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So it was odd to findseen Ruby once since she’d leftI’d been in an endless loop of discussions and conference calls to wrap up the first phase of the summit From here until we left for London, my days would be far more relaxed than they had been, since I would essentially just be on call I both feared and welcomed it On the one hand, I wantedthat was happening between us On the other hand, I wasn’t sure that I neededabout this new relationship, its stark difference to e in my life e returned to London

Finally Ruby found ineers Into talk, and it see where she stood When I said goodbye to Kendrick and he’d stepped away, she lifted her hand from where she’d hid it behind her back

Clutched in her fist were two tickets

"What is this?" I asked, pulling one loose frorasp

Bitter Dusk, Bowery Ballrooht?

"What is this?" I asked again, looking up at her enorrin Surely she didn’t expecttoward the lift, pushing the down button "It’s the concert I was telling you about By huge coincidence, it is also e’re doing tonight"

I winced a little, already i next to uitars assaulted our ears "Ruby, I really don’t think this is "

"Oh, it’s definitely not, and it’s every bit as bad as you’re ih We stepped into the lift, and I was happy to note we’d enjoy this quiet ride alone together

"Worseband and it’s going to be packed Sweaty, drunk Ao"

"I confess I find your sales pitch to be soet you liquored up, because you don’t have to work tomorrow, and," she stretched up to kisstiasasave me a look, one that I knew said, This is exactly e talked about Do this without after her into the lobby Asunder the sheets beside me sooner rather than later--and as odd as it was to ad out "Will I know a single one of their songs?"

"You’d better," she said, turning to glare playfully at me over her shoulder "And if you don’t, you will soon This is my favorite band in the world"

As Ia few lines froeneral popular s Ruby’s voice was thin and off-key--bloody awful, really--but she didn’t care at all Lord, would there be a single thing about this girl I didn’t find endlessly endearing?

"You’re thinking right now that I’ me in the side

"Yes," I ad’s activity"

She threw me a mock exasperated look "How noble of you"

The exterior of the Bowery Ballroom reminded me of an old firehouse: sin illued from the subway station just outside the venue, Ruby bounced besideme toward the entrance Inside the space expanded into a , positioned less than a e lined on the sides with heavy velvet drapes I could see in an instant why Ruby was so excited for the tickets: in a venue such as this, she would be closer to her favorite band than she’d likely ever been

Upstairs, a balcony lined the sides and back of the rooun to fill with a few people holding cocktails Already the floor had started to fill, and the humid air created by over a hundred bodies trippedpanic, Ruby tugged imlets, tons of lirabbed two glasses, filling the smile

The oily hipster bartender s at her chest and lingering

Without thinking, I reached an arainst my front The ht herself by wrapping both hands around h Arching into me, Ruby slipped her hands behind her and around my lower back to hold ainst my chest and I bent so that her mouth was closer to my ear "I’ve been crazy for you foryou jealous like that just completely made my life"