Sequel: You Could Be Happy ›
Wilted and Faded
hey, so glad you could make it
Christian jumped as he heard the front door of Ruby’s apartment slam shut and the short brunette stormed into the living room where he was lounging across one of her couches.
“Lunch went well then?” he asked, turning off the TV.
She flopped down beside him and shoved the scrapbook at him.
“She’s worried about my ‘lifestyle’”, Ruby spat, rummaging in her bag for her cigarettes. She was usually just a social smoker but this situation called for some nicotine.
“Fuck me”, Chris breathed as he flipped through the book, “Stalker much?”
“Have you read the letter?” she asked, around the cigarette dangling from her mouth as she searched for her lighter.
“She is telling you to slow down? Your sister wouldn’t know a party if it walked up to her, introduced itself and smacked her across the face!”
Ruby snorted and took a drag of her cigarette, “She didn’t mention anything about it over lunch, couldn’t shut up about her stupid wedding. We were leaving the café and she just thrust it into my arms. Said she’d call me to arrange our next lunch.”
Christian looked over at her, taking in her tiny frame slumped against the raspberry coloured couch and noticed that behind the usual spark in her green eyes there was a little bit of hurt.
“Worried about me”, she mumbled under her breath, “Fancy giving her something to ‘worry’ about?”
Chris quirked an eyebrow at her, “What did you have in mind?”
“You, me, Jessica, Lauren. Warm-up here then onto Hyde, back here for a little after-party with whoever?”
“I’ve got a Dolce shoot tomorrow.”
She tilted her head to the side and looked at him as she exhaled a small cloud of smoke, “Just don’t drink too much. They won’t be ready for you ‘til the afternoon anyway.”
“Okay, count me in”, he grinned.
“That took a lot of persuading!” she smiled.
“Aha! I got a smile out of her”, Chris laughed as he sat up slightly and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back down with him.
Ruby rested her head on his chest and finished her cigarette, “I better call the girls. I fancy doing something different with my hair.”
Chris ran a hand through her long chocolate locks, “What were you thinking?”
“Dunno, just a change. Gotta mix it up Chrissy-boy”, she said, untangling herself from his arms and wandering over to the door, “Got to keep them on their toes”, she smiled as she left the room.
He shook his head at his best friend and his eyes landed back on the scrapbook that now resided on the floor.
What did Louisa know about a girl that she spent a couple of hours with every month?
Christian spent almost every moment with Ruby and he couldn’t see a problem. So she liked a drink and a good time like everyone else in this town.
What’s life for if you’re not going to enjoy it?
“Lunch went well then?” he asked, turning off the TV.
She flopped down beside him and shoved the scrapbook at him.
“She’s worried about my ‘lifestyle’”, Ruby spat, rummaging in her bag for her cigarettes. She was usually just a social smoker but this situation called for some nicotine.
“Fuck me”, Chris breathed as he flipped through the book, “Stalker much?”
“Have you read the letter?” she asked, around the cigarette dangling from her mouth as she searched for her lighter.
“She is telling you to slow down? Your sister wouldn’t know a party if it walked up to her, introduced itself and smacked her across the face!”
Ruby snorted and took a drag of her cigarette, “She didn’t mention anything about it over lunch, couldn’t shut up about her stupid wedding. We were leaving the café and she just thrust it into my arms. Said she’d call me to arrange our next lunch.”
Christian looked over at her, taking in her tiny frame slumped against the raspberry coloured couch and noticed that behind the usual spark in her green eyes there was a little bit of hurt.
“Worried about me”, she mumbled under her breath, “Fancy giving her something to ‘worry’ about?”
Chris quirked an eyebrow at her, “What did you have in mind?”
“You, me, Jessica, Lauren. Warm-up here then onto Hyde, back here for a little after-party with whoever?”
“I’ve got a Dolce shoot tomorrow.”
She tilted her head to the side and looked at him as she exhaled a small cloud of smoke, “Just don’t drink too much. They won’t be ready for you ‘til the afternoon anyway.”
“Okay, count me in”, he grinned.
“That took a lot of persuading!” she smiled.
“Aha! I got a smile out of her”, Chris laughed as he sat up slightly and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back down with him.
Ruby rested her head on his chest and finished her cigarette, “I better call the girls. I fancy doing something different with my hair.”
Chris ran a hand through her long chocolate locks, “What were you thinking?”
“Dunno, just a change. Gotta mix it up Chrissy-boy”, she said, untangling herself from his arms and wandering over to the door, “Got to keep them on their toes”, she smiled as she left the room.
He shook his head at his best friend and his eyes landed back on the scrapbook that now resided on the floor.
What did Louisa know about a girl that she spent a couple of hours with every month?
Christian spent almost every moment with Ruby and he couldn’t see a problem. So she liked a drink and a good time like everyone else in this town.
What’s life for if you’re not going to enjoy it?