Page 78 of One More Round

She snickers. “Your hunk of a boyfriend carried it up.”

Smiling, I reply, “Well, that’s why I keep him around.”

“Duh,” she says, smiling at me in the dresser mirror.

“You know I’m standing right here, yeah?” Simon says near the wall next to the closet. He’s hanging a picture of the four of us girls on the wall.

I stand, walk to him and pat him on the cheek. “I know, babe. I know.”

He winks at me and my insides tingle.

“Tell me again why Link isn’t over here helping you with this? Not that I’m not happy to lend my manly, hunky services, but that fool will do just about anything you ask him to do, Ruby.” He takes a step back and admires his handiwork.

She snorts, “Maybe, but he bitches and complains first. I didn’t ask him.”

“Really? Why?” I ask.

“I needed a break,” Ruby says nonchalantly.

I glance at Simon and he just shrugs a shoulder.

“From what?” I prod.

“More like from whom,” she answers. Simon lifts his head in realization.

“Ah, Amber.”

Link’s been dating Amber for a few weeks now. I’m not sure it’s serious but from what I hear, he doesn’t usually date the same girl for long. She’s really, really annoying. And Ruby cannot stand her. Like blood-boiling, nails-on-the-chalkboard, cannot stand her.

“Were you worried he would bring her to help move you in?” I ask.

“No, I was worried he’d talk about her. I can’t even stand to hear her name,” she says, slamming her top drawer closed.

Yikes.

So, I tread carefully. “What about the sports guy? Why isn’t he here? I thought things were going well with him too,” I say.

“He has a name other thanThe Sports Guy,” she sighs in exasperation.

With a smile, I amend myself. “Well, I thought things withMasonwere going well.”

“Thank you.” She nods then plops down on her vanity stool. “Things are going well. But I don’t know, he hasn’t been acclimated into the group yet. I’m not sure I’m ready for that step. I mean, you all still refer to him asThe Sports Guy,” she says.

Simon starts to say something and we both look at him. He closes his mouth, shakes his head like he’s thought better of it, and walks out of the room. I smile at his retreating back. He is a great listener, he helps me drown out all my problems by letting me talk his ear off about them. He’s always been that way, for me. But when it comes to girl talk, he’d rather just check out. I don’t blame him though.

I chat with Ruby a little bit about Mason and tell her that if she really does like him then we should meet him. Maybe have him over for dinner.

It's starting to get late when I leave her to finish sorting some of her clothes. I wander into my room and see that Simon is in his sweatpants and white undershirt, lying across my bed with his black-rimmed glasses on, reading a book.

He looks up from his book. “Hey, sexy.”

“Hey back at ya.” I smile, walk over to him, and lean down to give him a kiss.

“I gotta reply to my mom’s email real fast and then I’ll join you,” I tell him, pushing off the bed and going to my desk.

“What did your mom want?” he asks.

“She wanted to ask about how Todd’s and my video-conference therapy session went yesterday. She is chomping at the bit to hear about it. I texted her that I’d email her back tonight but had to help Ruby move in first.”

---