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“I mean, I wouldn’t say all that,” she sighed. “You’ve just given me more of a reason to like, actually care what happens.”
“Oh, so now you care about me?”
The question was honestly more of a joke than anything. But it was amusing to see the way Shakira immediately blushed in response, doing her best to cover it when she argued, “That’s not what I said.”
“Basically.”
“Anyway,” she groaned, rolling her eyes in a way that only further amused me as I stared at the screen.
Stared at her.
She was so fuckin’ gorgeous.
Since I’d known her, she’d already changed her hairstyle a few times. But most recently, she’d been rockin’ box braids that went down to her ass. And tonight, they were pulled back in a way that gave me a full view of both her pretty ass face and a tattoo of the quote,“Where there’s love, there is life”that sat just below her collarbone.
Its existence made me wonder if she had ink anywhere else. But instead of asking the question I’d much rather get answered in person, I asked her, “What’s your schedule like next weekend?”
“I’ll be in D.C. for a club appearance on Friday. And then I think I’m scheduled for another one in Dallas on Saturday.”
“So that means you’re free on Sunday?” I followed up, the question making Shakira glare at the screen with a look of skepticism before she responded, “I am…”
“You should come to our season home opener.”
“And give the Instagram bloggers a reason to be in our business again?” she asked with a giggle, the mention of social media giving me something extra to consider since I honestly hadn’t thought that far ahead;hadn’tthought about them at all.
On one hand, I could understand why Shakira had her concerns since I lowkey felt the same way. But on the other hand… “So what if they are? Friends can’t support friends now?”
“That’s what we are?Friends?” she repeated, the amusement on her face,and the sound of it in her tone, making it hard for me not to match her energy when I answered, “For now.”
Considering the way we’d been vibing lately, it was hard to imagine the train towards something more stopping any time soon. And according to the pleased look on Shakira’s face, she must’ve felt the same way, biting into her bottom lip before she said, “I’ll have to check with my girls to see if their schedule permits. Cause if I come, I’m definitely not coming alone.”
Assuming that would be the case, I told her, “Just let me know who you’re bringing by next Friday, and I’ll make sure y’all are taken care of.”
At that, Shakira’s full lips transformed into a giddy smile. “I’m actually kinda hyped about this.”
Because of what the game would represent as far as my career was concerned, to say I was also hyped felt like an understatement. And knowing my “friend” would be there to witness it all only took that feeling up a notch, lowkey making me wish the game was this weekend instead of next as Shakira asked, “Wanna know something crazy?”
When I responded with slightly raised eyebrows to show my interest, Shakira shared, “I’ve lived in Houston my entire life and havemaybebeen to a handful of Skyhawks games. And they were all games that I attended with my dad as a kid.”
“As a kid?”I repeated in my head, my eyebrows bunching when I asked, “You didn’t go to any when you were with ol’ boy?”
The weight of the question didn’t really hit me until I saw the wide-eyed look on Shakira’s face, the fact that I only knew about her past relationship because of the internet making shit awkward enough for me to tell her, “My bad. That kinda came outta left field, huh?”
“Very much so,” she replied. “To answer your question though, my relationship with Enzo happened during the offseason. So no, I didn’t go to any games when I was with him.”
I appreciated her honesty. And since that was as much energy as I cared to spend on old shit, I was good moving on from it when I replied, “Well I’m happy to be the first to invite you then.”
“Oh, I didn’t say all that,” she giggled. “But youarethe first that I’m taking up on said invitation, so you can feel special about that part.”
“I do,” I admitted. “Especially since you’re accepting the invite lookin’ how you look right now.”
The way her cheeks reddened told me she appreciated the compliment. But she didn’t actually speak on it, her heart apparently already set on talking about something else when she sat up and said, “Wait. Let’s back up, though. You asked about my ex. Does that mean I can ask about yours too?”
“Damn. Would you look at the time?”
“Wowww,” she groaned, making me chuckle as I told her, “Nah, I’m playin’. Go ahead. I ain’t got nothin’ to hide.”
“I really just wanna know why y’all broke up.”
