Page 14 of Loving Her

Elena had one hand over her heart and a sentimental look on her face. “Oh, Ruby Margarita, my love. I never thought I’d see the day when you’d bring someone home with you.”

“Well, you know, every pot has a lid or whatever it was you used to tell me.” Ruby shoved her hands into the pockets of the long black skirt she liked to wear for traveling. She hadn’t expected her mother to basically fall in love with Sasha right off the bat. Elena would like Sasha, of course, Ruby had known they’d get along once Elena had satisfied her curiosity and Sasha had mostly gotten over her shyness and discomfort.

But Elena had obviously decided Sasha was a natural Fierelli in the hour-long drive from JFK and had a clear cut case of heart eyes as she watched Sasha prowl around Ruby’s bedroom. For the first time since they’d first started this little fake dating escapade, a cold finger of doubt touched Ruby’s heart. Everything had seemed like it would be so easy to set up and take back down when it was on paper, but… maybe… maybe she’d underestimated a lot of things.

Before she could think of what to say next, the bedroom door opened. Daniel, Dom Junior and Dante came in with their bags. “Ma, Rosie says dinner’s ready in ten,” Dante volunteered.

Ruby frowned. “Is someone going to help us take Sash’s bag back down to the basement? Why’d you bring it all the way up here?”

“Because Ma told us to,” Dante answered, and all of her brothers and her mother looked at her like she was crazy.

“I can take it down when you show me my room, Mama Elena,” Sasha offered quietly, cheeks pink.

Elena stared at both of them. “You’reinyour room, girls.”

Um?Ruby felt her eyebrows just about to take flight. “We what now?”

Sasha looked panicked. “Ruby said we’d be separated, we’re not married.”

“Oh, once upon a time, sure. I’ve been doing a lot of work the last few years, though.” Elena beamed.

“Also Danny and Angie just invited way too many people who needed a place to stay, and the basement is full of kiddies,” Dom Junior said. “Ma can’t turn anyone away, so some of that work she’s been doing has been in the last week.”

“Domenic Michael Fierelli, you shut your mouth. All of you, out, get out.” Elena flapped her arms to shoo all of the men towards the door. She looked back over her shoulder at Ruby and Sasha. “Ruby, my love, you know where the bathroom is.You two get cleaned up before dinner. I’ll give you a little extra time—take fifteen, freshen up, and come down to help set the tables.”

“Sure, Ma,” Ruby choked out, absolutely on the verge of losing her mind over the last two minutes. She managed to hold herself together until the door clicked shut behind everyone and she heard footsteps going down the stairs. Then her legs gave out and she sat down on her pink, carpeted floor.

Sasha had her hands tangled up in her hair. “She’s letting us share a room? Abed?”

“Sash, I swear to God, hand on heart, I thought for sure she was going to put you downstairs. I promise, she never breathed a word of this to me on any of the phone calls.”

“This is a lot to take in.” Sasha looked super stressed, and Ruby’s feelings were starting to get hurt.

“I don’t think I’m all that bad to sleep next to,” she said, twisting her fingers into her skirt.

Sasha looked horrified. “Oh, God, Rubes! Of course you’re not. I don’t… I’m sorry. It’s been a long day and I feel like a lot has happened in the last hour. I’m having to adjust to more than I expected.”

As always, she knew Sasha meant it, and of course Ruby knew that Sasha hadn’t even intended to hurt her feelings at all. But she did wonder why the idea of them sharing a bed seemed to be difficult, despite Sasha’s apology. “If it helps, I don’t snore.”

“No, Ruby, no, it’s nothing to do with you, really. I just, um. I’m just used to sleeping alone after so many years of single-hood.” Somehow, Sasha looked sincere but also… a little cagey? It felt like she wasn’t telling the whole truth.

But Ruby was tired and hungry and overwhelmed herself. She had a lot to cope with, realizing how deep she was getting herself and her family into this deception, when all she’d wantedwas to keep them off her back for the week. Now wasn’t the time to pry at Sasha. She held her hands up and wiggled her fingers. “OK. Help me up? Let’s go wash our hands and get some dinner.”

Sasha pulled her to her feet. “Fantastic idea. But first…” She walked over to the little pink and white bench by the bedroom window, which was piled high with spare pillows. Selecting a frilly pink velvet and lace bolster, she plopped it down onto the bed as a divider. “I don’t want to be accidentally treating you like a stuffed animal in the night.”

“It just occurred to me that I might try to yank you in like I do with Winston, so that’s probably a good idea,” Ruby admitted.

“Also…” Sasha looked sheepish and she shoved her hands into the back pocket of her cargo pants. “Rubes, listen. Is there a drugstore nearby or something?”

“Um, there’s a CVS up the road. We can go after dinner, they’re open till ten.”

“Great. I need some earplugs.” Sasha rocked back on her heels. “Um, the thing is, honestly, it’s cute as hell, but you do actually snore a little, you were doing it today on the plane…”

“Oh myGod,” Ruby cried out, and buried her face in her hands.

This was going to be such a long week.

7

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