Riley jerked free from Winnie and stumbled again yet continued her maligning of Laine. “Yeah, that’s why she’s so angry and demanding. Always telling me where I should be and when I should be there.”
Max stepped up and took her by the arm. Laine saw the hurt on his face. But he was resolved. “Riley, you will have your office packed up by morning and I will expect you on the first flight out after the storm blows over. I’m very disappointed in you.” He spoke his next statement under his breath, but Laine was close enough to hear him. “I’m sorry. I should never have let you come in here.” He dropped her arm.
Laine took Riley by the arm one more time, and this time Tamyra and Winnie helped her. “We’ll get her back to her condo.”
“I can have Mia take her back,” Max said, motioning for Mia to come over.
Laine eyed the woman. “No,” she stated clearly. “We will get her back.”
“Yes, we want to handle this,” Tamyra said to Max.
“I’m going to beat your tail, young lady,” Winnie added.
Max nodded at them and left the dance floor. Christian’s face came into Laine’s view. “I’m really sorry, Christian. This isn’t like her.”
“I wouldn’t have thought so. But apparently it is.” The hurt on his face was unmistakable.
Riley jerked beneath her hold, but Laine squeezed harder. She could tell Tamyra had a strong hold on the other side.
“I’ve got the rear,” Winnie announced. And together they escorted Riley off the dance floor. Bodies closed the gaping hole where they’d been as if nothing had even taken place.
Laine looked back as the bouncer opened the door for them to exit. Mia was standing by Christian. She raised her cup in a mimicking motion of one who had hit the bottle a little too hard. Laine watched her a moment longer, then turned to take this pitiful creature squirming beneath her grasp back home.
* * *
Riley squawked her protests as they carried her down the stairs. When they got to the bottom, Winnie came around to the front of Riley and swatted her thigh. “You hush up.”
Riley stopped squirming and leaned back, her eyes blinking hard at Winnie.
“I don’t know what in the world has gotten into you, or what you’ve gotten into, but we are not going to carry you through this hotel. You are going to get yourself together and walk through here without looking like a drunk. Now straighten up,” Winnie demanded.
They watched as Riley tried to stand up straight. Tamyra let go of her side and Riley tottered.
“Stand up straight now.” Winnie was adamant on how this was all going to take place.
Riley tried to steady herself again. Laine felt like she could let go.
“Now, we will be right here with you, but you are going to get to your room like a lady, not a tramp.”
“She’s the tramp.” Riley pointed at Laine and all but fell over.
“I’m going to slap her,” Laine announced.
Winnie stepped into Riley’s space. “Don’t you say another word. Don’t speak. Don’t mumble. Don’t hum. We want nothing. You’ve done enough damage tonight and you will do no more.”
Laine and Tamyra eyed each other.
Winnie stepped aside and motioned in front of her. “Now, go.”
Riley took a faltering first step and Laine reached out and steadied her. She jerked her arm from Laine’s grasp, caught her footing, and stood up straight. And they walked through the casino.
“You’re good at this, Winnie,” Tamyra said.
“This is what I do.”
“Deal with drunk women?” Laine quipped.
“Deal with desperate people,” Winnie reminded. “This is nothing but a desperate means of avoiding the real issue.”
She had Tamyra’s curiosity. “What is the real issue?”
“Fear. It’s always fear.”
Laine and Tamyra walked beside Riley all the way to her condo, ready to steady her at any moment. When they got there, they led her into her bedroom and lowered her onto the bed. She fell over immediately. “She never should have gone in there tonight,” Laine said.
“It’s just a nightclub.”
“She’s an alcoholic, Tamyra,” Winnie said.
Laine jerked her head toward Winnie. “How did you know that? Did she tell you?”
“Didn’t have to. I know what one looks like.”
“Just like you knew what I looked like.” Tamyra was getting it.
“This is what I do,” Winnie said.
“Well, do you put pajamas on grown women?” Laine asked. “Because I don’t.”
Winnie laughed, then knelt and pulled off Riley’s shoes. She sent Laine in search of pajamas and Tamyra in search of a cold rag. When they came back, she put Riley’s pj’s on her and tucked her beneath the covers. Riley opened her eyes for a brief moment.
“I loveth you. I loveth you all,” she announced.
“Get some sleep, Riley,” Winnie said as she scooted the other two out of the room.
Laine fell onto the sofa. “I can’t believe this. She just lost her job tonight.”
“If you both knew that was her issue, why did you let her go in there tonight?” Tamyra asked.
“I asked her if she needed to, and she said she’d be okay. She just kept complaining about that dumb headache.”
“When did she get so much to drink?” Tamyra interjected again. “We weren’t even there that long.”
Winnie walked over to the couch and sat down. “You don’t have to be at a nightclub to get a drink, Tamyra.”
Laine took off her heels and rubbed the bottom of her feet. “Yeah, she could have gotten one early and we just didn’t see her or something.”
Tamyra sat in the chair beside the sofa. “Well, you should have been paying attention is all I’m saying.”
The three women sat there, heads leaned back, feet propped up on Riley’s sea-grass ottoman. “I ran right out on Albert again. Two for two. Boy, that’s a track record for a woman who hasn’t had a date in fifty years.”
Tamyra laughed. “This one wasn’t my fault.”
Laine crossed her feet at the ankles. “Mine, either. I’m just a pitiful adulterer, but I
