“For your information, I’m quite an accomplished rider. I’ve taken the introductory, intermediate, and advanced Steel Wheels courses and I’ve been assisting teaching on weekends for a few years now. And you had no right to spank me, it’s not like I went out and bought an ounce of crack, it’s a bike!” Riley stated curtly.
“I’m sorry, I was angry. It was more for not telling me about the motorcycle.”
“Oh, and that’s fair, is it?” Riley said sarcastically.
“Riley, I don’t want to fight, I said I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were so invested and had done all those courses. But then you’re not one to offer up information either!” Joanna said in defense.
“Is that what this is, a fight? You know, you really didn’t give me an opportunity to offer anything up, you just came unglued and the damn bike wasn’t supposed to be here until next week!” Riley said, her voice cracking a little.
“I don’t want it to be, Riley. Look, if we’re going to make this motorcycle thing work, we need to talk about it,” Joanna replied, touching Riley’s arm gently.
Riley rolled over and looked at Joanna, a small spark returning to her eyes. “What do want to talk about? Tell me.”
“Rules!” Joanna replied firmly.
“Okay, shoot.”
“You’ll always wear protective gear. Helmet, jacket, gloves, and whatever else. As far as I’m concerned, a suit made of airbags won’t be enough, okay?”
“Okay,” Riley agreed.
“No riding in the rain, ever. Or snow for that matter. Yes?”
“Yes,” Riley nodded.
“No freeways; around town and on the small highways.”
Riley frowned at Joanna’s last request. “Jo, one of the reasons of having a motorcycle is taking road trips and exploring. I don’t agree to that one and as you pointed out it’s more crazy driving around Manhattan than on the interstate!”
“Hmm, guess you have a point there. Okay, I’ll let that one go.”
“Well, that’s very big of you, Ms. Armstrong,” Riley said with a grin. “Anything else?”
Joanna thought for a few moments. “Yes, obey all traffic laws and no driving it at night.”
“No, I mean yes, all traffic laws but at night? I want to be able to drive down Manhattan on a hot summer night! That’s half the fun.”
Joanna shook her head, but she couldn’t resist Riley’s puppy-dog eyes looking at her pleadingly. “I’ll tell you what, Riley, summer and good weather, fine, but when it’s cold and icy out there, it stays in the garage. Deal?”
“Deal, I can live with that.”
“Good. But I just want you to live, period!” Joanna replied sincerely.
“I know, thank you, Jo, it means a lot to me. It is pretty though, isn’t it? Did you see the color? I…” Riley began.
“Riley, stop right there. There is nothing in my vocabulary that can describe that bike as being pretty in any way, so let’s just leave it there. We can go shopping and get some safety gear tomorrow, but that is about invested in it as I will be, okay? I’m still not happy you have it but it’s your decision,” Joanna answered, her eyes becoming glassy.
“Thank you, I know this isn’t easy for you. I was going to tell you, I just wasn’t sure how,” Riley said sadly.
“I know. I love you, Riley Carrington,” Joanna said, leaning over and kissing her lover tenderly on the lips.
“I love you too, Jo.” Riley smiled weakly.
“Okay, now you rest for a couple of hours, did you take your meds for your headache?” Joanna asked.
“Yes, but how did you know…”
“Rest, I’ll come check on you in a couple of hours,” Joanna said dismissingly as she kissed Riley on the cheek and left the room.
“Well, what happened?” Kate asked when Joanna came back to the apartment.
“I gave her a damn good spanking and the bike’s going back, of course!” Joanna said coolly.
Kate and Helen stared at her disbelievingly. “Joanna?” Helen warned.
A small smile cracked on Joanna’s face. “We made some ground rules and we’re going shopping for a helmet and jacket tomorrow, the bike stays.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Riley missed Joanna immensely when she returned to California. She immersed herself in her work and when the weather permitted she explored the city on her motorcycle. Joanna had insisted that every time she rode it she check in and out with Helen or Kate, but Riley really didn’t mind. She spent a great deal of time with Kate and Helen and she talked to Tracy and Rae nearly every day.
“Where’s Helen?” Riley asked as she sat at the kitchen bar in Kate and Helen’s apartment.
