Page 41 of Tyriq & Teaira
“Okay. Let’s clean up and start. We need to pop fifteen cups of plain popcorn in peanut oil.”
“Did you have to answer like that?” Teaira says as soon as I answer her FaceTime.
“You call, I answer. No matter what,” I tell her as I wrap my towel around my waist. I just got out of the shower. “What’s up?”
“Just checking on you. How’d you do on your final?”
“Killed it. I just have one more tomorrow then I’m packing.”
“Yeah. You have to be out by Friday, right?” she asks.
“That’s what they say but Coach told me he’ll give me until after the combine. I just want to have all this shit in order and boxed up.”
“I can come help.”
“Nah. You can’t. What I look like having my girl, mypregnantgirl at that, lifting boxes and shit,” I say and her eyes get big as hell when I call her my girl. I don’t know why though because that’s who she is to me. All that friendship shit is gone for me and her too; she just needs to realize it. So when she doesn’t say anything, I ask, “You are mine, right?”
“I am but you’re mine too. We both have to be all in.”
“I’ve been all in. I was just waiting for yo’ sexy ass to catch up,” I say and she gives me her pretty smile.
“I’m caught up now,” she says, still smiling. Her hand raises to her mouth and I see she’s eating popcorn.
“That better not be that popcorn we made a week ago,” I fuss.
“Just the ranch. Aundricka said it lasts seven to ten days. This is day six and it’s still fresh and good. I’m going to finish this. I damn near cried when I threw out the Chicago mix,” she says with a smirk. She didn’t have to throw out the bacon one. I smashed that joint. “I hate that I can’t tag her in our pictures on Skroll. She’s a new business and she could use the hype. That was the best popcorn I’ve ever tasted.”
“I know, baby, but you can crop me out and post them.”
“Yeah but just a picture with Teaira isn’t going to get her the recognition she would with a post with Tyriq Hill, the All-American and future NBA star.”
“Don’t underestimate yourself.”
Aundricka did her thing for Teaira’s popcorn. I actually heard about her spot from Quay. She wants to do a cooking class with her friends for her birthday in September. I looked the place up and reached out. Aundricka agreed to a private lesson for us two. I mentioned popcorn and the caramel and cheese one Teaira eats all the time and she did the rest.
If it were just up to me, I would let Teaira post us and tag On the Table. However, with my current NIL sponsorships and pending deals after the draft, I can’t. Mick and Paxton made it very clear when I signed with both that image is everything and it has to be managed.
“I’ll post. I loved everything about that night. Thank you again.”
“You welcome but stop eating that shit. Today is your last day,” I insist.
“Fine,” she pouts. “I’m going to try and make my own. I think I can. The lesson was detailed and I have the recipe cards.”
“Let’s make the bacon one first.”
“Yeah. You liked that one. You ate more than me,” she says, smirking.
“What else did you eat today?” I ask.
“Two of the egg bites my momma made.”
“Good. I’ll bring dinner tonight. Just let me know what you want later.” I grab my phone from the sink then walk out of my bathroom and sit on my bed. My body is still warm from the hot shower and I need to cool it down before I get dressed. I’m stopping by Kassir’s to holla at him.
“Okay. I will but I was wondering. Where are you going to keep your stuff after you move out?”
“Mick is making arrangements. It’ll be temporary until the draft and I sign a contract.”
“What kind of arrangements?”
