Fancy Meeting You Here
“The grind is real out here, man.”
“Oh, definitely. I remember what that was like, and it’s not just you coming off your rookie season, but you’re also coming off a championship, so you’ve played damn near one hundred games last season. So you’re getting it from both sides. And I know you didn’t train as much as you should have to prepare for this season.”
“Everybody doesn’t have that Mama Mentality like you, Kob.” I laughed. I was finally getting a second to catch up with my mentor after a nail biter against the Clippers. We were able to secure a table at Prime Italian for the night.
“Maybe I just got Cobra Consciousness or some shit.”
“I like that shit, kid.” He laughed.
“You know cobras eat other snakes and reptiles more than anything else. Internalize that.”
“So, like, I’m trying to devour the competition?”
“There you go.”
I mull it over for a second and raise my glass.
“Toast to that.”
We talked about basketball a bit more. He gave a few pointers about my game and some things I need to incorporate in my training and just pacing myself for the rest of the season. We talked about family. The basketball bug seemed to have bit his daughter Gianna and she was pretty damn good. She’s going to have her picks of D1 schools easily when the time comes.
We talked about Nico’s future plans. He wants to go to college to major in business so he can keep helping to grow my brand. He’s already doing a good job with it, although I told him he can only post things on the weekends. I don’t want my career to detract from his school work in any way. He hasn’t said where he’s going to school yet, but he’s only applied to schools in Florida, so we’ll see in a couple months.
Three hours later, we finally decided to call it a night. His Mambacitas had a tournament tomorrow so he needed to be back in Los Angeles by morning. I got back to the condo and found it empty. Nico was hanging with his friends tonight and Eva was working. If I was being honest, things were still a little off between us since the whole homecoming weekend fiasco with her ex-boyfriend. I went to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water when I heard my phone buzz on the counter. Thinking it was a text from Eva, I quickly picked it up.
Mamba (11:17 PM): Get that ankle checked out. I saw you limping a little bit tonight. No matter how well you thought you were hiding.
I texted back the thumbs up emoji before going to bed.
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I made sure I was at Miami Orthopedics bright and early. The receptionist, Tammy, had a big smile on her face when saw me walk through the doors.
“Close call last night, huh?”
“Yes, ma’am, but we got it done.”
“Yes, you did. What’s going on with you? It’s not the knee is it? I didn’t see you on the books this morning.”
“I know, I was hoping Dr. J could see me real quick. I just tweaked my ankle and I wanted to let him look at it real quick before we got on the road this afternoon.”
“I’m sure he has a minute for his favorite patient. Let me give him a call.”
Five minutes later, I was being brought to an exam room in the back. I wasn’t in the exam room long before I heard a familiar voice that I never thought I’d hear again.
“If it isn’t the Snowman with a zero.”
“Sophie? What are you doing here?”
I met Sophie a little over a year ago when I was playing ball in Rio. I was trying to get my hype going before the NBA Combine. She and her friends were in town for a weekend getaway. The meeting was brief. We only hung out that one night, she came out to see me play the next day and was headed to the airport before I finished my run. We followed each other on Instagram, but that was about it.
“Working. Graduate school, remember?” She rolled over to me and had me take my shoe and sock off so she could get a look at my ankle.
“No, I remember, but I didn’t expect to see you in Miami. Didn’t you say you were going to school in Georgia?”
“You did remember. I have to do an internship for the fall and I was lucky enough to get one here.”
“How long have you been in town?”
“Since September.”
“No shit. And you didn’t even check in with your boy? That’s cold.”
“I’ve been busy. We’ve been doing mostly Dolphins and Marlins games. And you didn’t get my number in Rio.”
“Nah, I feel you. So, how long is the internship?”
“I’ll be done at the end of the month.”
“Damn.” I’m not sure why the next phrase fell out of my mouth, but it did.
“We should link up.”
She continued to roll my ankle. I only wince a little.
“Pain level?"
"Three. Quit trying to change the subject. We should link up."
"This internship keeps me pretty busy.”
“It can be something easy. Dinner. We have a home game on Tuesday night, we can grab a bite afterwards.”
She began to wrap my ankle for me while she thought about my offer.
“You gotta eat right?”
“I guess so. But where are we going to go? I’ve seen you plastered all over billboards out here. I feel like you’re gonna be recognized no matter where we go.”
“You let me worry about that. How’s my ankle?”
“It’s fine. Just rest. Don’t do anything before your next game.”
“Cool. So, I’ll get some tickets to you for Tuesday and then we can grab a bite and catch up. And, I will take your number this time.” I pull my phone out of my pocket, unlock it hand it to her. She gives me a look and types her number in. When she hands my phone back, I start typing out a text message, but I stop myself.
“I’m not intruding on anything am I? I don’t have to worry about your man out in Georgia hitting me up when I go to play the Hawks or anything right?”
She smiled.
“No, no man. Just my studies.”
I sent the text.