Off Limits (9 page)

Nate

I got a text from my cousin Trisha a few minutes after I had dropped Ruby off to her apartment.

"Did Ruby tell you anything when you sat next to her at the wedding?" she asked. She'd told me a lot of things, of course she had, but Trisha didn't need to know about our relationship. No one did. Especially now that it was basically over. I replied with one word, 'No'. My cousin only ever texted me when she wanted gossip about someone and I knew how competitive she was with Ruby. I wasn't going to help her in any way. I got another text a few minutes later.

"She's back with her ex. She told me. Poor Ruby loves being heartbroken. Don't tell anyone!" I turned off my phone and went to work. I didn't need this shit.

Ruby

Trisha was full of shit. Jeff was full of shit. The two of them were total shitlords but that didn't stop everyone believing them when they told everyone who would listen that Jeff and I were back together. It became apparent as soon as I returned home that Trisha hadn't known about Nate. My voice mail was overloaded with messages from my mom telling me that this was a bad idea, Trisha telling me that she had no idea how this information had gotten out since her lips were sealed like always and Jeff saying that he was sorry, and could we talk, and could I just give him a chance (the term 'heartless bitch' was also tossed in for good measure). It was annoying, but after calming my mom down and deleting the other messages I felt a sense of relief wash over me. No one knew about me and Nate. They would never have to know, because it was over now. I put the lipstick on and went back to work for the rest of the evening. This was fine. I was fine.

Nate

As much as it hurt me to do it, for the next month or so I kept away from Ruby. I deleted her number, dumped the clothes she had left at my house and did my best to remove her from my mind. It shouldn't have been difficult for me. After all, my schedule was so hectic. Hopping from city to city in an attempt to inspire people keeps a man pretty busy. I should have been enjoying myself, drinking and going to bed with beautiful women from around the world. That's what I would have done in the past. But now it was different. Now my appetite for life, for women, seemed to have died. I found myself missing the feel of Ruby's skin underneath my fingers. I missed the way her back arched when she climaxed. I missed the taste of her. It didn't matter. It was over.

Ruby

My twenty fifth birthday arrived all too soon, without a single attempt at contact from Nate. I had thought that I might get some teasing text messages, or maybe that he would have shown up at my apartment with a bottle of wine and that cute smirk. He must know that he could win me over easily. Yes, I had freaked out the last two times we had had sex but that was me. I was neurotic and silly. He had to be able to see how much I enjoyed being with him? Even if it wasn't socially acceptable. There had to be some way that we could continue our liaisons in secret.

Obviously, Nate didn't want to. He had moved on to the next girl in the next city with the next shade of lipstick. Men like variety, as Trisha had always said. They don't like to be tied down to the same woman. Jeff had gotten with Amy because I hadn't made enough of an effort to keep things interesting for him. I should have made him nicer dinners and dressed up in sexy lingerie more often. Then he might have stayed.

My mom didn't live in the city and I didn't have the money to travel home to see her. I didn't exactly have many friends in the city, so I allowed Trisha to organize a birthday dinner for both of us. She had insisted that it would be fun and not at all pathetic. She'd invite everyone she knew and I would have a magical evening.

Though I wasn't in the mood, I managed to force myself out of bed and into a vaguely presentable dress. I dragged a comb through my hair and put on a wash of that red lipstick, thinking that I might as well get some use out of it.

Trisha picked me up at seven in the evening, dressed in an interesting pink rhinestone number that looked like something a kid would wear in one of those creepy child beauty pageants. She hugged me tight and tossed me a bag full of presents before she began to drive to the restaurant.

"Trisha, you shouldn't have," I said. I unwrapped every package. There was another pink lipstick, a bottle of perfume that smelled like bubblegum, a pair of pink heart earrings, a box of chocolates and even a little feather toy for Lucy.

