[Wayne]
Priya wrapped the segment twenty minutes later, still riding the high of whatever ratings gold she thought she'd just captured.
"That was perfect," she said, unclipping her mic. "Genuinely one of the best interviews I've done all semester."
"Glad it worked for you," I said, already half-focused on Kathy, who'd gone quiet the second the cameras stopped rolling.
"Thanks again, you two."
Kathy gave her a tight smile, grabbed her bag, and headed for the door without waiting to see if I'd follow.
I followed anyway.
The hallway outside the studio sat empty, fluorescent lights humming overhead, the kind of quiet that felt louder than noise after sitting under studio lights for half an hour.
"Kathy, hold up."
She halted. She turned and finally met my eyes since the interview.
She
