Page 31 of Played

“Hey wine snob, I remember the days of boxed wine from the supermarket. You are not all that, my girl.” And that got her nothing but flipped off again. I’m gonna kill that motherfucker for this shit, she thought.

***

On his drive home, Riot realized sometime between Austin and last night, he had made the decision to get away from Laurel. He had set things in motion with Jason and Michael to create the new division for superbikes. They were in the process of creating a company that the smaller companies could come under. He still needed to talk to River about rethinking letting them sponsor her. He was testing those waters. His focus had to be on business, not sex. He thought back to that first meeting with D&T.

***

One month back:

How did you get over being dragged so low that all you could see was emptiness in front of you? He’d done his best to pay for his sins. In the end, he had lost everything by being someone he wasn’t. This was his chance to make the changes he needed to make. Riot stepped into the conference room and walked to the expanse of windows that looked out over Fontana. Wiping a hand down his face, his mouth became dry, his hands trembled. The scotch on the sideboard beckoned him.

He turned and walked over, grabbed a glass, and poured himself a cold glass of water.

“You okay, Riot?”

Turning, he held up the water, letting Jason know he was good. “Dry mouth is all.”

“If it’s okay with you, I’d like to wait on Michael.”

“Fine by me. How’s things going with you two?”

“Great, things are really great.”

Riot watched a tall blonde woman saunter into the room. Her eyes looked him up and down. Yes, I know I’m Johnny Meniere, he wanted to say. Setting the glass down, Riot took a seat next to Jason as he took a folder from the blonde. Riot caught her sideways glance at him. Sorry, sweetheart, I’m taken. When she left, Jason laughed. I remember a time you would have already excused yourself, following that tight skirt down the hall and into a closed office.

“That was a long time ago. A very long time ago.”

“That would have been before…” Jason snapped his fingers. “What was her name again.”

“Stop, don’t be a hater. River doesn’t know the truth. She only knows what’s been thrown in her face at every turn. It’s every bit our fault as it was Cypress’s.”

“True. You trying to mend that fence?”

“It needs to be patched.”

Jason slid the folder over to Riot. “That’s you right there.”

Riot opened the folder and saw spreadsheets. “What’s all this?”

“You and Cypress, along with Fisher, invested in D and T when we had just put the idea together. We invested your money and you are in the green, brother.”

Riot was speechless. He had come looking for a job, not a stock portfolio. “Fuck me.”

“Is that an invitation?” Michael laughed, asking from the doorway.

“Asshole.”

“I do love the look of shock and awe on Riot Meniere’s face. What are you thinking over there?”

“That I want a job.”

“How about that business venture?”

“The venture?”

“The one you pitched in Austin. One that’s got your name all over it. It would be seventy percent yours with us owning twenty-five percent.”

“Why would you go seventy-five twenty-five split?”

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