Just Like the Movies - Chapter 2

“Hey, Ruby?”  One of the assistants stood and flagged Ruby down on her way to her office.  “You got an urgent message from Glynda about Cinder’s comments last week.  She wants a call ASAP.”

“She realizes I can’t control what actors say off set, right?”  When the girl hesitantly shrugged, Ruby sighed and took the slip of paper with Glynda’s message on it.  “I’ll call her.”  She only made it ten steps closer to her office before the young man by her door swiveled toward her.

“Uh, Ruby?  Marketing said they have to redo the spot for the Celicas.  There were licensing issues with the background song, so…they’re working on a new one now.”

Ruby gave him two full seconds to say that he was joking.  When he grimaced instead, she tilted her head back and sighed.  

“Where were all these emergencies last week, huh?” she asked the room, brandishing Glynda’s message.  “It’s almost like you know when I’m trying to leave early,” she joked before ducking into her office and shutting the door.  She wished that no emergencies could reach her in here, but that was far from the truth.  When she was in her office, the issues knew exactly where to find her.  

After tossing Glynda’s message into the trash, she grabbed the phone and dialed a number that she, unfortunately, knew by heart.

“You have a plan to fix this, I hope.”

“Sure do,” Ruby replied, smiling at the surly greeting.  “And that’s by doing nothing.”

“‘Doing nothing?’  Ruby, she compared our viewers to ‘little shrews who can be bent to her will.’”

“I know.  It’s perfect.”  Ruby swiveled in her chair to look at the beautiful Vale skyline, listening to Glynda’s deep inhale before the inevitable question appeared.

“Care to explain your thinking?”

“Cinder plays a villain, Glynda.  She’s not a goody-two-shoes.  Eclipse is conniving and deceitful - Cinder plays her well because they share some similarities.  Her comments are only hyping up her character and making people dislike her enough to go watch her get beat down.”  Ruby spun back to her desk and chuckled.  “Besides, she’s kind of right.  Her fans simp over her so hard that she could get them to do anything she wants.”

“So, you think…we should just…do nothing.”

“Exactly.  As long as the stories don’t get out of hand, some news is good news.  I’ll tell Cinder not to double down on it, but we both know she won’t apologize.”

“Of course not,” Glynda huffed.  After several seconds of silence, she sighed.  “Alright.  We’ll trust your instincts, as usual.”

“You probably won’t regret it.”  Ruby beamed when Glynda huffed again - this one more amused than disgruntled.  “I’ll text her right now.  Keep up the great work!”

As soon as Ruby ended the call with Glynda, she pulled up her conversation with Cinder - they last shared messages over a month ago - and sent a friendly but firm instruction to not add kindle to the fire.  A little free press was fine, but the last thing they needed was a full-blown PR nightmare.

Once done, Ruby messaged Yang - a simple ‘Actors, ugh’ along with a few choice emojis.  Ever since dinner, she had resolved to stay in better contact with Yang, and that meant sending random notes throughout the day that probably didn’t make much sense.

Or they probably did.  Yang stayed on top of the news and was smart enough to connect the dots.  If she wasn’t, Blake certainly was.

With that mini fire temporarily handled, Ruby straightened the stack of paperwork that had ferried itself onto her desk and then searched for her keys.  Finding them under a sketchbook, she grabbed them and popped to her feet.

Two knocks preceded Ciel entering the room, so Ruby sat right back down.

“Please tell me there isn’t an emergency,” she said while Ciel walked over to the desk.  “I have an…appointment…I need to get to.”

Ruby’s cheeks warmed when she thought about her evening plans.  Thankfully, Ciel merely nodded and launched right into her reason for being here.

“I just spoke to Coco about the Starforce budget.”

“And…?”

“She tried to fire me,” Ciel replied before sliding a document across the desk.  “Then she said this is the best she can do.”

Ruby flipped straight to the last page and smiled at the bottom line.  “Perfect.”  She slid the budget back to Ciel, who returned it to her clipboard.  “Let her know she can start shooting.  And you aren’t fired, by the way.”

