To Love a Man (14 page)

“Ok guys lets run the one on one drills. Zack come on up. Who wants to go against Zack?”

Ramón couldn’t help but smirk as the other eight to ten year olds who looked around at each other. Then Madison raised her hands and he beamed with pride.

“I'll go coach.”

She ran onto the court and high fived Zack. Ramón blew his whistle again.

“Ok this is a one on one drill first to ten wins remember each shot is worth one point. And have fun out there.”

As Zack and Maddie began to play against each other Ramón saw why the others didn’t want to play with Zack. He was one of those kids with a natural talent, but with the training he has gotten these last few weeks he was incredible on the court. As Zack shot from the three point line and made it Madison jumped up and grabbed the ball and ran it back down the court. She tossed the ball and scored before Zack had a chance to defend her. Ramón had to give Madison her credit she was most definitely holding her own.

The other kids cheered them on as the score went 7 to 5 and Zack was heading back
to his basket to put him up by four. Zack went up for a lay-up and Madison shot up to block his shot. As she did, they somehow collided and both fell hard to the ground. Ramón was at their side along with AJ.

“Madison can you hear me baby girl?”

Madison’s eyes fluttered open and she held her head up but immediately laid it back down and began to moan. He looked over to AJ and noticed Zack had opened his eyes too. Zack placed his hand to his head as he looked over to Madison.

“Are you ok
Maddie?”

She
glanced towards him and nodded as Ramón noticed a bump forming on the back of her head. He looked at Zack and noticed a bump forming on the side of his face.

“AJ I think we should get these two to the ER.”

“Yeah you’re right. Jeremy” he called one of the assistant coaches over to him. “We are going to take these two to the hospital and I need you let Malcolm know what is going on and take the other 18 players to Kellan’s group.”

Ramón looked over to Jeremy as he helped Madison up.
“Oh and please have Greg call my parents and call Zack’s.”

“No problem.”

***

Desiree forced a smiled as she sat at the table. She took a sip of water as her date Matt spoke on his landscaping business. Desiree made a mental note to smack Nikki when she saw her. This was by far the worse date she had ever been on.
Nikki had set up on three dates and each seemed to be worse than the last.  She actually thought Matt was a great catch until he began to speak and his lips spewed out nonsense and crap. Matt spoke up, which pulled her out of her train of thought.

“It’s good money when you own the business.
You can hire whoever you want so of course I hooked my boys up you know keep it in the FAM stuff like that. So what do you do? Nikki didn’t tell me.” He asked flashing her what he thought was his million dollar smile but she thought was just ridiculous.

She stiffened in her seat.
“I work at Kline’s in their customer service department.” She said taking another sip of her water. She looked around wondering where the waiter was.

He chuckled.
“You really can’t make much doing that can you?”

“What?”
she asked confused at his comment.

He grabbed his glass
“I mean tell me how much do you make?” he asked drinking from his glass.

She
scooted her chair back. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah I am how can you afford to take care of your son on that kind of salary?”
he said looking into his menu.

“I don’t see why that is any of your business?”
she said feeling anger rise within her. “You can’t really be asking me how much money I make on the first date?” she said glaring at him.

He gave a
snicker. “Well seeing how we are on a date and I am the one making the most money looks like I am footing the bill.”

“Wow.”
She said throwing her hands into the air. “Just wow.”

He leaned into her and gave her
a seductive look which to Desiree looked like he was constipated. “So tell me are you a tiger in the bed?”

“Excuse me?”
She uttered unsure of what she was hearing.

“
Hey if I'm paying you better be laying.”

A fly could have flown his who
le family into her mouth at the point it was open so wide. “Ok that’s enough.” Desiree stood taking a deep breath she had had enough he had been making demeaning comments all night and she was all to overjoyed to give him a piece of her mind.

“Look here you
ignorant fool it doesn’t matter what I make or where I went to school. I don’t care if you started your own business and I could give a damn about your ability to sing a woman’s dress off. And whether or not I am good in the bed is something you will never have to find out. You’re an ass, dinner sucked, and your breath has been humming all night and so I am leaving, get the bill since you make so much money I'm out.”

As she turned to leave he stood.
“Wait I thought we were having a good time. I thought we had a vibe.”

She laughed.
“Then you thought wrong.” She gripped her purse and walked away from the booth. She grabbed her keys and got into the car. She dialed Nikki’s number.

“
Hello.” Nikki answered laughing pushing her husband away from her. Any other day Desiree would be thrilled at them acting like love birds but right now all she saw was red.

“How in the hell could you think I would like him?”
she yelled into the phone.

Nikki held up her finger to her husband as she heard the anger and disappointment in her best
friend’s voice. “Date didn’t go so well I take it?”

“
Hell No! You have lost all your rights to hook me up. No more.” She said close to tears.

Nikki exhaled
“Look you said you wanted a date. And I didn’t see anything wrong with any of the guys.”

“
Really Jayson wanted me to meet his ex-girlfriend and double with her and her new man so he can spy on her. Yeah he actually said that. Cole was so into himself that I was shocked he even remembered my name and Matt don’t get me started on that dog who is obviously in need of a flea bath.” She said in anger.

Nikki sat on her four poster king-sized bed.
“You know after you left Greenville a few weeks ago I have seen a change in you, you’re irritable well more than usual and you won’t tell me why.” She questioned.

