“In a hurry there, miss? License and registration,” he said calmly as Riley handed over her documents compliantly.
The trooper returned to his patrol car, leaving a miserable Riley to watch him in her mirror. He got back into his car and talked on the radio before returning to stand next to her with a clipboard in hand.
“Do you know how fast you were going?” he asked in an irritated manner.
“Ninety-two,” Riley replied sadly, tears now threatening in her eyes.
“The speed limit is seventy. Want to tell me why you were in such a hurry?” he asked in a softer tone after Riley’s honesty. “I should write you up for reckless driving going that much over the speed limit!”
“I’m sorry, Officer, I wasn’t aware I was going so fast,” she answered.
“You know what, kid, I’ll give you a break. I’m still writing you a ticket, but I’ll write it for fourteen over. Slow the hell down, will you!” he admonished.
“Yes, Officer, I’m sorry, thank you,” she replied glumly.
Riley didn’t know how the day could get any worse. Joanna was probably already furious about the appointment. The speeding ticket would put her over the edge. One of the conditions of Riley getting to keep the bike in the first place was that she obey all traffic laws and this was her second ticket in less than two months.
Riley got back on the interstate and less than an hour and a half later she was back in the city. She didn’t want to face Joanna and she was in no mood for a dinner party even though she knew Kate would be disappointed if she didn’t show. It couldn’t get any worse, Riley decided. She was already in for a paddling from Joanna so she decided to go to a little bar she had found when she first arrived in New York.
Chapter Two
“What the fuck?” Kate questioned as she read the text from Riley.
Sorry, Kate, been a really shitty day, I can’t make it tonight, I’ll make it up to you, K?
“Katherine, mouth!” Helen Klein admonished her irritated girlfriend. “What on earth is the matter?”
“Friggin’ Riley! She’s blowing off tonight, she said she’s had a bad day?” Kate replied crossly.
“What? That doesn’t sound like her,” Helen replied as Joanna burst through the door looking at her own phone.
“Did Riley text you, Kate?” Joanna asked in a furious tone.
“Yes, what the hell is going on, she said she’s not coming tonight?” Kate replied, showing her phone to Joanna.
“Joanna, what’s going on?” Helen asked, seeing the two angry women.
Joanna started to explain the events of the afternoon. “Now she texted me and said she needs some time to herself and she won’t be at dinner! She won’t tell me where she is, she said she’ll be back later!” She fumed as she paced Helen and Kate’s kitchen.
“Did you tell her to get her butt home?” Helen asked.
“Of course I did, she won’t answer the phone,” Joanna ranted. “Do you think I was too hard on her? I gave her a week to make that damn appointment and she blew me off.”
“No, Jo, you were right to make the appointment. Riley’s just thinking about her butt right now and doesn’t want to come home. I’ll text her; she may listen to me,” Helen comforted her friend.
Riley, you’re upsetting everyone, get your ass home before Joanna is not the only one you’ll be answering to. Do you understand me? Helen texted to Riley’s phone.
* * *
Riley sat in the bar shaking her head as she read message after message from the three angry women.
“Christ, really!” Riley exclaimed, finishing her fourth beer as she read the last text from Helen.
“Girl problems?” A tall, slim, brunette woman with short spikey hair asked her, sitting down next to her at the bar.
“You could say that,” Riley replied, ordering another beer.
“You’re new, I haven’t seen you here before; Alex Denton,” the women said, extending her hand to Riley.
“Riley Carrington, yeah, only been here a few months from California,” Riley replied, shaking the woman’s hand.
“So, what brings you to New York and our little seedy bar, Riley?” Alex asked with a grin.
Riley and Alex hit if off immediately and Riley found herself opening up to the stranger she had just met.
“So, she’s your girlfriend and your boss and she’s at home pissed off waiting for you?” Alex asked, amused.
“In a nutshell, yes,” Riley grinned, working on her eighth beer as her phone buzzed again on the bar.
“She older than you? She sounds controlling,” Alex asked, amused, sipping on her drink.
