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All her life, she’d been stricken with natural curls no one could tame. Add red to the mix and her hair often earned her taunts from the other kids when she was younger and even from her fellow firemen as an adult. Usually, she took their ribbing in stride and gave as good as she got, but today she had to admit that her sense of humor had disappeared.
Okay, she looked like her normal self again. She’d pulled her hair back into its usual ponytail, slapped her cheeks to clear away the paleness, and stuck her t-shirt into her jeans on the one side, trying to hide the slight bulge.
Go get ‘em, tiger. In her mind, she heard her father’s voice joshing cheekily the way he used to, and that lightened her otherwise heavy spirit.
By the time she joined her mother and the stranger at the booth, she found them in a deep conversation discussing the menu. Wishing she could just slide in without any fuss, it became clear her mother wouldn’t be allowing that behavior.
“You know my daughter, Ruby Allen.” She gestured to Kurt and added, “Honey, you remember Special Agent Kurt Storm. He’s delivered your cellphone.”
Sticking to the truth, Ruby nodded his way, accepting the phone he slid toward her. “I don’t really know Agent Storm, Mom. It was just a casual meeting at the bar.”
Kurt’s eyes swiveled her way, and she saw glints from the devil shining brightly. “And just a casual kiss.”
Jill, a shocked frown beginning to form, gave him the mother’s evil eye and demanded, “You kissed her without being introduced.”
“No, ma’am, I’d never be so forward.” He sat there with all the guile a six-year-old might use. “She kissed me.”
Ruby suffered the severe glare from her parent and turned to the innocently smiling idiot on her right. “Then don’t be a walking sex advertisement if you don’t want women to react.”
Jill burst out laughing. She turned to Kurt and nodded, “She’s got you there.”
Discomforted, twitchy and showing it, Ruby watched as he tried to make a comeback, but instead of speaking, he picked up his menu. “You know I think I’ll go for your suggestion, Jill, and have the steak and lobster.”
***
Ruby couldn’t believe that Kurt and her mother had so much to talk about. Lord love a duck, they never stopped. All the while, she nibbled at her dry fish and prayed it would stay down.
Of course, what you wish for and what you get are always in combat. Sure as shit, after a few forkfuls, she felt the bile rise and knew her face had turned green before she rushed off to the closest washroom.
How debilitating for him to see her in such a state. No way did she figure to return to the restaurant. Instead, she upchucked her dinner, snuck out the back door, and headed for her truck.
Driving home, she chewed on the crackers she kept near the dash and thanked her dad for leaving her his truck. She loved this old vehicle and had spent many Sundays cleaning it with him. The ancient Tacoma still ran as if new, and she intended to see that it stayed that way for as long as possible.
She searched her pocket for her phone so she could ring her mom and tell her not to worry, that she’d gone home, and it quickly dawned on her that she’d left it in the booth.
Blasted blue son of a bitch!
Was life always going to be this difficult? The idea of turning around and facing the two waiting for her at the table made her decision to continue driving home easy. No way did she want to spend another minute with his royal sexiness, and her fawning mom.
She’d rather be fatally wounded by a raging bull.
