Page 46 of Kove and Xiah
Yoel moved how he moved but he also gave me solid advice on how to be a man. I was fifteen when I busted my firstnut. She was eighteen and the little sister of a woman he was fucking around with. He kept his product at her house because he refused to keep it at ours. Never shit where you sleep was a vow he lived by. We pulled up to ol’ girl’s house so he could re-up and hit the streets and that meant fucking her as a thank you for holding him down. Just so happened her little sister was home that day and had her eyes on me.
Before he walked to the back of the house to handle his business, Yoel pulled me to the side, removed a condom from his pocket, and said, “If you’re fucking use this and before you stick your dick in her let her know what things are.” He told me to be straight up about what type of time I was on. According to my brother, real men didn’t cheat. So if I was locking her down, let that be known, but if I wasn’t, I needed to run shit down so she didn’t get that shit twisted with expectations for me or my dick.
At the time I was stuck on getting my dick wet for the first time and not trying to be a man, but later realized he was dropping some real shit knowledge. The problem was he was schooling me at a fucked up time.
My brain couldn’t process the legitimacy of what was said until my balls were empty but I got it. Twelve years later, I still held true to the same philosophy. Be honest with women and my conscience would clean. Never in my fucking life did I consider that one day I would have to apply that shit in a different way.
I had to be honest with myself about what the fuck I was doing with Xiah. I didn’t want her in another nigga’s face, giving him time I felt belong to me, giving him pussy I knew would have him ready to tear the city down over the thought of another man having access. That was exactly my current disposition, which was why I was foolishly spending my last to put a smile on her beautiful face. Maybe not my last, but close enough.
I laughed, yanking a hand down my face as I exited my ride heading to my cousin’s office. Luckily he was in a building not farfrom The Metropolitan. Because the way Xiah had my mind all fucked up, as soon as my meeting was done, I was heading back to my suite and blazing trees to keep from crashing out.
She didn’t owe me a gotdamn thing but I still wanted to collect a debt that wasn’t rightfully owed. Xiah didn’t ask me for shit. Everything I gifted, every move I made, was of my own free will, but I still wanted something in return. I wanted Xiah’s pretty ass. I wanted to put a label on her,mine, so I was the only one who could have her.
When I stepped into the building, my phone vibrated in my pocket. As soon as I had it in hand, I groaned under my breath and almost hit decline when I realized it was Sovoya. That shit would have been pointless because she would surely pull up and I wasn’t in the mood to entertain her right now. I was starting to think she had a tracking device on me because she damn sure knew all my moves in real time. I answered to get it over with, knowing I could cut the call short by telling her I had a meeting with Osei if I didn’t like what she was saying.
“What’s up, Sovoya?” I mumbled as soon as I swiped my finger across the screen and had my phone at my ear.
“You’re annoyed but I’m calling about money.”
I grinned, pausing outside of the door to VantEdge Finances’ office suite, knowing she picked up on my irritation. That was another thing I had to accept as an irritant of working with Sovoya. She had no fucks to give about my feelings either when it came to business. She was going to make things happen and I was going to have to accept how she got them done.
“I’m listening.”
“Two phone calls and an hour of my time just made you seven figures, so you’re welcome.”
My brows pinched processing what she was saying. “Two phone calls got me seven figures? How the fuck that happen and I haven’t even played my first game yet?”
“Because I’m good. The best, actually. I can smile pretty at an opportunity and make you a million dollars, Kove. I told you, do your part on the court and I’ll do mine off the court.”
“Aight, you got that. What’s the deal?”
“Sound Beats headphones. They’re doing a new line called Game On. You’re first out the gate with a KV special edition. Two year deal and all you have to do is wear them on gameday. We’ll get some photos on your page, video of you on the plane, heading to the arena and into the locker room wearing the headphones. Easy money.”
I nodded. “I fuck with that. They have good shit.”
“Yes they do and the other one is Quest.”
Quest was the most used and reputable search engine, which seemed odd for a brand deal with an athlete.
“The fuck they giving me money for?”
“Two things actually. The search engine itself and their new smartphone and fitness stuff, Quest Fit. Watch, ring, and the app they’re launching. They’ll track your fitness metrics, activity, and sleep patterns.”
“I’m down with that too but why not one of the other players who already have game time?”
“Because you’re my client and I make shit happen. The deals are yours, and as long as you don’t have a shitty season, the deals will remain yours. Again, I’m doing my part, you do yours.”
“I don’t even know what my playing time is gonna look like. How they feel about that?”
“What I negotiated is not contingent on how many minutes you play but you better work your ass off to hit the court. I have to go. My next call is in five and you’re ten minutes late for your meeting with Osei.”
“Bruh, how the fuck you know that?”
“Because I’m good.”
She ended the call and I locked my phone and dropped it into my pocket before pulling the door to enter VantEdge. The receptionist was on the phone but offered a smile and held a finger up asking for a minute. I stepped back and waited but a few seconds later I heard my name and looked toward the door that led to the back to find one of my new teammates heading my way.
“Kove.”
