Nikki returned to work the week leading into Christmas and she enjoyed getting back to her former life, but she knew staying away once school resumed was in the best interest of Stefania. She had revolved her entire life around the budding teenager and she was enjoying it for the most part.
One of the things that came with having Stefania was not only the first Christmas she spent her own house, but it was the first with Nikki and Stefania as a family. Gina was also home for the holidays and Nikki was thrilled to watch Stefania open her presents and sit on the couch next to her all day as they watched movies and fiddled with new gifts.
For the first time in her adult life, though, Nikki didn’t have wild plans for New Year’s Eve. She assumed the night would be spent with Stefania and Daniel at home on the couch, but a few days prior, the former asked if she could attend a party at one at the house of a basketball teammate. Nikki agreed and it suddenly opened up a hole in her calendar.
Daniel’s desire was to stay on the couch, but Nikki wanted to go to her club, where Al, Erica, Greta, Christina and Adrianna would be celebrating. Nikki informed Daniel he could stay home, but she was going out regardless of his plans, so he reluctantly agreed to tag along.
Nikki got dressed for the night, wearing a light blue sleeveless and backless top that dropped just below her belly button and a pair of tight white pants -- white a black leather belt with silver rhinestones and a western buckle through the loops -- and a pair of knee-high black leather boots with a four-inch stiletto heel overtop. She adorned herself in her usual three gold necklaces, gold bangle bracelets on her right wrist and thick gold Rolex on her left, while slicking back her flowing brown hair into a tight ponytail. The ensemble was then punctuated with her black leather dress coat that went to the top of her knees.
Without Stefania or the responsibilities of school, Nikki felt like a free woman and she intended to make the most of it. This was the first time she had a night out with her friends since Halloween so it was as if a lion was let out of a cage.
Nikki arrived at the club and immediately went up to her office where her friends had already arrived, all of them with men they had been dating or met that night. Without even taking her off her leather coat, Nikki went right to the table and downed a shot of Jack Daniels, effectively announcing her arrival to the rest of the room. After saying hello to her friends and taking off her coat, she looked out the two-way mirror window and was pleased to see the club packed with party-goers.
Rather than wait for a waitress to bring her drinks, Nikki decided to go down to the bar herself, asking Erica to tag along. Jasmine suggested sending someone else or waiting, given the amount of people, but Nikki assured her that no one would attack her on New Year’s Eve.
As they walked downstairs -- the music from the club making the walls vibrate -- Nikki told Erica how much she appreciated taking over the responsibilities of running the club on a daily basis and also told her how well she was clearly doing. Erica was thrilled with the compliment, considering Nikki didn’t hand them out unless she truly meant them.
They entered the main bar room and eyes immediately fell upon the two women. Erica was an attractive woman in her own right, but Nikki always stole the show, regardless of the company she was in. They pushed their way to the bar and the bartender immediately ignored other customers to speak with her bosses. Nikki instructed the woman to give her a glass of Grey Goose vodka on the rocks, while also telling her to to send a waitress up with a bottle, along with two bottles of champagne they would use at midnight.
While waiting for their drink orders, Nikki felt a tap on her tattooed shoulders and turned around to see Domenic smiling down at her. Nikki laughed at the site of him, knowing he was there in hopes of seeing her.
“Should I be concerned about you stalking me?” Nikki yelled so he could hear her over the music.
“My friends wanted to come here,” Domenic claimed. “I figured I would try it out and it’s a pretty cool spot.”
Nikki laughed again and gave him an OK symbol with her fingers.
“Is this just a girl’s night?” Domenic asked.
“Nope,” Nikki responded. “Daniel is upstairs waiting for me.”
“Well, it’s not very gentlemanly of him to make you get your own drink,” Domenic said.
“I’m a big girl,” Nikki responded shortly.
“You’re still dating him?” Domenic asked.
“Of course,” Nikki said.