“I know.”  Ciel straightened her shoulders and hugged the clipboard to her chest.  “Do you need anything?”

“I need to get out of here.”  Ruby glanced at the time and popped to her feet, then stifled a sigh when Penny tapped on the doorframe.

“Can I run an idea by you?”

Ciel glanced at Ruby out of the corner of her eye before excusing herself, leaving Penny and Ruby alone in the office.

“I’m kind of running behind -”  Ruby paused when her phone buzzed in her hand.  “Hold on a second,” she said, holding up one finger and checking the message.  After reading, ‘Sorry, I’m running a little late,’ Ruby typed back a quick, ‘Me too!’ before grinning at Penny.

“Ok, shoot.”

“I was thinking about what you said about us missing something, and I came up with a new type of character that might interest you.”  Penny handed Ruby a page of sketches so detailed that they could be mistaken for blueprints.  “I call them the Cybernex,” Penny explained while Ruby pored over the humanoid-like machines.  “They’re inorganic life forms with a modular design that allows them to upgrade their chassis into whatever they need to be.  Soldier, spy, assassin - whatever the collective needs.”

“Who controls them?” 

“That’s where I thought they could be different.”  Penny paused and lightly twisted her hands together.  “I thought that they could have free will and…souls.” 

“An alien race of robots with their own consciousness?”  Ruby pursed her lips.  “Who created them?”

“It could be any highly intelligent life that went extinct.”

“Leaving the Cybernex behind to evolve into their own species…” Ruby mused, taking one last look over Penny’s work before nodding.  “I love that.  Keep working it.  And you should show Oscar since he loves androids.”

“Are you not coming to the Forge tonight?” Penny asked while Ruby gently ushered her to the office door.

“I have another appointment, so make sure to keep good notes for me!”  With Penny nodding, Ruby closed her office door behind her and then paused.  “But first - how do I look?”

She held out her arms as Penny squinted at her attire.  

“Like…Ruby?”

“Good enough.”  Ruby patted Penny’s shoulder and waved to the remaining assistants before heading downstairs.  The shiny elevator doors gave her one last chance to check her reflection and question whether she had underdressed for the occasion.  Dark jeans, red-and-white sneakers, and a nice red top seemed put together to her.  Plus, it was a Yang-approved outfit - therefore, it must be coordinated and in-season.

Her clothing was the only thing she felt confident in as she drove to the other side of town.  Unlike the gut-wrenching nerves of last week, butterflies fluttered through her chest today.  Part of her wondered if she had completely lost her sanity, but the much larger part of her couldn't pass up such an unlikely opportunity.

By the time she arrived at the miniature golf course, she had imagined thousands of scenarios but had no idea which was more likely than the other.  She could be stood up.  She could unwittingly be taking part in a crazy reality show.  She could be abducted by aliens who didn’t approve of how she’d portrayed them in film.

Finding no one in the entertainment center’s parking lot, she went inside to see if she was the last to arrive.  Just beyond the front doors, an arcade greeted her with immediate sensory overload.  Loud noises and flashing lights demanded attention in every direction, pulling her right back to the birthday parties of her youth.

Rather than race from machine to machine, she passed through the arcade and through the back doors to the miniature golf course.  The relative silence was as much of a relief to her ears as the relatively staid decorations were to her eyes.  Green turf wove through various colorful obstacles ranging from tunnels to bridges to a large windmill.  A concrete path interlaced the course, leading the players from one hole to the next.

At the moment, the outdoor area was empty save for a dad and his young daughter - and the clerk manning the cash register, who squinted at her.  Rather than avoid the inevitable interaction, she smiled and waved.  Recognition flashed in his eyes, and he leapt to attention.

“Are you Ruby Rose??”

Ruby pressed a finger to her lips and glanced around as if she didn’t want anyone to overhear.  Which, truthfully, she didn’t.  But if he got this out of his system now, he would leave her alone later.

“Oh, wow.  I’m a huge fan.  Like, really.  I’ve seen all your movies like five times -”

“Oh, that’s -”

“In theaters.”

