Page 50 of Barre Fight
Em, 10:10am: Not judging, just surprised
But notnotjudging, Ivy suspected. Em had made it clear she didn’t approve of Justin’s behaviour, not at the Stoned Crow, and not in the weeks during which Ivy had tried desperately to work with him.
Em, 10:11am: Well…?
Ivy, 10:11am: Well what?
Em, 10:12am: Well how was it???
Ivy let out a loud breath, wondering how to describe the kiss to Em without allowing herself to be overwhelmed by the memories of it. It had been so intense, so hot with need and pent-up desire… and, she reminded herself, glancing around her, she might be sitting in the dark of the theater, hidden from all her colleagues, but she was still at work.
Ivy, 10:13am: It was very hot and a very bad idea and I really want to do it again, but that is also a very bad idea.
Em would agree, Ivy knew. Em would reply that yes, it was a bad idea, and Ivy should resist the urge—the very demanding urge—to do it again.
Em, 10:14am: Bad why?
Ivy typed her reply with wide eyes, not bothering to correct her typos.
Ivy, 10:14am: Becaues he’s a colleauge!
Em, 10:15am: So? ANB doesn’t have a rule against kissing your colleagues
Not anymore, Ivy thought. Peter’s attempt to police that had blown up in his face in spectacular fashion.
Ivy, 10:15am: I’m here to work! I can’t get distracted by this!
Em, 10:16am: You’re a professional. You can fuck and chew gum at the same time
Ivy’s cheeks went hot when she read the second half of Em’s message, and she glanced around her, checking that no one could see her screen.
But you don’t like him, remember? And he didn’t like me until ten minutes ago, she typed. She stared down at the words. Was that true, though? She thought of the way he’d knocked onher door a few days ago, shower-damp and apologetic and trusting, willing to excavate his most painful memories and hand them over to her. The sandwich he’d handed her at the museum, teasing her about being a threat to public safety when she was hungry. The way he’d looked at her with open admiration after reading the review. And this morning, when he’d put his hand on her face and waited, patient and hopeful, for her to kiss him. Her heart pounded, and she forced herself not to remember what had come next. How intense and right it had felt.
Still, none of that necessarily meant he liked her now. He wasn’t treating her like a pebble in his shoe anymore, but that didn’t mean he’d really changed his mind about her.
Ivy, 10:17am: This is not helpful. I need you to tell me not to do it again.
Em, 10:17am: Why? You said it was hot. You said you want to do it again. Does he?
Ivy bit her lip, remembering the tiny frown that had appeared between his brows when she’d shut him down.
Ivy, 10:18am: I think so. I don’t know. Maybe.
Em, 10:18am: If he does, I’m not seeing the problem here. If you know what you want then you go and you find it and you get it. You’re in New York City, for fuck’s sake. The greatest city in the world, etc
Em, 10:18am: Have an adventure. Not everything is doomed to fail before it begins, you know
Ivy stared at the words. An “adventure” with Justin Winterswould be something. If that kiss was anything to go by, it would be the best “adventure” of her life.
Ivy, 10:19am: I’ll think about it.
Em, 10:19am: You do that
Em, 10:19am: I have to go to sleep now. Can’t believe you made me quote musicals to convince you to go get laid. The things I do for you, Page
Ivy, 10:20am: OK, I love you.
Em, 10:20am: Love you, too. Let me know once you stop thinking and start doing