“She went to play tennis. I didn’t go because I was trying to get tickets for the show tonight but they frickin’ sold out in forty minutes. It’s crap; they need to put some kind of regulation on these damn ticket agencies. They are reselling at ten times the going rate,” Kate grumbled.
“Damn, the Garden sold out in forty minutes?”
“Yep, bullshit, isn’t it? I really wanted to go, it’s going to be a hell of a show,” Kate said, disappointed.
“Well, we could bite the bullet and pay the ticket agency rate, I suppose,” Riley replied, trying to console her friend.
“Already tried, they’re all nearly sold too,” Kate said gloomily.
“Kate, did you just get the same text message I got?” Riley asked, studying her phone.
Kate took her phone from her purse and checked the messages.
“Shit, Riley, they’re opening up a couple of thousand tickets to New York residents in thirty minutes!” Kate exclaimed to her friend. “We have to get there!” She called Rosa.
“Rosa said a taxi would be twenty to thirty minutes, that won’t work,” Kate sighed, hanging up the phone.
“Kate, I can get there in ten minutes on the bike. I’ll go get them,” Riley said, heading out of the apartment followed by Kate.
“No good, you need a New York ID. I have to go. And we only have one helmet.”
“Shit! Look, we can take the alley next to the river, no cops will be around there and I’ll drop you at the window. You wear the helmet,” Riley insisted and handed Kate her helmet as they arrived at the parking garage.
“I don’t know, Riley, shit, I really want to go but Jo and Helen…”
“Kate, get on, or you can kiss the show goodbye,” Riley said urgently as she started the bike.
The two girls zipped downtown through the alley on Riley’s motorcycle. Riley dropped Kate off near the box office less than ten minutes later. Riley waited for Kate behind the famous Garden and thirty minutes later a grinning Kate returned, waving two tickets.
“Way to go!” Riley grinned. “Now let’s get back!”
Riley rode back to the apartment the same way she came, back up the alley running adjacent to the river. She drove across the street into the parking garage just as a cop on a motorcycle pulled up behind them, flashing his lights.
“Shit!” Riley said as she stopped the bike at the entrance to the garage.
Kate got off the bike and handed Riley back her helmet, but the cop had already spotted them half a block back.
“California, huh?” the cop said, checking Riley’s ID as Kate looked on with a worried expression.
“Youse know we have helmet laws here in New York?” he asked a little sarcastically in a thick New York accent.
“Yes, officer, I’m really sorry, we were just coming across the street from the alley. I guess that wasn’t very smart,” Riley said with as much sweetness as she could muster.
“Yeah, and I’m really sorry I’m going to have to write you a ticket,” the cop replied, unfazed by Riley’s charm.
“Shit, come on, officer, cut me some slack, huh?” Riley appealed as the cop went back to his bike to run Riley’s license just as Helen’s black Jaguar entered the garage.
“Oh, shit, we’re dead!” Kate said, wide-eyed, watching Helen pull into her par
king space.
“No, we’re not. Listen, play it cool and just go over there and tell her it was an illegal lane change and he’s letting me off with a warning, but do not let her come over here, okay?” Riley said, desperately hoping Helen would be satisfied with that answer.
“What’s going on here?” Helen said, concerned, springing from her car and met by an equally concerned Kate.
“Riley got confused and made an illegal lane change. The cop was cool, he’s running her license but is going to let her off with a warning,” Kate lied.
Helen looked at Kate and then over at Riley, who was begging under her breath that Kate would take Helen inside before the cop handed her the ticket.
“Everything okay over there, Riley?” Helen asked, not wanting to interfere, and for the minute believing Kate’s explanation.
“Yes, fine, no big deal, I’ll be up in a minute. Go ahead, it’s cold out here, I’ll meet you upstairs!” Riley said, her heart beating fast in her chest, hoping Helen would go inside.
Kate ushered Helen into the lobby where Rosa with a look of wrath was yelling loudly in Italian, seemingly directed at Kate and the surveillance camera that showed Riley and the cop in the parking garage.
“Everything okay, Rosa?” Helen asked with a surprised look on her face. She couldn’t understand a word Rosa was saying.
