her lap. She was thankful for his weight once again. “I bet you anything it’s Damien Blaze!”
“Who?” Kenna asked, trying to keep up. She breathed deeply and bounced Alanzo in her lap since her legs couldn’t stay still.
“Kenna,” Cam groaned, “you have been living under a rock. No matter how hard I try to get you out from under said rock, you refuse. How is it that you don’t know who Damien Blaze is?
He’s the sexiest man in the NBA. He has been for years.
He’s seasoned and looks like he knows what the hell he’s doing…
” His words trailed off when he glanced at Alanzo, who looked at him curiously.
Cam cleared his throat. “Well, anyway, he’s known for picking random people to do a meet and greet with him after the game. ”
Kenna glanced behind her again, and this time, the two men with earpieces were accompanied by a man who was obviously a celebrity.
Kenna couldn’t lie. He was handsome as hell.
He also towered over his two security guards and had a megawatt smile.
His dentist needed a raise because his teeth were perfect.
Matter of fact, his barber needed a raise, too, because his goatee and waves had a crisp lining.
His chocolate skin had tattoos all over, and his body looked chiseled from the finest midnight marble, smooth and blemish free.
He had on a black jersey with red and white writing. He smiled and waved at the people that took notice of him.
He turned his head slightly and made eye contact with Kenna.
Her nerves multiplied as she looked at him, and she wasn’t sure why.
Energy pulsed in the space between them, so tangible she felt she could cut it with a knife.
They stared at each other for a moment before he said something to his bodyguards, and they advanced toward where they sat.
Kenna felt Cam nudging her in the ribs and Alanzo crawled over to speak excitedly to Annalise, but none of it registered to her.
“How y’all doing?”
His voice was magical. It was deep and sultry.
His full lips looked smooth and luscious, and Kenna couldn’t stop staring at them.
She also couldn’t stop wondering what the hell was wrong with her.
Today was way out of the norm for her. In a large crowd, making new friends, and now lusting after a man?
The world had to be ending. That thought had her spiraling once again, but Cam hit her in the leg, pulling her out of her thoughts.
“Sorry, she’s a bit dim sometimes,” Cam said, speaking to the man. “Damien Blaze, right?”
The man looked at Cam and smiled. “Yeah, and you are?”
He didn’t say it rudely, Kenna noticed. He was very polite. Most men took offense to Cam because of his feminine looks and his outgoing attitude, but Damien didn’t seem bothered in the slightest.
“Camden,” Cam said, shaking Damien’s hand.
“And is this your girlfriend?” Damien eyed me.
“Now, why do people keep saying that? Is it the jersey?” He looked down at The Infernos jersey he wore before cutting his eyes at Kenna.
“I told you I should have gotten the jersey dress like you.” Unfortunately for Kenna, she did end up spending a couple of hours at the mall the night before, but it didn’t turn out to be that bad.
She wore a cute, tight fitted, jersey dress with the name Rivers across the back and some red and black sneakers.
Her hair was pulled up into a cute ponytail.
Cam had decided to wear a jersey with some skin-tight black leggings.
It was for sure on the more normal side of outfits when it came to him.
Still, nobody would mistake him for being straight.
His long nails and lashes and the makeup on his face screamed gay.
He didn’t understand that people were only being polite.
“I wouldn’t date her if she was the last woman on earth. ”
When he finally responded to Damien, Kenna was broken out of her daze. She kicked Cam hard . He yelped in pain as she cut her eyes at him and then looked up at Damien.
“I’m sorry. My name is Kenna, and no, we are not a couple. This is my best friend.”
She didn’t know why she put emphasis on her and Cam not being a couple, but somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind, she felt it was necessary.
“It’s nice to meet you, Kenna. As much as I would love to sit here and chat, I can’t, but I would love to do so after the game.” He looked at the pole in front of them and then back at her. “I would love to upgrade your seats and then have you for a meet and greet after the game.”
Kenna stared at him for a moment before glancing at Alanzo, who was now holding onto her arm in excitement.
“My bad. Who is this? Your lil man?” Damien asked.
“Oh no. I actually just met him, believe it or not. This is Alanzo and that’s his grandmother, Annalise. Thank you for the offer, but I would love to give those seats and the meet and greet to them if that’s possible.”
Damien walked toward them, and Kenna peeped his swagger.
He was confident with his walk and not afraid to be nice and smile, which was refreshing to see.
Not that she had much experience with other men, but none of them made her want to get to know them.
She found herself drawn to his aura on a deep level.
He kneeled down, so he was somewhat at eye level with little Alanzo, who was now jumping up and down with a big smile on his face. “Hey, lil man, what do you say? You wanna watch the game up close?”
Alanzo whirled around to face his grandmother. “Can we, Gigi? Can we?”
“Of course, baby. I can’t say no to you. Why don’t you thank Kenna for offering us her seats?” Annalise said.
Alanzo zoomed past Damien and tackled Kenna with a hug. Meanwhile, Cam looked at Kenna like she drowned his dog right in front of him. “Kenny, how could you give this lil rugrat our seats?”
He stomped his foot, and Kenna rolled her eyes. “Cam, grow up.”
Damien stood up and laughed. “You two are coming as well. My man Rock can show y’all where to go. I have a game to win.” He winked at Kenna. “Wish me luck.”
Like a loser, she muttered, “Good luck.”
He chuckled and turned on his heels. He and the white bodyguard headed back toward the stairs. People all around them had their phones out, recording him and shouting out his name. He waved and smiled but kept moving until he disappeared down the stairwell.
Rock surveyed the area and said, “Alright, let’s go. The game is starting soon, and I want to make sure y’all are settled.”
Alanzo grabbed his grandmother’s hand and dragged her with him so they could follow Rock. Cam and Kenna trailed behind them, Kenna’s anxiety somehow diminishing after her interaction with Damien.