Lance
It wasfifteen minutes till ten, and I was still struggling to get out of bed.
After a tough loss on Thursday, a long day of meetings on Friday, and what was supposed to only be a light practice that had somehow turned competitive on Saturday, it was clear my body was taking its time adjusting to the start of a new season. But since I’d already told Racquel I’d pull up to the game,and then offered to give Yani a ride to said game, I knew I had to get my ass up, grunting as I pushed myself off the mattress and onto my feet so that I could head to the bathroom where I took a piss, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and put on some deodorant.
Thankfully, I’d been wise enough to shower the night before.
Still, by the time I got dressed, it was already ten o’ clock. And since I wasn’t sure how long the game would last, I took a second to make a quick protein shake before I finally headed out the door, pulling up at Yani’s exactly ten minutes after the hour which was actually pretty good considering the circumstances.
Of course, she was still quick to call me out being late once she got in the car, a teasing smirk on her lips when she said, “If you would’ve pulled up a minute later, I would’ve already been back in bed.”
Just the mention of going back to bed made me yawn as I told her, “My bad.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah, just a lil’ tired,” I answered, getting ready to pull out of her father’s driveway until Yani suggested, “I can drive myself. I mean, if you’d rather go back home and get your rest or whatever.”
It was a tempting offer since I knew more rest was exactly what I needed, but I was also a man of my word. And since I’d already committed to showing my face, I put the car in reverse and told Yani, “Nah, you’re good. I told Racquel I’d come watch.”
“Racquel.Right. What’sthatabout?” Yani asked amusedly, picking up almost exactly where she’d left off the other day.
But honestly, I wasn’t all that interested in going there, keeping my eyes focused on the road as I responded, “How about I take a page out of your book and say it’s none of your business?”
“Fair enough,” she agreed with a nod, turning towards the window to comment, “She’s pretty though. A little too pressed for my liking, but pretty.”
I wasn’t supposed to be entertaining the conversation. But for whatever reason, I couldn’t help responding, “Maybe I like ‘em pressed and pretty.”
“Your business, right?” Yani replied before asking, “How did she know who I was though?”
With a shrug, I explained, “She came over the same night you did. Saw your cup in the trash and asked about it.”
“Oh wowww,” Yani sang, turning back my way with a huge grin on her face when she asked, “So she’s like, planning a future with you in her head already?”
Shaking my head, I answered, “Nah, it’s not like that,”
“To you,” she insisted with a giggle. “But what’s a pretty and pressed chick if she’s not also a little psycho too, right?”
“So now Racquel’s a psycho for looking in my trash can?”
Again, Yani laughed. “Play that question back in your head, and I think you’ll have your answer, Lance.”
Once I did, I couldn’t help but chuckle too since it did sound a little wild. But I also knew the full truth wasn’t nearly as damning, prompting me to argue, “It wasn’t like she was back-alley dumpster diving in my shit. She just went to throw something away and noticed the extra cup with your lipstick on it.”
“Which shouldn’t have even mattered if it’s not like that,” Yani reasoned. “Though I must say, the way you’re defending her right now says it might be like that for the both of y’all.”
Shooting a side eye Yani’s way, I sucked my back teeth and groaned, “Chill out.”
“What?” she responded innocently, already giggling as she sarcastically added, “God forbid you actually kinda like the woman you’re sticking your dick in.”
“Who said I was fuckin’ her?”
“Are you?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Which means the answer is yes,” Yani concluded amusedly, the fact that she wasn’t wrong making it hard for me to argue.
So instead of addressing her claims, I asked, “Why you care so much?”