I can’t believe she still has this.
* * *
It was May, about a year after Ruby and I first met.
She had just completed her internship and was one step closer to getting her architecture license. Naturally, she wantedto celebrate, so we did what we always did: we went down the shore.
The Seaside Boardwalk was busy for a Thursday night. We parked the car and made our way to the boardwalk with one thing in mind. Midway Steak House.
The air smelled of the ocean mixed with the savory scent of sizzling sausage. Ruby inhaled deeply as a smile spread across her face. Her eyes gleamed in the setting sun. She was utterly beautiful with her hair pulled back from her face and her blonde waves trailing down her back. She was wearing a t-shirt and jeans, but it didn't matter. I always thought she was the most gorgeous person I had ever seen.
We were standing in line at Midway, waiting to order. Midway was a food stand in the middle of the Seaside boardwalk. It had been there for as long as I could remember, and probably even longer. It was bright red and green with yellow accents, and open on all four sides. The woman at the window glanced over at us from her spot next to a three-foot hanging lemon.
"What can I getcha?" she asked.
"We'll have one sausage and peppers sandwich, light sauce on that, a cheesesteak with onions, an order of fries, and two lemonades," I said.
Ruby grabbed a handful of napkins, and then we stood to the side while we waited for our food to be ready.
"I'm telling you, this project is going to make millions," she said excitedly. "If I magically had some money, then I could buy the property. I would design a beautiful housing development there. It's the perfect location."
"Well, maybe they'll let you work on it.
“They don't let interns have that kind of access. I'm not expecting things to change much once I get my license either. I mean, yeah, things will change because I won't be just an internanymore, but it's not like they're going to ask me my opinion about designing anything for a new project, or let me even do any designing. I'm still just a grunt."
Ruby's voice didn't sound down while she was talking. She said it all very matter-of-factly, as if she was saying the sky was blue or the grass was green. She knew she needed to get experience and pay her dues. And I knew she was looking forward to it.
We got our sandwiches and got lucky to find an empty table to sit at. The table was along the dunes, right on the boardwalk. And even though we couldn't see the waves crashing onto the beach, we could still hear them. We split the sandwiches, each of us having one half of the other’s sandwich, and listened to the ocean as we ate.
After finishing our meal, Ruby grabbed one of the clean napkins and pulled a pen out of her purse. She started sketching frantically, as if she was possessed. First, a house, drawing the exterior, the roofline, the doorway, and windows. Then the first floor of the interior, and then the rest of the house. When she was done, she grabbed another napkin and quickly sketched the design of a community with rolling hills and parks where people could spend time and kids could play. When she was done, looked up at me and smiled.
"This is it," she said. "I've been drawing sketches now for weeks. Ever since they let me tag along on the property survey. It's only about an hour from here, not far from a train station to get into the city for people who want to work in New York, but still close enough that you could commute to Philadelphia, or go down the shore. Like I said, this is going to make them millions.” She paused and then leaned closer to me. “Honestly though, it’s not even about the money. I just love this.” She pointed at the sketches. “All of it. I mean, imagine driving through a neighborhood knowing you created that.You created somewhere for people to raise their families.” She stared off into the distance, daydreaming.
"Is it a sure deal?" I asked.
"No. The town is still collecting portfolios, and from those they're choosing which presentations they want to see. It's really anyone's game."
"Do you know how much the land is going for?"
She shrugged. "I forget exactly, but it's below market. I think the family that owns it just wants to get rid of it. It used to be a farm a long time ago, which is why my designs have a farmhouse aesthetic to them with large backyards."
She looked as if her mind suddenly was elsewhere. I knew better than to bother her when she was like this. She was figuring things out in her head. I loved watching her in action. After a few minutes, her eyes met mine again.
"I really wonder if that's what the key is. Like, has anyone spoken to the family? I mean, I know they want to get rid of the property, but you can't tell me that there isn't something in them that would like to be in charge of what's going to end up there."
"What are you saying? You mean you would go to the family and talk to them?"
"Yes. Why not?" she said with a laugh, her voice sounding giddy. "I would present to them first. I would talk to them, like really talk to them. While the town has to make the decision of what gets approved, ultimately it's the family that decides who they're selling to." She smiled, and her whole face lit up again.
"Anyway, I'm just dreaming like always. How's the new job going?"
I was still working a temp job. I still didn't know what I wanted from my life. Every few months I tried a different job, looking to see what felt right. But nothing really seemed to fit. This job had me working in IT, doing some minorprogramming, but even though it had only been a few weeks, I already knew that I wasn't going to last. Ruby didn't seem to care. Whenever we talked about it, all she would say was that she didn't care what I did, as long as I was happy.
"It's decent pay," I said, "but it's still not the right fit."
"The right job will come up eventually. I'm sure of it. All that matters is that you're happy.” Maybe you should think about going back to school."
"I would, but I wouldn’t even know what to study. I'm not like you. You've always dreamt of houses and different buildings. That's your art, it's in your soul. I just don't have that yet."
