Ruby in Paradise

I'd love to hire you, honey,

but you've come out of step of the season.

We just cut three girls.

The last one goes back to school tomorrow.

Tried any place else?

- Yes, those all have shut down or they're not hiring.

- Well, like I say, your timing is way off.

It's now or never.

Mrs. Chambers, I've done retail before

and a work real cheap.

What is your name?

Gissing.

Ruby Lee Gissing.

Ricky is slime.

He'll come on to you sooner or later.

Came after me once and he even liberal.

You know, even Ms. Chambers knows her son is a true bustard,

but see, admitting it would be a confession of her own.

Now, wouldn't it?

All bustards are scumbags.

Is that why you left wherever?

Manning, Tennessee.

My mom passed and things kinda went bad all around.

There's more to life than working

in Uncle Jacks Store and taking crap from men.

You are a dreamer, ain't you?

Right here, moving up in the world and all.

- I got out of Manning without getting pregnant or beat up,

thus I an't stopping.

Well, speak of the devil.

Ain't he a mess?

Works his mama's books upstairs

and God knows what on the side.

He must be a drug dealer.

- Hardly, real estate stocks, that kinda stuff.

He's one can make money when all the news is bad.

It's a good trick.

Yeah, for him, maybe.

- I was here once when I was 10 years old,

only vacation I can remember.

Yeah?

Some was fine.

On the other hand, this time of year is kinda bleak.

Seems fun to me.

You like ghost maybe.

- It'll be like this pretty much still spring break.

This year, they're expecting thousands,

hundreds of thousands.

Sounds impossible.

- Well, just the same that's what they're saying.

You know, most of the locals try to stay clear,

but sometimes it's fun, you know, the clubs have great music

and everybody just goes a little bit crazy.

Last spring, you know, Billy, my boyfriend,

he just about got himself killed.

What?

Well, he didn't get hurt.

I mean, we will in this club, see,

when these four rednecks pull up and start shouting,

they don't want us niggas on their beach

and they were drunk, you know, wild,

and up on us before we knew it.

So club security, they got their in a flash.

It was a good thing too to see Billy, he was kicking behind.

And club, they gave us some passes and round of drinks

and I got to start a jail.

And Billy?

- Billy goes to school in Atlanta

and we're supposed to get married and all that good stuff.

Knock on wood.

Where's that club at?

Just up ways.

My God.

Tomorrow World Geo and Counting 201.

Yeah.

- We agreed that you don't make these kind

of deals without telling me about it first.

- I tried, but I had the act

when I couldn't find you.

- And out of my account?

I don't like being told that I can't write a check.

You know, selling short and all the rest

of the stock market crap doesn't make any sense, Ricky,

you're betting on losing money.

Why don't you just throw it away at the dock?

I only made four grand

in three days, was the store net last week.

- This store has been very, very good to you.

If you spend half the time here

that you do on your deals, could be even better.

- How many times do we have to go through this?

Yes, the store has been great for me.

No, I will not commit because there was no future retailing.

- I don't see us hurting.

I want my own deals.

You know, one day one

of your hunches is gonna backfire.

I've gotta be able to trust you, Ricky.

- I'm not going anywhere, mother.

And I'm sure as hell I'm not gonna bite the hand

that so generously fed me.

- Well, you don't have to get nasty about it.

- I don't have to get anything about it.

I'm late.

- You and Rochelle get all those t-shirts marked out?

- Yes, Mrs. Chambers, they're all pressed on shelf.

- Well, next time make more noise when you come in.

I'm gonna be away for a week starting Monday.

Ricky will be in to open up and cover the upstairs.

There's one rule I have for all my employees.

They don't take my son.

Do you understand that?

Yes, ma'am.

- It's so great being out of high school.

When I saw all the other kids gone back last month,

I felt like I was out of prison.

It's amazing how much you grow in a couple of months.

Jimmy's an artist.

Does air brush shirts and stuff.

It's a glory to watch.

He's gonna teach me so that I can do it next summer.

Did you know Jimmy in school?

I knew Ed.

It's his night to cook, but I always help.

We all get along just fine, you know.

We're very liberated.

It's a needle rocker.

Thanks.

It was my granny's.

You knew your granny?

- Both of them, granddaddy's too.

Wow, I barely knew my ma'.

- Where the hell have you been?

You've been out, I guess.

- No, not at all.

Come one.

Guess what I got.

Nothing fancy here.

Just try to put down my thinking over time.

Maybe figure out the why's of running off of coming here.

Back home, it seems strange to say that.

Back home, it seems strange to write that.

It was do this, do that,

now, it's up to me to what I want to be.

I got some idea about inside, feelings and stuff,

but about the outside, the acts and looks of things

of me,

I am not so clear.

Wonder if I'll ever feel just what I am.

No, you're right.

You're right, it may never be the same.

Except for bustards who have nothing more

to make trouble for business.

Uh huh

Leeches is what they are.

No, no!

$30.73, please.

No, not at this time, Lee.