Ivy's Twisted Vine Redux (12 page)

“I was in Chicago on business. Look, I’m trying to find Ivy. Listening to that bull you said the other day has gotten me in a serious bind. You had me all messed up in the head feeling like my only release was sending her on her own. And now look at me. Among other things, I’ve slept with a woman old enough to be my mother and possibly risked pissing off Ivy’s psychotic father; and God only knows what else has happened that I don’t know about.” Grey exhaled.

“Stop whining. You get what you pay for my friend,” Mattock said cutting Grey off. “Anyway, I never told you to break up with Ivy. I told you that you couldn’t have your cake and eat it too, meaning that you were going to have to give up Ivy or the late night flings. You decided on Ivy. That’s your poor choice, my friend.”

“You could have been more specific in what you were saying. I haven’t been right since the other day,” Grey felt a headache coming.

“You keep saying the other day? That was a month ago that I told you to stop leading that girl on,” Mattock said recalling their meeting. “Please don’t tell me that you’ve been festering over this for a month.”

“What can I say? I’m a late bloomer.”

“No, you’re a self-indulged asshole, but that’s a whole another story.”

“Yeah well. What do you think? Am I making the right decision?”

“Are you sure that you want her? Wait let me rephrase that. Are you sure that you want only her?” Mattock asked with clarification on the matter.

“Yes, I’m sure that I want her and only her,” Grey said with some conviction.

“Then in my opinion, Grey, you should have never let her out of your sight in the first place. Yes, you are definitely doing the right thing. I just hope that it’s not too late.”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” The thought bothered him more and more as he dwelled on it. After five years, there was no way that she had already moved on to another man.

“Use your head. She’s a good catch.” Realizing that Grey’s epiphany was definitely becoming a strain on his only weekly indulgence, Mattock cut their conversation short. There was nothing left for him to say to his friend now, anyway. “Well, head off on your mission. I’m going to get back to my massage before my hour is up.”

“Wait. Would should I say to get back into her good graces?”

“For a change, tell her the truth.”

“The truth?” Grey thought for a moment. What was that? “Alright. I’ll do my best. Say hello to Dr. Dana for me,” Grey said feeling even more confident in his decision now that he had spoken with the one man in Memphis that he knew seriously believed in monogamy.

“Will do,” Mattock said looking over at his girlfriend of three years.

*

While Grey was looking all over town for Ivy, she lay in bed back in her quiet little dorm room tranquil in her thoughts. There wasn’t much to do in the unseasonable weather but lie around and relax. Besides, she didn’t feel up to doing anything anyway. Too lazy to even dress, she lay under her comforter nude listening to an old Robin Thicke CD.

Hours later after circling Ivy’s mother’s house, Ivy’s office, all three major malls, and the major libraries, Grey pulled up to the dorm in his last attempt to locate her. Exhausted by his search but pleased that he was successful, he got out the car and headed to the dorm. It was then that he suddenly realized that he didn’t bring cards, candy, diamonds or flowers. Anyone of her favorites would have done fine to help along with his groveling.

As Grey approached Ivy’s door, his heart skipped a beat. He was so nervous that he almost decide4d to leave and come back another day. What if she said that she didn’t want him back? Everything in his being prayed that she would forgive him for nearly making the biggest mistake of his life. Startled by the solemn knock, Ivy sat up in her bed with her comforter barely covering her body. As she watched the doorknob twist, she jumped up out of the bed and held the door.

“Who is it?” she said grabbing the cordless phone. Grey? Nicola?

“It’s me,” Grey said leaning against the door. “Ivy let me in. I need to talk to you.”

“I’m not dressed,” she said pulling the covers around her entire body.

“I don’t mind.”

“Well, I do. You can’t just show up at my door after a month and expect me to let you in.” She was too tired to scream and fight.

“Please Ivy, just let me in for a minute. I promise not to take too much of your time.” The tone of his voice made her calm enough to let go of the knob and allow him to slowly enter the room.

“Fine. I’ll let you in for just a minute, and then you have to go,” she said backing away from the door entry.

