"You're thinking she needs another scared straight visit to the police department?"

"I don't know think it stuck last time," Ruby said. "Maybe she if she gets an overnight stay, she'll calm down. Or how about the weekend?"

Beth heard the frustration in Ruby's voice. Sara continued to be in good health but she was also pushing boundaries. Just yesterday she had mouthed back to a teacher but from how Beth took it it also sounded like Sara was standing her ground. If she was pushing certain boundaries it could very well mean she was in fact a very healthy young girl.

It was early morning and Beth had called Ruby on her friend's way to see Judy. Ruby had caught her up on Sara's game and her phone screening for the car insurance job before bringing up the latest about her daughter's behavior.

"I don't know how you navigate four of these short people in your house," Ruby said.

"Believe me, some days I don't know either. We have to remember – she's also testing what she can and can't do. She can do it now that she's feeling better. Remember the fidget spinners? You dealt with it and shut it down."

"I know. If I think about her doing that or her her lying in bed at the hospital, I know what I'd choose."

"It's not one or the other. You know that. She's always been a good kid."

"Maybe she just never got the chance to act up before? Now she has this energy to move products and follow bad role models she doesn't even—"

"You know that that's not true."

"Yes." Ruby sighed. "It's only that some days, with everything else-" Her voice trailed off.

"Of course. Of course, you're right," Beth said softly.

"It's a good thing I'm on my way to see Judy," Ruby said. "Otherwise I may have been on my way to you."

"You'd better. Or on any other weekend." Beth looked around her temporary lodging.

"So what about you?" Ruby changed the topic. "You were saying you already got settled."

"Yes, I didn't do much yesterday. Had dinner, went to a party."

"Torture." Ruby said. "That's right, Annie said something about that."

"Yes. A lot of mingling. Dinner wasn't bad actually. We ate with a couple. One of them was really chatty. It was fun. He talked about all they traveling they'd done." Beth smiled. "It was almost like a double date."

"What? What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"Oh- nothing." Beth said as she realized what she was saying and how it could sound to Ruby. "Just that he forgot to tell me beforehand he'd introduce me as his girlfriend." She lied, even surprising herself at how easy it was to do.

"He what?" Ruby's voice cut through the signal.

"Nothing. Forget I said that- it's not important. Just playing a little pretend game."

"It would've been good if he had told you the rules of the game in advance." Beth could see clear as day Ruby's face as she said that. "Why would he say you're dating?"

"All right, he – he didn't exactly plan it." Beth closed her eyes. What was she doing lying to her best friend? She had nothing to hide. It was just a stupid temporary arrangement and not bringing it up only made it seem like a much bigger deal. "Someone may have assumed we were together." She looked out the window as her hand tightened a little on her phone.

"Why would she think that? Yes, go ahead, go ahead, it's not like I'm on the way to an appointment. Now you want to take it back? Please, pass." Ruby said to someone else. "Sorry, I'm with you."

"It was a he, and nothing, we weren't doing anything, we were just talking."

For a moment Ruby didn't speak. "You're sure?"

Beth threw her hand in the air. "Yes!"

"Listen, if something happened, I'm not judging you. All right?"

"I've been here one day." Beth said emphatically as she turned on her heels. "You think in that time I'd –" Wait, what was she saying? "Nothing happened." She looked out her window and waited for Ruby to speak. "Are you still there?"

"You want him too. Right?"

Beth didn't say anything before she realized she had waited too long. "I don't. I got caught up for a second, but it's passed."

"Oh it has, has it? Just now?"

"No, and that's not funny."

"OK, OK. Just that I could throw my house through that gap of silence you left behind there. And with you saying double date a second ago-"

"I was joking," Beth said as she glanced at the spot where Rio had stood in front of her and kissed her. A flush warmed her cheeks and her eyes moved to the wall above her bed.

"Listen," Ruby continued. "I can understand why you'd think about him like that. He's an attractive man. Got that bad boy thing going."

"I'm not – that's just a part of who he is, I'm sure." She said, bizarrely having taken up his defense attorney position. But she wanted – she wanted to believe it, didn't she?

"That's just the thing. We don't know him. And what I know of him hasn't brought out his romantic side."

This wasn't news to Beth of course. She'd thought about it herself and more so over the past day. How well did she know him? She caught glimpses, of course, of the man outside the gang. But could one day change everything that came before it?

"You're giving me a pep talk." Beth leaned against the wall. "I don't need one."