“Do you love him?” Domenic persisted. “Are you going to get married?”
“I don’t know,” Nikki laughed. “We’ve only been dating a couple of months, but I’m not looking to make a change.”
“Well, let me know if you change your mind,” Domenic offered.
“Thanks,” Nikki smiled. “I’m good for now, though.”
Her drink finally arrived and Nikki pulled Erica away from the bar. The latter was thoroughly enjoying the conversation between the two and wanted it to continue.
“He’s so hot,” Erica whispered as they climbed the stairs, high-heels clacking with every step. “You guys have some chemistry.”
“I can’t stand that guy,” Nikki said in disgust. “He’s Daniel’s boss and he’s been bullying him around, making him do all of his work and staying late all the time. He’s so full of himself.”
“That’s the pot calling the kettle black,” Erica laughed. “You’re so full of yourself.”
“Yeah, but I have a reason to be,” joked Nikki, rubbing her free hand on her perfectly-toned buttocks. “Look at me.”
The two girls laughed hysterically as they finished walking upstairs, although Nikki was quite fond of her own appearance and lifestyle.
Once back in the spacious office, Nikki picked the pack of Marlboro Red Label 100s out of her purse on her desk, extracted one and lit up, smoke flooding from her nostrils and both corners of her mouth as the cigarette dangled from her lips.
Nikki waltzed over to where Daniel was sitting on the leather couch and plopped down next to him. Al, who was on the other side, handed her a plate of cocaine and a $20 bill, which she accepted and snorted the white powder into her nose for the first time in several months, giving her a rush. Nikki continued to smoke, snort and drink the rest of the night and they popped champagne at midnight, jamming her tongue down Daniel’s throat at midnight.
Around 1 a.m., Nikki was starting to come down from her high and she had just been sipping her vodka since midnight so she was just as lucid as anyone in the room other than Daniel, who only had three drinks all night. Christina, who didn’t party often due to her duties as a single mother, was another story. Not used to the amount of alcohol she consumed, Christina was on the floor of the office bathroom, hugging the toilet as Adrianna attempted to help her.
With the bathroom occupied, Daniel had to go downstairs to the public restrooms to relieve himself. Nikki was talking to Al and hardly noticed when he left. She was in the process of complimenting Al on running the business so smoothly and with her outfit for the evening, which consisted of a pair of black jeans, a black top and black high-heels. Although she didn’t pay attention when Daniel left, Nikki’s full attention was on him when he came back.
Daniel walked back into the office 20 minutes later with a soaking wet shirt and dirty khaki pants, as if he had been throwing up in the toilet. Nikki immediately came over to him and could see a distraught look on his face.
“What the hell happened?” she asked. “Did you fall in the toilet?”
“No,” Daniel muttered.
“Then what happened to you?” Nikki demanded.
“I was pushed,” Daniel responded.
Nikki’s eyes grew big and her eyebrows nearly reached her hairline in surprise. “What do you mean you were pushed?”
“I went to the bathroom and Domenic was in there with his friends,” Daniel whispered. “They pushed me around and I fell in the toilet.”
Nikki immediately grabbed his hand and ushered him outside the office for privacy, momentarily placing the half-smoked cigarette between her fingers into her mouth as she opened the door. Once in the privacy of the hallway, Nikki folded her right arm and cocked her left on top of it on a 90-degree angle, cigarette between her fingers and Rolex sliding down her wrist. All the while, Nikki had a disapproving expression plastered upon her face.
“What?” Daniel asked innocently.
“You let that arrogant motherfucker bully you again,” Nikki snapped.
“What was I supposed to do?” Daniel whined. “They’re bigger than me and there was four of them.”
“Did you do anything?” Nikki asked.
“No,” Daniel responded.
“Something is better than nothing,” Nikki complained. “You could at least show some self-respect and try to fight back.”
“I’m sorry,” Daniel murmured.
