Page 85 of Start With A Slap

When they parted for air, he said, “God, that smells good on you.”

Ivy subdued her flush. “I’ll be sure to wash it off right away.”

“Back to where we started,” he said, and she realized he was talking to his driver.

—God,that smells good on you.You deserve the best. Naughty little cheat?—

“Ivy?”

Milk spewing over her coffee cup, Ivy put the dispenser down, sopped up the spill and saw the face that belonged to the voice: “Kara!”

Sonot the person she needed to bump into right now. Or ever.

“Don’t tell me they still send you on coffee runs,” Kara said.

Counting to five, Ivy slowly stirred the sugar in — there was at least a two inch overpour; how long was she daydreaming? Both cups in hand, she faced her nemesis with a smile. “This is for me, and this is for Jason.”

“Aw.” Kara smirked at her, flaunting her perfect hair, her impeccably tailored suit and her thousand dollar stilettos made of dolphin or endangered penguins or whatever. “You’re a good wife. Give him my best, will you? And tell him the offer still stands.”

Ivy’s smile hadn’t budged. “Offer?”

“He’ll know what I mean.”

Kara’s claws broke through her skin yet again, but this time they didn’t pierce any vital organs. Partly because Ivy had her own evil secret — but mostly because she’d just experienced the endorphin rush of an orgasm. It was like natural Xanax. “I’ll tell him.”

“Is that afterglow?”

Holy shit, was it that obvious?

“Your perfume,” Kara said. “Two thousand an ounce Afterglow. Daddy Warbucks buy that for you in Paris?”

“Oh. No, he—” Why did Jason tell her these things? “I just got scent-doused at the Perfume Outlet. But, good to know I came out smelling like money. I’ve got to run. Take care.”

“You too.” Kara leaned in and asided confidentially, “Might want to stop in the ladies’ room first. You’re a little undone.”

Ivy glanced at her blouse. She’d missed a button—so all the others were out of whack. “Oh. Thanks! You’d think someone would have told me by now...”

She motored out of the coffee shop as quickly as her DSW markdown pumps could propel her.

‘Perfect in every way’ was the phrase Sever used when she asked him how she looked.

She was going tokillhim the next time she never saw him again.

Jason tookhis work home that night to watch the game. Making an effort to understand the appeal of basketball, Ivy sat with him, but her eyes were glazing over.

“Beer or wine?” During a commercial break, he headed to the kitchen.

“Beer me,” she said, turning the TV down.

Her phone buzzed on the countertop. She sat up to get it but he was closer. “Somebody wants you,” he said, unplugged it from the wall and tossed it her way while sipping a Red Stripe.

I can still taste you on my tongue.

Her reaction must have been visible because Jason asked if something was wrong.

“It’s nothing.” She was more rattled at the fact that previews of her messages were visible on her lock screen. How had she not thought to change that setting? She was so thankful at that moment for Jason’s respect of privacy. He hadn’t even turned it over, just unplugged it. As she quickly ran through screens and deletions, she said, “It’s just Mal.”

Not a lie, exactly. Mal was her cousin Mala, and they had been texting that day.Malwas also the French word for “bad”, so... it tracked.

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