Princeton
There were only a few stragglers left playing around on the punching bags, but I felt confident in calling the event a success as I watched my team of volunteers - Bella included - break down the now-empty boxes along with the tables we had used for what I hoped would be the first of many back to school events. My cheeks were aching from smiling for selfies and Snapchat videos all day and the tightness in my back was showing my age after having to bend over to talk to all of the kids. But there was no better feeling than giving back to the community that had supported me from day one, sometimes more than those closest to me.
Before I could spiral down the hole of those dark thoughts, I felt Tony sidle up next to me with perfect timing, crossing his arms over his chest to catch the same view that I was. Truth be told, it seemed as if he was always there to stop me from going down that path. Because while I could easily start a list of people who hadn’t always been there for me emotionally, Tony was the first on the list of people who had. He was always there to help me bounce back from one of my father’s beat downs, always there to give me the encouragement I needed to push through on the days when I really wanted to quit. And now he had been there to support me during an event that meant more than he knew while the guy he considered a brother hadn’t bothered to even show his face.
Still, instead of focusing on who wasn’t there, I focused on who was as he said, “Yo, P. I’m really proud of you. This event was real nice. And these kids, man. They were so happy.”
I wrapped my arm around his shoulder to tell him, “Appreciate that, Tony. Glad you and Denise could help out.”
He gave me a short nod just as Denise was slipping in front of us carrying another sign of my age in her hands. “Let’s not forget about this.”
While I was a little peeved by her putting me on the spot, the glow from the candles along with the effort she had obviously put into making me a homemade birthday cake didn’t allow for me to have a real attitude. But just before I could express my gratitude, Bella and her friend joined us, the friend taking notice first to ask, “Whose birthday is it?”
Bella was already busy reading the handwritten message on top, her eyes shooting my way once she realized, “Princeton, it’s your birthday? Why didn’t you say anything?!”
“I didn’t know it was something I was supposed to announce,” I answered with a shrug, catching a mean side eye from Denise who didn’t appreciate my sarcasm.
“Well how are you celebrating?” she followed up with, a question I hadn’t even thought about since I was a child.
According to my father, birthdays weren’t really anything special. Just another day to train and get better since an extra year meant you were only another year closer to the end of your career, whether that meant retiring in your prime or falling from grace after trying to extend it beyond that point - like him.
Just the thought had me quick to make a wish and blow out the candles so that I could answer, “Like this.”
But once I opened my eyes, it felt like everyone else’s were on me, though Bella’s friend was the only one bold enough to speak. “Prince… now I know I’m just meeting you, but you can do a lot better than spending your birthday around a bunch of snotty-nosed children playing Summer’s Santa. We should go out. I have a connects just about everywhere around here. We can get us a nice section in VIP and all that.”
Her enthusiasm made me laugh, though it didn’t exactly convince me to change my nonexistent plans. Still, I was sure to let her down easy when I said, “I appreciate the offer, Gina. But I’d rather just chill out at home with my pup.”
“Aww come on, P. Go have some fun for a change. You deserve to live a little after all this good you done brought into the world today,” Tony said, his fresh perspective more persuading than I’d thought it would be.
But it wasn’t nearly as persuading as Bella agreeing, “Yeah, come on, P. Let’s have some fun.” Even adding a wink that had me wondering if her definition of fun included more than just a VIP section.
I wasn’t the only one to notice her tease, Denise snapping her fingers as she said, “Ooh wee. I remember that look. That’s how I got my Tony. You remember that, baby?”
Tony immediately wrapped his arms around his wife’s waist to answer, “Yeah I remember, baby. I remember that look and I remember what I did to you after you gave it to me too.”
“Ooh! You so nasty!” she squealed like a schoolgirl, making them look more like newlyweds than the seasoned veterans that they were.
And somehow Tony managed to take that a step further when he replied, “You lucky there’s kids around or you’d be learnin’ how nasty I really am.”
“Get a room!” I shouted, making everyone laugh as Gina asked Denise, “Teach me your ways.”
