Chapter 2
“How’d this kid manage to slip through their fingers?” I asked Knox, my younger brother and newly appointed receiver coach.
“It says here that he was one of the top recruits in the nation in football, basketball, and track. He chose track,” he responded.
“I know that, nigga. I can read, too, but how many kids you know choose track over football or basketball?”
“Not many, but it probably happens more often than we think. Maybe his love for track is stronger than his love for the other two.”
“Well, I plan to reach out to see if I can change his mind or at least see if he’s interested in doing both.”
“Our wide receivers and defensive backs are weak. Where were you thinking about putting him?”
“That’s a good question. I could see him doing either.”
“You think he’d be successful playing both sides of the ball at this level?” Knox asked.
“The talent is there. If we can get him on the field and put him against the others, we might shake some shit up.”
“Anything is possible. I need to head out. The moving truck should be arriving soon. I’ll be unpacking and getting settled all weekend.”
“Damn. There’s a singles mixer tomorrow, and I meant to ask you when I saw the flyer if you want to roll with me.”
“Shit. That sounds interesting. What time?”
“It’s early, actually. I think it starts at six.”
“Hit me up a few hours before to remind me. I should be ready for a break by then.”
“Cool.”
“Later.”
My brother left my office, and I leaned back in my office chair, putting my feet up on the corner of my desk.
I still couldn’t believe I’d been hired as the head football coach at my alma mater.
Black Elm University held a special place in my heart, and being asked to come back and lead the football team meant a lot.
I was blessed to be drafted by the Chicago Coyotes, my hometown team, and I played tight end for them for ten years, retiring eight years ago. Although I’d only been back to Black Elm to visit a few times after I graduated, it always felt like a second home, and it felt good to be back.
There was a lot of work to do before the team reported for camp at the end of July. I still had to hire the rest of my coaching staff, which would take up most of my time over the next month. Once that was done, we could hit the ground running.
I had no plans for tonight, so I ordered food from Soulful Diner for pickup and headed out. The restaurant was about twenty minutes away, so I called my mother to see what she was up to on the way.
“Hey, Son,” she answered.
“Wassup, Ma. You good?”
“I’m great, now that I’ve heard from you. How you doing way out there in Cali?”
I chuckled. My mother, Mareen, hated that I was so far away, and she felt the same way when I was in college.
Sometimes, I thought she held it against me that I chose a school so far away.
When I was drafted to Chicago, I thought it was God’s way of healing a part of my mother’s heart that she’d closed off when I left.
“I’m good. Once I get settled, I want you and Dad to come out for a visit.”
“We’d like that, Son.”
“What’s Dad up to?”
“He’s out cutting the grass.”
I chuckled again. “He’s the only millionaire I know who refuses to hire somebody to do that.”
My father, Kyle St. Patrick, also played professional football, so money was no issue.
He retired when my younger brother, Knox, and I were ten and eight.
We lived in a mini mansion with an impressively large yard, and taking care of it was one of our many chores once we were old enough.
After my brother and I left for school, he took over and still never hired anyone.
“He thinks it’s a waste of money when he can do it himself.”
“He’s been telling me and Knox that our whole lives, but he’s getting up there in age, and—”
“Don’t you let him hear you say that. He’ll be trying to square up with you to prove you wrong, and I don’t have time to be nursing him back to health.”
This time, I belted out a laugh, and my mother joined me.
“You know I wouldn’t hurt my old man,” I teased.
“You’d better not, because then I’d have to hurt you. Where’s my baby boy?”
“He went to meet the moving truck at his condo.”
“It’s bad enough you left me, but you just had to take your brother with you,” she fussed.
Knox attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. Although it was about five hours south of Chicago, he was much closer to home than I was. He played football as well but suffered a career-ending injury in his senior year.
Instead of letting it break his spirit, he graduated school and worked as a graduate assistant coach for the football team. His skills and knowledge landed him a position on the staff once he graduated, and he’d gained quite a bit of coaching experience over the years.
“Ma, gimme a break. You know I couldn’t pass up this opportunity, and bringing my brother with me was a no-brainer. He’s the best receiver coach out there.”
“I know, Son, and I’m glad you two are together. I just miss my boys, that’s all. You haven’t been gone long, but it seems like it’s been months. I miss seeing your handsome faces at least a few times a week, and I’m not talking about on FaceTime.”
“I know, Ma. We miss you too.”
“Have y’all at least been out with any women who can give us some grandkids before we go on to be with the Lord?”
“Ma, please. You know I hate it when you talk like that. You’re not even seventy.”
“And? People die much younger than my age every day. I hope the Lord don’t come for me before one of y’all gives me a grandbaby.”
“You know what, Ma? I gotta pick up my food. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“I know why you’re ending our call, but it’s fine. The Lord hears me. I love you, Son.”
“I love you more, Ma.”
The call ended as I parked in front of Soulful Diner. I got out, secured my car, went inside, and headed straight to the area designated for pickup. On the way, my eyes connected with a woman who made my heart skip a beat because she was so beautiful.
I hated to stare, but I couldn’t pull my eyes away from her if I tried, and it seemed she was having the same problem. Our eyes didn’t disconnect until they were forced to when I walked past her.
While I waited for my food, I could only see the back of her head, with her hair piled high in a curly bun. I couldn’t clearly see the person with her, because of how they were seated, but from the glimpses I caught, he looked fairly young.
I watched as she stood, fixed her shirt, and headed in the opposite direction toward the bathroom. I bit my bottom lip as I admired her body. She was taller than the average woman, lean but definitely not skinny, with a nice, round ass. I was willing to bet she was no stranger to the gym.