“It’s nothing.”
Desiree said immediate getting defensive.

“It’s something.”
Nikki said challenging her.

“Look Ramón turned out to be a jerk end of story.”

Her line beeped.

“Hold on someone is calling. Hello?”
she said trying to erase the sadness from her voice.

“Hi is this Desiree Holloway?”
the person on the other line asked.

“Yes.”
She said being to feel uneasy.

“I am Greg from the
Eagles basketball camp.”

Her heart dropped.
“Is everything ok?”

“I am calling because I tried to get a hold of Charles Denton but couldn’t. Zack was in a little accident. Him and another camper collided we are taking them to the hospital.”

Desiree’s mind began to race. Trying to remain calm she chose her words slowly. “I am in Fort Lauderdale. But tell him I am on my way.”

“We are at MUSC
Hospital in Azela Square.”

She hung up the phone and headed
to Fort Lauderdale airport. Her phone rang and she picked it up.

“I said I am on my way.”
She spoke into the phone.

“Desi what happened you hung up on me?”
Nikki asked suddenly panicking at her friend’s voice.

Desiree exhaled hearing Nikki’s voice
“Zack is in the hospital and Charles is not answering his phone and I got to get to the hospital. I am heading to the airport.”

Nikki gasped
“How far away are you?”

“I don't know about thirty minutes.”
She said turning onto the expressway.

“Ok I am going to meet you there.”
Nikki said pulling on a pair of jeans. “And before you say anything the kids are with my parents so we are coming.”

“I couldn’t argue with you if I wanted too.
” Desiree said relieved to have the support.

“We are
on my way.” Nikki said grabbing her sweat shirt.

Desiree hung up the phone and drove to the airport. When she got there,
she heave a sigh of relief upon seeing Nikki walking up to her followed by her husband Bryant. Desiree hugged her.

“Hey guys. Look you didn’t need to come I am gonna try to get a flight out.”
she said reaching for her wallet.

“Are you sure?”
Nikki asked.

She nodded.
Nikki stood next to her.

“I am coming inside with you and if I can get a seat with you I am coming.”

Desiree frowned “No I will be ok.” She gave a weak smile that didn’t reassure Nikki.

Nikki stood her ground.
“I got you so let’s go.”

They walked
into the airport and Nikki followed her up to the first airline and Desiree pulled out her wallet.

“I need a flight departing here like now going to Charleston.”
She said not hiding the desperation in her voice.

The woman in f
ront of her gave a smug smile as she looked Desiree up and down. Desiree stared at the woman wondering what was taking so long. She glance over the white button down shirt and black skirt the attendant wore, and the uneven bob around her head. Desiree knew that look she was getting it was the “let me size her up” look that people gave those they were unsure of. The woman pushed her glasses up from the tip of her pointy nose and Desiree sighed deeply.

Desiree
glanced down to herself to see what the woman was staring at, she was still wearing the blushing pink shimmer splice dress that had an allover ruching and asymmetrical drapes the enhanced her curves. She looked towards her pair of multi glittered heels and stomped her foot enough was enough. She pointed her finger at the woman which was dressed with a silver ring with tiers of rhinestones on her right hand middle finger and the matching four row rhinestone bracelet moved up her arm as she snapped her fingers.

“Hello did you hear me?” Desiree asked placing one hand on her hip and the other on her necklace which was
a rhinestone bib with a silver toned chain.

“I heard you hold your horses.” The woman said with a smirk that
Desiree wanted to smack off her face.

She ran her hands down her dress trying to take her mind off her son. It was such a beautiful dress she wasted on that loser. She wished she would have went with her first choice which was an
all-black pantsuit even more now that this was happening, but Nikki made her buy it and wear it. When Desiree first tried on the dress she didn’t like the way it flowed around her curves but once she had it on she felt beautiful. She tapped her foot as she fiddle with her hair which was in loose curls clipped to the left side of her neck. Finally the woman glared at her.

“Can I ask what the hurry is? Running from your pimp?”
she said amusing herself.

Desiree looked at the woman and then Nikki.

“Oh my Gosh this not happening.” Her hands began to shake “Nikki I swear if she doesn’t help me I am gonna cut her and her chia pet hairstyle. You don’t know me my son is in-”

Nikki pulled Desiree
aside. “Desi calm down.”

“No let me handle th
is woman I got something for her.” Desiree said lunging towards the woman at the counter. Nikki grabbed Desiree again looking at her husband.

“Bryant sweetie can you come take Desi for a second.”

Bryant pulled her back. And Nikki looked at the Lady.

“
Hi, what’s your name?” Nikki said sweetly to the woman. She gave Nikki a confusing look then smiled.

“Kathy.”

Nikki clapped her hands together. “Ok Kathy look my nephew is in the hospital his no good father is nowhere to be found and my sister has to get to him in Charleston. Now she is crazy right now and really won’t be liable for what she might do. One time a teacher shoved her son and she shoved her fist in that teachers mouth so what I need for you to do is do your job and get her a ticket on any flight leaving out as soon as possible. Now you either do that or I will let her loose on you while I speak to your supervisor.”

Kathy looked
at Desiree then down to her screen.

“Ok look we have a flight leaving out in 20 minutes she would have to hurry.”

“We will take it.”