THE MISTRESS

One

▪︎ Heartbreaks and Hickeys ▪︎

RUBY REY

"Break up with your girlfriend!"

"What!" I burst out a laugh. "That's what I should have told him?"

Miles nods.

"Yeah! At least that's what I'd have told him if I was in your shoes. Oh, then I would blast Ariana Grande's 'break up with your girlfriend' song and f**k the brains out of him!"

"Miles, you are completely nuts!"

"No. Do you know who is completely nuts? The two men who REJECTED you last night!"

He buttons his pink, leather trench coat as he grumbles endlessly.

"I mean, who is so f*****g foolish to turn you down for a date night? And who is dumb enough to turn down some bomb-ass backseat s*x with you!"

He flips his blonde hair and looks at me from head to toe.

"I mean, look at you! You are brilliant and beautiful and bold! The true definition of a Russian badass b***h!"

"Shut up! You are just saying that because I'm your best friend and-"

"You are not just my best friend, Rue," he cuts me off. "You are my daily chauffeur and my fellow party monster and my human pillow and my therapist-"

"That's all sweet and cheesy coming from you." I fake a smile. "I would appreciate it but I hate cheese."

He glares at me.

"You are such an ungrateful b***h. Here I am, making sure you don't kill yourself because-"

"Because you would follow me to the grave if I ever killed myself."

"Not before I kill those two stupid assholes!"

"Hell will be congested that day, huh!"

I groan when the dense traffic jam forces me to come to a stop and join the long line of cars.

"Monday traffic sucks!!!"

He scoffs.

"You know what also sucks?"

"What?"

"The fact that you don't want to tell me the names of the two assholes!"

"Because they are irrelevant."

"But relevant to me."

Heaving a sigh, I ask him sharply.

"Why do you want to know anyway? The two men blatantly rejected me and it makes no sense why you even want to know their names!"

"Because I want to stalk them. And cyber-bully them on f*******: and i********: and Twitter!"

"You are such a snoopy creep!"

"No! I'm a snoopy best friend who is politely asking to be told everything!"

"I've told you everything, Miles!" I groan. "The first guy that didn't show up for the date night! The second guy that gave me his denim jacket-"

"And still rejected you after you bought him some drinks." He completes my statement. "Yes! You have told me everything except the little part where you mention their names!"

I inwardly sigh in relief when the traffic light goes green, giving me a chance to dodge his question. My hands are firm on the steering wheel as I step on the engine.

Those beautiful blue eyes scowl at me.

"You are seriously not going to tell me their names!"

"Miles, I am trying to focus on the road here!"

He sinks back on the passenger's seat in defeat and growls,

"I f*****g hate you."

"I love you too."

|| || || || ||

It's precisely 7:45 am when we pull up at Foxton College.

I toss my hair in a tight bun and add some more red lipstick. Miles stops packing his books into his bag and narrows his eyes.

"Isn't that lipstick extremely loud!"

"That's the point."

"To make me deaf with your screaming lipstick? Point taken."

I chuckle as I pout my lips, loving the deep shade of red. He stares at me intently, a small smile crossing his lips.

"That denim jacket is so hot..."

"Getting rejected seems to come with hot things. Maybe it's not so bad after all..."

"Though it's bad when it's two men rejecting you in a single night."

"f**k you, Miles!"

I grab my sling bag and push the door open. I step out of my car, the breeze of the freezing-cold morning making me shiver.

Standing in the cold, I wait for Miles to finish up packing when a black bike races past me.

I catch a scent of soft cologne hanging in the air.

A very familiar scent...

The rider stops a few feet away and descends from his bike. Gently, he takes off his helmet and my heart leaps.

Erik.

"Goodness Gracious!!!" Miles Gushes. "Erik is so deliciously hot! He looks like one of those ridiculously expensive meals in restaurants that you can only afford in your dreams!"

But I don't respond.

I'm staring at Erik as he runs his fingers through his messy hair. Good lord! The way I tortured that hair...

He zips his denim jacket and I find myself wondering how many pairs he has. If he always gives them as souvenirs to random girls... Like me...

Tossing keys in his dark jeans, he grabs his black guitar and turns to leave when he suddenly stops. He tilts his head up and looks at me.

His eyes meet mine.

His intense stare takes me back to the previous night. A passionate night full of wild and hungry kisses. Hungry kisses that make me crave tasting those luscious lips again. Touching that smooth skin again. Messing up that spiky hair again. Looking into those brown eyes again...

No! That can't happen ever again! I can't let it happen!

As if Erik just read my mind, he turns around and takes a different direction. Although I'm a little relieved, I feel a sting of pain watching him walk away.

He rejected me last night and now he's ignoring me...

"f**k!!!" Miles shrieks. "Did you just see that!"

"See what?" I ask absent-mindedly.

"Erik staring at me!" He exclaims. "Didn't you see? Those beautiful brown eyes were staring at me!"

I shake my head and grab his arm.

"Those beautiful brown eyes are not an excuse to get late for class..."

"But they are definitely a good excuse to miss class..."

I chuckle as I drag him through the crowded corridors to our morning class.

|| || || || ||

After making an urgent call, I slide the phone back into my bag.