"All right. You can't blame me. Two months ago I was sitting across from you in your back yard and listened to you talking about how he was the bad guy. Has he already changed your mind?"

"No. Nothing like that. But maybe I could make this work again. That's why I'm here."

"OK. I'm just making sure you're keeping some distance. Sometimes it's hard to remember. Maybe you're trying to convince me he's a good guy to change my mind?" Ruby paused and a repeating clicking sounded in the background.

"No, I know better," Beth smiled. Ruby had to play it safe. She understood that.

"You know what's happening today?"

Beth had told Ruby that she couldn't go into details of what she was doing but the two agreed she'd share if she was feeling apprehensive over something.

"Yes. Should be fine." Beth shrugged her shoulders as if Ruby was watching her. She recognized that she was speaking with casual confidence as if she had any clue what she'd be doing. Probably more social outings if yesterday was an indication. What she was particularly curious about was the deal that was happening today, to get close to it. Just to see. Not only out of curiosity. To also see if it was something she could do. Not to mention Karin and Rio. That morning she'd woken up wondering how the conversation went between them. She hoped whatever Karin asked wouldn't be an issue. This she didn't need.

"You know what I was just thinking?" Ruby asked. "What if there was some kind of job fair you could go to while you're there? One where you could find a – less attractive employer? And I don't just mean the obvious way."

"I could, but what would be the fun in that?"

"OK, now I'm sure I'm talking with Annie."

"I'm joking." Beth laughed. "I'm over that – if I was even there," she said, fairly sure even Ruby didn't believe her. "Maybe that wouldn't be a bad idea. But they don't really have those here."

"Sure. But you can't underestimate a good networking opportunity. That's what Judy told m. Maybe find something that's uh, a better fit."

"Sure," Beth said noncommittally. "Too bad I didn't bring my resume."

Ruby laughed. "Maybe wait on asking for a reference."

Beth glanced at the clock beside her bed. "I just looked at the time. I should get going."

"OK. Talk to you tomorrow."

"I thought Annie's shift was tomorrow," Beth said with a smile.

"You're kidding. I'm not even keeping up with my shows. This is my entertainment," Ruby teased.

Beth wished she was next to her at that moment. "OK."

"Be careful."

"I will."

While she was on the phone Dean had sent her a string of photos of the kids having breakfast. She laughed at a few of them. Her beautiful children in sweet poses. They were going out to see a movie today. If they could agree on what to watch – it was entirely possible they'd break into two groups at the cinema.

She texted her reply. The night before she had checked in with all of them except Jane who was at a friend's house. Kenny talked about what a fun time they were having with dad and asked a couple of questions about what she was doing. Emma was sweet, saying she missed her mom, which melted her heart.

Hearing their voices made her miss them so much. Her conversation with Dean was unsurprisingly more businesslike. Everything was fine and the kids were having a good time. Still, it was hard to stay as angry at him as she was when she found out about his betrayal and lies. Reviewing his list of sins did reignite her ire but it also exhausted her. It would take time for her to forgive him and she wasn't at all sure what would happen after that. She preferred to forgive than to stay angry. If she didn't it would end up consuming her and it crush her. Instead she wanted to move forward. That's what made her agree to separate from her kids for this many days in a row.

She added to her phone to-do list a few chores she'd need to get done the following week that she'd remembered while she was talking with Ruby. The yacht had already docked. She checked on her phone to find that they were at a port several miles south of their starting point.

As she put on her sandals she thought about Ruby's offhand comment about finding another job. Was it such an outrageous idea? Too bad she didn't bring her resume indeed. Though even if she'd find out that one of Rio's legitimate business partners were looking for workers, they'd know she was with Rio. Surely that could get messy.

Maybe that could be good though. Maybe he'd want her off his back? He had been so adamant that night when he said it was over and the way he looked at her – she shook her head at the memory. He'd also come back to her. Oh, what was she getting lost in these thoughts for? He'd come back but she had no guarantee she'd get her job back, she reminded herself. She was fairly sure he himself would say in a heartbeat that things would be easier if she didn't work with him, and her chest hurt a little at the thought.

No, it wouldn't be an awful idea to keep an eye open just in case. If she'd be able to connect with something legitimate, Ruby would be much more open to the idea of joining in. Beth was here after all for her and Annie as well as for herself.

Ruby was right about something else. It was prudent to keep a little distance from Rio. She could admit this to herself. Yesterday she'd thought it made sense for him to stay with her in her room at night but come on, what was dangerous in what she'd been doing so far? Going out on social outings? She'd be fine spending the night on her own.

