Ribb sat at his desk looking through a file when his mobile rang. The customized ring tone told him exactly who was calling.
"Yes Lizzie," he answered by more or less saying, "what do you need now.
"Papaaaaaa," his daughter cried out, in a tone that indicated she needed something.
"What's up, Lizzie," he answered, still trying to concentrate on the file in front of him."
"Hi honey," he heard Ruby shout out in the background.
"Ruby is here," Lizzie said. "She was here when I came home from school."
"Okay. Say hi from me."
Lizzie whispered, "I didn't know she had a key."
"I know, I forgot to tell you. We'll talk about it later."
"But Papaaaaaa," she repeated once again.
Ribb realized that this was a sign she wanted a much bigger favor than usual.
"Can I go to the disco tonight?"
Lizzie had been to a teenage disco before, and everything went okay, obviously that was not the big question.
"Sure, of course. Same place as last time?" He thought he'd ask, just in case she now planned on going to the adult discos in the city center.
"Yes," she answered, and sounded a bit hesitant before following it up with the next question. "Can I get some new clothes for the disco?"
That was it, that was the bombshell.
"But you bought some stuff with your mother for the disco just the other week."
"That was soooo long ago, I really need some new clothes."
"Who's going to go with you?"
In the background he could hear some whispering. Lizzie then unsuccessfully tried to dampen the sound by placing her hand over her phone. He heard muffled shouts of joy and laughter and the slap of what was presumably a high five. Ribb realized he had indirectly said yes. His little daughter was razor-sharp and growing up faster than he could keep track.
"Just the usual friends," Lizzie finally managed to blurt out. "But Ruby and me want to go out and buy some new clothes right now. The shops will be closed in an hour."
"Okay," Ribb said, hesitantly. Flashes of his girlfriend's wardrobe crowded of his mind. He ran his hands through his hair hoping his little fourteen-year-old never got to peek in there.
"Where are you going shopping?"
"Just here, the local shops."
"Okay," he said, while trying to think if there were any shops Ruby would mark out as meeting her specialist needs.
"Ruby said I could also borrow some of her things as well."
"Oh," Ribb said, his mind screamed.
"I don't know if that's a good idea Lizzie, just stick to your own stuff right now."
"But she's got some great gear," she said, as a matter of fact.
True, and that was one of the things that attracted him to Ruby. But that did not mean his little daughter had to go down the same road.
"I don't think your mother would approve," he finally said.
"I won't tell mom about Ruby," Lizzie replied, in her innocent little girl voice.
"She already knows about Ruby, but that's not the point. You know your mother always likes to go shopping with you for clothes. I don't think she would be really happy with Ruby taking over that role if you know what I mean."
"Yeah," Lizzie moaned, again in her little girly voice. "I suppose..." she concluded.
Ribb could feel his heart sink, and submit. "That does not mean you cannot go shopping with Ruby, but just this once okay? And don't tell your mother."
"YES." Lizzie screamed. Ribb could hear another high five clap in the background. He smiled.
"I'll be home later and I'll see you before you go to the disco."
"Okay, daddy. Kiss Kiss."
"Bye sweetheart."
Harry Ribb ran his hands through his hair once again and sucked in a deep breath. Running this department and keeping an eye on the most demanding city in the Netherlands seemed incredibly easy compared to raising a teenage girl.
Chapter Fourteen