Page 26 of Playing to Win
I hold up my hands, wanting to laugh at her saying ‘funny stuff’. “I swear.”
We watch each other, the silence between us stretching, and I swear to God, I’m starting to sweat.
“Okay,” she finally says, shocking me. My gaze tracks her as she makes her way to my side of the rounded booth.
“Are we staying?” Natalie asks her.
“I am,” Ruby says.
“Sit by me, Nat.” Derek pats the empty spot next to him.
This is how we end up with two girls we already know sitting at our table on Wednesday night. And while this isn’t normally how Derek and I operate, I can’t help but feel a little relieved at having Ruby sitting with me, giving me serious side-eye while she watches Derek and Natalie launch into an immediate flirtatious conversation. Natalie even twirls a lock of dark auburn hair around her finger as she bats her eyelashes at Derek, and he’s eating this shit up.
Ruby watches them, her eyes wide with shock and her lush lips formed into the slightest frown.
Damn, she’s pretty.
The waitress finally shows up with our beers and I’m taking a giant gulp the moment the server hands it over. She glances over at Ruby.
“You want anything, honey?”
“I’ll take a watermelon margarita.”
“Ooh me too,” Natalie adds.
“Coming right up.” The waitress watches me as I steadily gulp from my beer. “You want me to bring you another one of those?”
I’m about to say no when Derek speaks for me.
“You better. I think he needs it.”
I glare at him, ready to tell the server to cancel that request, but she’s already gone.
“You watching what you drink tonight?” Natalie asks me.
“I’d planned on only one beer,” I tell her, hoisting my beer mug into the air like I’m raising a glass and eager to say cheers. “But I guess Derek ruined that.”
“He ruins a lot of things,” Natalie says, her expression pointed when she studies Derek.
He doesn’t seem affected by it at all. Either he’s oblivious or he flat out doesn’t give a damn.
“Red, huh?” Ruby asks once the waitress is long gone and Natalie and Derek have resumed their flirtatious conversation.
Glancing over at her, I find she’s already watching me, her full lips curved into a faint smile. I probably amuse her, but not in the way I want. “It makes sense.”
She neither confirms nor denies my statement. “No one has ever called me Red before.”
“Kinda funny, considering your name is Ruby and a ruby is red.”
“I’ve never really had a nickname,” she admits. “I’m just always…Ruby.”
“Nothing wrong with that. I don’t have a nickname either. I’m just Ace.”
“Ace sounds like a nickname,” she admits. “Though I’m sure you’ve heard that before.”
“I have.” I bring my beer to my lips and tip my head back, taking a long pull. The alcohol courses through my veins, warming me up. Relaxing my tense muscles.
“How did you get the name Ace anyway?”
