‘Close the door, Kathleen,’ Ms Conway says. My bottom lip begins to tremble as Kathleen shuts the door.
In the silence that follows, I glance down and my body goes rigid. On the glass surface of the table, there’s a printout of a photograph. It’s a picture of Jake and I, arms around one another, kissing.
Tears sting the corners of my eyes.
I recognize the moment it was taken: in the basement parking lot of Brody Conway’s apartment building, last night. The image is grainy, like it was pulled from CCTV, but there’s no denying it’s our faces that are locked together.
I forget how to breathe. The thing I’ve tried to cling onto, the one thing I’m not supposed to have… it’s gone. Because it’s out in the open.
I look at Ms Conway, to Kathleen and back again, then grasp my fingers together. I know that the expression on my face gives everything away.
‘In the early hours of this morning, I received two anonymous emails,’ Ms Conway begins in an icy tone. ‘The first contained this image. The second contained an accusation so heinous, I can scarce believe it to be true. It stated thatyou, Miss Serenity Harper, an upstanding, valued, respected member of our CMC community, arookie, have been moonlighting…’
She stops, as though in disbelief, and pinches the bridge of her nose, as though she’s trying to compose herself. My stomach does a flip. ‘Have been moonlighting as astripperon the west side of Canyon. And not only that, but that you were employed at the establishment in question even before you were welcomed into our squad.’
She raises her chin. Looks down her nose at me with such disdain that I can’t hold back the tears anymore. ‘So, I sent somebody to look into it. And—’
‘I can explain,’ I whisper, looking to Kathleen, whose shoulders sag when she realizes the accusation is true. ‘Please. I can explain everything.’
‘I don’t need to hear your explanations,’ Ms Conway hisses, her tone now jagged. ‘It’s bad enough that you already broke the terms of your contract.’ She swipes up the photograph and thrusts it in my direction. ‘Do you deny it?’
‘We didn’t mean for it to happen,’ I say, but I already know it’s useless. I am done for.
‘And yet you seemingly thought it prudent to continue – no, had theaudacityto continue – despite knowing the rules, despite knowing howIfeel about this sort of… frivolity. The CMC stands for everything that is good and pure. There is a reason fraternization is prohibited. It’s not good for the players, it’s not good for the brand. Yourepresentthe brand, Miss Harper, you do not sully it! The brand is bigger than you will ever be. The brand matters more than your very existence ever will. How dare you think you can come here and break the rules thatIgive you. You’ve disgraced yourself. You’ve let down your squad.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ I say weakly.
‘You’ll be more than sorry.’
‘I didn’t have a choice about working at Surly’s. My father, he—’
‘You had no business bringing your kind near this stadium. This is sacred ground. You weren’t even worthy of an audition! You are not worthy of that uniform. Take it off.’
My mouth falls open. ‘I’m sorry, wha—’
‘You heard me, take it off. It would seem you would know what you’re doing when it comes to taking off your clothes. Kathleen, get me her things from her locker. I’ll have her escorted out. Call security on your way back up.’
Even Kathleen looks surprised. I offer her a pleading look as I watch her leave, because I don’t want to be left alone in a room with only Samantha Conway for company.
‘Take. It. Off. Now.’
I snap back to reality. I can barely swallow the lump in my throat. Hot tears run down my cheeks, my heart thumping so fast in my chest that I can’t think straight. Fingers trembling, I unzip my boots and kick them off. I wipe more tears before shimmying out my shorts, then lift my CMC ‘M’ branded top over my head until I’m standing there in just my underwear. I pick up my uniform and fold it on the table.
I know I should fight back. Yet, equally, I know the power she has. Looking at her, I know I’ll never dance with the CMC again.
We wait, for a long while, in awful silence. I hug my waist, feeling exposed and cold too, under the air con vent.
‘I accept that I should never have gotten into a relationship with Jake Walsh,’ I say in a small voice, in my own defense. ‘I know I’ve broken the rules. I know I don’t deserve to stay. But I want you to know… I danced at Surly’s because I had to. I had to pay my father’s debt. I did what I had to do. And maybe I should have spoken to you and Kathleen before I auditioned. I was scared. I never thought I’d make it as far as I did.’
‘Stop talking,’ she fires back at me while we wait for Kathleen’s return. ‘You will leave here today; you are not permitted to return. You are no longer a member of the CMC. You are fired, Serenity. Plain and simple.’
More tears follow. I can’t stop them now.
‘And don’t even think about contacting Jake Walsh. The plane is on the way to Tennessee. I’ve instructed Coach Holland to remove all phones from the players as we speak. Nothing can distract from tomorrow night’s game.’
‘They’re not children,’ I manage.
Ms Conway opens her mouth to speak but she is interrupted by Kathleen re-entering the room, holding my bag and my clothes, her face like thunder.
