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“Tell me more about this charity thing you got planned,” Ruby said as she sliced into her filet mignon. Daniel took a sip of his wine before speaking.
“It’s to benefit a local animal shelter,” he began, tucking into his own meal. The delectable scent of his sirloin steak wafted into the air as he cut into the dish. “The shelter typically runs a few adoption events each year, but due to the record high temperatures this summer, they preferred to set up at an indoor location. A couple of temperature-controlled event spaces should do the trick.”
Ruby dabbed her cloth napkin on the corner of her mouth. Typically, Lime’s collaborations involved technology and entertainment. This proposal seemed a bit out of their wheelhouse. “What’s in it for Lime? Other than the good PR, of course.”
“Well,” Daniel swirled his slice of steak into a dollop of sweet glaze. “Like with any social event, people will want to share photos and text messages regarding the experience. That’s where Lime comes in.”
Ruby smirked as she reached for her wine glass. “So you want to promote the use of Lime by hosting an event full of baby animals and lonely rescues?” Daniel nodded.
“Some of the models we previously worked with had expressed interest in volunteering for photo ops,” he continued. “We’re still brainstorming trendy hashtags and slogans to further promote the event.” Ruby took a delicate sip of her wine with a pleased look on her face. The idea itself wasn’t uncommon, the prospect of overlapping a messaging app with animal rescue certainly was. Daniel didn’t become a billionaire by accident.
“This will be great for optics,” she mused. “Cheers to you, Mr. Yoon.”
“Actually, this wasn’t originally my idea,” he responded. Ruby raised a pink eyebrow at his remark. “Mr. Pomeroy volunteers at the shelter in his free time. He was the one who pitched the idea during one of our meetings.”
Ruby froze, her knife and fork hovering just above her dish. The face of a certain bright-eyed boy flashed before her mind’s eye; his smile as brilliant as the sun. She stared at Daniel with a befuddled look in her eyes.
“Shortstack…came up with this?” She originally pegged the young man as another office drone, except he was easier on the eyes than most.
“Yes,” Daniel replied carefully, as if not to further startle her. “Mr. Pomeroy will be assisting with the set up and breakdown of the event as well as running a booth for the shelter.”
She wrinkled her nose. ‘Of course that adorable idiot would volunteer at an animal shelter, of course!’ She envisioned Pom cuddling with a litter of puppies. The image caused an unwelcomed ache in her chest. ‘Damnit.’ Ruby wordlessly picked up her glass and took a long, hard drink. Perplexed, Daniel watched her completely drain the contents of her cup before demanding a refill from a passing waiter.
“Are you sure you want to order more wine? You’re looking a little flush.” Daniel furrowed his brows in concern. Ruby waved off his comment and continued on with her meal.
“So,” she mumbled, her eyes never leaving her plate. “When did you say you were having it?”
***
Whoever said that acne disappeared after puberty was a liar. Ruby squinted at her compact mirror, checking and rechecking for any signs of an unruly blemish or emerging blackhead. God forbid she looked anything less than flawless. The press would eat her alive. Ruby packed her Bior airbrush foundation and Tatchi oil blotting sheets in her satchel as a safety net. But, no matter how much she fussed over her appearance, she continued to carry this sense of mild nervousness. Surely, it had nothing to do with the fact that she had been looking forward to this event for weeks now. No, not at all. She was just going for good optics and to support Daniel in his endeavors. Nothing else. She stared at herself in the mirror.
‘I mean, I wouldn’t mind if I ran into…Ugh!’ Ruby Zhao was not a 16-year-old girl and she refused to behave like one.
Aggravated, she snapped her compact shut and stuffed it into her bag.
“We’re almost there, Ms. Zhao.” The car rolled to a stop as Ruby peered out the window. The Lime corporation building loomed over the busy streets. Banners and balloons decorated the doors to the lobby as guests flowed in and out of the entryway. The décor left much to be desired, but the occasion didn’t necessarily require a pretty exterior. Ruby slid her Wucci sunglasses over her eyes as she waited for the driver to open the door. ‘Looks busy’ she thought to herself as she stepped onto the sidewalk. Flanked by her two body guards, Ruby made her way to the entrance of the building.
