Nathan suggested a picnic by the lake, not too far away from town. The weather over the weekend was forecast to be warm. But, again, she needed to be home before dark. Ruby wore her cosy red polka dot dress and white trainers with her hair half tied up. She'd been waiting for the sun to arrive, so her naked legs were free from wearing tights. She skips her way to the shop and says hello to Thomas.
'He's in the kitchen. You can go in the back.' He tells her.
Ruby enters the kitchen, where the stainless steel appliances and counters catch the light from the large window on the opposite side of the room. With their organized trollies and trays stashed with many chocolate moulds, Thomas and Nathan had put in a lot of effort this morning.
Nathan's broad shoulders and back are visible, and she can see him carefully filling in each of the tiny chocolates with a piping bag of pink frosting. Ruby crept up behind him and put her hands over his eyes.
'Guess who?' She flirts.
He smiles from the familiar voice that warms his heart and grabs her hands while he turns around.
'The most beautiful girl in the world.' He kisses her. 'I'm sorry, I'm not done. I overslept, and I need to finish these - I'll be done soon.'
'Let me help you.' Ruby searched for a spare apron.
'No, health and safety and that.'
'You know I'm not going to listen.' She teasingly said while tying the apron around her waist.
'My gosh, you are. ..' Nathan picks up some flour on the counter with his index finger, '...stubborn.' And it leaves a white mark on Ruby's nose.
She gasps with a grin. 'That's not fair.'
Ruby notices the flour and attempts to stretch past him, but he grabs her by the waist and tickles her. She grabbed a handful and tried to throw it at his face, but Nathan turned her around just in time. He slipped and fell, taking Ruby with him, and they laughed as they lay next to each other.
'What's going here?' Thomas observes as he notices them both coated in flour on the floor.
'Ruby wants to help, but I told her no, and of course, she doesn't listen.' Nathan playfully spoke and helped her with standing up.
'I don't see it as a problem.' Thomas says, and Ruby sticks her tongue out at Nathan. 'Let's show her what we do it.'
Nathan demonstrated how to create the creamy filling and mix all of the flavours. She remained calm and patient when following their orders—using her strength to avoid overfilling the mould and overpowering the milky cocoa flavour. Nathan's love for her grows as he patiently watches her and compliments her technique. Ruby's eyes twinkle with delight and the sexual tension she feels when he's close by, and she can't wait to kiss him again.
Thomas observes them both and recalls fond memories of him and his late wife, Mary-Anne, preparing the same way. The glint in Nathan's eyes, which Thomas has not seen in a long time, has given him optimism that his son will do this with Ruby.
Once the preparation was complete, Nathan assisted his father in loading all of the heavy trays into the oven. After, he watches Ruby as she completes the final set that she helped build, giving him goosebumps.
'Do you think mum would have loved her?' He asks Thomas, and it's the first time he's heard Nathan speak so passionately about his mother.
'Yeah, she would of.' Thomas responds, giving him a pat on the back.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
They eventually left and rode on his bike to the perfect spot. He parks and hoists himself off his motorcycle while removing his helmet. Nathan prevents Ruby from lifting herself off the bike, unclips, pulls her helmet, and kisses her. His hands were on her cheeks, as he had been waiting to show his love towards Ruby. Her compassion excites her, and she tugs on the sides of his t-shirt, wishing their bodies were pressed against one other.
'God, I love you.' He says this after regaining his breath, and she giggles, rubbing her nose with his.
Although the grass was overgrown and in need of a cut, it was still walkable. The flies fly in the air, and the dandelion's seeds blow out from their stems and float around, showering the sky.
They lay the blanket down and eat the fresh strawberries with chocolate-dipped ends while discussing school and their upcoming final exams. Nathan lies with his elbow leaning on his side, listening to Ruby talk about her ballet exams while curled up in a ball and clutching her knees.
When Nathan misses her touch, he takes Ruby's hand and draws her next to him, where she lies next to him. She gleams with desire in her eyes as he tucks her access hair behind her ears. Ruby leans in close and kisses him, her hand on his neck, tugging him closer as she just wants to kiss him passionately. Nathan becomes excited by her love, but he restrains himself before losing control as this isn't the place to.
