couldn’t be tempted. I couldn’t go to Coach Moss’ house with a full stomach. I had the name of the recruit and I was supposed to meet him at the door at six. Six-fifteen came and I couldn’t find him.
I said to Savoy, “I’m just gon’ walk around, I’ll be right back.”
“That’s cool,” she said, still a little salty about earlier. I wasn’t gone for two minutes when I heard Savoy scream out, “Don’t touch me! Get your hands off of me!”
I rushed to the back side of the building and found Savoy moving away from this young, buff dude who fit the description of the recruit.
“Are you Jeff Wade?”
“Yeah, man. Chick is trippin’.”
“Yeah right. You felt me up and said a little bit more than that. I can’t deal with this, Perry,” she said, coming over to me.
“I ain’t do none of that.”
“You are going to believe him over me?” she asked.
I was so torn; I knew she was a little paranoid from everything that happened at the beginning of the year at the club. Maybe she was on her cycle or something, because she had an attitude with me all the way over here. Or did I really need to take in what she said and deal with this chump for being too forward with my girl? Quickly I thought of my options. If I jumped on him I could possibly be arrested and be in the newspaper again for some foolishness. He could tell Coach, he could probably go to another school. Talk about a recruiting trip gone bad. But if I didn’t, I could lose my girl with her thinking that I really didn’t have her back. I didn’t want our relationship to be built on lies—we needed trust. She needed to know that I would be there for her, and with her brother accusing me of bailing during his fight, that’s the last thing I wanted on my conscience. So I thought about it for real. I prayed, Alright Lord . Savoy stood with her hands on her hips and her head rolling, waiting on me to do something. Jeff had his hands folded like he was the best recruit in America and I had better not do anything to jeopardize it. Can you give me some insight Lord; can you help me out here? I pointed one finger to Jeff and put my arm around Savoy and said, “Let me deal with this, man.”
Jeff nodded. “Cool. I’ma step in and grab a lil’ something to eat.”
As soon as we were alone, Savoy grabbed my shirt and passionately said, “You do believe me, right? Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I have to deal with this the right way, and he is a recruit for the school. I’m not going to tolerate his actions toward you but I can’t just go off on him in public, you know? When we tell Coach that recruits are not of good character, Coach backs off of them anyway. We’re a class act school. It’s not about just throwing the ball down the field. If we get this guy it could be a big deal, but let me go about it the right way. Can you trust me to do that, baby? I mean I am sorry that our date started out on the wrong note, but I’ll make it up to you.” I kissed her cheek and put her in the car.
I went inside.
“Alright man, what’s up? You hitting on my girl, man?”
Jeff gave me a smug look. “She’s fine, man. I had to touch.”
“I understand, but you can’t be touching up on women like that.”
“I mean it was just a little tap.”
He admitted to me what he had done. I had come at him the right way. I had figured him out.
“I didn’t know she was your girl anyway.”
“Yeah, but you come to Tech or any school really pushing your weight on these females and you’ll get yourself into all kinds of trouble. Besides, my girl has had a lot to deal with. I can’t have anyone messing with her.”
“Aw snap, my bad. Your girl is the one whose brother is on the team, too? Some gang guy messed him up?”
“Yeah, all that.”
“I’ma go apologize. Naw man, that’s cool, let’s just talk about Tech for a little bit. Some of the other guys are going to come and swoop me up. Show me around A-town.”
“Alright,
I said to Savoy, “I’m just gon’ walk around, I’ll be right back.”
“That’s cool,” she said, still a little salty about earlier. I wasn’t gone for two minutes when I heard Savoy scream out, “Don’t touch me! Get your hands off of me!”
I rushed to the back side of the building and found Savoy moving away from this young, buff dude who fit the description of the recruit.
“Are you Jeff Wade?”
“Yeah, man. Chick is trippin’.”
“Yeah right. You felt me up and said a little bit more than that. I can’t deal with this, Perry,” she said, coming over to me.
“I ain’t do none of that.”
“You are going to believe him over me?” she asked.
I was so torn; I knew she was a little paranoid from everything that happened at the beginning of the year at the club. Maybe she was on her cycle or something, because she had an attitude with me all the way over here. Or did I really need to take in what she said and deal with this chump for being too forward with my girl? Quickly I thought of my options. If I jumped on him I could possibly be arrested and be in the newspaper again for some foolishness. He could tell Coach, he could probably go to another school. Talk about a recruiting trip gone bad. But if I didn’t, I could lose my girl with her thinking that I really didn’t have her back. I didn’t want our relationship to be built on lies—we needed trust. She needed to know that I would be there for her, and with her brother accusing me of bailing during his fight, that’s the last thing I wanted on my conscience. So I thought about it for real. I prayed, Alright Lord . Savoy stood with her hands on her hips and her head rolling, waiting on me to do something. Jeff had his hands folded like he was the best recruit in America and I had better not do anything to jeopardize it. Can you give me some insight Lord; can you help me out here? I pointed one finger to Jeff and put my arm around Savoy and said, “Let me deal with this, man.”
Jeff nodded. “Cool. I’ma step in and grab a lil’ something to eat.”
As soon as we were alone, Savoy grabbed my shirt and passionately said, “You do believe me, right? Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I have to deal with this the right way, and he is a recruit for the school. I’m not going to tolerate his actions toward you but I can’t just go off on him in public, you know? When we tell Coach that recruits are not of good character, Coach backs off of them anyway. We’re a class act school. It’s not about just throwing the ball down the field. If we get this guy it could be a big deal, but let me go about it the right way. Can you trust me to do that, baby? I mean I am sorry that our date started out on the wrong note, but I’ll make it up to you.” I kissed her cheek and put her in the car.
I went inside.
“Alright man, what’s up? You hitting on my girl, man?”
Jeff gave me a smug look. “She’s fine, man. I had to touch.”
“I understand, but you can’t be touching up on women like that.”
“I mean it was just a little tap.”
He admitted to me what he had done. I had come at him the right way. I had figured him out.
“I didn’t know she was your girl anyway.”
“Yeah, but you come to Tech or any school really pushing your weight on these females and you’ll get yourself into all kinds of trouble. Besides, my girl has had a lot to deal with. I can’t have anyone messing with her.”
“Aw snap, my bad. Your girl is the one whose brother is on the team, too? Some gang guy messed him up?”
“Yeah, all that.”
“I’ma go apologize. Naw man, that’s cool, let’s just talk about Tech for a little bit. Some of the other guys are going to come and swoop me up. Show me around A-town.”
“Alright,
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