“Ruby!” a familiar voice called out. Ruby lowered her shades and spotted the ever-cheery Rose Choi bounding toward her.
“Rose, it’s good to see you,” she smiled as the pair met up.
“It’s good to see you too!” Rose exclaimed. “Sorry that Da-Mr. Yoon isn’t here to greet you.”
“Yeah, it happens.” Ruby folded her arms across her chest and looked away. She had received a text from Daniel earlier in the day, notifying her that some hiccups in his schedule would cause some delays. She scoffed at the thought of being late to one of her own events. It was completely unprofessional. Still, the company of his trusted secretary managed to keep Ruby content, at least for now.
Ruby took a moment to survey her surroundings. Mobs of people travelled between the different conference rooms. Children pulled their parents’ hands, pointing and squealing at every cat, dog and rabbit they came across. Practically every phone was lit up with Lime’s bright green interface.
“It’s pretty crowded in here,” she remarked. “Your marketing division must be stellar.”
Rose nodded enthusiastically. “They really pulled through this year,” she beamed. “Hey, lemme show you around!”
Ruby glanced at her security team. “You two can hang back; Rose can take it from here.”
“Yeah, I’ll make sure to fight off any creeps and weirdos that come our way!” Rose knocked her fist together as a demonstration of strength, only for her to whine about the pain a second later. Ruby let out a laugh.
***
The first room had a blend of stalls one would expect out of a typical pet fair. Numerous vendors congregated in the middle portion of the hall, selling a variety of pet accessories, toys and treats. Tables offering basic veterinary services were set up in one corner while a modest-sized educational booth sat in the other. Rose prattled on about the different sections of the venue, but Ruby was only partially listening. Her mind began to wander as she scanned the room, hoping to see her favorite pair of brown eyes.
“Oh my god, it’s Dylan~”
“Kyaa~”
Rose groaned as they approached a throng of squealing lovesick girls, grouped around a particular booth. The words “Kitten Korner” were plastered on the sign above it. Ruby glanced at Rose curiously.
“Some of the models volunteered to help,” she explained with an exacerbated sigh. “Dylan ended up being assigned to this one.” As if on cue, a familiar silver haired man peeked over the crowd.
“Rosie!” Dylan exclaimed. He waded through his swooning fans to join their little duo. He had dressed appropriately for the occasion. Sleek Wrada jeans paired with a flashy, yet sophisticated button up; a standard work uniform for someone of his occupation. Although, in Ruby’s opinion, his shirt may have one too many buttons undone.
“Glad that lemon-head is letting you have fun for once.” He flashed a toothy grin while maintaining his hold on a pair of grey and white kittens. Rose was more interested in the cats, to his dismay.
“Aww, hey little guys,” she rubbed her fingers against their tiny heads, eliciting a purr.
Ruby eyed the growing crowd behind him. “I take it that your booth is quite popular.”
“Why of course,” Dylan replied smoothly. He gently nuzzled a kitten in one hand while cradling the other, glancing at the two with half lidded eyes and parted lips. “Who could resist this?”
Rose puffed up her cheeks in annoyance. “Save it for your followers, Dylan.”
“Aww Rosie, you’re no fun,” he pouted. “Anyways, what are you ladies up to today? In the market for a furry friend?” Dylan monitored the kittens as they started to play fight.
“No, actually I was just showing Miss Zhao around while we’re waiting for Mr. Yoon.”
Dylan snickered. “Wow, he’s totally missing out. He could be having soo much fun. I mean, look at me! I’m practically drowning in puss-“
“Might I remind you that this is a family friendly event, Mr. Chen,” Ruby interjected. He grinned nervously as he felt her glare bear down on him. He wisely decided to keep the sentence incomplete.
