The drive to the hotel seemed to take forever.
Claire shifted in her seat and the soft leather of Ryan’s car felt good against her bare skin.
She had not worn anything that showed this much of her body in a long time and she could not even remember when.
The red dress felt like a second skin and held tight to her body in a way she was not used to.
“Hey,” Ruby said as she turned from the window she had been looking out of.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Just wondering why I let you talk me into this,” Claire said as she fixed the strap of her dress.
Ryan looked at her in the rearview mirror.
“You look beautiful, Claire.
Don’t let her make you feel otherwise.”
“See?
Even Ryan thinks you look amazing.
And he has excellent taste.” Ruby reached over and squeezed his arm.
“In everything.”
Claire rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop the soft laugh that slipped out of her mouth.
Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.
When they finally arrived at the hotel, Claire kept her expression calm.
The entrance had smooth marble floors and crystal lights that glittered softly in the low light.
“Wow,” Ruby said as she tipped her head back.
“This is fancy.”
Ryan took her hand.
“Come on.
Let’s go inside.”
The ballroom looked even nicer than the lobby.
Long tables were covered in white cloth and set with silverware and clear glasses.
Soft lights made the space feel quiet while a small band played calm music at the far end of the room.
Claire had expected loud music and people dancing or bright decorations.
Instead the place felt calm and proper.
Most guests wore neat clothes and many looked like they came straight from work, which made Claire feel both overdressed and underdressed at the same time.
Ryan led them to a table in the corner, away from the main crowd but with a good view of the room.
“This should be good,” he said and pulled out Ruby’s chair.
“We can watch people without being in the middle of everything.”
As soon as they sat down, Ruby’s hand found its way to Ryan’s thigh, her fingers tracing patterns on his pants.
Claire pretended not to notice and focused instead on the menu in front of her.
“I’m starving,” Ruby whispered as she leaned against Ryan’s shoulder.
“What looks good to you, baby?”
Ryan wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer.
“Everything looks nice.
Let’s just order a few appetizers and see where that gets us.”
Ruby giggled.
“You’re so responsible.
It’s one of the things I like about you.”
Claire watched them from the corner of her eyes, a small sneer tugging at her lips.
They ordered drinks and some food.
And as they waited, Ruby continued her playful touches.
Her hands moved over Ryan’s body in ways that made Claire’s cheeks heat up.
Ryan didn’t seem to mind though.
In fact he stayed calm each time Ruby’s fingers brushed against him.
“You two are ridiculous,” Claire said when she couldn’t take it anymore.
“We’re in love,” Ruby replied with a grin.
“You should try it sometime.”
Claire snorted.
“Good luck to you both.
But I’m not interested.”
Ruby opened her mouth to argue but just then a man walked up to their table.
He was tall and well dressed with a smile that looked sure of itself though it never reached his eyes.
“Ryan,” he said as he extended his hand.
“Glad you could make it.”
Ryan stood up and shook the man’s hand.
“Mark.
Good to see you.”
Mark’s eyes flickered to Ruby, then to Claire, his smile widening.
“And who are these lovely ladies?”
“This is Ruby, my girlfriend,” Ryan said as he rested his hand on her shoulder.
“And this is her friend, Claire.”
Ruby smiled.
“Nice to meet you, Mark.
Ryan talks about you all the time.”
Mark’s eyes stayed on Claire a moment longer than needed.
“Does he now?
All good things, I hope.”
“Of course,” Ruby noticed the look on his face and spoke before Claire could.
“Claire’s a teacher.
Very smart.
She works at the same place I do.”
Mark raised an eyebrow.
“A teacher?
Impressive.
Do you enjoy it?”
Claire opened her mouth to answer but Ruby cut in again.
“She loves it.
The kids adore her.
She’s their favorite teacher.
Aren’t you, Claire?” Claire shot her a look but Ruby just grinned.
“She’s being modest.
But really, she’s amazing.”
Mark chuckled, his eyes still on Claire.
“I’m sure she is.
Well Ryan, we should get going.
The presentation’s about to start.”
Ryan nodded.
“Right.
I’ll be there in a minute.”
Mark gave them all one last smile, his gaze lingering on Claire once more before he turned and walked away.
Ryan sat down with an amused expression.
“You didn’t have to do all the talking, you know.”
Ruby shrugged.
“Claire’s shy.
I was just helping.”
Ryan’s lips curved into a small smirk.
Then he leaned in and whispered something in Ruby’s ear that made her blush and laugh.
Claire looked away, giving them their moment.
“He’s cute,” Ruby said once Ryan had straightened up.
“Mark, I mean.
Don’t you think, Claire?”
Claire just shrugged, showing little interest in the topic.
Ruby watched her for a second.
“You never seem interested in anyone these days.
I’ve been wondering about that.”
Claire let out a tired sigh.
“Ruby, I said I’m fine, okay?”
“If you say so.
But you should at least look.
There are plenty of attractive men here.”
Claire scoffed, a little annoyed.
“Just shut up.
Please?”
Ruby held up her hands in surrender.
“Fine.
No more talk about men.
But if you change your mind, just let me know.”
Ryan excused himself a few minutes later saying he needed to check on something with Mark.
“I’ll be right back,” he told Ruby.
“Don’t get into any trouble without me.”
Ruby saluted him.
“No promises.”
As Ryan walked away, Ruby turned her attention to the foods that had just arrived.
“Oh, this looks delicious,” she said while reaching for it.
Claire watched as Ruby devoured the appetizers, not even noticing the glances from nearby tables.
She seemed completely in her element, confident and carefree as always.
Claire on the other hand felt a little out of place.
She picked at her food, sipping her wine and watching the other guests.
“You should try this,” Ruby said, holding out a piece of shrimp.
“It’s amazing.”
Claire took it and chewed it slowly.
“It’s good,” she admitted.
They ate in comfortable silence for a while with Ruby finishing most of the food while Claire observed her surroundings.
She noticed that while there were some younger people, many of the guests were middle-aged or older which made her feel more at ease.
She had been expecting the evening to be more uncomfortable than this but so far, it wasn’t as bad as she thought.
She was beginning to relax when Ruby tapped her thigh under the table.
Claire turned to her and found her staring past her with a strange smile.
Ruby nudged her chin toward someone across the room, and Claire followed her gaze.
Her eyes narrowed…