Ruby walked amongst the crowds, her bare feet against the concrete and well-worn wood of the Boardwalk. People were everywhere: young, old, and in-between. Laughing, having fun, enjoying the warm night. She couldn't help but smile as several ten-year-olds ran past her, giddy with excitement.
She padded past vendors, past the ear-piercing booth. The animated attractions where you put in a quarter and a gypsy told your fortune or a strong man tested your strength were packed with teenagers. The arcade was full of a group of punk kids, purple mohawks and safety pins in their ears. They all smiled at Ruby and went back to watching one of their own challenge the high score on a pinball machine.
Sideshow men called her over to buy a ticket to see the tattooed girl and the man who swallowed swords but Ruby smiled and shook her head, moving by quickly. She eyed each ride, deciding she didn't want to go on the pirate ship or the roller coaster. She dug in her jean's pocket and pulled enough change to buy a few tickets to go on the carousel. It felt more her speed tonight. Handing the carnie her tickets, she stepped up onto the platform and walked around, looking for the right horse.
Parents with children had already taken a majority of the horses. The zebra and the giraffe were gone, little twin blonde girls both grinning ear to ear as their father stood between them. Ruby smiled back that them and moved past. She came up behind the ornately carved bench, standing between a black horse on the outside and a white horse on the inside. Both were rider-less. Ruby traced the golden and red harness of the black stallion, appreciating the care and skill that had gone into its creation. The first bell shrilled, signaling the ride was about to begin.
Ruby placed on foot on the metal stirrup and swung her other over the horse's back with ease. The second bell shrilled, and the platform began to spin slowly. Ruby blinked as her horse began to rise. She'd believed him to be stationary. Holding onto the gleaming bronze bar, she rode, flying past the crowds in line. Friends called to friends, children shrieked with glee. Ruby closed her eyes, letting the sensation of flying take her over. The music washed over her, drowning out the sounds of the crowds and the whistles and buzzers of the various games. She recognized the melody from childhood, something her grand papa had sung a few times. She believed it was called "To the Shock of Miss Louise."
Ruby smiled, singing along softly. She felt at home in Santa Cruz, as she rode this black stallion. Faces flew past her eyes, blurred by the swift spin of the carousel. Both bells shrilled, the ride slowly coming to a stop. Ruby blinked, adjusting to the movement. She looked ahead, towards the bench and was that someone coming towards her? She leaned forward, trying to see them through the children and parents hoping down from the horses.
"Marko..." she whispered. His Cheshire grin, his blue eyes on her. Marko made his way through the crowd, stopping beside the bench. Ruby turned, sitting sidesaddle on the black stallion. Marko stepped closer, hands on her hips and helped her slide down. Their eyes met, his hand on the back of her neck. Ruby brought her hand to his cheek, as he pulled her in for a kiss. A slow, gentle kiss at first; both were unsure of what they were doing. Both laughed softly as they moved apart, smiling at the other. Ruby thought it was over, just as Marko pushed her back against the stallion and kissed her again. This time it was a heavy, lush kiss. Ruby blinked, realizing he hadn't been able to put into words what he felt and that he was showing her. Ruby kissed back with equal passion. Slowly they broke apart, forehead-to-forehead.
"Be with me?" he breathed very quietly.
"Mmm." Ruby assented, not trusting her voice. It felt as if her knees were going to give out. She opened her eyes slowly, found him grinning at her. He kissed her nose and laughed softly. Ruby smiled back. Her head was swimming, and she barely felt Marko's arm go round her waist and guide her off the platform. Through the crowd, their faces as blurry as they had been to her eyes as she rode the carousel. She felt safe with his arm tightly round her waist, pulling her through the breezeway and past the shops. Ruby wasn't sure if she imaged the kisses he placed on her face and neck, or if he was talking or silent. She floated along with Marko; she was glad his arm was around her, because she would have just sailed to the stars unless he had a grip on her.
In minutes she was behind him on his bike, arms tightly around him. Feeling bold, she kissed his neck and he purred happily. Off the sidewalk, down Beach Street. Past cars, bars, crowds. Outside the city, along the highway. Up into the hills. Ruby enjoyed the wind on her face, pulling her hair back. She had no idea where they were, till they were heading down a muddy trail through a wind-bent forest.
"Where are we?" She called to Marko.
"Not far now." He looked over his shoulder and grinned at her. The trees suddenly parted around them, leaving the two on a bare plateau. Ruby saw the tall, looming shape of the long dark lighthouse off to the right. Marko opened up the throttle and let the bike fly towards the edge of the bluff. Ruby held on, disoriented by such a wide-open space.
