“Yep, great! Oh, thank you, honey!” Kate said as Helen handed her one of the cups. “Just one of the many reasons you’re my gorgeous girlfriend: bringing me a hot café mocha on a cold frosty morning. I think I’ll keep you around for another ten years!” Kate grinned.
“Is that so?” Helen smirked. “Then do you mind telling me why you have a look on your face like the cat who ate the cream?”
Helen didn’t miss a thing when it came to Kate; she could read her like a book. Kate realized that the first time she had unwisely tried to lie to Helen and wound up with a sore backside.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, honey!” Kate said as boldly as she could.
“Hmm,” Helen mused.
“So we thought after we get cleaned up, we could go grab some breakfast and do a little sightseeing around Manhattan. How does that sound, Riley?” Helen asked.
“Sounds fantastic!” Riley said excitedly. “But again, I don’t want to impose if you have plans.”
“Riley, what did I tell you about that?” Joanna asked, raising her eyebrows.
“Okay, yes, it sounds great!” Riley confirmed. “I saw a little bit of Times Square last night, but there were thousands of people and…”
“Wait!” Joanna interrupted, puzzled. “When did you go down to Times Square?”
“Last night after dinner, I wasn’t tired. Still on West Coast time so I took a walk downtown. It was crazy, there were still thousands of people down there after midnight! Six o’clock came early this morning though!” Riley yawned.
Helen could see Joanna tense as Kate looked on wide-eyed at what was unfolding. Helen reached up and gently grasped Joanna’s arm, sensing her about to pounce. “You know, Riley, downtown is okay, there are a lot of people, but it’s probably not a good idea to go out that late on your own. I know you want to see everything and we will, but just be careful if you’re out on your own. It’s probably best to get a cab from downtown to here after dark just because there’s not so many people about.”
“Oh, okay, this looks pretty nice compared to some of the places in LA where I hang out so I thought it was safe, but I’ll keep that in mind. So you said about an hour?”
Joanna was about to unleash on Riley, but Helen cut her off before she could start. “Yes, we’ll see you in the lobby. Vincent is picking us up in the car.”
Seeming oblivious to the fact that Joanna was upset at her for going out on her own, Riley headed into the lobby.
“You need to calm down, she’s a grown woman! What do you think she does back at home? This is an adventure for her, Jo, and she’s trying to take as much in as she can,” Helen tried to reason with Joanna. “When she’s here for six months, you don’t think she will want to go out?”
“Okay, I know, I just worry. She hasn’t been anywhere, Helen, and this is her first time out of LA. I guess I am being a little overprotective, but she still shouldn’t be walking at night on her own!” Joanna stated.
* * *
An hour later the company car pulled up outside the apartment building and a stout, middle-aged man with rosy cheeks got out and opened the doors. “How’re you doing, Ms. K? Great day for some sightseeing, eh?”
“Hi, Vincent. It certainly is. Thank you for doing this on a Sunday. This is Riley. It’s her first time in New York,” Helen replied with a smile.
“Nice to meet you, Riley. That an Irish name?” Vincent asked with a smile, shaking Riley’s hand briskly.
“Yep, from my grandmother, nice to meet you too, Vincent,” Riley grinned.
“You call me Vinnie, eh?” the chauffeur said to Riley in a textbook New York accent. “How you doing, Ms. A? Maybe you’ll stay for a while this time, eh?”
“Just a week, I’m afraid, Vinnie, but Riley here will be back after Christmas for six months with us.”
“Ah, and the lovely Kate, how’s the studying going, young lady?”
“It sucks, Vinnie. Good to see you!” Kate said, embracing Vinnie.
The women laughed and got into the black stretch limousine where Kate proceeded to open and pour a bottle of chilled champagne.
“So I’m thinking keep the ladies happy and feed them at Carnegie first! Then Empire State, The Island, Freedom Towers, Rockefeller Center, then maybe I take you on a real adventure and drive you through the neighborhood where I grew up!” Vinnie laughed.
“Sounds great, Vinnie, carry on!” Joanna laughed.
