“That makes sense because you loved being catered to.”
“Look, I make no apologies for demanding what I want. I know my worth.”
“I’m not disagreeing with you. You deserve nothing but the best. I know when we were together I tried to provide you with that.”
“You would always let me size up on my quarter pounder meal,” I teased.
“Shit I was poor, so a large meal was the equivalent to the Hope Diamond for me. I mean sometimes I’d even let you add on some chicken nuggets. Do you remember that?” He flashed his bright smile.
“And you demanded they provide extra sweet and sour sauce.”
“Only the best for my baby.” Aldridge cleared his throat. “I mean?—”
“No I get it … past tense. No need to explain.” I took a long sip from my cup. “So how is your family doing?”
“Still in Philly. Not much has changed. Duane was released from jail. He’s working as a cook at some diner.”
Duane was Aldridge’s older brother and one of the reasons he went as hard as he did. Duane getting locked up kinda scared Aldridge straight. Before Duane was arrested Aldridge was on a very different path.
“I’m so happy to hear that he’s doing well.”
“Yeah, he’s keeping his nose clean and it seems like he’s really trying to turn the page on the past. I think it helps that my folks don’t live in the same area anymore.”
“When did they move?”
“I bought them a home the year I was drafted. It’s not a mansion or anything like that, but it has four bedrooms, three and a half baths. But most importantly the neighborhood is safe and in a good school district.”
“That’s amazing. You always talked about relocating your mother.”
“You should have seen my mother’s face when we pulled up to the house. That made it all worth it.”
Providing for his family had always been a priority for Aldridge. His mother often worked two jobs, and his dad’s employment was spotty at best. But with five mouths to feed, money didn’t stretch quite as far. And as one of the oldest, the responsibility of supplementing his parents’s income fell on Duane and Aldridge. Duane took to the streets and Aldridge focused on basketball. Both were essentially long shots. Most drug dealers end up going to jail or worse, and most basketball players never make it to the NBA.
“I can hear your mother’s reaction. ‘Aldridge, what have you done?’” I imitated his mom’s distinctive Philly accent.
“Pretty much just like that.”
“She must be so proud.”
He hopped his shoulders. “I’m trying.”
I could sense there was shit he was holding back, and I let him have it. It wasn’t my place to pry. “So how do you rate the coffee?”
He examined his cup. “Mmm, seven out of ten.”
“My spot back home is hard to beat.” Hearing him call Kansas City home was jarring because it reinforced there was a whole life I knew nothing about. That I knew him, past tense.
“I’m sure I can find a place that will make you eat those words.”
“Coffee isn’t my thing. I used to drink whatever, but then Ashley put me on to this one spot and I fell in love. Like I finally get why people are so serious about their cup of Joe.”
After he mentioned Ashley, I tuned everything out. The way he casually dropped her name in the conversation. Like she was family or a longtime friend. I didn’t give a fuck about Ashley, and if he said her name one more time I would … okay I wasn’t going to do shit, but I was fucking pissed.
“It just takes one good cup to turn you out.” Or one mediocre social media influencer.
“Yeah, I’m addicted.” Aldridge chuckled at some inside joke I wasn’t privy to.
“Okay, we’ll move on to the next house and a new location.”