Grey entered the room hesitantly. He cast a long gaze on her as she stood away from him. Her body had a beautiful radiant glow, her long auburn mane danced about her bare shoulders. The room smelled of the lilac she wore in her hair, and she stood gracefully out of reach, strong and exotic. He could barely bring himself to speak when he looked at her.

“Hi,” he said finally forcing himself to utter something.

“Hello.” Looking around the small room, Ivy grabbed a pink robe hanging from her vanity. “I’ll be back in a moment. I just need to slip on something.”

“Please don’t.” Grabbing her arm, Grey pulled her body to him and held her close.

Unsure of what to do, Ivy hugged him carefully, trying not to drop her cover. “Grey, you’re making me uncomfortable,” she said pulling away.

“I don’t mean it, baby. I’m just glad to see you.” He looked in her eyes and kissed her forehead. “You look so beautiful.” His voice trembled.

“No, I don’t.” Ivy tried to avoid eye contact. “Get to the point of why you are here,” she said sitting down on her bed.

“I’m here, because I want you back. I want you to forgive me for being stupid and selfish.” Seeing that her anger grew stronger by the moment, he grabbed her hand and noticed for the first time since he had placed it on her finger that her engagement ring was gone.

“Forgive you or take you back? Last time I checked there was a big difference,” Ivy said viciously. “How am I to ever truly trust you again, anyway? How am I to know that you just won’t walk out the next time things aren’t going your way? Quite frankly, the last few weeks have given me a chance to really look at our little situation, and I have realized that you have had the upper hand far too long.”

This was a side of Ivy he was not used to seeing. She was a naturally submissive creature full of humility and forgiveness, but now she was stern, adamant and definitely unmoved. She looked at him with a downcast stare that burned through his heart and his thoughts. She was untouchable sitting on her self-righteous pedestal of blame. Only she could will herself to love him at this point. He had no more power over her. The sheer thought of the situation turned him on so, he had to direct his eyes from her wet body clinging to the sheets.

“What do you want, baby? Do you want me to cry?” As he looked up at her, tears ran down Grey’s cheeks. He would play a different card and grovel for this new creature; find a more conniving way to make her submit. “Do you want me to beg? I will. If it will bring you back to me, I will. You can have to upper hand, because I don’t care about it. All I want is a chance to be with you again.”

Ivy swallowed hard. This wasn’t the same man that had broken her heart. Seeing a more compassionate side of Grey made Ivy forget her indifferent exterior.
He really loves me
, she thought to herself as she tried to maintain her stoic expression. Reasoning past his previous decision to leave her and break off their engagement, Ivy broke down her wall of doubt and smiled softly.

Taking her hand, he kissed the dampness of her skin. He had to go in for the kill now, or it would possibly be too late. “I know that I messed up, but I’ll do what ever it takes to make you happy.” Even for what she didn’t know, he begged for forgiveness. He was sure that he could never tell her what he had done, but to hear her say that she forgave him made him know that he could bring closure to the last month.

“Forgive me first,” Ivy said recalling her own actions. She felt a small tinge of guilt now that she was eye-to-eye with Grey. She would do anything to let sleeping dogs lay.

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” He couldn’t read her now for some reason.

“I shouldn’t have just run out. We could have talked about it and saved ourselves a month of misery and confusion.” Ivy caught herself immediately. What he did not know would not hurt either of them.

“Well then of course, I forgive you,” Grey said wiping the tears from Ivy’s eyes. “How could I not forgive you?”

“Grey, I love you. You have to know that by now,” she said tenderly. “But I can’t allow you to hurt me anymore.”

“I know it, baby. I was just being stupid, which I expect is no excuse, but believe me when I say I take all the blame. And I am willing to do what ever it takes to get you back in my life where you belong. And once I have you there, I won’t ever do this again.”

“All you have to do is ask,” she said holding his hand. “And mean it.”

“Take me back,” Grey said touching her face. “Let me back into your life.”

“Promise me that you won’t desert me ever again.”

