Ruby & Emily

Ruby & Emily - Part 4

Ruby can feel herself getting red and quickly attempts to divert attention away from her momentary stupidity.

"Oh, right. Sorry, I keep forgetting I'm working."

"You like working here so much you forget your working?" He chuckles lightly.

"Not at all. I die a little inside every time I come in, actually. I just find it easier to completely white out my mind while I'm working. That way, it doesn't affect my brain as much and doesn't drive me crazy."

"Good strategy."

"Anyway, we have some good action ones like Terminator. It's classic humans versus machines plot. We also have Troy, Brad Pitt will get your juices flowin' in that one, Top Gun, Lethal Weapon..."

"I take it like the action movies?" Shia suggests, smiling.

"Oh, shit yeah! I've secretly always wanted to be an action star."

"What about scary ones?"

"I don't know much about those. When I watch a movie I want to escape reality, you know? And reality is scarier than any movie we sell."

Shia hands her the forms and heads for the door. He hovers in the door way a little before exiting and shouts back to Ruby.

"If it's any consolation, I think you're highly over qualified for your job. I'll get a rain check for that tour of the store. See ya later."

Ruby gives him a slight two finger salute.

She glances at the clock and starts removing her vest. It's 7 o'clock, which means her shift is over. She waves goodbye to her two other co-workers in the store and leaves, practically skipping out the door.

She waits patiently out on the sidewalk for her ride to come.

And thankfully, it only takes a few minutes for Petey to arrive. She hops in his car.

"Where's the video vest? And head piece?" He says with a mocking frown.

Ruby responds sharply, but with an edge of humor.

"Don't even."

He smiles and they drive to the local ice cream shop.

Petey and Ruby are seated across from one another on one of the old wooden benches outside of the shop. He's sipping on a milkshake while she picks at her sundae. They're talking back and forth but Ruby doesn't answer much. He looks more enthused with the conversation than she is.

"You know what tomorrow is?" He asks, a glint of happiness in his eyes.

He slyly looks at his watch; something he's been doing all night again. The movement doesn't go unnoticed, though Ruby nonchalantly tries to ignore it.

"Arbor day?" She jokes.

Petey notices her glancing at his watch too and manually shifts it on his arm to try to get rid of the temptation to look at it.

"Very funny. You know, normally the girls are the ones that freak out about anniversaries and stuff."

"So why don't you let me worry about them then?"

"Because you never remember."

"Oh yeah."

"Well, are we going to do something?" He asks, hopeful.

"Whatever you feel like. I don't work at all." She responds simply.

"Ok good. I have to help my dad at around 3 but I should good by 4 or 5 if you want to hit dinner."

Ruby nods half heartedly and bleakly looks away from Petey. The pain and anxiety she feels with Petey always concerned about the time is written all over her face.

Ruby enters her kitchen just as the phone rings. She quickly picks it up but doesn't even get a chance to say hello.

"Did he look at his watch?" Emily asks, wasting no time.

"Yeah... And he said he had to help his dad at 3 again."

"Well, it's official. We're spying. Instead of taking me home after school tomorrow we'll just follow him out of the parking lot."

Ruby groans.

"Oh don't give me that. Be a champ! Who knows, maybe he's just planning an awesome Christmas gift for you in advance and then we can find out what it is."

"That sounds like a Lifetime movie."

"I think it is. Anyway, ignorance is not bliss. See ya tomorrow."

Ruby hangs up her phone and sulks off to her room, dreading the following evening. If she had any female intuition, she thinks, now would be the time to use it.