by Sravani Saha
‘Who?’ Ida asked. Her voice was high pitched and curious.
‘They. Brands. The big bloody brands. They want fresh faces, not mine anymore,’ she said.
‘How many of them?’ Ida asked.
‘For now, one. Tomorrow there will be more,’ Ruby replied. ‘I’m thinking different Ida. I should have a new manager.’
‘No more Ray?’ Ida seemed concerned.
‘Ray is playing with me. He knows I’m 30. He may want to handle a new model’s career and not mine anymore,’ she said.
Ida cringed her face. ‘That is not good for you Miss.’
‘No no, I can get a new manager Ida. There are tons of managers waiting to get my profile,’ Ruby stood up and breathed long and deep. ‘But let’s not spoil the happy day. I will meet Ray today and celebrate my thirtieth birthday. And tomorrow, I’ll get a new manager.’
‘You are meeting Ray today? Is this the big date?’ Ida was curious to know.
Ruby looked at Ida.
‘Yes, today is the big day. I’m finally meeting Ray for dinner. Shouldn’t I be happy?’ she asked.
‘Yes Miss. Very happy,’ Ida replied.
‘Then why am I not happy?’ Ruby asked.
‘Let’s get you dressed up. Everything will be fine when you look at this glamorous face,’ Ida pointed at Ruby’s face. ‘I’ll have your hair done up great today. It’s the big day,’ Ida said and slowly pulled out the scissors from Ruby’s hand.
Ruby let go of the scissors and rubbed her temples.
‘Cheer up. Cheer up. Bring on a new manager on a new day,’ Ruby rubbed her cheeks and tried to clear out the wrinkle on her forehead. ‘But cheer up for today. Cheer up. Cheer up,’ she tried to convince herself.
Ruby spent the rest of her day drowning in mixed feelings. On one hand, she was curious about meeting Ray for the first time while consciously deciding not to talk of her career. On the other, she was consumed with a palpable indignation at the loss of a big brand. Why couldn’t Ray handle the agent who could get the contract?
By early evening, Ida came in to work on her hair.
‘Ida, keep it simple please. Just a French twist or something,’ Ruby instructed.
‘French twist for the big evening?’ Ida was surprised. She lifted her mane with a practised hand. When she got no reply to her question, she started working toward a French twist bun.
She parted her hair into layers with great care and ran her fingers through them first. Then she took a wide toothed comb and combed her hair through following it closely with a nice brush of the silken mass of night. She swept all of her hair to the right side of her head and pinned them up at the bottom while holding them tight with her hand.
‘You are the chosen one Ida, you remember that?’ Ruby asked her.
‘Yes Miss. Thank you,’ Ida replied.
Then with an expert hand, Ida lifted Ruby’s hair and grasped it lightly. She twisted them while keeping an eye on Ruby through the mirror to ensure she didn’t react in pain.
While she twisted the hair and tucked the entire roll inward into where the twist started, Ruby winced.
‘Does this hurt Miss?’ Ida asked.
‘No, its fine. Do you think I like Ray?’ Ruby asked.
‘Yes Miss,’ Ida said. She tucked in some loose ends into the rolled bun and put them in place with a few tiny pins.
‘Do you think he will want to come home tonight?’ Ruby asked.
Ida’s hands stopped working. She thought for a moment and looked at Ruby in the mirror. She quickly pulled out a few strands and covered the sides of her face.
‘I don’t know Miss,’ she replied.
‘Look at me Ida,’ Ruby said.
Ida looked at her through the mirror but remained silent. Ruby lost herself in visualizing something, and she didn’t like what she imagined. She nodded to herself.
‘No, I will not bring him. I can’t,’ Ruby said.
‘Thank you Miss,’ Ida replied. ‘Shall I help you dress?’
‘No, please go. I’ll do the rest,’ Ruby turned to the right, touched her bun, and looked at the hairdo with an impassive eye.
CHAPTER 11
Ruby entered the dining area of the hotel and looked around for Ray. He stood up and stared at her.
‘Hey, there!’ she said.
‘Hi, Ruby! I was overwhelmed today, thinking of this moment all day. And now that the moment is here, and you are standing before me, I don’t know what to say,’ Ray gushed.
