by N. Alleman
She ought to know that. Not only was Lucinda Barnes my mother, she was also my agent and the agent for my twin brother and sister who are pop stars, and my other sister Dynassy, who’s a model. Between our careers, the family reality show, and our late father’s music—our mother headed up an entertainment empire that had no rivals. And most of the time her children felt more like underappreciated employees than cherished family members.
I wish I could say I broke the land speed record getting over here, but instead I’d been stuck in LA traffic most of the way, punching the steering wheel trying to remember who the hell I slept with who could be claiming to be pregnant with my child. I was a freaking priest when it came to using condoms. Couldn’t recall one breaking in years. Hell, I hadn’t even fucked many women lately. Once the start of the season rolled around my mind centered on hoops and hoops alone. When I was ballin’, a woman might be a good short-term stress reliever, but in my experience they were more of a headache than they were worth. If I let them distract me, they only sapped my strength.
Now, in the off-season—that was a different story. Then I’d had a different woman every night, and I didn’t let them stick around long enough to think they could have a say in my life. God knows there’s only room for one controlling bitch in my life, and it’s my mother.
Lucinda Barnes is the matriarch of our family, and she makes it impossible for any other woman to last very long.
Like the mystery one I was summoned to discuss today.
“Why don’t you sit down, Nick honey?” Lucinda floated around the room wearing spider-like false eyelashes and a colorful caftan. These outfits of hers drove my sister Dynassy crazy. She hated Lucinda’s pretense of just lolling around in these big robes, when the reality was that our mother was in full production mode, face and hair fully done.
I dropped into the nearest chair. Uncomfortable as always. With as much money as our family brought in for her, I couldn’t see why Lucinda couldn’t afford to find furniture that was both stylish and comfortable.
“Do you want a drink? You might need one for this.”
“No, I don’t want a fucking drink, Mother. I’m in training.” I shot her a look. She knew that. How could she be so on top of some things, yet other things skidded under her radar completely? Things that were important to me. “By the way, where are the cameras?”
Whenever you came to my mother’s house, you ran the risk of being on TV. “Our little show”, as she liked to call it, was one of the highest grossing cable reality shows of all time. “The Barnes Bunch” was in its fifth season and showed no signs of slowing down. Every once in a while, one of us kids threw a fit and refused to be on it, but eventually we all got sucked into the vortex that was Lucinda.
“This is too important to discuss in front of the cameras. Plus, I don’t want to give anybody out there any ideas.”
“Mom, what are you talking about?” My patience with the whole Lucinda-induced drama was wearing thin.
Tilting her nose in the air, Lucinda countered, “You don’t need to get snippy with me, young man. If it wasn’t for Calvin and me you might have a dozen little illegitimate Barnes running around out there costing you millions.”
I took a deep breath, wishing she would hurry the hell up so I could get back to the gym.
“Do you remember, about two months ago when you banged some girl after a home game? A blonde I think. You checked into the Marmont?”
Oh, fuck. That’s right. My buddy Kristoff and I had met these two girls at a restaurant. Kristoff had been buying them drinks at the bar. He’s a teammate. Slovenian fresh off the boat who hasn’t gotten used to all the free pussy. His girl’s friend had been cute. Kristoff paid for the rooms, she promised to blow me…yeah, I remembered.
“Except I didn’t bang her.” It was true. I hadn’t had sex with the girl, but I had taken her up on her offer of a BJ. Hell, I was human.
“Well, something happened, and you left a little piece of yourself behind,” she paused, waiting for this information to register with me before she continued. “Your semen to be precise.”
My stomach hit the floor. That wasn’t possible. The only place I’d deposited that was…
A tsunami of dread overcame me. “I came in her mouth,” I admitted, hiding my face in my hands—not because I was ashamed, but because I was expecting Lucinda to throw something at me.
“Thank God for Calvin is all I’ve got to say.” Lucinda paced over to the bar and poured herself two thick fingers of vodka.
“Why? What did Calvin do?” I sat up straight. Calvin was a member of my security detail.
“He intercepted the little bitch trying to hand off a cup full of your spunk to some motherfucker who was waiting outside. Probably intended to use it to inseminate more than one money-grubbing whore, as many as they could. Honey, do you not understand? Your dick is worth millions to these women.”
“That’s disgusting, Mom. I’m not a porn star.” Sometimes she crossed boundaries in a way that made me squeamish. I mean, who wants to hear those words come out of their mother’s mouth?
“No, but you’re a basketball star who’s worth a lot of money, and if a woman is fortunate enough to find herself carrying your baby—she’s guaranteed herself a steady annual paycheck in the millions that will last for the next eighteen years.”
“Fuck. So you’re saying that bitch kept my cum in her mouth then spit it in a cup and handed it off to somebody?”
She shrugged, broadcasting disdain from her shoulders. “You’d know better than me.”
“That’s disgusting.”
“People are disgusting. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. Only you never listen to your mother. Nick, you’re an attractive man. I’m afraid there’s an entire city here that thinks boinking you is a fabulous way to earn a living.”
I cringed at the word “boinking.”
“So what’s the deal? Why did it take this long for you to tell me this?”
