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Nicole wasn’t sure which of Poppy’s family members decided it would be a good idea to hire opera singers to serenade the family during dinner, but she was seriously considering poisoning their next glass of wine.
The whole restaurant was closed for Poppy and River’s rehearsal dinner and Nicole was mourning what should have been an easy shift. It was a special form of torture walking around the crowded dining hall, Poppy’s family barking orders at her while a tenor and a soprano belted arias into her ears. She could already feel a cluster headache rattling behind her eyes. She sighed heavily, her joints starting to stiffen from carrying around heavy trays. Her feet burned and ached with every step she took, yet she straightened her spine and continued on. It wasn’t until she entered the kitchen and the doors swung shut behind her that she allowed her shoulders to sag. She let out a heavy sigh as she dropped the mostly empty tray of hors d'oeuvres on the counter.
“My feet are killing me.” She complained, leaning against the counter. “Why couldn’t bridezilla let us wear our regular uniforms?”
She glanced down the line at the chefs, Pickles and Nico both gave her a sympathetic glance while Ruby hardly looked up from the stove.
“You’re the one who chose those heels.” The red-headed sous chef reminded her. “Bridgette and Amber wore flats.”
Nicole shot her a playful look. Then she reached for the water bottle she’d stashed earlier and took a long drink. The dining room was hot with so many people milling about and she could feel sweat dripping down her back. Not that the kitchen was any better, but it was at least isolated from the chaos in the dining room.
“Well, I think you look super hot.” Nico commented with a sly wink.
Nicole giggled, twisting a blonde curl around her finger. “Oh my god, stop!”
Her voice took on that shrill tone it always did when she received compliments. It was a moot point though, she looked good and she knew she looked good. The dress code was semi-formal black tie. Nicole wasn’t sure how an event could be both semi-formal and black tie but she had the perfect little black dress that showed off her legs and her chest. She’d spent nearly an hour perfecting a smoky eyeshadow look and styling her hair to fall just the right way. Poppy wasn’t happy about it, of course, which meant Nicole’s mission had been accomplished.
“Hello? Where is everyone?”
Speak of the devil.
Nicole turned around to see Poppy poking her head into the kitchen, she was wearing a light pink off the shoulder dress that probably cost more than Nicole’s rent. She had one hand propping the door open, the other sitting on her hip in an almost accusatory stance. Nicole wasn’t sure what she was so uptight about, she was the only server not on the floor and god forbid she needed five minutes away from rich assholes and opera singers.
“You know you can’t be back here.” Nicole rolled her eyes.
Poppy responded with a deadpanned glare. “There aren’t enough servers on the floor, my mother is driving me crazy, and on top of that I can’t find River. I swear, if your line cook got him high again-”
“Haven’t seen him.” Both women turned their attention to Nico, who had one hand over his eyes.
“Looks like you haven’t seen anybody.” Ruby quipped, raising an eyebrow at him. “Why are you covering your eyes?”
“It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.” Nico stated like it was obvious.
Ruby let out a frustrated exhale as she continued to plate the hors d'oeuvres.
“She’s not a bride yet, the wedding is tomorrow.” Nicole reminded very matter-of-factly.
Nico seemed to relax at that, his body sagging as he removed his hand from his eyes.
“Don’t know where the groom-to-be is, but these are ready to go out.” Ruby handed the tray of freshly prepared hor d'oeuvres to Nicole.
“Thank you,” Nicole graciously smiled at her. “Now if you’ll excuse me, Poppy, I have to get back to my job.”
Nicole pushed past Poppy and back out into the dining room.
It was more than an hour before Nicole was able to have a moment to herself. After everyone had taken their seats and speeches were well underway. She stumbled into the alley behind the restaurant, her feet angry and red and screaming. The alley smelled like garbage with the nearby dumpster practically overflowing, but the cool night air felt too good on her skin for her to care. After hours walking around the stifling and stuffy dining room, she just wanted air. She braced herself against the wall and brought a hand to her temple, her ears were still ringing from the damn opera singers.
“That bad, huh?”
Nicole startled slightly at the voice. The alleyway was dark, with only the golden light from the restaurant to illuminate the darkness yet she could just make out the figure leaning against the wall. Ruby stood there with her chef coat unbuttoned and hanging off one shoulder, partially exposing the tattooed sleeve that snaked up her arm. Ruby chuckled at Nicole’s reaction, the smoke from her cigarette dancing around her face and dissipating into the night air.
