The Brick Wall

Chapter 41

Curtis POV

"Where do you think you're going?"

My mother's words make me stop in my tracks as I slip my wallet into the back pocket of my jeans. I turn my head slowly, almost fearing that she's maybe having a stroke or a side effect of some med. "You're kidding, right?"

"I think I asked you a question, and I know you're going to give me an answer."

My eyes watch her closely, Lennox sitting in her lap. I'm already pulling the wallet back out, dropping it on the table again. "Well, I told you I was going on that date you suggested, but since you apparently didn't remember that, I think I'll stay here instead." My hand now finding my phone to text Collins and beg for forgiveness.

My mother stands, throwing Lenny onto her hip. "Not dressed like that you're not."

I glance down, confused as to what's wrong with a pair of blue jeans and a thermal navy henley. "I think I'm dressed fine, Ma. This is what I'd wear out to the bar any normal night after a game."

She steps a little closer, grabbing my hand. Her smile is a little too sickeningly sweet which tells me I'm in for it. "Son, I know it's been a while, but tonight is not a normal night at the bar after a win. This isn't just you and your teammates." She starts leading me down the hall to my bedroom. "One, it's New Year's Eve. That alone should have you looking at least a little nicer. But two, it's a first day. Treat it as such."

Ma passes Lennox over to me before beginning to rifle through my closet. She passes through my suits for game day and I'm silently praying she's not insisting I wear a suit. Collins has seen me in a suit already, and I just got out of one. "Please, no." She looks at me over her shoulder. "No suit."

"No suit," she repeats. "But, suit pants." Her hand emerges with a medium grey tone pair of dress pants, tossing them onto the bed. She continues her mission, now pulling out a black dress shirt.

"The black look, huh?"

"Not entirely," she tells me, ducking down to the floor of the closet. Next she's pulling out my brown leather boots and my brown belt.

"I thought you didn't mix brown and black," I mention in confusion.

Ma rolls her eyes at me, taking Lennox back. "Get with the times, kid." She pats my cheek, leading Lennox to do the same to the opposite side of my face. "Now, hurry up. Don't make the girl wait. If anything you should be waiting on her."

 Grabbing up the change of clothes I hurry into the bathroom and make quick work of changing.  All those times my mother would time me on dressing out for a game as a kid is coming in handy.

  I stand back, glancing at myself in the bathroom mirror and run through a second checklist. I don't remember going out with a woman ever being this much work. Even when I think about just hanging out with Collins, it doesn't feel like I'm second guessing what I wear or sniffing under my arms to remind myself I did in fact put on deodorant.

"This isn't just hanging out," I mutter under my breath, adjusting my belt again. "You want to actually see this woman more than just when she watches Lennox."

Except I realize that outside of when my mother visits, our time together will always include my daughter. I don't have anyone else around that I trust with her, and even though my teammates now know of her existence I wouldn't dare let one of them watch her. Pretty sure I wouldn't let them babysit a fish.

 I open the medicine cabinet and pull out my bottle of cologne. I can't even remember the last time I wore it, so much so that I'm just hopeful it still smells the way it's meant to. I spray it into the air just to be sure, breathing a sigh of relief when it does in fact still smell like the original Hugo Boss.