RUBY.
"Well that was quick, did you get what you were looking for?" Aiden asked when I returned to the car.
"Yeah, they had the exact brand of supplements and the feminine supplies I was looking for," I lied.
"Women, you guys use all sorts of products we don't even understand." He chuckled.
I don't say a single word after that and neither did he. All I could think of was the pregnancy test I shoved into my purse. It had the power to change my life forever and that was scary.
"Would you like to come with me or is this another kind of shopping you like to do alone?"Aiden asked with humour dripping through his words when he made a stop by the grocery store.
"Nah, just go ahead without me, I'll wait," I said. I wanted to be alone with my thoughts for a moment. I should have cancelled, I should have told him we would talk another day. Could I still cancel or was it too late?
"Hope I didn't take too long, I tried to be as quick as you were," he said with a smile that killed every plan I had to cancel on him.
"You came back before I even noticed you were gone," I answered.
"That hurts, so my absence wasn't felt," he said with one arm clutching his chest and the other on the steering wheel.
"That was a joke mister," I said in mock seriousness.
"I missed this Ruby, I missed you." I want to say I miss you too but the words die in my mouth. Before, it would have been the easiest thing to do but now everything was different. I looked out wishing I could disappear into the night air and out of the tense atmosphere that was forming in the car. We drove the rest of the way in silence. When we arrived I tried to carry some of the grocery bags but he insisted on carrying the three bags all by himself into the building. The doorman offered to help us with the groceries and just send them up in the dumbwaiter but Aiden refused and hefted all the bags into the elevator.
"I hope you like chicken," Aiden said as we entered his apartment. He dropped all the groceries on the kitchen island and went to the sink to wash his hands after rolling up the sleeves of his button-up shirt to reveal tan muscles. He donned a black apron that had the cook's sexy written in red across it.
"I love chicken," I said. I washed my hands right after him.
"That's great," he said, getting to work marinating some chicken thighs with an array of spices.
"Can we have extra heat, '' I requested. I was craving some spicy chicken all of a sudden.
"Got it, I'll go heavy on the paprika," he said, reaching for the pepper shaker.
"What can I help with?"
"You look tired, so you can help me by putting your feet up and resting for a bit."
"I'm serious, there should be something I can do to help."
"I've got everything under control, please go to the living room and relax, "He insisted. I did just that and he followed behind me with a chilled glass of water that I didn't know I needed.
The moment I sat down my body was reminded of how tired I was. " Ruby, wake up Ruby, " Aiden said, tapping me lightly and waking me up from sleep. I didn't even know I had fallen asleep until that point when I woke up feeling startled.
"Dinner is ready," he said and it surely smelt like it. The air smelt divine, the fragrance of grilled Rosemary chicken was unbeatable and it made my tummy rumble.
We ate in silence, the flavour of the perfectly grilled chicken combined with the bomb salad dressing had all my taste buds excited and my thoughts pushed to the back of my mind. It wasn't until he casually poured me a glass of wine that thoughts on the pending pregnancy test soured my mood again. I avoided the wine even though I felt like I needed it. I had consumed enough alcohol since conception as it stood if I was pregnant. Aiden cleared our dishes and piled them in the kitchen sink. I watched his back flex under his shirt as he washed the dirty dishes. I looked away because I felt guilty about burdening him with all my baggage.
"Ruby, Ruby," Aiden snapped his fingers in front of my face trying to get my attention.
"Yeah," I answered when I finally pushed through my thoughts and back to reality.
"I wanted to talk about the other night but I can see that something is bothering you so I'll just drop it," he said. I attempted to deny that anything was bothering me but I couldn't so I just kept mute.
"I hope that you'll be able to trust me with whatever the problem is soon but for now I just want to be your friend. Promise me we won't be strangers anymore."
"I promise," I said, getting emotional but I held back the tears.
"Someday soon we'll talk about the other night but for now, friends," he said, stretching a hand out for me to shake.
"Friends," I answered, giving his hand a firm shake. We catch up on how each other's week has been so far and then I leave.
"I almost sent a search party after you. Where have you been?" Sapphire asked the moment I walked through the door.
"I was at Aiden's. I thought I sent you a text," I answered. I just continued to head towards my room and she followed.
"You didn't send me any text. Oh well, did you buy the test?"
"Yeah, I did."
"I bought two test kits from different brands. I read that it was good to take various ones simultaneously to confirm the accuracy."
"Okay," I said. I stripped off my work clothes, put on a robe and headed for the bathroom to shower. Sapphire followed me into the bathroom armed with four pregnancy test kits.
"Take the test before you shower, it only makes logical sense," she argued.q
"I'll take them before I sleep or tomorrow morning."
"I know you're scared but don't you wanna know, just pee on the damn stick."
"Okay I'll take them but you have to leave first."
"Why?"
"Because my bladder is shy." She rolls her eyes clearly not believing me but she drops the test and leaves the bathroom anyway. I sit on the toilet and pee on all four sticks one after the other before taking my bath.
"Help me check the test, I can't do it," I told Sapphire. She goes into the bathroom and comes back out with the four tests in her hand.
"Congratulations, you're pregnant," she sang.
"Who is pregnant?" Toby asked from my open door.