The Housekeeper (Ruby Rose/Terra Juana fanfic)

THIRTEEN

"Ruby, are you okay? Is the sun bothering you? I made sure to check the weather forecast before Aren called Vera to go for a walk on the beach and they said it was going to be a cloudy day... but I don't know if it's cloudy enough for a vampire to feel comfortable."

"I'm fine," my girl whispered but her grimace showed me clearly that she was lying.

I didn't understand it, honestly. I'd spent all Saturday congratulating my boss on his successful date and giving him instructions about how to invite Vera to go for a walk on Venice Beach on Sunday. I talked to him about the picturesque neighbourhood with narrow streets, the stores and the promenade, I suggested him to stop by a food truck to buy some lunch for her... Aren took notes and seemed confident despite I told him that the beach was crowded usually, full of tourists and Los Angeles citizens working out or skating. I was hoping that a cloudy day would discourage some people and they'd stay at home but I wasn't sure of that so I decided we'd go to the beach too, we could walk and have lunch and I'd be close in case he needed me. The happy couple was sat on a bench under palm trees not far away from us and they shared a burrito while laughing.

When I explained the plan to my vampires Terra was thrilled with the opportunity of learning more about human behaviour but Ruby looked reluctant even when I told her about the channels and bridges that were very similar to her hometown, about stores were she could buy bohemian jewels and clothes and the delicious Italian food she was going to have. They both wore dark glasses and hoodies in case they needed to protect their delicate skins but the sun was hidden behind the clouds when I ordered some lunch to a very special food truck that I was sure Ruby would love, leaving them sitting on a bench facing the sea. But the truth is that my pretty girl kept frowning under her designer sunglasses when I came back with several bags while Terra smoked a cigarette.

"Ruby, babe, why don't you tell me what's wrong? No, don't you dare lie to me..." I cut her off abruptly when I saw her opening her mouth to tell me she was fine one more time. "You're upset, I can feel it through the bond with your blood and it's driving me crazy."

"She won't tell you because she feels embarrassed..." Terra chuckled throwing her cigarette to a close trash can. I raised an eyebrow and could've sworn that Ruby's cheeks got slightly flushed although I was unable to see her entire face due to her hood. "The spoiled princess is not used to eat on the street and she doesn't like it... that's for poor people."

"Terra!" Her sister hissed angrily while I stared at them in disbelief.

"I don't understand..." I whispered confused but keeping a quiet tone of voice. "I'm going to need more information."

"I lived in a castle, the kitchen was massive and they made food for the family and also soldiers, workers, priests... We all ate in the main hall and, even if my father could afford some fancy things from time to time like candied fruit or some spices, everybody ate more or less the same food everyday: a beans stew with some pieces of salt pork, some cheese, lot of bread, veggies soup, grilled meat and almond cakes on feast days..." I nodded at Terra, I already knew that and some of those stews were still favourite recipes in my country's cookbooks. "However, in big cities like Paris or Venice at that time... only wealthy people had a kitchen in their houses. Kings in their palaces, nobles or big merchants in their fancy manors... but normal people ate on the street buying cheap food at improvised stalls. Besides, firewood was very expensive and fires a danger since houses were made of wood, nobody dared to cook in small rooms were families lived crowded together."

"Yes, I know... And this way pizza was created. It was a cheap piece of fried dough that poor people bought for little money on Naples' streets." Terra nodded while Ruby fidgeted awkwardly. "I bet you had a wonderful kitchen in your palazzo in Venice..."