No sooner had Katie left my office than Asher and Madilyn are entering. Fuck. It’s like a revolving door in here. I really don’t want to deal with them right now.
Asher is convinced that Ruby did something illegal to get the information about Damien, the toy company client. But he was also convinced that the vape pen belonged to her as well.
“Hey guys,” I tell them, as they approach my desk.
I think about telling them that I’ve found out it wasn’t Ruby’s vape pen. But I don’t want to get Katie into trouble.
I need to think about the best way to approach it. Maybe a partners’ meeting where we look into the intricacies of medical marijuana in the workplace.
That’s the last of my problems right now anyway. First on my agenda is using my noggin to find out where Ruby might be.
“Hi Ron,” Asher says.
He seems to be in a jovial mood. I look over at Madilyn and she’s smiling.
“What’s up?” I ask.
“I came to ask my best man to stand up beside me at our wedding,” Asher says.
“Really?”
I look back and forth between him and Madilyn. They’re both nodding enthusiastically.
“Of course,” I say, but I’m still a bit shocked.
I knew they were really into each other but I didn’t know things had gotten this serious.
“It won’t be for a while and we’re keeping it on the down low but I wanted you to be one of the first to know,” Asher says.
“That’s great. Congratulations.”
I’m truly smiling now, happy for them despite my surprise. I wish that Ruby and I could turn out to have a similar fate. But I don’t even know where she is.
As if reading my mind, Asher says, “Now don’t go thinking this means we made the wrong decision in firing Ruby. That was nothing like this.”
“Asher told me about that,” Madilyn says, shaking her head and looking sad. “I think it’s a shame. I think she was a nice girl and that you two had a good thing going on. Much like Asher and me.”
“Well, honey, you never smoked an electronic weed cigarette in the office,” Asher jokes.
“Yeah, but I’ve done a lot of other naughty things in the office,” she says back, winking at him.
“Vaping,” I say, mostly just to get them to stop flirting with each other right in front me. I love them and all, but it’s fucking obnoxious. Especially when I’m not able to do it myself with Ruby.
“What?” Asher asks.
“It’s called vaping. You don’t have to say ‘smoke an electronic weed cigarette’ because you can just say vaping.”
“Wow, looks like Ruby taught you a thing or two,” Madilyn laughs.
“You know, I was wanting to talk to you about,” I say. “I don’t think Ruby did it. I don’t think it was her vape pen.”
“Sure,” Asher says. “Whatever you want to believe. But I wouldn’t bet on believing her. The toy company people think she’s not even who they say she is.”
“What?”
“Honey,” Madilyn says, pulling on the sleeve of Asher’s suit jacket. “You don’t need to go into all of this right now. Let Cameron make his own decisions.”
“He deserves to know,” Asher says. “Especially since she’s not exactly sticking around to explain herself.”
“Explain herself about what?” I explode, instantly defensive. “You fired her. How could she stick around? And what do you mean she’s not who she says she is?”
“They did some digging— they have their own computer people too, you know— about who would be hacking into their system and why, and they can’t even find a record of her existence. They say most of the things on her resume are fake.”
“You showed them her resume?” I ask Asher.
“They were worried about their privacy and security,” Asher says. “They wanted to find out who might know their secrets. But the good news is, they did find an email she drafted that explains a lot about her past. They asked me if I wanted to know but I figured it doesn’t matter to me. She’s no longer an employee. But if you want to read it, I’m sure they’ll let you. In fact, it seems to have been written to you.”
“Back up,” I tell him.
Yes, I’m interested in the fact that she wrote me an email. But I figure that if she wanted to see the email then she would have sent it to me. There are other things that Asher said that I find disturbing.
“What about her privacy and security?” I ask. “They read her resume that she submitted to us and us alone? And her private email? What the fuck, Asher?”
He just shrugs, as if all if fair in love and Internet hacking wars. And maybe it is, for all I know. I really don’t know much about it. I’m learning a lot about a lot of different things, thanks to Ruby.
“And why are you even talking to them about all of this?” I demand.
“Because thanks to your little illicit lover, they’re thinking about not hiring us,” he sneers.
“Honey,” Madilyn hisses, at his hypocritical use of the phrase “illicit lover.”
But that’s not even the part I’m most upset about.
“Well you should love that, since you never thought we should represent them in the first place,” I tell Asher.
“Well, now that I know…” he begins.
“Now that you know how much money they have, you want to represent them after fighting me tooth and nail about it before. And you know how you know how much money they have? Ruby.”
“You do have a point,” he says, smiling that cocky grin of his that right now I almost wish I could wipe off of his face.
Asher and I have always had a relationship like brothers. Some days I love him, some days I want to knock him out. Lately there have been a lot more of the latter.
I hate to admit it but Ruby gave me the strength to let him know not to mess with me. I appreciate his help throughout the years but this is my firm too. I can’t believe I let him fire her. I have to get her back.
“Madrid,” I say suddenly, standing up and grabbing my briefcase.
“What?” asks Asher.
“I think I know where Ruby is.”
I remember how she said she had a picture of the café in Madrid in the Rubik’s Cube feature of her app. How she was saving up money to go there.
“Are you sure that going after her is really a good idea?” Asher asks.
“Oh, Asher,” Madilyn says, elbowing him playfully. “Do you already forget what it feels like to fall in love? Because we just did it.”
Looking at me, she says, “I’m sorry my fiancé is being so difficult. I think that love is worth going after. Even if you’re afraid of the risk.”
“Thank you, Madilyn.”
If I’m being completely honest, I’d have to admit that I don’t think it’s the best fucking idea I’ve ever had. Ruby apparently has some dark secrets that could ruin me.
Tying her up again could take me down.
But it’s all I want to do.