Chapter Twelve

Ruby

Walking through the halls of NYU gave me flashbacks of my time in college. Sure, this place was way quieter than I remembered, but the smells and sounds were just the same. You could hear the instructors inside the rooms, the acoustics boosting their voices and echoing it throughout the room. The smell of textbooks, desperation, and tears lingered in the air, as it did in most colleges. Students were walking around and making their way to the courtyard, and banners hung everywhere for the events on campus. It made me miss my college days when the only worry I had was getting to class on time and scoring good enough grades to make my parents satisfied. The classes were always easy to me, but my mind was wrapped around whatever protest the groups I belonged to were planning. I had been a leader for as long as I remembered but never put myself in that position. I was always pushed there, and before I knew it, everyone was looking to me for guidance.

I took a left and quietly opened Lisa’s room, making sure the door didn’t slam shut. I crept along the back and took a seat in the back-row nodding at Lisa as she smiled up at me. I loved watching her work, she loved her job. She had always been a teacher, even when we were kids. She loved to share her knowledge with me, but the way she looked at causes and protests drove me nuts. I was sure I had never met anyone more down the middle of the road than Lisa. She always scientifically broke down every cause and looked at the pros and the cons. The thing was, she never came to a concise decision on whether something was bad or not. She just accepted that all situations were split, which was not the truth in my eyes. I loved her though, her sensibility kept me grounded more than once, especially since I had a way of becoming extremely passionate about the causes I was working for. Just when my feet were about to lift off the ground, she would reach out and remind me that I had to be more level-headed for anyone to listen to what I was saying and in a way, she was right.

When the class was over, I sat there watching the students pack up their backpacks and begin to head out of the classroom. Lisa turned off the projector and wiped the boards, gathering her things and sighing. It was Wednesday, which meant she taught three classes that day, and I knew she was more than exhausted. On top of that, she had her other faculty duties to attend to that included a huge research project the college had received funding for her to head up. She was my hero when it came to dedication and work ethic. I stood up and met her at the top of the stairs, throwing my arm around her shoulder.

“One class down,” she sighed. “Two to go.”

“You got this,” I said. “Let’s go refuel.”

“I’m starving,” she groaned. “Let’s go to the Thai place across the street. I can’t be gone too long, I have to check in on my research students.”

“Okey-dokey,” I replied prancing out of the college with her and across the street.

We sat down at a booth in the back to get away from the loud conversations that the other patrons, mostly students of the school, were having. We got our food and settled in, eating quietly for a few moments before Lisa chimed in. I could tell she was curious.

“So, how are things with the big financial guy?”

“Amazing,” I said rolling my eyes. “Like seriously, amazing. We went out the other night, had dinner, talked about everything, then came back, took a dip in the Infinity pool and then I stayed over at his place.”

“Again?” Lisa looked shocked. “You are sure spending a lot of time with this guy.”

“He makes me smile,” I said with blushing cheeks. “He’s intelligent, handsome, motivated, and settled, everything I was looking for in a partner.”

“So, wait, are you guys official?”

“No, not yet,” I said. “I mean I was just thinking about it. If things keep going this way, I don’t see how they couldn’t become official.”

“Have you guys talked about it?”

“Oh, god no,” I said chuckling. “You know how men are about that kind of thing. I’m waiting for him to bring it up. I don’t want to be that girl, and I don’t want to scare him off.”

“Wow,” she said lifting her eyebrows.

“What?”

“I just am shocked at how you are talking about him,” she shrugged. “It’s weird hearing that come from you.”

“It’s not like I was hell-bent on being an old single cat lady,” I laughed. “You know I’ve always wanted to eventually settle down and have a family. I’m not saying he’s the one, but he’s the best I’ve ever come across.”

“Wow, ever?”

“Lisa, I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way about a man,” I said. “Especially not a man that I’ve known for such a short amount of time. He blows me away on a constant basis. He is so sweet and kind, and oh my God the sex is out of this world.”

“Does he know what you do?”

“I mean he knows I work for Climate X doing social justice work,” I said.

“Right, but does he know you spend your free time protesting against companies like his?”

“I protest against causes, not companies,” I pointed out. “And no, I haven’t told him yet, but I will when the timing is right. He loves how passionate I am about things, I’m sure he will be on board with it.”

“Okay,” Lisa sang eating her soup.

“Yeah, spill it,” I said. “I know what that tone means. What are you thinking?”

“I don’t know, Ruby,” she said looking up at me. “I’m just a little worried I guess.”

“About what?”

“You are headstrong, jump in with both feet kind of girl,” she responded. “I think you should be careful with this guy. Get to know him. I can tell that you are falling for him and fast.”

“What’s wrong with that? It happens all the time,” I said. “When it’s right it’s right.”

“Yeah,” she said trying not to upset me. “But he’s is a young billionaire male that is extremely attractive and career-obsessed. Men like that, they usually are not interested in the long-term. They are playboys, men who want what they want when they want it, and when they are done, it’s a swift kick in the butt toward the door. Playboys like him and the others don’t normally ever stay with one girl much less commit to one.”

“I don’t think that’s how Nathan is,” I said shaking my head. “He’s different. He makes an effort, and he is intelligent. So intelligent that I know a lifestyle like that would become boring quickly for him.”

“Just be careful, okay?”

“I will,” I said smiling. “I promise. I’ll keep my emotions in check and take it day by day.”

While the words were coming out of my mouth, I knew they were a lie, and in her own way, I was sure that Lisa knew they were too. I just couldn’t imagine Nathan tossing me to the side like that. He showed in every way that he was interested in me for more than just sex. For a man who could get any woman at any time why would he put so much effort taking me on dates and doing all the things that he has done? The fact of it was, I felt like I knew him better than that, even if we had only been around each other a short time.

I had met the playboys, even slept with a few of them, and that was not how Nathan acted in any shape or form. He listened to me when I talked, and I knew that because he was able to offer some kind of intelligent reply. It wasn’t just him letting me speak to feel important when we were together. It was like we were in tune with each other. I needed to get my sister’s words off my mind before I let it affect the way I was feeling. I was a pretty good judge of character, and nothing about Nathan pointed to playboy, whether he was one before he met me or not. I didn’t care about his past like Lisa thought I should. All I cared about was his future and whether he saw me a part of it like I saw him as a part of mine.