Off Limits (17 page)

Ruby seemed momentarily stunned.

"You are so annoying," she said eventually, "I have no idea what you're talking about. Can you please speak English with me and stop talking to me like I'm a customer or something? Because if you don't stop I'm going to have to hang up."

I knew it wasn't an empty threat. I had enjoyed hearing her voice so much that the last thing I wanted was for her to cut me off. If she did she might never pick up again.

"OK, OK. Sorry Ruby, I'm just playing with you. I missed you, girl," I said, feeling like an idiot with every word. I didn't want to give her time to call me an idiot so I continued, "Look, I just called to let you know that the company are doing interviews for PR positions next Friday. I know how talented you are and that the freelance thing isn't exactly keeping you in diamonds and fur coats so I thought you might want a change. So you can come in for an interview if you want. I'm not saying you'll get it, but I'm sure you would have as good a chance as anyone. The pay is really good and the work seems nice. I don't really know much about that stuff. But yeah, if you want you can come to the interview. If you don't, just pretend I never called."

I was bracing myself for Ruby to be mad at me. After all, I'd done all this without her permission. Maybe she even liked just getting by and the idea of a high paying job wasn't appealing to her. I didn't know. I didn't understand most of Ruby's motives.

But to my surprise, she was warmly receptive to my offer.

"Wow, a graphic design job? I took a lot of classes in college but I never thought that's what I would end up doing. Oh god, I don't know if I'm ready for it. Working from home is so different to working with people," she said. I was just relieved that she wasn't yelling at me but I was even happier when she agreed to attend, "Oh fuck it, OK. I'll give it a whirl. They probably won't even hire me but it will be good experience."

"That's the spirit!" I said happily. Then there was a little silence. I'm not sure what she was waiting for, but I guess I was waiting for her to ask if she could come over or something. I would have picked her up in a heartbeat.

"Nate," she said, after a while, "Thank you."

Her voice was so sweet and sincere, it made me feel really good. I just wished that she was saying those words while lying next to me on the bed rather than on the other end of a phone line.

"No worries," I said, "Your interview is at 4 o' clock so you have plenty of time to prepare. I'm sure you'll do really well."

Ruby giggled.

"I hope so. Any interview tips?" she asked. I wondered if she had figured out that I would be the interviewer.

"Wear something that shows off that butt of yours," I said. Ruby laughed and we said our goodbyes. Things were OK again. I felt good.

Ruby

Thank god that Trisha had just moved out of my place the evening that Nate called about the interview. If she had been there to eavesdrop, I would never have heard the end of it. She'd finally found a nice, affordable place on the other side of town that she was allowed to move into almost imminently. The night before she left we had had what Trisha called a 'girly night' which basically involved getting drunk and talking smack about boys. What this actually meant was that Trisha got drunk and bitched about her husband while I sipped one small glass of wine and kept my mouth zipped. I kept my own smack talking to a minimum, except when she prompted me. Even then, none of my shitty men stories were about Nate. Trisha had picked up on this.

"Nothing to say about Nate?" she slurred, and I shook my head. She nodded sympathetically and nearly fell over. Luckily I was able to hold her up before she slid right off the sofa.

"Ah, I understand. The wound is too fresh. Don't worry! I've felt that way before. I feel that way now, actually. It's not fun but you'll get over it. We both will."

She sounded like a total moron after one too many bottles of wine, but I did my best not to laugh at her. She was going through a tough time herself. Making fun of her wouldn't help with anything, though I desperately wanted to.

"Ruby, I'm being serious now," she said, spitting as she spoke. "You have to promise me, no wait, pinky promise me that you won't do anything with that bastard again. You know it's not right and anyway, the look that comes on your face every time someone mentions his name obviously means he broke your heart. So you have to promise. No more pussy for Nate!"

She held out her pink finger and I knew better than to argue. I wrapped my pinky around hers.

"No more pussy for Nate," I agreed.

