mirror and she happened to hear and offer some advice.”
“You’ve been reduced to pep-talking yourself in the bathroom and you don’t think you need my help?”
A rotund man waddled into the hallway and squeezed past us in a series of shuffling steps and mumbled apologies. I pressed myself against the wall and pondered the wisdom of important conversations in high traffic places.
When he disappeared into the men’s room, Kennedy leaned on the wall beside me. “Under normal circumstances, I’d show Ramsey your favorite finger and bail. But I work with this guy. He has seniority. I like my job…”
I held up a record scratch of a hand. “Firstly, his name is Ramsey? And you didn’t think something like this would happen? To say I’m disappointed is an understatement, Penny. And secondly, I’ve not heard you say one thing in all the time I’ve known you that says you like that job.”
“Fine,” she huffed. “I like the idea of my job, but that’s beside the point because I actually want to keep it. If I piss this guy off…”
“What? He’ll what? Get you fired? I don’t think that’s gonna happen.” I gave her a look that begged for her understanding. “This is why I showed up tonight. To protect you in case you found yourself in a situation that required bathroom pep-talks with Motivational Barbie.” Kennedy smiled through her anger and I put a hand to her cheek, thumb grazing that soft skin. “I know it makes me an asshole.”
“It makes you so much of an asshole, I don’t know what to do with you right now.” She nuzzled into my touch, then pulled away. “You can’t protect me from everything.”
She paused as the rotund man stepped out of the restroom. He smiled awkwardly when he saw us, then shuffled past with another round of apologies. When he was gone, I started to reply, then paused again as a herd of women filtered through.
Cue more awkward rearranging, embarrassed eye contact, and polite smiles.
“Are you in line?” one asked Kennedy, thumbing at the lady’s room. She shook her head and the women pushed through. As the door clicked shut, I peered down the hallway then turned to Kennedy when I was sure the coast was clear. In any other situation, I would have bailed on the conversation the second we were interrupted because fuck this shit.
But clearing things up mattered, regardless of how many awkward encounters we racked up. I’d drag her into the bar, stand on a table, and serenade my way through the discussion if I thought it would help. Thankfully for both our dignities, I didn’t see how it would.
“Protecting people is my superpower. I protected Collin all the way to stardom and he didn’t always like me for it. I’ll do the same for you.”
Did she understand what a big fucking deal it was that I compared her to Collin?
No. Of course she didn’t. How could she?
Since I was twelve years old, he was the one stable thing in a life that was anything but. He was my lifeline. My anchor. No one mattered as much to me as he did.
And I just implied she was on his level.
My heart tripped over the information with the grace of a giraffe on ice.
“Kennedy?” The douchebag from the bar loomed. “Is this guy bothering you?”
“Perpetually.” A grin teased her lips as her eyes bounced off mine. “But apparently that’s the way I like it.” She sighed, then squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. “Honestly Ramsey, when you said this was a work meeting, I took you at your word. I’m not interested in dating you, because I’m wrapped up in this guy.”
Kennedy leaned into me, her cheek to my chest, and I wanted to roar my victory.
The guy flinched, then grimaced, then took a step back, holding up his hands to wave her off. I recognized the reaction as shock, disappointment, then preparing a cover up to protect his massive ego at Kennedy’s expense.
“You still thought this was a date?” He pinched his nose and shook his head. “Honestly, Doctor Monroe. I thought I was clear in the office that my intent for tonight was purely professional.”
“But then you made it clear at the bar that you were full of shit in the office.” Kennedy took my hand and paused beside him. “Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice? Well, I’m just not a fool, you see.”