The extravagant amount of theater tickets gave her reason to pause.  But, rather than question his circumstances, she smiled.

“It’s always nice to meet a fan.”

“Huge fan,” he reiterated.  “What’re you doing here?”

“Oh.  I’m…actually on a secret mission.  No one can know it’s me.”  Ruby glanced left and right before leaning closer and lowering her voice.  “Can I trust you to protect my identity?”

“Does it have to do with The Sovereign?” he whispered so gravely that she nearly smiled.  Somehow, she maintained a neutral expression and let her gaze drift to the side.

“I can’t say.”

But she could wink, which she did, and his expression lit up as if someone just told him the combination to an unattended vault holding piles of cash.  She pressed a finger to her lips again, hoping that would keep him quiet for the duration of her stay, before heading back through the arcade to wait near the front doors.

Several minutes passed before a black town car pulled into the parking lot.  Ruby’s posture instantly straightened, yet she could still hardly believe her eyes when the passenger door opened and Weiss stepped out.  

Weiss had come straight from work, which Ruby knew but didn’t know until she saw Weiss’ perfectly fitted black skirt, white blouse, and thin heels.  Professional, sophisticated, and drop-dead gorgeous were all good descriptors, whereas Ruby gaped like a fish out of water, wondering what alternate dimension she found herself in.

“Sorry, I’m late.”  Weiss waved to the chauffeur and straightened her skirt before joining Ruby.  “Work was -”  Weiss blew a breath through her lips and shook her head.  “I cleared everything from my schedule from three o’clock on, yet they still found ways to keep me there.”

“I did the same thing.”  Ruby silently congratulated herself on forming words while adding, “It also didn’t work, so I totally get it.” 

“Still…being late isn’t the greatest impression.”

“After last week, there’s pretty much nothing you can do to make me think poorly of you.”

“Nothing?”  

A hint of a smile lifted Weiss’ lips as she arched one brow, easily destroying whatever semblance of composure Ruby had.

“W-well, I mean, practically nothing.  Unless you’re, like, planning to abduct me or something…”

Weiss lightly laughed, the sound like music to Ruby’s ears, before leveling Ruby with a beautiful smile and a simple, lovely, “Hi.”

“Uh, hi.”  Ruby’s blush deepened, but she rubbed the back of her neck and held Weiss’ gaze.  “It’s, uh, really nice seeing you again.”  

“You, too.”  Weiss’ eyes sparkled at Ruby’s sudden awkwardness, and then her gaze roved over Ruby from head to toe.  “You look nice.”

“You do, too.  Like, really nice.”  When an appreciative smile settled on Weiss’ lips, Ruby took a deep breath and tried not to think every thought at once.  “And thanks.  My, uh, my sister’s a buyer for a fashion label, so she - you know, suggests things.”

“That explains her impeccable style…and yours.”

“Yeah, I probably owe her my career.”  Ruby chuckled and silently reminded herself to send Yang a very nice gift for the mandatory fashion lessons.  Apparently, that time had been well spent.  

“I didn’t know if you’d actually show up,” Ruby admitted.  When Weiss’ brow rose, she gestured around.  “I mean, everything about this is a little…”

“Surreal?”

“I was thinking ‘wild and crazy,’ but yeah.  Surreal.”  Ruby paused, blushed again, and then rubbed the back of her neck.  “I’m not really sure what we do now…”

Weiss’ gaze slid around the building.

“I imagine we head inside and pay.”

“Right.  I meant -”  Ruby made some vague gesture between them, but Weiss shifted her purse to her other elbow and tucked her hair behind one ear.

“Well…we can try to talk it all out, or we can play some…miniature golf…and see where it takes us.”

“Like an adventure.”

“Isn’t that what life is?” 

“I’ve always thought so,” Ruby replied, her heart thrumming.  A laugh then slipped through her lips, which Weiss returned with a smile while subtly motioning inside.  Ruby gladly fell into step beside her but hurried forward to hold the door, earning another smile and soft, “Thank you,” as they entered the arcade.

