Ruby recovered quickly and smiled. “And I like your mother very much. Shayne’s being silly. Come on, the next room has some old crystal glassware. Anderson, didn’t you say you like vintage crystal?”
Rashid was quiet on the drive home again, but this time Ruby was worried. She had no idea if he’d heard her say so emphatically that she and Rashid were only friends, and she’d never want anything more. She hoped he hadn’t heard. Not that shedidwant more from him—but after he was so nice all day, even bought her that necklace, she didn’t want him to feel bad.
He said the necklace didn’t need to be deep, and it was just a friend giving a friend a gift, but how could they even be real friends when she was only hanging out with him because she wanted something from him? And the more she got to know Rashid, the more she realized that shedidn’twant this friendship to be fake. She didn’t want to use him. He was too kindfor that.
The girls fell asleep again on the drive home, so like last week Rashid dropped them off at Jasmine’s house before taking Ruby home. When he pulled up in front of her building, she gathered her nerve. “Um, do you want to come up for a bit? I mean, there’s something I want to talk to you about. Just… a few minutes. It’s kind of cold to talk in the car.”
He smiled at her. “Yeah, there’s something I need to talk to you about, too. Where should I park?”
He was quiet while parking his car and on the elevator, which Ruby was kind of getting used to. But, of course, since no one was talking, Ruby was overthinking. Why had he agreed so easily to come up to her place? Did he think she was flirting? What did he want to talk to her about? Was he going to kiss her? Would she let him?
Ruby cringed a little when she opened her door, realizing this would be the first time Rashid would see her tiny apartment. Jasmine’s house was big and probably expensive. Rashid probably also had a big place back in Calgary. And here was Ruby bringing him to her little postage-stamp one-room apartment.
“This place is…” he said, taking in her apartment with the old, mismatched furniture and the peel-and-stick teal chintz wallpaper she’d put on the wall behind her bed.
“Tiny?” she asked.
“I mean, yes, but that’s not what I was going to say. It’s very you. Colorful and lively. Ah! Look, it’s my old friend, your tree!” He kicked off his shoes and headed toward the window where the Douglas fir was set up with all her thrifted ornaments. Afterlooking at it for several moments, he turned to her.
“This is the same tree, right?”
She frowned. It was a tiny bit drier, but still doing pretty well. “Yeah. Why?”
“It looks different. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the same tree before and after it was decorated. It reminds me of that scene inA Charlie Brown Christmaswhere they make fun of his crappy tree, but all it takes is some lights and tinsel to make it look festive.”
Ruby gave him a knowing smile. “So youhaveseen Christmas movies, then.”
“Shush, you.” He sat on her sofa. “What did you want to talk to me about?”
“You go first,” she said, joining him on the sofa. It was the only other place to sit.
“Okay. I couldn’t ask you in front of the girls, but how do you feel aboutThe Nutcracker?”
She frowned. “Like the movie with Keira Knightley? It was okay. I’ve only seen it once, though.”
“No, not the movie, the ballet.”
“Oh! I’ve never been to the ballet.” Her family could never afford something like that when she was young. She’d always wanted to go, though.
“My sister bought four tickets a while ago—for her, Derek, and the girls. Jasmine doesn’t want to go now—too many memories. They went last year, too. But the girls still want to go. I know you’re supposed to be planning our activities, but do you want to go to the ballet for one of our Christmas outings?”
Wow. Seeing theNutcrackerballet was a total bucket listthing for Ruby. “When are the tickets for?”
“Wednesday night. I know Thursday is your day off, but maybe you can switch?”
Ruby shook her head. “I wouldn’t have to. I’m only working until five on Wednesday.”
He smiled. He looked so hopeful. Ruby wondered where her surly friend went. “So, you’ll come?”
Ruby exhaled. She didn’t know what to say. Shedidwant to go… but ballet tickets were expensive. She didn’t want to take advantage of him. Or his nieces, who were starting to like Ruby. Maybe he should take someone who didn’t want something in return for his friendship.
Rashid frowned. “You don’t look excited. Hey, are you worried that I’m upset about what Shayne said earlier? That you don’t like doctors? It’s fine. A lot of people don’t like doctors. We literally poke and prod people for a living.”
It wasn’t the doctor thing. Somehow, Rashid had completely changed her opinion about doctors, anyway. He was thoughtful, he listened, and he cared. He was an incredibly compassionate person—exactly what a doctor should be. She shook her head. “No, it’s not that. It’s… this deal of ours, that I would take you and the girls out for holiday things so I could change your mind about me. Today you kept doing nice stuff for me… the necklace, and the ballet ticket… You know I’m only doing this for my own self-serving reasons, right?”
He nodded. “Yeah. So I’ll help you get a job at one of Dad’s hotels.”
She frowned. “You don’t mind that I’m using you?”
