Page 168 of On Merit Alone
“Stop.” Laughing, she grabbed onto my arm and pulled on me as I half-stood out of my seat. “Stop that, crazy.”
I lowered my voice as I spoke again, “Seriously, Six. I don’t want you uncomfortable.”
She was as cool as a cucumber, though, shrugging again. “I’m comfortable with you. Out there, I was mortified by the excessive PDA, but never afraid. Never uncomfortable. Not when I’m with you.”
I looked at her, trying to find the lie or the crack in her features, but there weren’t any. So I did the right thing and believed her. “Alright then.”
Someone cleared their throat causing Merit and I to look over our shoulders and view the rest of the table who were all staring at us, various degrees of happy disgust on their faces.
“We’re going to have to deal with this lovey-dovey shit forever, aren’t we?” Kivvey asked out loud while staring at us.
“Looks like it,” Stephens answered in a deadpan manner.
“And they don’t care who else is around or what they happen to be eating while they do it either, huh?”
“Looks like it.”
“And they are actually this disgustingly in love, aren’t they?”
“Looks like it, man.”
Merit pressed her lips together in a soft laugh while I leaned in and pointed a mock stern finger at them. “Hey. That is my player you’re talking about. I’m a professional here. I take my position very seriously.”
“You could be in a scandal,” Stephens suggested. “Dating your player in secret.”
I opened my mouth to protest but thought better of it as I looked over at Merit. “Now that’s kind of hot.”
The table erupted in groans at the same time Mer and I doubled in laughter.
Up front, the microphone gave a gentle feedback noise before someone picked it up. As they rallied the attention of all those having fun in the room, I couldn’t stop the thought that this was a special event. And the game tomorrow would be too. While the tickets had sold a ton more than we originally thought they would, an anonymous donor had bought more tickets for inner-city children in basketball leagues to fill the rest of the arena.
A packed house for a coed charity game? Times were crazy.
“Attention, could I have your attention, please?” the MC for the night proclaimed. “We’d like to thank you all for attending this special evening tonight. Funding projects such as these that help those in need are near and dear to our hearts. But what makes this extra special is that the players competing in tomorrow's charity game are playing for something near to their own.”
An appreciative murmur rose throughout the room and died quickly as MC dude continued, “Originally, there was to be a contest. The winner would get to choose where the proceeds were allocated. But thanks to your generous donations, we have enoughto donate to both causes of our teams’ choosing. So I’d like to welcome our generous athletes upfront before we end our night and hear their pledge for what they’re playing for tomorrow afternoon.”
The room broke out in polite claps. With my arm tucked at her waist, I led Merit up by my side. I checked her over through my periphery and noticed that she really did seem fine. I noticed the way she was biting down on her laugh, a trademark of when she was trying to stay serious but wanted to smile. Following her gaze, I saw Iris somewhere at my family’s table, making faces at me.
I shook my head. Who’d have thought I’d get so lucky? I’d be damned to let this gift slip through my fingers.
We stood behind a large podium. On the surface of it, I grabbed hold of Merit’s hand. Without hesitation, she laced our fingers together and we shared a short look before turning back out to the crowd. I caught Ryan’s eye from across the room, and he rolled his. Then I caught Merit’s shady GM’s eyes and he glared.
Good. I was starting to worry he wouldn’t show for the fun.
As the announcer wrapped up asking the other team captain their questions, they moved on to face Mer and me. I felt myself stand a little more on alert.
“Now, onto Ira and Merit. You two sure do look cozy,” the MC said. I peeked over at Mer to find her already looking at me, her expectant eyes waiting for me to answer. I narrowed mine at her.
“You wanna take this one, babe?” I asked, purposely being loud enough for the rest of the room to hear. The little minx grinned. And then shook her head.
The room laughed. And I turned toward the mic with an amused grin on my face. “Uh, I’m technically her coach right now, and I’m on the clock, so no comment.”
People around us continued their chuckling.
“Alright, alright. We won’t hound you two then,” they said. “But what we really want to know is what organization your team is choosing to donate to for this event.”
“Team NA would like to donate to an organization that prioritizes girls' sports in locations that currently don’t. There are still, to this day, counties nationwide with schools that don't have girls sports teams. Recreation centers without equal levels of programming for girls athletics as boys. Team NA believes that an athlete should be evaluated on merit alone. Not by gender, or personality, or color. So we want to help create opportunities for those athletes to play if they want to. Athletes. Not female athletes, but athletes. Period.”
