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March 14th, 2016: All-Star weekend part 2

After all the madness that went on this night, Cloricia decided not to follow her assistant to the huge after party. As much as she loved seeing Wendy and Harrison and Crystal, she really just wanted somewhere relaxing to go. So, she slipped out when no one was looking and walked through the streets of Albany.

On her walk, she soon found a nice little bar not too far from the stadium. It seemed pretty quiet when she walked in. Not much was going on now that the games were over.

Then, she noticed Emina sitting in a back corner, her usual spot in any restaurant. Despite her proclivity for private spaces, she honestly didn't mind being in public. It seemed like interaction struck fear into her, the small responses to the waitress nothing to the giant cross fox. She peered through the local Albany beer list; she wasn't always interested in drinking, but she could enjoy a brew from time to time. She wore a simple black jacket over a simple red shirt, opting not to advertise her celebrity more than necessary.

While looking for a seat, Cloricia soon found Emina in the corner of the restaurant. At first, the coyote felt that she should leave her be, but she herself didn't want to be alone tonight. She thought that maybe talking to a fellow teammate would be best right now. She then casually made her way over to Emina.

Emina seemed amiss in recognizing her teammate. So far, she'd only seen a few of the Mayors' crew, choosing instead to watch the festivities from a distance. Out in public, she was practiced in not noticing the people around her.

Clorica approached the table with a smile on her face. "Hey Emina. I didn't know you were here. How are you?"

Emina seized right up, her eyes like she'd seen a ghost. But soon she relaxed, the familiar face not so frightening as a stranger. "Oh, hello, Clorica."

"Hey, um.....you mind if I join you?" Cloricia said, keeping her friendly attitude.

Emina preferred no company, but her politeness trumped her insecurity. "Please," she offered, scooting over.

"Thanks." She comfortable sat down at the table and took a deep breath in. She then took a moment to gaze out the window.

"So, you watched any of the games?" She asked

Emina nodded. "Yes, from up in the stands." She looked down at the menu to give herself something to focus on.

There was a moment of silence between the two. Cloricia then took a notice to how much Emina really towered over her. She laughed a bit and said "I bet if someone spotted us now they would never guess I was an FBA player, heh."

Emina chuckled. "Yeah, well no one would expect me to be one either." Emina's muscles put her in the minority for body types in the league, but on the same team as D'Angelo, it somewhat made sense.

"How are you liking the FBA life so far? I hope you didn't spend all your money on cars or something."

Was that what everyone used their money for? "Oh, I don't spend much of it anyway. I mostly just help my parents back home." She set down the menu. "But the FBA is great. I love what I do, and now I'm even starting. That's nothing I expected."

"Yea....you have a good head on your shoulders Emina.....much better than when I started out in the league......." There was a slight pause. Cloricia looked down on the table as some troubled memories began to come up in her mind.

Emina, socially inept as she was, knew a down expression when she saw one. "Something you wanted to talk about?"

"Nah.....I don't want to trouble you, it's just......I guess time just goes so fast in this league or something like that." Cloricia stated. "One moment you're starting and getting player of the game and then the next you loose brand deals and old...headaches come back to bite you in the ass." Cloricia then looked back up at Emina and felt a bit embarrassed. "Sorry....that kind of slipped out....."

Emina nodded. The waiter came over, and she ordered a couple of beers, seeing if Clorica wanted something in the meantime. "Maybe you really do need someone to talk to."

"Yea, I guess." Cloricia agreed. She then wiped her hands on her face for a bit and calmed down. "So, I guess I already told you about.....a bunch of sponsors not wanting me anymore huh?"

"I had heard something about that, yes." She leaned against the table and rested on her elbows. "I don't know much about sponsorships. They're a bit outside of my comfort zone."

"Honestly, that's a good thing Emina.....I don't I guess I should be used to this.....sitting on the bench, being a role player, but in that one game...I felt like an all-star.....like I finally proved a lot of doubters wrong....and then poof....it's gone." Cloricia then looked at the cross fox again. "Oh boy, I sound selfish now. I'm sorry." She said a small grin on her face trying to laugh at the whole situation.

Emina tapped the soft part of her fingers against the surface of the table. "We're both still early in our careers. It's difficult to say what else will come our way." The waitress came back and brought their drinks; Emina thanked the small woman. "For me, I was afraid I wasn't going to get a shot at this league when I wasn't drafted. I understand how scary it can seem when you go unnoticed."

