RUBY |Completed|

|Chapter Thirty Four|

Ruby

     It's been eight months since I got serious with Ethan regarding our relationship. My online business is going fine. Once in a while, the media features us when I accompany Ethan to some of those dinner parties he can't decline. Right now, I am at home and I mean home like Albany. I have been here for a week now, I came to spend some time with my folks. I had been allowed to leave early from work for the December holidays.

Ethan of course is in Manhattan and we talk via phone calls, text messages and chats. I and my mum went to the market earlier today and we are back home, arranging and sorting out the stuffs we bought.

Sometimes later, i was curled up on the sofa in the sitting room about to read a Francine Rivers' book I brought from Brooklyn when my thoughts shifted to Ethan and his last message to me on WhatsApp.

'I wanna come see your parents.'

I immediately became nervous and asked why and made several attempts to convince him otherwise but he refused stating point blank that there is no designated time to meet with the folks and that since he knows everything about me, what is there to wait for?

And that is like the God's own truth. He knows everything, including my bra size. Funny. The day he asked me about that, I almost attacked him physically. I can remember we were at his apartment and I was fiddling with his tablet and he was rustling up some dinner for us when he suddenly called for me,

"Babe."

"Yeah?" I answered nonchalantly,

"What's your bra size?" He asked, and I immediately stilled. Quietly, I dropped the phone to go ask him what exactly he meant in the kitchen but he beat me to it and was already by the doorway. I could tell he guessed I didn't take it lightly. I asked calmly as I stood back,

"What is the meaning of that question?"

"Come on, Babe, I was just curious, imagine that I had to buy you a surprise something from the lingerie store, I don't know my girlfriend's size."

"You could have explained or asked in a better way and not holler round the house that 'What is your bra size?' as if you want to mould my breastfeeding or something."

"Gosh! You can be so preposterous sometimes."

"Shut up. Are you going to go back to the food?"

"Oh yeah." He said and sauntered back to the kitchen while I shook my head. Funny right? I turned my attention back to my book and let it all lie.

Two days after, I was in the kitchen when Mum called my attention to my phone that was ringing from my room, I knew it could be Ethan. We had not talked today so I took a pause on what I was doing and manage to race upstairs without breaking my back and I picked up the phone from where I was charging it beside my bed. Ethan,

"Hello." I said breathlessly into the phone,

"Baby? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, except for the fact that I almost fell on my bottom just because I wanted to pick your call. Your phone has being off all day. You got me worried and Devin wasn't answering his phone."

"Baby I am sorry, I was busy. I had to fly back from  Los Angeles this morning for an urgent meeting. Then, I had to fly down here. "

"Oh sorry, wait fly down where? Where are you?"

"Washington of course. I told you I was going to meet your parents this weekend." He said confirming my suspicions.

"What? Didn't I tell you I was still thinking about?"

"Yes you did but we have been together for almost a year now, I know you are the woman for me, you know I am the man for you, so what exactly are waiting for? Except you don't want me to meet your parents?"

"I do..."

"Then let me see you tomorrow and I will come see the folks on Saturday, okay?" He said cutting off my unborn protest,

"Okay, so where exactly are you?

"I am at a hotel, Renaissance Albany Hotel to be precise." He answered and we talked some more. Just as I was ending the call, I heard Chloe's voice from downstairs. Oh my sister is around maybe she can help me shed some light on this issue baffling me. With that in mind, I plugged in my phone to charge and made my way downstairs.

After dinner, I and Chloe sat down at the upstairs balcony devouring the ice cream she bought for us on her way down here like the old times. Then she asked,

"What is wrong with you Ruby? You kept zoning out during dinner."

"I am worried."

"What about?"

"Ethan." I said not knowing why I kept stalling, only Chloe and Big Sis knows about him,

"Hmm." Chloe murmured waiting for me to go into details,

"He wants to come here on Saturday to meet Mum and Dad and he wants to see me tomorrow."

"So, what is there to get worried about?"

"He has not asked me to marry him, no proposal, no ring, no marriage talk, no promises, just that I am the woman for him and vice versa so we should not waste time and move forward."

"So, that is the problem. Okay, it's not big nao. See him tomorrow. Enjoy yourself. Tell Dad and Mum that your boyfriend is coming to meet them. When he asks, the title will automatically change."

"I see, I think I will go by your word. Thanks."

"Babe, what are sisters for? What about Julie?"

"She is still in Los Angeles with her husband even though they are supposed to leave for Africa for the holidays, we talked over the phone yesterday."
Julie had gotten married to her long time boyfriend, Bruce Carmichael.

"Make sure you invite her for my wedding."

"She will definitely be there." I said as we talked more. Chloe's wedding is coming up sometimes next month with her boyfriend.

The next morning, after our general devotion, everyone was about to leave when I requested,

"Can I have a few minutes please?"

"Yes Ruby?"

"Umm.. There is this guy, so uhmm Chloe knows him and..." I started stammering,

"The long and short of what she is saying is that her boyfriend is coming over and he wants to meet you both tomorrow." Chloe interrupted,

"Chloe!" I reprimanded, trust her to drop the bombshell like that.

"What?" She asked as she raised her eyebrow innocently,

"Oh this is great! What is his name? What does he do? Since when did you guys start the relationship? Why does he want to meet us?" Mum asked in a rush,

"Mum! One question at a time please. His name is Ethan King. He is a Christian Entrepreneur. It's been eight months and he just wants to meet you."

"Ethan King, like Royal Hotel and Suite 'Kings'?" Dad asked as his face took on the surprise look,

"Yes Daddy." I answered,

"Are you sure?" He asked, he probably can't believe it,

"Dad, he is my boyfriend okay?" I said smiling,

"All right, I will be having a meeting tomorrow morning how about we meet, talk and have an early dinner?" Dad suggested,

"That sounds perfect." Mum countered,

"Thank you Dad." I said,

"That's all right. Permission to leave, madams?"

"Go ahead. We need to talk." Mum said indicating to me as I groaned and Dad left. Between Chloe and Mum, I spent the next one hour talking about, as Mum said, 'my oh so mysterious boyfriend'.