24. Khalil
One Week Later
I sat inside the cigar lounge with Deontae, Isaiah, and Lucas, having a much-needed drink.
It had been a week since that shit with Anais, and as expected, I got an email three days later from Orlando to meet with him.
It didn’t surprise me that he threatened to trade me if I didn’t go through with the marriage to his daughter, and I told him to do whatever he considered necessary because I wasn’t fucking with his daughter.
I hadn’t heard from him in three days, being as though we just played the Houston Hurricanes yesterday. We’d won three games in the finals. We played the Phoenix Scorpions this Thursday, and when we won this championship, I was taking Piper and my family on a much-needed vacation.
I was almost positive Orlando was waiting until the finals were over before he got rid of me. Oddly, I didn’t give a fuck, but I wasn’t ready to relocate just yet.
“What’s got you in a funk, Ghost?” Tae asked.
I tossed back a shot before I answered. “Orlando trying to trade me,” I confessed.
“What? Why?”
“Because I broke up with his daughter.”
“For real?” Luke asked.
I nodded.
Tae shook his head. “But why?”
My eyes went to Is, and he subtly shook his head, telling me to keep quiet about Piper.
Tae and Luke were cool, but we weren’t exactly as close as I was with Isaiah.
I didn’t trust too many people with my secrets or personal business, so I knew I couldn’t tell these niggas the whole truth and hope they didn’t say shit.
“She doesn’t fuck with my daughter. Said some foul shit that got her canceled.”
“Damn. Who can hate Kiy? She’s a dope kid,” Tae said.
“Exactly. But I’m glad she showed you the real before you locked her ass down.
But in other news, that nigga can’t do shit without the entire board’s vote.
I remember when I first got drafted. I did a year on the starting line, and them niggas was trying to trade me too.
It was either me or Jamari Mooney, and I knew I was better than that nigga.
Orlando wasn’t there at the time, but this new cat came in on the board and shut that shit down.
I been the reigning champ since before this nigga came in and snatched my title. ” Is smirked and sipped his drink.
“It was time for you to relinquish it to its rightful owner, my guy.” We laughed. “But I’m not prepared to move. This shit is crazy, and I should have thought better about fucking with her.”
“You ain’t relocating, nigga. I’ll talk to Asanti. He knows Denico Tejada. All he has to do is drop a bug in his ear, and Orlando might be the one that gets traded.”
“Your pops knows Tejada?” Deontae asked the stupid-ass question.
Is frowned. “Why wouldn’t he? His son has been playing for their team for damn near twelve years.”
Deontae held up his palms. “You right, you right.”
“You ain’t gotta do that, bro. It is what it is,” I told Isaiah.
“You sound crazy as hell right now, my G. I’m talking to Pops. Ain’t no Phantom without Ghost, my nigga.”
“Uh, I hate to break up y’all lil’ bromance, but nigga, we ain’t no slackers on the court either. Fuck you mean?” Deontae asked, and we all laughed. My phone rang in my pocket, and I pulled it out to see Piper FaceTiming me.
“Excuse me right quick, gentlemen,” I said, standing and leaving the table. I walked to the bathroom and swiped to answer. When the video finally connected, Piper was lying across the bed naked.
I licked my lips. “Damn, that’s a beautiful fucking sight, Mi Amor.”
“Why don’t you come see it in person?” She smiled and bit her lip sexily, and I had to adjust my dick to calm the nigga down.
Since New York, Piper and I had been discreetly seeing each other every night.
Even though Anais was out of the picture, it still hadn’t hit the public yet.
I knew why I hadn’t said anything, but Anais’s silence was loud as fuck.
I knew she was strategizing, plotting, and waiting for me to embarrass her publicly so I could look like the bad guy.
The walking cliché, as she put it.
“Say less, baby. Let me wrap it up with my people, then I’m on the way. Keep warm for me.”
“I got you. I love you.”
“Ditto, baby.” We hung up, and I hurried out of the bathroom to tell these niggas bye and head to my beautiful, caramel, naked-ass wife.
“I’ma get wit’ y’all niggas later,” I told them, going in my pocket and tossing some bills on the table. “Drinks, cigars, and tips on me.”
“Where you rushing off to? We ain’t even had a smoke yet,” Lucas said.
“Raincheck.” I dapped him up. “Oh. I’ma get at you about that shit with my sis too. You too old for her, my nigga.”
He frowned and shook his head frantically. “Yo, whatever she told you, it’s false. She only asked me for Chase’s number so she could get her hair braided.”
“Good to know y’all stories match. Let that be the first and last time y’all speak.” I dapped Tae and Is.
