“Hey,” Kinsley stood up.
“Sorry, that was rude. I meant that to be funny; not judging.” She held up her hands in defense. “I’m tired. Please excuse the tone.”
“Why are you tired?”
“I had a terrible date last night.” She sat in the guest chair across from Kinsley’s desk as Kinsley sat back down in her own chair. “Last blind date I’d ever go on.”
“What happened?” Kinsley laughed.
“She planned a scavenger hunt, James. It was a first date. We were supposed to meet at this restaurant at seven. When I got there, the hostess handed me a card. It was a clue. I got a text from her at the same time, explaining her plan to meet me at the final clue’s location. Who does that for a first date?”
“You did it?”
“This regular customer, who owns a ski lodge, suggested I go out with his niece. I’ve known him for years. He’s been coming to the store for at least a decade. He gave me her number. I’ve been kind of desperate lately, watching you all find your soulmates. I called her. She seemed nice. I didn’t realize she’d go this crazy, though. There were ten clues. I ended up at her house in Truckee.”
“The opposite side of the lake?”
“Yes,” she began. “She’d made me dinner, but by the time I got there to eat it, it was after ten. She was nice, but she’s a talker. It was a four-course meal, James. She had appetizers before the soup, too. Then, there was dessert and coffee. By the time we got to the movie she’d planned for us to watch, I was already over the whole thing. I can appreciate the effort, but this is not the woman I’m going to spend my life with.”
“I guess not. Sorry, Morgan.” Kinsley sipped her coffee, and as she did, she realized she’d yet to wash her hand. She choked slightly. “Wrong pipe,” she said as Morgan gave her a curious glance.
“I didn’t get home until after one in the morning. I was up at five this morning to do the inventory before the store opened. Anyway – long story incredibly long – I was thinking about canceling the hike thing later. My dad’s closing tonight. I think I’d rather just head home and take a nap. Can we do it some other time?”
“No problem. I wasn’t really going to be helpful anyway.”
“You’re good company, at least,” Morgan said as she stood. “Besides, now you have more time to have sex with your girlfriend.” She winked. “At home and in private, Kinsley James.”
◆◆◆
“Babe?” Kinsley opened the door to Riley’s apartment. “Riles?”
“Kinsley, hey. I didn’t expect you until later. I thought you were hiking with Morgan and Kellan.” Riley emerged from her bedroom. Her eyes were wide. She was moving very quickly toward Kinsley, who still stood near the door. “I thought we were going to–”
“Riley, I don’t think the outlet next to the bed works. My phone isn’t charging.”
Elena Rivera walked out of the guest room and stared at Kinsley before looking at Riley.
“What the–”
“Kinsley, you remember Elena?”
“Yes, I–”
“Elena, you remember my girlfriend, Kinsley James?”
“I do,” Elena replied with a glance up and down Kinsley’s body. “It’s nice to see you again.”
Kinsley knew it was not nice for Elena to see her again, in the same way it wasn’t nice for Kinsley to see Elena again. Kinsley gulped when she noticed Riley’s jeans’ button was undone. Her top two shirt buttons were also buttoned wrong.
“Kinsley, let’s go in the hall and–”
“No,” Kinsley interrupted as she saw red behind her eyes. “I should go.”
“Babe, just hold on,” Riley replied. “Elena, do you want to, maybe, help me out here?” She turned around. Kinsley watched her button her jeans. “Kinsley, I realize this looks–”
“Very bad?” Kinsley asked as her heart thundered in anger. “Your jeans are–”
“No, babe.” She turned back to Kinsley. “I was getting changed. I was about to put on something for our date later.” Her eyes widened at Kinsley as she lowered voice. “I bought something for tonight. I was going to try it on. When she showed up, I put this on quickly. Nothing is happening here.”
“Elena is in your living room,” Kinsley said loudly and pointed at Riley’s ex-girlfriend.
“She just showed up,” Riley replied. “Elena, I swear to God, if you don’t start explaining, I will kick your ass out of my apartment.” She turned her head to Elena.
