Center Courtship (23 page)

“Where are you?”

“Kent, Mae.”

“Kent? That's what, forty-five minutes away.”

“I was attending a symposium on sculpted works of the 20
^th
century. The professor wants me to spearhead one for the 21
^st
century. I'm leaving now though. I'll be there as soon as I can.”

“No, I'll find another way home. I don't want you speeding to get here. I can call my brother. Or my neighbor.”

“Mae, I'm coming. Just hold on. Are you ok for a little while?”

“Yeah, I'll just find a coat closet to hide in for a while.”

“Where are you now?”

“In the women's bathroom.”

“I'll be there as soon as possible, Mae. I'll call when I'm close and you can jump in my car and we can go.”

“Ok. Aaron?”

“Yes, Mae?”

“Thank you.”

“Anytime, Mae. Stay calm and safe.”

I don't know how long I sat there, but it seemed like an eternity. I heard the door open and close a number of times as women came to use the other stalls and left. I tried to hold my sobbing while they were there, but sometimes it just wasn't possible. A few asked me if I was ok. I lied and said I was.

I heard the door open again, and I listened for the now-familiar tapping of heels on tile. Instead, two huge black men's dress shoes appeared beneath the stall door. “Mae?” It was Elsu.

“Leave me alone. I just want to go home.”

“I'm here to take you home. Please come out. And why are you on the floor of a public bathroom?” I forgot how tall he was. He was peering over the top of the door.

I looked at his caramel eyes looking down at me and had to laugh at the way I must have looked. I felt so small.

“Just leave me alone. I've got a ride coming. I'm just going to stay here until he gets here.”

“He?”

“Aaron.”

“Aaron?”

“My friend from work. The sculptor?”

“Aaron.”

“Yes, Aaron. Please, just leave me be. I'll be fine until he gets here.”

“I am not leaving you on the floor of a bathroom, Mae. At least come out of there. Don't make me climb over this door. I'll do it, too.”

I had no doubt he would, I also questioned if he'd fit.

“Don't hurt yourself,” I said as I stood up and slammed my head into the corner of the baby changing station. I had cried so much by that point that all I had left to do was laugh. I unlocked the door and Elsu walked in as I rubbed my sore head.

“Come on, I have Millard standing guard outside.” we walked toward the door and I mistakenly looked in the mirror.

To say I looked like hell would have been a compliment. “Hold on,” I said as I grabbed a towel and ran it under some water. I attempted to erase the mascara from my cheeks and was
impressed that it came off so well. The cool water also helped get rid of some of the redness that had formed. I reached for the lip gloss Colette had forced me to take and was grateful when it added a touch of color and shine to my dry lips.

“You look beautiful, besides, we'll go out the back, and no one will see you.” Elsu grabbed my hand and led me to the door. Millard's back was to us and he quickly turned around to look at me.

“Are you ok, ma'am?” he asked sincerely.

“Ma'am?” I said.

Instead of replying he motioned for me to walk ahead of him and I stepped out into the hallway. There were a few women waiting, but none seemed overly upset about the hold up.

“Elsu! There you are!” Carl came running up. “We've been looking…” he looked at me. “I thought you went home.”

“I am, my ride will be here shortly. I'm sure you're happy to know that.”

He didn't know how to reply but looked nervously to Elsu. “Elsu, we need you for a photo with the owners. Come on.”

Elsu looked at me, I knew he wanted to care for me, but I also knew he was there to work, even if it wasn't playing basketball. The star player running out before everything was over wouldn't have looked good. It probably would have caused Carl to have a heart attack.

“Where is…”

“Gone, you're safe.” I felt relieved at those three simple words.

“Go,” I said, faking a smile. “I'll be ok.”

“Come sit in the main room until Aaron gets here.” He looked into my eyes. The look of concern was evident in them. He gently placed his hands on my shoulders and started to say something. But instead, he gave me a quick kiss on my forehead and walked back to the dining hall.

