Page 10 of Strictly Friends
Griffin’s hands stilled over his plate. ‘You’ve always said you’re happy as you are. I had no idea that’s how you felt.’ He hesitated. ‘Maybe you just haven’t found the right person yet?’
‘At this rate, I don’t think I ever will,’ she said wryly. ‘Fi reckons I’m way too fussy, but you know I don’t do short guys and it’s not like there’s a queue of six-foot-plus men waiting out there to take me on – even if I wanted them to.’
Ruby jabbed distractedly at a piece of lettuce on her plate. ‘Can I tell you something that’s been nagging at me ever since Fi said that? I feel like if I don’t find out what drove Kenny away, I’ll never properly move on. Everything that’s happened with Jake is also making me realise how– I don’t know... howstuckI’ve become. It’s like being in emotional limbo, because until I know what went wrong with Kenny, I can’t trust myself not to mess up another relationship. I mean, if I couldn’t evenseethat things were so bad between us that he had to leave—’
She paused as she took in Griffin’s expression and tilted her head. ‘What’s that look for?’
‘What look?’ He reached for the half-empty bottle of ketchup on the table and poured it liberally over what was left of the chips.
‘I don’t know... you looked funny for a second. Is there something you’re not telling me?’
Griffin studied her for a long moment and then shook his head. ‘No, of course not.’
Ruby’s eyes narrowed into a laser stare. ‘Griff?No secrets, remember?’
‘No secrets,’ he echoed with a small smile. ‘Although you can talk after keeping so many yourself. Why didn’t you just tell me what you were planning?’
‘I don’t know,’ Ruby admitted with a sigh. ‘I feel like I’m doing the right thing, but it doesn’t stop me from going back and forth in my mind about it. I suppose I was worried you would think it was a crazy idea, which would have given me an excuse not to go, which wouldn’t be fair on Jake, and...’ She tailed off with a grimace.
Griffin put down his fork and leaned back against the padded, red faux-leather upholstery. ‘Rubes, if you’ve been putting your life on hold all these years because of Kenny, then it’s not fair on you either. Auntie Pearl’s right: it’s time you found out what happened with Kenny.’
He took a long sip of his beer and put the glass down with a decisive thump. ‘Who knows, the truth might set everyone free.’
Before Ruby could respond, their waitress, a cheery petite blonde with a perky high ponytail, appeared at their table and pulled a notebook from the pocket of her black-and-white checked apron. ‘Can I get you two lovebirds anything else to eat?’
Although the question appeared to be directed at them both, the girl’s eyes were firmly fixed on Griffin.
‘I’d love another order of chips, er...’ Griffin’s eyes zeroed in on the waitress’s name badge. ‘Suzie, right? Oh, and’ – he nodded in Ruby’s direction and then winked – ‘me and her? Strictly friends.’
Suzie blushed and tossed her ponytail before giving Griffin a smile that made it clear there was more on offer than was on the menu. Ruby concentrated on her chicken salad, totally unbothered by the silliness of girls who threw themselves at her flirtatious friend at every opportunity.
‘You’re going to need more than a couple of hours in the gym to get rid of the amount of food you’re getting through here,’ she remarked pointedly when the waitress moved away.
‘I’m sure I can find a more interesting way to burn off the calories.’ He flashed a wicked grin and dredged the few remaining chips in the pool of ketchup on his plate before devouring them and wiping his fingers on a paper napkin. ‘So, what did Kenny say when you told him you were coming?’
‘I haven’t told him yet. At least, not directly.’
‘Hold on, isn’t that a bit risky? How do you even know he’s still there?’
‘Do me a favour, I’m notthatdaft,’ Ruby said, trying not to sound defensive. She knew she had to speak to Kenny, but she was still struggling with the idea and didn’t need reminding.
‘First of all, he promised he’d let me know if he ever left Sorrel Island, but since he’s proved himself to be a lying snake, I searched him up online before I started making any plans. It turns out he’s got some type of boating business out there, and he seems to be doing okay if the company website’s anything to go by. And before you say you can’t trust what’s on the internet, I rang the number on the contact page and asked to speak to him.’
Griffin raised an eyebrow and Ruby dropped her gaze. ‘Okay, so I lost my nerve and hung up before he came on the line, but, yes, he’s definitely still there. I tried again a bit later, but it went to answerphone, so I left a message for him and said I’d be in touch once we arrived on the island.’
‘Fair enough, but what about the plane tickets and stuff? Do you need any money for—?’
‘I’m good, thanks,’ Ruby cut in. ‘I have enough in my savings to take care of flights and a hotel. There wasn’t much information on the internet about accommodation on the island, but it’s not exactly a massive tourist destination so I can’t imagine it’ll cost a fortune to find somewhere clean and safe for a few weeks.’
‘Rubes, you know you only need to ask if—’
She cut him off again. ‘Look, maybe I’m not a wealthy playboy like someone I could mention, but I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself and Jake.’
Griffin winced. ‘I hate it when you call me that.’
‘Well, what else do you call someone who insists on doing nothing with their money and their life – except messing women around?’
She looked meaningfully at the waitress, who, having left the order of chips on their table, was openly ogling Griffin from behind the bar.