“This is the third time in the a month we are having this conversation,” Nikki said. “When are you going to grow a fucking pair and stand up for yourself?”
Daniel simply shrugged his shoulders and Nikki picked up the rant after taking another drag on her cigarette.
“That dude has hit on me three times in the last month and I’ve shut him down every time, telling him I’m committed to you,” she said as smoke filtered from her mouth as she spoke, pointing at him with her left index and middle fingers, cigarette sandwiched between the two. “You need to stop being a little bitch and do the same for me.”
With that, Nikki flung open the office door, crushed her cigarette in the ashtray on her desk on poured herself another drink before returning to her conversation with Al. After taking the next hour to cool off, Nikki assured Daniel that everything would be all right and he just had to build his confidence. Afterwards, she grabbed her leather coat and they headed out the door to head home for the night. Nikki made sure Jasmine was fit to drive, which she was after staying sober since midnight.
The SUV had not pulled out of the parking lot when Nikki mauled Daniel in the backseat, her leather coat creaking with every movement. By time they pulled into the driveway, Nikki was ready to pop, and she sprinted inside pulling Daniel along with her and eventually pushing him down onto the bed and jumping on top of him, demanding that he take the lead.
Daniel had become significantly better in the bedroom since the start of their relationship, thanks to Nikki’s guidance and he knew just how to get her off, although he was no magician with his tongue. Still, he knew when to pull her hair, when to caress her breasts and when to take her from behind. While he enjoyed when she sat on his face. At the end of the night, both of them were extremely satisfied, making the previous events disappear.
____________________________________________________________________________
While Nikki had a blast letting her hair down on New Year’s Eve, it was soon back to reality and her life of classes, homework and caring for Stefania resumed as the calendar turned to January.
Nikki followed through on her promise to work the concession stand at Stefania’s next home game, and surprisingly, she didn’t mind it. So she once agreed to work during the team’s final home game of the season, shortly after her 21st birthday.
Dressed in a tight white v-neck t-shirt with Notre Dame scrawled across the chest, tucked into a pair of dark blue bootcut jeans and thick black leather belt tying the two together, along with the gold necklaces dripping down to her perfect breasts, gold bracelets on her right wrist and large gold Rolex gleaming on her left wrist, along with a pair of knee-high black leather boots with a four-inch stiletto heel resting underneath her jean legs, along with her curly brown hair, Nikki was quite a hit with the fathers and schoolboys that approached the concession stand. Meanwhile, it was still a bit of a surprise for the other mothers when she took off her leather blazer and the large tattoo covering the upper half of her right arm was visible underneath her t-shirt.
Still, the women seemed to have accepted Nikki into the unofficial club. It was obvious to them that she was unequivocally devoted to Stefania and her success as a basketball player, student and person, but some also dodged her business dealings. To the parents, coaches, teachers and players, Stefania was a nice, polite, quiet and wholesome girl. Although they were completely unaware of her hidden smoking habit that had dropped from a pack per day as she remained in the closet to everyone at her new school.
After the game came to an end, the other women working the concession stand asked Nikki to grab a drink with them at the local sports bar. With Stefania spending the night with some of her teammates, she agreed to come along, if for no other reason than to be polite.
While sitting around with three other women in their 40’s at a bar was not as entertaining as nights out with her friends or even her mother, Nikki didn’t find herself bored in any capacity. In fact, she enjoyed listening to the dirt on other parents or players on the team. It did, however, make her quite aware to keep her personal life quiet or she would be the subject of their gossip when she wasn’t around.
Nikki excused herself to step outside after an hour and then again in another hour. This time, one of the mothers -- Deeanne -- decided to join her. Nikki shrugged her shoulders, happy for the company, and slipped on her leather blazer and proceeded to the bar’s patio and into the late-February night air.
She eagerly drew the flame to the orange-filtered cigarette waiting in her mouth and inhaled deeply. Nikki then offered a cigarette to Deeanne, who politely declined, before returning the pack to her black leather Louis Vuitton purse.
