Disclaimer: I don't own, Mr. Davis and friends don't sue... Deal?
It took two hours and repeated promises of the best pizza in Virginia before they finally left. Nonchalantly, Ryley slid her credit card over the counter when they left, paying for the lot. The sum reached over $700 dollars. While they were leaving, Prentiss cleared her throat uncomfortably.
"Hey Ryley?" She asked, and Ryley glanced over her shoulder. "I know this is the rudest thing to ask, but I've got a question."
"Go ahead Em. I'm an open book."
"It's just, I notice you never flinch about money. Not when we go out or when you picked up those women's checks this morning or with the clothes just now. And I know you're in Georgetown on a scholarship and that the internship is unpaid, and you're always available in the evenings, so-"
"You were wondering where I get money from." Ryley finished for the rambling profiler. "I had a… medical mishap, when I was a teenager. The hospital settled with me for a good amount, and that's what I live off of. I took a chunk of it and invested it, and it's paid off in spades, so I'm pretty much set for the next decade or so."
"Really?" JJ asked, eyeing the young woman. "Cool."
Ryley shrugged. Privately she believed there wasn't enough money in the world to make up for losing her son. She would have happily settled for the nurse who refused to call the doctor when she first came in losing her license, but that happened anyway. And she couldn't deny that the money had come in handy over the past six years, ensuring she didn't have to work and could focus on her studies. Still, if given the choice, she'd give it all up and then some to have Alphord instead. "I suppose. To me, it's just part of life."
"So why do you live with Pen if you're set?" Prentiss asked.
"I like it at Penny's. And I'm not made to live alone. It freaks me out." Ryley admitted, skipping along. "But I pay my half at Penny's. Makes it easier on her. And I help out where I can, cooking and cleaning and running errands."
"Oh. It's not like I was saying you were mooching or anything. I was just curious." Prentiss assured the young woman as she dragged them into a side-door. They entered into a black room. Literally, a black room. It's only illumination was the neon paint on the wall and scattered black lights. For it being so hidden, the place was packed with people, most of them dressed like Ryley. Well, all of them now. Ryley had talked them into wearing the outfits here with her. Now they knew why.
The host rushed from behind the podium, swinging Ryley around in a hug. "Ry-Wa! I've missed you!" The man cried in an effeminate voice. "You haven't come to see me in ages!"
Ryley laughed and kissed his cheek sloppily. "I've been busy my love! I got that internship at the FBI!"
The man picked her up and swung her around again. "I'm so proud of you my Ry-Wa! Is it everything you hoped?"
"Even better!" She replied, smiling widely. "Speaking of which," Ryley jerked her head in the girls direction. "This is Penny, Emily, and JJ. Penny is the bubbly one. Emily is the brunette. JJ is the blond. Girls, this is sexy hunk of unfortunately fruity man meat is the most amazing guy on earth, Wade. Wade, girls. Girls, Wade. There. You've been introduced."
Wade laughed and gave Ryley a hard kiss on the forehead. "God I've missed your incredible rudeness. You know beautiful, you really should let me go so I can say hello to these gorgeous vixens you've brought into my restaurant."
Ryley exaggerated a pout. "But I like hanging on my Way-La! And you're right, I haven't seen you in forever. I want your attention for a little while longer!"
"You've had my attention long enough. Besides, I'll see you plenty on Saturday."
She cocked her head to the side, staring up at him before starting to jump up and down excitedly and giving Wade kissing pecks all over his face. "No wonder the ponce wouldn't tell me who his new boyfriend is! I can't believe he finally asked! I'm so happy for you Way-La!"
Wade smiled and swung her around again and again until they were both dizzy. "I couldn't believe it either! He didn't even really ask! He just kind of, kissed me, and we've been together ever since!"
"Took him long enough! Christ! You two have been dancing around it for two years!"
"You don't have to tell me, I'm the one who's been forced to wait patiently since he's so traditional." Wade giggled.
Stepping forward, Penny tapped Ryley on the shoulder. "Uh… Ry? Care to explain what going on?"
Ryley immediately let go of Wade and bounced back. "I'm sorry guys. Like I said, this is Wade, who is apparently my friend Bobby's new boyfriend." Her grin threatened to split her face wide open.
Wade bowed deeply. "Now, I see your laden with bags from Vampyre, and since you're with Ry-Wa, I can only assume she's had you trapped there for hours. You must be hungry. Anything you want, on the house since you're with my boyfriend's best friend."
