“You’re not exactly a people person,” Madison said. “And all of a sudden, you’re sharing your life and space with a stranger. It’s no surprise that tensions are flaring.”

That was true. There was plenty of tension between Yvonne and Ruby.

“Yvonne, if you’re going to be stuck with Ruby for a year, you need to figure out a way to coexist. No, you need to do more than just coexist. You need to get along. Hiding in the office isn’t going to help with that.”

Yvonne scoffed. “Are you seriously lecturing me on how to fix my ‘marriage?’ I thought you didn’t approve of it in the first place.”

“I don’t. But I know you well enough. I know that you’re too stubborn to do anything other than see this ridiculous charade through to the end. So you need to make it as easy as possible, which means you need to make nice with Ruby.” Before Yvonne could protest, Madison stood. “I need to get going. Blair left an hour ago, and unlike you, I’m not about to leave her waiting up for me all night. Just think about what I said. Make nice with Ruby. And go home.”

Yvonne muttered a goodbye. Madison left her office.

Yvonne opened her laptop up again. ‘Making nice’ with Ruby was not an option, no matter how much Yvonne wanted to.

That image flashed in her mind again. Ruby on the bed, in nothing but a simple black dress, her hair falling down her shoulders like gold silk. All Yvonne’s toys scattered on the bed around her, a tempting cornucopia of tools with which Yvonne could lavish endless agonizing pleasures upon her. Yvonne should have been furious that Ruby had invaded her space, gone through her things, touched the precious toys she so painstakingly cared for and stored. Yet Yvonne had been too deeply distracted by her desire for Ruby to care.

As Yvonne played the scene over again in her mind, she finally realized what that change, that shift in Ruby had been that night. It was as if the mask Ruby wore, the one that transformed her into a seductive fantasy, had fallen away. At that moment, Yvonne had gotten a glimpse of the real Ruby.

It had been the real Ruby who had said I want this. It had been the real Ruby who had pleaded for Yvonne to teach her. It had been the real Ruby who had gotten on her hands and knees and crawled to Yvonne’s feet.

And that side of Ruby was even more irresistible than the woman Yvonne had met at the bar.

* * *

Ruby stared at herself in the mirror as she brushed her teeth. It was late, almost midnight, and she was alone in the apartment. There was no sign of Yvonne at all.

As far as Ruby was concerned, that was a good thing. Since that night in Yvonne’s ‘playroom,’ Ruby had been avoiding Yvonne. However, she suspected she didn’t need to avoid Yvonne at all. Yvonne had been spending even more time out of the apartment than before. Ruby had no doubt that she was the reason.