‘Yes, here we are!’ Ruby said and sat on a chair opposite to Ray.
‘You look gorgeous Ruby! I can’t keep my eyes off you,’ he said. His eyes travelled down from her face to her shoulders and then glanced further down. She wore a chic black dress that showed a dangerous decolletage.
Ruby smiled. She noticed him gush and she turned her eyes to look around.
‘Such an elegant place Ray! Thank you for the evening!’ she said.
Ray continued to look at her eyes.
‘What?’ Ruby asked. She knew fully well that Ray was drowning in her beauty.
‘Do you know how long I’ve waited for this day Ruby? I’m thrilled, and I still can’t believe we are here, sitting across the table and not talking of money or clients or partnerships,’ he smiled.
‘Clients huh!’ Ruby said with a snigger. She pulled out a fork and poked her index finger with it while the furrows in her forehead returned.
‘Oh, I should not mention work today at all. No synonyms of it, no word that is remotely familiar to work. Oh, I’m so lame! I forgot,’ he looked around and magically pulled out a tiny box neatly decorated with golden tassels.
‘Happy Birthday Ruby,’ from a starved-for-the-day fan of yours.
‘Oh, what is this?’ Ruby said with a tone of pleasant surprise. ‘You didn’t have to do this for me Ray,’ she said.
‘Didn’t have to do this? No, No, I had to,’ he replied. ‘Open it.’
Ruby untied the dangling tassels and opened the box with a click to reveal the brightest diamond teardrop earrings she had ever seen.
‘Oh Ray, they are brilliant! Bloody brilliant. Excuse the word but they are,’ Ruby squealed.
‘Ruby, your eyes are brighter than the diamonds in that box,’ he said.
‘But they are expensive!’ Ruby said.
‘Please. I’ve seen you rise from nothing to the top in the last few years. You deserve so much more than this,’ he said.
Ruby shut the box.
‘Thank you Ray,’ she said.
‘Did you have any other plans for your birthday,’ he asked. ‘I hope I didn’t spoil anything.’
‘No, nothing. I didn’t have any plans. In fact, you made my day,’ Ruby said.
‘Ruby, if it is not too early to tell you, I’ve been growing fonder of you in the recent few months,’ Ray said. ‘And now that I am looking into your eyes, I feel I’m grappling for the last breath. Can you save me Ruby?’
‘Oh, Ray. You are being a little too emotional, if I must say that,’ Ruby smiled.
‘Maybe I am. But I deserve to express myself to you. I’ve bottled up so many words and emotions that now they are pushing the cork to come out. Allow me to flow today. I’m desperate to tell you Ruby,’ he pleaded.
‘But they say do not date your client. You lose your money and career,’ she joked.
‘These ‘they’ you mentioned never saw you or spoke to you,’ he replied.
Ruby spent the entire evening talking and listening to Ray express his unspoken emotions about her. He was clearly in awe of Ruby and she found it hard to believe the amount of feelings Ray nurtured for her within him.
By the end of the evening, she was almost keen to take him home but there was this gnawing feeling that warned her to change her decision. She wanted to speak heartily to him but her fears got the better of her.
‘Ruby, I’d love to drop you home,’ Ray said.
‘I’d love it if you do, but I’d rather just get a taxi. Let me not giv
e you the trouble of dropping me home,’ Ruby said.
‘No Ruby. I’ve dropped you home numerous times before this, but today, I insist. I will definitely take you along. I won’t take no for an answer,’ he insisted.
Ruby was about to refuse, but she relented.
‘You are a different person when you are not working Ray,’ Ruby said.
‘Am I? Do you think I’m preachy, romantic, just ok? What?’ Ray asked.
‘The options clearly don’t sit next to each other. You were simply honest and spoke from your heart. I loved this evening. Thanks to you!’ Ruby said.
They entered her home and noticed Ida was awake.
‘Hi Ida,’ Ray said.
‘Hello Mr. Ray,’ Ida said.
Ida noticed Ruby and Ray walk up the steps to her room.
‘Ida, Whiskey!’ Ruby said from the room.
‘Yes, Miss,’ she ran to the bar at home.
Ida came back up to find Ray and Ruby kissing each other. Ray stopped with a start as Ida kept the bottle and glasses on the table.
