Hello, stranger
It's been a minute since we last kicked it
By the way, I just got in town
And I won't let cumulus clouds all in the sky ruin my vibe
Usually, I don't do this often
But since we're coolin', is it an option
"SO, you gone pass the popcorn or your fat ass feeling selfish today?"
Kyrie chided as he tore the bowl away from the hands of his cousin. She'd only been in Boston for a day and had already managed to take over his apartment. Taisha only smirked, she always had a way of getting whatever she wanted from her family. As the youngest girl, she had this inexplicable charm that exuded from her mere being. They nicknamed her princess and she acted like one at all times.
Tonight, she and Kyrie had settled in to watch their favorite, Scary Movie 3 and have some cousin bonding time before his game tomorrow and the start of a busy week for him. Taisha was only in town for a few days as she would soon begin her new job as a Pastry Chef at a five-star restaurant in New York.
"You gone pass that back?"
She queried to which Kyrie shook his head.
"This is why your mean ass is single." Shooting him a quick side eye Taisha sat up and reached for the bowl to only be denied again.
"Nope, and I'm not single I got options , I like to keep them open" Kyrie winked while she cringed before he continued "Besides you not exactly locked down either lil cuz."
This was her least favorite topic to broach. She didn't exactly have the best history with dating and as a result she shied away from it. Who wasn't a cheater was domineering or simply broke in more ways than one and she didn't want to feel trapped or enslaved in a relationship. She also wasn't going to support a man who wouldn't support her.
"Well, I haven't found anyone." She shrugged.
"Or maybe you're looking for too much in someone." Kyrie poked her side gaining her attention "No one's perfect Tai."
"Yeah well, perfect and perfect for me are two different things, I just want the latter."
Kyrie nodded while he pondered her words, she made a lot of sense.
In the silence that reigned between them, Taisha devised a semi-trivial way to lighten the mood.
"How about you set me up with one of your teammates?"
The laughter that escaped from her mouth afterwards softened Kyrie's immediate expression. He looked shocked at the insinuation but then he simply shoved her before he got up.
"You play too much; my teammates are off limits. Imma take my ass to bed before you mess up my flow for tomorrow."
"C'mon Ky, what if you're the bridge between me and my soulmate."
Mischief sparkled in Tai's eyes, she loved messing with her older cousins in ways she knew made them uncomfortable. Her dating was a sore spot for all of them and when their friends became a part of the equation it became a bigger problem.
"Then you better start adopting your cats now."
She gaped at his reply as he disappeared. Tomorrow she'd see about how serious both of them were.
-
"Tatum?"
"Too Young plus he's a baby daddy."
"Brown?"
Taisha gave her friend Ebony a stern look. Jaylen Brown was a no go especially since she knew that Ebony herself was interested in him, she just didn't want to admit it.
The two dark skinned girls were sat courtside as the game took place before them. Instead of anticipating a win, they were anticipating their movements especially as both knew that Marcus Smart would be hosting a party to celebrate his birthday tonight.
"Okay, okay what about Larkin?"
"Girl didn't you sleep with him for like three months?"
Ebony pursed her lips before looking at Taisha through the side of her eye and wiggling her eyebrows.
"Yeah but that's exactly how I know he's worth the time of day, and night if you get what I mean."
"You are nasty." Taisha pushed her friend "Come on though, be serious. Ky doesn't think I have it in me to mess with one of his teammates and I'm sick of the boys in my family forbidding me from doing shit."
"Okay, Rozier? He's been looking over here a lot and he's not my type but he's cute."
Looking over at the direction Ebony was pointing at, Taisha concluded three things:
One, Terry Rozier was more than cute. Two, He was one of few players her friend hadn't touched, she wasn't with that sharing shit and she knew Ebony lowkey would be bothered if she ever took her jokes about doing it seriously. Three, Kyrie was going to be mad but he had no choice but to introduce them.
As soon as the game ended in a Celtics Victory she stormed the court and hugged her cousin who tightly embraced her.
"Congrats superstar!"
She cheered him on as he beamed. Seeing him so happy reminded her of a time before the NBA when he was just playing on park basketball courts while she sat on the bleachers under the sun cheering him on. As much as he irked her, Kyrie was always her favorite cousin.
"Well Kyrie, who is this?"
A smooth voice cut through their festivities, gaining both of their attention. Kyrie smirked at his teammate while Taisha glanced at Ebony who was sitting cross legged with a cup of tea staring straight at them.
"Terry, this is my cousin Taisha. Taisha this is Terry Rozier, who seems to finally be back on Earth. What were you doing on the court in the last half bro?"