Grabbing her key and slipping it in her pocket she took a last glance of herself in the mirror. Even if a tiny part of her had also agreed to to him staying over because of an equally minute thrill from having him close, what realistically would that even be for? She wasn't looking for a fling and whatever happened this weekend it'd be either back to business or she wouldn't see him again. Finding him in the dining room a few tables by the exit, making eye contact with him and feeling a buzz in her stomach, she thought the latter option was more appealing now than ever before.

The breakfast spread was rich and colorful. Beth ate through her omelet, sausages, and fruit as Rio sampled a bit of everything in the buffet. Beth smiled as she surveyed his second helping.

"What?" He asked.

Caught staring, she looked up from his plate. "Sorry. Nothing. I just know two ch– young people who do that. They sample every other item in a buffet."

He spiked his fork through his eggs. "They know what's up."

The bright breakfast room was mostly empty, its energy lethargic and sluggish in sharp contrast to the liveliness of the night before.

"How do you know you're gonna like something unless you try it?" Rio sipped on his tea.

"I tried everything on your plate." She said and took a bite of her eggs.

"The arepa too?" He pointed at a round, flat, yellow item.

"The pancake?"

"It's made of corn. Sweet. Try it."

"So it's like corn bread?"

"Corn bread got nothing on it." He shook his head.

He looked so uncharacteristically playful, like he'd laid down his guard, that she sighed and picked up her fork and edged closer, stopping inches away from his plate. He cut a piece for her and she picked it up, taking a bite of it.

Though he'd told her it wasn't pancake the sweet flavor still surprised her tongue. She chewed, enjoying the taste. "I like it."

"Better than corn bread?"

She glanced at the buffet. "Yeah." She'd totally missed it.

"Your young people would try it?"

"At least a couple." She pushed her hands against the table, set to go and grab some for herself.

She turned her head back to him as his hearty laugh drew her attention. He had looked like that when he'd laughed with the woman she'd spotted him with last night. She felt uncomfortable as she realized this, unsure why, of anything she could feel, it was that. He dropped the rest of her bitten off piece on her plate.

She sliced into it. "How is – your family?"

He chewed his food and swallowed "Good."

There it was. Might as well have put up a physical wall between them. Sure, it wasn't a response she couldn't have predicted, but at his mentioning of family, twice now, she couldn't resist saying something.

"I got you doing a job this morning." He looked to the side, the subject dropped. "Figured it's better you do something other than running around bumping into more people you know." He gulped his tea.

She ignored the jab, welcoming the plan. It'd be good to stay busy. She was also ready to get going soon. The AC was on full blast and she was drinking coffee to stay warm.

The question of how his conversation went with Karin hung over them but she predicted with the growing number of guests that he wouldn't entertain this topic – if he would at all. Distracted by a loud voice by the buffet, she reached for the salt shaker, her fingers meeting his.

He dropped his hand. "Go ahead."

"Thanks," She said, adding salt to her eggs.

A few minutes later his phone buzzed. He checked it, scrolling over the screen.

He looked up. "You done?"

Beth looked at her plate. "I was going to get some more fruit." She pointed at the buffet with her fork.

"All right," he put his phone away. "I gotta go in a few minutes, so here's the deal. Antonio's gonna pick you up and take you where you need to go."

"What's-"

"Hold on," He got out of his chair and she stood up as he did. He stopped a waiter asking that her plate not be cleared, and took her hand. It felt like she'd taken a big sip of coffee, or maybe she was just momentarily distracted from the coolness of the room (that was probably it). They quickly left and Beth followed him to an empty room off the hallway. He closed the door after them and she walked inside, glancing out the big windows that overlooked the hallway. It was cool but nothing like the frigid temperatures of the dining room.

"I don't need you giving me the third degree out there." Rio said and let go of her hand. "It's inventory. Can't tell you much else, but what do you want to know?" He raised his chin and put his hands in his jacket's pockets.

"Is it – would it get me in trouble?" She asked.

"Not if you don't ask questions."

"You know that doesn't hold up if you get caught right?" She asked, realizing her tone didn't match her real concern about staying safe. She also recognized belated alarm that not only that she was flirting, but she was flirting back, matching Rio's tone. Inventory… At least she wasn't transporting something this time.

"Too smart for your own good," He said, but clearly still humoring her. "Anything else?"

"I'm OK," she lifted her shoulder for a second before dropping it back.

