Ivy's Twisted Vine Redux Page 9

  “Speak your mind then,” he said letting go of her hand. What a bitch!

  “I will, but only because you need to hear from someone that has nothing to gain or lose from your situation. You’ve been running around here planning this wedding with this girl for months now. She’s been nothing but good to you and then all of a sudden just because you get scared, you break off the wedding. That’s wrong, and you know it. Now you feel bad, but it’s your fault entirely. Just go back to her before it’s too late, because I guarantee that she won’t be on the market for too long. Guys like you, however, stay on the market, because you’re so full of shit until real women can see straight through you.”

  “Well, if I’m so full of shit then why did you break your neck to be with me?” Grey sat on the bed in his towel revealing his large chocolate thighs.

  “Are you kidding? Look at you. You’re a young virile man full of vigor and surprise, and even if for just one evening you wanted to be with me, even if it’s only because I’m your boss and capable of giving you that much needed raise. Don’t think that I don’t know how your mind works. But I don’t mind. I got what I wanted out of the deal. Besides that you’ve got one of the longest tongues I have ever seen.” Laughing, she tapped Grey on his head. She thought her little crack was funny, but Grey didn’t seem the least amused.

  Elaine became serious with him again. “It’s okay to make a mistake as long as you intend to rectify it immediately. We are all fallible, but it comes to a point when I’m sorry just isn’t enough. Now, has it come to that point for you and Ivy? I don’t know. You’ll just have to see for yourself, if you’re man enough.”

  “Man enough for what?”

  “For her.”

  “Most of me understands that, but still a part of me doesn’t want to be tied down.” Grey tried desperately to reason with his own feelings. His mind told him that Ivy was a good woman, but his body begged to be free of inhibition and able to seek out all of those things that seemed hidden and so fascinating to him.

  “Is being in a relationship really being tied down?” She lifted his chin and stared him in his wide almond eyes. It was a thought that now lingered on her mind daily now that she was ready for a relationship and longing to be married. Not to mention that her biological clock was definitely ticking, and she had nearly missed all hope of having her own children.

  “I don’t know.” Grey went into deep thought. There was no smart reply to give.

  “I didn’t think that you did, which is why you should call her, apologize, and try to make things right.” Smiling, she turned and walked out of the door leaving Grey standing confused in his bedroom.

  “You’re a smart boy. I’m sure that you’ll figure it out. Now, I’ll see you tomorrow at the office, and make sure that you have that report on my desk by ten. I need to look over it before I submit it to the board.” Elaine sighed.

  “Will do,” Grey said noting her request. With Elaine, it was always about work. She was one of the finest women that he had ever seen. In fact, he had had a crush on her since he was a preteen, but so did ever prepubescent and grown man in Memphis. She was a diva in the true since of the word. She was gorgeous, smart and successful and had been so for over twenty years. Now at forty something, she was still like a fine wine and yet unattainable by any man in Memphis. Most people said it was because she was like most men in Memphis… strictly about business.

  After seeing Elaine out, Grey sat down on his living room sofa and planted his face in his hands. What was he going to do? Ivy really wouldn’t be on the market long. Suddenly, being a free man did not sound very liberating at all. In fact, being a free man sounded more like a trap. Was that what he had done, voluntarily trapped himself out of his own happiness?

  “I have to get Ivy back,” he said aloud recalling Elaine’s advice, as he smelled her perfume on his body.

  Picking up the phone, Grey contemplated what he would say to Ivy after all of the time he had spent torturing her with agonizing silence. Maybe he should just grovel his way back into her heart? Considering that he was so stubborn, she would probably enjoy watching him wallow in his self-pity. He could also just put his foot down and demand that she give him one more chance, but based on the way that she slapped him when they argued, he would do better groveling.

  The phone rang several times and then Ivy’s voicemail picked up. Damn it! Where was she? Hanging the phone up, he tried to remember her work schedule. She was off today. There were one hundred places she could be? Pacing the room, he called her cell phone. What if he had waited too long? What if she had told her parents! Her father had already warned him in advance. “Don’t fuck this up, boy.” Those were her old man’s exact words. Thinking about the middle-aged Marine who indulged his daughter’s every wish, Grey grabbed his car keys. He would simply drive around until he found her.

  *

  “Oh my God! I can’t believe I missed his call,” Ivy said looking at her cell phone in total surprise.

  Ivy had been in the shower nearly twenty minutes thinking about Nicola as the steam crowded around her like a thick translucent cloud. Now, it was a total shock to see that Grey had finally called. It only took a month for him to come to his senses, well after she had lost all of hers. His stubbornness baffled her. Dropping her towel on the ground, she lay nude on her bed and closed her eyes.

  Three days had gone by since Ivy had been with Nicola, but she still felt sore and tired from the long hours of intense lovemaking. She thought by now she would feel some guilt for her actions, but still there was absolutely nothing but amazement. She smiled as she recalled portions of the longest night of her life. This would be her special little secret. And when the days ahead became too much to bear, she would think back to Nicola’s brown eyes and gentle touch and feel alive the way she did with him that night.

  “I’ll probably never see him again,” she said as she shifted to her side in the bed and pulled the covers around her body.

  The thought actually comforted Ivy. Nicola had been more than a one-night stand, yet, he hadn’t. She would never forget his name. She would never forget his face. She would never forget his touch or smell. She would never forget his advice or his confessions. And she would never forget the tears that she felt on her shoulder as he embraced her in the darkness of his room or the pain that she felt in his kiss.

  Nicola had given Ivy the gift of resolve. She knew the next evening when he dropped her off that she would be able to return to Grey with open arms, and maybe save him from becoming another Nicola. God save him. One day when he settled down, he would make a woman very happy.

  *

  Grey slipped on a pair of jeans and a comfortable pullover and jumped into his car. He was determined to find Ivy tonight and make her realize that he was truly worthy of a relationship with her. It was strange how just a few hours ago, he was so sure that he wanted to be alone. And only after a short conversation with Elaine, he was quite sure of the opposite. All he could do was remember the stream of tears flowing down her precious cheeks as she ran from his place over a month ago. He knew that he had caused her a great deal of pain, and for everything that he had done, he was now truly sorry. His thoughts were scattered to the wind. Too scattered. He needed to confide in someone that could help him pinpoint the right things to say to her. Then it came to him. He would call his square-peg of a friend, Mattock. He would know what he should say to get Ivy back.

  Checking the time, he stopped at the corner of his street and speed dialed his friend on his cell phone.

  “Hello,” Mattock said sounding preoccupied.

  “Mattock, it’s Grey.”

  “What’s up with you. I didn’t see you at the lodge meeting the other night.”

  “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 sl
ept 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.