Page 95 of Start With A Slap

It was possible, of course, that he wasn’t alone at all. Maybe he’d hired someone to fill in for her tonight. Maybe he was fucking Not Her right now, doggy style, pulling her hair, squeezing her neck, showing her who was in control... Come to think of it, nothing would surprise her less. The man was insatiable.

Ivy snapped out of her Maybe spiral. Who cared what he was doing? Let him bang a hooker or cry from loneliness or fly around in his iron supersuit! This washernight, and her husband’s birthday, and she was not going to think about Sever!

“Right, Ivy?” Zuri asked.

Also, she should probably stay on top of the convo. “Huh?”

“You’re still in the honeymoon phase, when it’s all sunshine and flowers.”

“Oh. Yeah!” If she were being honest, it felt like the honeymoon was over the moment she opened Sever’s door. And then it was all sunflowers. Screaming as they died. “Totally.”

“Whatever,” said Tiffany. “Those two are an exception to the rule. They’ll still be playing footsies at the retirement home.”

“No we won’t,” Ivy blurted, surprising the table and herself. “I mean, I—of course, we will, I mean I hope so, but you know, marriage isn’t all smooth sailing... it’s... It can be hard.” Everyone was suddenly staring at her in confusion. “There’s no guarantees, is all I’m saying. We’re fine now, but who knowswhat the future holds? Ooh — Waiter?” Mercifully, he stopped, and she tapped her empty glass. “Can I get another one of these?”

Ivy exhaled as the collective focus shifted to ordering the next round. They needed a new subject, one that wasn’t about relationships. Luckily, Amy had watched a documentary Ivy had suggested, most of the party had broken into twos, and Tiffany was great at keeping the rest of the table engaged, especially once she and Camila began a game of “What’s his deal?”

“What about that guy?” Camila said, chin pointed at another patron.

Tiffany gave him a quick once-over. “He’s okay if you like out-of-work actors who love their hair more than you. It’s just a matter of time before he begs you for a ‘loan’ to tow his ‘06 Elantra out of the impound lot.”

“You’re good!” Camila said in awe, and touched Ivy’s arm. “Where have you been hiding this girl? She could have saved me so much trouble.”

“I haven’t seen Ive in forever,” said Tiffany. “I think she’s been hiding fromme.”

“I’m not hiding anything!” Ivy laughed, and realized she’d forgotten the word ‘from’.Whoa, slow down Mojito Girl.“I could not be happier to see you.” She opened it up to the table. “And all of you! And I’m not afraid to do it again.”

There were toasts to that, followed by suggestions of making it a regular event, a round of agreements, and all was right in Ivy’s world again.

“Don’t look now,” Zuri said, leaning in and casting her glance behind Ivy, toward the door. “Big boy bodyguard just walked in. Bets on who he works for.”

Tiffany held up her makeup mirror to ‘spy and reapply’, like she used to at the lunch table. “Twenty that it’s some reality show reject. Then again, that’s a nice suit for a bodyguard...”

Just as Ivy was about to turn to look, her phone buzzed. While the girls went on speculating, she checked the lock screen. It was a text fromLe Mal.

God, it was ten o’clock already, didn’t he know when to give up?

“Hel-lo wealthy suaveness,” Tiffany purred. “Who areyouand how soon will you be mine?”

“He looks familiar,” Amy said, but Ivy was staring at Sever’s message:

When will you learn that I never give up?

“Oh my god he’s coming this way,” Tiffany said. “Everybody, make me look good.”

Amy said, “Wait, isn’t that...?”

“Ivy,” Sever said behind her.

“Wh—” There was whiplash and confusion. And a date suit. And sparkly blue eyes. And cologne. And who did he think he was, crashing her party?

“What a pleasant coincidence.”

She had just enough presence of mind to put on a fake grin. “Sever! What are you doing,” she paused to leave the question mark there, “here.”

Resting a hand on the back of her chair, he said ultra-casually, “Came by to see the owner. Been thinking of going into nightlife.”

“Wow. That is a coincidence.” He’d obviously dotted the cologne on his hips or stomach or something, and with his jacket open and the burgundy dress shirt underneath, and the eyes and the mojitos... it was a lot all at once.

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