Chapter 2

Candy bent her waist laughing. "Oh my God," she said. "How much does he make?"

"About three-quarters of a million," Lauren said, pulling her sweater down her head.

"Oh my God," Candy said, wiggling her dance pants down her legs. "Why didn't you take it? Eighty is totally out of the reach, isn't it?"

"Two reasons," Lauren said, as she also pulled her dance pants down.

"What are they?" Candy said, holding her jeans in her hands.

"First," Lauren said. "What if he makes it?"

"Well," Candy said. "Let's hope he's good."

Lauren laughed, and slapped Candy in the arm. She then put on her jeans.

"Second one?" Candy said after her laugh.

"Okay," Lauren said, sitting on the bench to put her socks and shoes on. "You go out the door, a guy comes to you and offers you a million to sleep with you. Will you take it?"

"Is he Aaron Carter?"

"You're hopeless," Lauren said, laughing.

"I am. And so are you," Candy said while tying up her shoes.

"Stop it," Lauren said. "Will you take it?"

"Sure," Candy said. "I'll sleep with him the entire week. But, of course I'll have to cash his check first."

"Why cash it first?" Lauren said, and started combing her hair.

"Oh my God," Candy said. "You won't trust a guy for anything like that, will you?"

"Exactly," Lauren said, smiling. "He misses a shot. He goes away. What do I do? Sue him?"

"Oh, yeah," Candy said. "I see what you mean. But it's still tempting. If he offers it to me, I think I'll call my lawyer at once to draw up a deal."

"I think you will counter offer him for free," Lauren said.

"Free only if he's not on the team, or I'm not on this team," Candy said, as she stuffed her belongings into her bag. "But, for three hundred seventy five thousand, I'll risk being fired."

"Told you," Lauren said, laughing. "You're hopeless."

"Got a moment, Lauren?" Danna Franco, the dancers team director, said, as Lauren was about to leave the studio.

"Sure," Lauren said. She waved bye to Candy, and then went over to Danna.

Danna pulled out a photograph from a brown envelope she was holding. She showed it to Lauren. It was taken in the restaurant where Lauren, her mom, Uncle Frazier, and Rick went to the other night.

"Where does this come from?" Lauren said.

"A sports reporter," Danna said. "It's not worth posting. But you do know the policy about dating, don't you?"

"I'm fully aware of it," Lauren said. She pointed her finger over the photograph and continued. "This is my mom. This is our neighbor Derek Frazier. He coached Rick in high school. I knew Rick Hart when I was fourteen. I'm not dating him. I have never had anything with him."

"Very well," Danna said, smiling as she put the photo back into the envelope. "I wasn't questioning you, but I need to know how to respond if I have to. We're a team and we need to come together as a team."

Lauren smiled back. "I won't let you down," she said. "I love the team."

"Fragrant-Two, Antonio Miller," the game announcer publicized the referees' conclusion on a foul play through the PA system. A visiting team's player was escorted off the court as spectators booed. A few of them tossed plastic cups at him before he disappeared into the hallway.

"Time-out, New York Knicks," the game announcer declared briefly afterward as a Knicks player was helped off the court.

Lauren and the other dancers rushed into the court to perform a Jazz routine. They returned to the courtside when the referee whistled the end of the time-out.

"What happened?" Candy whispered to Lauren. "I wasn't watching."

"Number ten pulled Brat Hood's arm when he went for the lay-up, then swung him on to the floor."

"You think he'll be okay?"

"I don't know."

"Hey," Candy said, nudging Lauren's arm. "Rick's on the court now. First time, huh?"

"Nah, he'd played some garbage time before," Lauren said. "You should pay more attention instead of daydreaming all the time. Damn, shoot! Damn, stupid."

"I can't believe it," Candy said to Lauren as they were walking towards the subway after the game. "You said he could make impossible shots, but he didn't even make one attempt."

"I don't understand it either," Lauren said. "He said he needed chances. He had the chances, and he didn't step up when he's needed."

"Hey," Candy said. "I forgot to bring your sneakers. I'll give them to you when I come back."

"Come back?" Lauren said. "You've changed your mind?"

"Yeah," Candy said. "I'm going home for the Thanksgiving."

"Oh, okay," Lauren said. "Have a nice trip."

