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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 3771221" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter One-hundred-ninety-eight, “If you can‘t be with the one you love, love the one you‘re with”, Friday, June 16th, 9:00 P.M. Ruby West spots Petty Officer Roger Birch around a block away talking to a pair of men dressed in common worker clothing. She leans up against the wall and just watches with interest what is going on down the block. Roger removes his money clip and peels off a few bills which he hands to the men. They pocket it and move off in the other direction. She crosses her arms and continues to wait, waiting for Roger to see her. He starts back, a look of surprise crossing his face when he notices her. She stays leaning up against the wall. "What was that about? Secret navy stuff?" Roger says, "You could say that. Trust me, you are better off not knowing. I thought you'd still be dancing with Seaman Hamel." "I was but I am wondering why you keep sticking me with everyone but you." She stays with her arms crossed. "What was that about?" He hesitates and says, "Er...I was telling the truth when I said that you were better off not knowing. It's not entirely legal and I wouldn't want to get you into any trouble." She raises an eyebrow. "I still want to know." He looks around and lowers his voice, stating "It has to do with magic, the kind that is illegal....wizardry." Ruby laughs. She tries to hold it in but she can't. "I've heard of it. What of it?" Roger replies, "Well, there are certain magical items that make shipboard life easier. I have always had the role of helping to procure those items for my buddies. That is what I was just doing." "Interesting." She uncrosses her arms and stands up. "You know, the fresh air feels good. What do you want to do now?" He says, "Actually we'd better get back inside or else Seaman Apprentice Hamel will notice that I'm gone. He was the one I was trying to keep this secret from, not you. I figured you'd keep him busy long enough for me to complete my business transaction." "Alright." Ruby takes his arm and they wander back inside. She leans over and whispers as they walk, "If he asks any questions just tell him you trying to sneak some kisses." Roger replies, "I plan to. The problem with that boy is he is totally 'by-the-book'. If he gets wind of any of my side businesses he'd report me right to the ship's captain." Ruby asks, "How would he? Get wind that is?" Roger says, "From what I've seen thus far he is a very observant young man. He also asks a lot of questions." She comments, “He didn't ask me anything. Instead he bored me with the whole 'top 10% of my class' thing." Roger laughs, "Ah, he was trying to impress you. He's obviously the closest one of us to your age so probably figured that if he could get you to pick him instead of me if you thought he was special." Ruby laughs heartily. "I need a man, not a boy. And especially one that brags about his scores in school." She rolls her eyes. "Now come Roger, no more talk of this. Let's get drunk or something else fun. We're supposed to be enjoying ourselves." Roger says, "I agree, I held off drinking to excess until after that business was done. Best not to do things like that drunk. But I have no other plans for tonight than doing whatever it is you wish Ruby." She says, "Well, I wish to drink, possibly even too much." She moves closer to him. "And I want you to act like you like me while we're doing said drinking. Shower me with attention and all that. I'm needing it tonight." Roger smiles and says, "Well, that is an easy request to follow, as I do like you and showering you with compliments will come naturally, as you are indeed the most beautiful woman I have seen in years if not decades." "That's very sweet. You should get working on that," she laughs. "Order us a couple of bottles of something. Then maybe we'll get out of here." He orders two bottles of champagne to go and plus another $2 for the loan of a pair of glasses. While he is ordering Ruby excuses herself and finds Jane. "I'm going to be... out...for a while. Don't worry about me, okay?" Ruby nods her head towards the handsome men. "Should I knock before coming back to our room tonight?" Jane replies, "No, Don't knock, that would wake me. Today isn't the day for worship services. You really don't understand my religion do you? Ruby exclaims, "How can I understand it Jane? You've never explained it. As long as I've known you, you been evading my questions. So why don't you tell me, since I obviously don't understand and I want to know." Jane says, "Aphrodite calls me to share love as part of the Sunday worship services. I have no desire to spend time with men other than that unless it were somebody who I truly was in love with." "And who would that be Jane? Your opinion on