Beautiful Secret (Beautiful Bastard 4)

Even Bennett joined the rest of us in regarding her with a mixture of curiosity and awe.

“Jesus Christ. How old are you, Ruby?” George exclaimed.

I was grateful to have George at the table. He was willing to ask all of the questions I wanted to, but never would.

She reached up, tucked her hair behind her ear again in a gesture I’d come to translate as her single, uncomfortable tell. “Twenty-three.”

“You’re practically a zygote,” George said, groaning. “All that ambition and you’re not even a quarter century old.”

“Well, how old are you?” she asked, her sunshine grin taking over her entire face. “You don’t look much older than me.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” George whined. “It’s depressing. I’m practically approaching Viagra.”

“He’s twenty seven,” Will answered, shoving George playfully.

“But seriously. Let’s get to the important stuff,” George said. “Do you have a boyfriend, adorable-twenty-three-year-old-Ruby?” My attention darted down and I stared intently at my drink. “And does he have an equally adorable gay friend?”

“I have a brother,” she hedged, and then frowned apologetically. “I find him to be pretty adorable, but sadly, he’s straight. I could have made a fortune charging my girlfriends for sleepovers in high school.”

Bennett nodded and said, “I like your entrepreneurial spirit.”

George leaned in, saying, “Don’t think I didn’t notice the way you sidestepped the boyfriend question. Do I need to play matchmaker while you’re in New York?”

“I honestly don’t think you want to go there.” Ruby lifted her glass and perched her straw on her lips, meeting my eyes. “This one here can attest, only a half hour ago I looked like a streetwalking crackhead.”

“On the contrary,” I argued. “No one wears a hotel robe with more dignity.”

She giggled and then coughed as she swallowed. “You’re my favorite liar.”

“I’m being sincere,” I told her, putting my tumbler back down on a cocktail napkin. “I was also impressed with the way you managed to get a hair pointed in each direction. Few can achieve that simply by napping in a hotel bed.”

She shrugged, her smile nearly giddy over our verbal banter. “Many have tried to teach me the ways of sleek hairstyling. Many have failed.”

I looked up to a table of grown men, watching us with rapt interest. I was definitely going to get the third degree from Max later.

“So, no boyfriend,” George said, grinning wolfishly.

“Nope,” she answered.

“And not interested in anyone in particular?”

Ruby’s mouth opened and immediately snapped closed as her cheeks bloomed pink. And then she blinked around the table, narrowing her eyes. “You can’t tell me you guys all get together for drinks and talk about relationships. Are we moving on to shoes next?”

Bennett tilted his head toward George. “It’s this one. Get him in a bar and it’s always like this.”

“I’ve told you a hundred times, Ben-Ben,” George drawled, “you’re the boss in the day, I’m the boss after dark.”

Bennett stared at him coolly, and I watched George struggle to not fidget under the pressure. “George,” he said, finally, fighting a laugh, “you have never said that to me.”

In a burst of relieved laughter, George said, “I know but it sounded so good. I’m just trying to impress Ruby.”

“Ruby, you’re going to steal George away from me,” Will said, smiling.

“Not likely.” George reached forward to tap Will’s nose with each word: “She. Doesn’t. Have. The. Right. Parts.”

“Okay, then,” Bennett said, lifting his drink and taking a long swallow. “Back to discussing body parts. All is normal.”

* * *

A silence fell over the table as everyone turned to watch Ruby leave the bar and head upstairs to bed. She had been utterly charming throughout dinner, and the group had groaned in unison when she’d excused herself because of our early morning. I, too, had been quite sad to see her go.

“Well, well.”

I looked up to see my brother’s smug expression.

“Now that we’re alone,” Will began, “I think we can all agree to drop any pretense that we’re not ruined for civilized conversation, yes?” Each of them nodded in agreement and beside me, his glass now refilled, Will raised his tumbler to take a small swallow of scotch. “I also think we can all agree Bennett will be an important consultant on this case.”