Kyrie nudged his friend in a playful way but as Terry looked at Taisha she understood perfectly well what his distraction had been. She didn't know why but she couldn't bring herself to speak so she opted for the next best thing, escape.
"Yeah well, I've got to drive Ebony home, she drank a bit, it was nice to meet you Terry. I'll see you back at home Ky."
She excused herself quickly, finally finding the space to exhale as she did so. She didn't glance back once but she didn't need to Ebony was watching. As soon as they were in the safety of her car she hit Taisha.
"Bitch you had him, he was looking at you like you were the sun."
"Well luckily he didn't go blind."
"Yet, you know you'll see him again tonight. You two have chemistry Taish even I felt that shit."
Taisha rolled her eyes before she raised the volume of the radio. Sevyn Streeter's Before IDO began to play.
"I don't know anything about him, it's not that deep trust me."
"C'mon Taish, what do you want to know? He's a little rough around the edges, from Ohio, oh and his dad wasn't around like that imprisoned back to back so he primarily was raised by his moms and grandma. I heard he's pretty chill, gentle even if you get to really know him but he's got guards and it makes sense with what he's been through."
Taisha rolled her eyes once again but she absorbed the information. It made her even more curious about him, he'd beat the odds.
"Okay google, like I said it's not that deep."
That became her mantra later at night as she smoothed over her tight black dress with side cut outs after hopping out of the passenger side of Kyrie's car. Ebony hopped out the back in a tight wine-colored jumpsuit. Immediately after checking herself she began fussing over Taisha's curly mane of hair making sure it was perfect.
"You didn't do enough of that at my house?" Kyrie sighed as he stepped between both of them linking arms "You both look beautiful, besides who do you have to impress?"
The pointed way in which he looked at his cousin assured her that he knew something was up. He always read her like a book.
As they entered the party it didn't take long for Ebony to stray in the direction of Brown and Kyrie to be torn away by IG models that no doubt had been lying in wait.
Taisha was thus left to her own devices and never having been much of a partier she made her way to the kitchen to get herself a drink. She was unaware of everything, the way her best friend was securing the bag, the way the music had switched from trap to something slow and sexy and even the way a certain pair of eyes had landed on her from the moment she walked in.
Throwing back a shot of Hennessy Terry Rozier composed himself as he looked after the beautiful, curvy mystery that was Taisha Irving. Kyrie had already told him to stay away but he really couldn't help himself. When he was this intrigued by something he had to at least figure out why.
Before he knew it he found himself in the kitchen, silently he watched her formulate her own cocktail into a clear solo cup. He made his presence known by knocking on a nearby cabinet. She didn't startle at all.
Taisha only grabbed her drink and began stirring it before she turned to meet his eyes.
"Taisha"
"Terry." She smirked as his name slipped from her lips earning her a smile back.
"Enjoying your night?"
He didn't know why but he was beginning to get nervous just looking at her. She noticed and this in turn made her more comfortable.
"It's fine but are you seriously going to make small talk with me right now? You nearly stared a whole in my face earlier today?"
She sat down on the counter directly in front of him and he smiled shyly.
"I thought I was being slick."
"Well, you thought wrong."
He joined her feeling a bit more stable in his approach.
"I don't think so, how come I've never seen you before?"
"Hmm, I'm not from here. I live in New Jersey but I'm moving to New York in three days actually."
Terry felt something pull inside of him, he almost felt sad that she was going so soon and he had no idea why he felt that way. After all he didn't know her, but looking at her and staring into her dark brown eyes he just felt like they needed more time.
"Why New York?"
"I got a job, I'm a Chef and it's a really amazing experience. Maybe you can stop by sometime if you're ever around."
"You that good? Don't make me come all the way out there and that plate isn't mind blowing."
Taisha couldn't help but to laugh at his serious expression. She liked the way he talked.
"Everything about me is mind blowing Mr. Rozier , I promise you won't be disappointed."
"I believe you."
His response was quick, so quick that it made her stare at him. She knew when small phrases had more meaning to them and she had a feeling his did.
"Look Taisha I don't really know you and your cousin probably will kill me for even talking to you but I go after what I want and I want to get to know you better, if you let me?"
Taisha pretended to think on his question. There was a lot of variables with dating athletes but for some reason she wanted to take a chance on him.
"Well you have two days to impress me Terry Rozier. Don't make me spend that time on you and it not be mind-blowing."
He smiled at her before he took her hand in his.
"Everything about me is mind blowing Ms. Irving, trust me you won't be disappointed."
"I believe you"
-
Dedicated to @Original_Taisha