that seems to change frequently." Ruby feels bad right after she says it. "That didn't come out the way I meant. I guess... I mean I guess I don't understand but I really do want to know more. Would it be better if we do that tonight?" She gazes over to Roger, "I'm not sure about him anyway, it would give me an excuse." Jane replies, "No. Go have fun Ruby, you've earned it. I will enjoy the company of these men until I tire of them at which point I will retreat to my room. There will be time tomorrow late morning or early afternoon for us to see what Aphrodite wishes to say to you." "Jane...," Ruby pauses. "Did you remember I'm supposed to be in the play tonight? I wonder if they are doing it without me." A sad look crosses Ruby's face. "I really wanted to do it too. I'm not there because I ran away. And right now, for the first time this trip, I wish I was there instead of here." Jane says, "Ruby, you're here now, make the most of where you are and the people who you find yourself with." The more Ruby let herself think, the more she was confused. She thought she had made the decision already for how to spend the rest of the evening. But the sudden reminder of the play, and what could have been, brought her down. And now it seemed even Jane didn't want to spend time with her. "Alright Janie. Have a good night," she says quietly before returning to Roger. Ruby takes his arm and in a still quiet voice she says, "Get me out of here, please Roger." Bottles in hand, he leads her outside and they take a short walk down to Canal Street, walking across the aqueduct over the Genesee River and seeing the water flow beneath. Roger stops and sits down on the edge of the bridge watching the water flow. He says, "The best of both world, dry land beneath our feet and the rush of water as well. Now are you going to tell me what that woman said to suddenly change your mood?" Ruby sits down next to Roger, leaning forward to look over the edge, swinging her feet gently. She is quiet for a few minutes before she answers Roger's question. "It wasn't really what she said." A few more swings of the feet. "I was supposed to play Juliet in a play in my Saloon tonight. I wanted it so badly. But things happened, I couldn't stay. I ran away, I guess you could say." Ruby pauses, considering if she should continue. "I'm good at that. I wonder if I stayed how different things would be." Roger reaches over and takes her hand. He holds it and says, "And as Romeo danced with Juliet he states 'You are like a shrine enclosing a holy relic, and I would be unforgivably uncouth to touch it with my unworthy hand except that I am ready to kiss away the damage I have done.' Juliet replies, 'There's nothing wrong with your hand, and handholding while we dance is quite legitimate; but you're being a little too bold in wanting to kiss me. If you're really a pilgrim, you should greet me only with your hand, as palmers do.' To which Romeo replies, 'Even holy pilgrims are human: they've got lips. Please let me kiss you.' " He reaches his other arm around her back and says, "The words of the great bard still resonate today. Ruby West, please be my Juliet tonight, and as Romeo stated, please let me kiss you." Ruby bites on her lip, while looking Roger in the eyes. She moves her head in close to his and says in a soft voice, "A kiss sounds... nice, right now. I'll be your Juliet tonight, Roger Birch." He takes her in his arms and a long passionate kiss follows. Ruby West had not kissed a man other than Jacob Cooke in over six months, not with the same intentions as the ones she had right now. For almost three weeks she had been alone, and lonely, longing for the touch of a man. This wasn't that man, but he was here and certainly able and willing, to fill the role she was longing for. She returns his kiss as her emotions wage a war inside her. Her heart and her head are eventually overwhelmed and silenced by the growing urge of her body to be satisfied and her kiss echoes the sentiment. Ruby's hands find their way to Roger's face and her palms lie flat on his freshly shaved cheeks. When she finally pulls back from the kiss she keeps him looking straight at her. "That was nice," she whispers a bit breathlessly. "I hope there are more where that came from." He replies, "There are, but perhaps we should find us another venue." Ruby nods. "Good idea." She stands and offers her hand to him. "Any ideas?" she smirks. "How about my room back at the hotel," Roger says softly. Ruby takes his hand tightly in hers. "Lead the way, I'll follow." A bottle in each hand, the glasses shoved into his coat pocket, he escorts her through the streets of Rochester until they reach the hotel. He says, "I'm in room 214, join me there in a few minutes." "I'll be there," Ruby replies, before standing on her toes and kissing him on the lips. She smiles at him as he walks off. She goes