Page 9 of A Shot at Love
Jadea has never been one to soften the blow. “Yes.”
I breathe out a long sigh and then straighten resolutely. “I’ll think about it. I just have to decide what I want.” A seemingly impossible task when I feel so confused.
“And you’ll call your mom.” I already updated Jadea on our argument, and I know she wants us to make up already. She loves my mom.
I want to make up with her, too, despite all the secrets she kept from me. I’m just avoiding the hard conversation I know we’ll have to have. I sigh again. “And my mom.”
“Good.” Jadea breaks out into one of her beautiful smiles, one dimple popping in her left cheek. “Now, let’s go get you some Daniel Chan!”
I groan as we exit the car, slinging our practice bags over our shoulders. “Please stop with that! You’re just encouraging the others.” God, what if Jadea mentions to Daniel that I have a crush on him? Is it even possible to get out of this situation unscathed?
Jadea doesn’t miss a step. “That’s my intention.”
I groan in response. “Of course, it is.” I pray I can make it through today without embarrassing myself too much. I will be cool, calm, and collected. Polite. Distant. Professional. How many adjectives can I recite before seeing Daniel again feels almost mundane?
We weave our way up the garage and into the atrium of our practice facility. Jadea heads to the locker roomwith a spring in her step, chirping a hello to every security guard and facility staff member we pass.
After changing into reversible practice jerseys and our basketball shoes, we walk out onto the court. I see most of my teammates also showed up early today, with Jadea and me the last two to arrive. The atmosphere feels charged, almost electric, and inside, I ruefully admit that Jadea has accomplished at least one of her goals. Instead of worrying endlessly about a scandal that may or may not explode, now the girls are just excited about our Daniel Chan piece. Even Coach Rembert seems to be fighting a smile.
“Coach?” Taherah asks. “Should we start practicing, or do you want us to wait for Daniel Chan?” It’s as if no one can say his first name without his last. It just rolls off the tongue. Daniel Chan, Daniel Chan, Daniel Chan. I’m so mesmerized with the ridiculous circle of my thoughts I almost miss her answer.
“After talking with Jadea, Daniel’s producer, Iris Langley, contacted me. She was very respectful of our time. We agreed that it would be best to hold a meeting and make introductions before practice today. They’ll also go over expectations for the next two weeks. Besides a few extra interviews here and there, they will not be disrupting our practices.” She slowly scans our loose huddle, catching our eyes. “We are still the number one team in this league. And I will not let us be distracted, even if it is for good reason.”
We all nod solemnly, even Jadea. This piece may be a good fit for the team, and it may help with the possible JackSmith repercussions, but winning a championship is still our first priority. We had a taste of winning last year but ended up making enough small errors that we lost in the championship game.
I mentally wind myself up. New social situations are always stressful for me, but it feels a million times worse with Daniel because it’s not exactly new. I know him intimately; he’s also a stranger. He works in New York. He’s a TV star. He probably has a beautiful girlfriend. I just need to ignore the past and focus on basketball. Lying low. Fortunately, the spotlight isn’t just on me, it’s on the team and how we navigate the world of women’s sports. No matter how personally difficult this is for me, Daniel is amazing at what he does. Sports broadcasting was his major in college, though I know he always thought of it as something he would do after he retired from track. A small part of me wants to tell him that he’s a natural at it, just like running. And even though I’m furious at him for disappearing, there are so many things I could say that aren’t fueled by anger.
Should I mention how much I love his show? Should I mention that he’s changed my perspective on sports? That I cried the other day watching his piece on Paralympians and how they are shortchanged in terms of Olympic coverage?
No, definitely not. I need to act professional but ultimately keep it short and sweet. If we start a conversation, who knows what Daniel will say. I need to corner him sometime later today, so we can privately agree to never mention our past. When he introduceshimself, I’ll do the same and then say, “I’m a big fan.” And then I’ll smile. Short and sweet. That’s a polite response. A true one. It makes me the bigger person and reveals nothing to my teammates, who just think Daniel is my celebrity crush.
