The restaurant was already bustling with activities when Valerie and her teammates walked in. Soft golden lights from the chandelier hung above illuminated the place. The girls all looked gorgeous, about 12 of them, each draped in beautiful and elegant dresses suiting the mood for the night and matching the luxurious tone of the restaurant.
They walked along, with their heads held high like the Champions they were and their soft laughter punctuating the night.
"Oh my Gosh!, these are the girls that won tonight" a lady exclaimed as soon as the realization dawned on her.
This attracted more eyes to the girls as everyone else in the room turned to catch a glimpse of them.
They were the centre of attention and they enjoyed every bit of it.
A waitress led them to a long beautifully set table, right at the corner of the room. The table cloth was made of a high quality linen,white , thick and heavy. The silverware and crystal glasses all glowed under the lights. Everything screamed luxury and class.
Just as the girls settled in and got comfortable, then came Richard Crane.
He arrived with three men in sharp, tailored suits, their expressions calm and professional. Richard himself looked every bit the CEO…dark navy suit, a sleek watch glinting under the lights, his hair neatly styled. He shook hands with the coach first, then moved down the line, smiling politely at each player.
"Congratulations ladies" he said with a smile.
"Quite a wonderful game you guys had today", he further commented.
"Thank you sir" they all replied almost in unison like it was rehearsed.
Few minutes later, they were all comfortably seated, the players and their coach on one side, Richard and his men on the other.
The servers went about their duties diligently, taking orders, pouring wines, serving meals, making sure the evening was a perfect one.
The conversations were light heated at first. The team answered the questions from the CEO, both the general ones and the ones that were specifically directed to each of them.
They recapped key moments of the game, the missed shots, the near fail experiences, the heroic saves, the last minute shots, every last one of them.
Then Richard turned to Valerie…
"I heard you're the MVP of the game tonight" he said with a smile, his voice laced with a bit of admiration.
"Yes sir, but honestly, I couldn't have done it without my teammates" She replied in her usual modest tone.
"Each of them contributed to tonight's victory as much as I did" she further explained, flashing her teammates that smile that says "I got y'all"
Her teammates laughed and cheered her on but Richard was not one to be moved easily.
His gaze remained fixated on her, studying her like she was some puzzle to be solved.
"Is that so?" He asked rhetorically.
"I have to say, though," he casually stated, while cutting his beef steak, "women's basketball is always…yunno different. Not as aggressive as men's games, but still fun to watch."
The table went silent.
Then came Valerie's voice… "different?" she asked.
Richard looked up, surprised at the tone of her voice, "Yes," he said with an easy smile. "Not in a bad way tho. Just… slower, more emotional. You know, men's basketball is faster-paced, but women bring something softer to the game. Grace, I guess."
Valerie hesitates for a moment.
She leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs. "Softer" she repeated.
"Well that wouldn't exactly be the word I'd use in describing the sport where I almost got a nosebleed tonight"
The girls nodded their heads in support.
Richard Chuckled. "I just mean the energy is different…not as much as that of the men's game".
Oh, definitely," Valerie said, smiling sweetly. "We run just as hard, sweat just as much, and work twice as long as the men. But yes, you're right the energy is different. Ours comes with actual skill."
The girls laughed out loud this time around, unable to hold in the laughter. Richard's men almost exploded with surpressed laughter.
But none of them dared release it.
Richard's smile faltered slightly. "You're fiery," he said, trying to keep it light.
"I just don't like when people try to downplay women's sports," Valerie replied, still calm, but her eyes were like laser beam, sharp and steady.
Richard leaned forward, elbows on the table, his palms together in a knot, "It's not downplaying, Valerie. It's called facing reality. The men's game is simply on a higher level." he said with a shrug of his shoulders.
Valerie tilted her head, her voice calm. "wow that's funny. I didn't know talent had a gender."
That Statement got her teammates laughing so hard they nearly choked. One of Richard's men coughed into his napkin, his shoulders shaking.
Richard's jaw tightened. His brows furrowing into a deep V as confusion clouded his face. "You know, young lady, I sponsor this team. A little gratitude would be nice."
Valerie leaned forward now, matching his initial energy. "And we're grateful, sir. We are Truly. But if being grateful means agreeing with things I know aren't true, then I guess I'm not very good at this 'gratitude' thing".
The table went silent. The laughter had already died down, and there was tension in the air. The team's coach cleared his throat nervously, trying to mediate, but Valerie and Richard were far gone.
"Watch your tone," Richard said finally, his voice dropping.
"Watch your words," Valerie shot back, not mincing words and her smile never faltering.
That was the breaking point. Two of her teammates quickly stood and grabbed her by the arm.
"Val, come on," one of them whispered.
"Yeah, let's go chill for a sec" the other added, practically dragging her out of her seat.
Obediently, Valerie stood up and followed them.
Richard watched her leave, his jaw tight, his men exchanging uncomfortable glances with each other. The silence already spoke enough.
Together, they led Valerie out of the dining hall and into the quiet hallway. Their coach trailing behind them.
"Valerie!!! what was that?" her coach hissed. "This is exactly what I meant when I said you should be on your best behavior" he complained.
"I was on my best behavior," Valerie said firmly.
She wasn't going to back down, at least not when she's right.
Her teammates exchanged nervous glances, but deep down, they felt nothing but admiration for her. Valerie wasn't afraid of anyone, not even the man who wrote their paychecks.
"Valerie, I want you to go in there and apologize to Mr. Richard immediately" the coach ordered, his voice sharp with disappointment.
But Valerie remained adamant. She straightened her dress, exhaled sharply, and looked back toward the dining room door.
"He can be rich. He can be powerful," she muttered. "But he's not always right."
And with that, she turned on her heel and walked further down the hall. She needed space to cool off some steam, else she might say something sharper.
The rest of the evening went uneventful. After the banter between Valerie and the CEO, no one else dared to speak for fear of fueling the already burning fire.
"Thank you so much Sir for having us," the coach said as they all sat up to leave. "It was an honour."
"Yeah yeah, the pleasure's mine," Richard replied whilst shaking his hand and fix
ing his button with his free hand.
"Oh and coach?" he continued, "consider the sponsorship deal off."
"What!"