‘Ida! Your miss is busy here with me. Please leave her alone for a few minutes with me. Please,’ Ray smiled at Ida.
‘Yes, but call me if you need something,’ Ida said.
‘Ida leave. Really,’ Ruby was irritated a minute later.
‘Yes Miss,’ Ida replied and decided to get back to her room.
Ruby almost extricated herself from Ray’s embrace and got up to get whiskey from the table. Ray followed her like he was magnetized to her.
‘Ruby, I’ve waited for this moment for years my love,’ he said. ‘Can I stop being only a manager for you? Can I also be someone who loves you?’ he said. His fingers ran on her shoulders and he made a desperate attempt to kiss her neck.
Ruby stopped pouring. She turned.
‘Ray, I don’t want to spoil our chemistry. You are an excellent manager and I am a famous model. Together we work to make the industry envious. Should we not spoil this equation and be as we are?’ Ruby faced him directly.
Ray hardly listened to what she said. He uttered what sounded like ‘uh’ to Ruby because he made a move to kiss her mouth again.
Ruby stopped him. She gulped down her whiskey in one go. She tried to offer Ray his glass but he was too intoxicated with her beauty to hear. She laughed and almost dropped his glass when he swung around with her in his arms.
She had waited for this day for years but feared it may lead to unforeseen circumstances that could make her hate herself. She did not want to harm Ray. Her heart nourished her feelings for years and kept them alive just for this evening. She waited for this perfect date for longer than she could remember, but now that she was in the moment, she didn’t know what to do with it. If she went ahead with the moment, the inevitable would happen. If she didn’t want the inevitable to happen, she would have to crush her own desire for this one night with Ray. All morning she wanted to change her manager, but now, she wanted to dive deep into the wells of sexual gratification with him.
Torn between thoughts, she decided to talk to him first.
She wanted to speak the complete truth before the night matured.
‘Ray, Ray stop. I need to talk to you,’ she said. She put her hands on his mouth to grab his attention but he was drunk on the transience of time. He took her hand, dipped her fingers in his whiskey and put her fingers in his mouth. He sucked them dry and aimed straight for her mouth. The raw thrill of the moment charged up Ruby and she swayed on with the energy. She grabbed the moment and allowed Ray to explore her completely. He undressed her and flicked his tongue all over her body. She remained aroused and gave in to his moves. In the weakest moment of the strongest sexual energy, he entered her while his hands almost pierced into her bare upper back. She enjoyed the painful pleasure while thrusting her breasts in pre-orgasmic jolts when, in a most unpremeditated move, Ray pulled at her long hair and it came off.
Her entire hair came off. Ruby’s hair fell down the bed and lay on the floor in its long lustrous glory.
Ray stared at Ruby’s bald head while he was still inside of her and she was absorbing the last few moments of exhilaration.
Ray dragged himself out of her and screamed ‘You Liar!’ while his eyes remained stoned at her bald head.
‘No!’ Ruby screamed and she made a mad dash at the wig on the floor.
‘Ray! Ray! I can explain!’ she said.
‘What on earth was that? You…this,’ Ray spoke in incoherent words as his fingers pointed at her head and at the wig now residing in her hands.
‘Let me explain,’ Ruby tried to hide her awkwardness and anger and they didn’t mix very well in her voice.
‘What’s to explain? Did you lie to me and to the world all these years?’ Ray asked in pure naked anger.
‘Yes, yes, I did. I was sick when I was 19 and lost my hair. I lost my hair! But I had to be a model. I wanted to be a model. I had to win the bet with dad and I did everything to keep my career alive,’ Ruby cried.
‘So you lie to the entire world to keep your career alive. You lied to me and fooled everyone with your lustrous locks. You spent years being a top model with this fake look of yours. You have been living a lie Ruby. And you made me a part of it. I hate to think of myself as a fool. You tricked me Ruby,’ Ray screamed.
He looked around for his clothes and hurried to wear them.
‘Ray wait, please. Can you think about it calmly and let’s decide to keep this between the two of us? Please?’ she pleaded.
‘What! Are you insane to think that I’ll keep this under wraps? No one else knows about this?’ he asked while he dragged his pants up.