“Kinsley, I’ve had a bit of a rough week.” Elena approached. “I needed to get away from Texas. I took a last-minute flight to Tahoe today. I still had the key to Riley’s apartment. I let myself in and caught Riley by surprise,” she explained.
“You just flew here to surprise your ex-girlfriend?” Kinsley moved around Riley, who was straightening her shirt buttons. “Who does that?”
“Kinsley, she came out,” Riley answered for Elena. “She came out publicly on Monday.”
“Why do I care about that?” Kinsley asked, feeling her skin turn a deep shade of red, but not out of embarrassment. It was out of anger. “What does that have to do with her being in your apartment, Riley?”
“She needed a place to hide out,” Riley replied.
“There are hotels. There are hotels that aren’t in Tahoe. I’m pretty sure the state of Texas has hotels.”
“I needed to get out of Texas. I’m a public figure there. No one knows me here.”
“I know you,” Kinsley said to her. “And what I know about you, I don’t like.”
“Well, at least she’s honest. I’ll give her that. I’m going to try a different outlet,” Elena replied and moved back into the guest room.
“Why is she going into your guest room, Riley?”
“Babe, I–”
“Please don’t ‘babe’ me,” Kinsley said softly. “I’m not really in that kind of mood right now.”
“Kinsley, I am so sorry.” Riley moved toward her and spoke softly. “I had no idea she’d just show up like this.”
“She still had your key, Riles.”
“Accident. I took my key back when she left the last time. She had a spare, which I’d forgotten about.”
“Conveniently,” Kinsley said.
“No, not conveniently.” Riley moved a step back. “God, Kinsley, I watched another woman kiss you and listened to you tell me you didn’t want it and you pushed her away. I’m trying to talk to you and explain this. You won’t even hear me.”
“Courtney isn’t my ex-girlfriend.”
“I can’t help what Elena is to me, but she is my ex. You are my current,” Riley replied.
“She’s in your apartment,” Kinsley reminded. “How ex can she really be when she just keeps popping up?’
“Kinsley, I told her she could stay here for a little while,” Riley said. When she noticed Kinsley’s eyes nearly burst out of her head, she added, “I’m staying with you. She’s staying here, but I’ll stay with you. It’s just a place for her to crash until the media frenzy around her dies down.”
“She can’t stay at a hotel? There are thousands of rooms in Lake Tahoe. Hell, there are remote rental cabins out in the woods. No one would even know who she is.”
“Do you really think Elena is someone that will stay in a remote cabin?” Riley asked with a small smile.
“I’m not smiling about this, Riles. This isn’t entertaining to me. You knew about my issues with her. We almost didn’t get together because I thought you weren’t over her yet.”
“And I am,” Riley replied. “I am over her. I am completely over her and entirely into you, Kinsley. This doesn’t change that.”
“I don’t think I’d be completely out of line asking you not to do this,” Kinsley said. “Make her leave.”
“I’m not going to kick her out on the street,” Riley said. “She may be my ex-girlfriend, but she’s still a person, Kinsley. She’s going through something. Margie texted me a little while ago to tell me how bad it’
s been for Elena there. She tried staying with Margie, but the press caught up with her. She was running for governor of the state.” She paused and took a deep breath. “This is kind of my fault.”
“What are you talking about?” Kinsley asked. “How is her deciding to come out of the closet your fault?”
“She’d told me she’d do it when I was there visiting Margie. She’d said she would drop out of the race and come out for me.”
“So, she is here to try to win you back?” Kinsley grunted in frustration. “I need to get out of this apartment.”
“Kinsley, come on. Just give me a minute. I’ll pack a bag, and we’ll leave together,” Riley said, trying to take Kinsley’s hand.
“Riley, I need some time alone.”
“Please don’t let this get in the way of us.”
“I’m upset. I need to be alone right now,” Kinsley replied.
“I told her she could stay here, but that I was staying with you,” Riley reminded.
