stand by me || ryder scanlon

i'm freelance

"Hey this is really good, Joe." I declared, mouth stuffed with food.

"It's a secret family recipe. I have to teach you sometime since you know, you're part of the Longo family." He patted my back.

The kitchen door opened. "So Joe," A blonde middle aged girl walked in with shopping bags and placed them on the counter. "I'm gonna need your advice for tonight's Toledo Today outfit, should I go for smart and casual or sexy nerd?" She held up two outfits and gradually lowered them at the sight of me.

"Oh I'm sorry," She poured herself a glass of wine. "who's this?"

Was she Joe's girlfriend?

"Mel this is uh–" he pointed to me. "This is Riley," Mel smiled and sipped her drink.

"my daughter."

She spit out her red wine. "Oh." She widened her eyes and rushed over to grab the paper towels. "Your daughter?" 

"Mhmm." Joe smiled nervously.

After wiping her mouth she studied me carefully. There was too much attention on me. Was that the gnocchi I felt coming back up?

She held out a hand. "I'm Mel." I sighed in relief.

"So." She held up the outfits. "What do you think?"

★

"Wait, so she's not your girlfriend?" I flickered my eyes between the both of them.

Mel had sat down for some of Joe's gnocchi and I had discovered that I liked her much more than I did Tiffany.

"Oh god no." Mel waved off. "He's my nanny; he takes care of my niece and nephew."

"A nanny?" I couldn't help but laugh. "Wait so does that make you his boss?" I leaned forward on the table as I got more and more curious.

"No Riley, I'm freelance."

We both looked at him then exchanged our snarky glances.

"I like her," Mel started. "must be from her mom's side."

I glanced at Joe, who kept his gaze down. He hesitated before responding. "Mel, Riley's mother is Tiffany."

Mel's smile dropped. "Tiffany?" She questioned monotonously before realized what she just did. I mean "Tiffany!" She said enthusiastically.  

"It's okay." I said playing with my potatoes. I didn't really like her anyways."

"Thank god." Mel groaned. "She's a gold digging bitch."

I was on the verge of making a barbaric comment to agree with Mel, but a voice called from the living room.

"The kids must be back from school." Mel squealed. "You finally get to meet them." She nodded at me. "In here guys!"

"Aunt Mel I-"

"Lennox here, meet Riley. This is Joe's daughter." Mel pulled our hands together as if we were best friends.

"I thought Joe didn't have any kids." The girl who I now know is Lennox,  turned to Mel.

"Yea Joe thought that too." Joe pointed to himself in the third person.

"Okay, you lost me." Lennox tilted her head in confusion.

"I was in foster care," I explained. "my biological mom Tiffany put me there and never told anyone about my entire existence..."

"So," Lennox thought about it. "you're like the secret daughter."

"I guess so."

A boy swung the door opened from the living room and made a beeline for the fridge, pulling out a juice box.

He spun around and froze from all our stares. "Is there something on my face?" He sipped his juice. 

"No," Joe leaned closer to him. "but your fly is undone." He whispered, loud enough for all of us to hear.

I bit my lip to prevent laughter when the boy turned over and zipped it up.

"Um." The cleared his throat. "Who's this?"

"Lennox introduce her. I gotta get ready for tonight. Sexy nerd it is." Mel danced toward her bags. "Joe, help me find my black pumps." Joe sighed and followed her towards the stairs.

"I'm Riley." I smiled.

Lennox flickered her stare between us. "But..."

"But I'm Riley?" I found myself stumped at what she was trying to get at.

"Exactly." Lennox grinned. "She's Riley Longo."

"Longo? He said in bewilderment. "As in Joe Longo?"

"Bingo." Lennox perked. "Longo as in she's off limits unless you want to have a go with Joe, Longo."

"I'm good." He held his hands up in mock surrender. "And I'm Ryder, by the way."

"Hi Ryder."

"Yea whatever." Lennox butted. "Come on Riley you're staying with me in my room. You got your stuff?" We headed to the stairs.

"No, Joe hasn't gotten official custody of me yet, so all my stuff is back at my foster house."

"Oh, well one step at a time right?" We walked down a hall. "Okay, so this is my room. Nothing too much, but it does it's job and it's the farthest room from Ryder's. Much more peaceful." She laughed.

"Mel's got a blow up mattress in the basement, they'll bring that up soon. The bathroom's down the hall and I think that's pretty much all you need to know."

I tore my eyes away from a family portrait of them before thanking her.

"No problem." She smiled. "I think it'll be fun having another girl around."