Page 45 of Wicked Little Game
Which should beapproachable and politetowards the guy, maybe even flirt with him, and I really, really don’t like to think about that. Kissing her was a horrible mistake, one that my body wants to repeat as soon as possible, unfortunately.
I must have dozed off on the couch while coming up with a plan, because when I wake up, the sun is already down and Ruby is rummaging through the fridge with a lackluster impression on her face.
“Had a good nap?” She asks as she pulls out a piece of salmon from the fridge only to inspect it and put it back in. “Would you mind it if we order pizza tonight? I really don’t feel like cooking.”
“If you pay,” I say, yawning as I get up.
“How generous of you.” She throws a flyer over at me. “I already know what I want, tell me when you’re ready.”
It doesn’t take me long to decide and not even half an hour after she ordered, the delivery guy rings the doorbell. Since she paid, I agreed to go to the door, and to my surprise, the guy holds up three boxes.
I walk over to Ruby who’s already waiting on the couch and if this was my house, I wouldn’t allow her to eat on there but I’m not the one who has to call a professional cleaner if there are stains on the fabric.
Ruby ordered something that looks like a mountain of pepperoni and corn, and it’s glistening so much that it makes my tuna pizza look almost healthy. We eat in peace and watch her dating show in the background.
We’re on a different season by now. Apparently, I need to watch all the previous seasons and three other shows for context.
She’s weirdly calm tonight, and I don’t know if the pizza just slowed her system down or if it has to do with what happened in the pool. Still, I am thankful for it.
After putting a few leftover slices of her pizza in the fridge, she comes back with the third box I was wondering about.
“I can already feel my arteries clogging up just from looking at that thing,” I say as she opens the box and puts it on the couch between us. I didn’t know they made pizza with chocolate, more chocolate, and a tiny amount of fruits on it, but it looks heavenly.
“We can eat a salad tomorrow, and maybe some lighter stuff for the rest of the week,” she says with a laugh while taking a slice.
One bite is enough to make me realize what I’ve been missing out on for the last 30 years of my life and I have to beg Ruby to put the box away after a while.
She’s snuggled up on the couch, her head resting against my shoulder, fully immersed in the, as she put it, most important episode of the season. It’s just the entire cast, once again screaming at each other, but she’s the pro.
“You wanna go on a trip tomorrow?”
“Ohh, like, on a date?”
“No, not a date,” I lie. Or maybe it’s not even a lie, because technically, this trip is supposed to be a date, just not with me.
“Still fine. Where are we going?”
“Surprise.”
“Come on, tell me, please.”
“No, and stop asking or we won’t go.”
“Fine,” she says, huffing quietly into her blanket.
That was easier than expected. But it also wasn’t the hard part. I just hope that getting her to behave will be equally easy, even though I doubt it with every fiber of my being.
“Ruby.”I knock on her door the next day around 11am, knowing damn well that she’s probably still asleep.
“Huh?” A strangled groan comes from inside her room, and it sounds like I am right.
I knock again because I want her to come out, but it doesn’t seem like she’s moving an inch.
“God, Samuel, get the fuck in here if you need something at this ungodly hour,” she yells and I roll my eyes before I enter her garbage dump. The garbage dump that is surprisingly clean by her standards, I notice.
I looked up the address Mr. Barron sent me last night and the country club is a one-hour drive away, so I need to get Ruby in the car before 1pm. Maybe a little earlier in case she throws a tantrum when we arrive and she finds outthat I lured her there, and a few more minutes to let her get her anger about her dad setting up a date for her out.
Which gives me barely two hours to get her awake and ready.
