AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 8
After a few hoursof mindlessly watching TV, Ruth was almost back to her old unflustered self. During the movie, she had come up with a plan to get Rafferty to stay away from her and her job. It involved backing off on the rent at his office for a while. Maybe by then, Anderson would have forgotten about asking Rafferty to work there. Or better yet, he’d realize he would rather have Ruth than Rafferty working with him.
Smiling, she turned off the TV and grabbed a pop from the fridge, then headed to her office. Now she could work. As she walked across the hallway, she stopped to straighten the shoes lined up by the door. No need for disorder, she thought to herself. Opening the door, she was met by the whirling of the equipment. Comforting whirling.
Sitting at her desk, she set her phone down and noticed she had a text from Mia.
Mia:Go out with me tonight. I need a drink.
Mia:Please!!!!!
Ruth: No, already settled for the night.
Mia:Put on a bra and have one with me.
Smiling, she shut the computer back down. If anyday was a day to go out for a drink, today was the day.
Ruth:I think a drink would be good after today.
Walking back to her apartment, she twisted her hair into a loose bun on her head and put on jeans and a blue sweater. Sliding on her shoes, she walked down to the bottom of the stairs and, without a jacket, she ran across the street. No need to grab the thing since Mia’s was across the street and the bar was just a block down. And besides, her coat was still locked in the office.
Once she opened the door to the stairway up to Mia’s place, she yelled up the steps, “I am here!”
She heard a door open, then footsteps on the floor above. Mia’s building had two apartments, but only one was occupied right now. The other was one of her only vacancies.
Mia leaned over the side of the railing of the stairways and said, “Don’t let my landlord hear you yelling in the hallway. We have rules against that sort of thing.”
Ruth laughed at her joke. Mia was one of few people who knew she owned this building or any other for that matter. Mia always walked her check over to her on the first of the month. Lately, it had turned into a fun ritual and not just a chore to get over with. Mia had grown on her in the last few weeks, and she understood why Mia was loved by so many people.
Mia looked down at her in question. “Are you bringing a coat?”
“No, I left it at work, and the bar is right there.” She shrugged.
“It’s cold,” Mia said but took off her coat.
“We will be outside for two minutes.”
“We will run then.” Mia bounded down the stairs without her coat on.
So, they did, running the block and a half to the only bar in town, The Landing. Both pushed into the building, laughing as they almost fell over each other in their rush to get inside. Mia hadn’t worn a sweater, so she must have been colder than Ruth was. Getting to their feet, Mia called out to the bartender. “Paul, two whiskeys to warm us up.”
“No whiskey for me, just something mixed, Paul.” Ruth walked over to a table that Mia had pointed to. Having not spent much time in the bar, Ruth looked around as she sat down. It had not actually changed since she had come in here to eat with her mom before she married Chester; back then, her mom loved nothing more than spending her evenings in this very bar. Things changed when she had gotten married. Now she pretends that she had never even been in the bar, much less been a regular.
Mia sat down across from her and said, “I am going to text Tess. She should come out too.”
True to her word, Mia started texting their friend. When the drinks showed up, it wasn’t the bartender who delivered them but Rafferty Brooks. As he set them down, he said, “And I thought you were against favors, Angel.”
“Rafferty, just leave them alone. Ruth is going to throw her drink at you.” Anderson cut in, pulling the other man away. Anderson was not wrong. She had been eyeing up the drink as to how far she could throw it.
Within minutes, Tess Thorn walked into the room, tearing Ruth’s focus away from the men at the bar. The older woman walked in, making Ruth feel all rushed and sloppy. Tess was wearing a tight leather jacket, skin-tight tailored jeans, and boots with a four-inch heel.
Mia slammed her drink down and yelled, “Dress down, lady! You are making us all look bad. This is Landstad!”
Ruth just laughed at her friend’s words. They were so true. Tess was always so well put together, and Ruth had yet to see her dressed down. Ruth was pretty sure the woman had no comfy clothes; she was just always like this.
Tess stopped at the bar and ordered a glass of wine before she came over to them and slid in next to Mia. “Ladies.”
“Should we text Mandy?” Tess looked around the bar.
