Trust A Stranger

by Baxter, Cole

  Coming to her grandmother's grave always filled her with bittersweet emotions. She missed the only mother she had like crazy and felt a void inside her heart that nothing else could fill, but coming here made her remember all the good times, memories they shared, and that was somewhat comforting. Remembering her childhood always filled her with peace and love.

  Mary was thinking about her grandmother and that famous strawberry cake she used to make for her birthday. It was just mouthwatering. Her phone started ringing and Mary answered without checking the caller ID.

  "You never called me back," Ruby accused instead of greeting her more properly. There was a hint of hurt in her voice. Mary hoped she’d imagined it.

  "I am so sorry, Ruby," Mary replied in haste, wanting to smack herself across the forehead. "I completely forgot."

  "I see that."

  "It's been a crazy couple of days," Mary said lamely, hoping Ruby wasn't too cross with her.

  "Are you still working? I don't mean to bother you."

  "No, no, you are not bothering me," Mary reassured. "And no, I’m not working at the moment. Actually, I'm at the cemetery, visiting my grandmother."

  "Oh. I didn't know you had a grandmother who died. I am so sorry for your loss."

  "Thank you. It happened over ten years ago. She was the only family I had."

  "Are you okay?"

  "I am. I just miss her."

  "You are such a good granddaughter."

  Mary hoped so. "How are you feeling today?" she asked in return.

  "Never better," Ruby announced with her usual flair, which immediately put a smile on Mary's face. "If you’re free at the moment, I would really like to speak with you about something."

  "Actually, there's something I wanted to speak about with you as well," Mary replied, realizing this was the perfect opportunity to voice some of her concerns. She just hoped she could explain everything to Ruby the way Dr. Carson had explained to her. I don't want to hurt her feelings, she reminded herself. Or lose her as a friend.

  "Me first," Ruby announced, cutting in, and Mary let her.

  Coward, a part of her accused. It's not cowardice if you respect your elderly, another argued, but then she had to refocus on what Ruby was saying so she banished those thoughts.

  "It's about the party."

  "What about it?" Mary asked since Ruby's tone changed, getting distracted from what she wanted to tell Ruby for a moment.

  Ruby sighed. "I'm very excited I decided to throw it, but I'm a bit overwhelmed. There's so much I still need to do."

  "Do you need a hand?" Mary offered despite knowing nothing about throwing a party.

  "On, no, honey. It’s just that those damn caterers are driving me insane. And now I don't know what to do."

  "What happened?"

  "What always happens," Ruby replied with bitterness. "They completely screwed up my order."

  "Is there enough time for them to fix it?" Mary asked in sympathy.

  Ruby snorted. "There’d better be. But that's not why I rang. I need your help with another matter."

  "Shoot."

  "An acting school I started in as a young girl wants to do a little homage to me and requires my picture to place it on their wall of fame, so I wanted you to help me pick one."

  "That's wonderful, Ruby. Congratulations. Of course, I'll help you."

  "It's just a little thing," Ruby replied in her rare moment of shyness.

  "No, it's not," Mary insisted. "I am very proud of you."

  "Well, we'll deal with that after the party. This is more important at the moment."

  Mary listened to Ruby complain about this and that, trying to provide helpful advice to the best of her ability.

  "I just want everything to be perfect," Ruby said at some point. "I am treating this as your coming-out party, you know. It needs to be unforgettable."

  "Really, Ruby. You are going out of your way for me." Mary was genuinely touched and more than a little surprised that Ruby would do something like that for her.

  If Mary was nervous about going to the party before, it doubled, even tripled, after this little revelation. She didn't want a coming-out party. She hated being the center of attention. Mary wished Ruby wouldn't do this. Of course, she couldn't say that to Ruby. It would hurt her feelings, and Mary felt ashamed for only thinking about herself.

  "Thank you," Mary said, realizing she forgot to express her appreciation.

  "It's my pleasure, honey," Ruby replied in all honesty. "I just want you to have a good time and be happy."

