Violation (3 page)

“Noah you’re a decent guy. You will find someone. You would be a great husband and father.”

I chuckled. “You think so?”

“I know so. You’re not a man-whore. Look at you, you’re at home instead of out doing God knows what.”

“I’m no angel.”

“Well yeah, I know that.” She giggled.

“What’s so funny?”

“Remember when you slept with that stripper.”

“Oh no Serena. You better not bring that shit up.”

“You were so cute. You were all hysterical. You showed up at our house all frantic. You thought you had every STD on the planet. I felt so bad for you but it was hella funny.”

“That was when I first got signed. I made a mistake.”

“Yeah you fell inside a stripper.”

“You ain’t shit. I thought we were cool. How are you going to bring that up?”

Serena rolled her eyes at me. “That’s how I do.”

She started walking from the kitchen and into my movie room. It was a small den in the rear of the house and sunken down a few stairs. I grabbed the open wine bottle. I also grabbed another unopened bottle and followed her. She was going to entertain me with some of her stories. I couldn’t wait to hear her animated rendition of whatever popped into her head.

She took a seat on the tan leather sectional. I followed her and sat on the far opposite side.

“I really need to hook you up with one of my friends. I hate to see you all alone.”

“I’m cool.” Am I? I needed a break from women. I had enough to last me awhile. I was good. I think.

“Really? Don’t lie to me. Tell me the truth.”

“Fine, drill sergeant Jones. I sometimes miss having a girlfriend but I don’t miss Shelley. She was moving too fast for me.”

“What happened? I’m sorry I didn’t ask. It’s just I’m constantly going through my own relationship problems.”

“You really want to know what went down?”

“Boy you’d better tell me what happened.” Serena kicked her tennis shoes off and raised her feet up on the leather. Her toes were painted hot pink. I scolded myself for noticing.

Dude, check yourself.

“I found an ovulation box, kit in her make-up bag. And before you trip, I wasn’t snooping. I was looking for nail clippers and there it was with a drugstore receipt. The box was opened and the kit was used. She peed on the damn stick thing. She was trying to get knocked up. We had discussed marriage and kids. I told her I wasn’t ready for a family. She was trying to get pregnant behind my back, not cool. To make matters worse, I had just signed my 20 million dollar contract for the No Flex energy drink. I felt like she was trying to trap me.”

“Well yeah because she was. Shelley was trying to steal your Hart-juice.”

I hadn’t heard that one before. “I can’t lie to you. I was hurt. I thought she might be the one.”

“Damn, I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t even like her.”

“Yeah but still, that wasn’t cool. I know you loved her.”

“It’s strange. I thought I did. After that, it sort of felt like I never loved her. Maybe all my feelings left me. I stopped sleeping with her and waited to see if she was pregnant. When she got her period two months straight I dumped her.”

“Oh Noah, you should have told me.”

“I didn’t tell anyone what really went down, not even Dee. It’s sort of embarrassing.”

“Being deceived is not your fault and definitely nothing to be embarrassed about.”

I guzzled down my drink and poured me another one. “Well just when you think you know someone you realize you don’t know shit.”

“I’m sorry. I wish I knew someone to set you up on a blind date with. I have a limited amount of beautiful tall leggy blonde friends and they are all happily attached or married.”

I frowned. “Why does she have to be tall, blonde and leggy?”

Serena giggled but I wasn’t sure why. “Noah please.”

“Please what?”

“That’s your type.”

“What makes you think that I have a type?”

“I can only go by what I see with my own two eyes and what I see in pictures.”

“I don’t have a type.”

“You’re a liar.”

“No, I don’t pick any woman based on her height, hair color or even her looks.”

“Whatever, you have to look at yourself in the mirror with those lies.”

“You are really getting bold, dissing me in my own house. I will kick you off the couch.”

She gave me a look; the one’s Black baby girls are born with. “There is nothing wrong with having a type.”

“But I don’t have one. I lost my virginity to a really smart girl with dark brown hair and wired-framed glasses. She was on student council.”

“When was this?”

“Junior year of high school.”

“Okay before the money. Before you could have whoever you wanted.”

“I can’t have whoever I want.”

“Noah Hart, does drinking make you lie? I’m going to take that glass from you and bust you in the head with that wine bottle.”

“You are impossible.” I grabbed the wine bottle and tilted it to my lips. Who needs a glass? “You think you know me but you have no idea who I’m attracted to.”

“Enlighten me.”

“Okay fine. Lemme think. Okay I’m really attracted to Jennifer Love Hewitt, eh Moesha you know Brandy, Salma Hayek, Beyoncé’s hot.”

“Everybody thinks Beyoncé’s hot. She doesn’t count.”

“Serena, you are full of shit.”

“I was thinking the same thing about you. You said all those names but all I heard was Jessica Simpson, Scarlet Johansson, Charlize Theron, Taylor Swift.”

I grabbed a throw pillow off the couch and hurled it at her. It hit her right in the face. The pillow bounced and almost knocked over her wine glass that sat on the end table.

“Noah what the hell? You almost took my head off.”

“No, I just messed up your hair.” I laughed. “Next one will give you a concussion.”

“That doesn’t scare me. You know I will fight a man.”

Yep, I was well aware. I smiled inside. She didn’t want to tussle with me.

Serena dove from her seat and charged toward me. I was up before she got to me. I leaped over the back of the couch and started running. She could never catch me. I was fast on and off the court. I thought about letting her catch me. Grab me. Touch me. I instantly felt bad for daydreaming. I don’t want to think about her like that. She is too attractive to be here alone with me.

My relaxed eyes were frequently sneaking peeks at her nice boobs. I’m not an angel. I’m really having devilish thoughts. The media has made me out to be something I’m not. There’s a reason I have the nickname No-Hart and Hart-Less. They aren’t good reasons.

