Fake News

"Leticia?" I said, surprised to find her there.

"I am so sorry I kind of 'broke in'" she said quickly, "You told me last week that the window next to your door won't lock and said someone could just open it, reach across, and unlock the door. So I knew how to get in and..."

"What are you doing here?" I asked, cutting across her nervousness. I wasn't angry. I was feeling too crappy to be angry. I was just confused. Leticia shrugged her shoulders.

"You said you weren't feeling well. I thought I'd come over and...you know...take care of you." She said.

"Take care of me?" I asked.

"Yeah, you're sick. You shouldn't be home alone dealing with that. I already had a clear schedule for the day. Kayaking and everything. So I figured I'd come over," Now that she saw I wasn't angry, she wasn't nervous anymore. She didn't even seem to think it was strange that she was there. In fact, she walked around the side of the bed towards me. I saw that she had a glass of water in one hand. Two small white pills were pinched in the fingers on her other hand

"Excedrin," she said, "I get migraines. This stuff is the best. It works better if you take it when you feel the headache coming on, before it hits but still," she said, handing me the pills. I sat up slightly, popped them into my mouth, and then downed them with water. Even the cold water seemed to ease my head slightly. "I hope you don't mind I used one of your glasses. I knew where they were. Also, again, I am sorry I broke into your house," she sort of laughed. I grimaced as best I could.

"No, its fine. I appreciate it," I said. And I realized that I did. I had been dreading an entire day by myself, dealing with my sinuses. It was nice to have someone willing to go fetch the aspirin, or I guess Excedrin, for me.

"Go ahead and lay back down," Leticia said, pressing gently on my shoulder as I sank back down into my pillow. She turned over towards her purse and quickly pulled out one of those little refillable ice bags. She turned back towards me and placed it on my forehead, right between my eyes. I sighed as the relief, at least a small amount of it, was instant.

"Oh that is good," I said.

"I told you, I get migraines, I know it all!" Leticia said, "If you get hungry let me know. I only know how to make grilled cheese sandwiches. But I am good at it," she said. I settled and silently thanked the perverts on reddit for putting Leticia into my life. And that thought made me realize something. I sat up slowly.

"Oh just relax," she said, heading towards the door to the bedroom, "I am just going to go watch TV in your living room. I don't want to bother you. Try to sleep."

"No, wait," I said and Leticia froze. She was looking at me warmly, tilting her head to the side.

"What's up?" she asked.

"No one knows you're here," I said, "No one will see you here."

"Probably not," she shrugged, "You planning to stash my body somewhere or something?" she joked. I smiled wanly.

"No, I mean..." Leticia looked at me in a way that showed she knew exactly what I was talking about. This wasn't furthering out little scheme. She was just here. Secretly. She didn't have to be here. This was part of the job.

"You're my friend Brooke. I am here because I want to be here," she said. And I realized that it hadn't felt strange to see Brooke at first. I was surprised she'd come, but it felt natural. Leticia was my friend.

"Thank you," I said.

"Don't mention it. You'd do the same for me," Leticia said simply.

"I would," I said, automatically. And I knew I was telling the truth. By midmorning I was feeling better. Leticia and I spent the afternoon watching CNN and eating our way through my limited hoard snack food. It felt natural. It was natural. And it was fun. It didn't even have to be about ratings. That day I realized that Leticia and I hadn't magically become good actors. We'd lucked into a real connection. We were friends.

And, I have to say that it probably did hurt our ratings. That natural chemistry that we hadn't counted on had to be a part of our success. It got tied up with our scheme. And it had our viewership climbing And it was climbing faster after the failed kayaking trip. Mostly in the 18-49 male demographic, but soon in all demographics. I knew elderly women weren't watching the show because of a hint of lesbianism. The success of the show was breeding success. My news was really starting to reach people. Just like I thought, we'd just needed a way to get our collective foot in the door, then the quality of our programming did the rest. And getting our foot in the door...well that was harmless. Eight months after the start of our campaign, we were in first place in our time slot.

