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"May I?" Ruby motions at the bed, which is the only piece of furniture in the room.
"Yes. Please." Banks lets her sit and he stands with his back against the wall, trying not to look as awkward as he feels. "What's going on?"
Ruby blows out a long breath and her head falls forward. She tucks both hands between her knees and sits there quietly for a second before lifting her chin and looking at Banks directly. "It's all too much," she says, her voice husky. "Being here. Jack used to come here, Banks. He came here and he stayed in the master bedroom with Etienne. He read books to Julien, and he walked around the kitchen drinking coffee in sweatpants. He...he..." She lets her head fall again as her words trail off. "I'm not sure if I should have come at all," she finally whispers.
This is all so far outside of Banks's wheelhouse that he stands there, back against the wall, one hand stroking his lower jaw as he watches her. He has never embraced Ruby Hudson--or any woman in crisis besides Denise during their marriage--and he is unsure how to proceed as Ruby takes long, slow breaths, letting them out methodically as if trying to calm herself.
"Um," Banks says. "Well. I think it's very brave of you to be here. It can't be easy for you. And the rest of it is hard to think about, I'm sure, but you have a mission while you're here." He tries to tunnel his thoughts on how he always handles difficult things, which is to tackle them with military precision and tactics.
His words seem to jar Ruby out of her meditative breathing and she looks up at him. "What is my mission?" She searches his face with obvious need.
"Okay. Your first mission is to find out exactly what the enemy's objective is."
Ruby snorts. "Are we calling Etienne the enemy?"
"For the sake of this exercise, yes." Banks stands upright and puts his hands on his hips. He's deep in thought now. "Once we ascertain what she wants, then we determine what action to take. If you give her what she wants, will she retreat? Will that satisfy her? If not, we need to revise our tactical plan."
Ruby nods slowly. "Tactical plan," she repeats. "Alright."
Banks is watching her and he realizes that she's slightly stunned. It's like the capable, alert Ruby that he's used to being around and observing has gone underground. "But listen," Banks says, already wondering whether he should just shut his mouth and say nothing. After all, what kind of advice does he have to give? "I'm right here, okay?" He watches her face until she tilts her chin and looks up at him. "You're safe. There's no clear and present danger. The biggest thing we have to fear here is facing things that are uncomfortable. And you can do that. You're a strong lady."
A smile quirks at the corners of Ruby's lips. "Thank you, Banks," she says softly. And then: "Have you talked to Sunday?"
"I have. I was actually talking to her when you knocked."
"I think I'll call her before dinner--unless you were about to call her back. I feel like we're sharing her now," she says with a laugh.
"Oh, please--you call her. We were done talking for now."
Ruby stands and smooths the blanket on his bed so that she's not leaving any mark behind. "Thank you for letting me come in, and for being here."
Banks clasps his hands together in front of his body as he stands in the same spot. He gives her a brisk nod. "Ma'am," he says. "It's my job."
"No." Ruby stops right in front of him. "I'm not just thanking you for being here and for doing what you have to do. I'm thanking you for being present when I needed someone." She looks up at him quizzically. "You're a good man, Banks. Sunday is a lucky woman."
Ruby slips out the door and closes it softly behind her, leaving Banks there wondering when--if ever--a woman he wasn't in a relationship with told him that he was a good man.
It feels nice to hear.
Chapter6
Ruby
Talking to Sunday helps. Truth be told, talking to Banks helped, too. He's such a strong, sturdy presence in her life, and not only does he make her feel physically safe, his even delivery of literally everything he says is incredibly soothing. Even talking about the enemy and tactical choices has left her feeling somehow calmer.
"Come in, come in," Etienne says, waving her guests into the dining room as they all descend the stairs for a late dinner.
It's after eight, and Ruby is starving. She takes a seat hesitantly at one end of the table with Etienne at the other. This feels unusual to her: a woman-helmed table. But she doesn't flinch, and instead pulls out the wooden chair and sits, spreading the yellow paisley linen napkin over her lap as Etienne passes around a basket full of crusty bread.
Julien walks into the room last, his eyes cast downward. He scoots around the table and chairs in the small dining room and takes a seat at his mother's right elbow. She smiles at him and rests a hand on his for a moment.
"Welcome," Etienne says, glancing around the table at Dexter, Ruby, and Banks. There is a woman sitting next to Ruby who has not been introduced yet. "I'm so happy to have you all here, and I would love for you to meet my best friend, Claire." Etienne nods at the woman next to Ruby. "Claire and I have known each other for nearly thirty years."
Claire is just as chic as Etienne, but she's wearing a black turtleneck and black trousers that contrast with her long, blonde hair as compared to Etienne's red wrap-dress and short dark hair.
"Thank you for having me," Claire says haltingly as she lifts a wine glass. Her English is undoubtedly solid, but there is a hesitation that reveals her preference for her own language. "It's lovely to meet you all."
Etienne begins to pass everything around as Dexter leans closer to Claire and says something to her, and Banks holds a dish of green beans in one hand, waiting for Dexter to finish dishing up baby potatoes so that they can keep the food moving around the table.
