Page 25 of Ride or Die

“I know,” Kristi said, taking it anyway, strangely gentle.

Riley hung up her jacket in the closet, next to every different style and colour of outerwear ever made. She drifted to the living room as Kristi strode into the kitchen. She ducked her head under the arc light and settled onto the white leather couch. The apartment was bright, with high ceilings and whatever white paint made the walls glow with reflected sunlight. The throw blanket was soft, draped around her shoulders.

“Okay, spill.” Kristi banged a cutting board down on the marble counter. She opened cupboards and left them like that. Cheese landed next to a box of crackers and knocked it over.

Riley dropped her shoulders. This was the Kristi she knew.

“Gio cornered me in the bathroom, was his usual asshole self, and I reported him to HR—” The noise in the kitchen stopped. Kristi’s eyebrows shot up her forehead. “Nice.”

“Yeah, not really. Candida—HR director—refused to write anything down. I sent her notes from our conversation. We argued about it for hours, while Gio marched back and forth in the hallway and then disappeared. Nico didn’t pick up when I called, then Candida followed me outside because I didn’t have permission to be ‘sick.’ It was a shitshow.” Riley picked at a loose stitch on the blanket.

“Where was Nico during all this?”

“He’s still in Italy.” This wasn’t his fault. You can’t pick your family.

“Did you know Gio doesn’t even have an MBA? His life has been very hard and we should feel bad,” Riley said. “Candida took his side.”

Kristi slammed one of the cupboards shut.

“Sorry.” Riley squeezed her eyes, dropping her cheek onto the back of the sofa, and inhaled the scent of leather. It was infused with something citrus and sweet. It smelled like Kristi.

Little bits of cheese flew off the board and scattered on the floor as Kristi finished up chopping. She jammed the box of crackers under her arm and carried the cutting board to the glass coffee table.

The cheese was in fragments, different sizes, shapes and thicknesses.

“Gio doesn’t have an MBA? What a fucking tragedy,” Kristi said, ripping chunks of cardboard as she tried to open the box from the wrong end. Riley took the box from her, opened it correctly, and handed it back.

Kristi gave the box a dark look.

“I just don’t get why Candida took his side. We get lunch sometimes. I thought… I don’t know what I thought.”

“It’s not about you, okay? Some people are just b—insecure bitches. And HR chooses the company. Always.” Kristi dumped the crackers onto the cutting board next to the cheese. “There have been so many cases I’ve worked where people made that mistake. Are you still employed?”

“For now.” Riley reached for a cracker. “Maybe she’s into Gio’s bullshit.”

That made them both snort.

“Jesus Christ. The guy’s a walking advertisement for birth control. He’s got the family cheekbones though…”

Riley hummed her agreement and popped another cracker in her mouth.

“So Gio sucks, Candida sucks, your workplace is toxic. We know this. Who’s the guy on the bike?”

Riley studied the cracker in her hand. “Why do I feel like I’m the problem?”

Kristi stood up, hands clenched while she looked at Riley. The sunset painted the apartment pink and made Kristi’s hair blaze with gold. “I’m going to grab wine. You’re not the problem. You’re perfect. Guy on the bike. Let’s go.”

Riley reorganized the blanket on her lap. “He’s the guy I met at the park. With the pit bull. Cookie.”

“Dog Park Guy is Biker Boy?” Kristi passed her a glass more than half full of red liquid.

“Yup.”

“And he just… showed up?”

Riley took the glass, careful not to spill on the fancy carpet.

“He just was driving by and saw us, I guess. When I recognized him I almost cried right then and there.” Riley sniffed a laugh. “But the ride was fun. Nice bike. Custom paint job. It’s matte black and has an extra coating. I like it.”