"Don't worry about it honey. I know you've had a tough year. It's my birthday too, but tonight's your night," she winked and shot me a pearly white smile. She seemed unenthusiastic about my present, a collage of childhood pictures of us and a pink nail polish, but she thanked me all the same. She didn't even make a dig at my financial problems, which I greatly appreciated.

We pulled up in front of a fancy Chinese restaurant. It was the kind of place that served the exact same food that you'd find in a take-out place only less greasy and four times as expensive. Trisha had chosen well.

We got out of the car and were greeted by a whole bunch of Trisha's friends, a few who I had met at the wedding. Her husband didn't seem to be anywhere in sight but I bit my tongue and didn't say anything. Maybe he would be coming later.

We went inside and Trisha asked for the biggest table in the house. It was all very grand inside, with dangling chandeliers and waitresses in red silk dresses. I was about to sit between two of her friends when Trisha stopped me.

"No Ruby!" she scolded, "You need an empty seat beside you! Not everyone is here yet."

A few stragglers arrived within the next ten minutes. They were kind enough to bring me presents and were very over the top in wishing me a happy birthday. I wonder if Trisha had threatened them to act that way. I couldn't say that I minded. Maybe this wouldn't be a bad night after all.

One of them tried to sit next to me and Trisha yelled at her, insisting that that seat was taken. Strange. Very strange. I couldn't understand why Trisha wasn't allowing her friends to sit beside me. She had said it herself. Tonight was my night.

I soon understood everything. Jeff walked in, dressed as scruffily as he had in college in a too big shirt and shabby looking jeans. He was holding two bunches of gas station flowers in his hands, one of them very pink and the other more red.

Trisha greeted him as if he was her long lost brother and took her bunch of flowers as if they were hot house lilies.

"How thoughtful!" she exclaimed, "Oh Jeff, you really are the perfect guy!"

I knew what was coming next. He sat next to me and handed me the red bunch of flowers. I thanked him curtly and put them under the table with my other gifts. He looked heartbroken at my coldness but I didn't care.

"Are you ready to order?" asked one of the pretty waitresses. I saw Jeff's eyes wander to her tight silk ensemble for a moment, but he soon thought better of it and his eyes returned to me. I opened my mouth to say yes but Trisha interrupted me.

“Sorry, we're still waiting on one more person. Wait, here he is!” Trisha waved enthusiastically. I looked behind me and my heart immediately sank.

It was Nate.

He looked incredible of course, dressed in his leather jacket and an expensive looking pair of black jeans. His hair was slightly tousled in a way that made me want to reach out and touch it. I could see the other girls, and some of the guys at the table were checking him out just like I was. In his hand were two small boxes, each gift wrapped in the same red metallic wrapping paper.

Trisha actually got out of her seat to go hug him and thanked him profusely for showing up. She introduced him to every single person at the table and smiled when she got to me.

"Nate, you remember Ruby, right? You sat next to her at the wedding," she said. Nate nodded and gave me a small smile.

"Of course I do. Hi Ruby," he said.

Then Jeff leaned forward to shake Nate's hand and introduce himself. I could see Nate frowning a little as Jeff told him his name. I wondered if he remembered everything I had told him about my ex. If he did, he chose not to make a scene and sat down between Trisha and her friend Laura, directly across from me.

We all ordered our food and when the waitress left, got chatting. Jeff started talking to me about his new gym membership and some short story he'd had published in some magazine or other, but my eyes stayed on Nate. It became obvious very quickly that Trisha was trying to get Nate and Laura together. I had nothing against Laura, she seemed like a nice girl, but the idea of her with Nate infuriated me. I sat there, powerlessly watching as Trisha tried to find what the two had in common. Judging by the color of Laura's cheeks, she found Nate very attractive. He was talking to her and being as charming as always, but I couldn't tell if he was just being polite or if he actually liked her. His expression was impossible to read.

"Ruby, you're not listening to me," said Jeff. I rolled my eyes.

