#joxruby

Judging by the weather outside it’s obvious that Jos is not going home any time soon, even though her shift is already over. It’s Valentine’s Day. Not that she has a special date or something, but she usually uses this day as an excuse to watch the most obnoxious rom-coms and laugh her ass of in the company of her mom or her friends. But the snowstorm cancels the plans for today. Actually, all these weird unpredictable blizzards started a while ago. And now even if Jo manages to fire up her car, the roads are barely passable. And she is not only one who decides that staying in cozy coffee shop is not so bad.

There are six customers, it would be a little more if nature waited an hour longer before throwing a tantrum like that. Another barista, Garth, and there is also Bobby sleeping in the back room.

Sighing dramatically Jo texts her mother that she’ll be home late, if not tomorrow, and makes sure mom won’t think it’s about her ‘valentine’.

“Man, this sucks,” Garth complains breaking rather comfortable silence. “I was going to propose to Bess today!”

“You what?! Already?!” exclaims Jo loudly, making an elderly couple behind the nearest table glance at her disapprovingly. “You’ve been dating only for few weeks!”

“You don’t understand true love Jo. You are way too young for this,” Garth says condescendingly.

“Yeah, tell me all about it, old man, you are only three years older,” Jo huffs, hating the way most people treat like she’s still an ignorant teen.

Garth only laughs to himself and proceeds whipping the glasses for who knows what time. Jo almost lays herself on the counter and examines those who share her luck. That elderly couple, so sweet with each other it makes her believe in that ‘true love’, both are over seventy, that’s for sure. A gloomy guy sipping his black tea in the darkest corner. And finally, a three high school students that seem to be not bothered about the situation at all, too busy discussing something very important, but Jo doubts it’s some science project.

Basically she spends about ten minutes just staring at people and listening to Garth’s humming, until the glass door opens and another customer marches in. A blond girl dressed way too thoughtless for such a cold day. Her jeans are soaked up to knees. She approaches the counter with an expression of universal boredom shaking the snow caught in her hair.  

“Welcome!” Garth greets the new customer cheerfully as always. “What can I get you?”

“Dunno… some of your disgustingly sweet stuff will be alright,” she shivers slightly. “Where is the restroom?”

“Just go behind it, there will be the doors,” Jo points to the folding screen.  

“Thanks.”

As the blond goes in the pointed direction, Jo can’t help watching.

“Are such tight pants even legal?”

“Ooh..?”

“Thanks, Garth, that was a very elaborated comment.”

“She’s your type,” yeah, because he would know what Jo’s type is.

“Ok, ok! Maybe she is!” she does look like she can kick some ass, so yes. “Don’t be a pain about it, Garth,” Jo begs and unties her apron. Her shift is over after all. “Make me one Frappuccino, too. I’ve earned it.”

As she sips the sweet drink she notices that another cup is getting colder. She starts worrying. She better go check on her. Just in case. But as she gets behind that folding screen, she sees that the customer is very much alive. She stands leaning on the door of the bathroom. She looks at Jo with somewhat lost gaze and says quietly:

“I don’t know how to break it to you, but there is a dead body in the restroom.”

Jo giggles. That’s a good one.

“Very funny. Now, will you be so kind to let me in?”

The taller blond shrugs and steps away.

“Yeah, ok.  I’ve warned you. Whatever.”

Jo looks at the girl suspiciously and opens the door. Then closes it. Then opens again. Indeed, something looking awfully like a corps is draped over the sinks. And the mirror is all red. Funny, but all Jo can think about what a bummer it’ll be to clean. She doesn’t feel sick or terrified. Not yet anyway, while her brain is processing the image. She finds herself in the same position she found another girl earlier.

“Huh.”

“Yeah,” agrees the other. “Totally.”

“We need to tell Bobby,” when something out of ordinary happens they always tell Bobby.

“What about the police?”

“Bobby first,” decides Jo.

“Whatever you say, umm…” the girl looks at her badge, “Jo. I’m Ruby by the way,” she shakes Jo’s hand firmly.

Jo doesn’t even notice that she doesn’t let go of Ruby’s hand as they go to the back room calling Garth too on the way there.

“Bobby! Bobby, wake up!” she shakes the snoring man. “We have an emergency! “There is a dead body in the ladies’ room!” Jo yells.

Bobby sobers little by little and drags his hand over his sleepy face.

“What? Again? Alright, let’s take a look then,” the old man pushes himself up and walks out. Garth looks at the door then at Jo, then at the door again and hurries after Bobby.

Jo is dumbfounded. Ruby mouths ‘What? Again?’ expressively. Jo can only make a helpless gesture. Nothing like that happened during her time here.

