Feral Obsession

Chapter Four

Ruby was still living out of boxes. There was no guarantee that she would be staying, and despite it being two weeks since she had rented a U-Haul truck and moved across the country, she still couldn't stop the feeling of anxiety from creeping up her throat.

She didn't have a permanent home, not yet. And no matter how much money in tips she collected, stashing in a hidden spot in her apartment, she still didn't feel like it was enough. Even with her paycheck from her event job, she still felt like a failure.

Everything will be fine, she told herself. Even if Atlas terminates your lease, you have some money. Could hole up in a motel for a little bit until you found something else more permanent.

And every night, she scrolled through Apartments.com, looking for something else. It was tiring, but it was necessary.

"So we're thinking of putting you on the Wilson Wedding," her boss was saying. Ruby blinked to attention, listening to her boss a little more closely. "With help, of course. You wouldn't be alone, but it would be a great jumping off point for you."

Ruby found herself nodding. This was what she moved for. No matter how much her mother wanted her to stay back in South Dakota, no matter how much her mother had begged her not to leave, Ruby knew she had to escape her hometown.

She felt free here.

"That sounds perfect." Ruby's boss handed her the Wilson file, which included the date of the wedding, a few venues they had looked at, and other details. She found herself smiling. "A wedding on the water would be beautiful."

Her boss was nodding. "Isn't it crazy how we can just go to the ocean whenever we want? We just... live here."

Ruby agreed, except she hadn't made any time to make it down to the coast, not since she had moved there. She would add it to her list of places she would love to visit when she was more settled. "When do I meet with them?

"I have a meeting set for tomorrow. I want you to review their file today and be prepared to take next steps with them tomorrow. We need to settle on a venue for them, and start thinking of caterers and entertainment."

Ruby settled into her cubicle, pressing the phone to her ear. She figured she might as well call venues and get some mock prices out of the way, and see who was actually available on the date the Wilsons' wanted.

She got to work, calling the venues, finding herself lost in dates and prices, and she didn't even notice the commotion on the other side of her cubicle. By the time she finished the phone calls, she pushed back her chair, craning her neck to look out her open doorway.

Some of her coworkers were whispering about something, their heads bent together in glee. "What's going on?" Ruby called out, standing from her chair. "Is everyone okay?"

"More than okay!" One of her coworkers giggled. "Take a look at that hot client out there! We're trying to see who has first dibs!"

Ruby leaned over, getting a good look at the person in the lobby, his hands casually tucked away in his jeans, a cowboy hat resting on his head.

Ruby knew him from the restaurant. He had come in with Atlas, and she hadn't seen him since. But, she could understand the excitement, because he was good looking. As if he knew she was looking, his eyes slid to hers, a smile curving over his face.

"Darlin'," he greeted. "I didn't know you worked here."

Ruby could feel her coworkers take an immediate interest in their conversation. There was a whisper behind her head. "Wait Ruby, you know him?"