For ruby, p.1
For Ruby, page 1
FOR RUBY
A Micah and Georgiana Short Story
TINA MARTIN
Copyright © 2020 Tina Martin
FOR RUBY
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This book is a work of fiction. Any similarities to real people, names, places, things or events are a product of the author’s imagination and strictly coincidental and are used fictitiously.
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For Entertainment Only | Only for Ages 18+
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Related Stories:
There are two other books that relates to this book. The first one is How To Love Me. I strongly suggest you read How To Love Me to get a better understanding of For Ruby.
The second book is Weekend Fiancé. Jared and KeShana are characters from How To Love Me. They were best friends of Romello and Indigo. Weekend Fiancé is their story. [There’s a brief preview for Weekend Fiancé at the end of this book!]
For Ruby wasn’t meant to be a long, drawn-out detailed novel around the ‘new’ life of Micah Justus. In fact, I didn’t want to write a follow-up story for him at all. In this story, I show how two people try to make the best out of a situation they found themselves in – being instant parents to a beautiful, innocent child. Can they get along for Ruby’s sake?
I hope you enjoy all of these stories! Thank you for being readers.
Tina
FOR RUBY
Chapter 1
Georgiana left work on two wheels Friday evening, heading straight to the bar to meet her girlfriends Bailey and Whitley. She’d already discussed her plans with Micah who agreed to pick up Ruby from his mother-in-law’s house, so she didn’t have to worry about that. Her daughter would be taken care of so she could relax. She needed a break. Needed to vent over cocktails with her friends.
She walked into the bar, hugged them and exhaled her worries as she sat down, lowering a heavy Michael Kors purse to the bar counter.
“Finally,” Whitley said. “You made it.”
“You mean she barely made it—walking all up in here sighing and whatnot with that suitcase,” Bailey said.
Whitley chuckled.
Georgiana was too frustrated to be amused. “Sorry, y’all. I know I’m late. Last-minute stuff always come up on Fridays,” she said sitting next to Bailey at the bar. “It never fails.”
“Yeah, but you’re the boss—thought y’all didn’t do any work,” Whitley said.
“I don’t know why you keep saying that.”
“Because my manager don’t do jack squat. That’s why.”
“Well, that’s your manager. I’m CEO of a black-owned business. I gotta work extra hard to make sure we make it. Can’t have these snooty business folks out here talking bad about me. I gotta represent for the people.”
“I feel you, sis,” Whitley said, then turned up her glass to catch a piece of ice in her mouth. “Just know it’s okay not to work yourself into the ground and for goodness sakes, stop wearing those six-inch stilettos. I swear you gon’ throw your spine out of alignment.”
“Don’t hate on me because you don’t know how to walk in heels, Whit.”
Whitley poked out her tongue, then continued eating ice.
“Gigi, I already ordered you a Tequila Sunrise,” Bailey said.
“We already had two of ‘em,” Whitley added, “So we’re just gon’ watch you drink.”
The bartender brought over her drink and placed it in front of her. “This must be yours,” he said, then smiled.
“It is. Thank you.” She took the glass and using the pink cocktail straw she instantly pulled a long sip.
“Oooh, you see that, Bailey?” Whitley asked. “The bartender didn’t smile at us like that? He was cheesing super hard, too!”
“Hush, Whitley. You a lil’ tipsy, honey. We had that bartender down there and he’s white.” Bailey laughed.
Georgiana shook her head. “Y’all should’ve just ordered the whole bottle of tequila. I’ma need more than this sorry drank…ain’t nothing but ice, anyway.”
“Did you say the whole bottle?” Bailey asked, amused. “That’s what got you into trouble with Micah.”
“You’re right. I’m not going to deny that. Now that Ruby’s here, we gotta do what we gotta do, but that man…” Georgiana finished her drink.
“I said it before and I’ll say it again—don’t let that man run you into the ground,” Bailey told her.
“Mmm, hmm…with his fine self,” Whitley added. “Mercy, mercy me…”
Bailey scoffed. “Whitley, this right here is proof that looks ain’t everything. What’s the use of having a fine man and not being able to do absolutely nothing with him?”
“It’s deeper than that, Bailey,” Georgiana added. “I feel like he doesn’t want me around.”
“He wasn’t ready for marriage,” Bailey said. “I hinted that when you first told me what y’all were going to do. I was trying to be happy for you but at the same time, I didn’t think it was the right thing to do.”
“Then why didn’t you just come out and say that?”
“I was trying to be supportive. I didn’t want you to think I was the hater best friend who was trying to rain on your parade.”
“I knew he wasn’t ready,” Georgiana admitted. “I was just hoping he’d finally see me for me and decide to start a life with me—you know…start over—but that’s so not the case.”
“What is he doing?” Whitley asked.
Georgiana looked at her and responded, “He wants her. His ex. He’s still in love with her.”