‘You have to keep this under wraps. We both know our careers depend on it. You cannot tell anyone Ray,’ she said.
‘Now this has to go out. It has to be public. The world should know how clever a woman you are. I will expose you,’ he said.
‘No Ray. Please. Can we work this between us please?’ she pleaded again.
Ida was standing just outside the door. She knew this was unlike Ruby. By now, she would have been called. But tonight was different. It was Ray. And she knew from the conversation that he was extremely shocked and felt cheated.
‘Is this why you never take a hairdresser?’ he asked.
‘Yes. Ida does my hair. But you have to give it to her. She does a fabulous job. All those billboards with my face have Ida behind those beautiful hairdos,’ Ruby replied.
‘Ida is your partner in crime. That silent woman. I can’t think of what you two have been doing!’ Ray exclaimed.
‘Here have a drink. Calm down,’Ruby said.
‘How did you pull this off Ruby? So many brands, so many people, so many years of lie. How did you do this? How could you?’ he rubbed his temples and sat on the side of the bed.
‘I have had my share of challenges that I cannot explain to you. The world is bad and it has been bad for me as well. I have had a hard time keeping it to myself,’ Ruby said.
Ray looked at Ruby for a long while.
‘I hate to think of you as a cheat Ruby. You have cheated me, you, you peevish brat,’ Ray said.
‘Will you understand my dilemma?’ Ruby asked.
‘Is that why you never wanted to meet me outside of work?’ Ray asked.
‘Yes. For fear that this day will come earlier than usual, and my career will face an abrupt end,’ Ruby said.
‘Then why today?’ Ray stood with his arms akimbo and faced her.
‘Because I got swayed away. I have waited for this evening with you for years Ray. And I wanted to give the truth a chance,’ Ruby said.
‘You mean you never dated anyone else all these years? No one ever came home with you and never saw you?’ Ray asked.
‘They did,’ Ruby looked straight into Ray’s eyes.
‘Why didn’t your career end if they saw you like this? Why?’ Ray screamed.
‘Because I didn’t let them,’ she replied.
‘What, what do you mean you did
n’t let them? Tell me who were you dating? How could they not tell anyone else about it,’ Ray said.
‘Because I ended them before they could go out and talk about it and kill my career! You understand that!’ Ruby screamed. ‘I’m so beautiful and deserving, I can do whatever is needed to safeguard my youth and worklife. No one can stop me,’ she yelled. She threw the wig on the bed so hard it sprang up with the impact and finally settled on the floor.
‘Wait! You ended them? What…what did you do to them? What did you do Ruby?’ Ray was curious.
‘I ..I..They met with accidents,’ Ruby said. ‘It wasn’t my fault,’ she said.
‘Wait! Chris? You had something to do with Chris’s death? Who else?’ Ray asked.
‘Ray, are you getting my point? Will I be safe knowing that you have known my deepest secrets?’ Ruby asked.
‘I’m going to expose you. I’m telling the world what you’ve done for your extreme narcissism! You’ve killed people and I’ve helped you grow all these years,’ he said. Ray was in a conundrum of sorts, he put everything together in his mind map and couldn’t believe what he saw. He sat on the bed while his head hung on his hands.
‘Now that you refuse to hear me, you will expose me only if you can get out of here Ray,’ Ruby said with a sudden change of tone.
‘What?’ Ray jumped up and saw Ida standing in front of him. She had a gun pointing at him.
‘Ruby. Ida. Stop. What are you doing?’ Ray walked toward the door.
‘Stop Ray. Do not move or Ida will shoot,’ Ruby said.
‘Ruby, you have turned insane. You are trying to kill me!’ Ray said.
‘Yes, I do not mind killing you but I will not allow my career to be in jeopardy,’ Ruby said. She sat on her vanity dresser near her bed and turned calm.
‘Ruby, this is not a joke. Please tell Ida to take the gun away. Ida please,’ Ray said.
‘I do what Miss tells me to do,’ Ida replied.
‘Okay, why don’t we talk it out Ruby? I’ll not tell anyone and you don’t kill me now. Does that work for both of us? he said.
Ruby thought for a while.
‘No. I can’t trust you,’ she said.
