THE TIP-OFF SNEAK PEEK

1

ZEKE

Watching a grown man intentionally lose a game of PIG is downright embarrassing. The things people do for love.

I shake my head at Wes as I rebound the basketball from his weak shot attempt. The odds of him missing three in a row are as bad as my own and I could have made any one of those shots blindfolded.

I gotta hand it to him, though, he’s a pretty good actor and his girlfriend is eating it up.

“That’s G for you. I win!” Blair squeals and jumps up and down in front of my buddy, her ponytail swinging wildly like a whip. I toss her the ball and she brings it up over her head in victory and turns in a circle calling out to me and the rest of my roommates who are hanging around our half-court gym. “Reigning PIG champion, folks. You don’t want any of this.”

I chuckle and she steps toward me. “Come on, big guy. Let’s see what the number one NBA draft picks got.”

“Projected. He hasn’t been drafted yet.” Wes wraps both arms around his girl and tugs her to him.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I tell him dryly.

“Just want to make sure you don’t start slacking, letting the media’s hard-on for you go to your head.”

I resist the urge to continue our banter by telling him to fuck off since Blair is present. My mom would lose her shit if she knew I was dropping F-bombs in front of girls. Besides, I know that underneath the jokes, no one has my back like Wes does.

“Let’s go, senorita,” Joel draws out the word, exaggerating the pronunciation as he pulls his shirt over his head and tosses it out of bounds.

“What’d I tell you about using the Spanish on my girlfriend?” Wes asks, not letting go of Blair.

Nathan sets his beer next to Joel’s shirt and pushes him out of the way. “I got this. I’m three beers in and unbeatable.”

It’s a rare weeknight that we’re all home at the same time. Since the season ended, we’ve each fallen into our own routines. Wes spending more time with Blair, Joel spending more time with his girlfriend Katrina, and Nathan doing whatever it is Nathan does. I’ve been right here making sure I do everything I can to get that top pick Wes is ragging me about.

In less than two months Wes and I will be graduating. He’s staying in Valley as the team’s newest assistant coach, so it’s really just me that’s leaving, and man that feels weird. Exciting too, though. I don’t know where I’m going yet. East Coast, West Coast, Midwest. Honestly, I don’t care so long as I can keep playing ball.

“Actually, I’m gonna have to take a raincheck.” Blair bounces the ball to Nathan. “Vanessa and Gabby should be here any minute to pick me up for girls’ night.” She turns in Wes’ arms and they get tangled up kissing and groping like she won’t be back later tonight. She sleeps over every night.