“That’s so generous of you,” Jonah chimed in, his laughter hollow and rehearsed. “I think it’ll be fun to try something new, huh, babe?”
“Mhm,” Ruby muttered, rubbing her nose with her middle finger as Blakely moved through the room with exaggerated confidence, flinging open drawers and cabinets.
“Ah, here we are,” Blakely announced, peering into a drawer full of mismatched batteries and a lone screwdriver. She hesitated for only a second before shutting it quickly. “Not that one, obviously. Just making sure everything’s in order.”
Ruby raised an eyebrow but said nothing, watching as Blakely strode to a lower cabinet and yanked it open.
“Of course, right where I—oh!” Blakely froze, her cheeks flushing as she stared down at a bright pink dildo lying atop a heap of mismatched scarves.
Ruby tilted her head. “Found something useful?” The size of the thing left her both impressed and intimidated by its girth.
Blakely snapped the cabinet shut with a sharp laugh. “Just... some sentimental items! You know how it is. Memories everywhere in a home like this.” She dusted her hands and pivoted back to the task at hand, her cheeks a little pinker than they’d been moments before.
Blakely didn’t look back as she laid out the brushes, but the faintest blush lingered on her cheeks. In another drawer she found a few containers of foundation, an eyeshadow palette, and a handful of tiny lip colors.
Jonah stared at the backyard. Various toys scattered across the lawn. “How old are your kids?” he asked casually.
“Kids?” Blakely’s hand paused mid-motion, strangling a tube of foundation. Her eyes flicked toward the toys and back to the products on the desk. “Oh, they’re for my nephews.”
Jonah smirked. The photos on the bookcase clearly showed a little girl with curly hair.
“How long have you lived in the neighborhood?” Ruby tilted her head, feigning interest. “Don’t think we’ve had the pleasure of meeting you yet, and I haven’t seen you at any of the barbecues.”
Did people even still have barbecues? The flushing across Blakely’s chest showed she wasn’t sure either. Her hand waved dismissively, the flush creeping up her neck. “Only a few months,” she cleared her throat.
Before she could reach for her sunglasses, Ruby gently caught her wrist. “Sorry, these stay on. Eye infection.” She flashed a tight smile.
“How am I supposed to…are those Versace?” Blakely asked, leaning forward and examining the logo in the corner.
“Yes?”
Blakely’s hand twitched toward the glasses. “I’ll just, uh, avoid them.”
The foundation came down like mortar being slapped on a brick wall. Jonah grinned down at Blakely. “Do you happen to have a criminal record, Blakely?”
The blonde jolted, accidentally jabbing a makeup brush halfway up Ruby’s nose. “Sorry!” Blakely blurted, her hands trembling slightly. “No, can’t say I have. Why?”
“Can’t be too careful about who I let around my pookie-kins,” he replied innocently, catching Ruby’s side-eye. He patted her hand. She kicked him beneath the table.
Blakely’s mouth opened and closed like a fish.
“Are you okay?” Ruby asked, feigning concern. She studied her reflection in the mirror, barely recognizing herself beneath the too-light foundation and garish purple lipstick. She looked less zombie and more like a vampire costume at a bad nightclub. She flashed her teeth at the mirror, snorting at her own reflection then covering it as a cough.
Jonah turned a charming smile to Blakely. “Would you mind getting her a glass of water? I think she has something stuck in her throat.”
Blakely nodded, stood, and teetered on her heels. Jonah jumped up, his hands clamping on the woman’s shoulders and steadying her. A deft hand slipped into his pocket before she righted herself.
“Excuse me,” she mumbled, pulling the door shut behind her as she left.
Jonah sighed, plopping back into his chair and rubbing his temple. His on-camera persona evaporated, leaving his usual gruff and grumpiness. “We should plan for when she comes back, make her arrest look good for the camera, especially since it’s your first video.”
A flash of pink darted in the corner of her eye—Blakely, sprinting across the backyard, her stilettos sinking into the grass with every step, a large tote bag clutched to her chest.
“You think so?” Ruby snickered.
Jonah didn’t look up from the makeup products he absently fiddled with. “Why not?” he muttered, sniffing a tube of mascara.
“I don’t think she’s coming back in here.”
