Page 64 of A Shot at Love
He doesn’t say anything, still turning the shoes round and round. I clear my throat nervously. “I know it’s small, but I just wanted to show you how much you mean to me. You’ve done so much for me—”
Daniel cuts me off, finally looking up at me. I’m surprised to see his eyes are a little glassy. “They’re perfect, Annie. You’re perfect.” And then he tears off his dress shoes in a frenzy, pulling on the sneakers.
“What are you doing?” I gesture wildly, trying to get his attention. “They don’t go with your suit!”
He looks up at me, in the process of lacing them. “Of course they do. Do you have a pair too?”
I’m secretly delighted at this outcome. I pull mine out of the box. “They’re the exact same, except they’re—
“Pink.” He smiles. “You have to wear yours, too.”
Before I can answer, the same PA sticks their head in the room. “One minute, Daniel.” This time, the look he levels at us is less endearing and more severe.
Daniel starts backing towards the door. Then he changes his mind, clutching me close and kissing the breath out of me. “Show time!” he says breathlessly, backing towards the door. He winks. “See you out there.” He leaves, heading to his desk on stage. I smile when I hear the audience start clapping for him. He’ll go through the first forty-five minutes of the show without me and then my interview will be at the end.
I immediately put on the pink Converse. Even if they weren’t exactly what I envisioned with this outfit, they might bring me luck. Daniel and I are in a good place, and hopefully, with today’s interview, the scandal will finally be resolved.
I look at the papers Jack signed, tucked partway into my purse. I breathe in deeply through my nose, trying to calm my fluttering heart. This is it, one small change that I can enact for good.
I hope.
*
When Daniel announces my name, it feels like I’m walking through a soundless tunnel, not out onto a stage. There are bright lights, my mic pack pressed against my spine, and an intimate studio audience. I wave and try to smile genuinely, which becomes easier when I notice Jadea and my mom cheering for me. I almost laugh out loud when I see they’re both holding the scarlet and white pom-poms usually reserved for games. Jadea and I hop on a plane as soon as the show’s over so we can attend practice tomorrow morning in St. Louis. My mom wanted to come to the show too, but decided it was best to avoid Jack and sit with Jadea in the audience.
I’m so glad they’re both here.
When I sit down at Daniel’s desk, across from him, I feel his toe gently nudge mine. A reminder that he’s in this, too. I relax a little and smile at him. “Hi, Annie.” He greets me warmly, as if we’re strangers, which makes the audience laugh. He turns to them a bit, mockoutraged. “What’s with the laughter? How else should I greet her?”
This prompts more laughter, then even more when I roll my eyes at his antics. “Daniel.” His name is twisted by affection and exasperation. “Thanks for having me.”
Daniel grins at me again. “It’s hard to say no to you, Annie Larger. But, on to business. This is not your first official interview this week—you’ve actually broken your silence on your father’s scandal several times already. Why the sudden change in strategy?”
This is a rehearsed question; they all are. I take a deep breath to settle my nerves and remember what we practiced. “Well, I’ve never liked interviews. Or speaking in public. Honestly, I’d rather do anything else.” Daniel acts affronted, and the crowd eats it up. I soften a little, appreciating that he’s trying to make me feel comfortable. “Sorry, honey, but that’s the truth.” I refocus and even dart a look at the audience, which is almost impossible to make out with the lights. I spot a few curious expressions. “But, after the scandal and Trenton’s false accusations, I realized that I needed to be brave and confront my problems head-on.”
This prompts a small smattering of applause, and I duck my head. Daniel is looking at me proudly. “I imagine that must have been a difficult decision. So, this leads into my next question—whyOur World Through Sports? You’ve already cleared your name and told your side of the story, most memorably on ESPN’sThe Jump.”
Another rehearsed question and a segway that Daniel handles deftly. “First, it’s because this show isimportant to me. I trust you.” Not exactly the answer we rehearsed, but it needs to be said. The audience claps a little, and I blush. Daniel is looking at me like he’s in love with me, and everyone is noticing. Before I jump over the desk and start making out with him, I regroup. “Second, I have an announcement for WNBA fans. Even though I was not involved in any of Jack’s decisions, I did benefit from them. I made it into an extremely competitive league, and I achieved my childhood dream. That might have happened without Jack’s interference—but we’ll never know.”
There are some murmurs from the audience, and I hope they appreciate my candor. There’s no good hiding the truth. I can see Jadea nodding along in encouragement. “My biological father and brother are being forced out of ownership. They also face other consequences from the league. They won’t touch the Arrows anymore.” This prompts a giant whoop that sounds suspiciously like it comes from Jadea and surer applause from the audience. I take a little bravery from them and finish with the big secret that Jack just signed off on. “Jack was willing to give me a large inheritance as his newly legitimate daughter, but it didn’t feel right to take it because I’m not a part of his family. That’s not my life. My future.” I fold and unfold my hands nervously. “So, after talking with him and Tiffany, we have agreed that each year the Smith Family will sponsor an in-season WNBA tournament intended to bridge the gap in pay disparity between male and female athletes. Besides the traditional playoffs, teams will also have atournament partway through the season with a ten-million-dollar prize.”
There’s a gasp from the audience, and my heart is pounding so loud in my ears. I force myself to keep going, hoping no one can hear the nervous shaking in my voice. “The winning team will receive a six-million-dollar prize to be split between players and staff. The second place team will receive two million and the remaining seeds will have a tiered system of cash prizes as well.” The room is silent now, listening to my plan. “This tournament will begin next year and has already been approved by the necessary WNBA stakeholders. While I know this does not make up for what has happened, I hope that this shows how much I believe in this league. In women’s sports. I hope this shows you that I do not take living my dream for granted. That, in fact, none of the women in this league do.”
There’s a cheer from the audience, and I smile in relief. That was it. That was the main speech I had to make, and I got through it without stuttering, tearing up, or crawling under the desk. There are gaps in it, places I maybe should expand or questions left unanswered, but I made it. I spoke on live television and took one step towards fixing the many errors the Smith family has made.
Daniel is looking at me, and when our gazes meet, I can’t help but sit up straighter. Everything is a little easier when you let love in. “Annie, this plan sounds wonderful. I hope it’s everything you imagined.”
“Me too,” I agree. “I hope it’s a domino effect. Women and LGBTQ+ athletes are frequently mistreated in the realm of sports. I hope this tiny, small, minuscule gesture shows we deserve to be taken seriously.”
“I think it does.” Daniel nods seriously. “And I think our audience does, too.”
I look out at them and see them on their feet. I do the only thing I can think of, the only thing I know to get a crowd excited. “Let’s go, Arrows!” I stand up from the desk and pump my fist. “Watch our next playoff game on Tuesday!”
The crowd cheers louder, and I hear Daniel laughing behind me.
“Well, folks, that seems like a perfect ending to another episode ofOur World Through Sports. I’m Daniel Chan, and that’s my fantastic girlfriend, Annie Larger. Good night!”
I blow him a kiss.
