I ignored Stan. So did she, going back inside.

I went in search of a bathroom, knowing I’d just crashed and burned in my first brush with Reese’s world. I hoped he wouldn’t hold it against me.

• • •

Reese or Juan, whichever of them had done it, got us regular seats, so I wasn’t close to the court. That didn’t quell the excitement in me when the players came out and the game started. The whole lights dimming, announcer booming their introductions raised everything up a notch.

Marie never came to the seats, and I didn’t think I’d be allowed back up to that box if I went to search for her. We hadn’t exchanged phone numbers, and I was glad I’d remembered to grab my usual items when we left Reese’s place.

Though, shit—I didn’t know his physical address, and I wasn’t about to go find Marie to ask her. I’d figure it out. I had money with me. My phone. My wallet. I was an able-bodied person, so I settled back and enjoyed the game.

Reese didn’t lead in scoring, but he did with three-pointers. Having a girlfriend and a wife must’ve worked for Crusky, because he got most of the foul shots, and he made all except two of them. After the ball sank on his last one, tying up the score, I was on my feet along with everyone else.

I loved this game—the fast pace of it, how a steal could flip everything upside down, how fouls were necessary to stall, but could work in the other team’s favor. The way you have to have teamwork to get anywhere. This game couldn’t be won by one person—there were exceptions, but that was rare. It was beautiful with high-arching shots, edgy with quick ball work, surprising the way a shot would go through that shouldn’t have or how an assist could get past a wall of bodies that should’ve stopped it. And it was rough with shoving under the basket.

It was ruthless, but so captivating, and I was back at my high school gym, watching my brother throw up a winning shot. It was the end of the fourth. Three seconds on the clock, which could get stalled out to twelve seconds, plus a time out.

Adrenaline bounced around inside of me.

I was on my feet yelling, and I didn’t give a thought what happened with Marie. If I’d been a long-term thing, if things had been serious with Reese and me, then maybe. But I wasn’t. We meant something, but that was all I could deal with.

I did keep an eye out for Marie on the off chance I saw her on the way out.