His call was a shock that I hadn't even managed to brace myself for. I had his cell phone number saved from a while ago and hadn't quite developed the strength to delete it yet. I thought that if he called me that I would see his name flash up and be able to emotionally prepare myself. I may even have the strength to send his call straight to voice mail. But he called from a land line that my phone didn't recognize, so I thought nothing of answering the call. Hearing his voice was a shock, especially when it was combined with that terrible business voice that I had never heard him use before (though the latter was also somewhat sexy when combined with the former). My first thought was that he was looking for a booty call. My second thought was that I didn't know if I could trust myself to say no to his booty call.

It wasn't a booty call that Nate was offering me though. It was a job. The job of my dreams, really. OK, so it wasn't the actually job, but it was an interview. I was OK at interviews. He even said that I stood a good chance. He talked about money and how he knew that an actual livable wage would change my life for the better in so many ways. The fact that he would go out of his way to help me like this touched me, and I didn't quite know what to say. How could you even thank someone for such an incredible gift? All I could think to do was accept the offer and if I got the job, I'd be the best graphic designer they had ever had.

"Thanks again, Nate," I said, and I hung up before I gave myself the chance to say anything else. It was a little rude, maybe, but manners had never been Nate's top priority anyway. I was sure that he wouldn't mind. Anyway, I didn't trust myself to talk on the phone for much longer. My feelings might spill out all at once and Nate would know how much I had missed him and how I felt like a total idiot and how I really, really missed kissing him and touching him. For now, that information was best kept classified.

Besides, I had made a promise.

Nate

I pondered if I should send Ruby a good luck text on the morning of the big day or not, but I eventually decided against it. That would be showing favoritism and besides, if things went as well as I was hoping then she wouldn't need my luck. Anyway, the graphic design position was one of the few which didn't have thousands of applicants. Ruby only had a few competitors. I had to give them all a fair chance, of course, but if there was any way that I could give Ruby the job over them and not be a complete bastard then I would.

Ruby's interview was the last of the day so getting through the ones before her was a strain. I asked all the right questions and nodded at the right times but my eyes barely left the clock. I was counting down the time until she would be sitting before me with her portfolio and a pair of shiny high heels, giving me her best 'hire-me' face.

I asked every candidate, no matter what job they were going for, the same questions. Tell me about yourself. Why do you want this job? What do you have to offer that you competitors don't? They were boring questions that received equally boring answers, but I noted them all down anyway.

Ruby's competition came and went without leaving any major impact on me. One girl's portfolio was OK and she had the right experience, but she was no Ruby. There was no one else like Ruby. Maybe that was why I wanted her so much. There was no one else in this office, or in the world, like her.

Ruby

I tried my best to be prepared for the interview, I really did. I ironed my outfit the night before and spent the whole week getting my portfolio together. It looked good. I would look good.

I wasn't sure if Nate would be involved in the interview process or not. It seemed unlikely. As the boss he probably had much more important, interesting things to do than spend the whole day asking people boring questions. It's not something I would want to do so I couldn't imagine that Nate would want to do it. Still, by the sounds of things he had at least put in a good word for me. All I could do now was make sure that I lived up to his colleagues' expectations of me. I hadn't been at a job interview in ages and they had never been my favorite thing in the world, but I would do my best to blow my interviewer out of the water. At least, that's what I thought.

The first thing I did wrong was relying on the bus. It wasn't like I had much of a choice in the matter. I didn't have a car at the moment and spending money on a cab was out of the question. I could walk, but I was wearing heels that were so high that they became torture after two minutes. My only option was the bus. The city buses weren't exactly reliable by any means but I figured if I got one extra early then I would be safe. That would leave plenty of time for any mishaps to be avoided and for me to get there on time.

The bus arrived at the stop outside my apartment a good five minutes early, so I thought we were off to a great start. I would make Nate so proud. He had done me such a big favor by getting me this interview. I never would have gotten it on my own.

