He sips his beer. “Aren’t you the girl who taught my son to dance?”
“Yes.”
“And, were you or were you not, the girl that talked me into trying cannoli?”
“That was me.”
“Yeah, well, thanks a lot. Does my ass look fat in these jeans?”
We share a laugh, and I’m thankful for his attempt to lighten my mood.
“So,” I take a sip of my drink, “where are you off to?”
“On my way to Canada. I’ve got an endorsement deal.”
“I’m on the same flight.”
“No shit? Cool. We can sit together.” Troy is an absolute God, even with my heart tied up in one man, I can’t help but notice the chisel of his features, the light ocean in his eyes. He’s both beauty and charisma through and through and the opposite of me in so many ways. It’s what attracted me to him way back when I still had a heart to offer.
“Aren’t you flying first class?”
“Nope. My wife is an asshole.”
This makes me full-on belly laugh.
“And why is that?”
“She said for every kid I knock her up with, I owe her a million for her trouble and a million in savings. She’s a cheap millionaire.”
“How many are you up to?”
“She’s a few months along with our fourth. I’m hoping for another boy.”
“Damn, you wasted no time.”
“Exactly. Needless to say, she’s pissed.”
> “But, you’re happy.”
“Hell yeah. But going broke fast,” he nods at the bartender for a fresh beer.
“Ah, you’ll be playing for a long time.” It’s the truth. When the Giants picked him up, I still remember the scene I made in the bar in New York. Unlike Lance, Troy was a shoo-in during draft time. Despite their losing season, Troy never dropped the ball and carried it a record number of yards earning him enough points to set a Grand record for the whole of his career there. Those points weren’t enough to get him a bowl game, but it was enough to get him an invitation to camp and eventually snatch a lucrative contract that had the whole of TGU alumni in hysterics. I’ll never forget the feeling of pride I felt for him that day. Or the six martinis I had after picturing the devastation on his roommate’s face, who suffered the opposite fate. With the Giants, Troy landed himself in the playoffs this year, only losing by one point to get to the championship. He’s already a star in his second year and making waves.
“So, what are you doing in Canada?”
“Dancing. I’m with a show called Retro. It was a short run, but The New York Times did a piece on it, and they invited us to Calgary for an encore performance.”
“That’s awesome. Have you been to Texas lately?”
I shake my head. “Not in a couple of years, no.”
“You should go. Nothing like a visit home to shake the dust off.”
“Yeah, someday.”
“The sooner, the better.” He drags out the word until I’m facing him.
“Have you talked to him?”