Jay meets up with Dan

Me: Yo, basketball in fifteen? I need to talk.

He replies with a thumbs-up and nothing else, so I grab the ball and my keys and head out. Dan got there before me, and he’s dribbling at the top of the key when I walk up. He takes a step back and launches a three that clangs off the rim, dancing around like he made a game-winning shot.

I chase it down automatically, grab the rebound, and hold it while I try to get him to look at me.

“She called me, man.”

“Who called you?” Dan asks, and I can’t believe he even needs me to tell him.

“Sofia!”

He stares at me like he’s not understanding. “The hot mom?”

“Yes! Sofia. She just called me out of nowhere. I had deleted her number, so I almost didn’t pick up since I didn’t know who it was.”

Dan scoffs, walks over, and snatches the ball from my hands, going back to dribbling it. “And?”

“And she apologized. For everything. She said she was sorry for taking two days to thank me for the Hot Wheels, and brushing me off at the restaurant. Oh! And for not responding when I texted weeks ago. Bro, she even said she had to dig my number up from her phone bill because she never saved it. I guess the problem was that things were tense at home with her husband, and that he wasn’t thrilled about the gift, so she needed to keep the peace for the boys.”

Dan dribbles out to the three-point line, then jumps, turning in the air, and shoots again. Unlike the first time when the ball hit the rim, this shot misses completely. He jogs after it while I stand there waiting for him to say something.

He grabs it, unsuccessfully tries to spin it on his finger, and glances at me with zero excitement, before going back to the ball to try again. “Of course he didn’t like it. That shit’s not news. And so she said sorry. What of it?”

“Dude… she went found my number so she could call me. She didn’t have to do any of that.”

He shrugs, and awkwardly bounces the ball between his legs. “People apologize, Jay. Doesn’t mean she’s leaving her husband for the Food Dude. She probably just felt guilty and wanted to clear her conscience.”

I step in front of him, reaching for the ball, but he darts away with it. “No, man, you’re not getting it. She sounded different, too. It was like she was a little bit more friendly than normal. In fact, she even said that she almost called a few times, but kept talking herself out of it. I don’t care what you say, all of that together’s gotta mean something.”

Dan finally stops dribbling and looks at me for a long second. “Okay, fine, maybe it’s something. But bro, maybe it’s just a polite mom tying up loose ends so she doesn’t feel like she’s a bitch. I’m just saying, don’t start planning your wedding yet.”

I grin regardless of what he says. “Whatever. She called me, Dan. She actively hunted down my number and called me. That’s more than loose ends.”

He rolls his eyes, but grins at my asinine enthusiasm, and tosses the ball at me. “Fine. I’ll give you credit for that. Now check the damn ball so I can school you before you start writing your wedding vows.”

“Dream on. I’m on fire today,” I respond, bouncing it back to him.

He laughs, pulls up, and drains the three this time, strutting after it.

“Whatever you say, Romeo. Whatever you say.”

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