After breakfast at Manhattan’s famous deli, the women spent the day sightseeing, visiting the famous landmarks and taking in the ambience of the busy city. Vinnie was the perfect guide, telling Riley some of the history of the city and taking them to the best street food stands. Riley and Kate took various selfies that Riley texted to Rae and Tracy.
It was midafternoon when Vinnie dropped the four women back at the apartment.
“Okay, Riley, the game is on in fifteen minutes, come up after you get comfortable, okay?” Kate said as she checked her watch.
“Okay, I’ll grab some beer from next door,” Riley replied as she headed for her hotel room.
Ten minutes later Riley knocked on the open penthouse door. “It’s me, Kate.”
“Come on in, Riley!” Kate yelled from the living room where she was pointing a remote at a large flat screen.
Riley took two bottles out of the six-pack and put the rest in the refrigerator.
“Oh, nice shirt!” Kate exclaimed, noticing Riley’s gray 49ers hoodie as Riley handed her one of the bottles. “But your Niners are going down!”
“We’ll see,” Riley laughed as she took a long swig on her beer.
“Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me? The game is blacked out!” Kate half yelled furiously.
“Katherine, mouth!” Helen scolded from the door as she entered with Joanna, startling Kate and Riley.
“Sorry, but the game’s blacked out, which is ridiculous!” Kate replied sheepishly.
“Yes, I gathered that from your foul mouth! Why don’t you take Riley down to Duggan’s; they will have it on, I’m sure.”
“Brilliant! C’mon, Riley,” Kate said, chugging her beer. “You’ll love Duggan’s; it’s an Irish sports bar about a block down. You may want to lose the jersey though; we New Yorkers are diehard fans!”
“As am I and the shirt stays!” Riley smiled.
“Okay, but the guys will harass you; don’t say I didn’t warn you! Are you coming down, hon?” Kate asked Helen.
“Maybe in a while. Jo wants to show me the concepts Riley came up with for the new account.”
“Oh, do you need me to stay and go through them with you?” Riley asked Joanna.
“No, you go watch the game, we’ll work tomorrow,” Joanna smiled.
“Okay, if you’re sure,” Riley replied, finishing her beer.
“Of course she’s sure, now c’mon!” Kate persisted as she ushered Riley toward the door.
“Behave yourselves, we’ll be down in an hour or so. Maybe we can get something to eat; for an Irish bar, Duggan’s has great New York pizza!” Helen smiled.
Helen and Joanna sipped on wine in front of the fire as they reviewed Riley’s concepts on the laptop.
“You’re right, Jo, these are exceptional. Riley is so in tune with the client’s vision here, she’s hit the nail on the head and we don’t need to do much to get it ready for Tuesday,” Helen marveled. “Really some of the best designs I’ve seen. We are making Riley the lead on this, right?”
“I know, she has come a long way and grown tremendously this year. Miles even suggested she head the team on this one. I just need to keep her out of trouble!” Joanna said dryly. “Shall we go find the girls?”
“Yes,” Helen laughed. “Let me grab a jacket.”
Duggan’s was in full swing when Joanna and Helen arrived midway through the third quarter of the game. The sight that greeted them made the two women stop dead in their tracks and instinctively fold their arms in front of them as they observed the melee at the end t
able. Kate, Riley, and several guys were downing shots of tequila, slamming the empty glasses upside down on the table where quite a collection of empty shot glasses had accumulated, and chasing it with a long swig of beer.
“Giants, baby, I think your Niners are through, Riley!” one of the guys heckled.
“We’ll see, Ronnie, there’s a lot of football left yet!” Riley replied, clinking bottles with him.
Joanna and Helen stood back and watched the exchange for a few moments. Kate was obviously not feeling any pain, cussing more than usual as she high-fived Ronnie, drained the contents of her bottle, and ordered another round.
“Here’s my dilemma, Jo; should I march that little brat back to the apartment, give her a good thrashing, and send her to bed, or should we go have a drink?” Helen pondered wryly.
“Hmm, so the question really is, do we beat them or join them?” Joanna answered, smiling. “C’mon, I could use a martini!”
“That’s quite a collection you have there,” Joanna said softly, coming up behind Riley, making her jump.
