At late dusk,
Harry arrived at a party a few years back. It was unofficial, he didn't have to be there, but the hosts knew he would never pass on a night party. The hall raved, the girls danced and he loved it. He met with friends, the hosts and a few others before getting down to his purpose of appearance. The ladies.
The first few, he called them quickies, short and sweet just like dessert, although he knew it mannerless to start with dessert.
Like snacks, he swept ladies of his taste off their feet and somehow landed in a moist and messy, threesome. Wine and cologne were all woke up to and soon the night came to an end.
Heading to the bar, he concluded his night would end in a final flush of booze, even though he was met with endless, alluring temptations.
In that moment as he ordered his finale, he witnessed what he called a 'pale flower' at a corner of the hall, conversing. She wasn't anything spectacular, albino and not even too much of his type, didn't look like she purchased a lot on herself and somehow didn't even look like she cared.
What drew him to her?
In the midst of his exhaustion and dire urge to go home, he took up his glass and walked up to her as soon as it looked like her conversation was about to come to an end.
"Hello" he greeted, taking a comfortable stance beside her
She nodded, "Hello"
"I'm Harry Lutman"
She chuckled lightly. He smiled as well, "What?"
"Unfortunately, I know you" she paused as she turned to him, "But do you know me?"
Harry's smile turned cocky, "And what do you know about me?"
She took a moment, looking him head to toe, "You reek of perfume and cum, the rumors must be true"
He sighed with a nod, clearly, he made a wrong move to walk over without taking a proper soak in a bubble bath.
The pair stood in the silence. It wasn't comfortable, neither too miserable either.
"Wanna fuck?" she asked
Harry chocked on his drink before looking at her with a shocked ponder. 'What the fuck did he just hear?'
"Are you sure? and Right now?"
She gazed at him steadily. 'Yeah, he fucking heard right', before turning away.
"I want your place", "It's probably expensive with a bath so you can take a good one"
He stared at her, she did same.
"Do you truly want to sleep with me?"
"Not really" she paused, "But I do want to stay at your place". Suddenly she turned to him like something sparked in her, "Why do you ask, do I look like I don't want to?"
He gulped down his drink, "You're not my type"
"Rude"
He smiled, put his glass down before tilting his head in a signal, "Let's go"
They got along fairly well as they sat together at the back seat. Clashing values, arguments, conclusions, assumptions. Headache. Headache. Headache.
"You win" he sighed, walking on and passed security along with her, "For now"
She snickered with a cocky shrug. Into the lobby, few girls flirted, some others greeted but one thing was certain, the rumors were true.
"I'll take a shower" he pressed down on the fingerprint scanner and the door to his apartment opened.
With a short sigh, he placed his coat on the coat rack and then turned to her.
"No funny business" he said after a long second, "I trust that you're aware, I'll pay for your trip back home and for your time here so" he paused again, "No funny business".
She felt belittled but she understood. The situation and the manner she walked into his life was enough to scream, 'leech'.
She watched him wonder off across the room and into a certain door before turning to take in the dazzling apartment. She was impressed but she knew it would amount to short lived fantasies and so she took off her shoes and began bouncing on the couch.
Harry prepared the tub with his favorite soaps and scents before lighting up the scented candles and soaking in the tub. Quietly he laid back with a soft, relaxed sigh.
Getting into his night clothes he walked out to the living room to see the couch flattened and disarranged.
Right in that moment of his uncertainty of emotions, Lily walked out through the door which belonged to the visitor's bathroom with gentle smile and somehow, he began to realize that he was pissed.
"I'm making a salad if you don't mind" she said
"What's your name?"
"Lily, Lily Martins"
"Well Lily" he began, "That couch was not the way I left it this morning"
"Oh" she exclaimed, he furrowed his brows, "I'll get it done first thing in the morning" she smiled before walking away, down into the kitchen.
Harry ran his fingers through his hair. Even if he had an ounce of lust in him over her, in that moment, everything was gone.
Defeatedly, he took a seat and laid back on the grey, wool hammock. The lights were dim and he preferred it that way so he could stare up at the ceiling.
In between his melodramatic stare at the ceiling, Lily's rounded face and white hair cut through his view,
"Would you like a salad?"
He sat up and she handed one over. On the course of the night, they discussed, talked and by the morning, she had walked away on her own, leaving him to realize that this was somewhat the longest conversation he had ever had with a girl he didn't have his way with.
They didn't go about anything unusual, she wasn't even particularly his type and yet somehow, what they shared came off as unfamiliar and from that moment, Harry began to seek her out, nonchalantly nevertheless.
He still went about his day, fucked unnecessarily according to his taste, whenever, wherever & however but somehow found himself at the corner table of the local café Lily worked, awaiting to be served tea and cookies
Along the line, it started to feel like he wasn't spending enough time with her and slowly, the number of women he came across began to reduce.
Harry himself didn't realize what had happened until Ruby and William figured it out.
"There must be a woman" they claimed and the moment he realized, it felt like his world found new meaning, almost like it couldn't have been any other way and couldn't have been any other one.
