Page 57 of Definitely Not a Thing

“Rightfully,” I nodded.

“So… was that it? Is that what the streets are saying?”

“Not that I saw,” I told him. “What I saw was about your dad maybe having the substance abuse issue, which was bad enough, really. I would never imagine someone from your team throwing such a thing in your face like that.”

Calvin smirked. “There… may also have been a woman involved. Pussy brings out the worst in niggas.”

“Oh is that right?” I laughed. “Who snatched whose woman?”

“I don’t know aboutsnatched,” he answered. “But his ex-wife was one of the physical therapists on the team. He wasn’t feeling the special sessions she was giving me, so he was picking with me.”

“Now how did y’all keepthatpart off the internet?!” I asked, shocked.

“That was nobody but RSM,” he chuckled.

“RSM?”

“Richardson Sports Management,” he explained.

“Ahhh,” I nodded. “Understood. So all of that, and it still ended up that you got painted as a hothead and he’s moved on to another team.”

He shrugged. “People love the headlines more than they love the truth… and sometimes it’s best to just let it be.”

“Fair enough,” I said. “Well… thank you for sharing the truth with me, at least.”

Calvin grinned, then reached out and… booped me on the fucking nose. “That’s what friends are for, right? G’night, Li-Li.”

And then before I could really react toanyof that, he was inside his apartment.

Clearly running away from the conversation.

All I could do was go inside and close my door too.

And reflect.

Did he really just boop me on my fucking nose?

13/

calvin

A week.

Training camp starts in just about a week.

Fuccck.

Why did that sentence set off a nervous buzz that settled in my stomach like I was some fresh recruit?

This wasn’t my first training camp.

It wasn’t even myfifthtraining camp.

I wasn’t at “seasoned vet” status yet, but I was no rookie either – if that bullshit with Coach Lewis hadn’t happened, last season would’ve been the one thatdidturn me into a household name.

I’d been on fire, and all it took was a little fuel from my sperm donor to give Coach Lewis the ammo he needed to douse me out.

Over a woman who’d used me as a sentient dildo.