Staring at a Mountain

Uninvited

As her phone blared loudly in her purse, Rhiannon exited 'Lee and Harding Law Firm'.
Quickly opening the car door and tossing her folders into the passenger seat, she digs her phone out of her purse.

'Tony', the screen read back to her.
Sliding the screen to answer, she can't help but wonder what would provoke him to call her after dead silence for the last five and a half months.

"Hey, you." She answers coolly. They weren't on bad terms, it was just unclear how friendly their relationship still was.

"Are you free to grab a bite to eat with me sometime this week?" He asks, she could hear the white noise of his car speeding down the road behind him.

"Of course. Do you mind me asking what initiated the need to see me?" She pried. She started her car and pulled away from the curb, connecting her phone to the bluetooth in the car.

Tony hesitated for a palpable moment.
"I just wanted to check in on you." He chose his words carefully. It was a loaded statement but she couldn't figure out regarding what.

"Well, I have plans with the girls tonight. It's Friday, I'm sure you could've guessed that." She knew he was familiar with her patterns.

"Saturday afternoon? Lunch?" He offered, "I'll pay." She could hear a smile in his voice.

"Sure. I'll see you then." She agreed.

"Sandino's around 2. See you then, buttercup." He hung up before she could comment on his use of her old petname.

With a deep sigh, she parked in front of her and Wanda's shared apartment.

𝐼'𝑙𝑙 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑦 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑤. She thought, referring to both Tony and the stack of papers sitting in her car.

Trudging into the building, she feels overcome with annoyance at the thick black letters posted on the elevator.

Closed for maintenance.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
Mgmt.

Living on the eighth floor seemed like a joke now.
Beginning her ascent, she shakes her hair free from its clip and pulls her purse strap over her shoulder and across her body securely.

"Oh, thank god, I thought you'd die on the stairs." Wanda said, as Rhiannon unlocked the door and shut it behind her. Tossing her keys on the counter she kicked off her heels.

"I have to conserve my energy for dancing tonight, management should be ashamed of themselves." Rhiannon said jokingly.

"Did you see Nat coming in?"

Before Rhiannon could reply, the redhead burst through the door, letting out a hearty, "fuck your landlord. These shoes are not meant for stairs."

The girls collectively laugh before funneling into Rhiannon's bedroom.

"So we're going to 'Eden' tonight, what are you gonna wear to shake your ass on Mister Moneybags?" Natasha asked, lying on her stomach across the emerald green velvet duvet.

"Uh, I was not aware that was on the agenda." Rhiannon said with a twinge of nerves evident in her voice.

"What, he can come eat our food and enjoy our movie night but we can't go to his club? You know, the most fun club in the city?" Wanda interjected. She was leaned over Rhiannon's black vanity pressing an eyelash curler to her eye.

"I get your point, I do. He's just so..." she tried to find a word that wouldn't make her sound judgemental.

"Gorgeous? Loaded? Fun? Total big dick energy? Oh, no. What a nightmare." Natasha snarked.