"That's true," I said. Jeff looked hurt. I tried not to feel too sorry for him. I mean, the man had made my life a living hell and cheated on me with my best friend in the world. But Jeff looked so pathetic that I couldn't help but apologize for my callousness, "I'm sorry, Jeff. I have a lot on my mind. So what's that you were saying about your story?"

Jeff went into a long spiel about some man finding himself by sleeping with lots of women, before returning to the girl who had loved him all along. It sounded like utter garbage to me but I thought I'd be polite and keep my opinion to myself. Jeff seemed to like that as with every vaguely interested nod I gave he moved his chair closer to me.

I could sense that Nate was looking at me now and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. I wished that I had made more of an effort to look sexy. Trisha's friends were all so good looking, if I had to compete with them I couldn't see myself standing much of a chance. It was upsetting.

The waitress arrived with our food. I had ordered satay skewers and I began to dig into them as soon as she put down my plate. Concentrating on my food seemed like a better option than listening to Jeff, or worse, watching Nate getting cozy with another girl.

"Ruby, you're so rude! You never opened Nate's present!" said Trisha, suddenly. A metallic red package was sitting in front of me. I hadn't noticed it until now.

"That's OK It's nothing much, really," he said. For what must have been the first time in his life, Nate Watson actually looked shy. It was adorable and made me want to kiss him even more than I already did.

Trisha drew everyone's attention to her bracelet. It was a small, elegant piece with pink stones and a rose gold chain that sparkled just a bit. It was perfect for Trisha.

"Look at what Nate got me in Paris. Isn't it pretty? He's the best cousin ever," she sang, smiling at Nate, "I have no idea how you're still single! Laura, isn't that crazy?"

Laura nodded shyly. I reached out and took the box.

"I'd prefer to open my presents on my own, if that's OK?" I said, putting it under the table with the others. Nate nodded.

"Sure that's OK I just hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will."

I looked back at my satay and let my hair fall by my face, hoping that it would cover the scarlet color that I could feel my cheeks were now going. I could sense Jeff huffing beside me.

"God, that guy really thinks he's great doesn't he," he said, poking me, "Didn't you say you were going out with him?"

I shushed Jeff. Luckily, no one at the table seemed to be listening to him.

"I said that, but I was lying because I wanted you to leave me alone. I just happened to think of Nate's name. I'm single, OK?" I knew that Jeff would interpret my horrified expression as embarrassment for lying to him. I was right.

"Oh, I see. There's really no reason to be embarrassed, baby," he said.

"Ruby," I quickly retorted. He nodded.

"Of course, Ruby. You didn't even like being called baby when we were together. That's understandable though. I think I get you more than anyone else does. After all, we spent so much time together," he said. I kept nodding as I ate, hoping that if I agreed with him he wouldn't bother

me too much.

"And I know it must be scary, seeing as how you lost me last time. I know you're afraid that it will happen again. I guess we were both at fault and we both have things that we need to work on. But we can work on them together."

"Mm hmm," I nodded, "That's great Jeff."

I called over the waitress and asked for a glass of wine. The soda that I had been sipping all night just wasn't doing it for me anymore. Not with Jeff babbling shit in one ear and Trisha talking about how great Nate and Laura looked together in the other. I drank my glass quickly and followed it with a second one. The world suddenly seemed a little bit kinder.

The waitresses took away our dinner plates and we ordered dessert. Laura was the type of girl who didn't eat dessert, I noted, wondering if Nate would like me better if I said no to the chocolate cake that looked so incredible. But fuck it, that didn't matter now. I ordered my cake. To my surprise, the waitresses appeared with a large birthday cake with twenty five candles on it, singing happy birthday. Everyone sang along, wish myself and Trisha the best and cheering us on as we blew out our candles. There was only one thing that I was wishing for and it made me feel silly, as I had already given it away so freely. I looked at Nate as I sat down once again and Trisha began to cut the cake up for everyone.