I fiddled around with my phone as the bus made its way through the city center. It was one way to combat my growing nerves, though the sounds that the bus was making were very disconcerting. Sure, most of the city buses had been around when my mom was my age, but they usually ran OK. I did my best to convince myself that the bus wouldn't break down, but the concerned looks on the other passengers' faces let me know that I wasn't imagining all the noise. It was clear that the bus was going to cut out at any point now. I just hoped and prayed that it could hold on another twenty minutes or so until we got to the office building where my interview was taking place.

I was out of luck. The bus moved forward by what couldn't have been more than a few feet before stopping completely. I wasn't the only passenger who groaned at this but I was the first one to jump from my seat and demand to be allowed to get off.

"We'll have an emergency bus in like thirty minutes tops, lady," said the bus driver, but I shook my head.

"I don't have time!"

So I had to run the thirty blocks or so that it took to get to the building, all the while carrying my portfolio and putting up with the excruciating pain from my high heels. I made a mental note to bring a pair of running shoes in my bag if I ever managed to get this job.

I ran past block after block, wheezing and panting, trying not to look at my watch because I knew I would panic if I did.

To my complete surprise, I reached the office building with ten minutes to spare. It looked like it was true what they said about adrenaline rushes giving you heightened abilities. In high school I had always been picked last in gym. I had just completed a run in six inch heels in record time.

I should have walked straight into the building and stopped gloating, but I was too idiotic for that. I checked my handbag to make sure that I had my cell phone and everything I needed. I peeked at my reflection in a car window to ensure that my pencil skirt and blouse looked just the right combination of sexy and sophisticated, and that my hair wasn't a complete mess. My fatal mistake was opening my portfolio. I had planned to flick through it quickly to make sure that everything was there, but I didn't get that chance.

The wind suddenly picked up and four or five pieces which made up half of my portfolio blew away. I screamed and chased after them, though my feet really were throbbing now, but it was no good. They had flown completely out of my sight.

"Oh fuck," I mumbled, glancing up at the office building. This wouldn't look good. I had a choice though. I could either cut my loses right now, walk away and tell Nate that I got another job. Or I could do the right thing and go to the interview.

It was so tempting to run back home as fast as I could and curl up under a comforter with Lucy and a pint of ice-cream, but I didn't give myself time to consider that option. I forced a smile on my face and marched straight into the building, half empty portfolio in hand.

A receptionist was rather kind in directing me where to go.

"It's the top floor. You can talk to Mr. Watson's secretary and she'll let you know if he's ready for you," she said sweetly. I thanked her for her help and stepped into the elevator.

My mind flashed back to my first kiss with Nate in the hotel elevator. I wondered if he'd ever kissed anyone in this elevator for a moment, but then I put that thought aside. The receptionist had said Mr. Watson, so unless there happened to be another Mr. Watson it was Nate who would conduct the interview. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about that yet. All I knew was that I was happy that I had taken his advice and worn a tight black pencil skirt that emphasized the shape of my ass.

Nate's secretary wasn't as nice as the receptionist. She was as beautiful as I had expected any woman working for Nate to be, with long blonde wavy hair and bright blue eyes. She wore a pink fluffy mohair sweater that matched her baby pink nails. She frowned when she saw me.

"Are you the four o' clock?" she demanded, before I had a chance to say anything. I nodded.

"Yeah, Ruby Heron. Here to see Mr. Watson," I said, trying not to be intimidated by her obvious attitude. She rolled her eyes and pointed at the clock, which read a minute passed four.

"You see that? If you can't tell the time, it says it's a minute after four. That means your late, Miss Heron," she said. It didn't feel unlike being scolded by a teacher for not handing in your homework on time. I wanted to stand up to her but all I could do was stand there and mumble my excuses. It was clear from the withering stare that the woman gave me that she didn't buy any of it. She looked at me like I was a piece of dirt that had spoiled her expensive shoe. I felt the urge to run home growing until Nate came out from the interview room.

"Miss Heron?" he said, as if he didn't know me. God, even when he was interviewing he wore his leather jacket. The blonde woman scowled.