* * * * *

"Yes, Mr. Asher. I mean, yes Bill. I will see you next Saturday," I said, my whole body shaking with excitement. I gently hung up my telephone and then, as soon as I knew that Bill Asher, Executive Producer of Evening News 11 in St. Louis, Missouri, was off the phone, I screamed loudly and jumped up into the air. I balled my fists and rapid-fire pounded on my thighs. I smiled so hard that my eyes teared up and my cheeks ached.

I could not believe what had just happened. Out of the blue, without even getting a resume, my network's affiliate in the 21st largest media market in the country, had asked me to come in for an interview. For an anchor's position in the evening news. They said they weren't even considering anyone else at this time. It was my job to lose. And, they said, having watched a lot of my work, they didn't think that was going to happen. I was out of Fairview! I was going to be doing the news on a real network and in a real city! I didn't even had the words to describe how excited I was.

For maybe 15 minutes, I just allowed myself to soak up the good feelings. The city was going to be bigger. The salary was going to be bigger. The exposure was going to be better. But it was so much more than that. I thought back to all my years at the station, the hard work I'd done, the good reporting. This was like a reward, a recognition that I'd been doing something right. Maybe St. Louis wasn't New York, but at that moment, it felt like it.

"I have to tell Gary," I said, aloud, after a few minutes of celebration in my office. I was ecstatic and there was absolutely nothing Gary could say that would get me to stay, but I was a professional. I owed it to Gary to let him know that I would be leaving very soon, so that he could begin the search for a replacement. A replacement for me. Because I was going on to bigger and better things. As I opened the door and headed out into the hallway, I couldn't have wiped the smile off my face if I'd tried.

I quickly made my way down towards Gary's office. My eyes flittered over the familiar sights and people and I felt a sort of contented homesickness already. I would miss these people and places, even if I didn't regret leaving. Eventually, I reached Gary's office. The door was open, but he wasn't inside. I looked at my watch. It wasn't lunch time. I walked over to the door next to his, which happened to belong to Leticia. I poked my head into the door and saw she was reading weather reports.

"Hey, have you seen Gary?" I asked. Leticia looked up. She was smiling as well, but she just sort of shrugged.

"No. I was looking for him earlier too, he wasn't in his office," she said. I looked at Leticia's thousand-watt smile and realized, for the first time, that I'd be leaving her too. The pang of sadness grew a little deeper at that moment. If there was anyone I'd miss on a personal level at this place, it would be Leticia. My only real friend. I decided, I had to let her know. Just when I made a friend, it was time to let her go.

"I was looking for him, I have to tell him..." I began, but Leticia quickly cut me off.

"About St. Louis?" she asked.

"Yeah...How the...how'd you know about St. Louis?" I asked. I mean I hadn't told anyone yet.

"I just got off the phone with Mr. Asher!" Leticia said brightly. I admit it, I was stupid. I was so excited by the job offer, that at first the implication of Leticia's statement didn't hit me.

"He told you he offered me a job?" I asked, incredulous. Leticia sort of snorted and then smiled.

"Well...yeah, kinda. I mean, don't get a big head about it or anything, but I don't think he would have called to hire me if he hadn't already hired you. They want the whole team," Leticia said.

"They want Karl?" I asked. Now Leticia laughed aloud and shook her head.

"Literally no one wants Karl. Karl's wife doesn't want Karl. We are the team. Me and You," Leticia explained. For the first time, I allowed myself to understand what Leticia was saying. The excitement I'd felt ever since I'd gotten a call from St. Louis instantly drained out of me. I took a couple of steps into Leticia's office and sat down heavily in one of the chairs by the window. I sighed.

"Oh," I said and ran my hands through my hair.

"Excited to be working with you too," Leticia said wryly. She walked over to the door and she closed it. Then she moved across the room and sat in the seat next to mine. I looked up at her and shrugged.

"I'm sorry," I said, "That was really rude. I didn't mean it like that. It was just..." I started and then I trailed off. I didn't even want to admit it to myself. Getting the team didn't mean just getting the newsreaders. It meant moving the scam to a bigger city.

"It was just what?" Leticia asked, raising her eyebrows.

"It's just, I thought that St. Louis wanted me because of the way I report the news. Not because of the games we play with our audience. I thought I was getting rewarded for my journalism. Not because..." And then I trailed off again. I felt my cheeks getting red. I don't know if I was more embarrassed because I was stupid or because I was admitting it to Leticia. I looked at her, needing her, of all people, to understand. She sort of shrugged.

