When William’s clients cleared out, I took the horses back to their stalls and fed and groomed them for the evening with Rodrigo’s help. I took Athena out for another ride before retiring for the evening.
After writing to my professor and explaining that my test was unfinished because of a power outage, I scrolled through my social media.
A photo of Riley in a club came up on my feed. He was standing in a crowd of people. He had a cigar in his left hand and a glass of some type of liquor in the other. He was leaning backward and thrusting his pelvis against a girl who was bent over in front of him, grinding. One of her fake boobs was almost popping out of her short dress. They could have been having sex in the photo for all I knew. Her dress was that short and their bodies perfectly positioned. He was wearing a big, shit-eating grin. So this was what he did every night? No wonder he’s so eager to leave in the evenings.
Again, I felt a pang of jealousy. Someone liked Riley enough to take his picture. No one even knew who I was. Being a recluse had its pluses, but it was at this moment where I wished for something more. I wished I could go to a club without a care in the world and let free. I couldn’t bring myself to even try. I was too scared of crowds and further rejection. Plus, the horses needed me. I didn’t have time to goof off like Riley did.
Riley’s truck engine again woke me out of a dead sleep as it went racing down the driveway. This time, it was the taillights shining through my windows. His father must have finally caught up with him and told him what a jackass he was. It was only midnight and much earlier than he normally returned. William had ano hoes in the stablepolicy. Riley had broken it multiple times, to mine and William’s displeasure. I was sure William probably called him once his clients left and demanded that Riley come home. It was my turn to grow a Cheshire Cat grin. Maybe Riley and I would finally be even.
I pulled the covers back over my head, and luckily, I drifted back to sleep.
??
The next day, I woke up to a loud banging on my trailer door. I already knew who it was before he started shouting obscenities at me. I threw the covers off my body, wincing at the sunrise peeking through my blinds. I stomped through my trailer. I was hoping for a little extra sleep this morning before getting started on stable chores. Now that wouldn’t happen.
“Open up, you bitch! I know you’re in there!” he called out while slamming on the door.
“Go away, Riley!” I answered back through the door.
“You have seconds to open up before I kick down this door!”
I didn’t think William would appreciate having to replace my trailer door. I threw the door open, and Riley pushed me to the side, barging right into my home.
“Excuse you, I didn’t invite you in.”
“You had no reason to tattle tale to my father. Now he’s making threats, and I don’t like the sound of them.”
Tattle tale—were we five? He could say snitch like a grown up.
“Riley, I don’t give a shit about what you like or don’t like. I don’t give a shit that you got in trouble. You know the rules; no one interacts with a horse without signing a consent form. Horses can be dangerous, especially when someone like her doesn’t know the hoof from the head. Pull your head out of your ass and think about someone else besides yourself. Your one-night stands are not worth someone’s life or my job for letting you fuck around.”
By now, I was so heated that my finger was poking into his chest. He was scanning me up and down. He had been watching me closely as I yelled at him. I glanced at myself, and then my face turned red. I was in a sports bra and spandex shorts. At my sudden awareness of my lack of clothes, and his hungry glare, I became cold. I felt like prey knowing that it was being watched.
I was brought back to a moment in time when Riley and I weren’t hurling insults, but very close to crossing a base instead. That lasted very briefly before it was back to insults and threats.
Something stirred inside of me. Part of me wanted to grab a blanket and hide my body from him. Another small and rebellious part actually liked his stare. It meant that I wasn’t quite as ugly as I saw myself.
“Emma, I’m warning you to stay out of my business. I would hate to complain to my father that the help is stalking me. I’d hate to cost you your job.”
He wouldn’t dare. His father wouldn’t believe it for a moment. His father knew that I was hardworking and responsible. I kept the day-to-day operations of the farm running. William didn’t have to delegate; I did everything he could think of and even things he couldn’t. I ran this place, except for paying the bills and the paychecks.
I knew that William would lock his son up in the basement for the rest of his life before firing me, and yet I was angry at the threat. It felt like someone put red-shaded glasses over my eyes. One second I was seeing normal, and the next I was seeing only in red.
We weren’t in high school anymore, yet Riley thought he could still manipulate me. He could still bully me into getting his way.
“If you don’t get the hell out of my trailer, I will put a staple right in that forehead of yours,” I said, reaching across the table to grab the stapler. His eyes never left my body the whole time.
I unfolded the stapler and held it out in front of me, about to make good on my threat. I thought William would actually laugh seeing a staple in his son’s forehead. The holes might let some hot air out. I was hoping he’d hang around and I would find out.
He took a step closer to me then another. There was no distance between us, and the stapler rested against his forehead. His eyes were locked with mine, and his chest was flush against my arms. His breathing created a rubbing sensation on my arms, and I got chills.
He winked and then turned around slowly, walking out the door. I followed him to the door and slammed it closed in front of me.
“Ass face prick!” I screamed out in frustration.
I heard him chuckle as he walked away. I just wanted to put my hands around his neck and squeeze the life out of him, like he did to me. He squeezed the life out of me, until all I wanted to do was stay here in my trailer and tend to the horses. I had no life because that’s what Riley wanted. Riley Reys always got what he wanted.
Here’s to another morning of lost sleep and pent-up sexual frustration.