"She was late. Her interview was at four and she arrived at a minute past. Almost two minutes past. I was about to tell her to go home," she said. I felt the blood draining from my face. She couldn't do that, could she?

"But, but that's not fair! I tried to get here on time, I really did, but the bus broke down and I had to run and I made it on time anyway but then, after all that, half my portfolio blew away and I had to chase it down the street!" I babbled pathetically. Nate just laughed it off.

"Don't worry about it Ruby, Cindy can be a real hard ass on punctuality. Lucky that I'm not like that at all. We balance each other out. Why don't you come on in and you can show me the remains of your portfolio?"

I nodded eagerly and followed Nate into his office, glancing back to see Cindy frowning at me even more than she already had been. I had a massive urge to stick my tongue out at her, but I just about managed to resist. I closed the office door behind me and suddenly Nate and I were alone again.

His office was beautiful, first of all. There was a giant window that filled the room with sunlight and gave a fantastic view of the city. It wasn't Paris, but it was nearly as beautiful. I could have stared out that window all day but I forced myself to look away.

His desk was made of glass and there was a leather chair on both sides of it, and a large black bookshelf behind his own chair. Everything was neat and organized. The only sign of Nate's rebellious nature was the swimsuit calendar pinned up on the wall and his motorcycle helmet, which was resting on the windowsill.

"Sit down, please," he said, as he took his own seat across from me. I obeyed. There was something oddly sexy about being in Nate's office. I guessed I liked his dominant side. But I couldn't let myself get distracted.

I handed Nate my portfolio and he looked at the few pieces that hadn't blown away. He spent forever on each page, clearly analyzing every detail. I started to wonder if I was really as good as I thought I was. He wasn't saying anything.

"Thanks Ruby," he said eventually, closing the book and handing it back to me. "There's some good stuff in there."

I hated the word good. I craved words like great, fantastic and amazing. Good to me meant mediocre, just passable.

"Just good?" I couldn't help asking. Nate smirked and I felt more at ease.

"I'm teasing. You know you're brilliant," he said, before clearing his throat and returning to boss mode, "OK Ruby, so I've seen what you can do. I just have a few questions I want to ask you to see if you'd be suitable for this position. Is that OK?"

I nodded.

"Of course it's OK. Ask me anything," I said. Nate smiled again and glanced down at the paper in front of him.

"Great. Now, first I would like to know why you want this job and what kind of underwear you're currently wearing," he said. His voice didn't falter so I had to get him to repeat that last part. Had he seriously just asked me that?

It was so obvious how much Nate loved to annoy and embarrass me, but I wasn't going to let him make a fool out of me today. No, I would keep my cool.

"Well, I've heard fantastic things about your company and I really think that a fresh view in your graphic design department would help it to succeed even more than it already has. That's why I want to work here. Also, I'm wearing red lace lingerie with a red garter belt and black stocks," I said, smiling sweetly. I crossed one leg over the other and pulled up my skirt just enough so that he could see the lace detail at the top of my stocking. I saw his eyes widen the way they always did when he was turned on, but he made no other acknowledgment of my gesture. He quickly composed himself and looked back to his notes.

"Those are two great answers Ruby. Now, I'd love it if you could just tell me about yourself. What are your hobbies and interests? What do you do in your free time? What's your favorite position? Anything along those lines would be great," he said. I had no idea how he was managing to keep such a straight face but I did my best to do the same as I answered his questions.

"OK. I just turned twenty five last month which makes me a Leo. In my spare time I like to paint with watercolors and play with my pussy," I paused for effect, enjoying how taken aback Nate looked, "her name is Lucy and she's a tabby. My favorite position would have to be doggy, or girl on top because I'm a real go-getter."

Nate couldn't help but chortle at my answer. He scribbled something down in his notebook.

"Another great answer. You're a very articulate woman. I just want to ask you a few more things," He said, without looking up from the paper,

"What can you bring to this company that your competitors can't?"

I opened my mouth to answer but Nate wasn't finished. He looked up and stared straight into my eyes.