unsolved disappearances » otis and ruby

Part 14

The new job role I loved!

I had spent so many of my teenage years attempting new diets to lose weight. Yet I found the challenge of figuring out how to snowboard and other snowsports enjoyable. I was lucky enough to be on the same tutoring team as Noah, so I knew someone else during the first few weeks of orientation. 

Quickly he introduced me to the local gym he had been attending for almost a year. He had just graduated with a degree in health science and fitness. He was offered this position by one of his friend's parents who were a manager. So Noah was a great help in setting up a fitness plan with our busy work schedule. 

One free weekend when Noah hadn't offered to take me around looking at all the major destinations he had knocked on my dorm door who I was sharing with a nice girl named June, another local from New Zealand. "Good evening, you're highness." Noah was a smartass and decided to name me the queen.

"Yes, peasant?" I ask bored.

"How would you like to join me and the boys for a night out on the town?" He asks. "The rugby game is gone and I'd promised I would explain it to you over some drinks."

"I'm not a fan of drinking." I try to excuse.

"Ruby, just one night. Let's go have some fun, you don't even have to drink the crap beer from the pub, I'll buy you lemonade or something." He offers.

Sighing, I finally agree before shutting my door to get ready. I was lucky my roommate had gone out for the evening as I was just wearing tight leggings and an oversized shirt. I press my hand down on the very minor bump that was beginning to show on my stomach.

I quickly throw on some loose fitted jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt, tucking them into my jeans and placing my thick puffer jacket on. Another perk of the job was that we got good discounts with the stores in town and I was able to invest some of my wages into warmer clothes that were good quality. 

"Beautiful as ever." Noah comments, still waiting outside my room. His phone is in hand as he scrolls through social media. "I think I have to document this moment." He points his camera at me, mocking what I usually did on our travels around.

"Hilarious kiwi boy." I utter. "Are you safe enough to drive tonight?"

"Clayton has offered to be sober driver tonight, so you just have to sit back and relax princess." He comments before placing his arm around my shoulder as we walk into the coldness outside the building. I was glad I had put a beanie on top of my blonde hair that recently got coloured.

Arriving at the bars in the town centre I'm met with the loud music of the live bands that played inside, while both tourist and local visitors sit at many of the tables. We were able to score one ourselves. I order myself a lemonade as Noah with the rest of the boys get some beers.

Very quickly the three other guys we arrived with rushed over to enjoy the songs that the bands were playing, as it was a local hit song. "So Ruby, are you allergic to alcohol or do you have an exemption to have fun?" Noah asks me as he sips his own beer.

"Neither," I comment, looking down towards my stomach. "Just some bad experiences that have turned me off drinking for a very long time."

"You arrive in NZ just days after turning eighteen, there had to have been something you needed to escape from." He comments. I felt I could trust Noah, he was known as a flirt to many girls around work however he had never tried to extend our relationship beyond friends. I was thankful for that. "You can be honest with, if it's top-secret, you have permission to kill me."

The statement makes me laugh. "Well my ex-boyfriend kissed another girl just days after breaking up and I felt like I wasn't going to finish high school after all. So why not jump at the chance of a new opportunity?" I suggest.

Noah takes this information into account. "Ah yes, British boys have always been known as these prince charmings." He says sarcastically. "You deserve a lot better than that fool."

"Especially when they might knock you up," I say casually, tapping my fingers against the table.

That catches Noah with shock as he spits out his drink. "Ruby, are you pregnant?" He asks. 

"The test said positive, so I'm assuming so," I say, wanting to change the subject quickly. "Hey, you promised ages ago you'd never judge about anything we talked about."

"I'm not judging, I'm just being the overprotective asshole that is making sure you're okay." He says in a sincere voice. "I'm having just one drink tonight, but first thing tomorrow. We're getting you into the doctors."

"Fine," I mutter. "But don't be judgemental and say I shouldn't have gotten this job."

"I'm your friend, I'm allowed to judge your decisions, taking this job when you just learned you were possibly pregnant is reckless." He comments seriously. "But I also take my hat off to you for being so brave and going through it alone."

"It's been the most joyous adventure since I found out," I say sarcastically.

"You could always name it after me, then you know you'd always have something to make you laugh." He suggests.

It was at that moment that I opened up about a lot of things. While Noah's friends were off getting pissed and even managing to secure themselves, girls, for the night, we stayed at that table just talking. I told him everything up until the point when I stepped off the plane and saw him for the first time.

It was also a moment where I realised that life was going to be a bit different and I couldn't keep it hidden that I was pregnant. I needed to be mature about the situation, it was a human being inside of me and I felt like if I forgot about it but remembered not to drink alcohol and make sure I ate every day I'd be fine.

Noah said he had my back, I could turn to him for any support.