Chapter Six
R E T R I B U T I O N
June 5th
Jemima
Scrunching my eyes tight, I pull the blanket up to my chin and drown out the whispers. It's warm, and soft. I don't want to break the spell of such comfort.
Jemima.
This time I jolt awake, and I find that the whispers aren't part of a dream, or my mind playing tricks because as a I roll over to my side, and my stomach howls in discomfort, Ruby's face appears like a blurry mirage.
"Jemima, I didn't want to wake you but you were talking in your sleep and close to falling off the sofa," she says softly. "I tried to be as quiet as possible. Here's some water."
I shake my head, and try to haul myself up. My hair snags on one of the cushion zip pulls, and Ruby helps me untangle it, an expression of concern and bemusement on her face.
"How long..." I say between lengthy pauses. "Was I... asleep... for?"
"A while. It's just gone nine thirty."
"Oh fuck." I wrestle with the blanket, kicking it off to find my feet. Turns out I'd left my balance somewhere between getting off the night bus and agreeing to crash at Ruby's apartment because they feel wobbly, and off kilter.
I try and recall last night, and I remember sitting at the breakfast counter in her kitchen, and the weak orange squash she forced me to drink but after that, I'm not sure of anything.
Ruby laughs, and stops me from swaying. "Don't panic."
"But I'm supposed to be at work. We're supposed to be at work, oh christ."
"Jemima, calm down. I've already emailed the office to say that we're doing a recce for next weeks feature - you know the top spots for weekend brunch?"
I mumble how I'd forgotten all about that, and the panic heightens.
Again she pushes me back down. "So, I've said we're going to research a couple of places, and come in after lunch. Thought you might want to sleep off your hangover."
"Really? You've done all that this morning?" I gasp and it rips through my throat. When I fumble for the glass of water she passes it to me.
"I couldn't sleep. Been up for a couple of hours. I've emailed you a list of other brunch places to feature, a bit more research so we don't actually have to visit them all today," She assures me, pulling her knees up tight as she watches me navigate shaky hands to bring the water back to my lips.
"You're amazing," I tell her once my voice sounds less hoarse. "Very smart too. I like you're plan. I accept it, don't think I could stomach going in right now."
"That's what I thought," Ruby nods towards the other mug. "It's coffee but I've only got instant, and no milk left. Sorry."
Evidently I've been training her well because strong coffee is just what I need to clear out any lingering ripples of a hangover. Bring me back to life.
As Ruby sits beside the sofa, already dressed in jeans, a camisole and check shirt she drags my bag across the hardwood floor, and let's me know that my phones been going off all morning. "But I didn't want to wake you," she adds sweetly.
I check it, and see that I've got missed calls from Abbie. But my batteries running low, so I text her to apologise for bailing, and to assure her that I'm fine.
It's then I notice a message that makes my chest tighten with equal parts joy and fear. Dylan's name flashes up, and as I scroll through the short correspondence, I read aloud the words I'd apparently sent him at ten minutes past midnight with horror.
His reply to my auto-correct jumbled question about having coffee is thankfully short, and sweet.
Hey, good to hear from you. I'm free Saturday morning if you wanted to grab a coffee. Pick a place and I'll be there. Dylan
"Anyone important?" Ruby asks whilst I trace his name with my finger.
"Um...just some guy I met at the gig last night. Seems like I drunk texted him. I am literally the worst."
"What! Why didn't you say anything?" She's grins. "Is that why you were outside for ages?"
I nod, try to act casual. "Just a guy I spoke to for a while. He's nice."
"And.... ? Come on. He must have been better than nice for you to have given him your number!"
"Can we talk about this later, over some brunch? Once I've had at least three cups of coffee please?" I laugh. I don't mind her interest but my heads spinning, and I'm still floating on a cloud of uncertainty about actually honouring my original request and Dylan's acceptance of it.
"Okay fine, but I want all the details," Ruby sounds serious, and then she gives me my marching orders to take a shower because apparently I don't only taste like tequila but I smell like it too. "The bathrooms the third door down the hallway, on the right."
It takes a lot of effort, and dry heaving before I manage to turn the shower on. And even though it's a walk in, complete with dual heads and fancy little bottles of shampoo like you'd get at a hotel I have to crouch in the corner till the steam sucks out the urge to spray the walls with a technicolor yawn.
When the nausea subsides and I'm washed clean of last nights grime, I search the sink draws for a make up wipe to remove the remains of thick eyeliner and black mascara that's streaked down my cheeks.
After looking at myself in the mirror I realise again that I can't handle a hangover like I did back in my late teens or early twenties. When I could party till the sun came up and still have the energy to do it all again the next night. Now I'm a useless lump huddled up in Ruby's shiny white catalogue worthy bathroom.
Once I've moped on her bathroom floor, I sober up enough to re-enter the land of the able living and I find Ruby sat up at the breakfast counter, swinging her legs in time with the loud music she's playing from her laptop. Just watching her movements leaves me feeling queasy again.
