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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 3055856" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter 166, "A Late Night Chat", Sunday, March 26th, 1882, 12:45 AM Ruby thoughts are getting more and more fuzzy and what's in her mind her starts coming out her mouth without consideration. "Hey, did you get a chance to work with my new horse?" "The quicker done the better, then I can go back to fun," Kate said, smiling at Ruby. "And I can combine working with your horse with that trip tomorrow. I haven't been able to spend much time out at the ranch, since someone needs to accompany me every time I go."  Ruby asks, "What about Conrad? I'm sure he'd go with you."   "I haven't seen him for a day or so, and I heard tonight that he's ill," she said quickly looking down at her cards.  Ruby asks, "Ill? Is he alright?"  Kate replies, "Mr. Tomlinson didn't know. Just that he didn't go to work tonight, so the only dealer at the Long Branch was Fisk. I...I'm sure it's not serious, he was fine yesterday morning."  Jake says, "Really? I want to speak with him, maybe I'll stop in and see him tomorrow. If Chet can't ride out with you, I'll go. I can't stay though. If someone else can't get you later in the day I'll ride back out if you like."   Jake adjusts his cards not really pay close attention to anything in particular.  Kate says, "Thank you Jake. Once I get out there I'm sure Flint or Sonoma could ride back with me. It's probably better to go see Conrad, there's no telling how long before he feels well enough to venture out."  "Oh? What do you have to do?" Ruby is quickly distracted by another thought. "Baby, why don't you tell all of us about Rachael? Seems like now would be a good time for another story."  Kate says, "Oh, who's Rachael? It must be interesting if Ruby wants to hear about another woman.""Yes, Jake, tell us all about interesting Rachael." Ruby is still smiling and happy, and on her way to drunk. "She was Jake's old girlfriend, well one of them anyway."    "Tells us about Rachael?" Jake scratches his neck and looks down Ruby sitting on his lap. He shrugs and has another sip of bourbon. "If you all insist." "It was near Saint Louis Missouri and I had been having a bad several weeks. Broke, hungry and recently running for three days straight from bad decision compounded by an ornery recipient of that decision, I stumbled into a work for food and shelter bit at a small time temple. Heh, the quality of the work they got from me was about equal to the taste of the food. Anyway, the local preacher had a daughter. Rachael stood about five foot seven inches with blonde hair and a shapely figure. She caught my eye and I caught hers. After some weeks and behind her daddy's back we had a little thing going on." Jake shrugs. "I hadn't seen too much of the world then so at the time I thought she had the body of a goddess, the face of angel, and could... well let's just say she had talents that impressed a very young Jake Cook. Next thing I know she is trying to make me a moral and upstanding young man." Jake shakes his head and rolls his eyes. "For a while I went along with it. I had a place to stay, food in my belly and something to occupy my time. I even considered staying." Jake gives a chuckle at that. "Well, more accurately the thought crossed my mind. Some days passed and I learned that she was telling her friends that she had turned Jake Cook around and that he was going to propose to her." Jake takes a sip of his bourbon before continuing. "I didn't really feel deeply for her. And you know what, I never believed she cared deeply for me. I think that Jake Cook was more of a challenge and trophy, save the wayward young man from his wicked path in the world." He looks down and laughs at that. "After all she was a preacher's daughter. I did feel something for her and didn't want to just run out. I had enjoyed my time with her, mostly." Again Jake chuckles. "You see she did this nasty streak that she hid behind those blue eyes of hers and it snuck out sometimes." Jake shudders. "So eventually I got the courage up and told her that though I did care something for her, we just weren't right for each other, our worlds were too far apart, and I didn't want to pretend she had my heart and later hurt her bad. Unfortunately, she didn't take it too well." Jake grins and has another sip from his drink. "It was almost a week later when I hit Kansas City that the deepest cuts and worst bruises finally healed over."  Kate covered her mouth and laughed hard. "I get the feeling you consider that beating a fair trade for your freedom," she choked out.  "I guess I never thought of it that way." Jake laughs and watches Ruby's face. Ruby's face is unreadable, although her smile has seemed to dim somewhat it's still there. "No more stories tonight," she declares, finishing her bourbon with a hiccup. "Save some for another day."  She unsteadily fills her glass again, and drinks it slowly. "It's getting late and some of you have early and busy days tomorrow. We should do this every week. Too bad Chester missed it. I guess were going to be seeing a lot less of him from now on."  Kate says, "Maybe. But I think once the Cowboy thing is passed he'll have more free time again. Let's hope so, anyway. We'll make sure to get him next time."Jake helps Ruby up off his lap and the two of them hold each other up and bid everyone good night. There is much hugging, back slapping and hand shaking before Jeff Mills locks the door. Jake and Ruby climb the stairs amid much laughing and stumbling before finally reaching their room."Miss Kate, would you like us to walk you home?" Nanuet asks.  "Thank you, Nanuet. You're very kind." Kate got her hat and bag and joined Nanuet and Minerva for the short walk to the El Parador.  Once Nanuet dropped off Kate, he walked hand in hand with Minerva to the Comstock. He bids her goodnight with a kiss. He returns to the Lucky Lady and makes sure she is locked up. Then he slides into the shadows and keeps a watchful eye on the area all nightOnce inside Jake and Ruby begin undressing in the normal fashion, drunken, uncoordinated and attempting to help each other. Suddenly Ruby sits on the bed, her laughter fading away, and she looks dreamily at the perfect rose sitting in an empty glass on her night stand. "Ja-ke," she slurs, "Am I the prettiest girl you've even been with? Am I prettier than Mattie or Rachael?" "You are far more beautiful than poor plain Mattie. Rachael was pretty like a porcelain doll in a glass case or a statue in church, but pretty in a cold and brittle way. You are beautiful and warm and sexy and alive and fun and exciting and... did I say beautiful yet?" He says as he seems to have gotten his arm stuck in his inside-out shirt sleeve taking it off. Ruby pulls at Jake's sleeve and tries to pull and push him at the same time, sending him sprawling on the bed. "Whoops," she says innocently, putting her fingers to her lips. "Sorry." She tries to keep a straight face but giggles abound. "Yes, you said beautiful but you can never say a word like beautiful enough. Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful!" Ruby stops to hiccup. "But am I more beautifuler than anyone else you've been with I don't know about?" "You are more beautifuler than anyone I've every been with whether I knew about it or not." Jake says firmly and as serious as he can muster sprawled on the bed. Ruby start scrunching her nose trying to figure out what Jake just said but decides instead to focus on the more beautifuler part. Only half undressed, she flops down on the bed next to Jake and looks at him seriously. "And you want me more than you ever wanted them whether you knew it or not?" "Yes." Then he cocks his head sideways a moment in thought before straightening it. "Yes. I want you more than I have ever wanted anybody elsh. And I knew it, um know it." Ruby rolls half ways towards Jake then sits up quickly. The sudden change in atmosphere throws her off and it takes a moment for the daze to wear off and the room to stop spinning. She pulls her skirt up and deposits herself on Jake's lap, her bare legs touching his arms. Leaning over him she continues, "AND you need me more than you ever ever needed anything in the whole wide world?" "Yes, ever. I mean anything. More than, I mean." He seems to be distracted by her legs. Ruby grabs his cheeks with one hand, squishing them together pursing his lips, "Pay attention, baby!" Ruby releases her grip then sits up straight. "I have surprise for you. Since you need me and want me and know I'm more beautifuler than anyone you ever met. But you have to find it. If you want to that is. I'm sure many a man or even a wo-man would be happier to have it. But I want you to have it if you can find it." "Huh?" Ruby's legs are calling to him. "I have to find what? Oh, right it is a prize, um surprise. Give me a hint where to look. Is it in Arizona?" "Yes," she giggles, "It is in Arizona. It is in Promise City too. It's in this room. The hint is it is something you really want." "Can we play the hot and cold game, would you tell me when I am hot?" Jake grabs the edge of her skirt with both hands. Ruby squeals, "You ARE hot but you're not in the right spot!" She falls over onto the bed giggling next to Jake. "Damn." He mutters. "How about here?" he tumbles off the bed and lands next to his night stand. “No, silly!” she laughs. She hangs over the edge of the bed, making a nice view of her cleavage. “Ok, I’ll help you out. I hope you like it. I’ll be devastated if you don’t.” She tries to act serious by putting on a pout but is cracking a smile. She reaches down the front of her bodice and pulls out some paper. Jake recognizes the Jack of Spades playing card that he gave Ruby three months ago. Behind it Ruby separates another piece of thick paper. As she hands it to Jake with a hiccup and a half grin he recognizes it as a wallet sized photograph. The photograph is of Ruby, lying flat in what looks like sheets, covered only by another thin white sheet. Her hair is spread out all around her, her arms are stretched over her head, her legs almost completely bare and she has a sexy come hither look on her face. Ruby bites her lip as she watches Jake look over the photo. “It’s for your wallet.” "Almost as good as the real thing." He say looking up at her and back down to the picture. "Almost. I like it," he says and makes a motion to get up and doesn't really make any progress. "It really won't make it easier to be away if I am, but I'll like having it anyway." He tries to get up again and slips. He reaches out his hand, "How about a little help?"   "You really like it? You're supposed to tell me how beautifuler, wonderful, sexy, adorable and addicting I am!" She reaches out her hand to Jake, "Come on I'll help you. Make me save you ass again..." "It seems to be all of me that needs saving down here," Jake says rather pathetically. He climbs up Ruby's outstretched arm, needing the balance more than the strength. In the process he nearly pulls her onto the floor. After a rather awkward moment of helping each other they find themselves both on the bed and seem surprised. "Did I mention how beautiful and warm and sexy and alive and fun and exciting you were? Did I say beautifuler yet?" "Yes, but I LIKE to hear it!!" she announces. Ruby gives Jake a full kiss on the lips. “I’ll try to remember: Note to Ruby West! More than Jake Cook’s ass needs saving!” she giggles. “Something else, I want to give you. This is serious though. Think you can be serious for a minute or two?” Jake nods with what he thinks is an appropriately sincere look on his face. Ruby rolls over on the bed until she is lying right on her side, directly next to Jake. She gives him a smile and a kiss. She starts getting lost in the kiss until she pulls herself away reluctantly. “That was nice.” She has a dreamy look on her face and she just lies there looking into Jake’s eyes. For a moment Jake thinks she might be falling asleep. Finally she snaps out of it and shakes her head, trying to think straight. “I want to give you something really important.” She starts fumbling around in her bodice again. "I should look in there more often." He smiles and then remembers he is supposed to be serious. “You could,” Ruby replies without laughing, still digging, “What you like about me is in there.” Jake seems puzzled by that reply. His alcohol fuzzy brain isn't sure what to ask. Ruby finally reaches her goal, for now the frustrated look falls off her face, replaced by a satisfied one. “Here,” she says while reaching out her hand to Jake. He sees some black leather cord falling through her fingers but not what’s inside her closed fist. He reaches his hand out under hers. "What iss it?" She places her hand over Jake’s, depositing what she was holding into his palm. Jake looks down at it and he sees Ruby’s crystal olive leaf pendant, the one from the ceremony. “I put some cord on it so you can wear it I want you to wear it I want Aphrodite to look after you for me please say you’ll wear it if you’re too embarrassed to wear it, at least keep it in your pocket or something… ppplllease.” She looks at him with big pleading eyes and says softly, “Please wear it,” she continues with emphasis, “Jacob Cook.” "Yessh, OK." He continues to look at it uncomprehendingly. "I could wear it under my shirt?" He holds it up and looks from Ruby to the leaf and back several times. "Um, thank you. What iss it?" “It is blessed by the gods, er, goddesses.” She reaches out and takes the leaf from Jake and she clumsily tries to tie it around his neck. It takes a good amount of effort and time hanging over Jake to get it done. “It’s very special, special gift that was mine but I’m giving it to you. From our ceremony, we were wearing these crown thingies of this,” she points to the pendant, “Leafs. And Minerva put them in the bowl thingie with my rose from my dream. And it was a leaf and now it’s shiny like this.” She holds the pendant up to his nose. “Understand?” Jake nods his head up and down several times and then side to side once. "You are giving to me something that was yoursh, the goddessessess gave it to you. No, Minerva made it shiny. No, the bowl..." Jake scrunches up his face and says, "I'll wear it." “It means I love you very very very very much and want you to be safe and sound so you can always be with me. It means I am asking Aphrodite to watch over you instead of me.” Ruby nods her head with satisfaction, thinking she just made everything totally clear. Jake nods his head up and down again then says loudly, "Hey, wait! I want her to watch over you!" "Then you have to ask her silly." Ruby lets herself roll onto her back so she is looking up at the ceiling. "That's all, I have no more gifts for you tonight, well, this morning." Jake frowns at that. "It was a surprise. They are very nice, the gifts they are very nice. Aphroe-ditee likes YOU, not me. The goddess is not going to listen to me. How am I going to make her protect YOU if I have your shiny leaves?" "She doesn't like me, well she does because I'm beautiful, but she likes that I love you because she is the goddess of love and beauty. So you can ask her cause you love me and she likes that too." Ruby finishes her statement with a barrage of hiccups. "See, it must be true." Ruby stretches on the bed and spreads her hair around her head as she does. "Course it was also blessed by the goddesses of fertility and war." Jake's eyes get big and look down at the leaf hanging around his neck. "You sure Dorita's tea leaves are stronger than the goddess of fertile, fertile, the goddess of making babies blessing?" Ruby turns her face to Jake, a mix of surprise and shock on it. "You think babies are a blessing?" she gulps.  "No! Not to me!" He swings the leaf pendant back and forth. "You said the goddesh who gives babies bleshed this too. I said, um I don't know what I said." He looks a little lost. "This isn't going to make babies, is it?" Ruby visibly relaxes at Jake’s statement. “If it is then I’m glad I gave it to you, cause I’m not having any babies!” Ruby breaks out into a fit of giggles. “Leaves don’t make babies, people make babies. You sure are silly.”  Jake rolls over on the bed next to Ruby. "My thinking is broken." "Yes it is. It's too bad cause everyone replies on you to do their thinking." Ruby grabs at the pendant, looking at it again, "Just wear it. You can thank me all proper in the morning, I mean later today, today is tomorrow, yesterday is gone, I mean in the morning." Ruby rolls onto her side, her back to Jake, her head resting on her arm. "My thinking’s broken too. I hope it comes back in the morning." "I thought you said it was tomorrow, today?" He rolls over and throws one arm around her. "We just need some sleep, yesterday so..." He doesn't finish his sentence before his eyes close. Ruby cuddles closer to Jake, pushing her back up against him and leaning her head on his arm, and she quickly falls asleep too.</blockquote>

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