“Yeah, twelve years, she’s incredible but she’s definitely the boss,” Riley said with a sloppy grin. “So, Alex, what do you do? Let me guess, you look like a cop.”
“Guilty!” Alex said with a smile. “Detective, twenty-third precinct.”
“No shit!” Riley grinned. “So what do you think about those missing women, you think there is some psycho out there?”
“Well, it’s beginning to look like that, the department has us all working over at the twenty-second round the clock to try to come up with some leads but so far nothing,” Alex said thoughtfully as she regarded Riley.
“So, tell me, Riley, why are you hiding out here on your own when your incredible girlfriend is at home waiting for you, hmm?” she asked with a smile.
“Fuck, where do I begin?” Riley started to explain her day while Alex listened to her attentively.
“Then on the way back I got pulled over and got a speeding ticket,” Riley finished, raising her beer bottle.
“Damn, girl, you had quite a day, didn’t you! How fast were you going?”
“Ninety-two, cop was cool though, wrote me for fourteen over. Joanna is still going to kill me,” Riley said sullenly.
“I would have given you a ticket too, young lady, that’s way too fast!” Alex said with a scowl. “But Riley, what’s the worst that can happen? Go home and talk to her. Joanna will get over it, I’m sure. It sounds like she loves you very much.”
“Oh, I know she will, right after she spanks the crap out of me with her wooden paddle!” Riley replied shamelessly, the effects from the alcohol taking away the embarrassment of her disclosure.
“Oh, shit, really? Well, you’re quite the rebel, aren’t you? Riley, Joanna’s not abusing you, is she?” Alex said seriously.
“No way, I think she saved me really. Fuck, I would probably be without a job and behind bars if it weren’t for Joanna and Rae, a friend from California,” Riley replied, twirling her empty beer bottle on the counter.
“Well, how about I give you a ride home. The bike’s staying here, yes?” Alex asked, Riley raising her eyebrows.
“God, you sound like Joanna! Well, if the bike’s staying here then let’s have another drink. I’m buying!” Riley replied with a smirk.
“Beer and cran-soda, Al?” the bartender asked as she put another beer in front of Riley.
“Yes, thanks, Pat,” Alex replied with a smile.
“Wait, that’s all you’re drinking? Shit!” Riley slurred.
“You are a feisty one, aren’t you? I can see why Joanna needs to keep you on a short leash. Why don’t you at least text her where you are? She’s probably worried. It’s nearly eleven.”
“Shit, I’m so dead!” Riley said, looking at her phone and seeing eighteen missed calls and texts from Joanna, Kate, and Helen.
* * *
Joanna, Kate, and Helen waited anxiously in Joanna’s penthouse for word from Riley after they had cancelled Kate’s dinner party.
“I’m going to call downstairs and tell them to let us know as soon as she gets home. I’m going to kill her. I can’t believe she pulled this today,” Joanna ranted angrily as she paced the kitchen.
“Well, after you’re done with her, she and I are going to have a conversation too. She’s going to learn she doesn’t text me to mind my own business!” Helen replied with a scowl on her
face.
“Well, much as I would like to stay up and see Riley get the tar beat out of her, I’m going to bed; it’s after midnight,” Kate said with a yawn as she hugged Joanna and kissed Helen.
“Goodnight, Kate, sorry plans got fouled up tonight. We’ll do it another day, okay?” Joanna replied.
“No worries; night, Jo,” Kate replied with a smile.
A little after one, Joanna’s phone rang. “Thank you, Jose,” Joanna said, hanging up the phone.
“Shit, a police officer just brought her home, apparently she’s drunk!” Joanna announced in a worried tone, heading out the door with Helen.
Helen and Joanna reached Riley’s apartment in time to see a tall slender woman helping Riley down the hallway.
“See, I told you she’s cute!” Riley slurred to Alex as Helen and Joanna took Riley’s arms and led her, staggering, to the bedroom.
Alex smiled and shook her head when Joanna emerged from the bedroom.