“Welp, it was nice chattin’ with you ladies, but I gotta get back to work!” Dylan winked before he maneuvered his way back to his booth. “Remember hashtag adopt don’t shop!”
***
Navigating the rest of the room turned out a bit less eventful. Rose guided the vice chairwoman to the neighboring hall, a banner with the words “Happy Tails Sanctuary” hung neatly above the doorway. Inside, pens of various heights and sizes lined the walls of the room. Volunteers manned the adoption table, conversing with potential pet owners. Ruby watched a pair of floppy-eared puppies wrestle one another before colliding into a pile of their sleepy siblings.
“Rose? Miss Zhao?”
Ruby turned around to see Pom, blinking curiously at both her and Rose. Wisps of brown hair were stuck on his forehead, his brow glistening with sweat. His face was a shade redder than she remembered. He must’ve been working non-stop. Ruby appreciated the efforts of those who labored over their passions and Pom was no exception. His disheveled appearance wasn’t a bad look for him, either. It was actually quite attractive.
Despite his exhausted state, a sunny smile hung upon his face; his eyes sweet and warm. In his arms, he held the fluffiest, brown haired pup Ruby had ever encountered; a Pomeranian to be exact. Its little round eyes brimmed with boundless joy while it smiled like it was the only thing to do. Ruby felt a small wave of tenderness cascade upon her, as if a veil of sunshine had been draped over her heart.
Fuck.
Ruby immediately turned away and pretended to check something on her phone. She grit her teeth in frustration. Who on God’s green Earth allowed this to happen? This ridiculous display of innocence and charm should never have occurred. Ruby fought to keep the tips of her ears from burning and attempted to loosen the developing knot in her chest.
“Pommie! Hi!” Rose cried. “How’s the volunteer work going?”
“Oh, uh,” Pom side-eyed Ruby before turning his attention to his co-worker. “It’s actually a lot busier than expected, heh.” He shifted the dog in his arms to a more comfortable position. “Just came back from taking Duke out for a potty break, huh buddy?” The pomeranian wagged his curled tail and let out a tiny bark. Rose giggled.
“Duke huh?” Ruby finally said, looking over her shoulder. She put on the airs of a more casual version of herself as she reached over to pat the dog. Duke excitedly licked her fingers. “Friendly little guy, isn’t he?”
“Yeah!” he grinned “He’s been in our shelter for a while now. Thought to bring him out here in hopes of finding him a home, or at least a foster family.”
“Hm. I’m sure he won’t have any trouble. He’s a cutie.” Small dogs frequently won the hearts of young families and nurturing individuals. Based on the heavy foot traffic of this place, they were bound to show up and whisk him away to a happy home.
Pom’s smile faltered. “Ah, well…” He positioned Duke in a way where he could reveal a nub where a front leg should be. Ruby furrowed her brows. “He’s part of our tri-pawd squad.” He returned Duke to his original spot. “His disability doesn’t stop him from chasing squirrels, though!” he added, a spark of enthusiasm lighting up his face. “He’s really smart and plays well with others. He’s good with kids too! It’s just…” The brightness in his expression faded a little. “It’s just a bit more challenging than most to find him a home.”
If she had been unpracticed in the art of deception, Ruby would’ve let her demeanor slip to reveal her true, sympathetic feelings. Witnessing the light dim from his eyes only served to tighten the knot in her chest. However, her dedication to her code of conduct prevented any major shift in her otherwise neutral expression. Her previous experiences with sharing uncontrolled compassion left her with phantom scars.
“Poor guy,” Rose murmured.
Ruby scratched a spot behind the dog’s ears. “Why don’t you take him home? You seem pretty fond of him.”
The young man turned his head to the side, a sheepish look upon his face. “I still live with my parents and my mom is allergic to dogs.” He gazed across the various enclosures, lively with their fluffy inhabitants. “Otherwise, I’d take ‘em all home! Rent out a ranch or something.” He let out a small laugh in an attempt to brighten the mood.
