Walking out of the locker room, I felt good. Another win in the books. We just handled the Nets. I dapped up my guys before heading out.
"Good game, bro." Derrick said, throwing on his jacket.
"Appreciate it, man. Y'all be safe tonight." I replied.
I wasn't staying in Orlando. Not tonight is New Year, you already know.
A couple of my boys were already there, sending me the location of the spot.
As I stepped out of my car with my security, Miami air was with that New Year's energy. People were out, the streets were alive.
Right outside, leaning against the entrance while talking on the phone, was Ilias Dennis, my barber. He's the one who told me to pull up tonight, and since he's solid, I knew the spot had to be good.
As soon as he saw me, he ended his call and grinned.
"Pres, you made it, bro! Come on, follow me, I'll show you the way."
I dapped him up. "All good, Ilias. Lead the way." We stepped into the elevator.
"I'm telling you, there's a bit of a crowd in the loft, but not too packed, just the right amount of people." he assured me.
"Sounds good." I nodded.
The elevator doors slid open, revealing the entrance to the loft. People were vibing, drinks were flowing, and the atmosphere was set just right.
I walked in, greeting familiar faces, getting nods and handshakes as I moved through the crowd.
Later...
I was chilling on the sofa, sipping on a mojito, just soaking in the vibe. The night was flowing, the music was right, and everything felt easy.
That's when three women slid onto the couch beside me. They were all dressed to kill, confident, glowing, and clearly enjoying themselves.
I glanced at them, smirking slightly. "So, what do you do?"
They took turns answering, one was in PR, the other worked in fashion, and the third, the one that caught my attention the most was a model.
The conversation kept going, light and playful, and at some point, I leaned back and casually asked.
"All good? You enjoying the party?"
One of them, the one sitting closest, responded with a teasing tone.
"Yeah, it's nice. What about you? Are you having a good time?"
I smirked, tilting my glass slightly before locking eyes with her friend, the one that had been quiet but exchanging glances with me all night.
"Huh, the vibe's nice, but it could be better… if you know what I mean."
She raised an eyebrow. Yeah, she knew exactly what I meant.
We kept talking, just vibing. Ashley's friend was still trying hard to get my attention, really pushing it. I wasn't interested, though, so I did what any good teammate would, I passed the ball to my guy.
"Yo, Ilias."
He caught on quick and jumped into the conversation, smooth with it. That gave me space to focus on Ashley, the one I actually wanted.
At some point, she leaned in slightly. "Wanna get out of here?"
I didn't need to think twice. "Yeah, let's go."
She had a rental spot not too far away, so we took off. Once we got there, I stepped inside and immediately noticed a pair of heels on the floor. Probably a friend of hers staying over. Didn't really think much of it.
We headed to her room. The lights were dim, the energy still there, but then she sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"You know what… I'm not really in the mood anymore." she said, tucking her hair behind her ear before looking up at me. "But you can stay here if you want. It's late anyway."
I nodded, unfazed. "No worries, it's all good. I'll just grab a shower real quick."
She gave me a small smile, appreciative that I wasn't making it weird. "Yeah, go ahead."
I grabbed a towel and headed to the bathroom.
I stepped into the bathroom. But the second I closed the door behind me, I noticed someone already there.
A woman stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her hair. She turned, eyes widening when she saw me.
"Oh—" she gasped slightly, caught off guard.
I lifted my hands up slightly, keeping my tone calm. "Yo, my bad. I didn't mean to scare you. I came in with your girl Ashley."
She blinked a few times, processing, then smirked. "Ah… so Ashley let you in."
There was something about the way she said it a little amused, a little knowing.
"Yeah… and you are?" I asked, something about her looking oddly familiar.
"Bernice." she said smoothly.
I nodded, letting the name sit in my head, but before I could ask, she added—"And Ashley's my daughter."
I paused. "No way." I looked her up and down, not even trying to hide my surprise. "You don't look like nobody's mom. You fine as hell."
She laughed, a soft, sultry sound. "I get that a lot."
I leaned against the doorframe, smirking. "I bet you do."
We kept talking, casual at first, but the energy in the room shifted. She tilted her head slightly when she spoke, her gaze dropping to my lips every now and then. I noticed the way her voice softened, the way she took a slow step closer.
The air got heavier.
Neither of us really hesitated. I reached for the door and locked it. When I turned back around, she was already stepping into me.
I caught her waist, pulling her in. She didn't pull away.
Instead, she tilted her chin up, meeting me halfway. The kiss was slow, teasing at first, but the second I deepened it, she melted into me.
I didn't think twice. I grabbed her by the waist, lifting her up effortlessly. A small gasp escaped her lips as I set her down on the bathroom counter, her legs instinctively wrapping around me.
The kiss deepened—slow, then urgent. Her hands ran up my back, fingers gripping at my skin.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, it hit me. Bernice… Bernice Burgos. A model, a well-known one. That's why she looked so damn familiar.
Not that it mattered right now.
Right now, all that mattered was the way she pulled me closer, the way her breath hitched as I ran my hands down her thighs.
"Show me what you've got, Franklin." She whispers in my ear.
We weren't thinking.
We weren't stopping.
And before long—we didn't.