To Tony’s dismay, Denise looked excited about the opportunity to play teacher, pulling away from him to give Gina the tutorial she had requested when Bella nudged me in the side with her elbow and scolded, “I can’t believe you really didn’t tell me today was your birthday.”
Once again, I could only shrug. “Didn’t wanna give you too much to think about at once.” And that was the truth. Between the news of the deal I had gotten her and the event today, I didn’t want to overwhelm her with information.
Well, that and I didn’t care about my birthday as much as everybody else seemed to.
It was clear Bella was leaning more towards that team than mine when she replied, “Still could’ve told me. I would’ve gotten you something.”
“You tellin’ me these jeans aren’t a gift?” I asked, peeking back at her ass that was poking like the sweetest peach.
When I finally met her eyes again, there was a hint of amusement in them as she sang, “Always the charmer.”
“Says Little Miss. Let’s Have Some Fun,” I reminded her with a smile that matched the one she was wearing. Somehow it held more promise than any other plans I could make for the night. But that still didn’t stop me from lobbying against Gina’s idea when I continued, “I’m really not tryna go out though. That’s not my thing, not what I do.”
Of course the club had been a fun experience when I first came on the scene, and especially when I was under twenty-one with enough clout to get past the age requirements; not to mention the paychecks that I received just for showing my face at places I would’ve gone regardless. But now that I was many years past that stage and beyond accepting every check extended my way, that whole environment seemed… played out.
Still, that didn’t stop Bella from trying to make something out of nothing when she asked, “Well what do you do?”
“I just chill. Find something good to watch on TV with my dog at my feet and I’m a happy man,” I replied, thinking about how well she could fit in that equation if she gave me the option.
But to my surprise, her face seemed skeptical when she mumbled something that sounded like, “That’s not what your Instagram said…”
“What?”
“Nothing,” she rushed out, shaking her head as she attempted to slip past me. But her urgency to get away only made me even more curious, forcing me to catch up to her so I could clarify what I thought I heard.
“Nah, what are you talking about, B? My Instagram?”
Instead of answering, she looked away from me, biting her lip as if she was annoyed with herself for bringing it up in the first place. And when I didn’t back down, she pulled her phone out of her pocket, scrolling through a bit before handing it over to me.
My eyes did a quick skim of the screen and found the last thing I expected to see; a picture I had never seen before even though it had already amassed thousands of likes and comments.
“Yo, what the hell is this?” I barked, trying to make sense of where it had even come from.
But it was clear Bella had already drawn her own conclusion when she crossed her arms over her chest and said, “You tell me. You’re the one in the picture.”
“Man, I don’t even know these girls,” I told her, my face twisted as my eyes flashed back to the picture. And I became even more annoyed reading the caption that implied I had messed around with them.
Since my word up against Bella’s eyes wasn’t really a fair competition, I couldn’t be too upset when she insisted, “You don’t have to lie, Princeton. I saw you with them. That night of the fight, they were there. You even touched this one’s face.” pointing to the screen to show me a woman I only vaguely remembered telling she was adorable.
But even with that small detail coming back to me, I still felt confident telling her, “That’s the only time I saw them. After that, I went back to the hotel and went to bed. This bed.”
“Well you clearly had company,” she muttered with a roll of her eyes as if she still didn’t believe me. And while my focus probably should’ve been on figuring out how the hell this picture had occurred, clearing the air with Bella felt just as if not more important since… damn, I must really like her.
“I didn’t mess with those girls, Bella. I don’t know how they got this picture, but I didn’t do anything with them,” I explained as forwardly as I could, purposely holding back any extra emotions I wanted to express so she would understand how serious I was.
And though she didn’t seem completely convinced, she also wasn’t as bothered as she originally appeared when she held her hands up to say, “Princeton, it’s fine. Seriously. I mean, you’re young, and handsome, and famous, and very much single with temptations all around you. These situations are bound to happen.”
Her emphasis on my relationship status made me feel a way, as if she was trying to remind me that we weren’t and wouldn’t be a thing, putting me back in the box I had just barely slipped out of when I kissed her the other day.