Kinsley thought for a moment before she pulled out her key chain. She removed her spare key from the ring and passed it to her girlfriend.
“I’m going to go. You can stay, but I don’t think I’m ready to talk about this just yet. Let yourself in later. Give me a little time, okay?”
“Am I sleeping next to you, or are you putting me in the guest room because I let someone who needed a place to crash, stay in my apartment?”
“I don’t know,” Kinsley said.
She then turned and left the apartment.
CHAPTER 24
Riley sat on the sofa for a while. She stayed there staring at the key Kinsley had given her so reluctantly. She’d hoped that, one day, she’d be given this key because Kinsley wanted her to use it. She stared at that key and wished she could give it back to Kinsley and ask for a do-over. Instead, she placed it on the coffee table.
“I’m sorry, Riley,” Elena said.
Riley looked up and realized Elena was standing in the doorway of the guest room. She had her arms crossed over her chest. Her expression appeared genuine. Riley leaned back on the sofa and sighed.
“No, you’re not.”
“I know you think I did this intentionally. I’m sure Kinsley thinks that, too. I didn’t.” She sat on the sofa next to Riley but left enough space between them for Riley to feel comfortable.
“Why’d you come out now? There wasn’t a point, Elena,” Riley said, turning her head to Elena.
“Margie didn’t tell you everything, did she?” Elena lowered her head to stare at her hands.
“No, apparently not.”
“I didn’t do it voluntarily, Riley.”
“What?”
“I wish I could say I’d had the courage to do this on my own, but I didn’t.”
“What happened, Elena?”
“I told you the party wasn’t interested in me any longer. Unfortunately, my potential opponent didn’t get the memo.”
“What did he do?”
“This is the part I’m really worried about. I know you think I’m this selfish person. I’m not. Things were good with us once. You remember that, don’t you?”
“Elena, come on.”
“I’m not trying to get you back.” She held up her hands. “I get it, you’ve moved on. That’s obvious. I was watching you stare at that key for about ten minutes before I said anything.”
“Then, why?”
“I tried to keep you out of it, but it didn’t work.”
“What do you mean?” Riley asked.
“I’m going to ask you to do something. You’re going to say no, and you’ll probably freak out, but I’m going to ask anyway.”
“What now, Elena?” She sat up.
“I know you’re with Kinsley. I’m just wondering if you’ll, maybe, join me for a press conference.” She paused as she appeared to check Riley’s initial reaction. “And pretend we’re still together.”
“You want me to fake being your girlfriend?”
“Just hear me out.” She turned entirely to Riley. “The press has a picture of us at the hospital. It’s nothing racy, but I am holding your hand, trying to get back together with you. I didn’t see anyone in the hall. I don’t know how they got it, but they have it.”
“Tell them I’m a family friend who was there for Margie,” she replied.
“There’s more. My would-be opponent found your name and did a background check. They know you’re gay. He had someone on your social media accounts. There’s a video of you and me there.”
“I didn’t put a video of you on my social media pages. I knew the rules, Elena.”
“Someone put it on their page and tagged you.” Elena rolled her eyes. “I hate the internet. Anyway, it’s us in the background at Margie’s birthday party. It’s pretty grainy, but you can tell it’s you and me. We were in that corridor where-”
“We thought no one could see us,” Riley finished for her. “I remember.”
“Someone did see us.”
“I’m hardly ever on social media. I don’t pay attention to people tagging me. I’m sorry, Elena. Am I responsible for this?”
“It’s not your fault, but we were kissing in the video. It’s out there, Riley. They know who you are, and they know about us.”
“Should I worry?” Riley asked.
“I don’t know. I guess that kind of depends on what I do next,” she said.
“What’s that mean?” Riley lifted an eyebrow.
“The media has been following me around this past week. I finally confirmed that I am a lesbian, thinking that it would all die down. I’m not running anymore. My time as mayor is almost over. I’m not running again. I could just fade into obscurity. They’d leave me alone.”
“And then?” Riley asked, guessing where this was going.
