Chapter 24
THE ROARS RIPPLING through the Mercedes-Benz Stadium were almost deafening. Solomon clapped his hands, his palms tingling. But he didn’t care. He had to admit he’d been skeptical about Kenya’s supposed favor. He had fully intended to say no and go home to sleep away his intense shift.
“Yeah, boi, that is what I am talking about!” He pumped his fist with the attendees around him at another goal scored by Inter Miami. His excitement rang a little like betrayal since United Atlanta was a neighboring team, but it was hard not to cheer for Messi on Miami’s team.
The shouts of the crowd and the atmosphere pumped his veins full of more energy than the liquid that passed for coffee at the hospital. He lifted his eyes toward the darkened sky visible from the retracted pinwheel-shaped roof of the arena.
How did he go from an intense hospital shift to the fever pitch of a Major League Soccer game? Because of Kenya.
That wild look in her eye had compelled him to say yes and go along for her surprise airplane ride.
When had he ever done that? He had a hard time giving in to his parents’ plans, even when they were set months or years in advance.
But Kenya’s irrepressible charm and vulnerability had set off a wild hunger in him.
Or perhaps unwrapped what had always been there, a craving for the unexpected.
The unexpected had landed him at an MLS game he never would have come to on his own, allowing him to watch one of his favorite players.
As soon as they had landed, a driver in an Audi met them at the Atlanta airport and whisked them to the VIP entrance of the stadium, where they spent time eating in one of the field-level clubs.
Fifteen minutes before game time, they headed up to their assigned box.
Admittedly, this was something his parents could have paid multiple times over for, but being gifted this experience from Kenya meant more than he could comprehend.
Solomon sat down in one of the plush loge box seats. He turned to Kenya, unable to keep the grin off his face. Her face glowed, probably from the bright lights rimming the stadium.
There was no tension or tightness or expectation shuttering him here. Just the joy of the moment.
Just the lightness of her laugh and the way her eyes danced as she took in his excitement. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so exuberant.
“This seems like a pretty unfair exchange.”
Her eyes bounced to the soccer pitch before turning to him. “I know, can you believe that? I’m surprised they didn’t call a foul.”
Solomon shook his head. Disbelief and respect mingled. Kenya was all things feminine and feisty.
He leaned in close, taking in her scent, fragrant oil wafting from her wavy, shoulder-length hair. “What I mean is, you said this was payback for taking you to a library.” He paused to watch the ball movement, groaning at the failed assist. “I took you to a book reading and you brought me to this.”
Kenya shrugged, a pleased smile tugging at her lips. Glossed lips, he might add.
“It’s all about exchanges and favors.” She nodded toward the field. “You see number thirteen over there? The midfielder?”
The player had just been subbed out and was sitting on the bench, tipping a water bottle toward his mouth.
“Would you believe that I saved his life?”
“With you, I’m starting to believe anything.”
Even among the noise of the arena, her tinkling laugh rang out.
“Well, he wasn’t in danger of physical death, but in the death of a relationship.”
Kenya leaned forward and Solomon followed her gaze. After several seconds she pointed to a woman sitting a few rows behind the bench. Solomon opened the bottle of soda he’d retrieved earlier from the stocked mini fridge. “There must be a good story behind all this.”
“There always is. Basically, when a trip to North Alabama got added to his schedule on the same weekend he’d planned to propose to his now wife, guess whose agency was called last minute?”
Solomon smiled, the details carrying notes of familiarity.
“She’d always wanted to be proposed to on her parents’ wedding date. So guess who got the gig and was able to pull off a beautiful proposal at the Space and Rocket Center in less than twelve hours?”
“That would be you.”
“Listen, ring and everything. As soon as I got wind that she had gone to Space Camp as a child, it was over, and she loved it. And, of course, so did the man she said yes to marrying.”
Kenya settled back in the padded seat.
“So he gifted me with home-game, box-seat passes whenever I wanted to come, if there was availability.”
Solomon faced the field, the yells and whistles and sounds of the crowd diminishing against the cadence of her voice.
“And here we are.”
“Here we are,” Kenya whispered. Her expression turned shy, almost fragile. “I usually just pass these gifts along to my family or other friends, especially when it’s for more than one person.”
“Really?”
