Fare Game

by Cade Haddock Strong

  When Kay inquired about whether they could tell their families about the SEC complaint, Fred had been adamant that they not tell another soul. To date, Kay had only told Ethan about the fraud at Logan, but now that they’d gone to the SEC, the peril and severity of the whole situation had ratcheted up about fifty notches. It was like they were in a vice that was getting twisted tighter and tighter every day.

  “A penny for your thoughts?” Riley asked her. They were sitting in Kay’s sunroom, drinking coffee and reading the Sunday New York Times.

  “Sorry,” Kay said. “I was just thinking about my dad. It feels so strange that I haven’t told him anything about what’s going on at Logan.”

  “Fred was very clear.”

  “I know, I know. It’s just… Logan is my dad’s heart and soul. I feel like I’m deceiving him by not telling him, and now that the SEC is involved… I’m just sick about it.”

  Riley wrapped her arms around Kay and held her tightly. They sat there for a long time, just holding each other. When Riley pulled back, she looked Kay in the eye. “Our identities will be protected. There’s no way your father or anyone else for that matter, will ever know it was us who went to the SEC, I mean, unless you tell them.”

  “Or unless someone at Logan gets wind of the investigation and hunts us down.” Kay slumped back against the couch. “I just can’t shake the feeling that someone’s going to find out it was us who went to the feds. When I’m at work, I feel like I’m constantly looking over my shoulder. Fuck, I can’t tell you how many times Greg has asked me about the missing red notebook. He always gives me this look like he’s convinced I had something to do with its disappearance.”

  “If he knew you’d taken it, he would have come after you a long time ago. You can be sure of that.”

  “You’re probably right.” Kay paused for a moment before she continued. “That’s not all that’s bothering me. I’m constantly anxious about how all of this will impact the airline and all the people who work there.”

  “Whatever happens to Logan,” Riley said, “that’s on Greg Brandywine and Howard Rome. They’re the ones who are at fault, not us. Like I keep saying, we’re the good guys in all this. The ones with the courage to stick out our necks and expose the truth.”

  Kay ran a hand through her long dark hair. “Yeah, I know that in principle, but I don’t know… My dad worked for Logan for almost thirty years and I’ve worked there for over a decade.”

  “The next few months are going to be really hard, but we’ve got each other, and we need to stay strong.”

  “I know, baby. There’s no way I could’ve gotten this far without you. Not in a million years.”

  “I’m proud of us.”

  Kay smiled. “Yeah, I am too. None of this is for the faint of heart.”

  Riley stood to stretch her legs and glanced at her watch. “Oh, shit. I didn’t realize it had gotten so late. I’ve got to be at my parents’ house for dinner in less than two hours and I still need to go home and shower.”

  Kay rocked forward and pressed her face into her hands. She looked up at Riley and nibbled on her lower lip, trying to fight back tears. “You think you’ll ever tell them about me?” she asked, and immediately regretted asking the question.

  Riley stiffened and crossed her arms. “Please Kay, not now. Don’t push me on this. We’re both under enough stress as it is.”

  Kay stood and faced her. “Baby, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

  Riley stormed into the kitchen, yanked open one of the kitchen cabinets and pulled out a glass. “Don’t you know it eats me alive.” She held the glass under the faucet and filled it with water. “Especially after everything we’ve been through together. I want to tell them so badly. I just can’t bring myself to do it. I get angry with myself, but I’m terrified of how they’ll react. For all their faults, they’re my family and I love them. I don’t want them to push me away.”

  She gulped down her water and set the glass down in the sink. She leaned against the countertop, hung her head and began to sob.

  Kay walked into the kitchen and rubbed her back. “Riley, baby, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

  Riley lifted her head and sniffed back tears. “I know it bothers you too. I’ll tell them soon, I promise. It just has to be on my terms.”

  “I know. God, I know and I don’t envy the position you’re in.”

  A faint smile crossed Riley’s face. “Trust me, nothing would make me happier than to have you next to me at my parents’ dining room table tonight.”