“And then, I got a call from the party. Suddenly, they’re very interested in me running after all. They said they’d like to help me become the first lesbian governor of the state of Texas.”
“Which means what to me, Elena?”
“I have to make a choice, Riley. If I choose to run, there will be a press conference announcing my candidacy. Ideally, my girlfriend would be standing beside me.”
“You don’t have a girlfriend, unless there’s something you haven’t told me.” Riley leaned forward again, looking at the key on the table.
“It would be temporary. It’s just to solidify that you and I have been together for a while now. You’d make a few appearances, and then I could announce that we’ve gone our separate ways.”
“Elena, that’s–”
“Crazy? A lot to ask? I know” She paused. “I could also choose not to run, and we could avoid at least that part. Your name is still out there. I can’t guarantee the press won’t come here to try to get a comment. But if I run, and you’re not around, I think that will make them more interested.”
“Then, you’re not running, Elena. Doesn’t that seem like the best solution to all of this? They stop caring about you and leave me alone. You can start a law practice in Texas. I can be here and continue my life.”
“I want this, Riley,” she said. “I didn’t mean for it to impact you, now that we’re not together, but I do want this.”
“They want you to be their token, Elena. You know that.”
“Token or not, I’d be the first lesbian governor of a massive state, Riley. I could help change laws that would impact people like you and me. Maybe I could make an actual difference.”
“Elena, I can’t pretend to be your girlfriend. It doesn’t work like that. If you want to run for office, you can run. I’ll deal with the press if they decide to stalk me.”
“If Kinsley weren’t in the picture, would–”
“She is in the picture,” Riley stood. “Jesus, she’s been so worried that you and I weren’t finished. And here you are. It’s like, every time I get her to a point where she believes me, something happens, and you’re a part of our relationship again, which you shouldn’t be, Ele
na.”
“I’m not trying to be in your relationship,” Elena returned.
“But you are. You’re sitting on my sofa, asking me to pretend we’re still together, when my actual girlfriend is off somewhere, wondering when I’ll be able to let this go,” she said and motioned to Elena. “But I’m not the one that needs to let this go. You are. She is.”
“I told you, I’m not here to try to win you back.” Elena stood. “You like this Kinsley woman; I’m trying to be respectful of that.”
“I love her,” Riley said.
“You just met her,” Elena said.
“Elena, I’ve known Kinsley James for over ten years. I guess, it’s closer to fifteen now. She’s always been a friend of a friend, but she’s liked me since college, and I didn’t know.” Riley paused as she smiled. “Spending time with her when I started looking for a house, made me realize you and I weren’t working. I wanted her.” She shrugged.
“I get it, Riley.” She waved off. “Glad you’ve found someone you love while I’m struggling to get over this girl I used to date, who once planned a life with me.”
“Hey, you did this to yourself.” She bit her lower lip in frustration. “You weren’t there, Elena. You were never there toward the end. Longer, if I’m being honest. You were too focused on staying in the closet and on work to realize that we’d grown apart and no longer wanted the same things.”
“Please, pour it on me, Riley. I don’t have enough to worry about.” She moved to the kitchen. “Do you have anything stronger than wine or that terrible beer you like?”
“You never worried about us when we were together. Why start now?” Riley said as she followed her into the kitchen. She crossed her arms over her chest. “God, I think this is what I needed to finally put this crap behind me: I needed to yell at you.”
“I flew here for solace, Riley. I didn’t come here to get yelled at by my ex.”
“You shouldn’t have come here at all.” She paused as she uncrossed her arms. “I can’t be your solace anymore, Elena. That’s not my job.”
“What am I supposed to do, Riley?” She slammed the refrigerator door. It was then that Riley noted the tears welling in the woman’s eyes. “I can’t go home until I make a decision about whether or not I’m running for office. I need you beside me. I love you. I know I made mistakes. I’m sorry for that. If you tell me right now that I shouldn’t run, that I should move here, and we can start again, I’d do it now. I didn’t do it then, but I’d do it now.”
Time of Day Page 17