“You must be Joanna, Alex Denton,” the tall woman said, handing Joanna her business card. “I thought I better help her home, she’s pretty ripped. Her bike is in the garage. I had a friend follow us on it,” Alex said, handing Joanna Riley’s motorcycle keys.
“Thank you, Detective,” Joanna replied, looking at the card in her hand. “I’m sorry you had to do this. She’s not usually this irresponsible.”
“Well, I’m sure you’ll be having that conversation tomorrow. Goodnight!” Alex smiled.
“Goodnight, and thank you again for seeing her home safe,” Joanna replied.
Joanna returned to the bedroom where Helen was helping Riley off with her jacket. “Don’t be mad, Jo, please!” Riley slurred as Joanna went to work helping Riley out of her clothes.
“Riley, we’ll talk tomorrow, you need to sleep,” Joanna said, trying to stay calm as she pulled the covers off the bed and helped Riley in. Helen brought in a glass of water and put it next to Riley’s bed.
“She’s out, she’s going to be feeling this tomorrow. This fell out of her jacket pocket,” Helen said, handing Joanna the speeding ticket.
“Shit!” Joanna exclaimed as tears started to well in her eyes. “Maybe I should stay with her?”
“No, let’s go back upstairs. We’ll deal with this tomorrow, okay, Jo? There’s nothing you can do tonight; she just needs to sleep it off.”
Joanna locked the apartment door behind her as the two women headed back upstairs.
“Helen, was she afraid to come home? Did I do this? I mean…” Joanna started.
“No, Jo, you didn’t. Stop it now. Riley knows exactly where she stands. She just likes to push the envelope,” Helen replied, wrapping an arm around her friend. “So, what’s it going to be, death by hanging?” Helen hugged Joanna with a smile.
“She’s not getting off that easily!” Joanna smiled back.
Chapter Three
“Morning, honey; I’m going for a run,” Kate said, bending down and kissing her sleepy girlfriend as she stretched in the bed.
“Oh, okay, honey,” Helen yawned. “I was up too late waiting for Riley.”
“Yeah, well, I’m going to drag her sorry ass with me, I don’t care if she is hungover,” Kate replied, sitting on the bed and lacing up her tennis shoes.
“Kate, I’m not sure that’s a good idea; she was really drunk last night,” Helen tried to reason.
“Too bad! She blew me off last night; I’m getting her butt up. See ya,” Kate replied.
Kate let herself into Riley’s apartment with her key.
“Riley, get up, we’re running!” Kate said, pulling the covers off Riley.
“Shit, no way, Kate. I feel like shit, go away,” Riley replied, grabbing for the covers.
“No, you get your ass up!” Kate said, pulling back the covers again as she started to empty a bottle of ice water over Riley.
“Shit, Kate, what the fuck?” Riley yelled as she bolted upright to avoid the freezing liquid.
“Get dressed!” Kate demanded impatiently.
* * *
Riley rubbed her eyes as memories of the night before started to come back to her. Her head was pounding and she needed water. She knew Kate was upset with her so she put on her running gear and tied her dark brown hair back in a ponytail. When she emerged from the bedroom, Kate gave her a scowl and handed her a bottle of water.
“Look, Kate, I’m sorry; it was a shitty day,” Riley began.
“Save it, Riley; let’s go,” Kate said, opening the front door and leaving the apartment behind Riley.
Riley’s stomach lurched, but she tried to keep up with Kate as they ran through Central Park.
“And a fucking cop brought you home, what the hell, Riley?” Kate asked angrily.
“It wasn’t like that; I met her at the bar. She was cool. She helped me get the bike home.”
“Oh, so you blow off my party to go hang out at a bar with your cool new friend? Well, fuck you, Riley. You don’t know how much Jo loves you and you pull this crap. I hope you get what you deserve!” Kate ranted.
“Kate, c’mon, don’t, please…” Before Riley could plead her case, a nauseous wave came over her and she stopped to throw up.
Kate softened, seeing Riley’s distress. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” Riley replied miserably. “I got a speeding ticket too, ninety-two in a seventy but he only wrote me for fourteen over.”
