Chapter 17
Nia
And somehow… I got pulled into the madness, too.
“Nia! Nia, one second!”
I turned just in time to see one of the local sports reporters hurrying toward me with a cameraman trailing behind her.
“How difficult was the recovery process getting J5 back to this level physically?”
Another reporter stepped closer immediately after.
“What was the biggest challenge mentally during rehab?”
Then another.
“What exactly changed in his conditioning this season?”
By the third question, I almost laughed because suddenly everybody wanted to know exactly how I got J5 back looking elite again. I answered professionally, trying not to look overwhelmed as cameras flashed nonstop around us.
“It was a complete team effort, honestly,” I explained, keeping my composure. “A lot of discipline, consistency, recovery management, and trust from the athlete himself.”
“But his explosiveness looked better than before the injury,” another reporter pressed.
I smiled slightly. “Because we focused on rebuilding movement patterns correctly instead of rushing the process.”
The media attention kept growing after that.
Players and coaches walked by congratulating me, while people I’d never even met shook my hand telling me they’d heard incredible things about my work.
It felt good. Really good. Not because I needed validation, but because for years I’d worked quietly behind the scenes helping athletes rebuild themselves physically and mentally while most people only paid attention to the star players afterward.
Tonight felt different. Tonight, people saw me, too.
But nothing made my stomach twist quite like seeing Cal finally step down from the broadcast platform to approach the floor. My chest tightened the second our eyes met. He’d looked so comfortable tonight sitting at that desk, and he looked damn good doing it, too.
Then came David, stepping down from his courtside seats to join us.
Watching the two of them meet and shake hands nearly made me black out internally.
Not because either man behaved badly; actually, it was the opposite.
Both of them had been entirely too calm, which somehow made everything feel even more tense.
And Cal trying to act like David didn’t bother him at all?
Please. I knew Caleb Sinclair too well. The second his jaw tightened slightly after Jalen invited David to join us at Lynk, I almost panicked.
Instead, I just smiled and pretended not to notice the emotional warfare quietly happening behind his eyes.
By the time Mars and I finally escaped the floor and headed upstairs toward the private suites to change for the celebration, I exhaled dramatically the second the elevator doors closed.
Mars immediately burst out laughing.
“Oh my God.”
“Don’t start,” I groaned, leaning my head against the elevator wall.
“No, seriously,” she laughed harder. “You're fucked.”
I pointed at her immediately. “This is not funny.”
“It absolutely is. But it will be okay. Don't let this ruin your night.”
The second we entered the private suite dressing area, she turned toward me slowly.
“Nia…”
“What?”
“I have genuinely never seen you like this over men before.”
I dropped my bag onto the bench dramatically.
“Because this is stressful!”
Mars laughed, kicking off her sneakers, and replied softer this time, “Stop overthinking and let yourself have fun.”
She was right.
A quick shower honestly helped reset me a little.
The hot water washed away the sweat, nerves, and tension from the game while steam filled the luxury marble bathroom around me.
By the time I stepped back into the dressing area wrapped in a towel, I already felt lighter.
I released my slick bun slowly, letting my curls fall freely down my back again before fluffing them out in the mirror.
Instantly, I looked more like myself. Softer.
Sexier too, honestly. Tonight called for celebrating. Not stress.
I slipped into a fitted silver mini dress with thin spaghetti straps that hugged every curve perfectly without trying too hard.
The hem stopped high enough to show off my legs beautifully once I stepped into my six-inch heels.
I kept the jewelry minimal. Gold hoops. Thin bracelets.
A delicate necklace. Enough to glow underneath the lights without overdoing it.
Meanwhile, Mars stepped out looking equally amazing. Her tight bodycon dress hugged every inch of her shape. While I was tall and slim, Mars was short and thick, which made us a complete force whenever we were together.
“Jalen is about to lose his damn mind,” I murmured.
Mars burst out laughing while turning toward the mirror. “And David and Cal are both about to pass out when they see you.”
I groaned immediately. “Please don’t remind me.”
As I looked at myself one final time in the mirror before heading downstairs… something told me tonight was about to get very interesting.
By the time we pulled up to Lynk, the entire front entrance buzzed with energy.
Luxury cars lined the valet lane while flashes from cameras lit up the sidewalk every few seconds as athletes, influencers, and local celebrities made their way inside.
Music pulsed so heavily through the building that I could already feel the bass in my chest before we even stepped out of the truck.
Houston nightlife after a major win always felt alive, but tonight felt especially electric because everybody wanted access to the celebration surrounding J5’s comeback.
Mars stepped out first, smoothing down her dress, while Jalen wrapped an arm around her waist possessively the second they hit the sidewalk.
“You ready?” Mars grinned at me.
“As I’ll ever be.”
David stepped beside me, looking entirely too handsome in a fitted black button-down and dark slacks that somehow still looked expensive without trying too hard.
His hand settled lightly against my lower back while security escorted us toward the private entrance.
That simple touch calmed me more than it should have.
The second we entered Lynk, the entire atmosphere swallowed us whole.
The club was beautiful. Dark, moody lighting.
Marble floors. Gold accents. Plush, curved seating sections filled with people dressed like money and confidence.
Bottle girls moved through the crowd holding sparklers high while Afrobeats blended smoothly into R her silky black dress hugged every curve while her straight dark hair swung perfectly against her back.