Ruby pursed her lips together, as if to keep her from saying something foolish. Though tempting, she reminded herself that she was a business woman, one that thoroughly contemplated every decision made. Randomly bringing a shelter dog into her home was not her style. Especially if it was for something stupid, like keeping this sweetheart of a man from being upset.
But maybe this time, she could make an exception.
“Henry! Yoohoo!” A sing song voice called out to the group. A slender, blonde woman skipped over to the trio as Pom watched with panic in his eyes. Ruby narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She recognized this woman and from what she recalled; their previous encounter put her in a real bad mood.
“H-hi Miss Apple,” Pom stammered out, taking a small step back. The fashion model stood a little to close for comfort. Ruby folded her arms tightly across her chest as the sensation of smoldering rage built up inside her. Did this woman not understand personal space?
“Oh, Henry! It’s sooo good to see you!” Apple purred. Rose nervously noticed the shift in Ruby’s demeanor, as if she had seen something like this happen before. Something that only occurred when Daniel and Dylan were around.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were here? I gave you my number for a reason, silly.” She giggled cutely and tapped him on the tip of his nose. He flinched.
Pom offered a polite, yet nervous smile. “Oh, you know, just uh busy with the fair.”
Apple turned her attention to the oblivious Duke in his arms. “Ohh, what a cute little pup!” A flirty smile tugged at her lips. Her voice dropped almost to a whisper. “He reminds me of someone else I know.” Her hand reached forward, as if to pet the dog but instead wrapped around the crook of his arm. Ruby felt something inside her snap.
“Excuse me, but he’s spoken for!”
Everyone froze in place. Three pairs of wide eyes slowly turned towards her. Ruby’s fury instantly dissipated into embarrassment as she realized what she had done. She quickly scrambled to think of ways to salvage the situation.
“I-I mean the dog.” Ruby put her hands on her hips and looked at the group as if that was obvious. “The dog is spoken for.” She shot a glare at Pom. “You said you needed someone to foster him, didn’t you?!”
The ferocity of her voice shook him out of his stunned silence. “Y-yeah, I did-“
“Well then, let me hold the dog while you go get the application then!” She plucked Duke out of his arms and held the dog snug against her chest. “What are you waiting for? I don’t have all day!”
“R-right!” He pulled himself out of Apple’s grasp and dipped his head down in a quick bow. “Sorry Miss Apple, but I gotta take care of this. See you later!” With that, he scampered away. Apple’s mouth hung open as she tried to grasp what had just happened.
“C-congratulations on your new friend.” She looked up at Ruby. Her words were met with a deadpan stare.
Ruby spun on her heels. “C’mon Rose, let’s get his papers in order.” She walked away with confident strides as Rose clambered to keep up.
Why in the world did she volunteer to foster a dog? She immediately pinned the blame on Pom. This would’ve all been prevented if he kept Duke’s story to himself. Or if he would quit melting her down with his thousand-watt smile. It wasn’t too late to back out, though. But, if she barely managed to keep it together when she saw a tinge of sadness reach his eyes, how would she fair if she outright disappointed him? Ruby bit her bottom lip.
She stood for a second and looked down at the warm ball of fluff. His round eyes stared back at her with the same, sunny expression he had earlier. Her lips curled into a small smile.
It's not like she couldn’t take care of him.
***
Two men in suits assumed their positions at the entryway of Rose’s office. With a small bow, they held the doors open as Ruby approached, her red bottom heels clicking against the slate tile. She strode past her bodyguards and straight to Rose’s desk, a freshly groomed pomeranian in her arms. Rose looked up from her work.
“Good morning Ruby!” The secretary straightened up in her seat. “You’re a little earl-oh my god you brought Duke?!” Rose practically leapt out of her chair; a smile spread across her face. Ruby smirked at her excitement.
“Aww, he’s all dressed up too.” Rose commented, fiddling the bowtie attached to Duke’s collar. It looked expertly made, the fabric as shiny as real silk. It reminded her of one of Daniel’s ties.
