Chapter 17
Riley
“Hello, Riley. Happy Friday.”
I glanced up from my computer, my wide smile making my sore bottom lip sting. “Lina, hi! How are you?”
One hand resting on her massive belly, she leaned a hip against my desk. “No longer able to see my own feet, and so ready for this kid to make her appearance.”
“You look amazing,” I said.
She laughed. “Uh-huh. How are you doing?”
“I’m great,” I lied.
I looked away from her sharp gaze, my eyes dropping to the light gray pit bull next to Lina. Her muzzle was pure white, and her eyes a little milky, but she wagged her tail when I smiled at her. “Daisy! Hi, sweet girl.”
She walked stiffly around the desk, her tail still wagging, and placed her big blocky head on my thighs. I petted her gently, running my fingers over her forehead before scratching behind her ears like I knew she liked. “How are you, honey? Where’s your boyfriend?”
“King is at home with Noah. My bestie Tracy agreed to babysit while I took Daisy to the vet for her annual. But I’m pretty sure Tracy might drop me as a best friend after this - King and Noah were hyper as hell when I left. I may or may not have stopped in to see Aiden, hoping that King and Noah would both be having their afternoon nap by the time I got home. Aiden needed to take a quick phone call, so I thought I’d pop by and say hello.”
I laughed and stroked Daisy’s head again. “I’m glad you did. Is Daisy good?”
“She is,” Lina said. We do twice-annual vet visits now because of her age. She turned fifteen last month, but the vet said she’s doing fantastic considering her age. Her bloodwork is the bloodwork of a ten-year-old Pitbull, he said.”
“That’s wonderful,” I said.
“Riley, are you okay?” Lina asked.
“Of course,” I said. “I’m great.”
“You seem a little off,” she said.
“Just a long week,” I said.
“Have you spoken with Jamie since he left?” she asked.
I nodded. “Yeah, we text once or twice a week, and Alison video-called me last weekend to give me a tour of their ranch. She and Jamie want me to come out for a visit in the spring.”
“That’s great,” Lina said. “Will you?”
“I’ll try,” I lied. I barely had enough money for groceries, and no matter how much I missed Jamie and Alison, I couldn’t afford a plane ticket to Montana.
“Good,” Lina said. “I know you and Jamie were friends and -”
“Ms. Gates!” My boss’s angry voice bellowed out from his office and into the hallway despite his closed door. “Get the fuck in here, right now!”
My stomach crashed to the floor, and I gave Lina a look of pure panic before getting a hold of myself. My stomach twisting and churning, I stood up. “I have to go. Sorry, Lina.”
I hurried toward Mr. Rainer’s office, acutely aware of Lina staring at me as I knocked and then slipped inside his office, shutting the door behind me and joining him at his desk. “Yes, Mr. Rainer?”
“Tell me, Ms. Gates, are you lazy, or are you stupid?” Mr. Rainer stared at me from behind his desk, his face red with fury.
Bile burned the back of my throat. “Neither, sir.”
“Oh, I very much doubt that,” Mr. Rainer snarled. He stood and stalked around the desk toward me. I backed away, panic disorienting me as I stumbled in my heels. My ass hit the bookshelf on the far wall, and my throat tightened when Mr. Rainer stopped only inches from me, leaving me feeling small and trapped.
“What did I do wrong?” I asked.
He barked derisive laughter. “Of course, you wouldn’t even know what you did wrong. Because you’re a fucking idiot, and I am over having to deal with you.”
“I’m not sure what -”
“Quiet!” he barked, and I shrank back when spittle flew from his mouth. His nostrils flaring and his face bright red, he said, “You’re fired, Ms. Gates. Pack your shit and get the fuck out of the building.”
Close to crying but determined not to give him the satisfaction of seeing it, I said, “You have to tell me what I did wrong.”
“I don’t have to tell you anything!” he shouted. “You are nothing, do you understand? You’re a fucking secretary and not even a good one. Jamie Parker couldn’t shut the fuck up about how amazing you were, and I had high expectations for you. But I guess because I’m not asking you to lie back and spread your fucking legs daily like Parker so obviously did, I’m not blind to your -”
“Victor!” Aiden’s deep voice roared, and we both turned to see him standing in the office, Lina at his side. “Step the fuck back.”
Mr. Rainer stepped back, and Aiden held out his hand. “Riley, come to me.”
The demand in his voice got my shaking legs moving, and I half stumbled, half-ran across the office to him. His hand closed around mine, and he pulled me behind his broad body. Lina joined me, slipping her arm around my waist and holding me tightly as Daisy stared at Mr. Rainer and made a low growl.
“Lina, take Riley to my office and wait for me there,” Aiden said.
Lina immediately turned me around, shaking her head when I hesitated. “Time to go, honey.”
We walked quickly to Aiden’s office, Daisy following behind us. Aiden’s office was only a few doors from Jamie’s, and I cringed when I heard Aiden shouting even louder than Mr. Rainer had. I couldn’t make out what he said, but when I hesitated at Farah’s empty desk, Lina urged me into the office, shutting the doors behind us to dampen the sound of Aiden’s shouting and guiding me to the couch. “Sit down, honey.”
I sat with a thump, staring numbly at Daisy as she crowded against my legs and whined. I petted her head before staring up at Lina. “Where’s Farah?”
“I think she had a doctor’s appointment,” Lina said.
“Right, yeah, she mentioned that this morning.” I stared out the office window at the thick snow that fell. “I have to…”
“You have to what?” she asked as she handed me a bottle of water from the mini-fridge in Aiden’s office. “Drink some water, Riley.”