Weiss set one foot inside and paused.  Her keen gaze reflected the flashing lights as she absorbed the atmosphere.

“Not an arcade person?” Ruby asked.  Weiss straightened her shoulders as if better posture would solve the clash of professional and casual, then softly huffed and shook her head.

“There’s a lot going on here.”

“Outside’s quieter.”  When Weiss hummed, her blue gaze still scanning the room, Ruby led her through the maze of games and glanced over at least a half dozen times.  By the time they reached the patio, Ruby had determined that Weiss was a real person who was very literally here with her.

“I wanted to say thanks again,” Ruby spit out before she lost her nerve.  Even then, she had to duck that beautiful blue gaze in order to add, “For what you did at dinner.”

“Don’t mention it.”  Weiss waved off the gratitude.  “I figured it’d give you time to decide how you really want to tell her.”

Ruby briefly nodded but then leaped into action when Weiss motioned to the employee that there were two of them.

“I got it!”  Ruby lunged forward and practically slammed her credit card in front of the register to beat Weiss reaching into her purse.  “Since you paid for dinner,” she added, casually leaning her arm on the counter and pretending that was the most normal response in the world.  

Amusement danced in Weiss’ eyes, but she only said, “Thank you,” while moving aside.  Her presence, however, drew the attendant’s gaze several times as he rang up the bill.

“Recruiting new heroes?” he whispered while returning Ruby’s card and receipt.  She smiled and winked again, leaving him to fill in the blanks, and rejoined Weiss.  “Watch out for black holes!” he called after her, and she very nearly laughed.  The only thing that stopped her was Weiss’ pinched brow.

“‘Black holes?’” Weiss repeated before surveying the turf-covered course.  “Is that some sort of theme?”

“Uh, yeah, probably!”  Before Weiss dwelled on the comment, Ruby motioned to the rack of golf clubs and a large bin of golf balls in a variety of colors.  “Have you ever mini-golfed before?” 

“I haven’t, but I imagine it’s like regular golf only…smaller.”  Weiss held up one of the tiny clubs while Ruby nodded. 

“Pretty much.  What color do you want?”

“Red.”

Ruby paused in the midst of reaching for a red golf ball.  “My favorite color,” she admitted, willingly handing it to Weiss instead.  Weiss’ gaze roved over her outfit again, so she glanced down and realized she was wearing mostly shades of red.  She then looked at Weiss and said, “I’ll be white.”

Weiss held back a smile, but her eyes gave her away as she handed Ruby a white golf ball and said, “You’d look good in white.”

“You’d look good in red,” Ruby replied before sneaking a longer peek at Weiss.  “But you probably look good in everything.”

“Is this your typical charm that I should be aware of?”  Weiss rested her palms on the top of the golf club and lightly motioned with her arms.  “Since we’re dating and all.”

“Oh, no, I’m not charming - that’s Yang’s thing.  I’m the awkward one.”

“Are you sure about that?”

‘Yes,’ floated to the tip of Ruby’s tongue, but Weiss’ raised brow prevented it from leaping into existence.  “I was?” she admitted.  Weiss hummed and walked to the start of the course, very effectively drawing Ruby along with her.  

Ruby wanted to ask what they were doing, why, and to what end, but shoved the questions aside in favor of the adventure that Weiss mentioned.  After all, spending the afternoon playing mini golf with gorgeous company was hardly a chore.

The first hole was nothing more than a straight putting green with the cup dead-center at the far end.  It was clearly designed as a warmup, yet Ruby’s brow still rose when Weiss centered herself over the ball like a professional golfer and, in one short, confident swing, tapped the golf ball down the green and straight into the cup.

“You’ve never played before, huh,” Ruby said while Weiss gracefully retrieved the ball.  She noticed Weiss’ pleased smile out of the corner of her eye but tried to ignore it while taking her first swing.  Her aim was too far to the left, sending the ball swooping around the cup and bouncing off of the back corner.  Fortunately, from there it only took a tap to drop the ball into the hole, and they moved along the path to their next challenge.