Propping myself up with one arm on the counter for support I ask how she can be so spritely, and alive. Why she's not wallowing in self pity and a hangover the size of grand canyon like I currently am.
"I have been hungover before Jemima," She laughs. "Last night wasn't the first time I've drunk, it just doesn't seem to affect me that much."
"Can we do one of those body swaps, like in the movies then because I'm suffering and I don't think I'll make it through the day," I groan back.
"Fresh air and some food will sort you out. There's this cute little cafe down the road I want to write about for the feature next week. They do the best eggs Benedict in the world."
"Food smood," I drawl stretching my arms, the tension from sleeping on a sofa all night releasing slowly. "Need more coffee. Strong coffee."
"Sure."
As I help myself to another much needed glass of water, I lean back against the sink and take in my alien surroundings, all the high ceilings and vanilla washed walls.
The apartment is bright, lots of natural light and ticks all the right modern but chic boxes one might find on a home renovations show. A Grand Designs wet dream, with a tasteful exposed red brick backdrop for the large corner sofa. It doesn't look lived in at all, at least not by an Eighteen-year old. I start to wonder where her parents might be.
"Do you get this place to yourself a lot?" I ask.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm basically asking where your parents are and if I need to worry about them coming back anytime soon because I look a right state," I try to joke.
Ruby bursts out into laughter, then covers her mouth to stop. "Are you being serious?"
There's uncomfortable silence until she realises I am genuinely am.
She takes a deep breath, shuts her laptop and leans forward."I don't live with my parents. This is my mom's place," she explains. "One of many that she usually rents out but seeing as I'm staying over the summer it made sense to move in. It's close to the office too."
"Oh right."
Ruby pushes back her shoulders, looks me straight in the eye. "My parents got divorced years ago. Mums in Monte Carlo, has been now for months and my dads always traveling around the country. It's no great loss though. I like living alone, I've waited ages for a chance to escape the madness."
"Does your sister ever visit?"
"Hardly. She's too busy just being her to notice anyone else exists. But it's all good. This place is great, can't complain too much. Though it is bigger than I imagined. I just chill out in my room most of the time."
"Your bathrooms bigger than the flat I share with my friends," I laugh. "And it's a lot tidier that's for sure."
"You should see my room then, because that's a whole other story."
I'm not sure I really believe her until she asks if I want to borrow something other to wear than the creased blouse I slept in. Leading me down to the very end of the hallway she kicks back the door, and clears a path. She wasn't lying. It is messy. Piles of clothes litter the floor, just like in my room back at the flat but ten times the size and devastation.
"You want anything in particular?" she says sifting through her open double wardrobe. Colourful ensembles stick out from lop sided hangers, and when I tell her it's not up to me she opens a chest of drawers to hand over something that she calls an 'oversized tee'.
Slipping it on we both just fake a polite smile, not knowing what to say because it's a snugger fit than both of us had perhaps expected. As is the zip up hoodie she fishes out from a stack of plastic boxes.
When I've brushed the lint off my jeans, and borrowed some of her perfume I ask how she's amassed so much stuff, where all of it's come from.
Ruby shifts on the balls of her bare feet, and I notice the peony chipped nail polish matches her fingernails. "Boarding school," she says without any hint of emotion. "I went home for the weekends but my mum still felt like she had to make it up to me. She got to be kid free and I got a bunch of clothes that I've never worn."
"That doesn't sound like a fair trade if you ask me, but that's family for you."
"So, are we going to get some brunch or what?" Ruby injects, yanking a striped sweatshirt off her table dresser. "I'm starving."
"Sure. Just go easy on me. No fast walking or sudden movements," I mumble. "I'm in a fragile state of mind and body right now."
She chuckles and I follow her towards the kitchen. The sunlight from the floor length windows blinds me with every precarious step I take.
"Ready?"
"As much as I'll ever be," I reply, a pounding headache developing every time I speak or bloody blink.
We depart and decide that taking the lift is probably a bad idea, and so we descend down four sets of staircases until we reach the lobby. A grey haired man in a black jacket and crisp white shirt holds the gold rimmed door ajar for us. It's all rather posh.
"You didn't tell me you lived at The Ritz," I grin, ribbing her for all the fanciness.
"Hah hah. I wish. This place is nothing in comparison." Ruby nudges me, but she's smiling.
"Yeah yeah."
Navigating the busy pavement down to the first set of traffic lights, I complain, and moan. Have a whinge about needing more coffee.
"God, you're so demanding, and a total lightweight it turns out."
"Tequila is the culprit here ok?"
"Yeah yeah," she drawls. "How on earth are you going to make it through the day without anyone at Aspire becoming suspicious?"
"Right now, I have no idea but we shan't speak a word of last night, or my current state to anyone ok?" I pretend to clasp my hands together and beg as we wait for the lights to change.
Ruby grins like a cheshire cat again, pinches her fingers to her mouth. "My lips are sealed."
Linking an arm under hers as we cross, the cafes awning of salvation, and strong coffee slowly coming into focus, I find that I can't help but grin a little too.
"Good, because all this talking is giving me a serious headache."