Page 101 of Free Agent

“Does your mama like her?” Arnez asked.

“My mother adores her, as a matter of fact,” I said. “As well as the rest of my family.”

“See, that’s your boo!” Arizona shrieked. “When is the wedding?”

“Come on, man,” I laughed. “We’re not even on that type of time. Me and Rori, we... We’re cool. We’re vibing. That’s it. Just vibing, that’s all.”

Arnez wrinkled his nose in disbelief. “So you saying it’s not serious?”

“I’m saying that we are vibing.” I repeated, and Arizona smiled.

“Okayyyyy, but I’m just saying. From the pictures, and the videos, and the reports, it looks like a lot more than just vibing to us.”

“Mmmhmmm,” Arnez agreed. “But if that’s where you want to plant your flag in the sand, you can do that. Just know. We love us some Rori Mitchell.”

“Right,” Arizona chimed in. “So if you hurt her feelings, you hurt all our feelings. Just like Monty. It’s on sight for me and you, nigga!”

“Daaaamn,” I said, as Arnez shook his head.

“I know. They’ll edit that out, but I mean that shit,” Arizona laughed. “Deeply.”

SIXTEEN

AURORA

“I should start a podcast.”

“No, you literally shouldn’t actually.”

“Why not? Everybody else has one.”

“That’s exactly why you shouldn’t.”

“They’re having fun without me though,” Sierra pouted as we settled on the fluffy, perfectly loungeable couch in her media room, where the big screen was. We’d usurped the room from Kevion, who had passed out after one of his intense playoff practices anyway. So the TV was still on WAWG Sports for now.

In just a moment, once we located the remote, we were going to switch channels, to watch the premiere of Tatum’s interview with Arnez and Arizona.

Which… I was a little nervous about.

He said they’d asked about me, but wouldn’t tell me exactly how he answered, only that “it was the answer that would get him in the least amount of trouble”.

Which, for me, didn’t inspire a ton of confidence that he hadn’t said anything crazy.

“What would you even talk about on the podcast?” I asked Sierra, trying to distract from my own thoughts by indulging hers, albeit ridiculous.

“Nothing. Anything. Everything. Just chaos and fun,” she mused, wearing a wistful smile.

“Oh my god, you’re serious, aren’t you?”

The way her nose wrinkled, but no actual answer came, was the biggest tell.

“Sierra!”

“Whaaaat?”

“Friend, people are weird enough about you as it is. You’re going to give them fuel?! I can hear it now… I didn’t even know she talked. Why can’t she just be pretty and rich, we have to listen to her too?”

“Rori, bye. You know damn well it’s going to be meaner than that.”