“It was just a lane change, Rosa,” Kate said, hurrying Helen to the elevator.
“How was tennis, hon? Was that awful Beverly there?” Kate asked, trying to direct the conversation away from the garage.
“Yes, she was there. How come you were in the garage, Kate?” Helen asked.
“I got tickets for the concert tonight, I couldn’t wait to tell Riley,” Kate replied, trying to sound excited and not terrified.
“Oh, wonderful, honey, I know how badly you wanted to go. You two will have a great time!” Helen replied enthusiastically.
Helen looked puzzled as she exited the elevators to the penthouse. “Why do you think Rosa is so upset down there?”
“Probably because she likes that bike about as much as Joanna after Riley’s accident and the cop and all, I guess,” Kate replied, attempting to be dismissive as possible.
Riley appeared at the open penthouse door a few minutes later and nervously looked at Kate, who gave Riley a small nod.
“What happened, Riley?” Helen asked.
“Oh, I goofed and switched lanes in the middle of a turn. The cop was cool though, he let me off with a warning,” Riley replied, relieved that Kate had managed to hold up her end of the story.
“And Kate told me she got tickets for the show, that’s great!” Helen said with a smile.
“Yes, we’re going down to Riley’s to figure out what we’re wearing tonight,” Kate said hurriedly, heading toward the door.
“Not so fast, miss!” Helen replied forcefully, making Kate and Riley jump. “Did you eat lunch? Riley, you’ve been getting skinny again lately. Both of you have something to eat first.”
Both girls breathed again at Helen’s admonishment to eat lunch but Helen noticed a tenseness she couldn’t place; something was amiss. Rosa was way too angry and Kate had practically pulled her into the lobby and elevator. After Riley and Kate headed down to Riley’s apartment, Helen went downstairs to talk to Rosa.
“Shit, Riley, that was close!” Kate said, flopping on the couch in Riley’s apartment.
“I know, thank God she bought it, Joanna would be so upset if she found out. That was definitely one of the rules I agreed to; we need to get you a helmet!” Riley replied.
* * *
“Rosa, I was concerned earlier, you were so upset,” Helen said as she returned to the lobby where Rosa was sitting calmly behind the desk.
“I sorry, Meez Klein, I just gotta so mad at the girls,” Rosa said.
“But Rosa, Riley accidentally changed lanes, that’s all,” Helen stated, still confused.
“Oh, that’s-a what she say, huh? She say she changed the lane? Maybe you like-a da see the tape,” Rosa said, irritated again and motioning to the monitor.
Helen watched the playback and saw Riley and Kate enter the garage on the bike. Kate wearing Riley’s helmet and Riley with no helmet as the motorcycle officer pulled up behind them. She continued to watch, seeing herself and Kate leave the garage, then seeing the officer giving Riley a ticket.
“Thank you, Rosa, this paints a different story to the one they told me!” Helen said, trying to control her anger.
“I don’t like-a to tell on them, but they make-a me mad! No helmet, after Riley’s accident? I should warm their behinds with my spaghetti spoon!”
“I know, thank you, Rosa. I’ll tell them I insisted on watching the video, and don’t worry, they are going to feel a lot more than a spaghetti spoon when I get through with them,” Helen replied with a determined look.
Rosa winced, knowing Helen meant business. “Okay, Meez Klein.”
Helen headed to the elevator, then turned back to Rosa. “Rosa, do you know anyone who could use two tickets to the show tonight? I know two young ladies who won’t be using their seats. After I’m done with them, they won’t want to sit down anyway,” Helen said, raising her eyebrows and crossing her arms.
“Si, Meez Klein, my niece tried to get tickets but they sell out, thank you!” Rosa said with a smile.
Helen contemplated her next move as she sat at her kitchen bar trying to calm down. Riley and Kate had lied to her, which was bad enough, but she didn’t know if Joanna could forgive Riley for not wearing a helmet. She decided to find out more before Joanna was told anything so she sent a text to Kate.
“Shit, something’s up!” Kate said, reading the text from Helen.
“What do you mean?” Riley asked.
“Just got a text from Helen, all it says is Upstairs now, both of you!” Kate replied apprehensively.
