Ruby (Landry 1)

of shiny golden hair that now fell wildly over his

smooth forehead. Despite his blond strands, he had a

dark complexion which only made his cerulean eyes

glimmer that much more in the glow of the street

lamp. Dressed in a tuxedo, his shoulders back, his

torso slim, he appeared before me like a prince--

gallant, elegant, strong, for the features of his

handsome face did seem carved out of some royal

heritage.

He had a strong and perfect mouth and a

Roman nose, perfectly straight, to go along with those

dazzling blue eyes. The lines of his jaw turned up

sharply, enhancing the impression that his face had

been etched out to duplicate the face of some movie

star idol. I was breathless for a moment, unable to

move under the radiance of his warm and attractive

smile, which quickly turned into a soft laugh. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"And what sort of costume is this? Are you playing

the poor girl or what?" he asked, stepping around me

as if judging me in some fashion contest.

"Pardon?"

My question threw him into a fit of hysterics.

He clutched his side and leaned back on the hood of

his sports car. "That's great," he said. "I love it.

/> Pardon?" he mimicked. "I don't think it's so funny," I

said indignantly, but that just made him laugh again. "I'd never expect you to choose anything like

this," he said, holding his graceful hand out toward

me, palm up. "And where did you get that bag, a thrift

shop? What's in it anyway, more rags?"

I pulled my bag against my stomach and