Page 5 of Home Town Advantage (Fourth Quarter Fever #1)
Kennedy narrows her eyes. “No, Ms. Know-it-all. We moved there when I was a kid. New York is where I was born and where I consider my home. Where I intended to play for my entire career until a new team was formed so Sullivan could carry the new franchise on her shoulders with her shining star power.”
Oh man, she hates me. I swallow, feeling so nervous and uncomfortable. “You can call me Sulley. All my friends and family do.”
She glares at me. “Got it, Sullivan .”
Layla shrugs. “I’d think you’d be happy to live closer to your family, Kennedy. I know I am. I was considering retirement until this opportunity presented itself. I asked my team to let me go. Presley and I splitting time between Philly and Miami has been hard, and now we have a baby to consider.”
Presley Ladrón is the placekicker for the Philly Camels. Layla has been playing for the team out of Miami. This move must be perfect for her.
Shay nods in agreement. “I respect that. I’m lucky that my girlfriend, Alyssa, works from home and can live wherever I do. It would be devastating to be apart from her for weeks or months at a time.”
Kennedy rolls her eyes. “I would never live my life around someone else. Anyone who does so is nothing but a walking red flag.” Her green eyes light up for the first time. “In fact, that might be a nice icebreaker for us. I did that once with a team.”
I ask, “What would be a nice icebreaker?”
“Red flags,” she answers. “Everyone shares their most random red flags when it comes to potential partners.”
Layla smiles. “Ooh. I like this game. I’ll go first. Men who wear chain necklaces are my biggest ick.” She has a look of disgust on her face. “You just know that shit has been dangling on another woman. On her chest, on her face, maybe even in other places.” She shivers. “Ugh. So gross.”
We all laugh. I shake my head. “I suppose I never thought about where a man’s necklace has been, but now I’ll never unsee that.”
Layla nods. “Right? What about you, Sulley? What’s one of your red flags?”
“Hmm.” I twist my lips. “Given that I grew up in a bit of a cowboy town, the most unattractive thing on a man for me is wearing sandals.”
They all spit in laughter, and I smile as I continue, “I never saw one until I spent a little time on the West Coast. It was so…off-putting.” I scrunch my face. “It’s just so unmanly.”
Shay nods in agreement. “A lot of men in LA wear sandals. I think lesbian red flags are different from hetero red flags. The most obvious one for me would be U-Haul lesbians. ”
Palmer asks, “What’s that?”
“A lesbian who moves in with their partner quickly, like after just a few dates. It’s a whole running joke in the lesbian community. We even have greeting cards with the term.”
Kennedy’s mouth drops in clear shock. “Really? I’ve never heard it.”
Shay quips, “Because you move from man to man like I go through dildos. There’s no way you’ve ever lived with a man.”
Kennedy shakes her head. “Fuck no. I’m too young for that. The only thing I want is a good time. Nothing else, for now. My parents had a shitty marriage. It took way too long for them to get divorced. I’m out the second I see something I don’t like. Plus, I went to Catholic school.”
I raise an eyebrow at her. “What does Catholic school have to do with relationships?”
She bites back a smile before she answers, “Catholic school girls are like caged wild animals. We all leave for college and become hos.”
Shay giggles. “Ah, Catholic school girls. Any hole but the holy hole.”
Kennedy nods. “I definitely had friends like that in Catholic school.” She looks at Palmer. “What about you, quiet one? What are your red flags?”
Palmer shuffles nervously. She’s the kind of woman who I’m not sure has ever dated. I have no idea whether she’s into men or women. She’s attractive, but so shy and seemingly uncomfortable in her own skin.
She adjusts her glasses. “I don’t know. I suppose I don’t like short guys.”
Kennedy shakes her head. “Six-foot-five guys are short for you. That’s not really a red flag. Give us something else.”
She chews on her bottom lip nervously. “Ummm…well…I’m not sure.”
Kennedy rolls her eyes in obvious annoyance. “This isn’t hard. Something that turns you off that might not turn off others.”
I stare at Kennedy, mustering all the strength I can to confront this intimidating woman. “Maybe she’s uncomfortable answering. Leave her alone.”
Palmer shakes her head. “No, no. I want to participate. I saw a guy do something a few weeks ago that was shocking. I…I suppose it could be considered a red flag.”
We all lean toward her in anticipation.
“I saw a guy bite into a KitKat. Right across the four bars. There are natural breaks in a KitKat. Why would someone just bite into it? That’s crazy.” She seems totally appalled at the notion.
We all giggle. Even Kennedy smiles as she admits, “That was unexpected but perfect, Palmer. I accept your answer.”
Palmer has a huge grin as she straightens her shoulders a bit. “Thank you. What about you, Kennedy?” she asks.
Kennedy pulls out her phone and swipes a few times.
“I keep a running list in my notes. I have hundreds of them. Hmm. Let me find a good one.” She swipes a few more times.
“Ooh. This one is good. Men who know every word to the rap verse from ‘Waterfalls’ by TLC. The chorus is fine, but the rap verse is a huge red flag. There’s no legitimate reason for a man to know that. ”
We all burst into hysterical laughter. I can’t help but beg, “Please give us more from your list.”
With a bemused expression on her face, she looks down at her phone and begins to scroll.
“I seriously have over a hundred. Men who use Androids, men who take a lot of selfies, and men who call you baby on the first date. They are all non-starters for me. Oh, and men who love to tell me how they were four-year varsity athletes in high school. I’m like, bitch, I was a Division One All-American athlete and am now a professional athlete, but please tell me about your junior year of high school second-team all-conference award .
” She rolls her eyes. “You ladies know who I’m talking about. Even you, Shay.”
We all nod in agreement, Shay included. That’s so true. All men love to boast about their childhood athletic prowess as if it remotely compares to ours.
We end up closing down the place as we drink, talk, and laugh for hours until the middle of the night. Even Kennedy warms up a bit. I think. It’s hard to tell with her.
I’ve never had a mix of teammates like these women, but maybe it won’t be so bad.
I like that everyone is different but we have a common love for the sport of basketball and an understanding of the hard work and sacrifices made along the way.
For the first time, I’m truly excited about my big move to Philly.