Center Courtship Read Online Free Page A

flatly.
    â€œHe’s been injured. I was sent up here by Gina, his mom, to have Elsu sign some things for him.”
    â€œIs he here?” I heard a voice from behind the men at the door. Elsu stepped into my line of site. I’m not a fanatic by any means, but as most people do when confronted with someone who is a celebrity, they get a little star struck. He was tall, taller than I had pictured. He was dressed in basketball shorts and a zippered warm-up top, all emblazoned in the colors and logo for the new team. They chose orange, black and white for their colors with a vicious looking owl as their mascot. The Whoopsters adopted thecolors of the Massillon high school to try and show camaraderie with the community.
    I smiled up at Elsu and I could see in his face that he was a bit confused. “Sorry,” I said.
    He looked at me with furrowed brows. “Who are you?”
    â€œI am Brandon’s aunt, Aunt Mae. Brandon was hurt a little while ago.” I said as I attempted to offer my right hand for a shake. The paper bag in my left hand promptly ripped and the contents fell out.
    Elsu grabbed the bouncing basketball out of midair and the other two men bent to pick up the rest of the things. “I am so sorry, I feel like a fool. I was just wondering if you’d be able to sign these things for him, and I’ll be out of your hair in a second.”
    â€œYou’re fine, come on in. We’ll find you a new bag,” said Elsu. I stepped into the foyer. The floors were a high polished dark wood, and the walls were an imitation gold-colored stucco that was a few shades lighter than the door. To my left sat a large wooden foyer bench with a row of hooks for coats. Each hook held a jacket decked out in the Whoopsters logo and colors. I briefly wondered how many of these things one man needed. To my right, was a closed door. I stepped through the foyer and was struck by a massive room. A grand kitchen sat to the left in the open space. Dark wood cabinets hid the appliances and the counters were all a dark green quartz. An island containing a work area and bar stools created a divide between the kitchen and living area.
    Towards the back of the room there was a single black leather sectional and a large flat screen TV. Two end tables containing lamps sat at either end of the L-shaped couch. For the size of the room, these things seemed like they were drowning. Way too much space for way too little furniture. Floor to ceiling windows covered the wall behind the TV. From my angle it was hard to see what kind of magnificence the windows must look out onto.
    I turned to my right and saw there was a table set up with a white tablecloth covering it. Sitting on top was a rolling hot dog cooker like I’d seen in gas stations. There were buns, an array of condiments, chips and popcorn, and a bunch of cupcakes that were gathered together to form a basketball. Balloons in orangeand black acted as centerpieces and a cotton candy machine stood nearby.
    â€œOh no,” I said suddenly. “Was this all for Brandon?”
    â€œYep,” said Elsu, as he walked to my side. “Where is he?”
    â€œHe was playing outside with his little brother, the basketball went into the street, his brother ran after it, and Brandon knocked him out of the way but got hit instead,” I said with a pout.
    â€œHoly crap! Is he…ok?”
    I looked at my watch gauging where Brandon and his parents might be in the hospital visit process. “They took him by helicopter to Akron, I don’t know much more.”
    â€œThat is horrible! Can you call his parents?”
    I pulled my phone from my coverall pocket and I was quickly reminded that I looked like a bum. The stories these people would tell when I left would ensure my hermit status for the next 60 years. I dialed Gina. She picked up on the third ring. “Mae? Did you get everything signed?”
    â€œNo, I’m still here,” I said.