“So what do you do?” Ruby asked.  Weiss arched her brow at the question before hitting her shot over a small hill, so Ruby added, “I mean, I know what Schnee Industries does - everyone knows that - but what sort of things are you in charge of?”

“A bit of everything.  I oversee the day-to-day operations, and I help my dad develop strategic plans for the future.”  Weiss’ expression briefly clouded as she knocked her ball into the cup.  “We don’t always agree on what that looks like…” she mumbled while Ruby set up next.

“What do you think the future looks like?”

Weiss glanced at Ruby out of the corner of her eye as if gauging Ruby’s interest before answering.

“I want to find more sustainable energy sources and develop technology to make them as efficient and cheap as traditional sources.  He wants to make more money.”

“Ah.”  Distracted by Weiss’ slightly pursed lips, Ruby haphazardly knocked her ball to the other side of the hill before looking over.  “If your dad keeps you so busy, should you really be here?  I don’t want to waste your time.”

“I’m getting a new dad, remember?  That alien abduction should happen any day now.”  Weiss waited for Ruby’s surprised laugh before adding, “And I told him I’m meeting a potential parts supplier.  As far as he knows, I am working.”

“Ok…I just don’t want you to get in trouble.”

“I’m an adult, aren’t I?”  Weiss arched her brow at Ruby, whose eyes slipped down Weiss’ skirt before she could stop them.  A pleased smile slipped onto Weiss’ lips as a rampant blush colored Ruby’s cheeks.  Fortunately, Weiss didn’t call Ruby out for the blatant look.  “What about you?” she asked instead, following Ruby to the hole featuring a giant windmill separating them from their goal.  “What do you do?”

“Oh.  I, uh, I work with movies.”

“Really?  Any I might’ve seen?”

“What’s the last movie you watched?”

Weiss wrinkled her nose, looking both deep in thought and adorable.  Eventually, she shook her head and said, “I can’t even remember.”

“Then probably not,” Ruby replied.  “But that’s fine!  I don’t think they’d be your type anyway.  They’re pretty nerdy.”

“Are you saying I don’t give off a nerdy vibe?”  When Ruby looked at Weiss’ perfectly tailored outfit and laughed, Weiss started laughing with her.  “Fine, I’ve never been called a nerd.  What do you do for the films though?  Writing, editing, acting?”

“I mostly work on story direction, I’d guess you’d say.  Plus, a bunch of other things like making sure everyone’s in the same place at once.”

Ruby set her ball on the next starting point and lined up a shot.  When she tapped the ball forward, however, it clanked off the windmill and rolled right back to her.  The next two tries were equally unsuccessful.

“Do you enjoy it?” Weiss asked while Ruby struggled.

“I do!  It’s creative and fun, but can be stressful.”  

“I should still watch them…” Weiss mused to herself before turning to Ruby.  “Can you give me titles?”

“Uh, sure.  Ever heard of Crimson Dawn?”

Weiss scrunched up her face in an adorable display of concentration before shaking her head.  

“Echoes of Eternity?” Ruby added only to receive the same response.  “They’re nerdy adventures,” she explained, stopping her ball from rolling past by stepping on it with her foot.  “What kind of movies do you watch?  When you have time to watch movies, that is.”

“Oh, I mostly watch…crime documentaries.”

Ruby tilted her head, mouthed the words to herself, and then laughed.

“Most ‘crime documentary’ fans call it ‘true crime,’ you know.”  Noticing the faint pink on Weiss’ cheeks, Ruby leaned closer and whispered, “You’re a romance gal, aren’t you.”  When Weiss’ blush deepened, Ruby laughed and said, “There’s nothing wrong with that!  Romances are good.  The build-up, the inevitable separation, the reconciliation…”

It took Ruby’s wistful sigh for Weiss to finally open up.

“I may indulge in a romance or two.”  A smile snuck onto Weiss’ lips when Ruby finally managed to get her ball through the windmill.  “It’s nice to believe that something like that could happen.  Soulmates, happily ever after -”

“Romance written for the silver screen.”  Weiss nodded and set up her turn, but Ruby watched her closely before adding a simple, “Huh.”  That thought disappeared when Weiss seamlessly tapped her ball through the spinning windmill blades.  “Are you sure you’ve never played before?”

