Page 31 of On Merit Alone
My stomach dropped a little as I noticed he was surrounded by people,because of course he would be. He was Ira freaking King. Basically a literal king, or at least when it came to basketball. On top of that, he was charismatic and funny, and though it had taken me a while to admit it, he was so, so nice. It was stupid of me to think I could catch him alone like I had all the other times.
“You gonna go or what?” Charlie asked in an incredulous tone, sending me into action.
I wanted to turn back. I could feel eyes on me almost as soon as I left the locker room, and I immediately felt uncomfortable. I wasn’t really shy, but I knew sometimes I could be awkward around new people. That’s why I always shied away from small talk and passable interactions. If I chit-chatted with everyone who tried to say what’s up to me, the whole industry would be let on to the fact that I was unsocialized and awkward.
But it was too late. Just as I was seriously contemplating doing a 180°turn and slithering back to the hole I’d crawled out of, I was spotted. And not by the man I was on my way to see either.
“Don’t tell me we even got the Ice Queen’s attention,” a good-looking guy my height with short dreads and deep brown skin said, stepping into my path. I almost didn’t notice him as I headed straight for Ira. Halting in front of the guy, confusion must have been written on my face, I’m sure. But he smiled crookedly at me anyway and asked. “Looking for me, baby girl?”
“Excuse me?” my voice came out sharper and more offended than I meant it to, but seriously?Baby girl?
Throw up.
The guy just scoffed, a smirk still pasted on his face as he rolled his eyes. “Ah, there she is. Denver’s sweetheart;not.”
“I’m sorry, who are you?” I asked, and I knew my face was all messed up solely by the look of disdain he gave me in return.
I didn’t ask it to be snarky. I genuinely didn’t know this man, and here he was, borderline insulting me out of nowhere. I mean, I was used to being criticized, insulted, judged, the whole nine—just not usually in the confines of this tunnel.My own territory. I guess there was a first time for everything.
Like how this was the first time I was hearing the nicknameIce Queen. It brought a sticky feeling to the back of my throat, fogging up my mind and making me draw a blank on why I was even over here.
Ice Queen?
Probably opening his mouth to be offensive again, the guy started to say something. Only he was cut off by a hand slapping across his chest. Two more grasping onto his shoulders.
Blinking up, I was met with the sight of Ira. And he hadnosmile on his face. Weird.
He was looking at dreads guy with stern eyes and a set jaw as he used the back of his hand to push him slightly away from me. “Have you lost your mind?”
“What?” Dreads asked.
“The fuck are you out here harassing people for?” the tall one who had a hold of his shoulders asked. Using that hold to move the shorter man, he nudged him back in the direction of their locker room. “Go get ready for shootaround.”
My eyes bounced around as they watched the exchange go down. Once they disposed of the rude guy, my gaze clashed with Ira’s.
He was looking at me with a slight tilt to his mouth. Adownwardtilt, the frown he’d sported with the guy before lingering as he took me in.
His eyes had my attention, though. They were turbulent and unlike the ones I was used to seeing. It only took one look at those eyes for me to rethink everything I was about to ask him and just leave.
That 180° turn I contemplated before was looking better and better. Decided, I turned around and started heading back to my own locker room where I belonged. However, steady hands caught me by the shoulders and turned me right back around. They were Ira’s, though he didn’t speak to me right away.
“He’s an idiot, don’t let him bother you,” Tall Guy said, ahugesmile plastered across his face. I nodded slowly, swallowing to work myself up to saying thank you, but he was already shoving a big hand at me. “I’m Mike Stephens, by the way. Nice to meet you.”
“Merit,” I said. Reaching forward, I took his hand in a short shake—or whatshould havebeen short, if he would let go.
He didn’t. He just held on and continued to smile, saying, “I know.”
Shooting a quick glance at Ira, I smiled awkwardly and kept the shake going. I guess I’d just wait it out, then? Luckily, Ira got sick of waiting and used his hand to split the two of ours up before giving Mike another cutting look.
Was he in a bad mood?
Maybe, because almost too rushed, he said, “Stephens is the real idiot, Mer, but he’s harmless, don’t mind him. And this is Rogers. There. Everyone knows everyone.”
Oh, I was Mer now?
A moment lingered as we all looked at each other awkwardly. I slipped a quick glance at his two companions before wincing up to Ira at this painful interaction.
Was it sad that I didn’t know what to do during a simple introduction? I didn’t know these people or what they were supposed to be to me. So I didn’t know how to act.