But the first thing I noticed wasn’t her. It was Cal. Because despite Veronica hanging onto his arm, his attention drifted toward me almost instantly. I hated how fast my stomach reacted to that.
Cal approached the section casually, acting like he wasn’t fully aware of the tension immediately thickening around me.
“There goes Houston’s favorite trainer,” he smirked while stepping closer.
I rolled my eyes automatically. “There goes Houston’s newest media personality.”
Veronica greeted everyone politely while Cal grabbed a drink from a server passing through. Watching him laugh and move around the section like nothing between us had changed irritated me more than it should have—especially after the way he had acted at my house.
At one point, J5 started replaying one of his highlights loudly while everybody argued over whether the crossover in the third quarter was nastier than the lob in transition. Cal immediately pointed toward me across the table.
“That crossover happened because she finally let him stop babying that knee.”
“Oh, please,” I laughed. “That crossover happened because Dallas refuses to play proper perimeter defense.”
Cal leaned back dramatically. “No. Their weak-side rotation collapsed because J5 trusted the leg enough to attack downhill aggressively.”
“And why did he trust it, Caleb?” I shot back immediately.
The entire table started laughing because we both sounded ridiculous. Cal pointed toward me with his drink.
“You know what? I’m not arguing with you," he said knowingly.
The two of us kept going back and forth effortlessly while everybody around us laughed, watching the exchange unfold.
And somewhere in the middle of it, I completely forgot David sat beside me, quietly observing everything.
Because basketball had always been our language—mine and Cal’s.
The teasing. The debating. The chemistry underneath it. It came so naturally.
Finally, David leaned slightly toward me while the others continued arguing.
“You two seem very close.”
The question snapped me back into reality immediately. I took another sip of tequila before shrugging casually.
“Me and Cal?” I laughed softly. “It’s nothing. We’ve just known each other forever.”
David studied me carefully for half a second longer than necessary before nodding slowly.
But something in his expression shifted slightly after that.
It was subtle and almost unnoticeable, but I noticed.
And deep down, somewhere beneath the tequila, music, and laughter…
a tiny part of me knew that answer would eventually come back to haunt me.
Somewhere between the dancing, tequila, and loud debates over basketball, the night started blurring into something warm and easy. Mars and I were halfway standing on the curved couch, singing lyrics dramatically while J5 laughed at us from his seat.
"Y'all don't even know the words!" Jalen shouted at us.
“Yes, we do!” Mars shouted back immediately.
David sat beside me through most of it, smiling quietly while watching everybody interact around him.
I appreciated how well he adapted. He wasn’t forcing himself into the center of attention or trying too hard to fit in.
He simply observed, laughed when something was funny, and engaged naturally whenever somebody spoke to him.
At one point, Jalen and David somehow ended up deep in conversation about business investments while Mars and I danced nearby.
Then, of course, Cal kept inserting himself into my personal space every chance he got.
Nothing obvious. Just enough to irritate me.
A hand brushing my lower back while squeezing past me.
Leaning too close while arguing about basketball.
Looking at me entirely too long whenever he thought I wasn’t paying attention.
And Veronica? Poor thing barely got half his attention all night. She didn't look like she minded too much, though; she and J5 were chatting for quite a while.
Around one in the morning, David leaned closer toward me while I laughed at something Mars said.
“Nia.”
“Hm?”
“I think I’m going to head out.”
I turned toward him fully. “Already?”
He smiled softly. “I have to handle some things at the office early tomorrow.”
I blinked. “On a Saturday?”
He laughed lightly while shaking his head. “Hey, money never really stops.”
I laughed too because honestly… fair enough. And unlike some rich men I’d encountered before, David never made his success feel performative or arrogant. He talked about work like somebody genuinely passionate about what he built, not somebody trying to impress people with numbers.
“I respect it,” I smiled.
He stood slowly, adjusting his watch.
“But I did enjoy tonight.”
Something about the sincerity in his voice softened me immediately.
“I did, too.”
I stood with him near the edge of the section while music vibrated heavily through the floor beneath us.
His hand settled lightly against my waist while he looked down at me with that same calm attentiveness he always carried around me.
Then, before I could overthink it, I leaned up and kissed him softly. Not too much. Just enough.
And maybe some immature part of me wanted him to kiss me back like that, too. Because after Cal had the audacity to walk in here tonight with that hussy all over him? Please. Call it even.
David smiled slightly against my lips before pulling back.
“You trying to make me stay?”
I laughed softly. “Maybe a little.”
His thumb brushed lightly along my waist before he stepped back reluctantly.
“I’ll have a car waiting for you whenever you’re ready to leave,” he said. “Just text me.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
“Don’t stay out too late.”
“No promises.”
That made him laugh quietly before leaning down once more.
“Goodnight, Nia.”
“Goodnight, David.”
I watched him disappear through the crowd for a second longer than necessary before finally sitting back down beside Mars. I immediately felt her staring.
I turned slowly. Mars sat there sipping her drink while looking at me like she was physically restraining herself from speaking.
“What?” I laughed nervously.
She narrowed her eyes dramatically.
“Nothing.”
Whatever thoughts were brewing in that head of hers, I already knew she’d eventually say them later. Probably at the worst possible moment, too.