Taking a breath, I quietly creep out of my apartment, hoping the door lock didn't wake up Avery who had fallen back to sleep on the couch after taking the girls to school. 

I knew she had wanted to come with me today, when I quit my job, to provide moral support but I felt that this was something I needed to do on my own.

My foot barely makes it off the worn welcome mat outside my door, when I hear a throat clearing. Looking across the hall, I find Mavis stood in her door, with pink rollers curled in her hair and a flowing multicolour dress.

"Where do you think you are creeping off to?" She asks stepping out of her door. 

Glancing back at my front door, to make sure Avery wasn't about to barrel through it, I cross the hallway. "Time for a cup of tea?"

The old lady smiles. "For you, I have all the time in the world."

Mavis' house is a mish mash of old and new, antiques and Ikea as I always say. Which is how I find myself on a rustic chair and a glass dining table.

"Well, I never." She breathes having listened to me talk for the past 10 minutes without one interruption or question. 

"So, what do I do?" I ask looking at her.

She pauses, stopping her fingers which we rolling up a rather large cigarette. "My dear, you have to do what is best for you."

"But that's the problem. I don't know what is..." I sigh. "I am leaving Clean Approach, that is a given. Rachel has caused no end of problems for me. The other cleaning job is offering almost three times my hourly. I would be crazy not to do it."

She nods "I agree."

"But at least tell me what you would do in my shoes? Would you believe Zak?"

Mavis tilts her head "A part of me feels that you do, or at least you want to?"

"I do.. I want to trust him, but-"

"But you're having doubts and I would too. I can imagine it was hard to hear that. But his explanation could be a viable one. Riley, my love.. You cannot judge him on Joel's actions."

I look up to her instantly. "I-"

"I know you haven't meant to."

"It's just the lies." I tell her shifting in my seat. "He sounded so cold after being so nice all morning. It was like seeing or hearing a different person. The thing is, I do like him."

"As do I." She smiles. "But this is an argument of your head or your heart, isn't it?"

I nod slowly. 

"What is your head telling you?"

"To never speak to either of them again. It's twisted." I answer.

"And your heart?" She asks. 

"To trust. To believe him. To have faith and not expect the worst in him."

"One out weighs the other. Ask yourself, would you miss being in contact with him? Don't forget, you are leaving Clean Approach. Zak will no longer be a client, which means you won't see him. If at all."

I mull the idea over, much like I did last night whilst led on the couch. I had hopelessly stared at the ceiling, waiting for some answers to float down. But none arrived.

A part of me wants to say no. 

But another part is saying that I will. I'll miss the laughter, the intrigue of learning something new, the bad sense of humour we seem to share and the kindness I got to see in him. 

"As for him saying that he is wasting his time? I think that was a cover so that you wouldn't see how much your approach effected him. You say he is or was a ladies man?"

I nod "According to what Avery found out."

Mavis smiles "Then my dear, perhaps he isn't used to being questioned. A man like that must have the ladies queuing."

"Which makes me wonder why me? He can be with anyone." I mutter rubbing my thumb on the cup handle. 

"Excuse me? And why is he any different that you? Why can't you have who and want you want?"
I let go of the cup to gesture to myself. 

"What?" Mavis says. 

"Well, look at me! I'm hardly a supermo-" I'm cut off by Mavis slamming her hand down on the table hard. 

"Don't you dare. Not in my home, young lady. Don't you dare degrade yourself. You are beautiful. You are strong. You are kind, gentle, loving and have one of the purest souls I have ever came across. Riley, if there was ever proof that angels walk among us, you would be it." She answers making me get watery eyed. 

"Now look what you did." I laugh. 

"I am being serious. Don't you ever think so little of yourself. Ever. There is nothing wrong with you. You are perfect. So people either accept you for you or they can fuck off. Do you hear me, Riley? Because I think you're a pretty amazing young woman and Zak should be grateful that you're even looking at him."

I smile and reach across the table giving her hand a squeeze. "Thank you." I whisper.

She nods "Now, drink that tea. You have a job to quit."

*********

Stepping into Clean Approach's office, the words of Mavis stick in my mind. I was strong. I am strong.

There's a few people in the office today, taking calls, sorting invoices, ordering stock and negotiating deals. Each one look up as I walk in with my uniform on my arm, keys to the van swinging from my fingers, head held high and shoulders pushed back. 

I don't wait for anyone to authorise my entrance to Rachel's office, I walk straight in and find her sat behind the desk.

"Walk right in, why don't you? I could have been having a meeting." She says looking me up and down. 

"Well you weren't." I reply walking to her desk and putting my uniform down as well as the keys to the van. 

"What is this?" She asks sitting back. 

"This is me. Quitting."

She laughs and pushes away from the laptop. "Oh Riley, you are funny. Stop being so dramatic. Grantley has been on the phone asking for you today. You should have been there an hour ago."

