Page 171 of Preacher Man

How long can cloud nine last for?

That was simplistic enough to answer. It was seven hours thirty-six minutes and a handful of seconds. Or in layman's terms, the moment Ruby stepped through the heavy door leading into Otis' bar and grill, greeted by loud rocking sounds of Guns n Roses from the surround speakers. The bar was lively, but every single person blended into the paintwork, red mist filling her vision, only two remained.

Preacher and her blonde-haired colleague Kendra wrapped around him like a vine, one leg up by his waist, the bootie shorts she wore leaving nothing to the imagination.

Ruby flinched like he’d slapped her with his past and he knew he’d landed a direct hit when his gaze suddenly switched from holding Kendra's waist, and came over to a startled Ruby.

"I'm finished in an hour, baby." She heard Kendra tell him in her baby talk tone of voice she used for men. The noise had always irritated Ruby, speak like a fucking adult, she wanted to tell her. Now though, she just had the urge to punch the waitress straight in her stupid mouth, see how much baby talk she could speak then.

"Ruby..." This from Preacher stepping out from the clinging girl. Immediately she held her hand out telling him to stop moving towards her.

She hated few things more than feeling like a fool. Strengthening her trust walls like she was in Fort-fucking-Knox she formed her shoulders into stiff points of fuck you, noticing a lot of eyes on her, on them, waiting for the fireworks. Taking that first step she kept on walking, all too aware of green eyes pinning her. "Ruby this isn't----"

She ignored him, glared visual bullets at Kendra. "When you're done rubbing your pussy on my husband, the tables need clearing."

"Husband?----"

"---Beautiful, let me explain."

"Save it. I'm working." Glacial vocal notes. Holding the hurt in, letting the anger out.

"----Wait---he's your husband?"

He tried to grab her arm, she wrenched it away and carried on walking. "I'm working." Already shut down.

"Goddammit, Ruby, you can't think anything was going on."

Cold eyes turned towards him. “You’re really choosing this hill to die on?” It was true he didn't look guilty, but hurt feelings rarely thought logically.

Behind the bar with the whole space between them, she couldn't even look at Preacher, though he'd followed her, a wounded look etched in every line on his face she disregarded, his jaw set tight, the tick working it steadily.

"Don't do this, baby." He stated quietly, arms on the bar, his scent assaulted her nose. She began to unlock her digital cash register, putting in her details to let the system connected to the office know she was on shift. It might be a dive bar, but it was modern, all the waitresses took food orders on small keypads that connected directly to the cook in the kitchen.

"I'm busy." She told him coldly. "Either order something or go away."

What she wanted to do was punch him in the junk for allowing someone to get that close to him. What she wanted to do was piss a circle around her man to ward off the thirst in others, she knew exactly what Preacher used to be, he'd fucked most every woman of legal age in this bar, she'd made peace with it until the evidence of his fuckfests were shoved under her nose.

Now she was sucking her teeth holding onto her rage.

"Ruby..."

“Maybe you need Jesus, yeah?” Sarcasm everywhere.

He sighed like his chest was pure helium.

"Your table is rubbernecking. Leave me to work, Preacher."

"For fuck's sake, it was nothing like that." He sighed giving her an eye roll to let her know this was so far out of order he couldn't even believe it was happening. "I'm sticking around, you'll have to talk to me on your break." And with that, he stalked off to join the Renegade Souls boys.

She avoided that table all night.

"Hey, Ruby. I'm sorry, girlie, I didn't know he got married, I mean he's not wearing a ring ... or I wouldn't have---" Kendra approached her hours later, holding one of the black serving trays on her hip waiting for the order she'd asked Ruby for.

Because it’s not a real marriage, fuck off, bitch.

"Save it."

"I mean it. I don't play like that." Only when Ruby heard the contrite tone did she relent, like a fucking idiot.