I followed not too far behind and felt like everyone was looking at me. It was probably my imagination. I sat down at the seat I had been in previously and checked out my surroundings. The five girls I met in the bathroom were sitting together now, talking amongst themselves. I should have listened to them, but
they were a part of a world I didn't know. I had a horrible habit of trusting everyone.

I watched Elsu and the team stand together to get their pictures taken with a bunch of men in suits. I didn't recognize any of them. Carl took repeated chances to look my way and glare.

I looked to my phone and opened the Facebook app. I was smacked with pictures from the evening. Most of them of me sitting between Elsu and Casper. The ones with the most comments, shares and ‘likes' were the ones where I was demonstrating my ability to eat asparagus. I smacked my hand to my forehead, I felt sick to my stomach.

“Hey, come sit with us,” said Bridget. “You look like you could use a friend.”

I looked up to see her standing above me and pointing to the group of girls. She smiled sweetly at me and I had a feeling deep down that her intentions were coming from a good place. Plus, I didn't want to sit by myself as I looked through the comments on the pictures.

I stood and threw my wrap around my chilled arms, grabbed my purse and moved to sit between Bridget and M'Kaya. I smiled at them all. “Thank you,” I said as I got comfortable.

“What's wrong?” asked Callie as she sipped on some sort of fruity cocktail.

I shook my head and smiled, knowing the list was endless. “Just saw the wonderful pictures that were posted of me.” I decided that was the one thing I could complain about without causing any trouble. It was public knowledge, after all.

The girls grabbed their phones and each pulled up the site. “Shit!” said Callie. “Who's taking these pictures?”

“If it's the same as the ‘hug heard round the court' it's Carl,” I said.

The girls smiled at my joke. “I don't like him. He's kind of creepy,” said Tanya. The girls all agreed with nods and put their phones away.

“Wow, you put your phones down?” I asked with a smile.

“We don't have a guy on the side we're texting,” said Callie with a smile. She looked over her shoulder to see Saraya was standing against the wall, her nose still in her phone.

“I guess keeping up with three men takes a lot of work,” I smiled and then covered my mouth. “You didn't hear that from me.”

“Believe me, everything that's said between us, stays between us. It's the code of the wives,” said Callie.

“And the girlfriends,” said M'Kaya, as she eyed me with a smile.

Music had started from the DJ and the dance floor was starting to fill. “Who wants to dance?” asked Callie as she stood up, pulling Bridget with her.

All five girls stood and then looked to me as I stayed seated. “You girls go, have fun. I'm not a big dancer,” I said, being partially honest. One thing about being claustrophobic, you don't have to dance. Or maybe it was you don't
get
to dance. I definitely didn't
want
to dance tonight. The fewer accidental touches I had, the better.

The girls left and I returned to my original seat where my watered down Coke was sitting. The wait staff had begun clearing the head tables and I felt like I should get out of their way. I could see a bar nearby and figured I could get there without much effort. I had surprised myself so far with my ability to walk in the heels to that point. I quickly channeled Colette's training as I made my way across the room.

“I'll have a shot of something strong,” I said as I opened my purse to pay.

“It's open bar, ma'am, no need to pay,” said the friendly woman behind the bar.

“Huh, then make that a double,” I smiled. A glass of something clear was placed in front of me. I threw whatever it was back, expecting some sort of face-puckering burn, but whatever it was, it went down smooth. I knew I could get really used to that and decided that was all I needed. “Can I just get a rum and Coke?” I asked. I needed a sipping drink. I opened my purse again and put a ten in the tip jar and thanked the bartender as I stepped away.

“Hi, Mae.” I looked to see Carl ask for a glass of something foreign sounding. It was poured into a wine glass, so, I'll go with, he ordered wine.

“Carl,” I said as I chose my words carefully. “I don't know what you have against me, but I would REALLY appreciate it if you would quit taking pictures of me in questionable positions.”

“Why whatsoever do you mean?” asked Carl. His pants should have been burning for how much of a liar he was.