It felt like something new, something that had been refined and constructed came alive from his inside and suddenly the world around him knew no meaning. Nothing other than Lily.
Harry found solace in Ruby.
Among all siblings, Ruby was the next who was deemed familiar with the feeling and the concept, love.
Very few knew of her humble beginnings with Ryan Harris and although their love story wasn't unfamiliar, not many cared nor were aware of the firsts between she and Ryan.
The first time Ruby laid her eyes on Ryan was at school. It wasn't particularly the first time but it was the time she began to acknowledge his presence.
She remembered being told of the Harris' from her parents as they were one of the closest relations to the Lutman family.
At that time of age 4, Harry had just been born, William still at the budding age of 2, Ruby had noticed a lot before her eyes. That was the period where Aunt Whitney and Uncle Landon had made war with the family.
In the midst of the drama was 6 years old Ryan, playful, unlike her.
In class, they were known to be two peas who just couldn't fit in the same pod. Impossible. She accepted yet somehow, he always chose his eagerness to speak to her and she as well chose to react strictly.
Slowly, they grew up and Ryan's pestering grew on her as well. While he doted, she rebuked, continuously, on and on like the rotation of wheels.
They spent their free time -and busy time together because somehow, it just felt right to them both. They accepted their relationship, it wasn't romantic but they maintained it.
Even after Logan was born alongside the death of his mother, somehow their relationship stayed strong. She rarely saw him in tears but this was one of those times.
Ruby saw a strong, responsible and dependable person in Ryan. He wasn't a snob but he could be strict, he was kind but still childish enough to take revenge over something, he was handsome and nonchalantly aware of it.
Girls talked about him, gushed over him at times and whenever she overheard, she felt a sense of superiority and from time to time, she couldn't help but question what she felt for him.
Along the years, something about their relationship began to break apart.
It started to feel like they spent little time together and an unspoken air between them grew further and further.
Ruby sensed that Ryan began to place a gap between them, quickly, she attempted to talk it out but as Ryan brushed it off, she understood and everything that was, was no more.
Years went by. Each became administrators over their family businesses in their early 30's. Ruby headed the Lutman conglomerate as its Vice president of operations while Ryan headed the Harris medical units as the Chief Executive Officer along with the board of directors.
From family gatherings to conference meetings, they began to see each other often and the connection that had dissipated along the years came alive again.
Ruby was happy, she really was but she wasn't ready for another round of the past. Many knew her to be meticulous, efficient and strict with herself and her surrounding and yet when it came to matters of the heart she couldn't be as meticulous.
She hated it. Not because of some duty or reason for responsibility but because she was afraid and she believed in the motto, a Lutman should never be afraid. Never.
The time came and she began to sense that Ryan was pulling away exactly as he did in the past, slowly and precisely. It killed her and she soon decided as well to kill it.
At around late noon, just after making arrangements after work, Ruby visited the Harris household for tea and talk, the usual.
Along the conversation, dusk fell and his father, Kane Harris joked at how Ryan was even busier than the then student doctor, Logan and some time later Ryan walked in like he had just arrived from work.
He stood, a little speechless at Ruby's presence, "Evening father"
"Hello son, good day at work I hope"
He nodded, "Evening Ruby" he walked by quickly.
Both Ruby and Kane watched the suspicious display before Kane noticed a depression in Ruby's countenance. He smiled,
"He's in the library" he paused, "He usually heads there before even taking a shower, come on,"
Ruby swallowed down and sat up straight before looking at Kane, "I'll be taking my leave -but", "I will speak to your son"
Kane nodded with a warm smile as he watched her stand to her feet in grace before walking away.
With a light knock, Ruby headed into the library hall and unto the desk Ryan sat at, reading off a book, scribbling against a document with files stacked neatly at a corner of the table.
"Hello Ryan"
"Thought you were leaving, it's getting dark out"
Ruby took a seat.
"Ryan?" she called, her voice echoing softly
"Mm?"
…
"Ryan?"
His fingers tensed and yet he refused to look up at her. Her jaws gnashed.
"Ryan look at me please"
"Say what you wish, I have a lot to do"
Her inside churned and toiled.
"Ryan Harris!" she called firmly.
He smacked his palms against the desk, finally raising his head, "I said speak and leave are my words not to your understanding!"
Her eyes wet with tears as she stood to her feet in anger, "Am I so appalling that you refuse to turn to me as I call out to you!"
Her heart sank, she swallowed hard. The resolve she had worked so hard to build had shattered in an instance and even worse, in his presence.
He saw.
Her composure had broken and all she had felt came to life, irrespective she stood and looked him in the eye,
"Am I so unworthy of your love, of your affection, do I not deserve to stand at your side?"
He broke at the sound of her words,
"How can you say that when you never even looked at me, never turned my way" he paused, walking out from where he stood and towards her,
"I have loved you" he spoke in a loud whisper, "I always have but you've always had options, I wasn't the only one, I was just a friend"
She cried, He did too.
"I love you" in her shaky breath and lousy tears, they held unto each other, falling to their knees in a tight, moist and comforting embrace.