“How are you doing?” James asks.
“I feel like I’m going to puke.”
He nods. “Keep it brief. You do have to answer their questions, but don’t overtalk.”
I raise an eyebrow.
He laughs. “Right. I don’t even have to tell you this. You’re known for holding it all close to the vest anyway. I’m sure that’s one reason why they thought the salary gap wouldn’t be an issue. You’re not one to raise a fuss.”
His words feel like a slap in the face. Unintentional, sure, but they hurt nonetheless. He’s basically saying I’m being punished for not taking up more space; for not screaming and yelling and pitching a fit. Of course, we all know if I did those things, I’d be labeled as a hysterical female.
There’s no winning, is there?
If keeping silent lets them take advantage of me, then maybe it’s time for me to get loud.
Maybe Brandon has been on to something after all.
WWBND?
I don’t think anyone in the history of Forever has asked “What Would Brandon Nix Do?” but I’m also not sure anyone else knows him like I do. He’s so much more than he seems at first glance.
Sure, some of it is a little caveman for me, but he wasn’t the one accosting me during a game. He was the one caring for me. He was the one who risked everything to protect me.
Suddenly, I know what I need to do.
I flip to the third page of my notepad and signal James that I’m ready to go.
I walk through the lobby with my head held high, bolstered by confidence in my decision. If I go down, I’m going down swinging, just like Brandon did.
Figuratively, not literally, like he did. But still.
Waiting for me in the conference room is not only Nathan Forget and Samuel Fredricks, but also an attorney. Interesting.
I smile and wait for my moment.
“Thank you, Andi, for coming down today,” Nathan begins. “I’m sure you’ve been able to surmise that we’d like to speak to you about the conduct that occurred at the Miami Wave–Boston Buzzards game this past weekend.”
I nod. It’s the perfect introduction. “Yes, thank you. I was going to ask for a meeting had you not reached out first. According to”—I glance down at my notes—“Commonwealth v. VasquezandCommonwealth v. Mosby, quotingCommonwealth v. De La Cruz, the state of Massachusetts, where the game in question took place, defines a touching as ‘an incident when, judged by the normative standard of societal mores, it is violative of social and behavioral expectations in a manner which is fundamentally offensive to contemporary moral values and which the common sense of society would regard as immodest, immoral, and improper. It has been held that the intentional, unjustified touching of private areas such as the breasts, abdomen, buttocks, thighs, and pubic area of a female constitutes an indecent assault and battery.’ I assume this was the conduct you wanted to address?”
The silence in the room is deafening.
I wait, willing the sweat not to bead up at the edge of my forehead and trickle down, showing my hand.
Samuel Fredericks clears his throat. “Um, yes, well, we’ll have to look into it.”
“While you’re looking at the video of the assault I suffered while working in your employment during the execution of my job, would you also please take a closer look at the Equal Pay Act of 1963? It requires that men and women in the same workplace be given equal pay for equal work. According to my calculations, the wages I receive for officiating MUSSL and WUSSL games are approximately 18 percent less than that of a male counterpart who is working at the same level as me.”
I hold Samuel Frederick’s gaze until he looks away. The red tinge to the rim of his ears gives it all away.
“Was there anything else you wanted to discuss, or were those two points enough?” I sit back and demurely fold my hands on top of my legal pad.
The nervous look shared between the three men is enough to make my heart race. I think I’ve won.
“We’d like to discuss Brandon Nix with you,” the attorney begins. Here it comes. “And the possibility of the compromised impartiality it may have caused.”
“I’m sure you have reviewed and scored my performance, just like you do for all officials for every match. What deductions did I receive that day? Were there any specific to Brandon Nix?”
Nathan shakes his head.