Just as my pulse begins to lower in response to my internal planning, I hear Allyson giggling. “Do you think he’ll say, ‘It’s Daniel Chan and this is Our World through Sports.’ That would besohot.”
Olabisi rolls her eyes. “Why on earth would he say that?”
Jadea leans over from where she’s seated on the bench, retying her shoe. “Allyson, you don’t even like men.”
Allyson looks at Jadea with bewilderment. “So?”
I’m still laughing when he walks in. Surprisingly, he’s not wearing a suit. Instead, he dressed more casually, his lean, muscled body clad in a Gotham FC jersey and black sweats. His black hair is curling a bit on top, and when he smiles, it lifts up crookedly. He’s still wearing the black framed glasses I supposedly (definitely) waxed poetic about to Jadea. He looks better than I remember him. Better than he has on my TV screen. My breath stutters a bit in my chest, and I cover it with a cough. Jadea shoots me a smug look that I return with venom.
Daniel is walking with a woman in her forties carrying a clipboard. She must be Iris Langley. They pan to her sometimes on his show. She was the one who saw potential in his YouTube channel three years ago andpitched it to HBO. At least, that’s what it says on his Wikipedia page.
Daniel stops a few paces away from us to introduce himself to Coach. They shake hands, and Iris begins animatedly talking to Coach Rembert and pointing to her clipboard. For a second, they look like exact mirrors of each other. Two driven women with big goals in mind and a protective energy.
Though we’re all straining to hear what they’re saying, we act like we’re not by straightening our things or whispering to each other. Lynn says something in my ear, and I can’t hear it over my elevated pulse. It must be the stress of the week that’s making my body go haywire. It can’t possibly be seeing Daniel. I’m over him. Fully.
Finally, Iris, Daniel, and Coach Rembert finish their little conference. Coach turns our way, immediately keying in on our attempts at listening. She waves her hand at us, and we all scramble to create a semi-organized line so we can introduce ourselves.
Daniel smiles easily as he approaches. Up close, I can see the small mole on his square jaw and the faint scar above his right eye. I remember the stitches he had there from where the car smashed his glasses into his face. My hand twitches unconsciously as though to touch it. “Sorry for the formality, everyone. I know some of you…” his eyes trace over us, and I swear they linger on me for a moment, “…from watching your games, but I’m a New York Liberty fan first, so introductions seemed appropriate.” That earns him a few chuckles and an eye roll from Olabisi. He launches in with, “My name is Daniel Chan, and I’m here to put a voice to this team. I know you’ve recently been grappling with some negative media attention and want to use this piece to combat that. While I think that is an admirable goal, I also want to show people what the WNBA can do. I want them to see your talent, your grit, and the utter lack of equality you deal with on a daily basis.”
I think my teammates’ metaphorical jaws drop. He says it like it’s obvious. He doesn’t equivocate or quibble with the details. He just says we aren’t treated equally to men in this sport. A fact many men refuse to face. “If you’ve seen my show, you know I take this seriously. Sports can be fun and exciting, but they have an impact. I don’t intend for this to be a puff piece. This will be real. Real interviews. Real practice clips. My show and this story are very important to me, just as I assume it’s very important to all of you. Right?”
He looks at each of us in turn, and I give a firm nod. No matter our history, on this, Daniel and I agree. Sports are a facet of society, and unfortunately, they are not equitable. He’s trying to create change with his show, and I have to respect him for that. Jadea speaks up for us. “Absolutely. We’re ready.”
The business-like expression melts off his face. He smiles again, and I feel a little starstruck.A lotstarstruck. Allyson lets loose a nervous giggle beside me. Daniel steps forward and offers a hand to Jadea. “Jadea Jones, right? An honor.”
She winks. “Me too, Chan.”
