by S M Mala
Deep down, she didn’t want to spoil his day but it was only a matter of minutes away. Ruby was equally scared it would then be over for them, their fleeting reunion. She felt sick at the thought of being rejected by him so she pushed it to the back of her mind.
Within minutes she had made breakfast and took it out onto the patio, placing the plates down and returned with the tea.
He hadn’t moved.
‘Breakfast, darling,’ she said, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek as he shook himself out of his doze and stood up, putting on his boxers so she could wear the dressing gown.
‘Wow! That’s amazing,’ he gasped, walking to the kitchen sink, washing his hands and face, drying off on the dish cloth.
Ruby watched him grin, walk out and sit down. She followed with the milk and sat beside him as he tugged her chair closer, so their knees could touch. Scottie kissed her gently on the lips and smiled.
‘I love you,’ he sighed, his blue eyes staring at her. ‘I really do.’
‘It’s only breakfast! Do I get a marriage proposal if I make dinner?’
‘Possibly,’ he laughed as she poured out the tea. ‘This does look good.’
‘Eat up then.’
‘I love you,’ Scottie said cheerfully as he cut into his food and started to eat.
Then ‘Is this love’ came on and he grinned, singing bits of the song.
Ruby knew her task was going to be impossible.
‘Remember all those months ago, when we first met and you were nice?’ she began. He smiled, nodding his head while humming. ‘You know, when you were trying to make me fall in love with you?’
‘It worked. Listen to this bit,’ he said. She heard the silky tones of Bob Marley’s love song. ‘‘Is this love that I’m feeling?’’
‘Sing to me afterwards.’
‘It is for me,’ he sighed.
Ruby wanted to laugh. He shook his head from side to side, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath.
‘And you told me about the kids and that you adopted Charlie,’ she continued, realising he’d listen to her, eventually.
‘He wasn’t impressed by my promotion, my oldest,’ replied Scottie, chewing his bacon. ‘This is good!’
‘It’s nearly cremated, of course it’s good.’
‘Did I tell you I love you?’ he said and kissed her with a mouthful of food. ‘I was going to come and see you this morning, demand you speak to me but you came to me. That’s just wonderful!’
‘Will you stop your romantic blabbering and listen to me?’ she sighed, putting scrambled egg on her toast and taking a bite.
‘Really buttery eggs,’ continued the running commentary.
‘Yes, breakfast is perfect!’ Ruby laughed, realising he’d gone round the bend.
‘She said the investigation, all those years ago, was because you wanted to get your own back on her,’ he mumbled. She did a double take. ‘Commissioner Trott also said she’d known you for a long time. How comes?’
‘She spoke about me?’
Even Ruby couldn’t hide her surprise.
‘I asked how you knew her,’ he said, flicking a glance. ‘I told her I’d met you once through Diane.’
‘I remember you couldn’t recall my name.’
His smile faded.
‘I was shocked to see you and even more shocked to realise how you made me feel,’ said Scottie quietly, turning his head to look at her. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Ambition, where does it get you in the end of the day?’
‘This is real, it really is.’
‘You said that last time,’ she replied, half smiling. ‘We’ll take it really slowly, okay.’
‘Okay,’ he said and looked sad for a moment.
Ruby took her bacon and gave it to him.
‘I’m forcing you into cannibalism by making you eat bacon,’ she said, feeling a rush of love. ‘Eat it before it turns into card.’
‘You’re wonderful.’
‘You’re mad.’
‘I’m madly-.’
‘No save it,’ she said, putting her hand over his mouth. ‘You need to listen to me.’
‘Okay.’
‘But eat up first.’
She poured him a cup of tea and sat back, watching until he had only one mouthful of food left.
‘Trott was the cow who gave me the wrong information regarding the paedophile then she denied it to all and sundry. She told me she was teaching me a good lesson on how to really get my facts right. I was so angry with her and I know it wasn’t about that. The bitch was pissed off with me.’
‘How come?’
‘This sounds strange and it’s not meant to be. The reason is…’ she hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out how to say it. ‘She used to be my sort of step mum at one point in my life.’
