A Shot at Love

The Big Bad

I pace back and forth under the warm rays of the sun, eagerly awaiting the production assistant to unlock the doors of The Chase Center. The exterior of the Golden State Warriors' home catches my eye, its modern architecture gleaming in the morning light. My mind is still reeling from earlier, but I welcome this remarkable day ahead as a much-needed distraction. I snap a quick photo on my phone, capturing the arena's sleek facade before hurrying towards the glass door opening, filled with anticipation.

"Good morning! You must be Kingston!" A bubbly, curly-haired brunette exclaims as I approach. "I'm so sorry for the wait. I'm Jordan. Here, put this on." She hands me a media pass.

"Nice to meet you, Jordan. No problem at all, I was just admiring this sensational building," I reply, gesturing toward the arena as I loop the pass around my neck, dangling against my satin cream suit.

"Isn't it outstanding?" she ushers me forward. "The players had practice this morning, so there still may be a few mingling. Russ already hit the locker room, they're about to snap a few shots of him in the new uniform."

"I can't wait to see!" I gush as we turn the corner and step into the massive arena—the sheer size of the space is breathtaking. "Finesse" by BossMan Dlow pumps through the speakers, filling the stadium with energy. The sound of bouncing basketballs and the rhythmic squeak of sneakers on the polished hardwood floor echo around us as Russ and his teammates finish their cool-down drills. My heart races with excitement as I take in the scene before me.

"Kingston Hart!" A smooth and familiar voice calls out.

"Russ Fox! We meet again!" I shout back as Russ taps his teammate's chest and runs over to greet us.

"Come here, girl!" Russ exclaims, pulling me into a warm embrace.

"It's great to see you again. How are you feeling? Are you excited for today?" I inquire.

"I'm minty, baby! Super stoked. Hey, is Noah with you?" Russ asks, leading us onto the court.

My heart sinks momentarily at the mention of Noah. "He should be here shortly," I reply with a smile.

"Cool, I wanted to let him know that I fired the creative director this morning. I wasn't vibing with her vision." I glance over at the production assistant, Jordan. Panic clouds her face and she runs off.

"Oh, no! I'm so sorry. Don't worry we will find a replacement asap, okay? Let me make a few calls." I offer.

"No worries, I've got the perfect replacement," Russ says with a grin, rubbing his hands together.

"Fantastic, who is it?" I ask eagerly.

"You!" He exclaims.

"Me?" I question, surprised and intrigued. Is Russ serious? I've never directed a shoot in my life.

"Yup. You're a natural talent, you've got an eye for storytelling. I need that to translate into the photos. I don't want any of this stuffy bullshit they're trying to press. I want cool, edgy, talented - me!" We both erupt into laughter.

"Well, Russ, trust me when I say, that won't be hard to capture. I'm game. Let's do it!"

"Cool, I want to introduce you to some of the boys." Russ leads us over to a small group of teammates.

"Hey guys, this is Kingston. She's the sports writer I was telling you about. You should let her write some articles on you; maybe you'll become fan favorites as well," he teases, and the group shares a hearty laugh, their camaraderie evident.

"What's up, Kingston? I'm Klay," a player says with a friendly smile as we shake hands.

"It's nice to meet you!" I exclaim enthusiastically, turning to the teammate next to him.