“I’m sure.  But I’ve been dragged to more meetings on golf courses than I care to remember.”

“Sounds torturous.”  The two of them walked around the windmill together before Ruby glanced at Weiss.  “Do you like your job?”  As soon as Weiss’ blue eyes landed on her, Ruby held up her hands and added, “You don’t have to answer that.”

“I don’t mind.”  Weiss stared at her little red golf ball for a second before shrugging.  “I like parts of it, and I’m good at it - I like being good at things.”

“Definitely something we can agree on.”

“I think we agree on more than that.”  Weiss sent Ruby a gentle smile before tapping the ball into the hole.  “Pretty sure I impressed you so much with my minigolf skills that you knew you had to date me.”

“You don’t meet a minigolf prodigy and not date them.”  

“True…except most of them are probably eleven-year-olds.”

Ruby snorted right as she swung her club, sending the ball straight past the hole.  It sailed back to the windmill, which battered it another time, before knocking into the barrier and rolling to a stop.  “Is there a mercy rule or something?” she joked before trying again, and again, and then a third time, before they moved on.

The next few holes proceeded in much the same way.  Somehow, Weiss took perfect shots while engaging in meaningful conversation.  Ruby, on the other hand, couldn't catch a break with her golfing skills.  Not that she minded.  Far more important to her was the way the two of them settled into a comfortable rhythm of questions and answers interspersed with some stellar, and some less than stellar, miniature golf play.

Weiss seemed to feel the same, if her relaxed demeanor said anything.  Every time she snuck a smile Ruby’s way, Ruby’s heart tried, and often succeeded, in swooning.

Just past the midway point of the course, however, Weiss glanced at Ruby with a bit more hesitation.

“I’ve been curious about something, but I’m afraid it might be…sensitive.”

“Ask away.  I’m an open book.”

Even with Ruby’s assurance, Weiss fiddled with her golf club before meeting Ruby’s gaze.

“What happened to your sister’s arm?”  As soon as Ruby’s smile dropped a fraction of an inch, Weiss quickly added, “You don’t have to answer if it’s too personal.”

“No, it’s fine.  Really.”  Ruby briefly touched Weiss’ hand before looking at the ground.  “She was in a motorcycle accident.”  Weiss grimaced, so Ruby nodded.  “Yeah, that was…”  Ruby paused and blew a breath through her lips.  “That was a rough time.”  

Ruby set her hands on top of her golf club as those memories played through her mind like a movie on fast forward.  The movie stopped with Weiss tenderly setting a hand on her arm.  A glance into Weiss’ caring blue eyes snapped Ruby back to the present. 

“But she’s better now!  She can do basically everything she could do before.  Plus, she has Blake now, so she’s…”

“She’s happy,” Weiss concluded.

“She’s happy,” Ruby agreed.  She then followed Weiss to the next hole and watched her set the ball on the little indent serving as a tee.  “Blake said you’re the middle child, right?”

“That’s right.”  Weiss hit a perfect shot across a narrow drawbridge before turning to Ruby.  “My sister, Winter, is a few years older than me.  And Whitley is my little brother.”

“I always wanted a little brother,” Ruby commented, setting her ball down and imagining duplicating Weiss’ shot.  

“You can have mine.”

Ruby laughed mid-swing, causing her ‘perfect’ shot to bounce off the railing and roll right back to her.

“Ok, you did that on purpose,” she whined, stopping the ball with her foot.  Weiss, despite amusement sparkling in her eyes, held an award-winning neutral expression.  Only when Ruby squinted did the corner of Weiss’ mouth tilt up, and even then only for a millisecond.  “I’m on to you,” Ruby teased anyway, pointing one finger at that sexy half-smile before setting up another attempt.  “You’re distracting me by being all funny and beautiful.”

The compliments slipped out, but Weiss’ surprised blink was more than worth the slip-up.  Smiling to herself, Ruby tapped the ball across the bridge with the finesse and skill of someone with average hand-eye coordination.