“You have no idea.” She bemoaned, moving closer, her shoulder just barely touching Ruby’s.
“It’s almost over.” Ruby reminded her. “Once they finish dessert we can start cleaning up.”
Nicole smiled absently. She leaned against Ruby, her head landing on the sous chef’s shoulder. A warmth flowed through her as she made contact, a buzz of content as she gravitated towards Ruby. She wasn’t sure when it started, when their friendship went from teasing to flirtatious to affectionate. Often, Nicole would find herself gently brushing against Ruby as she passed through the kitchen or help her tuck loose strands of hair back into her bandana. She had never been particularly touchy before, but there was something easy and comfortable in allowing herself to be pulled into Ruby’s space. She wasn’t sure when her feelings had developed into a crush. But it was undeniable now. When Bridgette or Brad would ask about Ruby, she’d feel heat rushing to her face and she’d try her best to deflect. She never used to be like this. Never used to catch feelings or find herself absently aching for someone’s touch. Yet, here she was.
“I’m just glad I don’t have to listen to any more arias.” Nicole exhaled, her eyes fluttering closed.
Ruby smiled softly, her hand just barely brushing Nicole’s. “Opera not your thing?” She asked.
“God no.” She chuckled, glancing up at Ruby. “Why, is it yours?”
Ruby shook her head. “Nah, but it kinda reminds me of home.”
Nicole raised an eyebrow at her curiously, tilting her head in a way that let Ruby know she was waiting for her to continue. Ruby’s grin widened and a faint blush crossed her cheeks.
“My mom is really into stuff like this.” Ruby admitted sheepishly. “She took me to the opera, and art museums, she even made me take ballroom dance classes when I was a kid.”
“No,” Nicole gasped, her eyes going wide in disbelief. “Stop, you have to show me.”
Ruby laughed and shook her head. “Fuck, no.”
“C’mon, please?” Nicole begged, she glanced up at Ruby through her eyelashes and batted her eyes sweetly.
Ruby chuckled again, stubbing out her cigarette and flicking the butt into the dumpster. Ruby turned to face her, taking both of Nicole’s hands in hers. Ruby was warm, warmer than Nicole. Her hands were rough and calloused and she had tiny little scars dotting her skin. Nicole glanced down at their intertwined fingers, heat blooming in her cheeks.
“Okay, I’m going to take your right hand.” She started, taking Nicole’s hand in hers. “And your left hand will go here.”
Ruby guided Nicole’s left hand up to her shoulder, then moved her own hand to rest under Nicole’s shoulderblade.
“Now you step back with your right foot.” Ruby gently guided, leading her through a simple box step. “Now step to the side with your left, now forward with your left.”
Nicole followed the steps as best she could, watching her feet anxiously, afraid she’d step on Ruby’s toes. But Ruby kept count, and with every count, Nicole found herself falling in step with her. She was surprised at just how good a dancer Ruby was, considering it had probably been over fifteen years since the last time she’d taken a class. Ruby wasn’t someone that Nicole pictured when she thought about grace or elegance, she was all hard, rigid edges. But here in the back alley, Ruby felt soft. Heat fluttered from the space Ruby’s hands occupied, and Nicole felt herself shiver under her touch.
“You’re a natural.” Ruby mused, glancing down at Nicole with a certain softness that made Nicole’s knees quake. In her heels, they were almost the same height and she could feel Ruby’s breath hot on her face.
“Maybe you’re just a good teacher.” Nicole smiled, she found herself nervously biting her bottom lip. An old habit that only ever resurfaced when she wanted to say more but wasn’t sure what.
Her eyes glanced back down to her feet. Their two bodies swaying slowly to the sounds of Los Angeles traffic and the distant chatter from inside the restaurant. She could feel the words she wanted to say swimming around in her head. But they felt lost in the back of her throat. She wasn’t sure what to say. Sarcasm was always her first line of defense. It was easy, instinctive, it let her be the cool girl, the one who couldn’t care less. But here with Ruby, she couldn’t bring herself to be that person. She felt like she had been stagnant for so long, and the concept of being vulnerable terrified her. But she didn’t want to close herself off anymore. Not here. Not now.
