Ruby’s expression didn’t change much, but she tapped her fingers lightly on the notebook in front of her. "They sound hardworking," she said after a moment. "If they’re good at sewing, I don’t see why their background should matter."
Ethan’s eyes widened slightly at her words, clearly surprised. "You mean... you’d actually consider them?"
Ruby nodded firmly. "Of course. As long as they can do the work, that’s all I care about."
Ethan smiled faintly, a hint of relief in his expression. "Alright, then. I’ll talk to them and see if they’re interested. If they are, I’ll arrange a meeting for you."
"Thank you," Ruby said sincerely. "I’m looking forward to it."
Ethan nodded, his respect for her growing. "I think they’ll appreciate the opportunity," he said, leaning forward slightly. "And... it’s good to see someone not letting old biases get in the way."
Ruby gave him a small, knowing smile. "Everyone deserves a chance, Ethan. Sometimes all they need is for someone to believe in them."
Hearing her words, Ethan’s face softened, a distant look crossing his features. Finally, he smiled at her, though his eyes seemed glassy, holding back an emotion he didn’t voice.
"Thank you..." he said quietly, his voice tinged with sincerity.
Ruby raised an eyebrow at him and chuckled lightly. "Why are you thanking me? Anyway, we’re business partners now," she said with a teasing smile. "If you can, please arrange the meeting as soon as possible. I’d love to start my work soon."
Ethan laughed, the tension in the room easing. "You don’t have to worry about that, Miss Ruby. I’ll handle it."
"Just Ruby," she corrected him with a small smirk. "Call me Ruby, Ethan."
Ethan leaned back with a grin. "Alright, Ruby," he said, emphasizing her name with a playful tone. "Now you just need to focus on paying them their salaries. Don’t go broke before your business even takes off," he added with a chuckle.
Ruby laughed at his words, shaking her head. "I’ll manage somehow. Don’t underestimate me," she replied, her confidence shining through.
Ethan’s smile grew wider. "I believe you will," he said, his voice warm.
Ethan carefully wrote down Ruby’s address on a small piece of paper, his handwriting neat and precise.
Ruby, in turn, jotted down his home address and tucked the note neatly into her bag.
"Let’s stay in touch," Ethan said with a smile.
"Of course," Ruby replied, matching his smile.
As she walked toward the door, little Leo, still perched on the counter, waved enthusiastically. "Bye, Sister~~~" he called out, his grin as bright as ever.
Ruby turned back and waved at him with a soft smile. "Bye, Little Leo. Be good!" she said, her tone warm.
Leo giggled and gave her a thumbs-up.
Ruby sighed as she walked down the street, her thoughts racing. Taking a bank loan would take time—time she didn’t have. She needed to act quickly if she wanted to buy a decent place for her workers to start sewing.
The thought of setting up her business without the proper space or resources felt overwhelming. Without access to a computer now, even finding small freelance jobs was next to impossible. The lack of tools only made things harder, pushing her further into the corner. She clenched her fists slightly.
She had to figure something out soon. Every minute day was a reminder of how critical this moment was. Her business wouldn’t wait, and neither would life. Ruby took a deep breath, letting the cool air calm her as she started planning in her mind. There had to be another way.
Ruby walked aimlessly, letting her feet guide her as she explored the area. She bought chocolates from a stall, thinking of Milo and the others. It wasn’t much, but she figured it might brighten their day a little.
As she wandered further, her surroundings began to change. The lively market area faded into a quieter part of the town, less organized and more scattered. She realized she had drifted far from the familiar streets.
That’s when she noticed something unusual.
Ruby paused, her curiosity piqued. She had seen movie sets before in her past life. Large equipment was scattered around, and in the corner stood a massive tent. The tent was open, and loud voices carried from inside.
"We’re shooting a sci-fi movie, not some random low-budget drama! If the effects and editing are this simple, who on earth will even bother watching it?!" an angry witch’s voice boomed from inside.
Ruby raised her eyebrows, intrested, and inched closer to the tent.
"But... but this is all we can manage for now. We don’t have any better ideas..." another witch’s voice replied timidly.
"What?!" The angry voice snapped again, this time even louder. "You don’t have any ideas? Then why in the ghost’s name did I hire you?! Get out! You too! All of you!" The sound of something being slammed echoed through the tent. "Goodness! Every single person I’ve hired is useless!"
Ruby stood frozen outside the tent, listening intently to the conversation. Her curiosity was growing by the second.
She could practically smell the opportunity waiting for her here!
"Ma’am, please give us another chance. I promise we’ll come up with something better..." the timid voice pleaded, but the sharp tone of the Angry witch cut them off.
"Another chance? Do I look like I have the luxury of time? No! Out! Now!"
Ruby couldn’t stop herself from imagining what kind of mess this project was. With that level of yelling, it seemed like no one on the team was safe from the Angry Witch wrath.
Just as she leaned closer, trying to peek inside without being noticed, a sharp voice startled her from behind.
Ruby jumped, spinning around to see who had shouted. A young assistant stood there, pointing a trembling finger at her, his face a mixture of fear and suspicion.
"Me? A thief?" Ruby blinked, startled and a little annoyed.
"Why else are you sneaking around here?" he stammered, his eyes darting nervously to the entrance of the tent.
Ruby raised her eyebrows, crossing her arms. "Sneaking? I was just curious. If I were a thief, do you think I’d be standing here in plain sight?"
—To be continued...🪄