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pressed up against her warm, soft bosom. The scent of Liz Taylor's White Diamonds filled her nostrils, reminding Ruby vaguely of her grandmother, who'd died long before her father.
     
    "Ruby, I can't thank you enough for the donation to the auction. When I asked if you'd like to provide an item, I was thinking, you know, like a free tune-up or something. But a bike?" She held up the keys Ruby had given her. "This was way, way beyond anything we expected. When you called and told me the news this morning, I think I was half in shock. My students were looking at me like George Clooney had called me up for a date."
     
    "It was all Fox," insisted Ruby. "He's really hands-on when it comes to charity. He's read about what great work you guys are doing to help underprivileged kids graduate and get into college, and he wanted to do something big to help out. Something more than just cut a check."
     
    "Well, people are going to be crawling all over each other to bid on this. It's a truly remarkable gift."
     
    Ruby smiled. "When he tries, Fox can be pretty remarkable." She hopped into her swivel chair and clicked "print" on the document she'd opened earlier.
     
    Heather laughed. "Speaking of remarkable, what's the occasion?" asked the teacher. She installed herself behind Ruby's desk, watching her snatch each sheet of the document as the laser printer spit them out.
     
    "What gave it away?" Ruby asked innocently.
     
    "Maybe the champagne on ice?" hinted Heather. "Or the red velvet cupcakes?"
     
    "Or the fact that I've been drinking since noon?" called out Chace, a cup sloshing in his big, red hand as he went to close and lock the door of the dealership, though it was still eight minutes before closing time.
     
    "For heaven's sake, Chace, there's a customer still here," Ruby snapped back, though she felt a giggle bubble up in her voice. "In fact, it's technically still business hours."
     
    "That's never stopped me before."
     
    Ruby turned back to Heather apologetically.
     
    "Don't think of me as a customer," laughed Heather. "After all, I'm not really buying anything. And since I'm not a customer, is there any of that champagne to spare?"
     
    "Help yourself!" called back Chace. "We've got three more bottles in the mini-fridge."
     
    Ruby rolled her eyes. "It's true. Fox had a little party planned for today. I guess it was originally supposed to be a surprise, but..." She looked down shyly as she snatched the last page out of the printer, collated, stapled it, and handed it over. "Fox is like a kid when it comes to surprises."
     
    "Surprises for you, by any chance?" the woman asked, taking the pages and tucking them into her oversized purse while batting her eyelashes coquettishly.
     
    "It's one my one-year anniversary of working here," Ruby admitted.
     
    "Well, congratulations!" praised Heather. "Live it up, honey. Every time I come in here, you always look so gosh-darned serious. Let loose, for Pete's sake. Work to live, don't live to work."
     
    "Trust me, I'd like to coast. More than you know. But I can't. For most of my life, I had nothing. And now that I have something, I want to do everything I can not to lose it."
     
    Heather laughed. "Honey, whatever you went through, you've overcome and then some. Look at you, you little dynamo. Fox told me how many sales you've made this quarter. You're thriving. It's time to loosen your grip a little." She leaned over the desk conspiratorially, "Don't stop there. I can already imagine how you and Fox are going to make heads turn all over the W Hotel, walking into the charity gala together next month."
     
    "What do you mean?" asked Ruby as she beckoned the older woman over to the file cabinet where the cups and champagne had been set up, taking two blue Solo cups off the stack.
     
    "Well, as a donor, Fox gets two tickets."
     
    She raised her eyebrows.
     
    "Heather, it's not like that with Fox and me. He's my boss." She fumbled with the stopper on the champagne, thankful