I was tempted to call her out on it, but instead I focused on the real task at hand - clearing my name - when I told her, “Nah, man. I don’t get down like this. Have I in the past? Sure. But that isn’t what I’m about, and I don’t want you fillin’ your head up with this nonsense before I even get a chance to show you for myself.”
For a second, Bella was quiet as if she was processing my words, maybe using her journalist instincts to validate its truth. But just when I was getting ready to add more to my defense case, she cracked the slightest smile, stepping closer and peeking up at me to say, “Well call up some of your boys and meet us at one of Gina’s spots tonight. So you can show me what you’re really about.”
&
We hadn’t been here for more than ten minutes and I was already over the scene.
It was too loud, too hot, too crowded, too… not how I wanted to spend my damn birthday. And it didn’t help that the DJ took notice of my presence almost immediately, announcing my arrival to the crowd and forcing me to go into character for the fans until we made it to the VIP section Gina had reserved. But even when we were there, that didn’t stop my boys from clowning me about how uncomfortable I obviously was, getting a kick out of the jokes they were tossing back and forth about me which really only annoyed me even more.
“Man, you would’ve thought this dude was in witness protection the way he tried to slip in here without being seen,” Little Tony shouted over the music with a laugh, his brother Brandin cracking up right with him at my expense.
Since Tony was like a brother to my dad, that made these two the closest things to my cousins, though I knew one of them had to have had something to do with that picture Bella found on Instagram – more than likely Brandin. But since that was a conversation for another time, I continued to listen in as Brandin said, “Right?! I’m surprised they didn’t mistake him for a bouncer. Ol’ John Henry headass...”
“Black Paul Bunyan headass…”
“B-BFG headass...”
I wanted to be irritated, but I couldn’t help laughing right along with them at the list of fictional characters they had been throwing my way since I hit my growth spurt, mainly out of jealousy since they were both lightweights. But even through my laughs, I asked, “Man, will y’all chill? Damn. Can’t even get a pass on my birthday.”
Little Tony was quick to shout, “Hell nah! Birthdays are made for roastin’ your ol’ Jolly Green Giant headass. And we actually got you out in public for this one? Yeah, you catchin’ these jokes, bruh.”
Brandin nodded to agree before turning out towards the crowd and announcing the main reason for his attendance - and quite possibly the only reason he hung around me period. “Y’all see these women though? And a roster spot just opened up too...” he trailed, rubbing his hands together as if he was excited about some master plan.
But his lingo went right over my head, forcing me to ask, “A roster spot?”
He turned back my way with a somber expression when he explained, “Yeah, Tina’s ass fucked around and got pregnant by her boyfriend so she’s on injured/reserved until further notice.”
A million follow-up questions ran through my head. But since I could only imagine the craziness that came with more details, I laughed instead as I told Little Tony, “Man, this dude is a straight fool.”
Of course he laughed right along with me, knowing his brother way better than I ever could just as Brandin said, “Welp. That roster spot is officially filled. Baby girl in the black is signing her rookie contract tonight.”
I moved over to where he was standing to catch his view, tensing up in multiple places once I realized who he was talking about. But the main place had me adjusting my pants as I told him, “Nah, fall back. That’s all me.”
“All you? Since when are you out here like that?” Brandin asked as I watched Bella maneuver through the crowd, her and Gina both stopping to give hugs to a few people they recognized on their way to our section. And even though it made me a little jealous to watch from afar, I also noticed the way Bella was turning heads left and right with the little black dress she had chosen for the occasion. A dress that was fitted in all the right places, showing off the tone of her body while also making her ass and titties look especially delicious.
Just enough fabric for me to have the pleasure of ripping off later...
I was so caught up in my thoughts that I hadn’t been able to answer Brandin’s question fast enough, Little Tony stepping in to reply, “Bruh been on it since ol’ girl did that interview. Pops said his nose been wide the hell open too. Even caught ‘em lip lockin’ at the gym the other day.”
