Chapter 4
"Where's Ellie?" Jerome Caldwell asks as he closes the door of the shop and puts on enormous lilac-colored glasses.
Ruby raises both eyebrows and makes a fake gesture of disbelief.
"If you want, we can cancel this meet-up and reschedule for when she's available," the girl replies with a sarcastic tone while bobbing her head like a Bronx native.
Jerome rolls his eyes, then smiles. He approaches his friend, hugs her, and plants a loud kiss on her cheek. They walk toward a bar on the corner near Jerome's hair salon and quickly order two beers with a bowl of peanuts.
Jerome Caldwell can be considered the third leg of their group.
They met in school after the boy moved with his family to New Orleans from Arizona.
Jerome spent his days alone in the schoolyard, too black and effeminate for his classmates, who never stopped picking on him.
One day, after gym class, Ellie noticed some jerks insulting him and didn't hesitate to stand up to them.
Ruby followed suit and, like two genuine tough girls, they threatened anyone who even looked at Jerome the wrong way.
They took him under their wings, and they've been inseparable since.
He's not as close as Ruby and Ellie are, but every two weeks they meet at this same bar, talk about everything and nothing, and set another date.
"You didn't answer me," Jerome says after taking a long swig of his beer. "Damn, this is good," he mutters and takes another gulp. "Where's Ellie?"
Ruby chews with satisfaction on about ten peanuts she's stuffed in her mouth. When she swallows, she drinks half her glass and wipes her mouth.
"She's with her lawyer."
Jerome leans closer to her, driven by curiosity.
"I guess she'll give you more details, but she's separated from Marcel," Ruby says, and the corner of her lips automatically lifts. She tries to hide it by bringing the glass to her lips.
Jerome whistles and opens his eyes wide.
He's always had his theories about why none of Ellie's relationships work out.
He noticed it when she lost interest in that cute rugby player who was head over heels for her, and confirmed it on her wedding day with Marcel when, instead of focusing on the groom, her gaze kept drifting to her left, to the person holding her bouquet.
"I didn't know they were having problems," the stylist says, just to contribute something. It's what everyone says when they hear news like this.
"Neither did I," Ruby answers, remembering she said the same thing to Ellie.
A strange silence falls that starts to become uncomfortable.
When those two are together, all you usually hear is their incessant chatter, always sharing news or laughing at some silly thing.
Now the situation is different; Ruby doesn't feel very comfortable with the topic, especially because of what Jerome knows.
A few years ago, when Ellie announced she was getting married, it was her friend who picked up the pieces of Ruby's shattered heart.
"And what do you think about that?"
Exactly the question Ruby didn't want to hear. The girl finishes her beer in one gulp and shrugs.
"Well..." Jerome says, crossing his legs and interlacing his fingers to rest them on his lap. "I see an opportunity there; you can get closer to her now that she's going through a rough time."
"I see her every day at the bar, Jerome," Ruby's response makes the man remove his glasses in a gesture worthy of an impressed diva.
"Don't go there, Ruby, you know what I mean. You've spent your whole life waiting for a chance to be with her and, if I may comment," Ruby shakes her head, but he continues, "you've wasted a lot of time with this nonsense of just being friends."
"It's not nonsense," Ruby counters, annoyed by the comment. "She's been my best friend since we were kids..."
"The same amount of time you've been in love with her," Jerome interrupts.
Ruby glares at him, and he raises both hands.
"Ellie has never given any sign that she feels anything but friendship toward me. Besides, that's water under the bridge. I'm with Amelia now and I love her," she says and frowns when she realizes she's out of beer.
Jerome tries to keep his expression from being too cryptic and lets a few minutes pass while Ruby orders another drink and peels peanuts with more force than necessary.
"What I believe is that you can't live so long loving someone without knowing if it's reciprocated at least a little," the stylist continues once her beer arrives.
"I know you're scared, I think I would be too, but I'm still sure it's worth trying; just seeing you two together shows you love each other more than normal.
And yes, I know you love Amelia, she's a good woman and you get along well, but are you in love with her? "
Ruby opens her mouth, but only a stammer comes out that even she doesn't understand.
Jerome is right; sometimes the soul grows tired of that feeling which, despite the years, hasn't diminished; on the contrary, her love for Ellie has grown alongside her.
Each stage by her side has made Ruby love her more, feel immeasurable admiration, and want nothing more than to be next to her.
Unfortunately, Ellie discovered her taste for boys early on, and Ruby stayed by her side, bleeding from the wound, though hoping that one day she would notice her.
Maybe now is her chance, but she's terrified just imagining that her best friend might not feel the same way and that their relationship would fall apart after so long. No, she can't do it.
Jerome looks at her with sympathy, although he knows Ruby hasn't put her life on hold and has had incredible experiences with other girls, she's never been truly happy because none of those women have been Ellie.
He decides to give her a break; his intention isn't to make her feel bad, just to open her eyes and help her make a decision.
"By the way, I wrote to your mom a few days ago to invite her to the salon. I want to treat her to a haircut or whatever she wants, but she brushed me off."
Ruby appreciates the change of subject; she was starting to feel suffocated.
"I don't see her bouncing back. She spends all day locked up at home, has lost weight, and refuses to go back to her life," Ruby says with regret, remembering the happy woman her mother used to be.
"I'm thinking of stopping by this afternoon to talk to the director of the center where she volunteered; there's always something to do there, and I need to get her out of that isolation. "
Jerome listens to his friend and nods while his mind races. He knows he's heard someone mention needing help with something, but he can't place it. Suddenly he jumps from his chair and snaps the fingers of his right hand, causing Ruby to nearly choke on her beer.
"My neighbor is desperate to find someone to help with her mother," Jerome tells her.
"She repeated it to me last week when she came in for highlights which, by the way, turned out divine, let me tell you.
Anyway, her mother is in a wheelchair and, although she's completely independent, they're looking for someone to keep her company, go out with her and such. Maybe your mother might be interested."
"I can tell you right now she won't be interested, but it's not her decision; if I don't get her out of the house, she'll die of sadness," Ruby laments. "Give my number to your neighbor and have her call me if she's still interested."
They pay the bill and, as usual, say goodbye at the door of Jerome's salon. They hug, but this time the stylist does it with more strength and for a longer time.
"See you, okay?" Jerome says with an affectionate gesture.
"Sure," Ruby waves goodbye.
Her body moves slowly, but Ruby's mind races like a thoroughbred, thinking about the conversation she's had with Jerome.
She's never felt such a strong need as she does now to take a step forward, to at least test the waters with Ellie and the possibility that she might feel something similar.
Plus—she remembers—Ellie told her she was sick of men, and that has to mean something. She sketches a faint smile.
"I think it's time to devise a plan."