“I only just heard from Calvin. He’s been watching this woman and her cohorts to make sure she didn’t turn up pregnant first. Apparently enough time has passed that if she’d implanted herself with your seed and gotten pregnant before he got to her, we’d know by now.”
I scowled. “This whole thing is unbelievable.” It pissed me off Calvin was Lucinda’s guy and not mine. So much for loyalty. I mean, I appreciated the guy’s help, but we were talking about my sperm here! Surely he should have told me.
Lucinda walked over and patted my cheek. “I know, sweetie. You never do seem to recognize that there are consequences to your actions. You’ve got to wrap that thing, even for oral sex.”
“Mom!”
“What? I’m just saying…”
I stood up. I’d had about all I could take of the “mommy knows best” routine.
“Where are you going?”
“Practice,” I said through gritted teeth, already halfway out the door.
“Don’t bother,” she said smugly.
Bile rose in my throat, and I glanced back over my shoulder. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve been traded.”
Chapter 2
Eden
Present Day
I squirmed in my chair. White-hot interrogation lamps couldn’t have made me feel more scrutinized than the penetrating gaze of the director and head choreographer of the Texas Scorpion Cheerleaders.
“Eden, we’re just not seeing that fire,” the director Margo King said, drawing out the word fire into at least three syllables and fluffing her red hair.
“You’re putting us to sleep out there,” the choreographer Andrea Reynolds chimed in.
I had no idea what they were talking about. I’d been practicing several times a day like always. I was giving this experience everything I had. Cheering for the Texas Scorpions was my dream job, and I’d worked my butt off to get it. Okay, maybe job was the wrong word, considering we only get paid a few hundred dollars a year, but I’d wanted to be a pr
ofessional cheerleader as long as I could remember. When I was nine years old, I dressed as a Texas Scorpions cheerleader for Halloween. Cheering for the Scorpions was my ultimate goal. They were the best.
Dumb, huh? That’s what most people think of cheerleaders. Vacuous bimbos with loose morals. If that’s what you think, you’re wrong. Nothing could be further from the truth. At least not at this level.
No, to be a Texas Scorpions cheerleader you need the skills of a professional dancer, a practically perfect body, and “the look.” The look was subjective of course, but it had been described numerous times as that of “Texas Sweethearts.” Scorpions cheerleaders also had to display appropriate behavior both on and off the field. Last year two girls were released for less-than-stellar reputations. One had posed topless and the photos showed up online, and the other had posted a picture of herself smoking pot on her Facebook page.
My “real job” is in the medical field, but I’ve been a lifelong dancer, and when I moved to Austin and discovered I could try out for the squad I was thrilled. The first year I tried out, I made it to training camp, and got cut a week before the first pre-season game. After that, I doubled up on my dance classes, worked my butt off, and came back for tryouts again last year. It was a monumental challenge, but I made it, and this year I was finally a veteran.
In the real world, I’m a doctor, one of those really smart people who finished high school early, did college online and finished medical school by my early twenties. Then during my residency, I invented a device now used in surgical procedures, so rather than practice medicine, I have my own medical supply company that frankly makes more than enough money to keep me comfortable. So—if you think I’m cheering looking for that sugar daddy you’re wrong. I do it because I love to dance, and because most of my life I’ve stuck out like a sore thumb, and I love finally being a part of a team.
Now Margo and Andrea were telling me that I was lacking. I gulped. They didn’t usually bring you into their office unless they were seriously unhappy with your performance. “I’m sorry. I’ll work on it.” Whatever it took to bring the sparkle back to my dancing—I’d do it.
“Well,” Margo began. “You might want to consult with Judy. You know that dance teacher who helps us out sometimes? She's really good at helping girls who are struggling.”
“But we’re not going to be able to bring you with us to St. Bart's for the cup calendar shoot,” Andrea said.
My heart fell to my toes. Only veterans were allowed to go on the calendar shoot, and I had been so excited to be included in the lineup for this year. I'd been working out longer hours, and I hadn't had dessert in months. But this was like someone putting a piece of cake in front of me, and then yanking it away. “I understand,” I managed, trying not to cry, but tears stung the backs of my eyes. These women saw a lot of tears. They had a tough job and I didn’t blame them, but I wasn't going to be one of the girls they had to offer a tissue to either.
“I appreciate the feedback, and I'll get to work on it right away. I'll call Judy this afternoon.” I needed to stop being so frivolous with my free time and really focus on my goals. I’d worked hard to get here, and I didn’t want to let this opportunity slip through my fingers now.
The two women smiled at the same time. Tight, forced smiles. Practiced, but a smile nonetheless. “Thank you, Eden,” they said in unison.
“Thank you,” I said automatically, rising from my chair. I left the room, closing the door behind me and made my way to the locker room. There wasn’t a time that I stepped foot in that locker room that it didn’t still seem hard to believe that I was a Scorpions cheerleader. Nerdy old me with the big brain and the less-than-bountiful breasts.
