Hard Rider

“Shoot. Am I being too loud?”

“A little.”

I tried to take the pitch out of my voice. “Casey, you don’t understand, I went to his apartment and things got… sexual.”

She slipped around the end of my desk and sat down on top of it. She was all ears. “You said you guys didn’t go that far.”

“We didn’t! I mean, we touched, and the situation definitely got hot, but we didn’t go all the way or anything.”

Her face twisted. Somehow, she looked both disappointed and encouraged. “Then, what’s the problem? If the two of you didn’t do anything I don’t see what you’re getting so worked up over.”

“You don’t get it! There is zero tolerance for any kind of fraternizing with the clients. I broke pretty much every rule in the book.”

“Well, not every rule,” she said.

“Plus, I barely know this guy. He was just recently released from jail, for God’s sake. I need to get my head examined.”

“That part is kind of sexy though, isn’t it?” she was twirling a strand of hair around her fingers.

“What part?”

“Mmm, the jail thing. He’s a bad boy and he has all that pent-up energy that I bet he can’t wait to release on some lucky girl.”

“You’re being ridiculous,” I said. “I can’t risk my career because I was stupid enough to let things go a little too far one time. I have to tell him that it was a mistake.”

“You said he was a cage fighter too, right?” she asked, completely ignoring my rationale.

“So…?”

“So, my brother used to want to be a fighter. He even trained at a gym in our old neighborhood. He doesn’t any more, but I remember when I had to pick him up after practice there were all these shredded guys leaving the parking lot at the same time he did.”

“That’s not-”

“I remember the way they used to come streaming through the doors. Some of them were fresh from the shower, with the hair still wet and their skin pink. Others had little scrapes and bruises that looked just right on them. I used to get so wet just watching-”

“Casey!”

“What?” she giggled. “It’s not like it’s any secret that those guys are hot. They work hard to get those lean bodies. We should appreciate them.”

“I should have known to talk to someone else about this,” I laughed. “You get so wound up that you can’t see the forest for the trees.”

“And you’re always so worried about the big picture,” she said. “What’s the worst that could happen? You obviously like this guy, so why not pursue it? Live a little, take a chance.”

I pushed my feet into the floor and spun in the chair. My office whirled around me.

Window. Wall. Casey’s pouting expression. Plant. Window. Wall. Casey’s pouting expression. Plant.

“The worst that could happen?” I asked, my chair losing steam and settling on a turn toward the window. “The worst that could happen is someone could see us together and then I lose all credibility in my field. I become the office joke, and eventually I’m fired for unbecoming behavior. This is a little more severe than smoking a cigarette in front of the building.”

“Then, own it,” she said. “He only has, what, one more meeting and then he’s out of the program? All you have to do is keep your pants on until he graduates and then the two of you can get together and hump like rabbits.”

I’d just taken a sip of water when she spouted that last line and it made me choke with laughter. My eyes teared up as I coughed in sputtering bursts. “Stop it! You’re killing me.”

“I’m serious. Wait until he’s out, and then you won’t be breaking any rules. You could use a stud like him.”

“You don’t even know him.”

“I know enough.”

“Anyway, that’s not how it works. Technically, it won’t be breaking the rules, but people talk. It will reflect poorly and that will still cause a problem.”

Casey slid off the edge of my desk and tugged me up by my wrists. I didn’t feel like standing, but I got to my feet anyway. “Do it,” she said, looking me right in the eyes.

“You’re a relentless cheerleader,” I said, “and a good friend, but I can’t. I’m going to go see Troy as soon as possible so I can clear the air. The quicker we can nip this in the bud, the easier it will be.

She heaved her shoulders and sighed loudly in an exaggerated protest. “If that’s what you think is best, I’m with you.”

“It is for the best. It’s good to have you on my side,” I winked.

This could never happen again. Now, if I could only convince myself…

Troy

My throat was as dry as the desert. I tossed the blankets off me and rolled to my side. The alarm clock’s squared digital numbers glowed a deep red. It was just after three in the morning.

Though still foggy, the first place my mind went was to Riley. She could have been in my dreams, too. The lines between sleep and reality were still blurred. I wondered what her bedroom looked like. I imagined that she wrapped herself in silk sheets and slept on the best mattress money could buy. There was no doubt whatever she slept on made my squeaky queen-sized look like trash.

I needed something to drink. If I didn’t get some water, my larynx was threatening to dry up and teach me a valuable lesson. The thin carpeting on the floor didn’t offer much cushion and the air in the room tasted cold. I’d forgotten to switch on the heater again. I supposed that a girl like Riley wouldn’t care much for sleeping in an ice cave.

Searching for the hallway light switch was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I still wasn’t completely familiar with the layout of everything and the total darkness didn’t do me any favors.

Something moved in the corner of my vision just as my fingers found purchase on the switch. The room lit up like Christmas and I saw a man running at me. I only had enough time to shield my ribs before he crashed into me.

The two of us fell into the wall and made a massive dent. I scrambled for position as he punched weakly at my body. The thing about being a fighter is that you can tell right away when someone doesn’t know what they’re doing. The man probably outweighed me by a hundred pounds, but his attack was undisciplined. He flailed wildly, giving plenty of opportunity for me to get where I wanted to be.

I maneuvered to take his back before he had a clue what was happening to him. When he swung his head toward me, I slipped my arm under his neck and sunk in the chokehold. He went to sleep almost immediately.

Still trying to get my bearings, I couldn’t figure out how someone had gotten into my house without me knowing it. Maybe that’s what woke me up in the first place.

That’s when I saw the boot coming at me. I ducked, but it glanced off my shoulder and landed on the top of my head. Everything went sideways and I had to let go of the first guy.

What the fuck was happening?

“Hey, hey! Everybody settle down! Back off!”

The voice was strong with a bit of an accent. Right away, I knew it was Ortiz.

“We need

this guy. No reason to bust him up.”

I rolled to my back and looked up at the gorilla who’d kicked me. He was standing over me sneering. All I could think in that moment was that his teeth looked like popcorn kernels. The other guy was slowing coming to next to me on the floor.

“What is this?” I wheezed as I tried to shake the cobwebs out of my head.

“Get him up. Put him over there on the couch.”

The big guy hauled me to my feet and threw me across the cushions. I shielded my eyes from the glare of the light. “What the hell is going on?”

Ortiz smiled like a jackal. “Long time, no see Mr. Eason. I hope you didn’t forget about us.”

“Forget about what?” I kicked away from his thug and sat up straight. “How I ended up in jail for almost a year because of you guys?”

“That’s not exactly fair, is it?” He was turning his cell phone over and over in his hands. “I’m sure you were well aware of the risks when you agreed to do it. You certainly never had a problem taking my money.”

I propped my elbows on my knees and pushed my fingers through my hair. “That was a while ago, so what’s this all about? I don’t remember inviting you guys for a sleepover.” I really needed that glass of water.

“That is the truth,” he said, pausing for effect in the space between each word. “But you haven’t been answering any of our attempts to get in touch. Eddie told me he’s tried you several times—call and text. He’s not lying, is he?”

“Been busy,” I said. “So, what the fuck do you want?”

Ortiz seemed to consider this for a moment. “Busy…” he said, slowly. “Are you sure you haven’t been avoiding us?”

“Avoiding what? My business with you people is done. I did my job, took my punishment like a man, and now I’m moving on. I’m not interested in doing any more work.”

He stood and shoved his coat open with his elbows. His hands rested on his hips and I saw the handle of a pistol sticking out of his khakis. “You may not be interested in it,” he said. “But it is interested in you.”