My nose wrinkled at the thought of Tony telling business that wasn’t supposed to leave the gym. But once again the conversation continued happening around me as Brandin said, “Lip lockin’? Aww hell nah. I really gotta meet her now.”
He was already taking off towards the short stairs to meet Bella at the bottom before I could catch him, extending his hand to help her walk up as Little Tony did the same for Gina out of courtesy.
“Thank you…” Bella trailed when she finally made it to the top, waiting for him to fill in the blank with his name.
He was a little too excited for my liking when he said, “I’m Brandin. Princeton’s favorite cuzzo.”
“Nice to meet you, Brandin,” Bella said with a smile that seemed especially giddy as if… has she been drinking already?
“And you are?” Gina asked, turning her attention towards the cousin that was unashamedly taking her all in as if he was the one trying to fill a roster spot.
“Anthony. Everybody calls me Little Tony though,” he replied on some extra smooth shit, Brandin shooting his eyes my way in disbelief as we both broke out in a silent laugh.
But while we found the whole thing completely amusing, Bella was busy putting two and two together to ask, “Little Tony? Your Tony and Denise’s son?”
“They both are,” I answered, finally getting her attention as I continued, “What’s up, B? You lookin’ all good and shit.”
She giggled, opening her arms for a hug that I was quick to jump into, bending over to wrap my arms low around her waist as she gushed, “Hey Birthday Boy. I got you something.”
The closeness allowed me to smell the slight hint of alcohol on her breath meaning her and Gina had definitely been up to something before they showed up here. But I was just happy to see her in a good mood when she pulled away, extending a bag my way that I hadn’t even realized she was holding.
While the gesture was adorable, I couldn’t help telling her, “You know you didn’t have to do that, right?”
“But I did. So open it,” she said, all but shoving it into my hands.
And since she seemed so excited about whatever it was, I tried to find some of that excitement to, digging in to find…, “A cookbook?”
“It’s all desserts. You know, for when you’re ready to live that other life,” she explained with a wink that went straight to my junk.
“Man, it’s gonna be a long night,” I thought to myself as Gina clapped her hands and asked, “So what are we drinking tonight, boys? Henny? Vodka? Starting light with a round of beers?”
Brandin was the first to toss a hand my way as he said, “Well we all know this dude ain’t havin’ a lick of nothin’.”
Gina’s face scrunched immediately as if she was offended. “What? Prince, you don’t drink?”
“Nah. It’s not exactly a part of my program,” I explained in the same way I had done for the last few years, no longer feeling bad about excluding myself. And I suppose that was part of the reason why the club scene no longer appealed to me. Shit just wasn’t as fun being the only sober homie in the bunch, forced to babysit and get everybody else home safely.
I was beyond confident in my decision until I felt Bella’s arm wrap around mine when she whined, “But it’s your birthdayyyy. You gotta have somethin’.”
“Yeah, she’s definitely on one,” I thought to myself with a laugh, brushing a hand against her bare shoulder as I told her, “I don’t. Y’all have fun though. It’s on me.”
Of course the mention of an open tab earned a little cheer from the rest of the gang who would, without a doubt, all be needing Ubers home. But that wasn’t enough to stop Bella from batting her damn eyelashes at me when she tugged and begged, “Come on, Princeton. Just a birthday shot. For me?”
Her lip was sexily pulled between her teeth as she waited with bated breath for me to answer. And I’d be damned if the girl couldn’t have gotten whatever she wanted in that moment, including me agreeing to her request. “Aight, aight. One shot.”
She shot her arms up in excitement as Brandin and Little Tony’s eyes both went wide with surprise, though Brandin was the first to speak on it. “Yoooo, Bella. What kinda voodoo mind tricks you over there playin’ with my dude? I ain’t never seen him be so easily convinced of anything.”
He was absolutely right, which was only more proof that I was in deeper than I should’ve been. But none of that seemed to matter once Bella snuggled up next to me, leaning her head back to find my eyes when she answered, “I guess you could say I have some leverage now that I know all his secrets.”