  Kay pulled her into a hug. “I know. Someday.”

  “Yeah, someday.” Riley stepped back. “I should go.”

  “I know,” Kay replied and slipped a finger under her chin. “We’re going to get through all of this together.”

  Riley kissed her softly on the lips. “I know. I keep trying to remind myself of that.” She walked toward the front door, picked her bag off the floor and stepped outside. She turned around and blew Kay a kiss before she closed the door behind her.

  After she left, Kay dragged herself upstairs and changed into her running clothes. When she stepped outside, it had just started to rain. She took off toward the park running as fast as she could.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  The stress of being a “double agent” really began to wear on Kay. Now that the complaint had officially been filed with the SEC, she found it harder and harder to play along with the Concordia scheme and the paranoia that Greg was onto her intensified. Twice recently, she’d found out he’d convened a Concordia meeting without telling her, something he’d never done before.

  And the other day she’d come back from a meeting to find a guy sitting behind her computer. He claimed to be from IT and mumbled something about a software upgrade, but he’d been really jumpy and had scampered out of her office almost immediately. When she mentioned the incident to Riley, she’d relayed a similar visit from IT. It made no sense. Most software upgrades these days were “pushed” to their computers; they didn’t require an in-person visit.

  Kay had also been having trouble sleeping, and as a result, her fuse was a lot shorter than normal. That morning she’d snapped at a junior employee for a minor infraction, and now she felt bad about it. Poor guy had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. She made a mental note to apologize the next time she saw him and tried to focus on the report she had up on her computer, but it was a lost cause and a burst of commotion outside her office didn’t help.

  She stood up and stuck her head out the door to see what the fuss was all about. A giant vase of red and white roses sat on her admin’s desk and it had drawn the attention of many of the women who sat nearby. “They’re so beautiful,” one young woman said. “You’re so lucky. My husband never does anything romantic,” another woman offered. Kay smiled at her admin. “Wow, Harry went all out this year, huh?” she asked. “They’re gorgeous.”

  Her admin beamed. “Thanks, Kay.”

  Kay stepped back in her office. Shit, it’s Valentine’s Day. She’d totally forgotten or maybe it was she’d forgotten to remember. Some girlfriend I am. Kay had always sort of poo pooed the holiday, referred to it as VD Day and written it off as a “Hallmark Holiday”—something dreamed up by the famed greeting card producer as a way to sell more cards, stuffed bears and heart-shaped balloons.

  This year, though, she didn’t feel as grinchy about Valentine’s Day as she normally did, and she got the sudden urge to do something special for Riley. She considered taking her out to dinner but quickly abandoned that idea. There was no chance in hell she’d get a reservation this late in the game, plus the lingering VD Day cynic in her believed restaurants used the holiday as an opportunity to gouge their patrons.

  She tapped her fingers on her desk as she racked her brain for something incredibly romantic to do. It came to her in a flash. She’d whisk Riley off to Paris for the weekend—an idea that was made practical given her generous flight benefits. Most people
would never dream of jetting off to Paris for the weekend, but airline employees did that sort of stuff all the time.

  By the end of the day, the trip was all planned. They’d take the nonstop to Paris on Friday after work, two short days away. She’d tell Riley they were going away for the weekend but not reveal where. The only hint, a passport and a warm coat were required.

  When they arrived outside the security checkpoint on Friday evening, Riley’s eyes lit up when Kay presented their boarding passes. “Holy shit, Paris.” She gave Kay a peck on the cheek. “You’re such a romantic.”

  An hour later, they boarded a Logan Boeing 777 bound for the City of Lights and settled into their business class seats for the nearly nine-hour flight. Despite being in business class or maybe because of it—the food, wine and movies were too good to pass up, neither of them got much sleep during the flight and they were both zombies when they touched down in Paris early Saturday morning. The six-hour time change didn’t help matters. It was seven a.m. in Paris but only one a.m. in Atlanta.

  Kay squinted in the bright morning sunshine when they stepped outside the airport. A pair of sunglasses were somewhere in her bag, but she didn’t have the energy to dig them out.