“Thank god we aren’t actually keeping score,” she sighed while moving to the other side of the bridge.

“We aren’t?”  

“We didn’t get score cards.”  Ruby pointed to the miniature pads of paper and pencils near the entrance, but Weiss glanced that way before leveling Ruby with another amused smile.

“And?”

Ruby stared at Weiss for a full second before laughing.  “You’re keeping track in your head?”  Weiss shrugged as if that was obvious.  “You’re fascinating, aren’t you?”

“No more so than you.”

Ruby didn’t find herself particularly fascinating, but she couldn't argue with Weiss’ unwavering interest.  And, as they flew through questions ranging from favorite childhood memory to best birthday gift to biggest pet peeves, she couldn't escape how ‘surreal’ this moment truly was.

They met in a random restaurant’s restroom.  The only thing connecting them was a dumb lie that Ruby told and that Weiss bailed her out on.  They were strangers.  Yet…the awkwardness of two strangers was nowhere to be found.  There were plenty of butterflies in Ruby’s stomach though, and plenty of smiles, laughter, little peeks that she got caught making plenty of times, and plenty of times where she caught Weiss sneaking glances at her, too.

“Can I ask something?”  Ruby waited for Weiss’ distracted hum before spitting out the question that had taken over her thoughts.  “Why are you here?”  Weiss finally looked at her, brow furrowed, so Ruby motioned to the miniature golf course.  “You already saved my butt with Yang, so I guess I’m…confused.  You could’ve just walked away.”

Weiss tapped her ball into the hole and picked it up before approaching Ruby.  The way she ducked Ruby’s gaze coupled with the way she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear suggested embarrassment, but she met Ruby’s gaze and answered.

“My life has been planned to the point of being boring.  Where I’d go to school, what I’d study, what job I’d have…even that dinner last week was set up for me.  But then there you were…spouting one of the most unlikely stories I’ve ever heard.  Like a plot from a movie, but it was real.”  Weiss finally relaxed into a small smile.  “I figured…if you’re living in a movie, maybe I could join you for a little while.”

“You can stay as long as you want,” Ruby breathed out.

“Yeah?”  Weiss searched Ruby’s eyes before glancing to the side and stepping away at the same time that Ruby realized how close they were.  “Besides,” Weiss added, absentmindedly twirling the golf club in her hand.  “Being a fake girlfriend seems like it’s much easier than being a real one.”

“Right?”  Ruby chuckled as they approached the end of the course.  “There are no expectations.  No pressure.”

“No worrying about being too coy.”

“Or too honest.”  Ruby thought about the situation for a moment longer before nodding.  “You’re right.  It’s way easier.”  Weiss hummed, so Ruby snuck a smile her way.  “You’re used to being told you’re right though, aren’t you?”

“Just a bit.”  Ruby’s laugh prompted Weiss’ smile.  Once she tapped her ball into another cup, however, she grew slightly more serious.  “I guess we should figure out our backstory, in case we need it.”  Lips pursed, she looked around the outdoor miniature golf course as if searching for clues.  “Why would I ever be here under my own volition…?”

“Birthday party?” Ruby suggested.  Weiss considered it for a second before shaking her head.

“I don’t know anyone in the right age range.”

“Then…charity event, maybe?”

“As if my dad gives me time for charity,” Weiss scoffed.  “I can write a check, but that’s about it.”

After finishing the hole, in about twice as many strokes as Weiss, Ruby looked around for other ideas.

“Oh!  Got it.  You weren’t here at all - you were across the street at that restaurant.”  Ruby pointed across the double-lane side street, where several tables sat on the restaurant patio.  “And I hit a horrible ball that flew over the fence and ended up knocking over your water.”

Weiss glanced at the cafe, then at Ruby, and then smiled.

“You’re remembering things wrong, dear.”  Ruby’s heart damn near exploded at the word, but Weiss sent her a patient smile.  “It landed in my soup, which splashed all over my jacket.  Tomato soup and white jackets don’t mix.”