Kenya uncrossed her legs and crossed them again, favoring the ankle that had brought them together.
“Until now.” She grinned.
Until now echoed in his mind.
At the roar of the crowd, she shot up. “Yes!” she cried, pumping her fist at United Atlanta’s score.
He stood next to her, squelching the desire to wrap her in his arms. He settled for a shoulder drape. “You’re not going for Messi and Miami?”
If she was surprised by his sudden closeness, she didn’t show it, only shrugged.
“Atlanta is basically our neighbor. I’m going for the home team.” She grinned, delight overflowing from her.
Solomon didn’t think he could make her more happy than this moment, but he would try.
“By the way . . .”
“Yes?”
The music picked up and so did his volume. “I’ve got you a definite meet-up with Bluestone at the wedding.”
“Yesss?” She turned to him with a large grin, her eyes wide.
“And he will be next to our table. You will get your meet and greet.”
“Yesss!” Kenya hopped into his arms, lifting her recovering foot up like a dancer.
An hour later they exited the arena, leaving before the game officially ended to have enough time to get to their flight.
Solomon would never forget this experience. To think, the alternative would have been him snoring in his one-bedroom apartment and playing video games to take his mind off of everything else. Ah-ah, as his father often intoned, perish the thought. What a blessing this night was.
What a blessing she is.
He snuck a glimpse at Kenya. Her limp was a little more pronounced with the waning of the evening.
Still, she insisted on walking a little longer around the concourse to stretch her legs even though a car waited for them outside in the adjacent Soccer Ball Plaza.
Her hair hung in loose waves to her shoulders, one side tucked behind her ear, which revealed four piercings.
Huh, he’d never noticed that before. There were piercings galore these days, but they added a raw edge to her that he liked.
She glanced toward him, caught him staring.
And instead of looking away, she grinned back and instinctively moved closer.
Like a magnet, her desire to be nearer stoked his longing to pull her against him.
In the same moment he lifted his arm, she was jostled at the side by a group of teenagers in Messi jerseys on their way to a concession stand.
Still, the Lord provideth. He settled his arm across her shoulders gingerly until he found it comfortable and she settled against him as they walked.
He was free to at least do this away from Huntsville, away from the peering eyes of his colleagues. Apart from the plans of his family.
Kenya reached up to hold the hand he draped across her arm. “Are you glad you came?” Her question broke the comfortable silence.
“Absolutely,” he responded, content to continue walking with her for the rest of the night.
“Even with no sleep?”
“A hundred percent.” And he meant it. And not just because he’d checked off an ultimate desire of seeing Messi in action. “I had childish dreams of playing at this level, but since I couldn’t have that—”
“Because of your injury?”
Her voice was gentle. Understanding.
“Yes. That and the chances would have been slim to make it this far.”
She leaned against his shoulder, infusing his side with warmth. “Not for you.”
Her confidence in him was astounding. Core-shaking.
Change the subject, man. “Now I just need to triple up my study efforts this week.”
“When is your test?”
“In a month.”
“Oh no, and you still have the wedding coming up. Is this going to mess you up?”
“No, I needed this. I promise. I—I don’t know.
Sometimes I just want to forget about it and quit.
” That’s what his brother wanted, wasn’t it?
For him to leave his DPT career behind and step back into the roles their parents said they were born into.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. Already feeling like he’d shared too much.
Kenya tugged on his arm. Her face held a fierce expression that made her seem so much larger than she was. “So don’t quit.” Her expression turned wistful. “You have everything you need. Don’t give up now when you are so close to everything you’ve dreamed of.”
“To what my parents dreamed of.”
“Don’t do that.”
“What?”
“Deflect any of this as if it wasn’t you that sat through what must have been hundreds of classes. As if it wasn’t you who turned in reports and research. Don’t act like it wasn’t your drive that got you here.”
“Maybe. But . . .” She didn’t understand. Because he hadn’t told her everything. He hadn’t needed to before, but now . . .
“But what’s in here?” She placed a warm hand on the center of his chest. The heat spread outward until he could feel it in his toes.
She didn’t relinquish but pressed further, branding him.
“What makes you come alive here? How does all of this”—she removed her hand to wave it around the food stand–laden concourse—“compare to all that is in you to do?”