Page 33 of Mercy (The Sins Trilogy 3)
Chapter Thirteen
Ivy
Next morning, there isn’t any more awkward tension between us. Tony’s dressed first—as usual—and I put on a round-neck white top with dark brown slacks and ballet flats. We eat in companionable silence, with Bobbi sipping her coffee as usual and filching a few strips of bacon from the plate piled with it.
“I’m going to be very busy today,” Tony says as he drops me off in front of the foundation. “But I’ll try to make it home on time.”
“Okay.” I smile. “Have a great day.” I kiss him before jumping off the Cullinan, happy we’re back to our normal routine, reclaiming our lives.
Bobbi follows me. “You look much better,” she says.
“I feel much better.”
“Good.”
As we ride the elevator, I wonder if Bobbi knows the answer to something I’ve been thinking about since last night. “Hey, do you know how long it takes to reserve a decent venue?”
“For what?”
“You know. A wedding.”
She looks at my finger. “You’re going ahead with the wedding?”
I glance down and realize I haven’t gotten the ring back from Tony. We spent the rest of Sunday wrapped in each other, talking, making love, then talking some more and making more love. Tony said he’s happy with getting married whenever I want. I prefer to get married as soon as we can without actually eloping. I want a proper ceremony to cement our commitment to each other. I want to show the damned killer he can’t scare me…and that the threat of what he might do can’t stop me or Tony from living our lives.
“Yes. Most definitely.”
“Don’t know about your time frame, but decent places are usually booked up for months,” Bobbi says.
“Really?” I thought it might be tough, but I’m disappointed anyway to hear her confirm my suspicion.
“It’s easier to set a date, then look around.”
I purse my lips. I was thinking about doing the opposite, but…
“Unless somebody cancels at the last minute. This is Los Angeles. Some celeb couples are bound to break up, cancel the ceremony and fight over custody of the dog.”
Hmm.I don’t want to get married at the expense of someone else’s misfortune. That’s just bad karma.
Then we’re at the office and I don’t have time to think about wedding plans anymore. Mondays are always a bit hectic. There are tons of emails sitting in my inbox, new agendas to review. I check the progress on the music program, and make some notes of items I need to discuss with our partners and Ryder’s people later this week.
My desk phone rings. “Ivy Smith, the Pryce Family Foundation,” I say.
“Ivy, this is Margot Blackwood.”
How does she know I work here? Did Harry tell her?“Hi, Margot.”
I straighten in my chair even though she can’t see me. It seems prudent to be on guard around a woman as cold and smooth as Margot.
“I know you must be terribly busy, but would you mind having lunch with me today? I have a reservation at the Italian restaurant across the street from the foundation. My treat.”
I hesitate. I want to tell her I’m too busy to take time off. Something about Margot Blackwood gives me the shivers, like I’m looking at a snake I can’t determine is venomous or not.
But she isn’t just anybody. She’s Tony’s mom. What if she has something to say? Tony said she took me in after my parents died. She even said she wanted to congratulate me when she visited Tony, although the excuse didn’t make much sense. And it occurs to me that what bothered me so much about her on Saturday is that she didn’t show an ounce of surprise that I’m not dead, or any curiosity about my life since Sam started acting as my de facto guardian. Did she already know I didn’t die in the bayou and the circumstances of my survival?
“Okay.” I quickly add, “I can spare maybe half an hour or so.” In case I want to cut our lunch date short.
“Marvelous. See you soon.”