I stretch my short black dress, ready to step out of the toilet when a loud bang stops me!

Sounds like someone just stormed into the washrooms. Furiously.

Louder yells, cusses and bangs follow.

The high-pitched voice sounds too familiar.

"I mean! Who does the b***h think she is! Just because her ridiculous name is Ruby doesn't mean she's some precious gem! She's trash! And fake! She walks around the school like she's made of gold but she's garbage! Pure garbage!"

"I know that you're angry," A calmer voice says. "But please try to calm down, Sabrina..."

Sabrina Stunner, Erik's little perfect girlfriend.

"How the f**k am I supposed to calm down! How can I calm down when that fake b***h is loitering around school wearing my boyfriend's jacket, Bree!"

Bree Stewart, Sabrina's little best friend.

"Sabby, are you sure it's Erik's jacket? It could be another-"

"It's Erik's jacket! I know it! I bought it for him last year on his birthday, remember?"

"Why the f**k would he do that to you? Give some cheap b***h an expensive jacket you bought him?"

"Maybe he's still mad at me, Bree," says Sabrina in a lower tone. "Or maybe that fake b***h forced herself on my boyfriend! Ugh! I hate her! I wish she could just go back to her stupid country and disappear forever!"

I step out of the toilet wearing a sappy smile.

"Ladies!"

The two women stare at me in shock.

My grin broadens.

"You guys have such nice voices when you shut up."

I sail past them in black boots, heading straight to the sink. Their eyes don't leave me for a second as I wash and dry my hands.

I spin around to look down at Sabrina, who is shorter than me. Her blue eyes are burning with resentment.

She flips her blonde hair and scowls at me.

"I saw you last night at the club with my boyfriend!"

"I hope you liked what you saw..."

I shove my hands in the pockets of the jacket and wink at her.

"Thank you for the jacket by the way. Your taste is impeccable, sweetie."

|| || || || ||

"My taste is horrible?"

Miles nods as he combs his hair, sitting at his desk.

The last class just ended but I can't leave because I'm waiting for my best friend to finish doing his make up.

"Yes. Your taste in men is horrible. That explains why you don't want to tell me who the two assholes are. Because you know they both look like Shrek."

"Fine!" A fake smile. "My taste in men is horrible. Happy?"

"I'll only be happy once you tell me their names..."

I sigh, rolling my eyes.

"Here we go again..."

He wears some lip gloss and throws his bag on his back.

I scamper out of the class, groaning. He runs behind me in the hallway and catches up with me. He has this strange look on his face.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Your neck..."

I scoff.

"Now you think I tattooed their names on my neck?"

"You have a hickey!" He laughs. "You little slut!"

He's teasing and laughing at me. I pull the collar closer to cover the mark on my neck.

"You bought him a drink and he paid you with a hickey?" He laughs. "He must be a sexy-ass man!"

"Not sexier than Trevor."

Trevor's red car pulls up in the parking lot.

"Talking of the sexy devil!" Miles gushes when he sees his boyfriend in the car.

"Hasn't he come a little bit earlier than usual today?"

"Yeah." He nods absentmindedly. "Did I tell you just how sweet Trev was after we left the club?"

"A million times."

"And still, it's not enough to describe just how romantic and affectionate he was! God! Did I tell you how fantastic the food he cooked was!"

"A billion times."

Trevor approaches us, a hand shoved in the pocket of his tailored suit. Every time I see him, I can't help but stare in amusement. He's the spitting image of a young Will Smith with his incredible height and chocolate complexion. But it's the way that he smiles so brightly and laughs heartily that I find so attractive about him.

He greets me with a warm long hug, which I find kinda strange. He looks down at me in deep concern.

"Are you okay?"

This is weird but I nod with a smile,

"Yes, I'm okay Trev."

"Sorry for what happened to you last night..."

For a slight moment, I'm thrown into confusion before it dawns on me.

"You told Trevor!" I glare at Miles.

"Yes. During lunch."

"No offence, Trevor. But I honestly didn't want you to know that-"

Miles cuts me off.

"You are my best friend, Rue. That also makes my boyfriend your best friend. He cares about you too. I had to tell him..."

"Thanks for embarrassing me. Again!"

"You don't have to be embarrassed," Trevor says earnestly as we walk to the parking lot. "Rejection happens to protect us from future heartbreak. You will soon find the right man for you. A man who will love you deeply and unconditionally."

"A man who won't leave you with hickeys and heartbreaks." Miles adds.

"Shut the f**k up!" I hiss.

"Hickeys? What am I missing?"

Miles chuckles.

"The denim dude left her with a hickey on her neck!"

"The denim dude?" I scowl at them. " You guys already have a name for him?"

Trevor points to Miles as they laugh at me. They both climb into the car and fasten their seat belts. Trevor rolls down the window to look up at me, sympathy heavy in his eyes.

"Remember what I just told you," he repeats. "You will find a man who will love you deeply and unconditionally. The same way I found Miles."

I scoff and shake my head, wondering if that will ever happen.

After they have left, I climb into my car and toss my bag in the passenger's seat. Just when I'm about to start the engine, my heart drops in terror.

Someone is seated in the backseat.

"Good evening, Ruby Rey."

|| || || || ||