Ivy's Twisted Vine Redux by Latrivia Nelson (the beach read txt) 📗

Ivy away, because of the way that I am…the way that I’ve been. But it kills me to know that she’s alone.” He paused for a minute. “She doesn’t deserve to be.” As Grey snapped her corset, he kissed the older woman’s shoulder. “There you go.”

“Thank you, honey. Who said that she was alone? As pretty as that little girl is, you can’t bet if she is alone, it’s only for a moment.”

“Ivy would never sleep with someone else this quick.” Grey shrugged off the idiotic notion and walked away from the silly woman. What did she know about Ivy? What did she know about anything?

“Take my advice. If you left her in the state that you said that you did, she isn’t alone.”

“Everyone doesn’t give in so quickly, Elaine,” Grey said condescendingly.

“Well with the swift kick in the ass you gave her over a month ago, I think that hardly qualifies as quickly or easily for that matter.” Grabbing her black clutch purse off of Grey’s bed, Elaine headed out of the room a little miffed by his quick temper.

“Wait, Elaine.” Grey didn’t want her to leave upset. Walking up to the short, perfectly shaped woman, he took her aging hand. He wouldn’t allow her to bolt out of his door like Ivy had done.

“I didn’t mean to offend you.” He rubbed through her graying perfectly cut bobbed hair. “I’m sorry.”

Elaine smiled at the young man, feeling sympathy for his immature state of mind. “Look, I knew what I was coming over here for and so did you. Anyway, I’m going to give you a bit of advice that most people wouldn’t. And you aren’t going to like the way that it’s said, but if you’re smart, you’ll listen.” Taking Grey’s face in her hands, she smiled at the clueless young man. “Stop thinking with your dick. It’s not the brightest head on you. You’ve been using it for too long, and it’s done you no good.”

Grey was taken aback by her blatant honesty and acid sharp tongue. He was used to Ivy, who was always a far more gentile creature and quite careful with her words and mindful of his feelings. But that was one of the luxuries of being with a woman that came from a proper stock.

“Speak your mind then,” he said letting go of her hand. What a bitch!

“I will, but only because you need to hear from someone that has nothing to gain or lose from your situation. You’ve been running around here planning this wedding with this girl for months now. She’s been nothing but good to you and then all of a sudden just because you get scared, you break off the wedding. That’s wrong, and you know it. Now you feel bad, but it’s your fault entirely. Just go back to her before it’s too late, because I guarantee that she won’t be on the market for too long. Guys like you, however, stay on the market, because you’re so full of shit until real women can see straight through you.”

“Well, if I’m so full of shit then why did you break your neck to be with me?” Grey sat on the bed in his towel revealing his large chocolate thighs.

“Are you kidding? Look at you. You’re a young virile man full of vigor and surprise, and even if for just one evening you wanted to be with me, even if it’s only because I’m your boss and capable of giving you that much needed raise. Don’t think that I don’t know how your mind works. But I don’t mind. I got what I wanted out of the deal. Besides that you’ve got one of the longest tongues I have ever seen.” Laughing, she tapped Grey on his head. She thought her little crack was funny, but Grey didn’t seem the least amused.

Elaine became serious with him again. “It’s okay to make a mistake as long as you intend to rectify it immediately. We are all fallible, but it comes to a point when I’m sorry just isn’t enough. Now, has it come to that point for you and Ivy? I don’t know. You’ll just have to see for yourself, if you’re man enough.”

“Man enough for what?”

“For her.”

“Most of me understands that, but still a part of me doesn’t want to be tied down.” Grey tried desperately to reason with his own feelings. His mind told him that Ivy was a good woman, but his body begged to be free of inhibition and able to seek out all of those things that seemed hidden and so fascinating to him.

“Is being in a relationship really being tied down?” She lifted his chin and stared him in his wide almond eyes. It was a thought that now lingered on her mind daily now that she was ready for a relationship and longing to be married. Not to mention that her biological clock was definitely ticking, and she had nearly missed all hope of having her own children.

“I don’t know.” Grey went into deep thought. There was no smart reply to give.

“I didn’t think that you did, which is why you should call her, apologize, and try to make things right.” Smiling, she turned and walked out of the door leaving Grey standing confused in his bedroom.

“You’re a smart boy. I’m sure that you’ll figure it out. Now, I’ll see you tomorrow at the office, and make sure that you have that report on my desk by ten. I need to look over it before I submit it to the board.” Elaine sighed.

“Will do,” Grey said noting her request. With Elaine, it was always about work. She was one of the finest women that he had ever seen. In fact, he had had a crush on her since he was a preteen, but so did ever prepubescent and grown man in Memphis. She was a diva in the true since of the word. She was gorgeous, smart and successful and had been so for