Page 43 of Rue

Geo got up, still cheerful, as he pulled her up, and led her to the hall.

Davon looked her over worriedly but said nothing as he fell in behind them, Justin behind him.

She sat with Geo at the table as a woman set plates in front of them, smiling happily.

“Rue, this is Sophia, my housekeeper and cook when I’m home.”

“She’s cute!” Sophia grinned. “It’s nice to meet you, Ruth!Let me know if you need anything!”

“Nah. Rue. Like the little kangaroo in the books? The baby one,” Geo corrected.

Sailor laughed then, looking at Geo incredulously. “It’s not ‘Roo’ like the Winnie the Pooh character! It’s Rue! R-U-E, like the flower!”

His face fell. “Nah! That don't fit you, though! I like the other better. My tiny little Rue!”

“A rue is a tiny flower,” she offered, eating her eggs. “Sorry, I was named after the flower, not the baby animal in the books. It was my Great gramma’s name, I was named after her.”

Geo chuckled, shaking his head. “You ain’t changin’ how I think when I say it. Rue.”

She found herself smiling, her cheeks going pink.

Chapter 23

“Geo, I got the room all set up,” Trey announced, coming into the dining room with Mig. He looked at Sailor and grinned at her. “You got high-end taste,” he told her.

Sailor blushed, looking over at Geo. “You got everything on the list?” she asked Trey, shocked.

“Yeah, everything. I subbed in a few things, but you and I both know you didn’t need the brand names you listed. What I brought is just as good and will work. It’s all the same caliber.”

She nodded, unable to look at Geo. She’d been sure it would take at least a week to get everything together.

“Also upgraded your shitty ass laptop,” Trey told her, sitting down at the table across from them. “You had that old thing Frankensteined to hell!”

“Yeah,” she agreed, pushing her eggs around her plate.

“Eat, Rue,” Geo admonished lightly.

“I don't feel well, Geo,” she told him.

“Head? Mig, get her something for a headache.”

“My tummy too… and I ache. I feel like I did when I had the flu last November.”

“It’s just stress,” he promised. “Eat ‘n we’ll go sit down, get you relaxed. You be good ‘n I’ll make them fools use their mouths to get you off. That’ll relax you,” he chuckled.

Sailor was horrified, looking up at Davon and Justin.

Davon looked pissed, but Justin looked excited.

“I don't really…”

“I was fuckin’ with you,” Geo laughed. “Bet it would, though, relax you. Get you off and watch you pass out.”

“I’d do it! Gladly,” Justin spoke up quickly.

Davon elbowed him hard.

“I bet you would,” Geo snorted, his jovial look switching to a calculated one as he looked over both boys. “Finish eatin’, Rue. We ‘bout to go talk.”