"Don't kid yourself. We got hired in St. Louis because we got great ratings. It doesn't really matter why we got great ratings," she said.

"But the fact that they hired us together, it means that they know that they only reason we have the ratings is because of our tease," I explained.

"So what?" Leticia shot back quickly, "Who cares why they think we got the ratings. We have the ratings and we make a quality show. We will make a better show in St. Louis with more resources. I don't know about you, but I've had more fun the last 8 months doing broadcasts than I ever had before. And that wasn't just because of our 'tease.' There was energy around here and we brought it." Leticia grew animated as she spoke and she scooted to the edge of the seat. And, despite myself, I found that I was agreeing. It had been a good time. And it wasn't just the ratings. We'd done good work. Work I was proud of. And it really wasn't possible to separate that from our teasing. It was all part of what had made our show special. Our...chemistry gave us a boost that carried over into the substance.

"But you know...this is more important than that," Leticia said, furrowing her brows and looking at me intensely. She suddenly seemed a little bit angry. Like something had clicked in her mind and she realized I'd offended her.

"More important than work and ratings?" I asked incredulously, but I knew that Leticia would bowl over that.

"Let me ask you this," she continued, "When just now found out the supposed reason that St. Louis wants us and you got disappointed, what did you do about it?"

"I sat down," I said and she raised her eyebrows, "And I complained to you."

"Is there anyone else that you would have rather complained to? I mean was it just that I was the person in the room?" Leticia asked. I had never even considered the issue before. I mean, who the Hell would I have complained to if Leticia hadn't been here? No one, probably. There wasn't anyone in my life like that, someone I could talk to. I just would've bottled it up. And besides, I'd gotten used to talking to Leticia about my personal and professional frustrations on our 'dates.' She was the only person who really understood. She shared the same things with me.

"No," I said, trying to encapsulate everything I was thinking in that one, truncated word. Leticia nodded, showing that I had achieved my goal.

"You know when I first got the call from Mr. Asher, the first thing he said was that he had already hired you. And I was excited. For the last eight months it was like...I thought we'd become close. When I thought of taking a job somewhere else without you...I didn't like that idea. And then here it was, a chance to make more money and stick with my best friend. I mean what more can you ask for? But then you came in here and you found out I was going. And I found out that you don't feel the same way. You thought you were rid of me and were disappointed that I'd be tagging along. Look, I am a professional. But I am not going to pretend that didn't hurt," Leticia said. She seemed to build steam as she spoke, like by the end, she was saying far more than she intended to say when she started.

To be honest, I was taken aback. Part of it was just that I hadn't really realized how rude I was, or how much Leticia had come to see me as her confidant. But, more than that, I was surprised by the feelings her words stirred in me. I'd been so excited about St. Louis and what it meant for me professionally, that I hadn't even really considered what that meant for my personal life here in Fairview. And, truth be told, Leticia (fake or not) was my personal life in Fairview. For the first time I considered what it would be like to move to a new city where I knew no one. To throw myself into work fully again, to shut out every part of my personal life. And, when I thought of that, it made me nervous. Would I even do work with the same quality without her? I mean, I knew I could do it, but I didn't relish it. It would be harder. And, when I thought about the fact that that meant I wouldn't see Leticia every day, that I wouldn't be able to tell her about my life and I wouldn't hear about hers...I realized that I didn't know that I could do that. And even if I could, I didn't want to.

I looked over at Leticia now, she was looking at me, the hurt still registering in her eyes. For the first time, I stripped away the professional relationship that created a false barrier between us. I looked beyond the elaborate ruse we'd concocted. I looked directly at Leticia and focused on the woman standing before me. And she was beautiful. I'd never seen a woman more beautiful in my entire life. I felt these...sensations, welling up from inside of me. They were too powerful to be emotions. They were pure instinct. It was just an unclouded...need for my friend. No, not friend. I could tell then that what I was feeling was more than that.

Who had I been fooling about my relationship? My audience? Or myself?

