one day, on the basketball court...

December 6, 2083 - Corbin Gray is 32. Jack Phoenix is 34.

One day, on the basketball court, Jack is trying to teach Corbin how to play basketball. There are a lot of things Corbin can do, but he isn't so well versed in these American sports, and all these sporty college kids run circles around him sometimes. Nobody wants to look like a fool on the job. So lucky for Corbin, his newest buddy was once a basketball star in college.


Corbin met Jack while jogging down North Park Street one afternoon, and noted how Jack's bad stride would surely cause shin splints if he wasn't careful. Then Corbin quickly explained that he was a certified physical therapist and not actually trying to pick him up. They've only been hanging out a few weeks, but they both welcome the new friendship. Jack welcomes someone to shoot hoops with, since his dad has gotten too old, and most of his family are into couch sporting rather than actual sporting. And Corbin looks forward to spending time with friends who aren't women, who don't remind him of Leila, or anything he used to do with Leila. Friends who play basketball and poker, and belch without excusing themselves, and drink cheap beer in slimy South End pubs.

It's an added bonus that Jack knows basketball. He's actually pretty good at it.

"But to be pro," Jack says. "You have to be great, not just good. Trust me, I make a better cop."

The ball flies though the net, bouncing almost perfectly back to him like he called it there. It seems to defy the laws of physics.

"Oh look at that," Corbin says.

"It's just practice," Jack says. "You'll get it soon enough."

"So we're having this holiday party," Jack says. "In a couple weeks, if you're not doing anything. Just some huge thing, we have it every year."

"Sure, sounds like fun," Corbin says.

"Generic holiday party, I don't know if you're religious or anything," Jack says.

"No, not religious," Corbin says. "But don't worry about it, if you are."

"Bring a date if you want, are you dating anybody?"

Corbin hates this question. He never hated it before, but he hates it now. "Oh, you know. Nothing serious," he says.

"There's just one thing," Jack says.

Corbin lines up the ball and shoots. "Sure, what is it?" The ball hits rim and circles around before falling outside of it instead of inside.

"You should probably know, so it's not a shock or anything."

Jack goes to get the ball.

"I mean, it is shocking," Jack says. "But it doesn't have to be weird. It's just the kind of thing people like to know beforehand."

Corbin waits. Jack pads at the basketball, round and round in his hands, like he'd forgotten he wanted to say anything at all. He stops turning the ball, but he doesn't look away from it.

"My wife, Nessa," he says. "She has cancer."

"I'm so sorry," Corbin says.

"If it's too weird, or whatever, you don't have to come."

Corbin doesn't know what to think, so he just answers. "No, I'll be there."

When Jack smiles, it's almost not a smile at all, but an offering. "Great," he says. He reevaluates, takes the ball back down to dribble again, the hollow boing, boing, boing of rubber on wood. He raises it back up to the hoop.

"She just wants to have a nice party," he says.

He shoots the ball. Nothing but net.

*******

(footnotes: Leila // Jack and Nessa)

notes: so there's that then. I think some of you already guessed it from Jodie's story.

This little storyline was actually inspired by something that happened in the game, and as with all gameplay tidbits, I always reserve the right to take it or leave it depending on how it fits into the story.

The c-word is one of those topics I don't usually want to "go there" with, and for reasons that hit too close to home, I'll probably maintain some distance with these stories. But I found that it brought something important to the story, and particularly with some of the characters more indirectly involved, like Hayden. It brings an angle that I couldn't have reached otherwise. So it started to write itself. And so I guess I can, and will, "go there" after all. Who knew?

I'll be wrapping this and all of its parts into Hayden's story tag, by the way.

And given all that gravity, I think we need some outtakes!

Meet the ballerina stalker, lol! And her stalker posse. I had such a hard time shooting this scene, because these women will not leave them alone, lol! But then, on any given day, Meadow follows Corbin around the gym like a little lost puppy dog! Oh how sad she'll be, now that she's retiring, and won't get to watch him at work every day. She's too funny!

But yes, of course, Corbin was hired for his athletic skill and knowledge! Of course he was! ;)

And Jack - poor Jack doesn't get enough screentime, but he was looking particularly nice in this one, so I just had to share ;)

So I'm not sure if Meadow is swooning for Jack, or for Corbin, or for both of them at the same time.

Ballerina Stalker though, she just won't leave Corbin alone, lol! I wrote in my babble thread about how tempted I was to make this a shirtless game, but the reality is that Corbin just does not take his shirt off at work! DOES NOT! Seriously, he is *terrified* of those college girls! They're insatiable!!! They're like hungry little hormonal sex-starved monsters!!! They would eat him alive!!! :o