Page 40 of No One's Like You
Chapter 25
Ruby follows her usual morning routine. She brushes her teeth, takes a shower and, after getting dressed, prepares a black coffee to drink before heading to work at the bar. The only difference is that, instead of leaving her house, Ruby lies on the couch. She crosses her feet and rests her left forearm on her forehead while staring at the white ceiling.
She can't figure out what brought her there, but when she was about to cross the doorway to leave, she felt overwhelmed and turned around to head for the couch. She wants to close her eyes and try to understand why she feels this uneasiness this morning, but she can't because every time she lowers her eyelids, she remembers that moment when she opened the door, found Ellie on the other side, and without saying a word, Ellie lunged for her lips as if kissing her was the most important thing of the year.
Ruby has grown accustomed to feeling butterflies in her stomach when Ellie touches her and gives her one of those spontaneous smiles that light up her face and make her eyes shine so authentically that Ruby often feels dizzy.However, she isn't used to feeling those soft lips on hers—though she certainly could be—nor to experiencing the tingling caused by Ellie's sighs or the visceral desire she felt when she realized Ellie wanted much more than just a kiss.
She checks the time as if she's in a hurry, but actually, she isn't because today it's Ellie's turn to open the bar. She sighs, feeling overwhelmed, and continues staring upward until suddenly, she has a revelation and realizes what has her so anxious is not knowing Ellie's answer. Ruby needs her to say something—anything—as soon as possible. The uncertainty kills her because, for the first time in her life, she sees a clear glimmer of hope, but she doesn't want to pressure Ellie either, so she feels like she's trapped in a dizzying spiral she can't escape.
"Screw it," Ruby sits up and grabs her phone.
She quickly types a message to Ellie saying she won't be coming to the bar this morning and sends it. Right after, she calls her mother.
"Hi, honey. Is everything okay?" asks Adele with a furrowed brow, worried because Ruby is calling while knowing she's at work.
"Yes, just calling to say hi."
Although Ruby can't see her, Adele's eyebrows shoot upward, making the wrinkles on her forehead even more pronounced. Adele's mother's intuition activates immediately, and she concludes that Ruby isn't having a good day.
"Well, I'm glad you did. Why is it so quiet? Aren't you at the bar?" her mother asks.
"No, I'm at home. It's Ellie's turn to open today, and I decided to take the morning off."
Alarms go off in Adele's head as if she had a horn.
"Why don't you come to Odette's house? I'm preparing lunch. It's just the two of us today, you could eat with us."
"No, it's fine..." Ruby pauses when she hears Odette's voice in the background. "What's she saying?" she asks her mother.
"She says don't make absurd excuses and come over," Adele responds.
Ruby smiles and nods to herself. Despite her quirks, she likes Odette, and she doesn't feel like being alone this morning.
"Alright, I'll be there in a bit."
When Ruby arrives at Odette's house, she's greeted by the delicious smell of her mother's stew, and her mouth waters.
"Come on, Odette is in the kitchen keeping me company while I cook," says Adele after hugging her daughter.
Ruby follows her, wondering at what point her mother and this woman transformed their mutual hatred into what appears to be an increasingly solid friendship.
"Sit right there," says Odette, pointing to a chair beside her when Ruby greets her.
Adele glances at the pot to make sure everything is going as it should and sits on the other side of the table, facing her daughter.
"Why didn't you go to the bar?" her mother fires without holding back.
"I already told you, today is Ellie's turn to open and..."
"That's no excuse. You always go, even when Ellie opens, just like she does when you open," Adele interrupts. "Did something happen? Did you two argue?"
Ruby almost chokes on the coffee she just served herself. Of course something happened—Ellie kissed her, and now Ruby can only think about doing it again, but she's not going to tell her mother that.
"No, everything's fine. I just needed a break today. I don't think it's so terrible to take a morning off," Ruby explains.
"Of course not, but it's strange," Adele insists, and Odette decides to help her friend's daughter when she sees Ruby twisting her hands in her lap.
"How's the search for a new location going?" the woman changes the subject. "Have you found something that works for you?"
