0.1 | No Exit from Deception ?

0.23 | Rule Number Three : Steps To Slow Dancing

Joseph gulped hard as he couldn't combat the mini-attack, and began to realize that his plan was failing to get underway as she happened to be least interested in the talk. His face turned pale as he saw Ruby tottering toward him, tying her hair in a loose bun. She smiled sheepishly and mouthed greetings at him.

"Joseph, the Columbians are expected to be there by sharp eight, tomorrow morning-- just in case you forgot."

"No," Joseph responded in a gasp, disappointment pouring out of his mouth. "I'll go through my reports once again."

"Joseph! Look! You have burned the poor toasts!" Ruby exclaimed.

****

The evening was vivid and ebullient. Ruby was lying her head on Stephanie's lap as they both sat on the sofa. She was having a good time touching her hands, playing with her fingers, pinning her finger back and forth in her faint paunch.

A ripple of smothered laughter circled the room. It was when Sarah got up from her seat to turn the volume of the music high, Stephanie had to move inside.

"Where are you going?" Ruby squealed, quickly grabbing her hand.

"Dear, it's time for the new generation to have fun. I'll be fine in my room." Stephanie plodded to her room.

The gossiping between Sarah and Ruby about the girl-talk-only was interrupted from further intellectualization by the sound of Joseph entering from the main door, followed by the quirky Anshuman.

Simultaneously, Sarah shot up to fire up the stereo with some mellow jazz music and turned on the lamp in place of the overhead lighting. She dragged the center table to the side and Anshuman helped her out. "Sarah, what's happening here?" he asked, confused and excited. The center space of the drawing room looked empty and Ruby couldn't understand Sarah's motive. Were they going to dance in front of Anshuman and Joseph? Ruby thought. No! That would be so shameful.

Ruby couldn't help her eyes from checking out Joseph secretly. He wore nothing special, it was the same peanut brown polo shirt he had donned several times with a pair of black tight-fitted jeans. He was leaving the frails of ideal boyfriend-material characteristics around him ─ a sudden redness feathered her face as he glimpsed at her.

"Today we are gonna teach you how to slow dance? I'm saying it again. If a man approaches you, at least you know how to entertain him through a little slow dance. Early preparations will be proved useful in such a case," Sarah chimed and pulled Anshuman up.

Ruby tucked a hair lock behind her ear and hesitantly passed a glare at Joseph. "Okay. I will try."

"You are not expected to be a pro. Practice, practice, and practice will get you the right results."

"Get your ass moving, man! Don't make your lady wait for long. She might end up dancing with a different man otherwise," Anshuman pulled his leg as he turned at him and sold a wicked wink.

Joseph got up instantly as if spring was attached to his feet. Ruby took a step back and took a gander at his chest idly. She was a nervous wreck, although she didn't mind touching Joseph here and there occasionally (non-sexual touches). But it was different now. She felt like her every body movement was being supervised by the remaining people present over here.

"Position your arms correctly. The man should put his right hand on his partner's left hip side, whereas his left hand should gently grasp his partner's right hand."

Anshuman adhered silently and reached out to kiss Sarah's temple. "And a kiss is like an unexpected dividend on the investment." To which Sarah laughed.

Ruby was still observing Sarah's hand movements when Joseph's touch trickled an electric current through her body and caused her breath to hitch up. His hands wandered around her waist and grasped it tightly with one hand; his fingers interlocked with hers. A touch at its gentlest.

Ruby realized how tiny her waist would have been for his hulk-like palm.

"You should stand about a foot away from your partner, depending on the level of intimacy you two share."

Ruby watched Anshuman getting too close to Sarah, which crossed a foot's distance. She was lost in her train of thought when she got pulled by Joseph. Ruby could breathe his minty cologne as he yanked her closer to his body. Her eyes lids dropped and her eyebrows lifted; she bit her lips out of fiery passion burning inside her belly.

Taking advantage of the darkness invading the room, Ruby glued her ear onto his chest, hearing the rhythm of his heartbeat. It felt so good.

"The easiest way to lead a dance is by subtly pulling his right hand, as you sway slowly," Sarah purred with a note of sincerity.

"Right," Ruby muttered and raised her chin to look Joseph in the eyes. It made it easy for her as Joseph was already staring into her eyes.

Upon studying him closer, she saw something disturbing in his eyes--a picture of a mislaid outcome. His eyes communicated the results of a ceding war. He looked diluted with his mind drawing negative inferences.

Strangely, Sarah couldn't be heard giving more instructions. Ruby whipped her head only to find the couple sucking and sticking their tongues in and out of each other's mouths at a quick pace. The sounds became more irksomely displeasing.

Joseph scoffed. "Look, they were supposed to be our teachers."

Ruby felt sick of seeing Sarah and Anshuman share their fourth kiss in that very minute. She decided she has had enough.

"Shall I put it this way, that's an essential part of slow dancing they are teaching," she suggested rather seductively and tiptoed, cupping his face with both hands. Momentarily losing her balance, Joseph clasped her by her waist immediately.

Feeling relieved, she brought her face so close to his. Joseph stared down at her lips and back into her eyes. Her pudendum puckishly wanted to mingle with his body.

Joseph's phone started to ring at the crunch moment, standing out amid the romantic music being played in the background. Joseph excused Ruby and went outside.

Ruby exhaled, running her hands over her hair and looking at the couple who had certainly stopped claiming each other's mouths and were looking at Ruby, jaded.

"An urgent call," Ruby quoted and forced a tight-lipped smile like a docile wife defending her husband's negligence. She turned her back at them, as she was soaked in embarrassment-- that she was only aware of inside that room. The bitter fact of the day was, she couldn't kiss Joseph today.

Joseph returned with a bright smile tugging at his lips, storming in as he laughed ineffably.

"What happened Joseph?" Sarah asked.

"Share the fucking news with us, you galoot!" Anshuman smacked Joseph's chest and was paid with an enormous amount of laughter.

Joseph gulped air and trekked toward puzzled Ruby. "Mrs Warner wants you to join her tomorrow over a cup of tea. She wants to see you."

"Tomorrow." Sarah read everyone's expression with an uncomfortable smile.

Joseph bounced on his feet out of unbridled joy and tilted his head at Anshuman. "Come on, let's go! We have to meet Sherry and get the documents ready by tomorrow morning. And the . . ."

Joseph and Anshuman lived in their echo chambers for the rest of the seconds until they wound out of the door somewhere.

Ruby stood motionless and uttered in a faint voice, doubting her hearing ability, "Tomorrow?"

Sarah trekked from behind and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Ruby's eyes still bug out as she turned to address Sarah, "Did I hear it wrong? Better, I should wait for him to get home and then ask─"

"No. Tomorrow it is. Lap it up."

Word count - 2000

a/n; gosh I'm dying to write a steamy scene between them ugh.. anyways... tomorrow is the D-day.
Wish her "All The best!"