Smoke rises from Towers’s ears like an old-fashioned cartoon character, but we’re not about to back down.
“What exactly is the problem?” he asks, jaw tight, voice strained.
I step forward. “The team feels Ava Washington’s termination was unjustified, and we’d like her reinstated immediately.”
“You can’t be serious.” He rubs his jaw as if he’s thinking. “All of this for a performance coach who’s only been here, what? Two months?”
“No disrespect to the coaching staff, but it was Ava’s team building efforts and mental performance training that helped this team turn the corner. We’re more cohesive than ever, and it shows on the ice. That’s why we’re winning games. We always had the skills. We just needed the right lines and better communication on the ice.”
Towers scoffs. “I understand y’all like her, but I have to believe you’re overstating her role in the Gliders’ record. One person can’t make that big of an impact.”
Says the man who led his team to a Stanley Cup.
“Would you say the same about a head coach?” D-Vo counters. “Or a star player?”
Towers is silent for a long time before he finally concedes. “Point taken, but it was my understanding that Ms. Washington was fired for fraternizing with a member of the team, specifically, you, Mr. St. James.”
I knew I’d have to defend our relationship, but hearing the accusation from Towers is still a shock.
“It’s true that Ava and I have a personal relationship, but it has no bearing on her work for the Gliders and shouldn’t be leveraged to terminate her employment or withhold her services from the rest of the team.” I hold Towers’s steely gaze. “Sir, I’m happy to sign a waiver stating that we have a personal relationship, and if needed, I’m also willing to seek private coaching at my own expense. The team has bonded with Ava, and they shouldn’t be penalized for our relationship. It certainly wasn’t planned, but these things happen.”
Towers sighs. “Yes, which is why we have a fraternization clause.”
“Respectfully, sir, we can’t un-eat the sandwich. What’s done is done. We need to focus on moving forward.”
Towers’s expression hardens. “You’re walking a fine line, Mr. St. James. I don’t appreciate being extorted.”
“It’s not extortion,” I say evenly. “We’re just a team that is concerned about mental health and player safety. We want what’s best for everyone involved. And for what it’s worth, I did leave a message with your assistant on Monday. I guess it was misplaced because I didn’t receive a call back.”
Towers presses his lips flat. “I’ll talk to Ms. Washington. That’s all I can promise until I get more information.”
“With all due respect, sir, that’s not good enough. If Ava isn’t reinstated, we’ll forfeit tonight’s game.”
“You can’t be serious.” Towers leans forward, his face filling the screen. “Do you have any idea what kind of precedent that sets?”
“I do,” I say quietly. “But I also know what Dr. Banks did to Ava—and to Ollie Davis—and I won’t stand by and let him get away with it.”
Boosh steps up beside me, his presence solid and reassuring. “Neither will I, and I think that goes for the rest of the team too, right guys?”
A chorus of support fills the room.
Towers’s eyes dart between Boosh and me. “What are you talking about? What did Banks do?”
I take a breath and lay it all out. “Banks has been undermining Ava since day one. He dismissed her work, took credit for her ideas, and created a hostile work environment. When Ollie Davis went to him for help, Banks turned him away because he didn’t have an appointment. Then, when Ava tried to advocate for Ollie, Banks fired her and blackmailed her into silence by threatening to destroy her reputation.”
“Maybe if Banks had actually done his job, the accident could have been avoided and Davis could be taking the ice tonight,” Bash says gruffly. “Instead, he’s laid up in a trauma ward, staring down months of recovery and the possibility of a career-ending injury.”
“That’s a serious accusation,” Towers says slowly.
“It’s the truth,” Coach says, crossing his arms and widening his stance. “I overheard the conversation myself. Banks admitted to seeing Knox and Ava together weeks ago and used it as leverage to fire her and cover his own ass for refusing to see Ollie.”
Towers is quiet for a long moment, his expression unreadable.
Finally, he speaks. “If what you’re saying is true, this is a much bigger problem than a simple fraternization violation.”
“It’s true,” I say firmly. “This is about more than Ava and me. It’s about Banks’ pattern of misconduct and the fact that he’s failed every player on this team.”
“Ava’s done more for us in a few months than Banks has done in the last year and a half,” Smitty adds.