Ulysses Paradox (a Will Lenney fanfiction.)

chapter twelve

This holiday party had a less formal dress code, and Ruby decided to go shopping the day before. She wanted find something new, something sexy. She wanted to be looked at. 

Her favorite shop was one called Daisy. She'd worked with them before on a campaign, and if she timed her visit right the owner would probably offer her a discount. Said owner was a nice lady in her early fifties called Lorraine, and her grey hair was long and stunning, enough to turn everyone's head. Ruby knew she would be able to help.

She was right. As soon as she stepped through the door, Lorraine was walking over to embrace her, scolding her that it had been much too long since they'd seen one another.

"All you do is work, Ruby. You need to come in and visit more often." Her accent gave away her city upbringing, and it always made Ruby smile.

"If I visited more often you might put me to work. Last time I came in you threatened me with a rebrand." They laughed together and Lorraine ushered her through racks of beautiful clothes as they caught up.

"So what brings you in today? The holidays are right around the corner, and we've got a few pieces that would look absolutely ravishing on your figure."

"Actually, yeah." Ruby said. "I've got a party tomorrow evening and I wanted something fun to wear." Lorraine pretended to swoon.

"Ruby, darling Ruby, I thought the day would never come. I've been waiting for the opportunity to dress you up." They switched directions and now headed toward the huge, luxurious fitting rooms toward the back of the store, and Lorraine began plucking things off hangers as they passed. When they got into the stall, Lorraine hung up the items she had already picked out and Ruby wondered if any of them would be long enough to be even close to decent. She brought this up to Lorraine.

"Oh sweet girl, you'll be fine. You've got these beautiful legs, you need to show them off to someone. None of this complaining, I know women who cry because they wish they had legs like you."

They spent the afternoon dressing Ruby up in every single dress Lorraine had in stock, and they had both settled on a satin black slip, that gave her the illusion of curves. Ruby looked at herself in the mirror and smiled back and Lorraine. She looked tall and luxurious, untouchable. It was exactly what she wanted.

"You look stunning, my dear. Absolutely stunning. It was made for you." She thought about what Will would think, despite not wanting to consider his opinion. It was hard not to. Maybe his girlfriend would be at this party, and she would look at Ruby and think she's beautiful and when she looked at Will, she would swat at his arm because he was staring. He would turn away and pretend like he hadn't been.

She would be untouchable.

Lorraine packed up her dress and insisted on sending her home with two other pieces Ruby had tried on, insisting that they too, were made for her. Her receipt only showed her black dress, and everyone smiled at her as she left, wishing her farewell and telling her to have fun at her party. It was already old news.

When Ruby got home, she situated her dress on its own hanger, and was excited to see that Lorraine had given her a beautiful blouse and a mid length skirt that would be perfect for client meetings and afternoon coffee with friends. She put them on so she could walk around her apartment and feel a little more put together. There wasn't much left for her to do, she had her dress now, and she would put up her hair and put some makeup on and take too long applying lipstick tomorrow night, but for now she had her first real night off in months. She had nothing to do.

Ruby played the piano as a child. When she told people this, they would shake their heads bemused and say of course you did. This meant that Ruby seemed like the type of child whose parents probably had enough money for piano lessons, and who enjoyed it enough to continue through high school. They were right. She had been very lucky. Her parents paid for every lesson until she turned sixteen, then she got a job and decided to stop so she could focus on other things.