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Either way, minutes later, we are all sitting in the back of that limo, on our way to the Whistling Pig.
“That’s such an unusual dress for you, dear,” my mother says to Ruby. “You look gorgeous in anything, but I just see you as dressing more, I don’t know, sporty. More casual.”
Ruby shoots me a look. “Paxton picked this out for me.”
“Paxton? You’re usually much more perceptive,” my mother says, shooting me a reproving look.
“Oh, he did it on purpose,” Ruby scoffs. At my mother’s look of confusion, she adds, “Uh, yeah, I lost a bet.”
“Oh, I love it!” my mother trills merrily. “You two have adorable little couple in-jokes! Your father and I have things like that.”
“Don’t tell me,” I beg.
“Well, the next time you have a bet, if he loses, I’ll just let you know Paxton hates the color turquoise,” my mother adds. “Also, he’s not a big fan of those ruffled tuxedo shirts.”
“Now, why would you betray me like that?” I give my mother a wounded look. “We’re family. At least I thought we were. You can tell me. Am I adopted? Please say yes.”
“Girls have to stick together.”
Ruby has such a huge grin on her face. She is lapping this up. Revenge will be sweet, I swear. She can’t hide behind my mother forever.
When we walk into the Whistling Pig, Vincenzio hurries over to us. “Look at you! Always surrounded by the beautiful women!” He beams at me. My mother laughs delightedly, and he seats us at our usual booth.
My mother, of course, sits next to Ruby. We place our orders, with a burger and fries for me and Ruby and a chicken Caesar salad for my mother.
As my mother quizzes Ruby about her life, the mentor program, and her plans for the future, she is just aglow with happiness. The happier she looks, the glummer I feel. This relationship comes with an expiration date, and my mother is going to be crushed.
I keep trying to give Ruby looks to tell her that she needs to pack up and leave, but she’s so entranced with the hilarious stories my mother is telling her, she doesn’t notice.
“You know, dear, what I’d love to do tomorrow is have a spa day, just us girls.”
Noooo! That will cement it. My mother will not survive this breakup.
“Mom, Ruby’s busy with school, and you came here to see me!” I protest. I sound like a whiny little kid.
“Do you have class tomorrow?” My mother asks her, staring her right in the eye.
Come on, Ruby, lie your ass off!
“Well, I...” Ruby trails off, caught off guard. “Not tomorrow. I mean, sure, yes, I’d love to hang out!”
I kick Ruby under the table. Well, I try.
“Ouch!” My mother protests. She gives me a wounded look. “What was that?”
“Nothing,” I groan. “Nothing at all. My leg had a cramp; it just does that sometimes. Sorry. Ruby, may I speak to you for a minute?”
I stand up without waiting for an answer, so Ruby stands up too. I grab her by the arm and steer her outside of the diner.
“What are you playing at?” I demand.
She looks at me in annoyance. “I’m not playing at anything. Your mother invited me to a spa day. It sounds like fun, and she also kind of put me on the spot, so I said yes. What’s the problem? Are we back to the whole ‘I hate Ruby’ thing? Like, I’m not good enough to be around your mother?”
“Number one, I never hated you. Number two, you’re good enough to be around anyone. That’s not the problem. The thing is—”
My mother pokes her head out the door. “They just delivered our orders! Come in before it gets cold!”
Wincing, I follow Ruby back in. We sit back down at the booth.