“Oh, hi, yes, umm, touchdown shots,” Riley explained to Joanna guiltily.
“Hi, honey!” Kate exclaimed gleefully, seeing Helen and Joanna. “Ronnie, this is my girlfriend Helen and this is Joanna!”
“Oh, God, you ain’t kidding me, all these gorgeous women and a schmuck like me doesn’t have a chance!” Ronnie bellowed. “Why couldn’t I be born a lesbian?” he said, over-exaggerating with his hands over his face looking out through his fingers, making everyone laugh.
The women sipped on their martinis as Kate, Riley, and the guys bantered back and forth over the game.
“Touchdown!” Riley announced in delight, holding her beer in the air as her team tied the game.
“Damn, shots, Lenny!” Ronnie hollered over at the bartender.
Helen and Kate made eye contact knowingly and Helen shook her head. “I think you’ve had enough,” she said softly.
“Oh, c’mon, she’s got to have a shot, it’s good luck!” Ronnie pleaded as he witnessed the exchange between the two women. “You gotta let her have one more!”
“Ronnie, it’s entirely her choice to have a shot or not, I’m not stopping her, she knows that,” Helen said with a slight grin.
“Well, there you go kid, drink up!” Ronnie said triumphantly.
“But she also knows that if she does, I’ll be putting her over my knee and spanking her bare bottom when we get home,” Helen said very matter-of-factly as she sipped her martini.
Normally Kate might have been mortified, but she just shrugged her shoulders and gave a Ronnie a sloppy grin while Riley blushed.
Ronnie’s cock twitched in his pants at Helen’s announcement. “Oh God, you ladies are killing me!” he said, biting his knuckle. “Kate, you gotta have a shot!”
Kate didn’t need any encouragement as she picked up the shot glass and downed it along with Riley and the guys as Helen and Joanna looked on in amusement.
“You are wicked, Helen!” Joanna whispered over the ruckus with a big smile.
“Hmm, maybe, but I think we need to get these girls something to eat!”
It was after dark when the four women left the bar and the mercury was already threatening the zero mark. Kate was not feeling the cold in her semi-inebriated state but Riley shivered as soon as she stepped out into the night air.
“And just where are your jackets?” Helen chided.
“Dunno, it was nice when we left,” Kate shrugged, unconcerned as she grabbed Riley by the arm and hurried her quickly ahead of Helen and Joanna, giggling.
“She really is asking for a tail warming, you know!” Helen said incredulously.
“Oh, she’s just blowing off some steam, Helen, it is the holidays and she has been working hard on her thesis. You’re not really going to spank her, are you?”
“No, but I may make her think I am for a while!” Helen smiled.
“See, you are wicked!” Joanna teased.
“Riley, you coming up?” Kate asked when the women arrived at the apartment building.
“No, but thanks, Kate, I want to get an early night, it’s catching up with me. You want to run in the morning, say around five-thirty?”
“Ugh, early! But okay, lobby at five-thirty,” Kate replied, making a sour face.
“Helen, Joanna, thank you for a great day, I think I like New York already!” Riley gushed.
“You’re welcome. Since all three of us are going in tomorrow, Vincent will pick us up here at eight, okay?” Helen smiled.
The women said their goodnights and saw Riley into her hotel before they made their way up to the penthouses.
“Riley looked tired, but I guess it has been a long day, I’m exhausted too!” Joanna stated.
“I’m sure she is; she said she didn’t get back to the hotel until after two last night and we were up at six to run. I’d be done in too!” Kate exclaimed.
“Is that so?” Joanna said in a firm tone, making Kate feel like she had just tattled on her new friend.
Helen eyed Kate coolly in the elevator, making her squirm. Kate knew she had crossed the line at the bar a little and she was trying to determine if her butt was on the line or not. She gave Helen a small hopeful smile trying to size her up, but Helen continued her cool gaze to Joanna’s amusement until they reached the penthouse floor.
“Helen, do you have a couple of minutes to talk?” Joanna asked seriously, motioning toward her door.