Later, they sit on the tattered wooden pier's edge, looking out over the water, with ducks swimming alongside, including their offspring. Ruby rests her head on his shoulder while their feet dangle over and hold hands.
'I can't believe we'll finish school soon.' She spoke as she gazed at the lake.
'I can't wait.' Nathan replies.
'We'll have the summer to do whatever we want.'
He kissed her forehead. 'Yes, we will.'
Still looking at the view, Ruby hesitated before telling Nathan something that would cause him to change his mind about her. But she knew it was the best time to tell him after the day they'd spent together.
'I've been accepted at Harvard.' Ruby said.
Nathan was happy for her but dreaded her being gone for so long. 'Congrats on that.'
'I've also been accepted at London Business school too.' Ruby lifts her head and looks at him, 'Which is only two hours away. So I'm going to go with that one. We'll be able to see each other on the weekends, and you could come up and stay a few nights.'
Nathan listened to her words, and he couldn't have been happier for her. It all comes down to John, though, and what he thinks of it all.
'What does your dad think of it?' He asks.
'He'll have to accept what I choose.'
Ruby decided to clarify that her dad does not have the authority to determine what she wants and is now ready to stand up for herself. Though Nathan recognizes her desire to be self-sufficient, he wonders if she is only here because of him. He really wants her to stay, but not if it means she'll miss out on opportunities in the future.
'You can go to Harvard, you know.'
Ruby notices that he thinks she's making poor decisions and puts her hand on his cheek.
'I already made a decision.' She moves her face closer to his, meeting him nose to nose.
The sun began to set behind a large, dark, heavy cloud, and rain began to fall heavily. A sudden shock of cold, sharp water instantly made them dash to the nearest tree for cover.
'I can't ride in this. The surface is getting muddy, and the roads will be too wet. We're going to have to wait for the rain to stop.' Nathan says and then sees a bolt of lightning. 'Staying under this tree isn't a good idea either.'
Ruby scans the area and notices a wooden shed hidden in the mist. 'What about that over there?'
They dash across, drenched, to what seemed to be a tiny old shed with a padlock.
'Can you open it?' Ruby shivers.
'I'll try.'
He forces the door with his shoulder even though his feet are slippery on the ground. The lock had rusted to the point that the screws were falling out. They finally got in after the door swung open.
It looked abandoned on the outside, but it appeared to be in good shape on the inside. A cosy tartan sofa faces a small wood stove and a large wooden cabinet in the corner. So they decided to stay until the rain stopped. But it didn't stop Ruby from rummaging around the house and peeking into the cupboard.
'Hey, there is some blankets and firewood here. We could use them.' Ruby suggested, and Nathan nodded as he collected the firewood.
She sat on the sofa, wrapped in a blanket, trying to stay warm while watching Nathan light the fire. Ruby tried her phone for a signal, but no luck.
Nathan sat down on the other side of the sofa after, took her foot, and began massaging it, pressing his thumbs into the sole and untangling the muscles.
'Hm, that's so nice.' Ruby slumps further down and watches him concentrate, applying pressure in unexpected, tense places she'd never felt before.
While watching him and admiring his talent with his hands, hearing the fire crackle, her heart and stomach lurched for another taste of Nathan's love. She wanted him.
Swiping her foot sway, she climbs on top of him, straddling upright and bends down to kiss him. Nathan clung to her waist as he accepted her kiss and basked in her affection. Her hands run through his hair as she presses her body closer to his.
Nathan moans as he grabs her tighter and pulls her closer, feeling her urge to make love. Ruby's desire became stronger, and she moved her hands under his shirt, attempting to lift it.
'Ruby...' He looks at her and whispers, worried she's not thinking clearly.
'I want to.' She tells him with a fiery look in her eyes that draws him in.
Nathan couldn't say no because he'd been waiting for this moment with Ruby when she was ready, and he wanted it to be special for her. For the both of them.