"Lost," Lauren said when she went into her apartment.

"I know," Vanessa said from the couch. "It was in the news. And Brat Hood's out for the season."

"Out for the season?"

"Yeah," Vanessa said. "Ruptured wrist ligament."

"Damn," Lauren said. "Looks like we're going lottery bound again."

"You're just a dancer," Vanessa said. "Winning or losing has nothing to do with you."

"I know," Lauren said. "But it's still our team, and it also means less performances for the dancers if they don't make the playoffs."

"Well," Vanessa said. "Looks like less performances, then."

Lauren took her shower then went to bed.

"He-l-lo?" Lauren groaned into her mobile phone from her bed.

"Lauren," Rick's voice came through. "Your mom's in the hospital."

"What?" Lauren said, jigging in her bed. She raised a hand to shield her still sleepy eyes from the sunlight.

"Brooklyn Hospital Center," Rick said. "She fell down the stairs."

"Oh my goodness," Lauren said. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"I'm coming now."

"Fractured wrist and bruises," the doctor told Lauren. "Nothing serious."

"Can I see her? Is she awake?"

"Sure. Yes, she's awake, all the time."

Lauren went inside and saw her mom talking with Uncle Frazier. "Are you okay?" she asked her mom.

"I'm okay," the mom said, pointing to the cast on her other arm. "Other than this."

"What happened?"

"I was going for groceries," the mom said. "Some assholes must have spilled a drink and I didn't see it. I fell down the stairs."

"Wow."

"Yeah," Uncle Frazier said. "We heard a bang, went outside, and found your mom moaning down the stairs. Rick brought us here in his car."

"Where's he now," Lauren said.

"He went for a coffee."

"When are you going to be released?" Lauren asked her mom.

"When Rick comes back," the mom said. "They want me out. They need the bed." She laughed with Uncle Frazier.

"And what's Rick doing at your place?" Lauren said to Uncle Frazier.

"We're having breakfast," the old fellow said. "He bought me some wines, too."

"I thought you're not supposed to drink anymore."

"I'd rather drink than live longer," the old man said. "You'll know it when you're my age. Rick's back now. We need to get ready."

"Why didn't you shoot the goddamned ball last night?" Lauren asked Rick as he drove them back. "Do you know we lost by only three?"

"I know," Rick said. "But it was the game plan."

"What kind of game plan is that?"

"Coach told me," Rick said. "Pass the ball, run the court, pass the ball, make extra passes, don't shoot, don't shoot the fucking ball. Well, he didn't say 'fucking'."

"Why would he not want you to shoot?"

"Beats me."

"So you never make any shot whenever you're on the floor?"

"One game," Rick said. "In Dallas, last month. I made two 3-pointers, and then coach put me on the bench. He told me afterward if I didn't follow his game plan again, I'd go to the injure list."

"So," Lauren said. "What do you think, Uncle Frazier?"

"Well," the old man in the front seat said. "Game plan is one thing, in-game reaction is another. I'm not talking about last night, but I think they should fire this coach."

"They won't," Rick said. "He goes, Brat goes."

"Brat's out for the season," Lauren said.

"We're busted," Rick said. "For this season, anyway. They'll need Brat next season, and the following."

"What about you?" Lauren said.

"I don't think they'll re-sign me," Rick said. "I don't know. Maybe I'll try the European leagues. I don't see much future here."

"Do you think you can match Brat?" Lauren said.

"Nah."

"Yes," said Uncle Frazier. "Of course you can, kid. You just won't do it."

"I can't," Rick said, raising his tone. "It doesn't matter how hard I try, I ain't getting there. It's fate."

"I thought you said you will do better," Lauren said.

After a brief silence, Rick said. "I'm sorry. Yeah, I will do better. I don't know if I can match Brat Hood, but I will do better."

The remainder of the trip back to the old folks' homes was pretty speechless.

Rick saw Lauren opening the rear door of his car, when they came down after taking the mom and Uncle Frazer to their respective apartments. "You're not coming to the front?" Rick said.

"You be my chauffeur today," Lauren said, smiling.

"Oh, okay," Rick said, and got inside the car.

Lauren closed the rear door, opened the front door, and got into the front seat.

"What're you doing?" Rick said.

"Playing with you," Lauren said, smiling.