to the bar and orders a drink, drinking it over the next ten minutes. Finally she pays the bartender and heads upstairs, looking for room 214. She finds the room and knocks on the door. He opens it. She sees that even though the room has an electric lamp in it he has opted to light a candle instead as the only illumination. The bottles of champagne are also now sitting in a bucket of ice and the bedspread on the bed has been turned down. "Hi," she says softly as she enters the room and closes the door. "It looks nice in here." She walks over to the champagne. "Should we have a drink?" He replies, "We should darling Ruby." Ruby pours two drinks and hands one to Roger. "Care to make a toast?" He proposes "To tonight, one of the best nights in my life and I hope that the memory of it is for you." "To tonight." Ruby clinks her glass on his. "Let's not get to the memory part just yet, shall we? I'm very much looking forward to enjoying the present." She locks eyes with him as she takes a long drink from her glass. It doesn't take long for her to finish her champagne and when she does she carefully places her glass on the side table. She smiles, steps closer to him and says, "Now where were we?" He replies, "I believe that I was telling you that I find you to be the most beautiful woman in the world. Your hair is like the fire igniting in my heart with heat intense enough to melt the mightiest of icebergs. Your smile is that of Helen of Troy, which alone could launch a thousand ships. And your body is one that could be a model for sculptors to use to carve depictions of the Goddesses themselves." "The world you say?" The thought only briefly flutters through her mind, of Jake and how he used to similarly tell her she was beautiful. Ruby shakes her head to banish the thoughts, her long hair bouncing around. She leans forward and slowly pulls off her fancy shoes, one at a time, leaving her considerably shorter but still rather tall. In a sultry voice she continues, "Take care in what you say about the Goddesses dear Roger, for they are a jealous bunch and may decide to punish you for your misdeeds. I, on the other hand," she steps in to him and slides a hand onto the back of his warm neck, "I plan on rewarding you for your most excellent choice of words." One tiny step forward and Ruby's face is just inches away from his. She looks him in the eyes and with just that look, invites him to continue the kiss he started earlier. He leans over and gives her the briefest of kisses but also pulls back only inches from her face afterwards as an invitation for her to continue. Ruby closes the distance, pressing herself up against his lean body. She kisses him passionately for long minutes, gripping him tightly around the neck with her arms. She pulls back slightly and says in a soft voice yet very sincerely, "Roger, please don't fall in love with me tonight. It will just end in pain and heartache for both of us." She searches his eyes, hoping she doesn't already see the hurt that might be between them. Her softy replies, "Ruby, darling, please don't take this the wrong way, but it takes far more than one night of passion for me to fall in love." She smiles widely as she starts unbuttoning his shirt with one hand. "Very good, that's exactly what I wanted to hear." It doesn't take long before the shirt is removed and thrown on the floor, and Ruby is admiring his fit shape. "Now... about that night of passion... You have my full permission to love me for tonight, Roger Birch." Birch does not need to hear that twice as he skillfully begins to remove her garments. Ruby makes it only slightly more difficult for him to do as she won't stop kissing him while she pulls him to the bed. The kisses are interrupted only by his occasional comments about her beauty. "It seems as if you've done this before," Ruby teases breathlessly between kisses. He exclaims, "Ah, now you have discovered my secret. I am not a virgin." Ruby laughs lightheartedly and pulls him down on top of her. "Well then, I guess you won't mind finding out that I'm not one either." "Shocking!" he exclaims. She laughs again. "Well, if that's all it takes to shock you then you're in for a long night...," she says. "A very long night," she smiles deviously and continues to make her point. He takes her into his arms and gives her a passionate kiss as the level of intimacy continues to mount. Ruby and Roger spend the next hours passionately showing each other just how far from virgins they are. Ruby and Roger keep busy for hours until they collapse in sweaty contentment. Ruby doesn't sleep, she just wraps herself around Roger, enjoying the warmth and closeness of another person. She lazily traces her finger along his well toned chest, not letting her mind wander to the implications of what she's just done.</blockquote>

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