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“And that’s my fault?” my mother said sharply. “I didn’t ask you to sell your other car and buy a crap one, Riley.”
“I know,” I said. “I sold my other car to help you and Dad.”
She made an annoyed sound, and I said, “I was happy to do it, Mom.”
“Maybe you should look at getting a bus pass,” my mother said. That car of yours is costing more than it’s worth in repairs. If you got rid of it and took the bus, you’d be saving money not just on repairs but also on gas and car insurance. The money you could give us by not having to pay for gas and insurance would help us out, Riley. Our medical bills just keep getting higher.”
“My second job isn’t easy to get to,” I said. There aren’t many bus stops in the area, and I’d have to walk at least an hour before and after my shift in the dark. And we’re in the middle of a severe cold snap.”
“I’m sure it isn’t that cold,” my mother said. “Besides, the fresh air and the exercise would be good for you. You know you’ve been wanting to lose a few pounds.”
“I’ll think about it,” I said.
I heard the muffled sound of my father speaking, and my mother said, “I have to run, sweetie. Text me tomorrow when you’ve sent the money, all right?”
“I will,” I said. “I love you, Mom.”
She’d already ended the call, and I stared at my phone screen for a few minutes before shoving it back into my purse. Only a few more hours and I would be at Mr. Steele’s house. I could do this.
* * *
I parked in Mr. Steele’s driveway. I was earlier than normal, and I was grateful for that. I needed time to stop shaking, to forget the sound of Mr. Rainer’s shouts and how I’d cried in front of him, and the shame of having Farah witness it all.
As if my thoughts had summoned her, my cell rang, and Farah’s number appeared on the screen. She’d texted me twelve times since I’d left the office, and I knew I couldn’t ignore her forever.
I hit the answer button. “Hi, Farah.”
“Riley, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I said.
“You most certainly are not fine,” she said. “You were crying when you left.”
“Just a bad day,” I said.
“A bad day? Mr. Rainer was screaming at you,” she said. “The entire office heard it. Mr. Rainer’s damn lucky Aiden wasn’t in the office when he started screaming at you.”
I sucked in a deep breath. “I was tired and a little distracted by having to stay late. I screwed up the document he asked me to email, and Mr. Rainer was upset by it. I don’t blame him.”
“Are you freaking kidding me?” Farah said. “Riley, his reaction was over the top. It was an internal email going to Richard and the rest of the finance department.”
“Sure, but it’s my job to do it correctly, and I didn’t.” My eyes watered, and I blinked viciously to stop from crying. I would be damned if I showed up in Mr. Steele’s office with swollen eyelids and a blotchy face.
“Honey, he was, like, borderline abusive,” Farah said. “Scratch that - he was abusive. You need to speak with Aiden about it.”
“It wouldn’t do any good. We all know that Aiden is thrilled Mr. Rainer is working for him. He’s not going to say anything about how Mr. Rainer treats me. Why would he?”
“Because no one should put up with that kind of treatment, and if you left, the entire finance department would fall apart without you,” Farah said.
I made myself laugh, a dusty croaking that sounded nothing like my usual one. “That’s sweet but completely untrue.”
“No, it isn’t. Richard always talks about how you do so much for the entire team, not just Mr. Rainer. You’re not even their assistants, and you still do lots for them.”
I blew my breath out. “It was just a bad day, Farah. Mr. Rainer is a completely different type of boss from Jamie, and I’m still adjusting. Mr. Rainer isn’t as kind as Jamie, but we don’t go to work for hugs and kisses, right?”
“Honey, if you’re nervous about talking to Aiden, I can talk to him for you,” Farah said.
“No,” I said quickly. “I don’t want you to speak to Aiden about this.”
