Page 42 of Raising Love
One of my reasons for signing with Simeon was so he could help me secure a business deal or start something of my own that wouldn’t leave me relying solely on balling for income. He promised he had me and told me all I needed was an idea—he’d handle the rest. The problem was, I didn’t have solid ideas. Just random suggestions. But he stayed patient.
Over the summer, I’d mentioned my love of LEGO, and he assured me he’d figure something out. Was this it?
“Word,” Simeon said with a chuckle. “And this potential extra stream is a good one, LV. A great one.”
Ivy lifted her glass across from me, wearing a big smile.
I snickered, reaching for mine and lifting it too.
We were at dinner in Manhattan at the late hour of 9 p.m.
The Simmons had been kind enough to ask if they could spend another weekend with Baby Love, and Ivy and I couldn’t get him packed up fast enough. With free time and a craving for something other than takeout, we drove to the city to celebrate my good news with a proper meal.
“To you and your new deal,” Ivy toasted, her voice warm and proud. “I am so happy and proud of you.”
I clinked my glass with hers, my smile almost hurting my cheeks. “Thank you, thank you. And cheers to you.”
She laughed.
“For racking up over 10,000 subscribers because you were talking your shit.”
She giggled, shaking her head. “Please. I really think they subscribed because I was holding Baby Love.”
I pushed my glass closer to hers. “Ivy, you better take this clink, woman.”
That made her laugh even harder.
This week had felt lighter. two months into guardianship, we were finally finding our rhythm. Baby Love was sleeping better, the colic had passed, and while Ivy hadn’t returned to on-court press, she’d found her groove at home.
She finally obliged, clinking her glass with mine before bringing her champagne to her lips.
We were at Verde Vista, an upscale eatery in Manhattan’s historic district. Greene Gardens didn’t have any restaurants yet, thank God. Although our living situation was starting to feel normal, Greene Gardens didn’t feel like home. It simply wasn’t Manhattan. Not even close.
“I got another thousand subscribers earlier today,” she said, unable to hide her pride. “But I don’t know if they tuned in for me or the cute baby I had to hold while recording.”
I chuckled.
A week ago, after a game against the Pistons, Ivy had been so pissed at the refs that she fired up her phone and recorded a video ranting about the bad calls. Most of her frustration centered on the unfair treatment I’d been getting. It went viral, and she gained thousands of subscribers overnight. It even caught the attention of her network. There were talks of giving her a sports commentary web series.
“I just hope they don’t expect me to always be holding a baby,” she added, setting her glass down. “Because that was totally not the plan.”
“Sometimes the best things aren’t planned,” I said with a grin. “Spontaneity is the spice of life.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She waved me off. “Enough about that. Tell me more about this very lucrative deal, sir.”
I smiled, biting my bottom lip.
She and I had already ordered our food, but it hadn’t arrived yet. That was fine. Between training and traveling, we hadn’t had time to catch up.
“It’s called Leo Vanguard’s Championship Court,” I began, sitting up straighter. “It’s a signature basketball court set I’ll help develop. Complete with figures that look like me and my teammates, LEGO spectators, scoreboards, and court markings. It’s mad detailed.” I shook my head, smiling wider. “They showed me a replica model that almost had me forgetting who the fuck I was in their office, Ivy.”
She hollered a laugh.
“The model had this section of stands that was dedicated to my fans. The LEGO figures had on basketball jerseys with my name and number on the back. It was crazy.”
“Wow,” she whispered, her eyes wide with genuine amazement. “That is so dope. I might even consider playing with them Legos like you do.”
My smile dropped as I pointed at her. “See, I done already told you I don’t play with Legos. I build them.”