As I changed from my workout uniform to my street clothes I thought about how if I didn’t step up my game I might not be one for long. Maybe Judy would have some tips for me, because I wasn’t sure what Margo and Andrea had been complaining about. I wish they’d given me something more concrete to work on, like improving my kicks, or sharpening up my turns. Unfortunately, their critique had been vague. It was much harder to fix something when you didn’t understand exactly what was wrong.
It was dark when I stepped outside. The other girls had already gone home, so the security guard walked me to my car. “Thanks, Carl,” I said, throwing my bag in the front seat and climbing into my car.
“Have a good night.” He waved as I pulled out of the parking lot and for one rebellious moment, I considered stopping on the way home for some donuts.
Chapter 3
Nick
My teammate, Legion Harris, scored us tickets. Sideline passes for the Texas Scorpions game. It was the team’s season opener and we had locker room access—the works. Not gonna lie—sometimes it’s nice to be the kings of the court.
I remember it was one of those rare days in Austin where the crisp, autumn smell hung in the air. My assistant and longtime friend Dwayne, Legion, and I paced the sidelines, getting ready to watch the Scorpions destroy the visiting team. We’d had a couple of pregame beers in the box of one of my sponsors, and now we were ready for the game to begin.
I hadn’t even noticed the cheerleaders on the field until Dwayne and Legion started jawing about the rack on one of the girls. They went on about shit like that all the time. Usually I didn’t pay them any attention, but this time I happened to glance up and saw who they were talking about.
“Ooh, and check out that one with the yellow hair. That’s one fine-lookin’ woman.” Legion practically drooled.
I ignored his leers, but there was something about that girl. She looked familiar somehow.
After what happened in Los Angeles last year, I’d been a virtual choirboy with women. My hand got all the action in my crib. I kept all my energy focused on basketball, and it paid off. Last season I finished with the third-best record in the league for triple doubles. This year I planned to lead the league, and even though it was a new season I thought I had a shot at the scoring title, not to mention our team, the Austin Athletics, had a real chance at a championship run.
All that took hard work and no women around to distract me. But it couldn’t hurt to look…
The music changed, and the cheerleaders sashayed by us in a line, allowing me to get a better look. As she strutted past me, shaking those pom-poms, I got a glimpse of her eyes.
Eyes it felt like I’d known forever.
But that was crazy. It couldn’t be…
“Want me to find out who she is?” Dwayne asked.
“Yeah, go get us one of those programs,” I said, trying my best to hide the extent of my interest.
“Extend an invitation to her for after the game.” Legion flashed his gold tooth.
“No, just get the program,” I insisted.
“What’s wrong with you?” Legion hated a wet blanket. The wedding ring on his left hand didn’t stop him from acting like he was single.
“I may know her.”
Legion looked me up and down. “I see. Ladies and gentleman, the priest has a dick after all.”
“Fuck you.”
The game finally started, and Legion's attention moved onto the field. Dwayne returned, handing me a program, which I put away. I wasn't about to let these guys see how intrigued I was by this girl. I'd never hear the end of it, and if she was who I thought she was, I didn't want either of them within one hundred yards of her.
In the first quarter the Scorpions scored two touchdowns and held their opponents to only three points. I tried to watch the mystery cheerleader, but she’d gone to the very far end of the field so I couldn't really see her anymore.
When the first quarter was over, I excused myself and walked down the sidelines behind the players, hoping for a better glimpse. But right when I got there the squad went on the field to perform a dance. As I watched, I grew more and more mesmerized by her. Her smile was the warmest, most beautiful thing I had ever seen. With each swish of her hips, each shake of her pom-pom, I became more and more ensnared. Tho
se big blue eyes made me feel like the only person in the stadium, and I thought I remembered staring into them many years ago.
I just had to find out. Could she be the girl I remembered?
Desperate for some privacy, I found the nearest bathroom and locked myself into a stall. I sat down and started flipping through the program. Unfortunately, the section on the cheerleaders only provided their first names. That was probably smart, might prevent stalkers. But it might not be that helpful for me, especially if she went by a nickname. But then I turn the page and staring at me was the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. Her name screamed at me from the bottom of the page "Eden."
It was her.
There could only be one girl with that name. With those incredible blue eyes.
I'd known Eden ever since I could remember. Our fathers played in the same band, were killed in the same plane crash.
When we were children our families spent a lot of time together. Eden and my sister Dynassy played dolls, and I would pester them, bouncing the basketball, until they paid attention to me.
My mother loves to tell a story about Eden and me playing house when we were little.
"What have you two been doing?" my mother asked.
"Playing house. Nick was ironing the dishes,” Eden had said. I smiled at the memory. Besides playing with her, all I wanted to do as a kid was play basketball. Lucinda swears that I was sleeping with my ball by the time I was two years old. By three I was pretty good at dribbling. I was all boy and my play was all ball, except with Eden. I remember Lucinda saying, “That little girl knows how to domesticate a man.” I guess it was true in my case because whatever she wanted to do, I’d do it with her.
But after our fathers died, Eden's mother moved them away, and I hadn't seen her since.
I can still see those big blue eyes of hers filled with tears at my father's funeral. Or maybe it was her father's… I went to both, and at fifteen—they blurred together. I just know that I've never seen so much pain on one person's face as I saw on Eden’s then.