He watched her for a moment. There were no customers at this hour, and she had the radio tuned to a station playing Rihanna. She was dancing as she worked, her long brown ponytail bouncing behind her. She was pretty, he thought. He’d made out with her once, a few years ago, and he occasionally flirted with her to make June jealous. But looking at her now, there was something so sweet and normal about her. He wanted to be part of it.

“Hey,” he said, and she turned around.

When she realized that he’d been standing there for a minute, she blushed. “You scared me,” she said. “Where’s June? I haven’t seen her all week.”

He shrugged, not wanting to get into it. “Need help?” he asked.

“Sure,” she said, handing him a caddy holding napkins and silverware. He followed her around as she laid tablecloths and helped her to set the tables.

“Not like that,” she said, changing the positions of the fork and knife. “You’ve probably never set a table, have you?”

“The footman does it for us,” Hunter said with a sly smile.

“You don’t have a footman,” she said, laughing.

“No,” Hunter admitted. “But we do have a housekeeper. And she usually sets the table.”

“Must be nice,” Rosie said. “Hey, I heard about the charges. I can’t believe they didn’t get my name. A lot of the kids on that list got ratted out by other kids at school. Everyone is suspicious of everyone else. It’s kind of a shitty way to end senior year.”

“Who the fuck does that?” Hunter asked, his anger flaring, and Rosie looked surprised. “I’m sorry,” he said, immediately. “I’m just pissed. Someone gave them my name.” He paused for a second. “I took it out on Will.”

“Will would never do that,” Rosie said. “I’m sure.”

“I know. I just thought maybe he was trying to get out of trouble. My dad put the idea in my head. It’s ridiculous. I shouldn’t have suspected him. Honestly, it was probably Trip. He’s the one facing the suspended jail sentence if he’s convicted.”

“Maybe,” Rosie said doubtfully.

“Have you seen that lawyer again?”

“The DA? He’s been in, but he hasn’t said anything about the party. I’ve noticed him looking at me a few times. I’m scared that maybe he thinks I was there.”

“Maybe he likes you,” Hunter said, playfully.

Rosie blushed again. “That’s gross.”

“No it isn’t,” Hunter said. “He’d be crazy not to.”

Rosie looked back at him for a moment, as if she wanted to say something, and then she turned abruptly and went behind the counter. She started to refill the saltshakers.