Page 23 of Start With A Slap

“But you know as well as I do neither one of us can stop this now.”

“What are you, a disco song? Iamstopping this, right now,” Ivy insisted. “Okay? As of tonight, no more dinners, no more heinously expensive gifts, no more... reading me like a Harlequin romance novel, no more whispering in my ear andfeeling up my spot, and absolutely no more conversations behind my husband’s back!”

“I can’t agree to that.”

“Youhaveto agree to it. I’m not asking, Sever. I’m telling you.”

“Fine. I’ll think about it if you come to this awards thing.” He slid a brochure across his desk.THE INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY ASSOCIATION AWARDS welcomes Guest of Honor SEVER MARK Recipient of our LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

“That’s not thinking about it, that’s totally disregarding everything I just said!”

He pouted. “But I’ll get bored without you.”

“Heaven forbid. However did you survive before me, Mr. Mark?”

“Not very well.”

Exasperated, she implored, “Why can’t you respect my wishes? If you like me as much as you pretend to, you would.”

“I am respecting your wishes. Those don’t happen to be them.”

“Oh, not with the innermost desire crap again...” She threw her hands up. “I’m leaving.”

“You forget, love,” he cheerfully called after her, “I don’t take no for an answer!”

“Yeah, well, neither do I!”

The following week,Ivy received a manila envelope at work. It had no return address and was stampedCONFIDENTIAL.

It was a good thing Jason wasn’t around when she opened it, because inside was a chart of negative test results with Sever’sname at the top, along with a notarized letter of authenticity from his doctor. He’d been tested for everything sexually transmitted — on account of her Lysol comment, no doubt.

The package also included a statement from a place called Masterson Models. According to the note, all their “talent” underwent “comprehensive weekly screenings”. Good to know?

As if that wasn’t audacious enough, the next page was proof that he’d had a vasectomy over a decade earlier. Did he honestly think that STDs and pregnancy were the only fears that were holding her back? Had he no respect for the sanctity of marriage? She almost laughed at the thought — this wasSever. Of course he didn’t.

Ivy found herself staring at his birthdate. It shouldn’t have come as a shock, considering she was married to his twenty-six year old son, but Sever seemed a lot younger than his age. Looked it too andgod, who cares?

She shut the folder and fed it to the shredder.

“How ‘bout Pistolero?”Jason asked.

For the first time in weeks, he’d resolved to take a night off from his rigorous workload, and Ivy was all too happy to discuss dinner options with him. All she had left to tackle on her desk were a few pages of discovery edits, and then they could enjoy a night out. But where to? Ten Twelve? The new sushi spot in Little Tokyo?

He asked, “What’s that Mexican place called? Pecador?”

“Ooh, what about Chai B’Seret?” Ivy suggested.

“You just like saying that.”

“I do,” she said with a grin, then, “What? It’s my people. We have good food!”

“Sure, but every time we try, there’s no parking!”

“True—” Her desk phone rang. She motioned for Jason to stay put while she answered, “Lohmann Brooks, this is Ivy.”

“How are you in the kitchen?” Sever asked her as if they’d been shooting the breeze all day. “Any good?”

“I’m sorry,” she said after a stunned pause, “You have the wrong number.”

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