Is nodded, giving me a knowing look. “A’ight, brodie. Stay dangerous.”
“You know it,” I replied and left the bar with my security following close behind.
I pushed all the bullshit aside and focused on getting in Piper’s guts and planting as many seeds as I could. Regardless of whatever happened with my career, I knew I’d be good no matter what.
The Next Day
I stood in Piper’s mirror, fastening my cufflinks to prepare for the board meeting this afternoon. Isaiah wasn’t fucking around about telling his pops about what Orlando was trying to do. I got the call from Asanti this morning, telling me to show up at the headquarters for the impromptu meeting.
I slipped on my suit jacket then walked over to where Piper lay sprawled on the bed, looking like a caramel goddess.
It was almost one in the afternoon, and she was still asleep. I felt bad for having her miss work, but I put a couple of stacks in her bag to make up for the day.
I leaned down and gave her a few quick kisses. She stirred a bit before her eyes opened and came to me. She smiled lightly and lifted to kiss me again.
“Good afternoon, sleepyhead.”
“Good afternoon,” she replied. “Where are you going all dressed up?”
“Board meeting.”
Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. “So he’s really trying to trade you, huh?”
I shrugged. “Looks like it, but I got faith that I’ll still be here after we win the championship tomorrow.”
“You will be. They can’t get rid of the GOAT. You and Isaiah make that team, so they’ll lose their winning streak if they were to get rid of you.”
I chuckled. “You believe so?”
“I know so. You’re really good at what you do. God gave us all a talent, and I’m sure you’ve exceeded His expectations. You’re a great man, a great father, and I’m positive you’re going to be an amazing husband.”
That shit hit different coming from her.
We spent so much time apart for fucking nothing.
I could have come after her after I got drafted, but my broken heart and stubborn ways wouldn’t allow me to chase her.
It was foolish for both of us to ignore what we were to each other, when all we had to do was get out of our feelings and communicate better.
I placed my hand on her stomach and kissed her lips. “I want you to give me a son.”
She smiled brightly. “Okay.”
“That easy?”
“I’ll give you anything you want from me. As long as it doesn’t kill me.”
We laughed.
“I love you, baby.”
“I love you. Go show them niggas why you’re the GOAT. And when you win tomorrow, I’m making my presence known after I interview you for our upcoming July issue. We can get in front of any rumors before they start and tell your truth before she gets a chance to try to talk her shit.”
I smiled. “That’s why I love you.”
“Always love you, baby.”
“I made you breakfast. Eat something. You’re going to need the energy for when I come back later.”
She blushed as I kissed her again then left her house.
By the time my security pulled up to NBA headquarters, my frustration had subsided, and I was ready for whatever Orlando had in store for me. Roland opened the door for me, and I headed inside, taking the elevator up to the eighteenth floor.
When I stepped off the elevator, I walked down to conference room B and walked inside. My eyes scanned the room, and I saw five of the owners of the team—Grant Hall, John Smith, Robin Denver, Phillip King, and Orlando’s punk ass.
“Khalil, good to see you,” Grant greeted.
“Good to be seen,” I replied, eyes going to Orlando, who refused to give me eye contact.
“You can have a seat. We’re just waiting on one more person,” Phil said, offering me a chair. I unfastened the button of my suit jacket, loosened my tie some, then took a seat directly across from Orlando. I placed my elbows on the table, then interlocked my fingers, staring directly at him.
That nigga still didn’t look up at me, because he knew he was on some bullshit.
“Where the hell is Tejada? I swear he acts as if he doesn’t know how to tell time,” Robin griped. Just then, the door opened, and in walked Denico Tejada.
Multi-billionaire philanthropist.
Co-owner of the Vipers.
And rumored to have buried many bodies.
The way his aura filled the room was unmatched. You could literally see the other owners shrink a little when he stepped in.
Boss shit.
“After all these years, and you still can’t help yourself from talking shit, can you?” he directed at Robin.
Robin cleared his throat. “As a business owner, when there are meetings being held—”
“Shut the fuck up. You teetering on ya last toenail with me, Mrs. Doubtfire. Contrary to what you believe, I have more pressing shit that I have to deal with. So this shotgun meeting was not on my to-do list. Now, what’s going on that needed my immediate attention?”
Grant spoke up. “Orlando, since this was your call, you should take the floor.”
Wellington sat up in his chair before he spoke. “I have a question. Why is he sitting in on this meeting?”
“Because I wanted him to. I like to get both sides to a story before I put in my vote,” Denico told him.
“Fine. I won’t beat around the bush. I vote for Khalil Grey to be traded at the end of this season.”
I scoffed.