Chapter3
1309 Words
“I can't seem to catch a break, can I?” How is the universe always on my case? Ruby sighed, looking at the pile of work on her desk and the mail she still had to respond to. But after the incident with her unexpected visitor, she wouldn't even dare complain.
“I think I need this distraction.”
“Hey, Rubik's cube.”
“It's Ruby Paul, R-U-B-Y.” Robbing her temples
“What do you want now?”
“Well, 20 mins till the meeting.”
“Huh?”
“I said…”
“I know what you said, I'm just wondering why you had to come to my space to remind me? I'm coordinating the meeting.”
As if she hadn't scheduled it. As if she hadn't rewritten the agenda twice, chased confirmations, and smoothed over the egos involved.
“Just think of me as your friendly neighbor and colleague,” Paul said, walking away obnoxiously.
“Oh, would you, maybe like to go out to dinner tonight?” he asked cheekily.
“Paul, you're gay, plus I'm having dinner with the girls.”
“I know, haha. Time to go bother Miranda.”
Paul was very gay, aggressively so, and a very obvious one, the performative kind. The teasing dinner invites were supposed to be a form of exaggerated familiarity. It blurred boundaries just to throw her off balance. What irritated her the most was how he did it with a smile, friendly, harmless, and impossible to call out. She hated that it worked.
“Why do I even bother?” Ruby sighed, praying for the day to be over.
******
As Ruby got home from a long day of work, ready to meet up with her friends at the bar, her phone rang.
“Ruby, where are you?? We're waiting,” Betty’s voice cut through her quiet apartment, loud and impatient; she knew she was already tipsy. ‘’Probably tequila’’ she smiled to herself.
“I just walked in,” Ruby said, kicking off her heels and dropping her bag by the door. “Give me ten minutes.” The bar was close, she could pace herself.
She hung up and stood there for a moment, staring at the dim hallway. Her apartment felt really quiet, as if it had been holding its breath all day. Ruby shook the thought away, heading to the bathroom. Her reflection looked tired, with flattened hair, smudged mascara, and the spark still in her eyes. Tonight was supposed to be easy. Loud music. Listen to her friends' antics. laughter. No thinking.
She changed into a green dress from one of her spontaneous shopping trips and dabbed on perfume, something sweet, warm, and familiar. Just as she reached for her keys, her phone buzzed again.
“I’m on my…”
“Ruby?”
“Mum? Mum!!”
“Hi, baby,” Ruby's mum beamed.
“_Oh, she's coming too? Does she have too? You know she doesn't like me, ma.”
“She is your sister; you guys used to be close.”
They used to be close. Once.
There was a time when they shared everything, clothes, secrets under the covers, laughed until their bellies hurt. Somewhere along the line, life happened, different choices, silences. Conversations became polite. Updates reduced, calls stopped, distance settled quietly.
Ruby dug her fingers into her palms, grounding herself. She told herself it wasn't jealousy. No, not really. It was more like a mirror she had to look into. Another reminder that everyone else seemed to be ticking off life milestones while she was still standing in the same place, juggling work, unfinished dreams, and relationships that never seemed to work.
“Besides, she's getting married, did you know that?” Ruby knew she must be jumping excitedly as she said that.
“No, I didn't, ma…look, mum, I have to go now, please. I'll call you again, I promise.”
“Okay, okay. Your father and I would like to meet your man when we arrive. Bye, baby.” Click, the sound of the call ending.
“Congratulations, Rissa,” she murmured, the words tasting complicated on her tongue.
**********
“Ruby babyyyy, you're hereee.” Betty slurred her words.
The loud music playing as she walked in, bodies mixing, heat and sweat clinging to the air like a second skin. The bass thumped through Ruby’s chest, grounding and familiar, the kind of noise that drowned out everything she didn't want to think about. Flashes of blue and red lights caught on sequins, glasses, and smiles too wide to be entirely sober.
She spotted them near the bar, Betty waving like she was controlling traffic, while Grace was already dancing in place, her drink lifted above her head. Ruby squeezed her way through, hands brushing strangers' arms, murmured apologies drowned by the music.
“FINALLY,” Betty shouted when Ruby reached them. “We thought you ditched us.”
“Please, as if,” Ruby laughed, leaning in for hugs. ''You know I need like ten minutes to actually decide I want to be here. Besides, Mum called.”
“Really,” Grace asked.
“Yeah, they are coming over with Rissa.” Ruby dragged.
“Oh,” Betty and Grace said at the same time.
“Yeah…enough about me, that's not why we’re here.” She hurriedly said. “Let's drink.”
They ordered drinks, bodies pressed closer as the crowd thickened. That was when Betty started, eyes shining, words slurring over each other, barely stopping.
“I'm serious, Ruby.’’ she said, gripping her arm.”I think he might be the one.”
Ruby raised an eyebrow, smiling. “You said that about the last one.”
“Yess I_I know, this is different,” Betty insisted, lowering her voice like the club might overhear. “He listens. Like, actually listens.
He remembers things I say. He even called me after my presentation just to ask how it went.”
Her cheeks were pepper red now. Ruby, not knowing if it was a result of the drinks or if she was actually blushing.
Grace groaned dramatically. “Here we go.”
She took a sip of her drink, eyes narrowing slightly in thought. Grace was like that.
“Different,” she repeated, calm but firm. “Okay, how long have you known him again?”
Betty rolled her eyes. “Long enough,” swaying a little.
“That's not a time frame,” Grace said gently.
Ruby smiled into her glass. This was Grace in her element. The designated driver, even when she wasn't driving. The one who reminded them to text when they got home and actually meant it.
“I'm just saying,” Grace continued, leaning closer, “Listening is the bare minimum, and remembering your presentation is…cute.
Has he seen you stressed yet? Not cute.”
“He has,” she said, quieter now. “Last week, I snapped at him. He didn't leave.”
“Hmm.” Grace nodded, satisfied but not fully convinced.
“I'm not saying I'm in love,” Betty rushed on, absolutely saying she was in love. “I’m just saying… I’ve never felt this calm with someone.”
Ruby watched her friend talk, the way her shoulders relaxed when she said his name, the way hope sat so openly on her face. It made Ruby smile and ache at the same time.
“You should enjoy it,” Ruby said. “You deserve that.”
Betty beamed, leaning in for a hug just as the DJ switched tracks.
“This is my jam,” Grace screamed. The night stretched ahead of them, sticky floors, laughter spilling over the music. For now, this was enough, friends that she loved to death, drinks cold, and the feeling that anything could still happen.
- Writer
