Page 8 of Together at Ruby's

Leading them to the couch, Liza sat. “Not exactly,” she said. “It’s not like she proposed or something but rather I had hoped she would propose because she was going to get a big promotion at work.” Liza felt a hard stab of disappointment and a fresh burn of tears. “But then she didn’t get the promotion, so no proposal.”

“I’m so sorry,” Allie said lowered herself to the spot beside Liza. “That must be devastating for both of you.”

“It is,” Liza said after taking a sip. “But of course, I dealt with it badly. I flew off the handle and threw the fact that I wanted to be married and have a baby in Tate’s face yet again.” She shook her head. “So, she left.”

.

“Okay, what’s the plan?”Nikki asked from where she sat on her stool beside her friend.

Tate wasn’t sure what she meant. “Plan?” she asked. “You mean other than sit here and get wasted?”

Nikki shook her head with a grim smile. “Although I always consider that a solution to many of life’s problems, I think in this case we need to brainstorm a little bit instead.”

Standing behind the bar across from them, Vivian held her own drink. “In this case, even though I own the bar and sell the alcohol, I have to agree,” she said, with a hint of a smile. “If this situation is as big a surprise to you as it appears, maybe there’s something you can do about it.”

Tate rubbed her face with her hands to try and clear the cobwebs from the bourbon.How do I explain this?she thought. Her friends meant well, but they didn’t work in the world of corporate business. They clearly didn’t understand the hierarchical structure of things. People were passed over from time to time, even when it didn’t make sense.Or it did if they simply didn’t cut it.Once again, a sense of inferiority rocked her.Is that what this is? Am I blind to my own shortcomings?

Clearly, the firm thought bringing in an outsider was a better option than making her the VP. “I think I’ll just have to keep my head down and hope for the best,” Tate finally said quietly.

“Oh, come on,” Nikki said as she fixed Tate with a hard look. “That is not the person you are, so there’s more to this than you’re telling.” She leaned closer until Tate was forced to look at her. “I need more details as to why you think you shouldn’t fight this.”

“Sorry,” Tate started. “But I don’t really have answers for you. The woman they brought in is named Aurora Price.” Even saying the woman’s name stung. “Aside from what I managed to hear through the daze I was in after the announcement she was taking my promotion, I know nothing about her.”

She saw Vivian take out her phone. “Did you say her name was Aurora Price?” she asked. Tate nodded and watched the woman type. After a beat Vivian tilted her head. “Well, she certainly has some creds, on paper. There’s a lengthy list of her accomplishments on Google.”

“Let me see,” Nikki said, holding out her hand. Vivian passed her the phone, and Tate watched Nikki’s eyes widen. “Not to mention she’s a real looker.” Tate smiled a little at the comment. Leave it to her best friend to find something sexy about the direst of circumstances. “But it says she’s a big deal in Chicago, so why the hell is she in Portland?”

“It’s a beautiful place to live?” Tate asked.

Nikki hummed. “It seems a little off to me,” she said. “I’m going back to my original statement; you shouldn’t take this lying down.” Tate looked at her friends and felt a little confidence returning.Maybe they are right,she thought, but before she could say a word, her own phone chimed.

When she looked at the screen, there was a text from Liza. “I’m sorry. Please come home so we can talk.” Tate hesitated, not sure she was ready to move past everything, when another text from Liza came. The message surprised her a little. “I know this wasn’t your fault, and I promise to listen.” Reading the words, feeling the support of everyone, Tate realized if they believed in her then maybe she was underestimating herself. She deserved the position, and if she always stood up for her clients, maybe it was time to stand up for herself.

As she waitedon the couch with Allie, Liza began to feel uneasy. Tate had yet to send back a response to her text.Is she that angry with me?she wondered, feeling her own frustration grow again. After all, she had been the one to put out the olive branch, hoping they could move past the hurtful words.But if she’s not willing to even talk to me about it, then what?

Suddenly there is a sharp knock at the front door. “Are you expecting someone tonight?” Allie asked, eyebrows raised. “Other than Tate I mean?”

“No, and I don’t know why she would come to the front door,” Liza replied as she stood and moved toward the window to peek outside through the curtains. A man in a black coat stood on the steps getting wet in the rain. Although it was dark with the porch light still off, she was pretty sure it wasn’t someone she recognized. In a beat, Allie was at her side, right as the man knocked again. “Should I open it?” Liza whispered, not a big fan of opening doors to strangers, especially after dark.

Allie looked uncertain. “Maybe wait for Tate?”

Unfortunately, Liza didn’t know when that might be and the annoyance over not knowing spurred her on. “I’m going to see who it is,” she said, flipping on the porch light as she moved to the door and opened it a crack. “May I help you?”

The man held up two brown paper sacks marked with the name of the closest Mexican restaurant. “Someone named Tate ordered dinner,” the man said, and Liza let out a breath.Leave it to Tate to think about taking care of dinner,she thought.She must be on her way home.

At that moment she heard the back door to the garage opening. “Well, hi you two,” she heard Allie say while Liza took the two sacks and nudged the door closed with her hip. Turning, she wasn’t surprised to see it was Nikki with Tate. The two always had each other’s back, and she was grateful for it tonight.

Tate crossed the space, reaching for the bags and leaning in to give Liza a peck on the lips. “Sorry to not call or text,” she said. “My phone’s battery died right after I ordered us dinner. It’s been that kind of day.”

Liza smelled the bourbon on her girlfriend’s breath and wondered how many drinks she had ended up having.Getting drunk is not going to fix this but at least she didn’t drive home intoxicated,she thought.A DUI is the last thing we need.“Okay,” was all she could come up with and, for a moment, there was an awkward silence in the room.

“I thought I’d be the chauffeur,” Nikki said with a smile, always one to break a silence. “So, I drove Tate home in her car.” She looked at Allie. “Hoping that you were still here. I don’t suppose you can give me a ride back to Ruby’s?”

“Of course,” Allie said moving toward the coat rack. “I think it’s time to go anyway.”

Suddenly, Liza wasn’t sure she was ready to be alone with Tate and deal with their problems. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay and have some takeout with us?”

Allie gave Liza a quick side hug. “Not this time,” she said and whispered into Liza’s ear. “I think you two need to talk.” She slipped on her coat and led Nikki toward the way out. “I’ll text you tomorrow.”

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