“Fuck, we’re dead, she knows! Jo’s not going to handle this if she finds out, what do we do, Kate?”
“If she knows then let’s not get deeper than we already are. We need to tell her the truth.” Kate clenched her butt cheeks, knowing this was not going to end well.
Helen was still sat at the breakfast bar in the kitchen when Riley and Kate entered the apartment.
“Who wants to start, I want to know what went on this morning,” Helen said calmly.
Kate and Riley looked at each other, unsure what Helen knew and how to start.
“Now!” Helen’s voice boomed, making both the girls jump.
“The tickets for the show were sold out. There were none left, then we got the text that they were opening up tickets to New York residents. There were no cabs and Riley doesn’t have a New York ID, so we took the alley by the river to the box office. I wore Riley’s helmet,” Kate fearfully spilled to her girlfriend.
“It was my fault, I was the one who said we should take the bike and the alley. Kate tried to get a taxi. The cop saw us right when we were pulling into the garage. He gave me a ticket for not wearing a helmet. I told Kate to tell you it was just a lane change, she wanted to tell you the truth,” Riley said, looking down at her shoes, ashamed.
“It doesn’t matter, Kate’s as culpable as you for this. What were you two thinking?” Helen replied, stunned.
“I guess we weren’t thinking,” Riley replied somberly. “Helen, please don’t tell Joanna, I don’t know if she’ll forgive me for this!”
“Riley, I’m not going to tell Joanna. You are,” Helen said, handing Riley her phone. “You better hope she wants your butt because frankly you crossed a double line on this one.”
A solitary tear rolled down Riley’s cheek. She knew Joanna would be devastated after the agreement they had made when Riley got the motorcycle. She only hoped it wouldn’t cost her their relationship. With a shaky hand she dialed Joanna’s number. Kate stood silent and watched her friend make the phone call she was dreading.
“No, it’s me, Riley,” she said when Joanna answered the phone, and started to
explain what had transpired that day.
“Please, Joanna, I’m so sorry, can’t it wait until you get here?” Riley pleaded to her.
Riley didn’t speak for a few minutes, listening to her angry girlfriend giving her instructions from the other side of the country.
“Yes, ma’am,” Riley said contritely as she hung up.
“Well?” Helen asked with a slight sympathetic tone when Riley handed Helen back her phone.
Riley’s face was beet red; she couldn’t look Helen in the eye.
“Jo… she… she wants me to ask you to give me the same punishment you’re going to give Kate. Then I get the same from her when she gets here next Friday and she wants me to give you my keys and helmet to the motorcycle,” Riley replied, mortified that she was asking Helen to punish her.
“I see; that’s unfortunate for you, Riley. You both are going to be quite miserable, I’m afraid. Katherine, get the paddle, please,” Helen directed sternly.
Kate went wide-eyed at the direction. “Please, Helen, no, anything but that!” Kate pleaded.
“Now, Kate, and if I hear any more protest from you, you’ll be getting the same again with Riley next week,” Helen said coolly.
Riley was more concerned about the fact that Helen would be delivering her punishment than the paddling itself. That thought quickly diminished to one of fear when she saw the paddle Kate had brought back with her. Unlike the small hairbrush-like paddle Joanna kept in her office drawer, this one was much longer and wider with holes drilled into it. Kate was already sobbing as she handed the ominous object to her girlfriend.
“Katherine, go wait for me in the bedroom. Riley, go get your helmet and keys, and you might want to change into some sweats. Wait for me out here when you come back. Understand?”
“Yes, ma’am,” they answered softly together as Kate headed for the bedroom and Riley headed for the door.
Riley was in no hurry to return to the penthouse. She still couldn’t believe Helen was going to spank her and she started feeling a deep resentment for Joanna for even considering such a thing. She changed into some sweats, picked up her helmet and keys, and headed back upstairs as Helen had directed. Walking out of the elevator toward Helen’s door, she immediately heard a muffled thud then a cry, then another, then another. Riley hesitated at the front door, not wanting to witness Kate’s anguish. As she slipped in through the front door, the cries became louder and the blows of the paddle were now deafening. She could hear Kate wailing in desperation for the paddling to end.
Reining in Riley Page 24