“Of course,” Helen replied. “And you, young lady,” she said, turning toward Kate, “can go inside and wait for me; we have a couple of things to discuss, don’t we?”
Shit! Kate thought to herself as she turned to Joanna. “Night, Jo,” she said in a pouty tone.
“Night, kiddo,” Joanna replied with a sympathetic smile and small wink.
“Scotch?” Joanna asked, removing her coat and throwing it on the back of a chair.
“Mmm, just a small one,” Helen replied as she removed her coat and sat down on the couch.
Joanna handed Helen a crystal tumbler and joined her friend on the couch.
“Thanks.”
Joanna stared down into her drink and took a deep breath. “There’s something I need to tell you, Helen.”
Helen regarded her friend and noticed sadness in her eyes.
“What is it, Jo?”
“It’s Cheryl… she left me,” Joanna replied, not taking her gaze away from her drink.
“Oh Jo, I’m sorry, c’mere,” Helen said sympathetically, putting her arm around Joanna. “What happened?”
“She said my attention has obviously been elsewhere lately and she was tired of it. She said every time she would bring it up I just dismissed her and she’s not going to put up with it anymore.”
“Oh, I see, and when she says elsewhere, she means…” Helen paused.
“Yes, Riley, but you know it’s not like that with her!” Joanna stated defensively.
“Then how is it with Riley?” Helen asked, raising her eyebrows.
“Oh, don’t be so fucking condescending, Helen; you know what’s going on with Riley!” Joanna said, standing up and downing the contents of her glass before refilling it with a few more fingers of the single malt beverage.
“Yes, I do, but you apparently seem to be the one in the dark and I suggest you check that tone and mouth of yours or we’ll be continuing this conversation with you staring at the carpet, do you understand me?” Helen demanded in a warning tone.
“Yes, sorry, Helen,” Joanna said meekly as she sat back down on the couch. “I do have feelings for Riley but not in that way. I want her to succeed; she’s bright and intelligent and yes, I’m invested in her but you have to see why. She’s lucky to have a job at this point with all the crap she pulled. Christ, I’m her employer, not to mention at least ten years her senior…”
Helen let Joanna rant for a while, listening to all the reasons Joanna could come up with to deny any feelings for Riley.
“The worst
thing about this is I don’t think I’m even sad that Cheryl left me. I think I’m turning into a cold heartless bitch!” Joanna exclaimed hopelessly as tears started to fall from her eyes.
“Oh, Jo, you’re not,” Helen said, hugging her friend, “but I do think you are denying your feelings for Riley.”
“Helen, I hate to state the obvious, but what makes you think for one minute that Riley would have anything but professional aspirations where I am concerned? In the past month and a half I’ve suspended her and blistered her backside on several occasions. I hardly think she wants someone like me for a romantic prospect!”
Helen just smiled. “Joanna, if you can’t see that Ms. Carrington practically worships the ground you walk on, then you are more naïve than I thought you were and frankly I think you two need each other!”
A small grin found its way to Joanna’s tear-stained face.
“You look exhausted. Try to get some rest, okay? Do I need to take the Scotch away?”
“No,” Joanna smiled. “Thank you, Helen, what would I do without you?”
“Probably pay an overpriced shrink. Now I need to go deal with my brat!” Helen said, kissing Joanna affectionately on the forehead.
“Don’t be too hard on Kate, okay?”
“Hmm, goodnight!” Helen said coolly as she closed Joanna’s front door behind her.
* * *
Helen found Kate curled up on the couch in her PJs watching the late game. Kate gave her a slight pouty glare.
“Bedroom, miss, right now!” Helen directed.
“This is not fair!” Kate declared as she got up and stomped into the bedroom with her arms folded across her chest defiantly.
“I think you better calm down a bit, young lady, before you find yourself in a worse predicament. When have I ever not been fair? Hmm? I suggest you go and face the wall for a few minutes and get those pants down. I want to see that naughty bottom on display!”
Kate knew that her indiscretions were relatively minor so she didn’t push the issue with Helen. She figured the worst she would get would be a hand spanking or a light dose with the hairbrush. After all, she hadn’t really done anything to warrant anything much worse.
Reining in Riley Page 8