"I love you Leticia," I said, the words suddenly tumbling from my mouth. I'd never said that to anyone romantically before. I shocked myself to hear it. My mouth dropped open. Leticia looked at me uneasily.

"Are you making fun of me? I was being serious," Leticia said, uncertainly.

"I am not making fun of you. I'd never make fun of you. What would it mean if I went to St. Louis and I became a success? I mean that is what I've always wanted right? Well, not necessarily St. Louis. But what if I become a big deal, go to the network? I've always pictured myself there. But what would that matter, really? I've spent so much time pouring everything into my professional life, basically for nothing. And even if I got the brass ring, I wouldn't know what to do with it. But somehow, by accident, you've fallen into my lap here. I never wanted a personal life, but somehow I have what everyone wants. What I never realized I wanted it so desperately. And I almost screwed it up. I almost let it go to grab another wrung on ladder I can't even climb without you. But..." As I had been speaking, I saw a smile slowly spread across Leticia's face. Finally, she shook her head, laughing.

"Baby, you talk to much," she said, interrupting me. And before I knew it, Leticia stood and leaned over the chair where I was sitting. I felt Leticia's right hand slide across the side of my neck, I felt her fingers wrap gently around my spine. Leticia's eyes closed and her mouth opened slightly. She leaned into me. I froze, unable to command my body and unwilling to do it even if I could. And then, suddenly, Leticia's lips were pressing against mine.

I melted. And it wasn't just the soft, fullness of Leticia's lips. It wasn't just the warm, wetness of her tongue as it slipped between those lips and gently made their way across my mouth. It wasn't just her taste, just the barest hint of her on my tongue. It wasn't just the feel of her silky hair against my face. It wasn't just the sweet smell of her skin or the warmth emanating off of her body. It was all of those things together. It was all real. That's what I felt. Leticia was really her in front of me. I really care for her. And she was really beautiful. What difference did it make why we were here or how we got here? She was kissing my lips and my heart was racing, that was all that mattered.

Slowly, Leticia's lips moved back, away from mine. I realized that I had been frozen. The reality of what I was experiencing had been overwhelming. I hadn't even been able to kiss back. My eyes fluttered open and Leticia was already looking at me. Her eyes were wide, on the verge of watering. I could read the nervousness on her face. She wasn't exactly sure how to read my reaction.

"Brooke, I am sorry...you just said..." Leticia whispered, sputteringly. I smiled and her brow knitted.

"What was it Leticia?" I asked, "You heard what I said. Did you think I was lying?" I asked. And then, without further thought it was my turn to reach my hand around the back of Leticia's neck and pull her in. My eyes closed again and my lips parted. I heard Leticia gasp and her body sort of surged towards mine. Our mouths met perfectly, my head tilted just as she tilted hers. I felt Leticia's tongue, warm and wet press against my own. Her saliva was thick and sweet, my tongue tumbled around hers. I heard her moan slightly, felt it vibrate across my teeth and down my throat. Moaned in response.

Hearing and feeling this, I was suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of the surreal. It was strange, I was still very much present in the moment. But for some reason, I was just struck by how crazy all of this was. I moved my neck back, breaking the kiss and opening my eyes. Leticia groaned slightly but her eyes opened as well. She looked at me expectantly.

"I'm sorry," I said, leaning forward and kissing Leticia on the cheek and laughing, "It's just...I have been so hung up on the fact that I had been lying to our audience. Telling them I was doing something that I wasn't, or at least implying it. But, here I am making it real. Now it is like I wasn't lying at all. Because I wasn't. I really had feelings for you. We really were...kind of dating" I said. Now Leticia smiled and she ran her hand through her hair. She looked at me sort of askance.

"Maybe it never felt like lying to them to me. I didn't try to keep this thing in a box," she said.

"Well you are a more honest woman than me, I guess," I laughed a little. Leticia bit her lip and tilted her head to the side. She was thinking, and I gave her a moment. Then she spoke.

"I don't know about that. I lied to you about something . If we are being honest or...making ourselves honest, I guess I should come clean," she said, but in a playful kind of way.

"And what did you lie about?" I asked, matching her tone.

"Well, you always said that you didn't read what our fans wrote on the internet," she said.