  Riley stifled a yawn as they climbed into a taxi. “Tired?” Kay asked.

  “Yeah, but I don’t want to be. I’m so excited to be here with you.”

  “I’ll let you in on a little trick,” Kay replied. “For a quick weekend trip like this, it is better not to adjust to the time change.”

  Riley rubbed her eyes. “I’m not following you. Did you say not?”

  “Yeah, we should keep our schedule here in Paris aligned with East Coast time. So, for example, we should go to the hotel and sleep until noon. By then, it will be morning in Atlanta. We can get up and enjoy the afternoon and evening in Paris. Think about it. If we stay out until two a.m., it will only be eight p.m. Atlanta time.”

  “I guess that sort of makes sense,” Riley said through another yawn. “You think we’ll be able to check in to the hotel this early in the morning?” She looked at the clock on the taxi’s dashboard. “It’s not even eight a.m.”

  Kay draped her arm over Riley’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’re staying at this little hotel and I know the owner. My parents stay there all the time. Our room will be ready. I’m sure of it.”

  Kay was right. The owner led them to a bright and airy room as soon as they arrived at the hotel. It had a large bathroom, at least by European standards, and the queen bed was piled high with pillows and adorned with a puffy white comforter. One of the large windows was cracked open, causing the curtains to flutter. According to Kay’s phone, it was only about ten degrees Celsius outside, but the room felt warm nonetheless.

  Once they’d unpacked, they stripped off their clothes, showered and climbed between the bed’s smooth cotton sheets. Kay was about to doze off when a warm naked body snuggled up against her. Soft fingers drew lazy circles over her breasts and sent shockwaves to her groin. In an instant, arousal supplanted exhaustion. Riley rolled her over on her back and teased one breast and then the other with her tongue. Her clit pulsed intensely, and she slid her hand between her folds to meet its need. She twitched when she touched herself, and after a few gentle strokes, she quickened the pace. Riley sucked hungrily on her firm nipples and Kay’s muscles tensed. “Oh, God,” she moaned as she came.

  Riley kissed her softly on the lips and whispered, “Welcome to Paris.” Sleep came easily after that.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Riley’s eyes fluttered open a few hours later. At first, she was confused. She had no idea where she was until her eyes fell upon the beautiful woman sleeping soundly beside her. A smile crept across her face. Kay was lying on her back and she’d kicked off the bedsheets, leaving her taut stomach and ample breasts exposed.

  She placed a soft kiss on Kay’s bare shoulder, causing her to stir.

  “What time is it?” Kay asked, her eyes opening briefly before falling shut again.

  “Time to go explore this wonderful city.” Riley climbed out of bed. She brushed her teeth and washed her face and laughed when she peeked out into the bedroom. Kay had pulled the sheets and comforter over her head. Riley jumped on the bed and tickled Kay until she put her feet on the floor.

  “You are so mean,” Kay said as she padded to the bathroom.

  “You’d never forgive me if I let you sleep the day away.”

  “I know,” Kay said. “I was just so warm and happy in my cocoon.”

  After she’d pulled on some clothes, Riley peered out the window of their room. Clouds had moved in while they were asleep, and it looked like it might rain. “Brrr, it looks cold out there.”

  “We’d better bundle up.” Kay opened the small closet and held up a sweater. “You can wear this if you want. I packed a few extra supplies since I didn’t give you very many details about where we were going.”

  Since it was Riley’s first visit to Paris, they started at the Louvre, making the requisite stroll by the Mona Lisa and trying to get a glimpse of the subject’s captivating eyes through the throng of people crowded around the famous painting. “Oh well, at least I can say I’ve seen it,” Riley said.

  They made their way upstairs to the second floor to see the Dutch masters. “These are my favorite,” Kay said as they lingered in front of a still life series.

  Riley read the small plaque next to the painting. “Wow, this was painted almost 400 years ago.”

  Kay nodded without taking her eyes off the painting. “I know. It’s hard to believe isn’t it?”

