“You can’t say something like that and then just walk away, you fucking dyke.” Frank sneered at her, as if that was going to scare her. She was in better shape than he was and had no doubt she could take him one-on-one.
“Are we really doing this?” Riley asked, looking from one person to another. She was relieved to see that at least a few of them looked uncomfortable with the situation. Maybe Frank was the only one who hadn’t grown up over the past twenty years. She held his gaze as she spoke. “You don’t scare me, Frank. I’ll admit you did back in the day, but now? You’re nothing but a poor excuse for a man. I feel sorry for your wife.”
A couple of the people hooted at that, and Riley smirked as she walked away, leaving him sputtering once again. It felt good to stand up to him for once. The rest of his crew pretty much left her alone at the previous reunions, and some of them were customers at the theater and had even been nice to her. They weren’t her friends by any stretch of the imagination, but they all seemed to have changed. Except Frank.
Her attention was drawn toward the entrance of the gym and her step faltered when she saw Vic and Vanessa walking in. There was absolutely no mistaking they were identical twins, but they looked so very different. Vanessa was wearing a rather expensive looking dress with some sexy ass boots and was wearing makeup. Vic, on the other hand, was wearing a suit that fit her like a glove and her hair was slicked back. Their eyes met across the gym, and Vic smiled at her before leaning close to Vanessa and saying something that caused her to look in her direction too. She felt a little light-headed when they both started walking toward her.
“Riley, it’s so nice to see you when my face isn’t covered in blood and my legs aren’t on fire,” Vanessa said as she held Riley’s hand between both of hers. Riley was taken aback by the self-deprecating humor coming out of the woman who used to torment her. She glanced at Vic, who simply shrugged. “I’m sorry, that was probably too much, wasn’t it? But really, I want to thank you for what you did. I was told I probably wouldn’t have survived if not for you.”
“Anyone would have done the same,” she said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She hadn’t gotten much in the way of gratitude, or any kind of praise for that matter, growing up, so she was a little uncomfortable with it now. “But you’re welcome.”
“I’m going to assume you two don’t need a chaperone and I’m going to see if I can find anyone I wouldn’t mind hanging out with for a bit,” Vanessa said before whispering something in Vic’s ear that made her nod and roll her eyes.
“It was nice to see you again, Riley,” Vanessa said. “And I really want to offer an apology for the way we treated you back in high school. I truly am sorry.”
“Thanks,” Riley said, but it came out sounding more like a question. She looked at Vic who once again simply shrugged.
“That’s Vanessa for you,” she said. “She never sits still for long in any social situation.”
“What did she say that caused you to roll your eyes?”
“Oh, you saw that, did you?” Vic laughed as she placed her hand on the small of Riley’s back. “She told me to not spend all evening in a corner somewhere with you.”
“You don’t have to hang out with me, you know,” Riley said, stiffening slightly at the words.
“But I want to,” Vic said, looking at her strangely. “Surely after our two dates you realize that.”
“Well, I hadn’t heard from you since, so I wasn’t sure.” God, Riley hated feeling so insecure. She glanced around to see if anyone was watching them. Her eyes met Frank Mills’s and she looked away quickly. “Maybe you shouldn’t touch me.”
“I’m sorry?” Vic was obviously perplexed.
“People are watching.”
Vic looked around the room and seemed to stop momentarily when she saw Frank watching them. Riley followed her line of vision until her gaze settled on Vanessa who was talking with someone Riley didn’t recognize.
“You mean Frank Mills?” Vic said as she met her eyes. Riley nodded and Vic laughed. “Let him look. He’s just jealous because he doesn’t have a date as beautiful as I do. He’s an asshole, and he always has been. I seriously don’t know what Vanessa ever saw in him.”
“It really doesn’t bother you?”
“Riley, I’d kiss you right here in front of everyone. If they can’t tell by the way I look that I’m a lesbian, then they probably wouldn’t even understand what I was saying if I came right out and said it to them.” Vic looked down and grasped her hand before leading her over to some tables that had been set up along the walls of the gym. “It really doesn’t bother me. The only thing that matters to me is if maybe you don’t feel comfortable being seen with me?”
“No, of course not.” Riley smiled at her as she shook her head. They were sitting next to each other and Vic’s hand was resting on Riley’s thigh. Riley covered it with her own and sighed contentedly.
“Good.” Vic nodded once and brought Riley’s hand to her lips for a brief kiss. She smiled so big it made Riley’s heart swell. “I can’t believe we’re sitting here in the gym twenty years after we left this place, holding hands. And under that banner too.”
Vic pointed above them to the banner that sported the words Hopes and Dreams, the theme of their senior prom. They both laughed and rolled their eyes.
“It was corny as hell back then, but now it makes a little more sense, right?” Riley asked. “I mean, I didn’t go to prom, so I guess it was just corny in my mind.”
“You want to know a secret?” Vic said, leaning close to Riley. “I didn’t go to prom either, and you’re right, it was corny.”
“What? How did I never know you skipped prom? Isn’t that something everyone would have been talking about?”
“Everyone was so caught up in their own meaningless shit, I guess it didn’t matter who did or didn’t show up.”