Grey thought about her words for a moment wanting to be totally sincere in his promises. Yes, he had deserted her. He had left her alone to figure things out that she couldn’t possible understand.

“I promise to you and to God that no matter what we face in the future, I will never desert you again.” Grey meant it more than he meant anything that he had ever said to her.

“Well then, I’m all yours,” she said forgetting her anger. As she reached to put her other hand on his face, her sheet fell down on the floor.

“I want you so bad,” Grey said looking at her body. Even after being with a woman only hours before, he still longed to be with Ivy. It was something about the pleasure of being with her that drove him insane with lust. She was his little playground, unseen and untouched by the outside world.

“I don’t think that we should
rush
things.” Quickly, Ivy pulled the cover back over her body. She wasn’t sure what to do. Her eyes darted in desperation. Although she wanted Grey as much as he wanted her, she had just been with Nicola three days earlier. She was sure that he would detect it. There were small scratches on her back and her hips, passion marks on her inner thighs and the odorous smell of unfaithfulness on her spirit. Who wouldn’t see it? It was obvious to the world.

“We won’t rush,” Grey said pulling the comforter from her body. He would take her tonight if it was the last thing that he did.

“No,” Ivy whispered wincing away from his touch. “We shouldn’t.”

“Say that you’ll marry me, Ivy.” Grey held her softly by her moist waist. “Say that you’ll forgive me just this once, and let me make this up to you.” His words made Ivy forget Nicola, and she lay back in the bed as he moved closer to her.

“And if I do say it, then what?” Now face-to-face with Grey and breathing heavily, Ivy listened closely to him, inwardly begging for the right reply.

“Then, I’ll try my best to make you the happiest woman in the world.” Grey kissed her soft hands.

Ivy stopped Grey, and gazed at the anxious young man for a brief moment looking past his physical features for the first time in many years to the soul of him hiding behind his big bright brown eyes and lusty thoughts. It was there that she saw his sincerity lingering lonely and waiting for her to discover it. It was also there that she found her answer and decided to allow him back into her life.

“I’ll marry you,” Ivy said kissing Grey’s lips softy. “I’ll be yours forever.”

And as quickly as Ivy had spoken the words of acceptance, did she feel the terrible burden of pain and anger lifted from her heart and replaced by the comforting overflow of tranquility. She also felt the penetration of Grey, unprotected and exposed, push through her body with an undeniable force. Her thoughts cascaded through the five years they had been together highlighting every reason her decision had been a wise one. Every kiss, hug, smile, gift, dream, tear, failure and success had been to arrive at this particular point. She embraced him tightly smiling as she planted her chin in his shoulder gripping his firm muscles and savoring the smell of his virile cologne. Alas, her knight in shining armor had arrived to save her from the truths and cold realities of a single woman’s world.

Chapter Five: Nicola’s Silence

Chapter 5

NICOLA’S SILENCE

“
What’s wrong with you, man?”
Brooks asked Nicola as he placed his department issued weapon on the countertop of his kitchen table. “You’ve been acting strange since your date with old girl.”

Nicola looked over and snapped. “Who said that anything was wrong?” He couldn’t bring himself to openly discuss with Brooks all the emotions competing with him since he had been with Ivy.

“You didn’t have to say anything. You’re my boy. Plus, I’ve just been watching you. It’s like you’ve been in another world or something.” It wasn’t like Brooks to have to pry into Nicola’s relationships. Normally, Nicola would just come out and tell him everything, which was why he was so suspicious now.

“If I’ve been in another world, it’s only because this whole new Narc-TACT team is getting on my nerves. I’m used to running my own unit with my own guys. Now I have to worry about
hot heads
from other divisions disobeying my orders because they don’t feel like I’m in charge,” Nicola said in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Oh, well, actually, I thought it had a little more to a woman considering your job has never bothered you before. Besides, the only other person that you really have to deal with is me. I’m Cobra TACT, and you’re NARC; and we’ve been best friends for too many damned years. So how does our teams make your life any harder?” Brooks smiled mischievously. “You can blame us if you want to, but if you ask you’re your only problem is Ivy.”