“Oh, no,” Kennedy said, knowing what would happen next. “River?”
“Yeah?”
“I need to go in the back,” she said and nodded toward the girls in the corner.
“Go. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Kennedy hurried to the back and felt like she could finally catch her breath. She took off the borrowed uniform shirt and hung it back on the hook. She wanted to run. She wanted to get into her car and drive back to the hotel. She didn’t want pictures of her working with River to end up online. It was entirely possible that that girl had taken one of her right when River had her hand on Kennedy’s arm.
“Fuck,” she said as she sat down in the desk chair.
“Are you okay?”
Kennedy looked up, realizing that she’d been sitting still and holding her face in her hands for at least a few minutes.
“I need to go, River,” she replied.
“You didn’t have to come out and help, Kennedy.”
“I know. I wanted to. But it was a mistake.”
“Coming here or working out there?”
“I don’t know. Maybe both.”
“Oh,” River let out and looked down at her feet.
“No, I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry. I’m glad I came here, River. I wanted to see you. I just don’t know about all of this. She took a picture.”
“I know.”
“No, she might have gotten one of you and me. You had your hand on my arm.”
“That wasn’t a big deal.”
“Maybe not, but it doesn’t take much. Suddenly, Jessie announces my breakup to the world, that picture comes out, and I’m the woman who cheated on America’s sweetheart, Cameron Levine.”
“I thoughtyouwere America’s sweetheart.”
“We’ve alternated with that title over the years,” Kennedy replied. “I can’t have those rumors right now. The ones about the fight are just starting to die down.”
“So, no more touching? I get it.”
“It’s not that, River. I want you to do that. I–”
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do here, Kennedy. You tell me you don’t want us to go out, but then you flirt with me. I only put my hand on your forearm, and now you’re worried people will think we’re sleeping together when it’s not out that you and Cameron are over. You said you wanted a friend. I was trying to be a friend today.”
“I know. You’re right.” Kennedy stood up and grabbed her purse. “I’m going to go. You need to focus on work.”
“The lines are down. Michaela has it. We need to keep talking.”
“Not right now. I’ll call you.”
“You’ll call me? Will you, really?”
“Yes, River. I won’t lie to you. I’ll call you.”
“When?”
