“I know. I do too. That’s part of why I wanted to take you out to dinner.”
The waiter approaches and Bain orders a bottle of Don P. There must be something going on, considering that Don is a few hundred dollars a bottle.
“All right, spill it,” I order him to tell me.
“Can we wait for the champagne?”
“No,” I blurt out a little too loud.
“Fine. I know I’ve been on the fence lately about moving, but that’s because this whole trade thing has been up in the air. I didn’t want to make a move ’til I knew what was going to happen, and today…I found out.”
“And?”
“We have to move. The Nets traded me to Miami. I’m going to buy you the biggest and most beautiful house on the water that you could imagine. Baby, please tell me you’re happy.”
“Bain, I couldn’t care less about the house and all of that. For me, it’s about being together. If Miami is where we’re going next, then lets do it. Just tell me when I should start packing.”
A huge smile spans his face. “I have a physical down there the day after tomorrow, so I think we are going to have to get going – fast.”
“What about Guy?”
“He can come too. Baby, you know Guy is part of the family, we’ll stick together and stay happy, okay?”
The waiter comes back with our champagne and pours us two glasses. “Would you like to start with any appetizers tonight?” he asks.
“Can we do two orders of the scallops?”
“Sure, I’ll get those in right away.”
I lift my drink and Bain does the same. He looks at me with a little uncertainty in his eyes. I want to wash all his worry away. “To our future, and Miami.”
He nods his head and we clink glasses. Then he leans in kissing me hard before I can even take a sip.
“So you’re really okay with moving to Florida?”
“Yes, I don’t care where we go. I really have no reason to stay in Jersey. My whole life I’ve searched for a place to belong and I’ve finally found it. For a while I thought that was in Jersey with Aubrey, but not anymore. My place is in your heart, with you, so it doesn’t matter where we live. I’m more concerned with how you feel about it.”
“I’m gonna miss my parents, but ultimately, I’m relieved. It’ll be a fresh start away from everything I’ve been through here with Kinsey and the case. It’s taken a toll on me and I feel like a move will be good. Especially with that bastard being sentenced.”
“I agree, it is the perfect time. Did the Nets say why they are trading you when you were their top pick and they put so much money out there for you.”
“They said that their organization is going in a different direction.”
“Well, whatever that means. If they don’t want you, there are obviously teams out there that do.”
“That’s exactly what I thought.”
“Do you know anyone in Miami?”
“I actually went to school with one of their centers. His name is Trenton, he was there the night I met you. You’ll like him – he’s funny as fuck.”
The waiter comes back setting down our scallops and asks, “Have you had a chance to look over the menu?”
“Uhhh, not yet,” Bain tells him.
“Well, take your time. Please let me know if I can answer any questions.”
“We will.”
I look down at the delicious plate in front of us. It smells amazing and I can’t help myself from digging in. “You’re so crazy,” Bain tells me.
“I know, so you better grab some if you want any scallops of your own.”
We eat and talk, both of us surprisingly excited over Miami. The warm weather will be nice, and this change of pace I believe came at the right time.
“What are you gonna get to eat, babe?”
“The lobster and steak, you?”
“Same.”
We laugh and then Bain orders our food. Looking down at the clean plates, I probably ate more scallops, than I needed to, but they were divine.
“Should I book us flights to Miami?”
“Probably, I was gonna see if my parents would keep Guy while we went.”
“Okay.” My stomach starts to cramp and I regret gorging on the food right away. I place my hand over it to try and stop it.
“Are you all right?” Bain asks me.
“Yeah, I just think I ate too much. I’m gonna go to the restroom.”
“Okay, baby.”
I smile the best I can to reassure Bain that I’m okay. I’m sure some cold water on my face will help. I walk into the restroom, but lose it. Everything goes out the window. Fuck that. The smell nauseates me so bad that I run into a stall and get sick, before I can even close the door behind me.
As I kneel on the floor breathing heavily with my long hair in my hands, I notice that the smell which made me sick is some sort of perfume or air freshener. It’s fucking gross. Thinking about it makes me sick again to the point of dry heaving.