  The next painting depicted a bunch of aristocrats. “It’s kind of amazing if you think about it,” Riley said. “Back then, the only way to capture an image or a scene was to paint it. So different from the camera phone obsessed society of today.” As if affirming her point, two women armed with selfie sticks walked into the room. “I fucking hate those things,” she whispered into Kay’s ear.

  “God, I know, me too. I thought they’d been banned at the museum.”

  “If so,” Riley said and gestured toward the two women, “they obviously didn’t get the memo.”

  After a quick pass through the Egyptian and Greek antiquities, they stepped back out into the raw day. “Where next?” Kay asked.

  “I know there are a million things to see in Paris, but given that we’re here for such a short time, do you mind if we just wander around and soak it all in. I’m worried that if we run around and try to see everything, it will all just be a blur.”

  Kay took her hand and led her through the narrow streets of Paris. They taste tested croissants from multiple bakeries, peeked in shop windows, and enjoyed a much-needed double espresso. It was after dark by the time they get back to the hotel.

  Riley kicked off her boots and rubbed her feet. “I bet we walked at least ten miles, and even though we ate all those croissants, I’m starving.”

  “Good, because I made reservations at La Tulipe. Thomas recommended it,” Kay said, referring to the proprietor of their hotel.

  “Do you think La Tulipe will have la wine?”

  “Are we in France?”

  Riley chuckled. “Okay, stupid question.”

  “And just for your reference, ‘vin’ is the word for wine in French.”

  “Ah, good to know.”

  La Tulipe only had a dozen or so tables, and even though it was only seven p.m.—early for dinner in France—most of them were occupied. Riley took that as a sign that the place must be good.

  An elegantly dressed older woman greeted them near the door, and after exchanging a few words with Kay in French, she led them to a small table near the window.

  Once they were seated, a waiter appeared with two carafes of water. “Gaz ou sans gaz?” he asked.

  Riley looked at Kay, hoping she had a clue what he was asking. Kay gestured toward the bottle in his left hand and said, “Avec gaz.”

  He poured them some sparkling water, helped Kay select a bot
tle from their wine list and left them to look over the menu.

  “Do you like escargot?” Kay asked.

  “Is the Pope Catholic?”

  Kay gave her a curious look. “Really, you like snails?”

  “Uh-huh. Love them. Why is that so hard to believe? Just because I’m from the south, doesn’t mean I lack culture.”

  “I wasn’t suggesting—”

  “I know, it’s okay. I can get a little too defensive about my southern heritage.”

  When the waiter returned with their wine, Kay chatted with him in French while she tasted it.

  “Bonne degustation,” the waiter said after he’d poured them each a glass.

  Once he was gone, Riley leaned toward Kay and whispered, “I love it when you speak French. It’s so sexy.”

  “Is that a fact?” Kay winked at her. “Perhaps I should do it more often.”

  Riley picked up her glass and gave Kay a soft smile. “Whisking me off to Paris was incredibly ro-man-teak,” she said with the best French accent she could muster. “And speaking of surprises, I’ve got one for you too.” She reached into her shoulder bag, pulled a medium size package and handed it to Kay. “I got you a little Valentine’s gift too.”

  Kay looked the package and then back up at Riley. “What’s this?”

  “Open it and you’ll see. I think you’re going to like it.”

  Kay peeled back the brown paper wrapping and a giant smile engulfed her face. “A copy of Blue Highways. Riley, I can’t believe you remembered.” Kay held the book against her heart. “What an incredibly thoughtful gift.”

  “It’s a first edition. I found it online.”

  “Thank you.” Kay teared up slightly. “This is, by far, the best Valentine’s Day I’ve ever had.”

  “Me too,” Riley whispered. She paused and slowly sipped her wine before seeking out Kay’s eyes with her own. “You, Kay Corbett, are the most kind, wonderful, funny, smart, sexy woman I’ve ever met.” A wave of butterflies swooped across her stomach and caused her to choke out her next words. “What we have… It’s incredibly special.”