I watch as she walks to the filing cabinet and places a file inside before extracting another and walking back. 

"I am being serious. I quit. I no longer want to work for this company." I tell her as she sits back down. 

She takes a deep breath before folding her fingers together. "Can I ask where this has came from?"

I nod "Of course. It came around the same time you told Zak that I accused him of sexual harassment." 

Rachel looks at me with a brow raised. "I did no such thing-"

"Don't you dare lie!" I snap leaning on the desk with one hand and pointing with the other. "You, went around his house and told him I had made a complaint about sexual harassment! You tried to get me kicked off that job! Why?"

She pushes her hair over her shoulder in a slight head shake "I have no idea what you are on about."

"You lying witch!" I hiss. "What is it with you two? Huh?"

"The relationship between myself and Zak has nothing to do with you." She bites back. 

"Relationship?" I ask amused. "Is that what you are calling it?"

"It is none of your business."

"It might be. Considering he was me the other night." I fire back.

She smirks. "Oh yes, I heard about your little moment. Played the victim and crawled into his bed."

"Really? Is that what he said?"

"Amongst other things."

"Well," I breath, trying my hardest not to reach across the table and pull her stupidly glossy hair. "Perhaps he forgot to tell you, that he knows you're a lying bitch. He was there when we spoke. Can you remember the conversation? You asked if he had spoken about you? How you think he is going to renew his contract?" I ask. 

The look in her eyes tells me that she does.

"Of course you do. It was around the same time you said that you take sexual harassment claims seriously and that Grantley has been pushing his luck."

"You set me up!" She hisses.

"You're damn right." I answer with a smile. "I set that trap and you walked right into it. You were on loud speaker, I was sat in his car. He heard every single word."

"Well he didn't believe you. Did he?" She asks standing up to my height. "The way I see it, is that he wants to hurt you. Which is weird, because you did nothing wrong. I warped the truth to get exactly what I want and I did. I have. I got him."

"Oh have you now?"

My head turns instantly at the new voice in the room. As soon as I lay eyes on him, my heart does a little skip in my chest. It's one I hope to stamp out eventually. 

"Z-Zak? What a surprise." Rachel smiles.

"Is it? I thought you would have been expecting me..." He says. 

I look at them both "Perhaps he has came to take you to lunch? After all, you are an item, isn't that right, Rachel?"

She glares at me as Zak steps forward and looks at the uniform on the desk. My throat dries slightly as the smell of his cologne floats under my nose and the memory of being led on his chest as he read Dracula stirs in my mind.

"What are you doing?" He asks quietly, looking at me through his purple tinted lenses.

Despite the colour, I can still see the grey and blue of his eyes, the lashes that frame them and the questioning in them.

"I am quitting. As of right now." I tell him before smiling. "And boy does it feel good."

"But you need this job." He answers.

"No, I don't. Not anymore."

"Don't be stupid." 

"Yes, Riley. Don't be stupid. We both know you need this job. So how about you stop being so dramatic and get back to work. Right after you tell Zak that you are sorry for the claims-"

"Oh shut the fuck up." I tell her making her brows almost fly off her forehead. 

Zak seems to bite his lip and watch. Probably enjoying the Hurricane Riley.

"You have done nothing but peck away at me since I started. I once considered us as friends but I see it now. You are incapable of being nice. To anyone. You are a vulture. Ready to pick over whatever dead carcass you can find. Well guess what Rach? It's not going to be mine. I'm done with your shit, with Grantley's little perverted ways and with this clusterfuck. You want Zak so bad. Have him!"

"I already have." Rachel smirks folding her arms. "Isn't that right Zak? Or did you forget to tell her about us? Our history?"

I see Zak stiffen out the corner of my eye, only confirming her words. I can't deny that it sucks to be the last person to know, or to be collecting Rachel's seconds. But I should be thankful that I found out now and not a few weeks down the line when I have really invested myself in whatever was happening between us.

Was being the operative word now.

"I'm not going to stand here and fight over a man. I'm not that desperate. You keep him, hun. I have better things to do. Now, if you both excuse me. I have places to be."

"Riley-" Zak speaks as I head for the door. 

"IF YOU WALK OUT YOU ARE NEVER COMING BACK!" Rachel screams. 

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"YOU'LL NEVER WORK IN THIS CITY AGAIN!"

"Yes I will. In fact, I already have another job. I'll tell Alice White that you send your regards." I give her a air kiss. "Bye bitch."

"RILEY! RILEY GET BACK HERE!" She shouts causing the office of workers to lift their heads to see what the commotion was about. 

"Au Revoir Comrades!" I call to the workers before hip bumping the door open and stepping out into the sunny skies. 

Heading off the property, I stop by the van and give it a pat. "I'll be seeing you, old girl. We had some good times, some bad and some smelly."

Happy that I had said goodbye to all the important people or things, I head off into Vegas, to enjoy my mini holiday before I start my new chapter.