  Mary wanted to be happy as well. As for the good time, parties were not her thing, but for Ruby, she would try.

  "According to my therapist, I am already happy, just not aware of the fact," Mary half-joked.

  "Oh, what does he know, anyway?" Ruby replied dismissively.

  "I hope a lot, based on all the diplomas on his wall."

  "So, you are still seeing him?" Ruby asked, her voice colored with surprise.

  "Of course. I feel better after talking with him about everything that’s going on," Mary explained with a small shrug, even though her friend couldn't see her.

  "Tell me you didn't speak with that old quack about me," Ruby said in a much sterner voice.

  Mary instantly got nervous since she spoke about her to Dr. Carson a great deal. I can't tell her that, she realized. Ruby would get upset.

  "Only in passing," Mary hedged.

  "Oh, Mary," Ruby exclaimed, clearly upset and slightly disappointed about that fact. "You are making a terrible mistake, and maybe that is expected since you’re young and quite naive. But I am neither," she emphasized. "And these so-called professionals always do more harm than good. You shouldn't trust him that much," she warned, finishing her little monologue.

  "What's the point in having a therapist if you don't trust him?" Mary said.

  "My point exactly. Besides, therapists are for people who have no one else to talk to, and you have me," Ruby pointed out. "It's better to confide all your problems in me instead of him. Cheaper too." She tried to make light of what she’d just said.

  Sensing how strongly Ruby believed in what she was saying, Mary replied, "You might be right,” simply to mollify her. In reality, Mary wholeheartedly disagreed and was frankly a little creeped out by what she'd just learned. To confide all my problems, inner thoughts, and feelings to her? This was one piece of advice she was not going to take. She needed Dr. Carson just like she needed Ruby, just for completely different reasons.

  "Of course I'm right," Ruby said, clearly pleased that she got through to Mary. "Oh, look at the time," she added. "I have to dash."

  "Okay, talk to you later."

  "Later, honey."

  Mary recounted their whole conversation in her mind, trying to make sense of everything. What just happened? Mary was still a bit unclear since it all started so innocently.

  Ruby appeared genuinely upset about the fact that Mary had visited and talked with a therapist, and Mary, being the way she was, tried to find fault in anything she’d said and done to induce such a reaction. She couldn't find anything. Mary was simply being honest and nothing more.

  And then it dawned on her. Ruby had probably had a really bad experience with her own therapist, and because of that, she was reacting that way. She's projecting her bad experience on me.

  Satisfied with that explanation, Mary picked up her pace again, not wanting to miss her train. It was getting really dark now, and she wanted to get home as soon as possible and just go to bed. This was a tiring day and she needed a rest, preferably one without nightmares.

  A girl can hope.

  Chapter Eleven

  Mary had to admit, she felt butterflies in her stomach when the weekend and the day of Ruby's party finally came.

  After pampering herself a little, taking a luxurious bath thanks to the sea salts she got from Ruby, washing her hair, and so on, Mary finally gathered the courage to watch some videos with make-up tips on the Internet and tried to rep
licate them. The result was a complete catastrophe. She looked like a clown, so she tried again, simplifying the steps for herself a little. I really don't need all this stuff on my face, she reasoned.

  Mary had to wash her face a couple of times and start anew, and eventually, she got it right. Or so she believed. It was true that she was completely inexperienced, but as it turned out, she was a fast learner. Mary felt like patting herself on the back looking at the result. The makeup was discreet, just the way she preferred it, and more importantly, it complimented the light blue dress Ruby had bought for her to wear.

  The shoes, where are the shoes? Mary started tiptoeing around the apartment, not wanting to ruin her stockings. She wore them the last couple of days around the house just to try and get used to them since they were the biggest cause of stress for her.

  Mary had never worn high heels in her entire life, and even though they weren't that high, it was all the same to her since she was so unaccustomed to them. The first time she put them on after returning from the shopping trip, Mary felt like she was on stilts.