"That's it? You're not even gonna try to ask me something else?" He arched his eyebrows.

She shook her head. "No." She answered coolly, trying to take back the reins on the tension that kept slipping outside her control. She saw fuzzy figures pass by the corner of her eyes. The breakfast crowd was growing and she wondered if the waiter would really hold her table.

"Cool." He didn't respond to her tone, smiled and held her gaze. She felt that stab of guilt again. It wasn't the grin, she realized. It was that they were sharing a moment. Again. And it wasn't even anything meaningful. It was just – what they had between them which was somehow undoubtedly worse. What she felt guilty for she wasn't sure.

That's it, she thought as she broke eye contact. She needed to nip this in the bud. Ruby was right. But first…

"So we're good, yeah," He approached her, his eyes mischievous, and for a panicked second she was certain he was going to kiss her.

"One other thing," she said and he stopped with a look reminiscent of last night's 'I knew it.'

She had been strategic in not asking questions about what she'd be doing, hoping that'd translate to getting a break with her next question.

"It's not about the job." She said.

"What, Karin?"

"Yes."

"I talked to her." He rolled his shoulders.

"And?"

"And I'm working on it." He said in a clipped tone. "That's all you gotta know."

At least something was moving. "OK." She responded to a movement to her right and followed a guest's path as he hurried down the corridor. She looked back at Rio. "Listen, if it was because of me that all this happened- with Karin-"

He gave a dismissive wave with his hand. "It's done. It would've happened eventually." He stretched his neck. "Just didn't need it now."

"OK," she said.

"All right," He said, his tone light again, his eyes warmer. It surprised her how he could so seamlessly weave between hot and cold. He started taking a step towards her and that small part of her that ached to give in began to bubble up to the surface-

"Wait," She said, taking a sharp breath. It didn't stop him from dipping his head as he stepped closer, his eyes traveling from her feet to her face. Ruby's words echoed in her ears and they gave her the push to speak.

"One last thing," she clasped her hands.

"Mm?" He responded to her change in tone and halted his approach. He was still too close but she refused to step back.

"I was thinking that-" she said, "it's better if you just stayed the night in your room." She exhaled.

He tilted his head. "Yeah?"

Yes. Now if he could he stop looking at her in that way that spiked her inner temperature by 100 degrees and agree.

"Yeah. I mean, this is complicated enough." She blurted out in exasperation, immediately wishing she could swallow back the words.

"How's it complicated?" He drew even closer, drawling stubbornly like he didn't know exactly what she was talking about.

"Please," she said sharply. Don't make me say what we both know.

He shook his head, feigning ignorance.

She steamed, somehow finding it possible not to raise her voice at him. "Because we're not actually together," she held out her palms.

In response, infuriatingly, as if he didn't hear her at all, his hand went to her hair. Her irritation picked up at the same time that her body implored her to step just a bit closer into his touch. The two warring factions, brandishing their swords as they edged closer to each other, were wearing down the last of her defenses.

"Because if we were I'd have to throw you off this boat." She released some of her disgruntlement as he drew his fingers through the strawberry blond strands, oblivious to the feud going on inside her. She heard it in her voice. A hint of tenderness circling her words and she desperately hoped he hadn't heard it.

He laughed softly. Her stomach dropped and she forced herself to keep her eyes on his.

"If I didn't beat you to it," he said as his eyes wandered her face.

"I get the feeling you're not listening." She squinted at him, staying focused, annoyed at how hard he was making this for her. She started pulling her head away from his fingers."This isn't real."

"They don't know that, sweetheart."

What about you, do you know? She thought as his fingers weaved without pause through her locks. The way his eyes held hers, his usual removed expression now mixed in with amusement but unmistakably something gentle teasing out. It was enough for her to remind herself in her strictest voice that this indeed wasn't real. That the look he was giving her now, his hands touching her hair, all that was just for the sake of people observing them. It was meant for the woman he had stood so at ease with the night before, or replace her with anyone else who'd fit him. Not her. Still, mindful of their audience she reluctantly stopped leaning backwards and instead targeted him with her coldest gaze.

"OK." She said, stopping herself from closing her eyes as his fingers brushed her scalp. "In front of them we put on a show. But the rest of the time, it's better if we don't have to pretend." She wrapped her arms around her stomach.

"OK, OK. I got you," he finally dropped his hand and took her out of her misery.

