Ruby Shows

         Ruby Shows;Word count 1500

Ruby puts down the want ads glancing at the clock in the street sign, she curses under her breath. She drops the paper on the bench where she had found it. She whistles, waving to an approaching cab.

         “Can’t trust the buses.” She grumbles to the disinterested cabbie.

         “Where to?” He asks impatiently tapping his fingers on the steering wheel

         “I need to go to the Homeland security building on main”

         “Looking down at her shirt, with coffee stains on it. She curses softly thinking of the careless jerk that bumped into her earlier at the diner where she had lunch. 

         He didn’t even apologize, that’s just like something my lazy worthless ex-boyfriend would do. He is a jerk too. She thinks to herself as the cab pulls back into traffic.  The blast of a horn from behind prompts the cabbie uses the traditional sign of caring in big city traffic.

She is lost in thought while the cabbie drives until the cab screeches to a halt in front of a building.

“Thanks for the relaxing ride.”She slams the door ignoring what the driver was saying.  Handing the money to the cabbie through the window, she looks up; her eyes wide and her mouth open slightly. The seemingly endless glass wall towers above her.

Rushing through the doors she comes to an abrupt stop, almost running into the lady waiting in a line of people. The people are a mix of the social spectrum, from the young man in shorts holding a skateboard, to an elderly man in a plaid suit, even a man in a turban waits in the line.

Behind the metal counter sits a balding plump gentleman in a green uniform with company patch on his arm. Slowly the restless sheep are herded through the machine, as their purses and bags disappear into the dark void of the machine.
Shifting her position, as a gray haired woman in a bright dress leans over to talk to the guard.

Asking questions of the guard? She groans, why do people have to ask questions, it is simple, place your bags on the belt, and walk through the scanner. Come on, lady! She thinks, shaking her head.

Finally the woman in front of her stands before the security portal ready to enter the great sanctuary on the other side.

“Excuse me…”The woman leans over looking at the man’s name tag.

She isn’t. She is, asking a question, what could she possibly ask? Ruby sighs loudly looking away. Finally the woman steps through this arch of endless delay.
“Excuse me coming through!” The man pushes past her rushing through the metal detectors, followed by four more men in black suits. The last one has his hand to his ear piece.

“What was that?” She yells at the security guard, realizing she just asked a question, “Never mind.”She drops her purse on the belt and stomps through the metal detector. Grabbing her purse and as it emerges from the bowels of the machine. She rushes after the suits that pushed past her as they wait at the elevator.

“Hey! Why didn’t you wait in line like the rest of us?” She asks jabbing the illuminated up arrow several times, glancing at the men. None of them seem to notice her, or her question.

“Hey jerks!”She growls, “Can’t you hear?” She steps over to the closest man, looking up at him, but quickly steps back as the man is wearing a mask. The skin under the mask looks leathery and rough.

Not human, more lizard like. She decides stepping aside as the elevator opens. Her mouth opens with a gasp, as she sees a snout or some kind of reptile’s nose behind the mask.  The elevator door closes while she stares at the men. Reluctantly she pushes the elevator button with a trembling finger. 

He couldn’t have had a reptiles face, she must be seeing things. There were no lizards walking through the city on two legs. She reasons laughing to herself as she steps on the elevator. The man on the elevator stares at her, and then hurriedly slips out of the elevator, glancing back at her again as the doors close. The elevator vibrates as it begins to move, she sees herself in the mirror. She notices the brown stain on her blouse seemed like a neon sign, saying “slob”.

The doors opens, stepping into a quiet hallway with a woman in a business suit sits typing on a computer. Ruby walks slowly towards her, scanning the walls, two security cameras, one at each end of the hallway.

It would be nice if they had signs to tell you if you’re in the right place. She complains to herself.

“Can I help you?”The woman asks just as the phone rings. “I am sorry one moment.” Grabbing the phone she answers with a rehearsed greeting.

“Yes,” She says glancing at Ruby. She holds a finger up with a smile.”Hold on a minute.” She says pressing a button on the phone.

“Can I help you?” She says glancing down the hall, adjusting herself in the chair.
“I am here for a job interview. I’m late, and terribly sorry for that.”She stammers.
“What’s your name?”She glances at the blinking light.

“Ruby Stevens.” She offers looking towards the empty rather plain waiting room.
Without another word she picks up the phone pressing a button she exhales deeply through pursed lips.

“She just arrived, you know the job interview? The one… you just asked me about.” She shakes her head, putting her hand over the mouth piece,”Business execs, they’d be lost without me.”

Ruby smiles looking around, the hallway is devoid of any decorations except for the large framed picture of a bowl fruit in front of the elevator.

“Maam, you can go on in. That door right there, they are expecting you?” she points.
“They?”She asks stepping slowly towards the door.

“Its okay, go on in they will explain.”The clerk reassures her.
Walking over she hesitates, resting her hand on the door, takes a deep breath. She pauses looking down.

I am the best person for this job. I can do this. She tells herself and takes another deep breath, and walks into the room. One long table surrounded by chairs fill the room, to the side is a desk with a monitor with three men studying it.

“See, right there, you can tell, she …”The shorter man stands pointing at a video screen, but stops when he sees her. He wears a black suit, she realizes they all are wearing the same suits, like the men that rushed by her at the security desk.

“Come in.” he rushes over closing the door, motioning towards the desk. “I’m sorry, what was your name again?” He says standing behind her as she sits down.

“I agree. Definitely,” The taller man interrupts but confirms pointing at something on the screen, then walks over next to Ruby.

“Which job are you here for?”He asks sitting on the desk to the right of her, the smaller man mirrors the taller on her left.

“I am here for the office assistant.”She stammers, glancing at the men, towering over her on both sides of her as she sits in the chair.

“Do you have experience?” He asks glancing at the little man.

“I have two years experience…”she begins but the third man interrupts.

“I think she is perfect, we need help immediately, let’s get the boss to meet her. I think he will agree.” The man still standing at the monitor says moving to a metal door, opening it he turns on the light.

“I’ll let the boss know you’re here.”The shorter man says moving to the phone behind the desk.

“Sorry to cut this short, but we have some trouble… we need to look into. The good news is you probably got the job.”He says urgently motioning for her towards the door.
“What about pay?”She asks reluctantly stepping towards the door.

“Oh, this is the government, you won’t have to worry about money, I am sure we can arrange whatever is fair. We take care of our people and we’ll take care of you.”He smiles at her, then glances at the short man the smile fades, as she walks in.

The room is windowless with a large uncluttered desk, an office chair behind and two plain chairs on this side of the desk.

“He should be here shortly. Just have a seat.” He says closing the door with an audible click after it closes.

Did he just lock the door? She turns towards the door, her purse drops to the floor as she lunges for the door handle, grabbing the knob it doesn’t turn.

She pounds on the door; the door is thick, not hollow like normal doors. It doesn’t sound right.

         “Pleassse sssit down.”The voice hisses on a hidden speaker says. “The door and wallsss are ssssound proof. We will be in sssshortly. I believe you noticed me down stairsss.