  Here you are, hiding from me, she joked.

  That was the reason she’d started to practice around the house, fearing she would fall down on her face in front of a bunch of strangers. That was still a possibility, although she walked much better now. Marginally better.

  At times, she felt as though her grandmother had raised her in a cave, which wasn't true. It was just that Mary was never that interested in such girlie things and was now seriously lacking. The catching up was tiresome and making her feel more self-conscious.

  Mary didn't bother with her hair much. After washing it, she let it dry naturally, and the curls fashionably framed her face on their own.

  Take a deep breath and don't worry. Tonight, you'll have a great time and won't fall down. Or if you do, fake that you broke something and run away, she advised herself in good humor.

  When she was somewhat satisfied with what she looked like, she set out to Ruby's apartment. The subway ride dressed in heels was a story to itself, full of ups and downs, yet Mary wasn't going to dwell on it.

  Mary was satisfied to discover that she managed to arrive just on time.

  "And the most special of guests just arrived," Ruby announced, being her usual self as she opened the door for her.

  Mary felt a bit uncomfortable entering as everybody turned to look at her, and she forced herself to smile.

  "You look gorgeous, Ruby," Mary complimented her host. Ruby was wearing a yellow sundress with short sleeves and ruffles. It looked good on her, playful.

  "As do you," she replied. "And don't worry, I will point you to every eligible bachelor in here," she whispered to her in confidence.

  "Great," Mary mumbled in return, meaning anything but.

  Speaking of guests, Mary was surprised to see only a dozen or so people there. She attributed that to the fact that it was still early. Perhaps it’s fashionable to be late to these things, she mused.

  "Let's get you a drink, honey," Ruby said, and taking her by the elbow, she steered her in the direction of the set table that was filled with all kinds of refreshments.

  Mary was pleasantly surprised how Ruby, all by herself, had managed to transform her apartment into a place where things like cocktail parties seemed perfectly normal.

  Maybe that was why she didn't own too much stuff, so she could do this whenever she wanted to, Mary guessed.

  "So the catering company came through," Mary said conversationally, glancing at all the beautiful food that was arranged around the room.

  Ruby made a face. "Don't get me started about those amateurs. In the end, I had to hire a different one. It was a complete disaster," she added dramatically.

  "This all looks perfect. You should stop stressing and just enjoy. You did a great job," Mary complimented, trying to calm her down.

  Ruby immediately smiled, taking a deep breath. "You really mean that?"

  "Yes."

  "Thank you for saying that. Sometimes, I can be a little too detail-oriented." She offered her a glass of some kind of a punch, and Mary accepted it.

  "Now, let's introduce you to all these fine people."

  Mary forced herself to smile while nodding. "Lead the way."

  Ruby did, and Mary took a sip of her drink, needing some liquid courage to pull this off without embarrassing herself or her friend.

  The punch was delicious, fruity, and not too strong, so she took another sip.

  True to her word, Ruby introduced her to every single person who was at the party, offering a little tidbit about them, their career paths—with marital status included, of course. Mary shook hands, smiled a lot, and tried to talk with some of them in return. Which, as it turned out, wasn't an easy thing to do.

  Mary didn't want to criticize Ruby's friends since she’d just met them. All the same, Mary's first impression of the lot was that they all appeared aloof and unfriendly, and that surprised her a great deal since Ruby was the complete opposite and Mary had believed her friends would be the same way. On the other hand, look at Mary. She was also a complete opposite to their host. So perhaps Ruby had a type.

  Slightly awkward and antisocial people?

  Mary really tried to engage with a few of the guests, yet their conversation didn't move on past the weather or how much they enjoyed something they ate or drank that evening. The only other available topic was acting, and Mary knew even less about that than what type of cheese went with what kind of wine. She felt like giving up.

  Are all people in showbusiness like this? Looking at Ruby, who was in the middle of some vivid conversation with some gentleman, Mary knew the answer to that question was a no. Or maybe Ruby had escaped that whole scene in time and preserved her true self.