He still had that look though. Noise dimmed around them. She no longer heard the chatter of guests on the other side of the windows, nor the clock ticking on the wall. It was like a warm sunny blanket surrounded her. If he'd kiss her right now it'd be for that same audience. And that would be acceptable right? It wouldn't mean anything, it wouldn't be real. That achingly familiar pull tugged at her ribs, the one that had never completely went away, and she just didn't care anymore. She just wanted to step into the water, dip her toes, even if she couldn't see the bottom.

"Rio?"

She and Rio and turned to the door. A young man stood at the door who Beth didn't recognize.

"It's time. We gotta go," He said. "Now."

Rio motioned to him with his hand to wait and turned back to Beth, his reserved expression back in place. "Antonio's gonna call you in thirty minutes to pick you up. You can manage that, yeah?"

Less than an hour later she was standing in a large warehouse, clipboard in her hand, putting down check marks as she took inventory. Several feet away over a dozen workers were packing small boxes in bigger ones. On the inside the musty space looked as non-descriptive as the warehouse where she and the girls had dropped off the bills after they'd returned from Canada.

She wasn't sure what was in the boxes and uncharacteristically but prudently she didn't ask. Once a stack of them were checked against the orders she and another worker moved them aside to be picked up.

The work was monotonous, in some ways not very different from data entry work that she'd done in the past. Would she do something like this for Rio once – or if – she'd be rehired? It wasn't at all clear if he'd let her and her girls continue to wash money. Thinking of that shoebox layered with bills back home and her kids, the idea of doing this or similar jobs with a stack of cash waiting on the other end, she could make this work.

She'd made small talk with Antonio on the short ride over, introducing herself easily as Alanna. Antonio was friendly and chatty and Beth was glad to listen during the ride.

After what felt like over a hundred boxes later he stopped by and asked to see the pile of remaining orders. "OK," He flipped through them and took out a few pages. "Finish these five and you're done."

"What about all those boxes?" Beth looked over at the people packing.

"We got it covered." He took the rest of papers from her, giving her back her clipboard.

"I'm not doing anything else. I can help." She didn't mind, not having planned to be here for any particular period of time. And if it also got back to Rio that she was staying back to help out, why not?

Antonio looked like he didn't expect that response. "All right." He rubbed his chin.

Once she finished the five orders she was stationed between two women who exchanged smiles with her and otherwise mostly kept to themselves. Bursts of conversation took place in Spanish as workers focused on packing. Limited in her Spanish she was unable to understand or participate much and her thoughts wandered as she worked.

Kenny and Jane had tests on Monday that she hoped Dean was helping them study for like he had said he would. As far as math went, Kenny was improving. He may not need a tutor for much longer. Hopefully the plumber made it yesterday. She forgot to ask Dean. Shane wasn't always reliable as far as timetables went but he did the best work out of the last three plumbers she hired. Ugh, she hoped the final price wasn't far off from the quote he'd given her.

Packing was as monotonous as inventory but she welcomed the change of pace and doing more manual work instead of reviewing columns on pieces of paper. With its repetitive motions of lifting and bending down again and again the job held its own challenges.

She hadn't noticed when she started but packing but it had to be about an hour when Antonio came up to the group and called out in Spanish. Workers around her halted their packing and started getting ready to leave, with a few stragglers clearing out boxes. The women beside Beth smiled at her before packing their belongings.

Beth walked up to Antonio. "Time for a break?"

"Yeah, lunch break at Manu's. One of our guy's places." He explained. "We're gonna get another team to take over."

"Oh, OK." Beth said and surveyed the room.

"You can come," Antonio pointed with his thumb behind him.

"Sure."

It hadn't been that long since breakfast but she was ready to eat and happy at a chance take it easy for a bit. Rio hadn't contacted her and she didn't have lunch plans. Who knows, maybe the next person she'd meet could actually help her find a new job? Ruby would be proud of her for thinking about this. Imagine, Beth thought. Ruby and Annie holding a safe job as would Beth. Sure, she'd gotten a little addicted to the rush but she was sensible. She just had to remember how terrified she was driving that van. She couldn't put her freedom at risk. And of course, with a legitimate job, she could put Rio firmly behind her. In other words, she could breathe much much easier, she thought as she collected her belongings and followed Antonio towards the door.

A/N

It happened again. This chapter ballooned. For this reason I plan the next update to happen in about 2-3 weeks.

Just a little over a week to season 2. I don't know if I'm ready!

Taylor: Oh wow, thank you for your words about my fic. I'm glad you're enjoying the story!

Lee: You're very welcome, I appreciate your kind words very much.