Masked Desires

centrate, all he could think of was Ruby. Ruby,

f to care so deeply about her. He bla

to the board room. "Hun

ace steeled. Why was H

from the meeting an

" he asked Jack, who shru

says something stupid," Jack

tly ever since he saw him on top of

fice and stepped in. There sat Hunter at the tab

sked, taking his place at the table

ers?" Hunter asked. He was a tall, curly brown-

no morals," Ethan stated with a st

talking to some of the other board members, and I thin

this game with me. You know mother is on the board of member

ad seen before. The very same gleam stared at him when Hunter had taken Ethan's first car. It was the one Hunter had when he firs

te it. He watched Hunter walk

n his face?" Jack as

lised that Ethan was truly stressed, there was a world of worry o

The Japanese investors were concerned but I h

riend who needed m

sked with a raised

n't know h

s lady who could take you away from suc

y and find a way to explain who Ru

Jack chuckled, "Is this

she's someone... someone special."

deserve happ

into Hunter and try to check on what he's doing. I'll

uby and he wondered if this was it. Would he never see her again. The thought alone made

im and he franctically looked at hi

t at

------------------

amp overhead buzzed like it was barely holding on. Trash bins lined the brick wall, and

by the mask she wore like a second skin. But tonight,

f, leather jacket zipped up, head low like the weight of the city had finally cru

boots crunching on gra

meeting spot," he said,

ed. Her voice was soft and thin, like som

id," he sa

e sadness pressed into the corners of her eyes. He didn't ask why she'd gone silent

wouldn't s

om inside his coat pocket-a crumpled brown paper

ed. "What

e packaging," he said

kes. One had a crack down the middle, and the other looked li

id, her brow archin

From the gas station on 12th. Us

head, curious d

in, we had about eight bucks between us, and it was pouring. She dragged me into that gas station and bought t

the cupcakes in the

smiled faintly. "They tasted terrible. But we laughed so hard, sitting in the car with t

mile that never quite reached her eyes

. "Time-tested. Low exp

t it was something. She reached out, took the better-loo

od in the quiet with her, eating cheap cu

spered, "Thanks

voice steady. "Than