“Nikki, I have to admit, we have been pleasantly surprised with you this season,” Deeanne exclaimed.
“Why?” Nikki asked, blowing out smoke in the process.
“Well you are so young and there are some rumors about you having mob connections,” Deeanne explained. “Plus it’s not a secret that Stefania’s father is a mob boss.”
“Well didn’t you hear?” Nikki asked with a smile. “There’s no such thing as the mob!”
Both women laughed, but Deeanne was a bit uncomfortable with her response and quickly changed the subject.
“But Stefania is so great,” Deeanne said. “She’s going to be such a good player. We’re really lucky to have her.”
“Oh my god,” Nikki began, pausing to take a drag. “I never thought she would be so good. Before she moved in with me, she never even mentioned playing sports.”
“Really?” asked Deeanne with a surprised expression on her face. “I never would have known.”
Nikki, leaning on the railing with her left arm resting on top in a 90-degree angle, with her right hand resting on the black leather belt on around her hips, continued, “No, but I think it’s been really good for her. She struggles with confidence sometimes and I’m hoping this will bring it out of her.”
“Well, we are all really excited for the next few years with her on the team,” Deanne said.
Nikki beamed with pride, but she also knew that the team was not very good at the moment, save for the coach’s daughter and Stefania, both of whom were freshmen. She kept those thoughts to herself, however, and took one final puff on her cigarette before tossing it aside and heading back into the bar.
She stayed with the other women for another hour, before checking her Rolex and deciding it was time to call it a night. She hugged said her farewells and began her drive back to the house. While driving, lit cigarette in her left hand, Nikki’s thoughts were consumed with Stefania’s budding basketball career and how she was actually sad the season was coming to an end.
While Nikki knew basketball was going to be a good outlet for Stefania to grow as a young women, she was seemingly unaware of the impact it was having on her. Not only was Nikki getting enjoyment out of watching, but she was honing her ability to be patient and diplomatic in situations that required her to be, which couldn’t do anything but help her in the world of business.
One of the things that came with having Stefania was not only the first Christmas she spent her own house, but it was the first with Nikki and Stefania as a family. Gina was also home for the holidays and Nikki was thrilled to watch Stefania open her presents and sit on the couch next to her all day as they watched movies and fiddled with new gifts.
For the first time in her adult life, though, Nikki didn’t have wild plans for New Year’s Eve. She assumed the night would be spent with Stefania and Daniel at home on the couch, but a few days prior, the former asked if she could attend a party at one at the house of a basketball teammate. Nikki agreed and it suddenly opened up a hole in her calendar.
Daniel’s desire was to stay on the couch, but Nikki wanted to go to her club, where Al, Erica, Greta, Christina and Adrianna would be celebrating. Nikki informed Daniel he could stay home, but she was going out regardless of his plans, so he reluctantly agreed to tag along.
Nikki got dressed for the night, wearing a light blue sleeveless and backless top that dropped just below her belly button and a pair of tight white pants -- white a black leather belt with silver rhinestones and a western buckle through the loops -- and a pair of knee-high black leather boots with a four-inch stiletto heel overtop. She adorned herself in her usual three gold necklaces, gold bangle bracelets on her right wrist and thick gold Rolex on her left, while slicking back her flowing brown hair into a tight ponytail. The ensemble was then punctuated with her black leather dress coat that went to the top of her knees.
Without Stefania or the responsibilities of school, Nikki felt like a free woman and she intended to make the most of it. This was the first time she had a night out with her friends since Halloween so it was as if a lion was let out of a cage.
Nikki arrived at the club and immediately went up to her office where her friends had already arrived, all of them with men they had been dating or met that night. Without even taking her off her leather coat, Nikki went right to the table and downed a shot of Jack Daniels, effectively announcing her arrival to the rest of the room. After saying hello to her friends and taking off her coat, she looked out the two-way mirror window and was pleased to see the club packed with party-goers.