Sixty two
He choked on his food, spluttering out the contents of his mouth. Ruby immediately slapped his back then ran to get him a glass of water, nearly slipping as she came back out, making him choke some more.
‘Oh my god!’ she gasped. ‘I knew not to tell you when you were eating.’
Scottie was looking at her as she anxiously rubbed his back, put a napkin over his face and then pushed him to sit up, handing over the water.
‘Drink slowly and take deep breaths,’ she said, wiping the streaming tears coming from his eyes. ‘Are you alright? Next time I give you news, I’ll do it over a bowl of porridge.’
Scottie managed to compose his breathing and sat back in his chair.
‘You managed to eat most of it, so it’s fine,’ Ruby said and let out a deep sigh. ‘It never usually goes down well when I tell people. Sebastian wet himself laughing and Hugh? Well he knew but, then again, he didn’t tell me how much he knew her.’
‘You’re not joking?’ he asked, completely shocked at her announcement.
‘I’m not joking.’
Ruby’s face scrunched up for a moment.
‘How?’ he asked, watching her pained expression and trying to overcome the surprise.
‘When my mum died I was a teenager, my stepfather looked after me. He didn’t have any kids and then, in a nutshell, he met her and fell in love. Moved her in but, within a year, I buggered off to University and got my own place. He died just after I graduated.’ She put her head in her hands. ‘He left me all his money and she was pissed off. Took me to court and lost. So the knives were out. Helen Trott wasn’t horrible, just hurt he hadn’t left her anything. I didn’t really give a shit and let her stay in the house. The place where she currently resides is legally mine. When I caught her with Hugh, I could have put her rent up. But I didn’t.’ Ruby let out a little laugh. ‘You don’t think my joke’s funny?’
‘You’re deadly serious, aren’t you?’
He couldn’t get his head around it.
‘Deadly. Hugh knew about the animosity but still managed to have sex with her in our home. I don’t know who was trying to punish me, her or him or both.’
‘Oh my god!’
That’s all he could say as it started to sink in.
‘I guess you want to call it a day now?’ she asked gently, stroking his hand. ‘It’s okay. I knew you would.’
The thing is, he didn’t know what to say.
He watched her sip her drink. Ruby then leaned over and kissed his forehead, walking back into the house.
She had truly thrown him with this information.
And Sebastian had known all along.
Immediately he wanted to call his friend to shout at him then hesitated.
‘Hey no!’ he said getting up and running back in, seeing she wasn’t there then sprinted up the stairs. ‘Ruby?’
‘I’m in the toilet,’ she replied.
He let out a little sigh of relief, scared she’d gone. Scottie walked into the bedroom.
Flinging himself back on the bed, he stared at the ceiling realising the actual absurdity of the situation.
‘Oh and she hates me,’ added Ruby, standi
ng at the door. ‘Now the divorce is sorted, I’m giving it a few months before I sell the property she lives in then I’ll be free of her.’
‘I don’t get it,’ he said, propping himself on his elbows as she walked towards his wardrobe.
‘What’s there to get? I met Hugh and married him. Little did I know, she’d been sleeping with him on and off. Years later, we investigated corruption, her and her team were rumbled and her guilty lover died of a heart attack. I’d also written an article that my husband didn’t want to print so I was pretty pissed off with him. I backed down, knowing the animosity had gone on long enough, only to find her with Hugh, under my roof, a few years later. Here we are today and I’ve been sleeping with one of her golden boys which she’ll accuse me of doing on purpose to piss her off.’
‘Fuck,’ is all Scottie could say then he looked at Ruby who had his Assistant Commissioner’s hat on, staring miserably at him.
He thought she looked really cute but still didn’t know what to say.
‘Thanks for today,’ she said quietly, walking towards him and sitting down. ‘It was a nice ‘goodbye’ and you got a meal out of it.’
Scottie was speechless.
‘You’re staying with me until tomorrow,’ he quietly said. ‘I have to think.’
