Page 10 of Unexpected Pass

“Moms know best, right?”

“Wrong. My mom just has it in her head that all my problems will be solved when I find a husband. It’s so irritating.”

I stared at her. Hearing her voice her frustrations over her mom made me feel comfortable sharing mine.

“Tell me about it, shawty. My mom thinks all my problems will be solved if I keep working. She thinks the more successful I am, the fewer my problems.”

Phileigh put those big, beautiful eyes on me, and I could feel her energy penetrating my soul, giving me a glimpse of what peace was, and I needed more of it.

“I’m not going to lie. I didn’t think rich people had problems,” she said.

“We all got problems… Money can’t fix everything…” My words trailed off as I looked out the window. Thoughts of my brother played in my head.

“No, no, not tonight!” Phileigh shouted, grabbing my hand. “We are not dwelling on our problems tonight. You’re a Super Bowl MVP. You deserve to bask in that!”

The smile radiating off her face was electric.

“I did do that shit, huh?”

“And did!”

“I thought you didn’t know who a nigga was.”

“Oh, I know who Kellon Barnes is by name. I had no idea you looked like this.”

“Like what you see?”

Her eyes bounced from me to the floor as her cheeks turned a bright shade of red.

“So, what does one do after winning the Super Bowl?” she asked.

“Really?”

“What?”

“I’m going to Disney World, of course,” I said sarcastically, mimicking the commercial we shot earlier today.

“No way! That’s my favorite Super Bowl commercial. You guys really do that?” she asked, disbelief coloring her tone.

“Yeah. It’s tradition and a huge contract between the NFL and Disney,” I replied.

“Wow! It’s always been a dream of mine to go there. My parents could never afford it growing up.”

I understood that. My first time going wasn’t until my brother got drafted into the NFL when I was sixteen. I stared at Phileigh, and something inside me sparked.

“Aye, Doug. Have him nix the stop and head toward the airport,” I instructed. I could feel Phileigh burning a hole in the side of my face.

“Got it, boss,” Doug replied, and the car made a sharp U-turn.

I turned to Phileigh. She had anger and confusion plastered on her face.

“What do you mean nix my house?” Phileigh’s eyes widened. “Do I need to call the police?”

“Chill. You’re coming with me to Disney.”

It only seemed right. I was going on a free brand trip there, and she’d never been.

“You’re joking, right?” she mumbled. “For one, you can’t just tell me I’m going with you. You have to ask. For two, you’re a stranger.”

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