The girls glanced at each other before laughing. "Well," Prentiss said, studying the menu painted on the wall behind the host's podium. "Ryley did promise us the best pizza in Virginia."
"Ry-Wa! Did you really say that about my food?" Wade asked, eyes watering.
Ryley patted his back. "Of course Way-La! It's only the truth."
"Should I get them your usual then?" He asked.
She looked over her shoulder at the girls. "Any of you vegetarians?" They all shook their heads and Ryley turned back, smiling at Wade. "Definitely my usual. Extra Large."
"Give me forty-five minutes beautiful." Wade said, hustling to the back. "Go sit at your table. What do you want to drink."
The girl's called out their orders as they followed Ryley to the far back corner of the restaurant, where a single booth was, blocked off by a low steel gate. Prentiss whistled. "He literally meant your table, didn't he?"
Ryley nodded. "Remember that investment I said I made?" They all nodded and Ryley spread her arms to encompass the restaurant. "Wade and I grew up together. He's the one that taught me to cook. So when he said he wanted to start a restaurant, I gave him the start-up money. In return, I get 25% of the profits after the bills are paid."
"Meaning?" JJ asked.
"Meaning, after the electricity is taken care of, the vendors have been compensated, and the employees paid, I get 25% of what's left and Wade gets the other 75%. The place isn't well known. You're pretty much brought in or you stumble in by accident. But once you eat Wade's food, you always come back. He's just that good." Ryley beamed.
JJ, Prentiss, and Penny shook their heads. This girl lived in such a different world from them that it was ridiculous. "Who else knows about all this?" Penny asked.
"Bobby and Spence." Ryley replied, smiling sweetly at Wade as he sat a tall frosty glass in front of her. Wade arched a brow at the mention of yet another new name.
"Spence, Ry-Wa? Have you found a new beau?"
"Nope. Just a good friend. You've seen him. I brought him in here a few weeks ago."
"The tall skinny geek?" Ryley smacked Wade's stomach. "Ow! What?"
"He's not a geek. And yes, him." Ryley said, glaring up at her friend.
Wade laughed and gave her another kiss on the forehead. "Whatever you say beautiful. I've got to go man the kitchen. I don't trust Vernon back there."
Ryley shook her head as Wade walked away sipping at her drink. Looking up to catch the girls staring at her, she shrunk back. "What?"
"Well one, you just defended Reid." Prentiss said with a grin.
"And two, you're very affectionate with Wade." JJ added.
Penny shrugged. "I just want to know what you're drinking."
Ryley rolled her eyes and passed her glass to Penny. "It's frozen hot chocolate with cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Something special Wade created for me when we were kids. We're so affectionate because we've literally grown up together. As in, ran around in nothing but our diapers, grew up together. And of course I defended Spence. He's my friend."
Penny hummed appreciatively as she took a sip of Ryley's drink and passed it to Prentiss. "That's really good!"
Prentiss nodded in agreement and took a second big sip before passing it to JJ. "And you're not fooling anyone with the whole 'he's just my friend' thing. We all saw him move next to you and hold your hand last night."
JJ's eye opened wide and she looked at the glass in shock. "Oh my god! That's delicious!" She exclaimed. "Did you really run around in diapers with Wade?"
Ryley's grabbed her glass back before more could disappear. "It is delicious. I told you Wade's good. Yes, I really ran around in diapers with him. My mom has pictures somewhere. And Spence is just my friend, for now. Come on, let's talk about something else. Like how hot our boys are going to look in the clothes we just got them."
The conversation focused around Saturday and the boys after that, continuing even while the pizza came and Ryley asked for four more of her special drink. "Just tell Wade it's for Ry-Wa. He'll know what to make."
Wade brought the drinks out himself, and made each of them personal pizzas to take home as well as to-go glasses of Ryley's drink for each of them when they gushed over the food. Ryley was proud of her friends. She's never seen Wade so puffed up from pride, not even after that food critic came in and gave him five stars.
They stayed there until Wade come through to tell them it was past four in the evening before heading home. They all split back at their cars in Vampyre's parking lot. With calls of "See you later!" and "This was so much fun! We've got to do it again!" they headed home.
Ryley immediately collapsed on the couch and smiled a Penny when the tech analyst plopped down next to her. "Pizza in the fridge and sip on our drinks while we watch hopelessly clichéd chick flicks?"
"Definitely."