Chapter Text
The Girl's Best Friend was founded way back in 1923. The bar was initially a hidden establishment, a cafe in the front and a social bar behind a hidden set of doors. The unwed and wives, the only two possible labels a woman could have, would make their way into the shadows of romance and understanding. Only in 1977, to the surprise of the entire city, did it officially "reopen" as a full lesbian bar.
These days, the only shocking thing about the Girl's Best Friend are the ruby red and cotton white tile of the bathrooms. The place looks like at any moment, a man will appear and convince you that your children need corr-rrecting.
Ruby laughed at that. She looked up from the sink, the nausea finally passing. She checked her hair again, feeling it with her rough hands, resting her palms against the back of her head. Her military buzz cut was finally starting to give way to her thick, natural hair. She could look like she did over a decade ago, like in her school photographs. The mental image of her young self, dressed up so pretty, with the ragged scar over her eye made her wretch again in to the sink.
Anne-Marie took a quick hit from her inhaler from behind the bar.
"Doesn't that stuff taste like acid?" Penelope sleepily questioned, spinning her shot glass gently on the bar.
"Better than the tequila you start every afternoon with," Anne-Marie replied, putting the inhaler back in her pocket, "seriously, Penelope."
"It's just because you refuse to try it with me!" Penelope laughed, "you never drink it right!"
"Drink it right?" the shorter woman laughed, "I don't need to drink it right to get my paycheck, I need to pour it right," and she left her giggling friend to tend to the rest of the customers at the bar.
Anne-Marie was about four feet and 5 inches of sharp eyeliner and sharper words. She could hold her own with any myriad of drunken patrons, and she's more than once sprayed a lush man in the eyes before taking a hit of aspirator.
She dried off a glass as she noticed Ruby returning to her seat at the bar. She always sat at the same seat, every night, for the last five weeks. She always ordered beers and finished the nights with one whiskey. On some nights, two whiskeys. Those were the nights Anne-Marie kept a closer watch over her. This night, Ruby took a seat and she ordered her second glass.
"You ok, sunshine?" Anne-Marie asked as she brought her over her whiskey, on the rocks.
"Yes, ma'am," Ruby replied, lying. They both knew she was lying, she only used her military etiquette when she wanted to try to lie her way through a conversation.
"The back table is free again," Anne-Marie offered, and gave her hand a squeeze before leaving Ruby to her drink. Ruby felt her palm with her thumb, where the bartender had held her, for only a few seconds. She took a long drink of her glass.
The night continued, busy as usual. Many couples, many friend groups, many hungry, thirsty, curious souls. Supportive boys, tough gutted butches, the adorable femmes. The bright eyed newbies, and the ever present bi women.
Anne-Marie finally defeated a spilled daquri at the end of the night. 2 am came with unsteady feet, laughs, and burps. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she realized Ruby was still at the bar.
"Ruby? It's been last call," Anne-Marie walked over. Ruby was staring off, over Anne-Marie's shoulder. She had three glasses around her, the empty husks of cicadas come up for life.
"Shit, Amy," Anne-Marie cursed. The other bartender must have served Ruby way passed her limit. She knew when to start cutting her whiskeys with water.
"Ok, Ruby, you need some wa-and there you go," Anne-Marie shrugged as Ruby fell off her chair. She sighed and walked around the bar, her heels clicking against the floor with tics and tacs.
Ruby groaned on the floor. She was exhausted, and the room spinned like the teacup sets at her old playground.
"How are we doing down there?" Anne-Marie stood by Ruby's side, looking down at her.
"Bobby McGee just pushed me off the swing…," Ruby mumbled, more into the floor than up to Anne-Marie.
"Alright...How does sleeping this off on my couch sound? You're not getting on your motorcycle, and I think I'd have to shove you into a taxi anyway," she more informed than asked. Ruby simply stretched some on the floor, resigned.
"Good. We will need your legs for like ten minutes, sweety," and with that, Anne-Marie got hold of Ruby's hand and the two of them pulled her up to her feet. Ruby kept holding her hand, swaying next to her, performing more of an interpretive dance than walking as they headed for the back of the bar.
"You have the grip of a python," Ruby noticed, swinging their hands. Anne-Marie rolled her eyes as they got to the bottom of the stairs that lead to her apartment.
They started up the stairs, but holding hands, and one being more liquor than person, made the task difficult and ridiculous.
"Christ, hold on!" Anne-Marie demanded and they went back down the five stairs they had nearly died getting up, "ok, I see you're going to be completely useless here," she glared at Ruby, who only snort giggled back. Anne-Marie only managed to look prettier when she glared, to Ruby at least.
Anne-Marie thought for a moment. She judged Ruby and then the stairs. She took her gloves off and put them in her pocket, and left her heels at the bottom of the stairs. She took a hit of her medicine for good measure and all of a sudden grabbed Ruby up under the legs, hefting her bridal style. Ruby was shocked silent, and her face became dark, eye wide.
At the top of the stairs, Anne-Marie set Ruby down and took three minutes to catch her breath. She was pleased with herself, she didn't send herself into an asthma attack hurrying up with Ruby.
"You can get your behind on my couch," Anne-Marie declared and unlocked the door to her apartment, heading inside. Ruby carefully got to her feet, and followed. She hoped against hope that Anne-Marie did not register her look on the stairs. This was all embarrassing enough.
Anne-Marie headed to her bedroom to get out of her work clothes. Ruby closed the front door and looked around the apartment. It was cute, decently big for a place over a bar, and had only gentle tea lights on at the moment, light blues and creamsicle oranges. She sat down on the couch, and took about eight minutes to work her fingers carefully enough to un tie her boots. She hadn't been this drunk in a long time. She didn't expect to go down this hard tonight.
"Here, lie down," Anne-Marie said as she returned Ruby in some PJs that Ruby thought had moths on them. They were actually butterflies.
Ruby complied and Anne-Marie took her boots off, setting them by the door.
"Come and sit with me, butterfly," Ruby asked, looking up at Anne-Marie.
"You're not exhausted?" she asked, eyebrow raised.
"Can't sleep so easy in a new place," Ruby replied, smiling. Anne-Marie laughed, and Ruby felt her chest near bursting. She sat up so Anne-Marie could sit at the end of the couch and laid her head back down in her lap.
"Was this your plan all along?" she surmised, stroking Ruby's hair.
"Yes," she lied.