0.1 | No Exit from Deception ✓

0.26 | Ze'Drama, Act II, Scene I

"Oh, well, I was terrible back then." He shrugged his splay shoulders and his age-induced coughs followed as he laughed.

"Respectfully, you were," she whispered in his ear secretly and stifled a giggle.

Anthony couldn't hold back his smile and patted Ruby's back.

"Mr Twain, I beg your pardon for troubling you a lot when you used to bring us back from the school." Ruby casually pressed her palms against each other and strolled toward a pudgy, around mid-seventies man.

He smiled and took off his beret hat, sticking it in between his underarm.
"Think nothing of it, Miss Elizabeth. It's an honor to see you happy and healthy."

Ruby blinked--a wave of victory washed over her face and she stole a glance at Joseph. The fact that she was successful in taking out the name from one person's mouth at least was a glorious coup de tat in itself.

She added, pretending to ponder, "I couldn't erase the particular event when I was about to swallow a little, glittery piece of a souvenir and you instantly shoved your finger to stop me from doing that." She closed her eyes and gulped, pretending to feel the words slink at the back of her neck. "It brought a cut on your finger, and you started to bleed-"

"You are embarrassing me now."

"Wow, it's so great to see you all in safe and sound condition." Ruby exhaled triumphantly, occupying her seat across from the lady of substance, Mrs Warner.

The man who was sitting next to Mrs Warner continued to rub his finger on his lower lip and screwed his eyes at her. He displayed the characteristics of a doggy man. Precisely speaking, the way he folded his one leg on top of another and shook it eagerly, showed a lack of respect for Mrs Warner who had been seating close to him.

His crooked yellow teeth lit in contrast to his tanned skin as he opened his mouth. "And you are forgetting me. I'd like to know what memory has kept me alive in your head?"

The man's appearance made him look like any undercover don or mafia. Plus, his two trophy girlfriends posed behind him. Ruby winced at his choice of clothes---who wears a mauve shiny shirt? She thought. And to crown it all, the three buttons were unbuttoned and gave away a detestable view of his salt and pepper-hairy chest.

Ruby chuckled with a glint of sarcasm. "Of course, Mr Arnold Garfield ─ can't go wrong with this one . . ." She only hoped that she could dish the dirty insight that Joseph told him, by saying, yes, it was you who spent my father's money on unproductive activities and never showed up for years after that. People may regard you as my father's best friend, but you were a piece of shit." She forced herself out of that thought and continued, "You were my father's friend."

"You mean to say a close friend."

Joseph who was standing behind Mrs. Warner's chair, rubbed his nose to hide his smile; her performance was impressive.

Arnold shifted in his chair and shot a dangerous glare at Joseph who showed himself busy playing candy crush saga on his phone, a small raspy voice saying 'tasty!' popped in the air.
Joseph instantly turned it off and folded his hands in front. There was a great show happening before his eyes, that none of the other attractive distractions could take place.

Mrs Warner looked at the agitated man worriedly and swiftly changed the topic to something he didn't have any connections with.

"So have you always lived here, Miss Elizabeth?" she asked with an air of calm.

"I used to work in a music academy where we provided work to contestants who couldn't win the singing reality shows and try to help them earn a living," she lied to the best of her knowledge, noticing how Mrs Warner's face lit up.