‘What’s there to ‘think’ about? She finds out about me and you, you’ll get the chop, I know you will. And she’ll probably get me run over by a speeding cop car making out it was an accident.’ Ruby laughed for a moment. ‘I know what she’s like. Personally, she should be pleased we did the expose all those years ago. I mean, she got promoted from it. If I had my own way, she wouldn’t have.’
Flinging himself back on the bed, he laughed out loudly.
He felt her crawl up his body, still wearing his hat and grinned when she came face to face.
Then it hit him.
‘That means your step father was Sidney-.’
‘He was the Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police some twenty six years ago and died of a heart attack. That woman has a habit of being with men kicking the bucket that way. It’s probably the stress of being with her or the demanding sex.’
‘Sidney Murray was your step father!’ exclaimed Scottie, staring at her. ‘Sir Sidney Murray?’
‘Why do you look so shocked? Just because he was a copper doesn’t mean he was bad. He was a good guy. It was the others who weren’t so good. And he was revered for having a black woman as his wife. I reckon that’s how he got promoted.’ Ruby frowned as he was doing the same thing to her. ‘I was joking.’
‘Oh god, I can’t take this.’
‘And you can now understand why I never took on my step father’s name. Murray? Ruby Murray? Curry? That’s why I kept my birth name. And when we first spoke, you mentioned a ‘Ruby Murray’. I thought it was a good sign.’
‘Oh,’ was all he could reply.
‘That’s it really. And of course the coppers hate me because dad was a high ranking officer and they think I’m a scummy journalist.’
He couldn’t take his eyes offer her as she shrugged.
‘You still want me to stick around?’ Ruby asked.
‘We’ll work through it,’ he sighed, giving her a massive hug. ‘But first, you’re coming to meet someone with me before lunch.’
‘Who?’
‘Wait and see.’
Still reeling from her revelations, he drove her to his Nana Gwen in East Sheen. Ruby was sat in the passenger seat, grinning to herself.
‘What’s funny?’ he asked, stroking her thigh.
‘You’re funny,’ smiled Ruby turning to look at him. ‘You’re thinking hard on what to do, I can tell. Are you a good detective? I thought they were excellent at solving riddles.’
‘Don’t take the piss especially now I know your step dad was in the force,’ Scottie laughed, turning into the sheltered housing car park. ‘My Nana does enough of that as it is.’
‘I’ll wait in the car. I don’t want to meet your family, not until we can figure this all out. Diane’s told me about your grandmother and she sounds fun.’
‘Yeah, well, that’s Nana Gwen all over and, to be honest, I want you to meet her.’
‘Why?’
‘She’s not completely normal, a bit like you.’
As they approached her flat, she flung open the door and was wearing a ‘Relax’ t-shirt which he knew was an original from the 1980’s and a pair of fuchsia leggings.
‘Hello, hello, hello,’ she said bending her legs, doing an impersonation of a police officer. ‘What do we have here then?’
‘This is my friend Ruby. Do you mind? I brought her along,’ he asked, trying to flash his Nana a warning look to behave.
‘Can I score some hash off you?’ she asked, making Ruby grin. ‘What’s the point of having a grandson in the fuzz who can’t get you free dope? Come in!’
‘Thanks,’ Ruby smiled and he felt another rush of love, recalling what she’d told him.
‘Fancy a cuppa?’ she asked. ‘Go and make us one, Scottie.’
‘Fine,’ he said, walking through the living room to the kitchen and stopping when he saw the boxes of red wine. ‘Are you having a party?’
‘No!’ she bellowed. ‘Just my weekly delivery so you can stop casing the joint.’
Then he heard her laugh as Ruby joined in. He let out another sigh and peeped out from the kitchen, seeing his Nana had put Ruby in the interrogation armchair.
That’s what she liked to call it, the old leather chesterfield she had since she was a newlywed.
‘How do you know my grandson?’ the old woman asked.
Scottie tried to catch Ruby’s eye so as not to say anything but failed.
‘I met him at Diane’s birthday party,’ she replied politely. ‘I work with Diane at the Samaritans and-.’
