Prime

chapter 14

Nickola sits at the kitchen table waiting for Miles to come pick her up. She is finally going to her first professional football game. It has been three weeks since she met Miles. She feels a little nervous to be driving three hours away to Massachusetts with him.

"What are you doing? Get in the other lane!" Wes yelled. "It's not gonna make a difference. This is bumper to bumper traffic," Nickola said. "I hate riding with you. You're so stupid. You're just going to let everybody pass us. Look at the cars in that lane." "Wes I'm not gonna try weaving through the cars. We're in a traffic jam," Nickola said frustrated.

The horn honks outside interrupting her memory. Nickola grabs her purse and overnight bag before heading out.

"No Zara?" Miles ask backing out of the driveway.

"She's with my mom tonight. Have you been to see the patriots play before?"

"A few years ago a couple of us drove up."

"By the way I know nothing about football."

Miles chuckles, "You know what team to root for right?"

"And if I don't?" sass in her tone.

"You might get booed out of the stadium," certainty in his voice.

"Whatever!" They both laugh.

After some time of being on the road Nickola ask, "How long we're you married to Trina?"

"Five years. Devaun was seven when we divorced. Her mother never liked me. She said I was a player. She put a lot of ideas in Trina's head. You try to be the good guy and provide for your family but it's never enough," he says.

"That's messed up. Would you ever get married again?" Nickola ask.

He thinks for a moment. "Yeah. Have you ever been married?"

"For ten years," she looks out the window. "Cancer took him this past April."

"That must have been rough," empathy in his voice.

"It's definitely a bad way to go," she looks forward. "A part of me wants to remarry and the other part is terrified."

"Terrified?" he frowns.

"It was not the best marriage. I don't ever wanna go through that again," her voice monotone.

"I hear you. There are still a few of us good ones out there."

She looks at Miles. His eyes are fixed on the road. He has this confidence in the way that he carries himself and speaks which makes him more attractive. Mary J. Blige begins to play on the radio.

"Oh!" she says as she reaches for the dial. "Can I turn this up?"

"Go ahead," Miles smiles. They both reminisce on their days in high school. Nickola talks about the days when she and her girlfriends would video tape themselves singing and dancing to the latest hits. Miles talks about his time playing football in high school.

The remainder of the ride is quiet. The music plays and Nickola ends up falling asleep. They arrive at the parking lot of the Gillette stadium.

"Late night?" Miles ask as Nickola awakes.

"No," she yawns. "Long car rides put me to sleep."

As they walk through the entrance Nickola notices how close Miles is walking. He has his hand on her back as if to guide her though the crowd. They go to the concession stand. An order for two cheeseburgers, chili fries, a beer, and a bottle of water. Nickola insists on paying but Miles pays instead. She follows Miles to their seats which are two rows from the sideline.