Rather than wait for a waitress to bring her drinks, Nikki decided to go down to the bar herself, asking Erica to tag along. Jasmine suggested sending someone else or waiting, given the amount of people, but Nikki assured her that no one would attack her on New Year’s Eve.
As they walked downstairs -- the music from the club making the walls vibrate -- Nikki told Erica how much she appreciated taking over the responsibilities of running the club on a daily basis and also told her how well she was clearly doing. Erica was thrilled with the compliment, considering Nikki didn’t hand them out unless she truly meant them.
They entered the main bar room and eyes immediately fell upon the two women. Erica was an attractive woman in her own right, but Nikki always stole the show, regardless of the company she was in. They pushed their way to the bar and the bartender immediately ignored other customers to speak with her bosses. Nikki instructed the woman to give her a glass of Grey Goose vodka on the rocks, while also telling her to to send a waitress up with a bottle, along with two bottles of champagne they would use at midnight.
While waiting for their drink orders, Nikki felt a tap on her tattooed shoulders and turned around to see Domenic smiling down at her. Nikki laughed at the site of him, knowing he was there in hopes of seeing her.
“Should I be concerned about you stalking me?” Nikki yelled so he could hear her over the music.
“My friends wanted to come here,” Domenic claimed. “I figured I would try it out and it’s a pretty cool spot.”
Nikki laughed again and gave him an OK symbol with her fingers.
“Is this just a girl’s night?” Domenic asked.
“Nope,” Nikki responded. “Daniel is upstairs waiting for me.”
“Well, it’s not very gentlemanly of him to make you get your own drink,” Domenic said.
“I’m a big girl,” Nikki responded shortly.
“You’re still dating him?” Domenic asked.
“Of course,” Nikki said.
“Do you love him?” Domenic persisted. “Are you going to get married?”
“I don’t know,” Nikki laughed. “We’ve only been dating a couple of months, but I’m not looking to make a change.”
“Well, let me know if you change your mind,” Domenic offered.
“Thanks,” Nikki smiled. “I’m good for now, though.”
Her drink finally arrived and Nikki pulled Erica away from the bar. The latter was thoroughly enjoying the conversation between the two and wanted it to continue.
“He’s so hot,” Erica whispered as they climbed the stairs, high-heels clacking with every step. “You guys have some chemistry.”
“I can’t stand that guy,” Nikki said in disgust. “He’s Daniel’s boss and he’s been bullying him around, making him do all of his work and staying late all the time. He’s so full of himself.”
“That’s the pot calling the kettle black,” Erica laughed. “You’re so full of yourself.”
“Yeah, but I have a reason to be,” joked Nikki, rubbing her free hand on her perfectly-toned buttocks. “Look at me.”
The two girls laughed hysterically as they finished walking upstairs, although Nikki was quite fond of her own appearance and lifestyle.
Once back in the spacious office, Nikki picked the pack of Marlboro Red Label 100s out of her purse on her desk, extracted one and lit up, smoke flooding from her nostrils and both corners of her mouth as the cigarette dangled from her lips.
Nikki waltzed over to where Daniel was sitting on the leather couch and plopped down next to him. Al, who was on the other side, handed her a plate of cocaine and a $20 bill, which she accepted and snorted the white powder into her nose for the first time in several months, giving her a rush. Nikki continued to smoke, snort and drink the rest of the night and they popped champagne at midnight, jamming her tongue down Daniel’s throat at midnight.
Around 1 a.m., Nikki was starting to come down from her high and she had just been sipping her vodka since midnight so she was just as lucid as anyone in the room other than Daniel, who only had three drinks all night. Christina, who didn’t party often due to her duties as a single mother, was another story. Not used to the amount of alcohol she consumed, Christina was on the floor of the office bathroom, hugging the toilet as Adrianna attempted to help her.