‘You’re the one he was trying to get the phone number off?’
‘Pardon?’ he said, walking into the living room.
‘Where’s my tea?’ his Nana said. ‘Are you picking the leaves?’
‘Leave Ruby alone,’ Scottie replied and quickly went to make the brew. ‘And don’t ask her any questions. We’re only here for a few minutes. I promised mum I’d come and see you.’
‘Does Diane know you’re shagging her cousin?’
He stood rooted to the spot then walked back out again.
‘I can’t see any cups,’ the feisty elderly woman said. ‘Can you hurry up? I’m dying of thirst. That’s how they kill us oldies, dehydration.’
‘In answer to your question, no she doesn’t,’ replied Ruby, flashing him a smile. ‘And we’ve only been shagging since the early hours of the morning so it doesn’t count.’
‘Can you please stop talking, Nana?’ he said, taking the cups out and putting them on the table.
‘Would you like a glass of wine?’ the woman asked. He shot her a warning glance. ‘I know it’s nearly eleven thirty but a little tipple on a Saturday doesn’t count. I’ve got lemonade if you want to make it into a soft drink.’
‘That would be lovely,’ grinned Ruby. ‘I’ll get it.’
‘No, let him,’ Nana Gwen replied. ‘We pay for his wages, you know, with our taxes. He might as bloody well give up something back, don’t you think?’
‘I agree.’
‘Bloody hell,’ mumbled Scottie.
‘Watch your language. I might be old but I’m not deaf!’
Ruby started to laugh and he just looked at her, smiling back.
‘Come on!’ huffed Nana Gwen, standing up. ‘I might as well do it myself.’
She briskly walked out of the kitchen as he followed.
‘Don’t ask her personal questions,’ he whispered. ‘And don’t go embarrassing me.’ His grandmother looked up at him with a twinkle in her eye. ‘I mean it.’
‘You like her?’
‘I like her a lot.’
‘How much?’
‘None of your business,’ he replied, trying not to make eye contact.
>
‘I see,’ Nana Gwen laughed. ‘That much.’
‘More than that.’
‘Even though you pulled her this morning? You’re a fast one,’ she scowled. ‘I expect she’s the reason you’ve been a right miserable bastard for months.’
‘Nana!’
‘You think you can hide things from me? You’re mistaken. It’s written all over your face. You’re just like your grandfather Percival, bloody transparent. Get the lemonade from the fridge and the open box of wine,’ she instructed, getting two large tumblers out. ‘I love an afternoon piss up.’
‘We’re not spending all afternoon here and you can’t get pissed. Mum will go mental.’
‘She already is nutty as a fruitcake. She was starved of oxygen when she was born so no surprise there,’ she sighed, walking out.
Scottie could see from her sprightly step, the woman was up to something.
‘So, Ruby, what is it you do for a living?’ she asked sweetly.
He walked back in and sat down on the sofa, next to Nana Gwen.
‘I write a problem page for a newspaper. It’s called ‘Tell it how it is’ and-.’
‘You’re ‘Rebecca Martin’?’ his grandmother asked. ‘I thought she’d be in her late fifties, like me.’ Then she laughed out loudly. Scottie shook his head from side to side, wondering if he’d made a mistake by bringing Ruby round. ‘I like it when you give advice about sex. You’re a saucy thing.’
‘Sex?’ he said, doing a double take. ‘I thought it was a problem page.’
‘People have problems when they’re shagging. I remember your grandfather had a spat when he couldn’t get it up. How that poor man probably got friction burns from having a good old wank.’ Ruby hollered with laughter as he tried not to smile. ‘I took my dentures out and he was right as rain.’
‘Nana!’ he shouted loudly, feeling his cheeks burn with shame. ‘Don’t say things like that and you don’t wear dentures.’
‘She’s an agony aunt, bet she’s heard worse.’
‘I could tell you a few stories,’ grinned Ruby. ‘But I’ll leave that for another time.’
‘I like your frank answers. It’s good you’re cutting out all the bollocks and going straight for the point. The other day, what was that one saying about her cheating boyfriend?’