Serena and I, we’ve been alone together so many times before. So why is this time any different? Maybe because I’m single and I haven’t been with a woman in God knows how long.

“Wait wait!” I yelled out to stop my thoughts and her rapid charge.

I paused and she did too. I needed an intermission.

“What’s up, you scared?” She taunted me with her words and with her tight sexy tracksuit. She wasn’t privy to the last part of my thoughts. Hell yeah I was scared. I was scared of what was running through my mind. I was scared of my roaming eyes.

“I need a bathroom break.”
Ref, please blow the whistle. Time out!

“Some folks can’t hold their liquor.” She placed her hands on her curvaceous hips, drawing attention to one of the areas on her body I was trying to unsuccessfully ignore.

“You’re terrible.” I shrugged at her words and my rebellious thoughts.

“Fine hurry up. I’m going to get another bottle, light weight.”

I watched her head off toward the kitchen while I went toward the stairs. I could’ve just gone to one of the three bathrooms on the main floor but I decided to put some distance between my errant thoughts and her sexy ass.

I took the back stairs two at a time and walked the hall to my bedroom. I strolled in the bathroom attached to my master bedroom. I drained myself of the wine and I instantly felt more sober. I wasn’t intoxicated to begin with. That just wasn’t enough alcohol to get someone my weight and size in an inebriated state.

I flushed the toilet and turned on the faucet. I rinsed off my hands in water that was too cold. I took a hard look in the mirror. I didn’t like what I saw. I splashed cold water on my face. Maybe I could erase this vile guy that was staring back at me and replace him with some saintly creature. If I could just stop thinking about her in that way? Go back to thinking of her as a sister, a friend and the wife of my teammate and one of my best friends on this planet.

Maybe I needed to reassess my alcohol consumption. Did I have too much to drink? I stared at the flawed man before me and I didn’t like the mischievous look in his eyes. I didn’t like the way he was gawking, breathing, thinking. I couldn’t ignore the floating feeling in my stomach. I was light in my stomach but heavy in my heart. I’m sure that having the last name Hart was some kind of bad omen when it came to women.

“Noah Andrew Hart, stop it now.” Shit, I was talking to myself in the mirror like a real psycho. “Serena is your good friend. She is off limits. Do not ever touch her. Dee would kill you. You would kill yourself. Don’t look at her tits. Don’t look at her lips. Don’t look at her wide hips. Fuck it! Please chill man, yeah you stupid! Do not look at her fat ass.”

I cupped another handful of water in my hands and bent to splash it on my face. I repeated this twice. “Stop Hart. Stop Hart.” I grabbed a hand towel and dried my two faces. My shirt was wet around the collar, but it hardly mattered. My mind was all over the place. Is this what they mean by a moral dilemma?

I think I should kick her out. No, that’s rude. She’s here because she’s upset with Deshawn. She’s not here for me, or my company. She’s hurting. She just needs someone to talk to. I’m a friend to her and Dee. I should act accordingly. Yes, of course, I should act like a friend and not like a horny asshole prick. I’m better than this. My dick doesn’t run my life. I slapped my own cheek and watched my face turn red. After my mirrored pep talk I felt a little better.

I exited the bathroom and made my way back downstairs. Serena was back on the couch. She was eating my popcorn and drinking wine.

“I thought I was going to have to come up and get you.”

Oh God, I’m so glad that didn’t happen. Serena in my bedroom, I’m not that strong. “I’m back.” I faked a smile. Second thought, it wasn’t fake at all. Serena has always pulled smiles from my lips. She’s forward, funny and pretty damn sassy.

“It took you so long, I drank half the bottle. I saved the last bottle for you. Drink up babyface.” She handed the last bottle in my direction. Did she really drink half the other one?

I took the last wine bottle from her and examined it. It was full but yeah she drank half the other. I tipped the bottle up to my lips and I drank it down fast. Her eyes watched me and the scrutiny was a turn on. I like being watched by women. It made me feel like they cared. I liked direct eye contact. I enjoyed catching a woman admiring my body. I worked hard for the fit body I have today. I was a chubby kid. After basketball entered my life I was still a bit overweight. I didn’t get my fit-shit together until college. I had to get in tiptop shape to start. Riding the bench was uncool. My college coach didn’t care that I was a top pick or that I was a high school basketball star. He said lose the weight or ride the bench.

I finished what was left in the full wine bottle I had. I planted my butt far from Serena. I watched her finish the last of her bottle. Now we were drinking straight from the bottles. That can’t be good.

“You had a really good night tonight. You had 20 points and 4 threes.”

“It wasn’t my best but still pretty good.”

“Why do you act like that?”

“Like what?”

“Cocky on the court and all modest and shy off the court.”

“I’m not shy.”

“Well maybe not shy but it’s like you’re a different person. You are like the cockiest dunker I’ve ever seen.” Is dunker a word? “You hang on the rim forever like you’re on the playground. The face you make when you hit the three, it’s like, look at me. I’m the King of the world.”

“I don’t.”

“Noah.” She tipped her head in my direction.

I chuckled. “Okay fine I do but I can’t help it. I feel different out there on the court.”

“Different how?”

“Like I’m at home. Like I’m unstoppable.”

“You’re such a cool sweet guy but on the court, you’re a monster. You are fierce. I’ve never seen that monster off the court. They dubbed you No-Hart and Hart-less for a reason.”

How did she rob me of my thoughts like she knew what I was thinking?

They call me Hart-Less and No-Hart because I dunk on fools without remorse. During the All-Star Game last year they give me a theme song,
No Flex Zone
. It was fitting. If you enter the key, you will get dunked on. That was my zone, a no flex zone. They know better. Enough ego-trippin’.