When she disappeared, my attention returned to the person she was with. He was too focused on his phone to notice me staring, and I couldn’t get a good look at him. I concluded that he was definitely not her date unless she was into robbing the cradle.
“Are you St. Patrick?” the woman behind the counter asked.
I was the only one waiting, so it didn’t take much for her to figure that out.
“Yes.”
“Here’s your food. The greens are in a bowl with a lid, but be careful so the juice doesn’t spill,” she told me.
“Thank you. Have a good night.”
“You too.”
I grabbed the bag, and as I headed toward the door, my eyes connected with the beauty again.
“Shit!” I said aloud.
I was pretty sure she’d heard my slip of the tongue when her lips curled into a coy smile. She looked away from me as we turned sideways, facing each other to get by. If she were alone, I would’ve said something, but I decided I’d let fate bring us together again.
I thought about the beautiful woman on and off for the rest of the night. I wasn’t sure what it was about her that kept her on my mind, but I prayed we’d run into each other again soon.
“We need to get Ma and Dad out here soon. She misses us,” my brother offered when he sat in the passenger seat of my car.
Knox decided to go with me to the singles mixer, and I’d just picked him up.
“I know. I talked to her last night and this morning.”
“I called her this morning, and she keeps reminding me that I let you drag me all the way to California.”
We laughed because she’d been saying that since I accepted the job.
“It’s kinda soon to bring this up to them, but you think they’ll move out here?” I asked.
“That’s kinda tricky. Dad loves Chicago too much to live anywhere else permanently.”
“True, but Ma don’t give a damn. She’s been tired of the brutal winter for years, and Dad will do anything for that woman.”
“That’s true too. Maybe they can buy a small vacation home, and they can come and go as they please.”
I nodded. “I might suggest that next time she’s laying on the guilt trip. There’s plenty of room in the house I’m renting, but maybe having their own space would be a good selling point.”
“Your father is cheap as fuck, though.”
I looked at him, and he was already looking at me, holding in a laugh. I put my eyes back on the road as we had a good laugh at my father’s expense. He was indeed a frugal man.
We arrived at Pitch Black fifteen minutes before the event was set to start, and I found a parking spot about a block away. I noticed quite a few attractive women getting out of their vehicles and heading in the same direction as us.
Once inside, I looked around and immediately liked the vibe. It wasn’t a new club, but it wasn’t around the last time I’d visited. It felt more like a lounge, and we could hold a conversation without shouting because the music wasn’t too loud, which I liked.
“Nice place,” Knox said.
“Yeah. Looks like a mature crowd. We can’t be in this bitch trying to hook up with twenty somethings.”
“Hell, nah. Thirty might be pushing it.”
We laughed as we walked further into the club. It was set up with mostly highboys, some with high chairs or stools, some without, and a few regular tables and chairs. What I assumed was the VIP section was set up with long tables and, from what I could see, a nice spread of food.
Knox and I looked around as we made our way to the bar. The women were plentiful and outnumbered the men, as usual. I didn’t have any hope of finding my future tonight, but someone to hook up with when the need arose would be nice.
We got our drinks and headed toward the food, speaking to several women on the way. A few of them looked very interested, and as soon as I got some food in my stomach and a drink in my system, I planned to circle back and become acquainted.
About fifteen minutes later, we’d eaten some of the appetizers they’d offered and were standing near the bar, sipping our second drink. I looked toward the door, and it felt like my heart had stopped. I hit Knox’s arm a little harder than I meant to, and he looked at me with a confused expression.
“What, nigga?” he asked, annoyed, while rubbing the spot where I’d hit him.
“That’s her.”
“That’s who?”
“That’s the woman I saw yesterday at Soulful Diner when I picked up my food.”
“Okay? Is there more to this story?”
“I’ll be back.”
Every man in the club noticed her when she walked in, and I refused to allow one of their asses to snatch her up before I got a chance to. Although she moved with ease through the club, I could sense that she’d rather be somewhere else.
The woman she was with, who was pretty, too, looked much more excited to be there. She leaned into the woman I had my eyes on, whispering before they both broke out in giggles. I kept my eyes on her as I moved in her direction, and when she noticed, her entire demeanor changed.
“Hello,” I said, offering my hand. “I’m Kilo.”
She smiled softly as her friend watched our interaction.
“I’m Nyomi. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise. Can I buy you a drink?”
As she was preparing to decline, her friend said, “Of course you can. I’m Skye, and we were headed to the bar.”
Skye took Nyomi’s hand and pulled her toward the bar. I smiled as I followed behind them. Knox hadn’t moved and appeared to have watched the entire scene. Skye wasn’t looking where she was going and ran into him.
“Hold on, pretty lady,” he said, holding her arms.
“Damn. You are gorgeous,” Skye said, looking up at him in awe.
“I appreciate that, but not nearly as gorgeous as you. I’m Knox. Can I buy you a drink?”
“I’m Skye, and you sure can. This is my best friend, Nyomi. This gentleman offered to buy her a drink. Wait a minute. Are you two brothers because the resemblance is crazy?”
Knox and I chuckled.
“Yes, that’s my big brother,” he told her.
“Damn, sis. Tonight is starting off a lot better than I expected,” Skye said.
Nyomi and I hadn’t spoken since we introduced ourselves, so I gently placed my hand on the small of her back to get her attention.
“What would you like to drink?” I asked.
“I’ll take a lemon drop.”