“What were your hopes and dreams back then?” Riley asked, glancing back at the banner.
“Oh, my God,” Vic said before leaning forward and resting her elbows on the table. She turned her head to look at Riley, wondering how much to reveal. She didn’t even know what to dream when she was a teenager. “All I really cared about was not feeling as confused as I was for the rest of my life. And I wanted to be comfortable in my own skin, because I definitely was not back then. What about you?”
Riley shook her head and looked away, making Vic wonder what she didn’t want to say. She didn’t push, sensing Riley would answer when she was ready. A shadow fell over the table and Vic glanced up at Frank.
“Hey, Victoria,” he said, sounding overly cheerful.
“It’s Vic,” she told him, trying to ignore the way her stomach turned. He gave her the creeps. He always had.
“What?” he asked, looking truly perplexed.
“I want to be called Vic now.”
“Whatever,” he mumbled as he glanced over his shoulder at the few couples who were dancing. “Come dance with me.”
“I’m sorry, was that a question?” Vic saw Riley looking at her in her peripheral vision but never looked away from Frank.
“Come on, you know you always wanted a piece of this,” he said with a grin that threatened to turn her stomach. At least he didn’t grab his crotch like he had in high school every time he said something suggestive.
“Yeah, maybe to put through a wood chipper.” Vic laughed because Riley did, and her stomach turned for an entirely different reason at the sound of it.
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” He looked between Vic and Riley, but they just kept laughing.
“Maybe you should go find one of your buddies to explain it to you,” Vic said.
“Hey, Frank, you know earlier when you asked if I was ready to give up the ladies?” Riley asked. Vic looked at her, then up to Frank, trying to resist the urge to slug him for still trying to bully Riley.
“Yeah, what about it?”
“Would you give this up,” Riley placed her hand on V
ic’s shoulder and glanced at her with a smile. “If you had it?”
“Yeah, right,” he said with a loud snort. “Like I’d ever believe Victoria Thayer is a dyke.”
Riley looked at her again and quirked one eyebrow in question. Not knowing what to expect, Vic just nodded. She had a feeling whatever Riley had planned would put Frank in his place, and she was all for it. Riley stood and faced Vic, who moved her chair back a bit from the table.
“If you don’t want me to do this, tell me,” Riley said, her voice low enough so only Vic could hear her.
“I don’t know what’s going on in your head, but I’m game no matter what it is,” Vic replied with a smile. She was a little surprised when Riley straddled her and slid her arms around her neck, but not so much that she didn’t fall right into it and placed her hands firmly on Riley’s hips. “I could really get used to this.”
Vic closed her eyes as Riley leaned in, pressing their lips together. Vic wasn’t sure how much of a show Riley intended to put on, so she decided to let her have total control. She moaned into her mouth when Riley’s tongue slid between her lips. Vic moved her hands up Riley’s sides and loved the way she pressed down against her lap in response.
“Jesus, you’re both sick in the head,” Frank said amidst the whistles and applause in the background.
“God, can you kiss,” Riley said, breathless as she pulled back slightly and looked her in the eye. She started to get off her, but Vic held her in place.
“You do amazing things to me, Riley Warren.” Vic enjoyed the feeling of wonderment that overtook her. “No one has ever been able to turn me on so thoroughly, so fast. What do you say we get out of here and go somewhere a little more private?”
“Mother,” she said, placing a hand on Vic’s chest before moving it to her own. “And roommate, remember?”
“There’s got to be a hotel somewhere fairly close, right?” Vic was close to begging, and she didn’t even care. She wanted Riley so bad she could almost taste it.
Riley let her head fall back and she laughed before getting up and moving back to her own chair. Vic looked up and saw Frank still standing rooted to his spot, staring at them.
“We’re both sick in the head, but you seem fine with watching us,” Vic said, trying hard not to appear as frustrated as she felt. “Go to hell, Frank.”
“Fucking dykes,” he said as he turned and walked away.
“I think I just outed you to our entire graduating class,” Riley said with a smirk.
“Good. It saves me from having to sit down and have any conversations with these idiots.”
“They aren’t all bad,” Riley said with a shrug. “But he most definitely is King Idiot.”
“So,” Vic said, turning in her seat to face Riley. “Your hopes and dreams?”
“You don’t give up, do you?”
“Not very easily.”
“Fine.” Riley looked away again, and Vic thought she was going to avoid answering, but then she turned to face her again as she sighed. “All I wanted was to survive high school, and to not allow my mother to suck me into the rabbit hole she’d decided to go down.”
“And now?” Vic asked, not knowing how to respond to what she’d said. They all knew Riley’s mother was an alcoholic, and after their previous conversation Riley knew how Vic felt about her, but she wasn’t going to say anything else derogatory about her. “Tell me what you want now.”
“I want to own the movie theater I work at.” Riley didn’t look at her as she spoke the words, so she didn’t see Vic’s reaction to them.
Her heart sped up, and she wondered if she’d read Riley wrong. Maybe she was simply after her money. Of course, she hadn’t asked Vic for money, but this was how it always started. A suggestion here and there. She glanced around the room and saw Vanessa watching them.