With the bathroom occupied, Daniel had to go downstairs to the public restrooms to relieve himself. Nikki was talking to Al and hardly noticed when he left. She was in the process of complimenting Al on running the business so smoothly and with her outfit for the evening, which consisted of a pair of black jeans, a black top and black high-heels. Although she didn’t pay attention when Daniel left, Nikki’s full attention was on him when he came back.
Daniel walked back into the office 20 minutes later with a soaking wet shirt and dirty khaki pants, as if he had been throwing up in the toilet. Nikki immediately came over to him and could see a distraught look on his face.
“What the hell happened?” she asked. “Did you fall in the toilet?”
“No,” Daniel muttered.
“Then what happened to you?” Nikki demanded.
“I was pushed,” Daniel responded.
Nikki’s eyes grew big and her eyebrows nearly reached her hairline in surprise. “What do you mean you were pushed?”
“I went to the bathroom and Domenic was in there with his friends,” Daniel whispered. “They pushed me around and I fell in the toilet.”
Nikki immediately grabbed his hand and ushered him outside the office for privacy, momentarily placing the half-smoked cigarette between her fingers into her mouth as she opened the door. Once in the privacy of the hallway, Nikki folded her right arm and cocked her left on top of it on a 90-degree angle, cigarette between her fingers and Rolex sliding down her wrist. All the while, Nikki had a disapproving expression plastered upon her face.
“What?” Daniel asked innocently.
“You let that arrogant motherfucker bully you again,” Nikki snapped.
“What was I supposed to do?” Daniel whined. “They’re bigger than me and there was four of them.”
“Did you do anything?” Nikki asked.
“No,” Daniel responded.
“Something is better than nothing,” Nikki complained. “You could at least show some self-respect and try to fight back.”
“I’m sorry,” Daniel murmured.
“This is the third time in the a month we are having this conversation,” Nikki said. “When are you going to grow a fucking pair and stand up for yourself?”
Daniel simply shrugged his shoulders and Nikki picked up the rant after taking another drag on her cigarette.
“That dude has hit on me three times in the last month and I’ve shut him down every time, telling him I’m committed to you,” she said as smoke filtered from her mouth as she spoke, pointing at him with her left index and middle fingers, cigarette sandwiched between the two. “You need to stop being a little bitch and do the same for me.”
With that, Nikki flung open the office door, crushed her cigarette in the ashtray on her desk on poured herself another drink before returning to her conversation with Al. After taking the next hour to cool off, Nikki assured Daniel that everything would be all right and he just had to build his confidence. Afterwards, she grabbed her leather coat and they headed out the door to head home for the night. Nikki made sure Jasmine was fit to drive, which she was after staying sober since midnight.
The SUV had not pulled out of the parking lot when Nikki mauled Daniel in the backseat, her leather coat creaking with every movement. By time they pulled into the driveway, Nikki was ready to pop, and she sprinted inside pulling Daniel along with her and eventually pushing him down onto the bed and jumping on top of him, demanding that he take the lead.
Daniel had become significantly better in the bedroom since the start of their relationship, thanks to Nikki’s guidance and he knew just how to get her off, although he was no magician with his tongue. Still, he knew when to pull her hair, when to caress her breasts and when to take her from behind. While he enjoyed when she sat on his face. At the end of the night, both of them were extremely satisfied, making the previous events disappear.
____________________________________________________________________________
While Nikki had a blast letting her hair down on New Year’s Eve, it was soon back to reality and her life of classes, homework and caring for Stefania resumed as the calendar turned to January.
Nikki followed through on her promise to work the concession stand at Stefania’s next home game, and surprisingly, she didn’t mind it. So she once agreed to work during the team’s final home game of the season, shortly after her 21st birthday.