“Oh, you are so dead! And you texted Helen to mind her own business?” Kate replied almost gleefully.
“Shit, no, when? I don’t remember that!” Riley replied in shock.
“So dead, my friend!” Kate grinned.
As the two girls neared their ending point, Kate spotted Helen and Joanna waiting for them on the bleachers by the baseball field.
“Time to pay the piper!” Kate said, pointing out the two women.
Another wave of nausea washed over Riley and she retreated to the bushes to throw up again.
“Damn it, Kate, I knew it wasn’t a good idea to make her run,” Helen said as Joanna walked over to her heaving girlfriend.
Joanna rubbed her back as Riley straightened up. “Let’s get you home, okay?” Joanna said gently.
Riley just nodded sullenly as the four women walked silently back to the apartment building.
“See you later,” Joanna said as they reached the penthouses.
Kate gave Riley a playful punch on the arm but Riley could only manage a weak grin in return.
“Why don’t you go and take a shower, Riley,” Joanna said softly when they got into the apartment. “Wait; take this with you,” she said, handing Riley a sports drink.
Joanna came into the bathroom after she heard the shower turn off. She held a towel out for Riley and wrapped her in it. Joanna sat down on the chair and pulled Riley into her lap, holding her affectionately and kissing her temple.
“I’m sorry, Jo,” Riley whispered as she hugged her girlfriend tightly.
“I know, baby,” Joann replied tenderly. “Let’s get you into some PJs and get you back to bed, okay?”
Riley nodded, she was exhausted and her head was pounding. Joanna brushed and dried Riley’s hair and led her to the bedroom.
“In you get,” she said, folding the sheets back for Riley. “You need a couple of aspirin?”
Riley nodded and Joanna went to the kitchen, returning with the pills and a large glass of water.
“Rest,” Joanna said, kissing Riley gently on the lips.
“Jo,” Riley said timidly. “Will you stay with me?”
Joanna smiled and laid down on the bed next to Riley, putting an arm around her and letting the younger woman snuggle into her chest. Riley fell asleep in her girlfriend’s arms.
* * *
A few hours later Riley woke up in Joanna’s bed. Joanna had left her when she had fallen asleep and was busy on the computer in the office. Riley wanted nothing more than to stay in Joanna’s warm bed but she knew she had a punishment waiting.
“Hi,” Riley sa
id grimly as she found Joanna in the office.
Joanna gave her a brief smile before regarding her seriously. “Tell me why, Riley, were you afraid to come home? I want to know.”
“No, of course not, I was angry at myself for being so stupid. I let Kate down, too, didn’t I?” she asked sadly.
“Yes, you did and I believe Helen wants to talk to you also. In fact, why don’t you go across the hall and apologize to them now and then you and I can have our talk,” Joanna directed coolly.
Riley knocked at Helen and Kate’s penthouse door timidly. A few seconds later Helen’s ominous frame stood in the open doorway. At nearly six feet with her athletic stature, Helen was an imposing woman. She regarded Riley with her blue-green eyes and gestured her inside.
“Sit,” Helen ordered, pointing to the couch. Riley sat timidly, still dressed in her flannel pajamas.
Kate and Helen sat down on chairs at either end of the couch.
“I’m really sorry, you guys. I don’t know what I was thinking. Kate, I’m sorry your dinner party was cancelled. I didn’t mean for that to happen, I just thought you guys would go without me,” Riley said sullenly, looking down at her hands.
Kate got up angrily and started to pace. “Oh, bullshit, Riley, you know damn well we wouldn’t go without you and Jo. And Jo sure wasn’t about to go with you out there somewhere, not answering any of our texts or calls.”
A small tear began to fall down Riley’s cheek; she knew she had let her friend down and she desperately wanted her forgiveness.
“And Riley, if you ever send me a text like that again I’ll be dealing with you personally. Do you understand me?” Helen said sternly.
“Yes, ma’am,” Riley replied, a little relieved that Helen wasn’t going to discipline her.
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