One Last Shot

chapter four: toothpick

• • •
Noah

     After practice I was exhausted, but the NBA doesn't slow down just cause you think you deserve a break. I mean we do get a day off a week and some weeks we have off days which are fairly slow, but those days typically consist of banquets for sponsors for the team or 'helping' at the children's hospital. I don't have as many days off as I would like but we I look back I never gave myself days off in the first place. My dad would make sure of that. Nevertheless, I choose to stay at the court for an extra hour or two today. I need to make sure that I'm on the top of my a game for the rest of the season, especially with all the shit that is going on which the media.

'Noah Hayes #12, Starting shooting guard on the court, #1 Playboy on the streets: Noah Hayes spotted with yet another women on the streets of Chicago.' 'Noah Hayes has been suspected of an outburst fight at a bar Thursday night: What do his coaches say about that?.' 'Rumors have been suspected that Noah Hayes contract might not be signed again for next year due to bad publicity.' This is the shit I've been reading basically since the season started. When you are in the public eye, you are always told not read into the stories they put out on you because the majority of it is fake news anyways, but now it's starting to ruin my career. I know I'm not this fucking saint, the media makes sure to point that out, but people know I'm a damn good player. My stats speak for themselves, but everyone is starting to focus on this fucking shit rather than my game.

     After I blew off some steam at the court I had to quickly run to my condo to shower and change before going out to meet the boys. God I fucking need a drink tonight that's for sure. I'm already 45 minutes late by the time I reach the doors of the club. It's really packed tonight surprisingly. Usually it's not too bad but tonight is a different story. Oh well, not my fucking problem. I would never be caught dead dancing out her with this fucking horny idiots all around. One time I literally saw people hooking up on this the dance floor, just raw dogging it front of everybody and no one gave a shit cause everyone is grinding up on each other anyways. I keep going towards the back, forever thankful for the serenity of private rooms. I'm just about to make it to security when something small bumps into me.

"Sorry-." A voice comes from the object that bumps me and I look down to see some chick walking past me. God can't people watch where they are going these days?

"Watch where you are going eh?" I slightly yell so my voice is heard over the loud music. I shake my head and acknowledge the security guard and he instantly let's me in. After the amount of times I have been here they don't even have to ask for my name, not like they need too basically everyone knows me from the Bulls. I don't get very far before I hear that voice speak again.

     "Uh excuse you." She says. I stop in my tracks and turn to see the chick going past the rope and is stepping towards me.

     I roll my eyes and cross my arms over my chest. "God do they just let anybody in here now?" I question. I look at the chick, more like look down towards her considering she is such a tiny human being, maybe 5'4, 5'5 I don't really care. Her body looks small compared to my 6'4 figure. She slightly tilts in her black heels as she approaches me, meaning either she is wasted or never wears them, maybe even both. Her curves are being clung to by a small black dress that is insanely short. I mean she's hot, but I don't trust that her appearance is natural, all these chicks I meet these days aren't.

     "What is up your butt dude?" She asks. Her words roll off her tongue, being very articulate as she scolds me. "I mean seriously with your height you should be looking down when you walk not everyone is a 6'3 giant!" 6'4 but close. "What's with everybody today and being huge?" She questions as she throws her hands up, rhetorically asking. Huge? Imagine if she met Trev, now that guy is huge. She continues yelling, "You know I'm a smaller person okay! You could have like killed me or something with that chest! So you watch where you're going!" She points at me.