I stared at the bottle of water in my hand, my lips oddly numb. “Thank you for always being so nice to me, Lina. I… I’ll miss you and Noah. If it isn’t too weird or awkward, maybe you could text me when the baby is born. I’d love to see a picture of her.”
Lina frowned before dragging a chair over from Aiden’s desk and sinking into it with a soft grunt. “I can’t sit on that damn couch, or I’ll need Aiden to get me out of it.”
She took my hands, squeezing them lightly and making a gentle shooing motion to Daisy when she rested her big head on our clasped hands. “Honey, are you okay?”
“Fine,” I said faintly, staring at our hands. “Do you think Mr. Wright will let me pack up my stuff today, or will I have to come back?”
“What?” Lina squeezed my hands. “Riley, what are you talking about?”
“My desk,” I said. “Can I pack up my desk today? I don’t have a lot of personal stuff, but I have some, and I -”
“Honey,” Lina gave our clasped hands a little shake. “You’re not leaving.”
“Mr. Rainer fired me,” I said dully. “He fired me, and now I don’t have a job, and I won’t be able to help my mom. She’ll die, and it’ll be all my fault.”
Lina gave me an alarmed look. “What’s wrong with your mom?”
“Cancer,” I said dully. “I’m helping pay for her chemo.”
I tried to stand up, giving Lina an impatient look when she held tight to my hands. “I have to make a call. I have to tell the Twisted Sisters I need more contracts. It’s the only way I can…”
I trailed off, horrified by what I’d just revealed.
Lina cocked her head. “Who are the Twisted Sisters?”
“No one,” I mumbled, “it’s not important. But I need some privacy for a minute, okay? Please?”
“I don’t think you should be left alone right now,” Lina said. “You’re shaking, and you’re white as a ghost. I need you to drink some water, please, Riley.”
I twisted off the cap and drank a few swallows of water. “Okay, I’m good now.”
“Riley, you’re not fired,” Lina said.
“Yes, I am,” I said. “Mr. Rainer fired me.”
“Mr. Rainer can go fuck himself,” Lina said in a prim voice that made me smile faintly despite my panic.
“Why was Mr. Wright there?” I asked. “He didn’t have a meeting with Mr. Rainer.”
“I texted him an SOS the minute that asshole started yelling at you,” Lina said.
“What? Why would you do that?” I asked. “Now Mr. Wright knows I’m incompetent, too, and he won’t give me a reference letter. Maybe I can text Jamie and ask him to give me a reference. He’d do that for me, right? He would. I know he would. Where’s my phone? I need my phone so I can text him.”
“Riley,” Lina took my hands again, “stop. Take some deep breaths, honey.”
I took a few deep breaths, staring wide-eyed at Lina. “I need to text Jamie for a reference.”
She leaned closer, and the compassion on her face and Daisy’s warm bulk against my knees helped soothe some of my panic. “You’re not fired.”
“I am,” I said. “He fired me.”
Lina shook her head. “Trust me, the only one being fired today is Victor fucking Rainer.”
I blinked at her before barking harsh laughter. “He’s… he’s the CFO, and I’m a secretary. Mr. Wright won’t fire him.”
“Like fuck he won’t,” Lina said. “Riley, I know my husband and trust me, Victor Rainer is being escorted out of the building by security right now.”
I shook my head. “No, that isn’t -”
The office door opened, and Aiden stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. Daisy chuffed happily and walked over to him, nudging his hand with her head. He petted her absently before he joined us by the couch.
“Riley, are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” I lied. I stood, and Lina stood with me, groaning softly and rubbing at her back.
“Is he gone?” Lina asked.
Aiden nodded. “Security is escorting him out. He bleated and whined about leaving his shit behind, but we’ll forward it to the fucking asshole.”
Lina grinned with satisfaction before turning toward me. “Told you.”
I stared in shock at Aiden. “You fired him?”
“Of course I did,” he said. “He was screaming at you and threatening you.”
“He wasn’t,” I said.
“Uh, yeah, he was,” Lina said.
“I’m just a secretary,” I said. I sounded ridiculous, but I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that the company’s owner had just fired the CFO because of me. “He… he’s brilliant, and it’s our year end. We… we need him.”
“He was abusive to you. You’re an integral part of the team, and I don’t care how fucking smart he is,” Aiden said. “No one treats my employees like that.”
Lina slipped her arm around his waist and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “You’re the best, honey.”
He smiled at her before turning his gaze toward me. I wilted a little, trying not to be unnerved but failing. Aiden Wright might have just saved my job, but he still intimidated the fuck out of me.
“This isn’t the first time he’s done this, is it?” Aiden asked.
I pressed my lips together and made a non-committal shrug.
“Riley,” Lina said gently, “tell Aiden the truth, please.”
“He was difficult to work with.” It was all I would admit, and even Aiden’s irritated look wouldn’t make me reveal more.
“Our year end,” I said. “What will we do?”
“Let me worry about that,” Aiden said. “Victor Rainer is done here, and I want to apologize personally for his behaviour. I’ll understand if you’d like to look for another job, but I assure you this will never happen again.”
“I don’t want another job,” I said. “I… I enjoy working for your company, Mr. Wright.”
“We’re lucky to have you.” He glanced at Lina before turning back to me. “Leave early, Riley. Go home and decompress.”
“Oh, I’m okay, I -”
“It’s not a request,” he said, his voice firm. “Have a good weekend, and we’ll see you on Monday.”
I nodded. “Yes, Mr. Wright.”