“Just picked him up from the doggie spa.” Ruby stroked his coconut scented fur. “Is small fry in today?” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she dropped her gaze. “I was wondering if you two could watch Duke during my conference with Daniel.” She told her body guards ahead of time that another staff member may join them, just in case. At first, she felt foolish for doing so, but now she’s glad she did.
“Uh sure! Lemme send Pommie a message.” Rose whipped out her smartphone and tapped away at the screen. “It looks like Duke has adjusted well, at least I hope he would after three weeks at your place.”
“Yeah, it’s kinda nice having the little guy around.” She couldn’t deny that her home felt a little less lonely now. Duke easily dispelled the stress created by her work life just by simply being around. He always looked unbothered that his leg was missing, almost as if he didn’t even notice. She enjoyed the way he would wake her up with kisses each morning and how he curled up at the foot of her bed at night. She could do without the endless amount of dog hair, though.
Pom hurriedly entered the room and shut the door behind him, his experience with Ruby’s bodyguards was less than pleasant. “Rose? Did you ask for me?”
At the sound of his voice, Ruby turned around and met his gorgeous brown eyes. Her breath hitched. Duke struggled to break free of her grasp as he wriggled with excitement. She bent down and release him to the floor, watching him sprint into Pom’s waiting arms.
“Duke! Hey buddy!” Pom laughed as the dog clamored up his chest and peppered him with puppy kisses. The familiar ache in her chest returned, its intensity increased by tenfold. It made her want to scream.
Ruby snapped her attention back to Rose as she began to pull things out of her bag. “I brought his favorite Wagyu beef jerky strips in case he gets peckish. Don’t give him more than two today, the vet said if he gets too heavy, it’ll hurt his joints.” A clear bottle of water and a tiny silver bowl came next. “Here’s his Yuji water too. You don’t have to refrigerate it; he doesn’t like it if his water is too cold.” She took one step toward Daniel’s office before whipping her head around again. “Oh, if you want, you can ask one of the bodyguards to bring up his memory foam pet bed from the car.”
Rose offered her a meek smile while she collected the luxury goods from the counter. “S-sure thing!”
Ruby took two brisk strides over to Pom, who was still under the mercy of Duke’s relentless licks. She trained her eyes on the dog and tried to ignore the sparkles that seemed to radiate from the young man. He really needed to knock that off.
She gave Duke a few affectionate pats on the head. “Be a good boy ok?” Finally, she turned to Pom with an icy stare, only to have it melt away by his radiant smile. Goddammit.
“I trust you two will keep a good eye on him.” Her expression softened. “I also figured you would want to see him again,” she muttered. Pom nodded ardently.
“He seems much happier than before,” he replied. “Thank you so much for taking care of him!”
Ruby learned well into her corporate career how to tell the difference between charlatans who said what they could to get ahead and people who were true to their word. For Pom’s case, she could tell that he was genuinely delighted.
“Y-yeah.” She tore her eyes way from his and stalked down the path to Daniel’s office. She invited herself in without knocking.
With a pen in one hand and a stapled document in the other, Daniel sat behind his expansive mahogany desk, deep in thought. He jolted in his seat as Ruby burst into the room. He watched her let out a huff and pick bits of dog hair her off her blouse.
“I figured you were more of a cat person.” The CEO set his things down and rose of his chair.
Ruby put a manicured hand on her hip and fired a piercing stare. “And what is that supposed to mean?”
Daniel smirked as he stepped towards his guest. “You just really remind me of cats.” He joined her by the window that separated his office from Rose’s. “Independent, bossy, high maintenance.”
Ruby rolled her eyes. “Ha ha, real funny.” Peering between the open blinds, she caught a glimpse of Pom and Rose playfully chasing around her pup. “It’s nothing permanent. I’m just fostering the little guy.” She couldn’t take her eyes off the untethered happiness that spread across Pom’s face. Oh, how easy he smiled.
“You uh,” she began, fiddling with the gold bangle around her wrist. “Have you ever thought about buying a ranch?”