Dressed in a tight white v-neck t-shirt with Notre Dame scrawled across the chest, tucked into a pair of dark blue bootcut jeans and thick black leather belt tying the two together, along with the gold necklaces dripping down to her perfect breasts, gold bracelets on her right wrist and large gold Rolex gleaming on her left wrist, along with a pair of knee-high black leather boots with a four-inch stiletto heel resting underneath her jean legs, along with her curly brown hair, Nikki was quite a hit with the fathers and schoolboys that approached the concession stand. Meanwhile, it was still a bit of a surprise for the other mothers when she took off her leather blazer and the large tattoo covering the upper half of her right arm was visible underneath her t-shirt.
Still, the women seemed to have accepted Nikki into the unofficial club. It was obvious to them that she was unequivocally devoted to Stefania and her success as a basketball player, student and person, but some also dodged her business dealings. To the parents, coaches, teachers and players, Stefania was a nice, polite, quiet and wholesome girl. Although they were completely unaware of her hidden smoking habit that had dropped from a pack per day as she remained in the closet to everyone at her new school.
After the game came to an end, the other women working the concession stand asked Nikki to grab a drink with them at the local sports bar. With Stefania spending the night with some of her teammates, she agreed to come along, if for no other reason than to be polite.
While sitting around with three other women in their 40’s at a bar was not as entertaining as nights out with her friends or even her mother, Nikki didn’t find herself bored in any capacity. In fact, she enjoyed listening to the dirt on other parents or players on the team. It did, however, make her quite aware to keep her personal life quiet or she would be the subject of their gossip when she wasn’t around.
Nikki excused herself to step outside after an hour and then again in another hour. This time, one of the mothers -- Deeanne -- decided to join her. Nikki shrugged her shoulders, happy for the company, and slipped on her leather blazer and proceeded to the bar’s patio and into the late-February night air.
She eagerly drew the flame to the orange-filtered cigarette waiting in her mouth and inhaled deeply. Nikki then offered a cigarette to Deeanne, who politely declined, before returning the pack to her black leather Louis Vuitton purse.
“Nikki, I have to admit, we have been pleasantly surprised with you this season,” Deeanne exclaimed.
“Why?” Nikki asked, blowing out smoke in the process.
“Well you are so young and there are some rumors about you having mob connections,” Deeanne explained. “Plus it’s not a secret that Stefania’s father is a mob boss.”
“Well didn’t you hear?” Nikki asked with a smile. “There’s no such thing as the mob!”
Both women laughed, but Deeanne was a bit uncomfortable with her response and quickly changed the subject.
“But Stefania is so great,” Deeanne said. “She’s going to be such a good player. We’re really lucky to have her.”
“Oh my god,” Nikki began, pausing to take a drag. “I never thought she would be so good. Before she moved in with me, she never even mentioned playing sports.”
“Really?” asked Deeanne with a surprised expression on her face. “I never would have known.”
Nikki, leaning on the railing with her left arm resting on top in a 90-degree angle, with her right hand resting on the black leather belt on around her hips, continued, “No, but I think it’s been really good for her. She struggles with confidence sometimes and I’m hoping this will bring it out of her.”
“Well, we are all really excited for the next few years with her on the team,” Deanne said.
Nikki beamed with pride, but she also knew that the team was not very good at the moment, save for the coach’s daughter and Stefania, both of whom were freshmen. She kept those thoughts to herself, however, and took one final puff on her cigarette before tossing it aside and heading back into the bar.
She stayed with the other women for another hour, before checking her Rolex and deciding it was time to call it a night. She hugged said her farewells and began her drive back to the house. While driving, lit cigarette in her left hand, Nikki’s thoughts were consumed with Stefania’s budding basketball career and how she was actually sad the season was coming to an end.
While Nikki knew basketball was going to be a good outlet for Stefania to grow as a young women, she was seemingly unaware of the impact it was having on her. Not only was Nikki getting enjoyment out of watching, but she was honing her ability to be patient and diplomatic in situations that required her to be, which couldn’t do anything but help her in the world of business.
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