“First the hug at the diner, and now me eating asparagus. It has to stop. I don't know what kind of PR guy you are, but those kinds of things aren't doing the guys any favors.” I thought if I spun it to an attempt at protecting the team, he'd be more accommodating of my request.

“I see. But, you know I don't think you're a good fit for the team. I think you need to find yourself another project.”

“I don't really think you have a say in who the guys hang out with, do you? I mean as long as they're not hanging out with mass murderers and pedophiles, I'd think you wouldn't have much ability to say anything about who their friends were.”

“See, here's the problem. I don't think you're just a friend for Elsu. If Elsu and Saraya break up, he's going to be fine. They aren't all that close to begin with. But if he starts dating
you
, his emotions are going to start taking over and his game could be affected. If he doesn't score on the court, the team isn't going to score in the pocketbooks. He's our big moneymaker. But then again, you already know that, don't you? That
is
why you're here, right?”

I was so angry at his insinuation, I slapped him. I hauled off and slapped him good, too. Right across his nasty face. “For the last time, I am not a money grubber! I am not a slut! I am not a tramp! Just stop posting pictures of me online, Carl! You have no say over what I do. You need to just leave me alone.”

I stepped around him to walk away when he grabbed my arm and pulled me to face him. “Listen here, bitch, this team is mine. You fuck with it, you fuck with me! Leave Elsu and the team alone, or you're going to regret ever meeting him!”

“I've already had to lay one guy out tonight for touching her, do you want to be number two?” asked Elsu as he pried Carl's hand off my arm.

“Elsu, doll, we were just having a discussion about the team! All is good!”

“Really?” I asked. “I'm not going to be bullied and blackmailed by you, Carl. Don't threaten me!”

“Blackmailed?” asked Elsu, a look of disdain crossed his face. His eyes darkened.

“Oh, I was just teasing. I wouldn't do anything like that.” He laughed nervously.

“I'm pretty sure you're messing with the wrong woman, Carl. She's stronger than most men I know. Enough with the pictures Carl. It's not cool.”

“Fine, fine! No more pictures.” He sat down on a barstool, looking defeated.

“I'm watching you, Carl.” Elsu placed his hand on the small of my back and started to lead me away from the bar.

“Mae!” I heard my name behind me and I spun to see Aaron being escorted to us by Millard and the large man who had let Casper and I into the dinner at the beginning of the night.

“Sir, this gentleman insisted that he was here to pick up Miss Rogers. He wouldn't leave,” said Millard.

“He's fine,” I said as I smiled at Aaron.

“You prick!” yelled Aaron at Elsu.

“What are you talking about?” I asked him.

“I saw Casper at the front door. He said Elsu attacked you. Why are you standing here with him?”

“He's still here?” grumbled Elsu at Millard who rushed away quickly.

“He was talking on the phone when I got here.”

“It wasn't Elsu who attacked me, Aaron. It was Casper.”

“Seriously, Mae? I'm so sorry!” Aaron reached for my hand and squeezed it. “Let's go home.”

“Home?” asked Elsu.

“We've been over this. Aaron is taking me home.”

“No, let
me
take you home.”

“I don't think that's a good idea,” I said as I looked to Carl.

“What does this have to do with Carl?”

Carl stood and walked to stand beside us. “You know why, Elsu.”

“Wait, you've been talking to Mae about this, too?”

“He's talked to you?” I asked Elsu. For some reason I had assumed our conversations were one sided.

“Yeah, he has and I'm not listening to any of it. He has no say in who I…In who my friends are.”

“You know you're more than just friends, Elsu.”

“I don't know anything of the sort. I just know that I'm friends with Mae and she's not hurting the team.”

“Ok, Elsu…” grumbled Carl. “I heard you talking to your uncle on the phone. How much sleep have you lost this week?”

“What?” I asked.

“You listened to a private conversation? That's not right, Carl!” Elsu stepped closer to the greasy man. “Check your position! This isn't it!”

“I don't care who you are. You don't tell me how to do my job, Elsu! Tell me, how much sleep have you lost since you met
her
?”