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Chapter Three
By the time Rubie popped the turkey in the oven, the entire cottage was smelling of warm, fragrant spices. Throwing herself in a heap on the sofa, she watched as the fire flickered, the light catching the twinkle of the tinsel.
Anna popped her head around the door and said that drinks would be ready in five, and dinner in ten, throwing Rubie an affectionate smile, Anna’s ponytail dancing as she moved.
This was…nice.
Different.
Rubie was used to doing all of this on her own, with no one else to help her. It was nice to have company—especially when the company was as delightful to look at as Anna. The brunette had a commanding presence that couldn’t be denied, but it seemed to soften when she was around Rubie.
She’d laughed a lot, as they’d prepared their food, and she’d been intrigued by the curried gravy that Rubie had thrown together, using recipes from at least a dozen different websites. Though she hadn’t laughed when Rubie had explained that once the turkey crown was cooked, she’d slice it and then cover it with gravy, so that the meat wouldn’t go dry the next day.
A family tradition, she’d explained, and Anna had simply leaned over to squeeze her hand.
And she’d flirted with Rubie too, winking at her and laughing when Rubie had gotten flustered, and patting her cheek.
Affectionately.
Everything was done with warmth and affection.
It was more than nice; it felt right.
“Here we go,” Anna said, bringing two steaming mugs into the living room. “I might not be one for Christmas, but mulled apple juice is a thing of beauty. Warm and spicy.”
“Just like me!” joked Rubie, but the look that Anna shot her was anything but jokey. Fuck, there was desire in the other woman’s eyes, desire that Rubie knew must be reflected in her own.
“Drink up, sweetheart. There’s a good girl,” said Anna, and Rubie’s voice caught in her throat, just for a moment. It felt like…it sounded like…
There was a moment when she almost bratted back instinctively, but something held her back. She didn’t know if anyone had called her a good girl before, and she wanted to wrap herself up in the words like a blanket. To lose herself in them, so that she never ever forgot that this was who she was, deep down. A good girl. Not intentionally difficult, or weird, or broken.
She was good, and she was a girl.
“Yes Mommy,” she said.
Anna froze.
Rubie froze.
The entire scene was like a frozen tableau: two women by a Christmas fire.
“Ummmm…” Rubie’s voice stuttered to a halt.
Anna looked at her seriously for a second. “Let me take the food out of the oven, and then we can talk whilst we eat.”
Rubie nodded, but she didn’t look up, couldn’t meet Anna’s eyes. Instead she took a sip of the mulled apple juice and let the spiced drink warm and settle her.
When she came back, Anna had two bowls in each hand, and cutlery balanced precariously between her fingers. “Here you go sweetheart; have some foods. It’s been a while since you got here, and you should definitely eat up.”
Rubie wasn’t sure whether the fact that the other woman hadn’t mentioned her ‘Mommy slip up’ was a good thing or a bad thing. But the bowl of food looked amazing. Anna had made them a lamb pasta bake, with carrots and mushrooms, all topped with melted cheese that looked like it had been baked until almost crispy.
Taking a big spoonful, Rubie let the flavours wash over her, and she suddenly realised quite how hungry she’d been. There was silence for a few minutes whilst both of them focused on eating.
Finally, she took a breath and gathered up all of her courage. “So about what I said…”
“Yes?” asked Anna quietly. When Rubie looked at her, she saw that the other woman was blushing as well.
“That wasn’t fair; you didn’t consent for me to call you that. It was just in the moment, with the ‘good girl’, I forgot myself. So, I’m really sorry.”