Ruby continued to lead her through the steps, her hand gently squeezing Nicole’s. Although their relationship had been getting a lot more physically affectionate, Ruby still wasn’t used to the feeling she got whenever Nicole stepped into her space. Despite how easy and comfortable and natural it all felt, Ruby’s heart always beat just a little bit faster.
It wasn’t love at first sight. Ruby didn’t believe in that kind of thing.
Love was something deep and intimate and complicated, something impossible to know without putting in the time and effort. Attraction, however, that was unmistakable. A flutter in her chest when she met the blonde server on her first day. It settled in her stomach, twisting and turning in a way it hadn’t in a while. She felt drawn to Nicole the moment she saw her, something about her effortless charm had endeared her to Ruby. The sous chef tried to remember the last time she’d looked at someone and thought ‘I want to kiss you.’ It had probably been a year or two at that point. It was dumb, the way her heart would hammer in her ribcage when she saw Nicole working the same shift as her. But there was something about her. And it soon became evident that she wasn’t the only one who thought so.
Having a crush on Nicole seemed to be a right of passage in the restaurant. And she didn’t help matters with her shameless flirting. Ruby had decided she would have to be content watching her fondly from a distance. And she was. For a while, at least. But things were shifting. They had been shifting for well over a year now. They touched more and they flirted more openly. Ruby was starting to see the side of Nicole that was loyal and sweet, a side of her that loved fiercely. And Ruby’s silly little crush was threatening to shift.
Perhaps Nicole’s was too. The way she averted her eyes but continued to lean into Ruby’s touch as they continued to dance in a dirty alleyway. Nicole gasped and chuckled playfully as Ruby spun her, strong arms encircling her as she fell into a dip. Her arms wrapped tightly around Ruby’s neck as the red head brought her back upright. Nicole was glad for Ruby’s arms encircling her middle or she might fall over completely. She glanced up at Ruby, her gaze flickering between her eyes and her lips.
She was so close. Ruby’s breath was warm as it gently ghosted over her lips. Her perfume was heady and woody and Nicole wanted nothing more than to breathe her in. Nicole’s eyes fluttered shut, her forehead gently resting against Ruby’s. She couldn’t help that feeling of warmth that swelled in her chest as she melted into the other woman’s embrace. Her nose gently brushed against Ruby’s as she leaned in, hoping Ruby would take the hint.
She did. Ruby’s lips gently brushed over Nicole’s in the faintest ghost of a kiss. Nicole leaned in, pulling Ruby flush against her and deepening their kiss. She felt Ruby’s arms tightening around her as they stopped swaying, and her heart quickened in her ribcage. Ruby’s lips were soft and she tasted like cigarettes and spearmint gum. Nicole’s hands moved from Ruby’s shoulders to gently cup her face, and she pulled back slightly to gaze into the redhead’s eyes. It was hard to tell in the low light of the alley, but Ruby’s cheeks were tinged with pink. Nicole couldn’t help the smile that stretched across her face, she chuckled almost deliriously as she rested her forehead against Ruby’s. Ruby joined her, her whole body shaking in amusement and glee. Both women felt like they were vibrating, like there was an electric current humming through them.
“I’ve wanted to do that for two damn years.” Ruby admitted through bouts of giggles.
Nicole’s smile widened and she gently traced the line of Ruby’s lips with her thumb. Ruby caught her hand and placed a gentle kiss to the inside of her wrist, maintaining eye contact with Nicole the whole time. Nicole felt a shiver run through her as desire thrummed in her abdomen.
“What else have you wanted to do?” Nicole teased, peppering tiny kisses along Ruby’s jaw.
Ruby chuckled again, taking a step back from their embrace but keeping her fingers intertwined with Nicole’s.
“Things that shouldn’t be done by a dumpster.” Ruby gently squeezed Nicole’s hand, and she could feel the heat in the blonde’s eyes as her gaze raked over her body.
Nicole whined slightly, but she glanced around the alley and nodded. “Yeah, probably a good call.”
Ruby tugged her back towards the door, the warmth and light of the restaurant spilling into the darkness.
“Wanna grab a bite after this?” Ruby asked. “My treat.”
Nicole shot Ruby a coy smile.
“No,” She winked playfully as she walked back into the restaurant. “It’s my treat.”