  Overall, Mary was getting bored and depressed thinking the other guests didn't want to engage with her because they’d deemed her beneath them in some way.

  Stop thinking like that, she snapped at herself, irked. She hated that her default settings were always to try and find fault in her own behavior. I am worthy of someone's time and affection, she reminded herself, and it helped a little.

  Feeling calmer didn't change her current circumstance. Mary started to practice excuses inside her head for leaving the party early. That was when she met Shannon and then Carla. They were the last ones to arrive and definitely stood out from the rest of the crowd . . . meaning they were friendly.

  Shannon Woodward was a bit younger than Mary, tall yet curvy in all the right places. Mary was surprised to learn that she worked as a baker.

  "You work at Tiffany’s? That’s a block away from my old apartment. I shopped there all the time," Mary provided. She adored their croissants and often remembered them with longing. Sadly, the shop was now too far away from her home.

  "Small world," Shannon replied with a small smile.

  "At times, it feels as though it's needlepoint small," she agreed.

  "So true," Shannon said, "Especially when you're trying to avoid all the ex-boyfriends." They laughed.

  Carla Blake joined them at some point. She was a very charming and cheerful young actress with fiery red hair that clearly wasn't natural. It complimented her hazel eyes perfectly. Carla was very friendly and had a dry sense of humor. The only thing Mary noticed was that she drank a little too much. She was on her third glass during their twenty-minute conversation. And it was showing.

  "How do you all know Ruby?" Mary asked, curious to hear if all their stories were equally dramatic.

  "Well, Ruby is one of the regulars in the bakery, but we just met, actually," Shannon answered. "She has a real sweet tooth."

  "She really does," Mary replied with a small smile, remembering their adventure to the pastry shop. "And how about you, Carla?"

  She giggled before answering. "I know dear old Ruby professionally." She slurred her words just a little.

  Mary started calculating whether Carla was old enough to have been around when Ruby was performing, and the numbers did
n't add up.

  Apparently, Shannon came to the same conclusion and they shared a look.

  Mary was about to ask the girl another question when Ruby appeared at her side.

  She was being her flamboyant, radiant self the whole night, playing the perfect hostess, spending an equal amount of time with each guest so all would feel special and welcome. Ruby was the ideal social butterfly, and at the moment, she glided toward Mary's company.

  "I am so glad you all managed to come and meet one another," she trilled. Mary was glad she was having a nice time.

  "Thank you for inviting me," Shannon said politely, and the rest agreed.

  "Are you having a great time?" Ruby wanted to know, fussing over whether they had enough to drink or eat.

  "The best of times," Carla replied and giggled again, knocking the contents of her glass.

  Ruby looked at her with a small frown.

  "We are, Ruby. This is wonderful," Mary added, trying to smooth things over.

  "Good," Ruby replied, clearly pleased.

  "Actually, we were all just comparing notes on how we met you," Mary said conversationally.

  "You know, I came to a wonderful idea just now," Ruby said out of the blue. "I would like to invite both of you," meaning Shannon and Mary, "to my lovely country house upstate."

  "I didn't know you had one," Shannon replied.

  "Oh, yes, but it's under construction at the moment."

  "Really?" Mary asked. "What kind of renovations?"

  "Nothing major, mostly cosmetic. It's another cause of stress in my life, I'm afraid." She sighed in a dramatic manner before smiling again. "Once it's finished, we'll go there and throw an even bigger party," she concluded.

  Mary and Shannon looked at one another and Mary shrugged. "That sounds lovely, Ruby," Shannon replied for the both of them.

  Mary liked Shannon. Somehow, she felt normal, more like Mary in every way, and not like the rest of that bunch. She had a normal job and a similar sense of humor, so maybe it was natural that they connected.

  As time passed, Mary noticed that most of the people at this gathering didn't seem to know one another, which she found very odd since they were all pretty much working in the same industry.