Ivy's Twisted Vine Redux (52 page)

“Hi.” Ivy’s voice was high pitched. “Nice to meet you,” Ivy said so shocked that she could barely smile.

“It most certainly is,” Grey said shaking her hand. God had answered his prayers with one of his own angels. Rachel was top drawer. “Nicola, the kids won’t put you out too much will they?” Grey lightly brushed Ivy to bring her back from dreamland.

“If not, we can just take them with us,” Ivy said absently.

“No, we’re just going to relax and watch a couple of movies with the boys. I didn’t have a chance to change my plans on such short notice,” Nicola said putting the babies in the play pin.

“Well, their almost ready for their bedtime,” Ivy said avoiding Nicola’s eyes.

“And I won’t be here long,” Rachel said sensing Ivy’s jealousy. She turned and looked at Nicola trying to avoid Ivy’s burning stare.

“Nonsense,” Grey said ready to explode in laughter. “The boys are no trouble. They’ll be sleep in less than a hour like clockwork, and you two will have the entire night to have
fun
.” He could see Ivy cringing in his peripheral vision. “Besides, we all need a little adult time.”

“You’ve got that right,” Nicola said glad that Grey seemed so personable now.

“Well, call us if you have any trouble,” Ivy said ready to leave immediately.

“Really, we’ll be fine,” Nicola said sensing the discomfort in Ivy’s voice.

“Well on that note, we’re going to head out of here. We’re already running really late,” Grey said as they walked back out into the rain. “And thanks again.”

“Bye.” Rachel waved flicking her beautiful red locks that lay invitingly on her sculptured shoulders.

“She’s pretty,” Grey said looking at Ivy before he opened up the umbrella to cover her pouting face from the storm.

“I noticed.” Ivy finally swallowed.

Pretty or not, Rachel had no place at Nicola’s house as far as Ivy was concerned.
How is he going to entertain her and watch the kids? Why couldn’t he just cancel?
She dropped down in the seat and slammed the door unknowingly as she went over and over in her head what Nicola and his little bimbo would be doing while she was gone. So engulfed in her own selfishness, she barely noticed that Grey was watching her every move, taking mental notes to retract at a later time.

“For someone whose getting married in a few weeks, you sure are jealous of another woman’s man?” He started the car and pulled out of the driveway. He could drag this on just as long as she would let him.

“It’s not that,” she said realizing her behavior. “I just don’t want a strange woman around my children. I could care less about his
little
date, but he could have moved it to another time.” She tried hard to change her disposition for Grey’s sake.

“Well, do you want to go back in there and get them?” He tried hard to repress his smile.
Rachel was fine as hell, and she was wearing those damned jeans.
“I’m sure that we’re imposing on him a lot more than Rachel is imposing on you.” He adjusted his rearview mirror and snickered. “I could see why you would be jealous. She’s…definitely an attention getter.”

“I’m not jealous,” Ivy snapped. “This is not about Nicola. I could care less about him.”

“You’ve already said that,” Grey reminded her.

“So, you know that it’s the truth,” she breathed heavily through her nose and sank deeper down in the seat. “I just want to go and have a good time with the family.”

“Well act like it then. We’ve got a full night to have as much
fun
as we want.”

“I’ve been thinking about that. Maybe we should just wait until our wedding night? We’ve waited all this time. The six weeks will be up only days before the wedding.”

“Why do you want to wait?”

“Just the excitement of it, really. It’ll only make it better.” She lied.

“Well, we’ve waiting all this time. I don’t see how a few more weeks will matter,” he said unconcerned. He had been getting it from somewhere all this time. Why should he stop now?

***

Rachel sat beside Nicola as he held Madison in his arms. He was totally different than he appeared. She thought a single cop with great looks and no real ties had to be a completely self-indulged, but Nicola was just the opposite. He hadn’t gotten intimate with her about anything really. His conversation was light and playful and his eyes stayed adverted to hers with only occasional complimentarily glimpses of her breasts, which she had worn on display just for him. He was a total gentleman, and everything about him made her want him more.

“Sorry for the sudden change of plans.” He offered her a glass of wine. “I just couldn’t say no.”

“Sure, no problem. Look, they are already falling asleep.” She rubbed through Madison’s curly black hair. “Wow, they are just so beautiful.”

“Thanks. Would you excuse me for a minute? I better put them in their beds.”

“Ivy seemed a little upset,” Rachel observed waiting on his reply.

“I noticed.” At first the thought was exhilarating to him. Finally, Ivy would see how he felt every time he saw her and Grey together. But after she had gone he felt guilty. It was obvious to everyone in the room that she was more than slightly bothered by him having company.

“Are you over her?” she asked now more confident about prying in this strange man’s life.

“It was never like that in the first place. Ivy and I moved way too fast from the beginning. She got pregnant the first time. The only time.” He hoped that he was making himself clear.

“Oh, it was a one night-stand.” She was relieved.

“You could say that,” he said sort of offended not by her statement but by the truth.

“Well, you’re a good man to stick around. Most men wouldn’t have.”

“I made a promise…” Tiring of the subject, he excused himself. “I’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” she said totally oblivious to his sudden mood change.

***

Early morning came quickly for Ivy who lay in the bed wide-awake thinking about Nicola. Grey was still snoring comfortably beside her as if he had no cares in the world, which was unusual for him. It seemed last night had pleased him more than anyone. But last night had nearly killed her. Only, she dare not admit why.

Even though Grey had done some horrible things, he was a good man and he loved her. He was willing to marry her and look over her shortcomings and spend the rest of his natural life with her. He was successful and beautiful and even at times brilliant. Any woman in Memphis would have died to be in her place, and here she was being ungrateful. Besides, she still loved Grey unconditionally, just not the way that she used to before all that had happened between them. Grabbing her book, she read another chapter from the book her shrink had given her. She needed to try to figure out how to put herself first.

