Stiletto Sisterhood

Original Edition: Shay| Sweaty pickle balls

"Sh!t." Pulling away from the peephole, Shayne braced her brow to the doorway and hoped that maybe if she stayed very, very quiet, the person on the other side of the door would eventually go away. Or vanish.

"I know you're in there, Shayne." The hard rap of knuckles and Rita's exasperated voice sliced through that delicate bubble of wishful thinking.

"Who is that?"

Hostia puta...Turning around with a guilty grimace, and faced Bianca. They'd started as friends in the nightclub scene, both DJ's with a love for heart pounding beats and vibrant crowds. Bianca was a thing of beauty. They'd tried to get a serious go once before Shayne realized they were too much alike to make it work without risking the friendship. And friendship, in Shayne's world, was king.

"Relax. She's the consultant I told you about."

"She better be." Bianca arched a menacing brow. Purple and blue braids tossed over one shoulder, the left side of her head shaved clean to show off the koi fish tattoo curving from temple to throat. Piercings adorned her face, a trio in both brows, septum, bottom lip and both ears from lobe to curve. "Well, open the damn door. I have a job to get to."

Rita's heavy knock punctuated her statement and Shayne swallowed a groan. Head hung, she unlocked the door, dragged it open. Holding it wide. "Rita, hey. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Rita's scathing rebuke was cut off as Bianca wedged past Shayne and tossed a haughty glare straight at the woman standing outside her apartment. "I'll be off at three. Want me to come by afterwards?"

Shayne shifted her eyes from Rita to Bianca and back again. "Uh...well, I've got an early morning at the gym, but I'll call you if I think Asher will let me get away with a later start."

"Fine." Bianca leaned in, pressed her lips to Shayne's. Holding there until she brushed the edge of inappropriate PDA. Giving Rita one final death glare as she walked away.

Bracing the door, Shayne sighed as Rita remained in the hall, arms crossed and chin raised, wearing another awful suit. "You're giving me that look."

"Is she married?"

"No."

"Engaged or otherwise involved?"

Shayne swiped a finger in an x over her heart. "Nope."

"Good. That's all I care about." Uncrossing her arms, Rita waved her back a step she crossed the threshold and shut the door, flipping the locks. "Why haven't you returned my calls today?"

Crossing from her front entry way into the open concept living space, Shayne scrubbed a hand over the back of her neck with a lazy stretch. "I've been...occupied?"

"I'm not even going to ask." Rita levelled a flat smirk at her answering laugh. "So, where are they?"

Shayne's stomach pitched, rolled. But rising panic didn't stop her from feigning complete and utter ignorance as she lowered to the blunt end of the sectional. "Where's what?"

"The tests, Shayne." Rita loomed over her, entirely unimpressed. "Where are they?"

"I...well," Shayne rolled her hands in the space between them, hoping to pluck an excuse from thin air, but was left with no choice but to tap out. Or in this case, tell the truth. "I haven't exactly got to them...yet."

After her apology visit, Asher had agreed to work in her training around various appointments with Rita and follow-up assignments. But when the first batch of them had shown up on her doorstep the next day, her eyes had wheeled in her skull.