0.1 | No Exit from Deception ✓

0.33 | Three Kings And One Queen Of Hearts

Sometime later in the evening after the transient massage session, Ruby descended downstairs and was stopped by the spry maid, Lucy. "Miss Elizabeth! Just now I was coming to your room."

"Me, what for?"

"Mrs Warner has called you to have supper in her office with some guests." She then bowed down, folding her hands. "Your presence will be highly appreciated."

Ruby nodded curtly. "I'll be there."

No doubt, this kind of royal treatment made her feel like a queen. But, despite gaining a lion a share of respect, she was feeling small as she lost the same in the eyes of Emily by canceling her existence completely. Her once-spoken words glorifying their friendship went down the drain in comparison with her actions earlier which proved she wasn't true to her words.

Ruby snapped from her thoughts and asked the fleeting apparition of Lucy as she was gone, "Hey, have you seen Joseph by any chance?"

***

She gathered her tresses in a high ponytail with one of the classic fabric-covered hair ties that turned her average ponytail into a statement look. She had taken tips from fashion magazines, and that had miracled in accentuating her fashion icon status. As Ruby walked through the door, her eyes fell on Tasher's Versace yellow and black baggy shirt, and not on his face.

He stood up, hands at the back.

Mr Garfield and Mrs Warner sat on the Brooklyn leather three-seater sofa. She certainly hated to see her crescent swivel chair situated too close to Tasher's as if he had paid extra money to the maid to rejig the sitting arrangement.

"Elizabeth, please come and join us," sang Mrs Warner, raising a hand to be kissed by her. Ruby kissed it, forcing a smile as she sat next to Tasher who muttered beautiful under his raspy breath. Then he began to note every little detail from her updo to the magenta leather used in her pointed heels.

Ruby pulled the hem of her skirt down constantly over her crossed legs. Safety measures are mandatory.

"Arnold, how would you define this miracle?" Mrs Warner's face bathed with pride.

It was unexpected to see him giving no reaction, just a smile, that too looked quite pretentious. The hairy chest was behaving in a loner wolf way. "Her youth is beyond bliss. Cheers to that."

Moments later, the elders were gushing silently at the sight of the two young people, with strong stances, and fiery passion, sitting together and not speaking a word. Ruby hated to start with Tasher, "Well, I know which end is up."

"That means?" he asked amused, while his tone possessed the quality of knowing the context fully.

"That I'm your sexy type. But you are not my any type. So better pick your eyeballs and drop them somewhere else," Ruby didn't mince words and reprimanded him.

"Christ, I was not staring at you. I was just wondering why would God even create such an enthralling Goddess and leave her on earth. That's it." He lifted his shoulders and extended a plate of cookies toward her which he bent to keep up from the table. "Have some."

"No, I hate butter in cookies," she made an absurd argument.

"Not to worry." Tasher then shouted in a frenzy, "Need help!"

Lucy appeared dutifully within a matter of seconds. "Yes sir."

"Get me a plate of decadent, flaky and so very delicious Southern biscuits that have no butter in them. Got it!"