"Yea...I've been there before." Cloricia took a generous sip of her drink and said. "Huntsville needed guards....they got me and Wendy and now we're struggling to get in the playoffs." Cloricia just looked at her drink for a while and thought for a bit. "And I'm no Wendy Brown." She said while laughing a little.

"Well, no, you're you, right?" Emina found herself donning a pleasant smile. She took a moment to sip her beer. "Are you trying to be Wendy?"

"Well....no, I'm not. I don't know I'm just doing my best here." Cloricia then looked back at Emina with curious eyes and said. "I guess....I guess I'm....a little scared..I mean before the FBA I was like one mistake away from being a cashier in Boston." She then took another sip. "I guess I'm okay with being a bench player...but.....my contract is running out this year....."

Emina knew that fear, even if her contract was good for several more seasons. The prospect of not being able to do what one loves is paralyzing. She saw in Clorica a fear she knew all too well. "Is that what you're afraid of?"

"......Yea." She said solemnly. "And I guess these sponsors were kinda making me feel safe."

Emina nodded. "But the sponsors look for big personalities, the ones that people recognize the most." She pointed to herself. "Me? I'm big, I'll admit, but I don't have the personality a sponsor wants. That doesn't impact my playing or my effectiveness on the team, right?"

"......Right." Cloricia answered, admittedly being a bit confused knowing that she was under 6 foot.

She looked at the coyote. "And while you are smaller than me, does that mean you aren't effective on the team?"

"God I hope not." She said with a bit more spirit. "I sacrifice so much to this team......and I want to keep doing it."

Emina smiled even brighter than before. "And that is what is most important. You have a reputation for hard work, and that is what matters to teams. Not sponsorships." She sipped more of her beer. "I haven't been approached for sponsorships, but I don't need them. I'm able to do what I love. I don't need more money."

The statement was strong enough to make Cloricia smile too. "Yea, you know what? I don't need some suit wearing jerks to tell me if I'm an FBA player. I'm an FBA player because me and my team work hard and play our hearts out." She then raised her glass for a toast. "Screw sponsorships." She said.

Emina saw her words strike home. She was not used to helping others in this way. Albeit more slowly, she raised her glass and politely touched it to Clorica's.

Cloricia then chuckled and drank another generous amount. "Hey?" She asked. "How old are you anyway?"

"Hmm? Oh, twenty nine," she admitted.

"Oh, phew. I'm glad I'm not too much younger......Whatever happens this off season....I think you're gonna do great in the FBA."

Emina looked away, though with a smile on her face. "I want to do right by my team. I don't talk much, but I care about what I can do for the team."

"I can tell. I mean you've done pretty good as a starter and your work ethic is really good too....sorry that we're not really looking like playoff contenders though."

"No, it doesn't seem so this season," she said. "But that will happen. I think Wendy is probably taking that more to heart than any of us."

"Yea......She can very.....animated sometimes....but that's Wendy. We wouldn't have it any other way. She motivates us."

Emina shook her head. Gossip wasn't her forte.

Cloricia still kind of laughed a bit. Maybe the bear was starting to take affect. "Anyways....the season isn't over yet.....we're still in it. Right?"

Emina held out hope as much as her teammate. "Yes. We're not out of the running yet." She could not say she didn't want a championship, but her goals were perfectly aligned with helping her teammates accomplish theirs. What did she truly want?

Cloricia's phone then began to ring. "Ah, it's my friend...I mean my assistant....anyway I gotta go. She wanted to go on a bit of a sightseeing trip." The Coyote then stood up from the table and put some money down to pay for the drink. "Hey, you know..." She thought. "You want to come with us? It's gonna be really chill."

Emina's ears perked, mostly out of defense. "Come? Come where?"

Cloricia then smiled and said. "Eh....It's sight seeing.....we just go wherever our hearts desire." She then smiled knowing that her comment was cheesy, but she didn't mind.

Emina wanted to deny the invitation. Everything in her being called for reclusivity. But tonight, she took a different route. She reached in her wallet and pulled out a few bills and laid them on the table. For once, "Why not?"

"Cool." Cloricia said with a big smile. The two then walked of the beer with a brand new attitude. Cloricia thought in her mind that she was really glad she talked with Emina.