She blinked away tears, determined to stay strong in front of her friends. She couldn’t be crying over no man. But this man – he was different. He was her daughter’s father and never in her wildest dreams did she think there would ever come a point in time where she’d be able to have him for herself, but she was at that point now. She had him. They lived together. They were raising Ruby together. But they weren’t actually together. Why? Because she didn’t have what she desperately wanted – his heart. It still belonged to another woman. And Ruby. There was no room for anyone else.
“That’s a tough position to be in,” Whitley said. “I mean, I know you’re grateful he’s there for her.”
“I am, but, I’m stuck in limbo, waiting for my life to begin with a man who doesn’t want me. Do you know how agonizing that is?”
“Let me tell you something, Gigi,” Bailey said. “You’re too smart and too beautiful to be sitting around here stressing out over some man who doesn’t want you.”
“He’s not just some man. He’s Ruby’s father.”
Bailey said, “Okay, so let him be who he is—her father. You can’t force a relationship with Micah simply because he’s Ruby’s dad.”
“It’s too late for that, Bailey,” Whitley said. “They’re married now.”
“Yeah—on paper,” Bailey said. “In real life, they’re more like roomies. Am I right, Gigi?”
Georgiana flagged down the waiter for a second drink. “Yes, and I don’t know how to get through to him. Every time I try, he doesn’t want to talk. Or something comes up. Or he’s busy playing with Ruby. He loves Ruby so much. I’m her mother and he can’t even look at me half of the time.”
“What you mean he can’t look at you?” Bailey asked.
“When I’m talking to him—like say for instance we’re sitting as close as we are now. He’ll look at me for a second then look away.”
“That ain’t got nothing to do with you,” Bailey told her. “That’s him.”
“He probably feels a certain kind of way about the whole thing. I think you need to give it more time,” Whitley said.
“Whit, we’ve been together officially for four months now, married for three—”
“Yes, and he was with his ex for how long? A few years, right? They have a history that you can’t just wipe clean overnight no matter how badly you may want to.”
“Okay, then,” Georgiana said, crossing her arms. “How long am I supposed to wait before I start living?”
Whitley shrugged. “That’s up to you. It truly is. For right now, I think you need to be grateful that he loves Ruby and wants to be there for her. He’s made plenty of sacrifices for her and you for that matter, and if you want this thing to work, just chill a lil’ bit. Lay off him for a while and see where it goes. Men don’t like to be pressured into anything.”
Bailey turned up her lips. “Forget that! Girl, kick his butt to the curb and find you a new man like that guy at the end of the bar who hasn’t taken his eyes off of you since you walked in.”
Georgiana didn’t even bother to look. She said, “No, thank you. Even though it doesn’t feel that way, I’m a married woman. Whitley is right. I have to be grateful that Micah has stepped up to be Ruby’s fathe
“And trust me, chile, you don’t want one of those,” Bailey said.
A hopeful sigh came from Georgiana’s mouth. “I just wish I could erase the fairytale image of us in my head. When we got married, I thought for certain we’d be happy—that he’d see how cool it would be for us to be a family. I envisioned expensive family portraits, backyard barbecues and unforgettable vacations—things that would make him forget all about the past and start something new.”
“Stand your ground,” Bailey said. “If it ain’t working, pack up your stuff, pack up Ruby’s stuff and dip outta there.”
“I can’t do that, Bailey.”
“Why not?”
“Because I love Micah and he loves Ruby.”
“But he doesn’t love you,” Bailey said.
Tears forced their way out of Georgiana’s eyes. She couldn’t hold them back any longer.
“Hush, Bailey. Look what you done did.”
“I’m sorry,” Bailey said putting her arms around Georgiana, feeling bad about making the comment now. “I didn’t realize how deeply this was bothering you. I’m so stupid.”
Georgiana sniffled. “Stop it. You’re not stupid.” She wiped her eyes with a bar napkin. “You’re a little insensitive at times, but not stupid.” She sniffled again. “It’s been a rough week for me. That’s all. I can pull myself together and do yet another week of pretending, I suppose.”
“You could,” Whitley said, “But at some point, you’re going to snap. You’re not too far off from it now. I think you should talk to Micah before your emotions get out of hand.”
“Like I said, every time I try to bring it up, he changes the subject. What should I do? Tie him to the bed with his neckties and make him listen to every word I have to say?”
“Yes!” Bailey said. “That’s exactly what you should do, and from the way it sounds, you’ve already been considering making that move, so do it.”
The women laughed.
“Seriously, I don’t know what I’m going to do. And then we’re going to his parents’ house tomorrow for dinner. I have to sit there smiling and acting like everything is okay when it’s not. It’s just gonna be a mess.”
Whitley’s eyes brightened. “Or it could be the perfect opportunity to talk. He can’t duck and hide from you in the car, and I can’t see him turning up the radio and doing something absurd like that to avoid talking.”