“I was mortified, of course,” Ruby added, grinning now.  “So I ran over to profusely apologize.”

“And I thought you were cute.”  When Weiss casually shrugged, Ruby’s heart stopped.  “Especially the way you stumbled over your words and kept doing that thing where you rub your neck when you’re nervous.”  Ruby chuckled and absentmindedly rubbed the back of her neck, so Weiss’ smile brightened.  “Like that.”

“And I thought you were gorgeous,” Ruby replied, feeling quite satisfied when Weiss’ cheeks softly reddened.  “So I invited you to play a round with me.”

“And that’s how we met.”  The two of them smiled at each other until Weiss paused and squinted at Ruby.  “Why were you here though?”

“Look at me, Weiss.”  Ruby spread her arms wide, her jeans and sneakers fitting the locale far better than Weiss’ business attire.  “This is just a regular Thursday evening for me.”

“Then why aren’t you better?”

Ruby’s brow shot up and, when Weiss playfully batted her eyes, she laughed.

“Maybe I’m holding back so you can win,” she joked.

“How chivalrous.”  When Ruby bowed as if to say, ‘of course,’ Weiss rolled her eyes and pointed to the next hole.  “Well, there are only a few left, and you’re already far behind -”

“Do I even want to know by how much?”

“Probably not.”  Weiss smirked when Ruby laughed.  “But I’ve already won, so there’s no need to pretend anymore.  Show me what you can do.”

They both knew that Ruby was bluffing, but Weiss stepped aside and watched Ruby mimic her perfect stance.  One smooth club stroke later, Ruby proved that there was more to golf than just posture.  Not even concentration helped - not that she could concentrate very well as she and Weiss laughed at the hapless attempts and even more hapless results.

By the time they returned their equipment to the racks, Ruby’s cheeks hurt from smiling so much.  She saved another bright smile and wink for her cashier-tending friend, who beamed as she and Weiss headed inside.  The arcade was busier now, as a birthday party had been set up in one of the party rooms and the young guests raced throughout the building.  Squeals of delight and shouting were left behind as Ruby and Weiss returned to the parking lot, where a black town car already waited.

“So…I guess that’s how we met,” Ruby commented as they stopped near Weiss’ car.  “I owe you a new jacket,” she added.  “For the one I got soup all over.”

“I believe I told you not to worry about it since I have plenty.”

When Weiss smiled, Ruby nodded once, then stuck her hands into her pockets and lightly scuffed her shoe on the asphalt.

“So, uh…”  Ruby glanced at the car before meeting Weiss’ gaze.  “I had a really great time.”

“I did, too.”

The long, drawn-out moment that followed suggested words unsaid, yet Ruby only found the courage to say them when Weiss looked like she might leave.  Ruby’s hand shot out to find Weiss’, freezing her in her tracks before turning her back around.

“You gave me your number after the whole soup fiasco, but I couldn't wait to text you so asked you out again right away.  Whenever you had time, even if I had to wait months.”

Weiss glanced at their joined hands, which Ruby quickly separated from, before smiling.

“I canceled a meeting so I could meet you the next night.”

“The boardwalk at seven?”

“That sounds about right.”  Ruby’s heart fluttered when Weiss smiled, then stopped when Weiss leaned in and kissed her cheek.  Weiss lingered long enough for Ruby to pick out the scent of her shampoo before touching Ruby’s elbow and backing away.  “I might have also spent all evening thinking about you,” she teased while reaching for the passenger door.

“I know I did,” Ruby replied.  A smile burst onto her lips when Weiss laughed, and a pleasant warmth spread through her veins when Weiss waved before slipping into the vehicle.  Ruby waved back but didn’t move until the car pulled out of the parking lot.  Even then, she stared for several long seconds before smiling to herself and returning to her car.

She created wild and fantastical ideas for a living, yet she couldn't have come up with a night like tonight.  Weiss compared it to the plot of a movie, but to Ruby it felt more like an incredible, improbable dream that she couldn't wait to experience again.

…but she also needed to cancel a meeting to make it to the boardwalk on time.