***

By noon, Grey had scurried off into the Saturday heat. He had warned her in advance that she wouldn’t see him the rest of the day. “Baby, I’m going to the golf course at three and dinner with one of my frat brothers at seven, not to mention that I have a hundred errands to run. So, if you need me, call me on my cell, otherwise I’ll call and check on you tonight and see you for church first thing in the morning,” he had said before he pecked her on her cheek and dashed out the door leaving her to her alone to make her own plans for once.

Now all that she had to do was wait for Nicola to drop off the boys, which would be not later than three. After a long hot shower and rigorous body treatment, she stepped into a comfortable pair of Baby Phat jeans and a white t-shirt and a pair of comfortable wedge hill open toe sandals. Pulling her hair up into a ponytail, she stood in front of the mirror carefully placing on her Saturday face. Just enough blush on the cheeks to seem rosy and just enough gloss on the lips to seem full and defined.

Taking a long look at herself, she admired how her body had changed since the pregnancy. Sure she had a small pouch now, but Grey seemed to find it irresistible. Overall her breasts were fuller, her hips were more curvaceous and her skin to was more resilient. Not the mention that her hair had grown two full inches in length.

However past the looks and deep in her soul, Ivy felt lost. What had she given up to be a married mother? What opportunities had she just let slip out of her hand in rushing into love? Those thoughts were always on her mind, but her mother had assured her that no matter how old your were when you marry, those questions would come. “
You just have to meet them with the right answer, which is entirely up to you
,” Sadie had said trying to support her daughter.

Still for Ivy certain parties were out now and coming home when she felt like it was out now. Dating was out now. Hanging out at her favorite nightspots was out now. “Damn,” she said looking deeper at herself in the mirror. What was in? Those thoughts had been previously crowded out of her mind when she was pregnant. She was more interested in finding out who the babies’ daddy was, and how she would make it through nine months of pregnancy and her senior year of college. Now that she had control of her body and life again, new issues were starting to come up and frequently. Maybe this was part of her change, and maybe this was what Grey had been going through the entire time?

By three that afternoon, Ivy had done all of her chores and was sitting at the computer answering emails from her intern at the office. Every few minutes she would glance over at the clock to see what time it was in hopes that Nicola would not be too long in returning her sons. She has spent most of the day in the house and planned to get out before dusk for just a little while.

Hearing the doorbell, she pulled away from her computer and put away her glasses. As usual her heart skipped a beat as she walked to the door. It was amazing how nervous she still was around Nicola after all that time. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door to see him with both hands full and two bags beside his feet.

“These two are a handful,” he said passing her one of the boys.

“You don’t have to tell me,” she said helping him inside.

“Until they begin to walk, everywhere you go, you’re gonna have both hands and arms full,” he said thinking towards their future.

“It’s not so bad. You just haven’t gotten used to it yet.”

“And you have.”

“You carried them in your arms for a couple of hours. I carried them in my stomach for nine months.”

“Point taken.” As usual he watched her walk in front of him admiring her long and shapely body as he tried to remind himself of his plan to stay far, far away. “I’ve already fed them, and I think their ready for a nap.”

“Okay,” Ivy said going to her bedroom. “So, how was your evening?” she asked unable to keep her curiosity to herself.

“It was nice,” he said reminded of her jealousy the night before.

“That’s good,” she said laying Madison in the baby bed.

“And yours?” he asked laying Adamo in his bed.

“Nice,” she said taking aback by his lack of interest in the their conversation. She paused for a moment and looked at him in his eyes. Had she really lost him?

“Look, I’ve gotta go. I just wanted to drop them off on time so that I wouldn’t hold you up.” He looked at his watch and then down the corridor.

“Thanks again,” she said bidding him a good evening.

“Yeah. See you later,” he said starting out of the room awkwardly.

Walking out the front door, Nicola felt the nervousness inside of him disappear. His plan was still unfolding and without error. He had discovered his mistake with Ivy and intended to fix it immediately. He had revealed himself early in their relationship and left himself vulnerable the entire pregnancy, which was why he was so uneasy around her now. He felt like she could read him like a book, because he had allowed himself to become absolutely predictable. He wasn’t a bad boy anymore. She had changed that with those children.
Hell, sometimes I have to check to see if I still have balls,
he thought inwardly
.
But all of that was about to change. It was time to live and open up to the world again. The past was finally behind him and he was ready to shed his old skin.

Chapter Thirty: Famiglia

Chapter 30

FAMIGLIA

“Welcome to Memphis,”
Nicola said hugging his mother as they walked through the security checkpoint of the airport.

With an undeniable anticipation, he greeted his family with hugs and kisses. This was the first time that they had come as a family with Santo to see him the entire time that he had lived in Memphis. While it promised to be exciting, he knew that it would also be interesting considering that Ivy was getting married at the end of the week.

“Let’s get your baggage and get you guys out of this stuffy airport,” Nicola said leading his family to the baggage claim area.

“You have to show us around Memphis, this time, Nicola. Last time, we were here for only a couple of days and the most we saw was Graceland from the street in passing. This time we’re here for a couple of weeks. We want to visit Beale Street, grab some barbeque, visit some museums and the whole nine,” Adamo said following behind his son.

“Sure thing, pop. Hey, Santo, where’s the wife?”

“At home. She said she didn’t want to tag along this time.” Santo was glad that he had time to himself to enjoy the southern hospitality he had heard so much about in Memphis.

“More time for us to do the male thing.” Nicola got on the escalator in front of his family.