“That Bobby… is your boss?”

“Kinda… I don’t get it… why there is a dead guy in the ladies’ room? And I don’t even remember him from today. Not that I actually took time to look closer, but… you know…” oh no, she’s rumbling.

“Yeah, I know,” Rube chuckles breathlessly. But Jo can’t stop talking.

“I’m sorry you had to see this, Ruby. I really am. I mean… it’s obviously not something anyone wants to see in the coffee shop restroom. Oh, shit… your coffee… ”

Ruby actually kneels and puts her hand on Jo’s knee:

“Calm down. Nobody got hurt. Well, besides that guy.”

Jo seizes the hand on her knee in sudden realization.

“The murderer is still here! Nobody left for an hour and the last who went to the restroom was that old lady… At least as far as I recall? She couldn’t… could she? After her no one went there, to men’s bathroom too,” Jo’s thoughts are racing in circles. And the only coherent conclusion is – they are not safe here.  

“Wow-wow, slow down, miss Marple! Slow down, ok? You’ve also mentioned that the dead guy never showed up here in the first place too. So don’t randomly blame some granny!”

“Ok,” Jo takes a deep breath, “ok, not the granny then…“

Suddenly she feels inadequate. Almost ashamed. Ruby keeps her cool so easily. Like she discovered a dead bug, not a dead person. Or maybe she’s a sociopath. Just how much crazier this day can get. It’s a Valentine’s day, so yes, it can get much worse.

“You know that granny said something weird, when that thing outside started…” Jo mumbles. “I don’t know I’m remembering this now.”

“Yeah?” Ruby plops beside her. “What was it?”

“She said that the whole thing with weather, flu epidemic and so many car crashes and death all around is a handiwork of Mara’s spawn,” Jo shrug. “She didn’t mention who Mara is though.”

Ruby laughs.

“Ok, maybe that granny is a witch and could kill that guy.”

“What? Why?” Jo doesn’t see the logic.

“You see, Sherlock, Mara is a Slavic goddess of basically all things bad. Cold, disease, death… a night demon who drinks the blood of newborns and all that staff. In this part of the world only mythology geeks and witches know about her.”

“Are you a witch then?” Jo asks skeptically. Because witch is the last thing Ruby looks like.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m finished with this sort of crap. No more bird bones, bat wings and demon deals, promise.”

Jo laughs somewhat hysterically.

“I have literally no idea what you are talking about. There is a dead guy with his guts spilled all over the place! Witches? Demons? I’m pretty sure there is a murderer behind this door!”

“Well,” Ruby brushes her hair back as she leans back, “whoever they are, they won’t hurt you, Jo. Nor you, nor anyone else in such lovely place.”

“And who stops them? You?”

“I’m just saying, there would be no point in it,” Ruby sneers.

“You’re awful,” Jo can’t help smiling back.

“I’m awesome. And I better get going. Snowstorm has to be over now,” she says it so confidently that Jo almost believes her. Almost.

And yet she decides to walk this strange but fascinating person to the door. Jo stares in the window. Ruby’s right. There is no more snowstorm, no crazy wind. Only big white flakes floating down in the night sky like feathers. Jo hasn’t seen snow just falling and not trying to kill for quite some time.

Bobby explains to customers that there are problems with pipes in the toilet in the background when Ruby shakes Jo’s hand again.

“Bye, Jo. It was nice meeting you, Monsieur Poirot.”

As Ruby walks away it suddenly all makes sense to Jo. Ruby killed that guy. Nobody else could. She killed the guy and the weather calmed down. Mara or Mara’s spawn and witches… Maybe it’s nothing and Ruby is just a cold-blooded killer. Well, curiosity may kill this cat. Jo quickly finds her coat and hurries after in more sense than one killer lady.

“Ruby, wait!” Jo catches her hand. For the fifth time this night. “Please, tell me… did you?.. It was you, wasn’t it?”

Ruby smiles, dangerously, but there is no threat in it. Not to Jo.

“If you figured it all out, is it wise to be here with me?”

It hardly is. She should have told the police. That what a good girl would do.

“I know it isn’t. But I need to know why.”

Jo really needs. For some reason she obtained some sort of faith in this strong woman before her. She doesn’t want to be disappointed.

“He deserved it,” Ruby says. “He was a monster. A parasite. He won’t be missed. And… if you want to know more, there is a place nearby that serves the best damned fries in the town,” Ruby squeezes Jo’s hand slightly.

“Good, I’ve just realized I’m starving. Is it a date?”

“If you want it to be, you gotta kiss the girl first,” Ruby winks.