"Home sweet home." The engine died, and Marko climbed down, offering Ruby a hand. She smiled, as he helped her off the bike. She could hear the ocean's roar below. Marko led her down rough wooden stairs, across a rickety bridge. Spray from the wild waves blew on the wind around them. Ruby noticed a "Do Not Enter: Danger" sign posted above their heads as he tugged her along inside the cave. Down rocky steps into a massive cavern.
"It really was a hotel..." Ruby said softly, seeing the elevator and fountain Paul had spoke about.
"I'm sure the others will give you a tour." He grinned, tugging on her hand again. He started towards a narrow tunnel.
"Where are the others?" Ruby couldn't stop her self from asking. She'd been so used to noisy Paul and Dwayne's silent presence, not to mention David's eyes on her, that the quiet bothered her.
"Out." Marko tugged harder. Ruby eeped, being dragged into the tunnel. "We got you a surprise."
"A surprise?" Ruby blinked, as Marko stopped in front of a heavy velvet curtain and stepped behind her. His gloved hands covered her eyes. "Hey..." Ruby felt the velvet curtain brush her cheek as Marko pushed her past it.
"Ok, open your eyes." Marko's hands moved away from her eyes, as Ruby blinked back the darkness. A massive mahogany sleigh bed was pushed against the side-cave wall, made up with soft sheets and a fur comforter. There were candles pressed in every nook and cranny of the room, lit and casting dancing shadows.
"Oh...oh..." Ruby couldn't stop staring at the bed. She'd never seen something so big, so inviting before.
"You can thank the others tomorrow." Marko smiled, pleased at her reaction. He shrugged out of his jacket, dropping it on the floor.
"This is so amazing. I really should go thank..." Ruby turned, caught by Marko in another luscious kiss. The candles softly flickered in a breeze that blew from the tunnels above. She let him move her backwards to the bed. "Or maybe not now." She whispered, breathing hard.
"I thought so." Marko chuckled, helping her out of her coat. She grinned back, teasing him closer with kisses until Ruby felt the feather mattress under her back and Marko above her.
Ruby stretched, eyes opening slowly. Only a few candles still burned. She heard laughter, probably coming from down in the main cave. Paul. The Boys must have returned. She thought she really ought to go down and thank them for the bed. She stretched again, starting to move from the bed when she felt the arm around her back and a soft sigh.
Tilting her chin up, she realized she was lying against Marko, who was still sleeping. The child-like grin on his face, the eyes still closed in peaceful slumber. The night's memories flooded back, the sounds and the sensations. Ruby smiled to herself, remembering how sharp his teeth were on her skin and how gentle his hands had been. There had been a lot of passion shared. Ruby moved his arm away, sitting up and looking down upon him.
"Thank you Marko..." she murmured. He mumbled in his sleep, rolling over and burying his face in the pillows. Ruby grinned, kissing his shoulder as she tucked the sheets in around him. She climbed down from the feather bed, careful not to wake him and dressed. She paused at the doorway, looking back at him before heading down to see the others.
"Dude, change the station." Dwayne growled thwapping Paul on the back of the head as he skateboarded by. Paul stuck out his tongue and left it on Duran Duran's 'Rio'.
"I like this song!"
"I don't!"
"Tough shit." Paul cackled, scooping the boom box out of Dwayne's reach as he made another pass. "This is my rock box."
"Knock it off you two." David didn't bother looking up from his book. This was a nightly routine.
"Evening guys." Ruby stepped down the tunnel slowly. Three faces turned and broke into grins.
"Woo! Marko got lu-cky!" Paul shouted.
"Who says I didn't?" Ruby gave a fake pout. Paul laughed, drumming his hands on his knees.
"Good evening, Ruby. I'm sure Marko's still asleep?" David grinned, setting his book on the table and rising.
"Like a sated baby probably." Dwayne chuckled, which set Paul off again. David rolled his eyes and stepped up beside Ruby.
"Would you like a tour before we go out for the evening?"
"Yeah... thankfully you weren't around last night. I nearly asked for one then."
David laughed. "I'm sure Marko changed your plans." Ruby blushed a little. "Well, I can give you a proper one now. He won't be shadowing along, giving you those puppy eyes he does." David rose and offered Ruby an arm. "We'll start upstairs and work down."
David led Ruby up the stairs cut into the rock, and outside into the cool night. She was glad for his arm to cling to - the rocks seemed rather slippery. Over the wooden bridge, up the access stairs. He led her over to the cliff edge.
"So this is the hotel. What's left of it. You can almost see where the cliff sheared off when the earthquake hit." He pointed with a gloved finger along the cliff. "And the lighthouse, which was decommissioned a few years back."
"Very windy up here." Ruby remarked.
"Yeah, it helps keep people away. One wrong move and a gust of wind will pull you over the cliff." David tugged her back towards the cave. "Now on to the cave."