“No, he won’t do that.”
“So, give it a shot. What do you have to lose?”
“Maybe I’ll try tonight when I get home.”
“Well, good luck, honey,” Whitley said. “Hey, flag down your cute bartender. We gon’ need that bottle of tequila after all.”
* * *
When her second drink arrived, she sipped and laughed every now and again at something her friends were saying, but she was really reminiscing about that night at the club with Micah and how everything went down. She’d wanted to go out that night. Her girls already had plans. It was the first time she went to a club without them and thus, she didn’t have anyone there to snatch her out of the fire so to speak. Surely Bailey and Whitley would not have let her leave with some dude she didn’t even know.
Actually, she should’ve known better. Then she got to thinking about how everything in life happens for a reason, right? If she hadn’t gone to the club solo that night, she would’ve never met Micah. If she had never met Micah, she wouldn’t have Ruby, and Ruby was her everything. Sounded like some twisted logic, but it was the truth. What could she do now except try to make the best out of her situation? Should she be doomed to a life of misery because of one mistake? She didn’t think so.
But maybe Micah did.
She hadn’t considered that as a possibility to his hesitations until now.
Chapter 2
Micah picked up Ruby and went to Kordell’s place after work. Georgiana was out with her girlfriends and he wasn’t particularly in the mood to go home – not because she wasn’t there, but just because.
Kordell opened the door. “’Sup, dawg.” They slapped hands. “I see you got munchkin with ya. Hey, Ruby.”
Ruby waved with her left hand while her little right hand gripped her daddy’s index finger.
“I’m on daddy duty. Georgiana went out with her girlfriends.”
“Oh shoot. You know what that means.”
Micah grinned. “What’s that?” he asked, sitting on the sofa while Ruby’s eyes widened to discover new things at Kordell’s house. Micah didn’t bring her over often, but when he did, she went exploring the coffee table and the TV stand. She picked up a snow globe and said, “Ball. Daddy, ball. Play catch.”
“No, sweetheart. That’s not a ball. It’s shaped like a ball but this isn’t a ball.”
Micah took it from her and placed it on a high shelf where she couldn’t reach it.
Kordell came from the kitchen, handing Micah a beer. He bought Ruby some Saltine crackers in a plastic bowl. “That’s all I had that she could nibble on,” he told Micah.
Ruby’s eyes brightened as she walked around the table to where Kordell had placed the bowl of crackers. She took one and crunched a small bite.
“If she went out with her girls, they’re talking ‘bout you. I gotta be honest, man. I still don’t know why you married Georgiana. Man!”
“She’s why,” Micah said, pointing to Ruby with his beer bottle. Ruby had just picked up another cracker and brought it over to him.
“I get that, but after all that mess with Indigo, I didn’t think you’d go down that path again. It’s like, it didn’t work out the first time and here you go again. Why do you insist on torturing yourself, bruh?”
“I’m the reason me and Indigo didn’t work out.”
“How’d you come to that conclusion?”
“Um, hello! I have a daughter. And I don’t know why you’re asking me that when you nearly shunned me after finding out about Ruby.”
“That’s only because I felt like you were lying about cheating on Indy and you knew about Ruby all along.”
“Well, let me put your mind at ease—I didn’t know and as for Indy, I was the man in the relationship. The man is supposed to take the lead and be an example. I didn’t do that. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be better the second time around. My daughter is counting on me.”
“Real talk—you could’ve been a parent to Ruby without marrying Georgiana. I told you that the day before you did it.”
“Yeah, and you also told me to move out of the house—my house—when me and Indy were going through it—look where that’s gotten me.” Micah took a sip of beer.
“Wait—are you suggesting I’m at fault for y’all breaking up?”
“No. I’m saying I have to make my own decisions—decisions I think are beneficial to my situation instead of relying on advice from my single friend who’s never been married and don’t have a clue what marriage entails.”
“Oh. I see what it is now. Wow!”
“It’s no diss to you. It is what it is, Kordell. Leave it up to you and I’ll be out here in these streets wilding out and popping bottles every weekend, man. That’s not the life I want. I have to be an example for my babygirl and if I want my marriage to work the second time around, I have to be there for Georgiana, too.”
“Yeah, and how’s that working out? I’m not getting any happy vibes from you. You look as miserable as you did the day you realized there was no chance you’d get back with Indy.”
“I’m not miserable. I’m just not where I want to be right now. I’m getting there, but mentally, I have a lot to process.”
“Then, hey,” Kordell said, putting his hands up like he surrendered. “Do you, man. All I know is, marriage still ain’t for me.”
“Yeah, I know. That goes without saying. Look, Kordell, you’re my boy and all, but you’re probably going to be seeing less of me ‘round here. I’m a family man, now. I have to live that kind of life. Between family and work, I’ll be stretched thin.”
