Ruby & The Rose (lesbian stories)

Chapter 2

2

It was late at night, while Rose stood watching heavy rain pound at the window panes, when the door sprung open, and a girl stumbled through. She was short and frail, scantily clad in torn stockings, and a crumpled black dress. A length of matted faux fur was wrapped haphazardly around her tiny shoulders, and a pair of red stilettos was clutched tightly in her white hands. She was, under the running mascara and smudged lipstick, rather beautiful. But there was a nasty cut along her left cheekbone, and a bruise forming beneath her eye.

“S…sorry,” she mumbled. Rose turned her head. The girl shivered, and tucked a few greasy strands of long blonde hair behind her ear.

“You look like death,” Rose said, closing the door, and leading the girl to sit on the bed. “What’s your name?”

“Ruby Donnelly,” the girl said, after a moment’s hesitation.

She looked Ruby up and down. “Are you going to give me your real name?”

“No.”

“Good girl.”

“What about you?”

“Professionally they call me ‘The Rose’.”

“Professionally?” Ruby raised an eyebrow, and pulled the fur around herself a little tighter.

“Not your profession. Though I’ve no doubt that it is just as old.”

“What do you mean?”

“As long as there has been human life, those humans have had enemies, and problems, and disagreements. And some people have wanted those enemies and problems and disagreements…” she paused, thinking of a way to put it reasonably delicately. “Dealt with.”

“Ah,” said Ruby. She wasn’t an idiot, the Rose could tell. Perhaps she wasn’t a scholar, but she’d seen things. If you looked in the right places, there were plenty of people to be found who “dealt” with things.

“What are you doing here then?” asked Rose. She found some spare blankets folded in the cupboard, and put them around Ruby’s shoulders.

“A job,” Ruby said timidly. “A few floors up. He seemed a nice enough guy. But he wouldn’t pay and…” she gestured to her injuries. Rose nodded.

“I’ll get you something for that. How does it feel?”

Ruby shrugged, but she winced at the movement. “It’s not bad.”

Rose dug out the small first aid kit from her duffle bag.

“Sure it isn’t,” she said. She poured a drop of disinfectant onto some cotton wool and began to dab at Ruby’s cut. The girl hissed, and Rose felt her muscles tense. When the wound was clean, Rose sealed it up with a couple of butterfly stitches. It wasn’t the neatest of jobs, but it would do.

“Thank you,” Ruby mumbled timidly. “I’m sorry for disturbing you.”

She began to stand up, but Rose pushed her shoulder gently, so she was sitting back on the bed.

“If you think I’m going to let you just go back onto the street to be battered again…” she said. “You can stay the night.”

“But-“

Rose shook her head. “I won’t hear it. Have the bed; I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“I-“ Ruby stopped herself, and gave a small, grateful smile. “Okay.”

Though she had refused to change out of any of her clothes, Ruby was asleep instantly. She lay, curled up around the pillow like a mouse, snoring softly. Despite mumbling incoherently every so often, she seemed extremely peaceful. Rose laid a few blankets beneath her on the cold floorboards and was soon fast asleep herself.

At seven am, Rose’s eyes slowly creaked open. Ruby was still fast asleep, still clutching the pillow. Rose found herself lacking the heart to wake her up, and so dug out a half-eaten cereal bar from the bottom of her duffle bag for breakfast instead of coffee.

Freshly washed- and sporting her new denim shirt- Rose sat in the chair by the window and watched vacantly as the world passed outside. The shops were just opening, sleepy owners yawning as they lugged out lopsided sandwich boards. She spotted the greasy spoon that had provided yesterday’s breakfast. The grubby old man looked as pleasant as ever, as he wiped the counter over with a stained dishcloth, one large sausagey finger shoved firmly up his nose. She found her brow crinkling in utter disgust.

A slight shuffling sound pulled Rose from her thoughts. Ruby had opened her eyes, and Rose ignored how wonderfully they shone in the dusty morning light.

“Good morning,” she said, standing and wandering over to the counter. “Coffee?”

Ruby pushed the blankets off her and sat up. “Yes please. White, one sugar?”

Rose’s lips curled into a slight smile. “Coming right up.”

The two drank in silence. Ruby gulped her’s down in three or four huge gulps. Goodness knew the last time she had had any type of sustenance.

“Thank you,” she said, a little awkwardly, placing the mug down on the bedside table. “Thank you for everything. I really must get going now.”

Rose’s eyes snapped up. She wanted to say no- “no you must stay”. But she needed to move on. Her next job was miles away, and she had to get there before evening, and before all the cheap rooms were booked. So instead she nodded, “Of course.” She gave Ruby a couple of bank notes, and the girl took them gratefully.

Ruby slipped her tiny feet into the red shoes, straightened her dress a little, and rewrapped the fur around her shoulders. “Goodbye then,” she said. “It was nice to meet you.”

“You too,” said Rose. As she closed the door behind her guest, there was an uncomfortable feeling in her chest that she couldn’t place and didn’t like.

She ate at the dirty cafe again that morning. She felt particularly brave and ordered bacon. The homeless man gave her a look that indicated that that was an unwise decision. But Rose found herself not caring. That feeling still sat within her like a dull blade.