“So, you want to spend the rest of your life here in Wolf Bay?” Vic asked her after her moment of panic receded.
“I don’t really know anything else,” Riley said with a shrug. “I’m happy here for the most part, so I haven’t ever considered moving away. What about your hopes and dreams now?”
“I want to find a woman to share the rest of my life with who cares more about me than she does my money and what it can do for her.” Riley must have heard the edge to her voice because she tilted her head and looked confused.
“Wait, you don’t think I was asking you for money, do you?” Riley shook her head and looked offended at the prospect. “I couldn’t care less about your money, Vic. If I’m ever going to buy the theater, I’m going to do it on my own.”
“I’m sorry,” Vic said, feeling like a jerk for jumping to conclusions. “You have to understand though that I’m used to women dating me because of what I can do for them. I would give up all my money to live a simpler and happier life.”
“Says the woman who’s never had to live without money,” Riley said with a chuckle. “Living paycheck to paycheck isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, you know.”
“You know, it’s true what they say,” Vic said, watching Riley’s face. “Money can’t buy happiness. Trust me, I’ve tried.”
Vic really didn’t want to talk about this anymore. She absolutely hated talking about money. Honestly, she had so much of it she didn’t even need to work another day in her life. Her grandparents had seen to that, much to her mother’s dismay.
Vera had been convinced her in-laws shared her views on Vic’s lesbianism and wouldn’t leave her a thing when they died. Not only did they support Vic in everything she did, they’d left her even more money than anyone expected because they’d worried Vera would cut her off eventually. Thanks to some smart investments, she’d built up quite the little nest egg for herself.
“Seriously, do you want to get out of here?” Vic asked when Riley remained silent. “You’re the only one I care about spending time with, and we could go for a drive or something. No pressure.”
“Sure,” Riley said with a nod.
Vic went to tell Vanessa she was leaving, and Riley went to tell Megan. They met each other just outside the entrance and made their way to Riley’s vehicle. It was only eight o’clock so it was still light out, and Riley suggested a drive to the next town where they could get a couple of awesome ice cream cones. Riley and ice cream. Vic couldn’t think of a better way to spend an evening.
Chapter Fourteen
“Too bad there isn’t a drive-in around,” Vic said as they sat in the back of Riley’s SUV with their feet hanging over the edge, eating their ice cream.
“Really?” Riley asked without looking at her. She appeared too intent on not letting her ice cream melt. “I show movies for a living, and you want me to spend my night off watching one?”
“Oh, I can pretty much guarantee there wouldn’t be any movie watching going on.” Vic bumped her lightly with her shoulder and laughed when Riley looked at her incredulously.
“And just what are you suggesting?”
“I’m suggesting that if you don’t stop licking your ice cream like that, I might just have to rip your clothes off and take you right here in front of all these families.”
“Like what?”
“Like I can picture it being me you’re using your tongue on.”
“Fuck,” Riley said under her breath as she squirmed a little.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m suggesting.” Vic bumped her again, but Riley refused to look at her this time.
“Who knew ice cream was foreplay for you?” Riley asked with a chuckle.
“All you had to do was ask.”
“There’s nowhere to do it, and I am not doing it in the car, so you can just get that thought out of your head right now.” Riley finished her cone and wiped her fingers on the napkin she’d grabbed at the counter.
“If you don’t want to have sex with me, just say so.”
“I do want to, Vic, and I think you know it.” Riley got up and walked to the trash can to get rid of her napkin and took her time walking ba
ck. She met Vic’s eyes and held them as she placed her hands on either side of her hips and leaned closer. “I just know you’re leaving after the wedding, and who knows if we’ll ever see each other again? I don’t do well with casual hookups, okay?”
“Knowing you’re here, and that you’d want to see me again, I wouldn’t stay away for long,” Vic told her, hoping she believed her. She’d never said anything more true to a woman. “You are an amazing woman, and I know casual would never be enough with you.”
“You are a charmer, aren’t you?” Riley grinned and stood up straight, her arms crossed over her chest. She shook her head and glanced down at her feet. “But even if you mean that—especially if you mean it—then I think we should take things a little slow. Don’t take this the wrong way, but up until a few days ago, I’d only known you as Victoria Thayer, the bitch from high school. I think I’d like to get to know you a little better before jumping into a physical relationship.”
“I can respect that,” Vic said with a nod, even though she wanted nothing more than to jump into bed with her in that moment. “I don’t have to like it, but I can respect it.”
“Good. Then come on, I want to show you something.”
* * *
Riley was disappointed they didn’t make it back to her house before the sunset, but she took Vic out onto the rooftop where there were Adirondack chairs and a small table between them. She brought her Bluetooth speaker out also and turned on some music to listen to while they sat and enjoyed the evening.
“This is amazing.” Vic gazed at the stars overhead as though she’d never seen them before. “I’d forgotten how many stars you can see here. You can’t see any in the city.”
“It would have been even more amazing if we’d made it in time to see the sun go down behind the Catskills.” Riley was up here every night she wasn’t working just to watch the sunset.
“I can imagine.” Vic held her hand out on the table between them, and Riley took it, entwining their fingers together. “When’s your next night off?”
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