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

a month after their date, his partner always seemed occupied in deep thought and very often in a bad mood. Only a woman could have that type of affect on a man.

“It’s just that I even give one night stands a call back after two months. You know…try to rekindle an old flame. Maybe you should just give her a call. Who knows, you might be able to keep it up this time.” Watching Nicola’s face redden with frustration, Brooks retired his questions for the time being. “Dead issue my ass,” he said tauntingly before returning workout. Nicola would break sooner or later; there was no doubting that.

Pretending to watch the flat screen television mounted on the wall across the gym, Nicola thought back to Ivy and wished for a moment that he could have called her and asked all the questions that filled his mind. Did she get back with Grey? Did she move on? Did she think of him? There was so much left unsaid between them, and yet he didn’t feel in his heart that it was over.

Nicola had often daydreamed of running into Ivy on the street and inviting her to go out for a cup of coffee or lunch. In his dreams, she would be happy to see him and spend hours explaining why she couldn’t call. She would smile while they talked holding his hand and laughing at his jokes as only she could, and then they would make arrangements to meet again, this time with the promise of more to come after the morning after. But that was just a silly daydream that he drifted off into when no one was around. She was his little secret; someone he could not have simply because she did not choose to have him.

“Snap out of your daze, lover boy,” Brooks said snapping his fingers. “And check out the bird on the treadmill.”

“Where?” Nicola said returning to his old self, a dog on the prowl. After all, a daydream alone didn’t satisfy his unquenchable appetite for sex or the prospect thereof.

“Old girl in the blue short shorts,” Brooks pointed her out.

“All you can see is her ass,” Nicola said only slightly interested. “What if she turns around and looks like…”.

Finishing her session, the young woman stepped off the treadmill and threw her towel over her left shoulder. Turning around, she made eye contact with Nicola and smiled.

“Damn,” Nicola said forgetting to finish his sentence.

“Told you,” Brooks said laughing. “You’re not going to find an ass like that on an ugly woman. Believe me, I know.”

“Let you tell it… you know everything.”

“I do know everything,” Brooks said condescendingly.

“Then what’s her name?”

“It doesn’t matter. You won’t remember it the next morning anyway.” They both watch quietly as she walked passed them with her eyes still on Nicola.

“You better make a move while you still can,” Brooks said shaking his head.

“I’m already on her.” Wiping his face with his towel again, Nicola quickly followed the small busty Asian woman to the front desk.

“Excuse, me. Could I bother you for just a minute?” He asked gently grabbing her by the arm.

“Do I know you?” she asked in a thick French accent.

“No, but I’d like for you to. My name is Nicola. And you are?” He offered his hand.

“Leaving,” she said turning around to head out the door.

Nicola looked down at his denied hand and smiled. Okay, it’s like that, he thought to himself as he jumped in front of her and held her shoulder lightly. “Wait. You mean to tell me you eyeballed me that hard, just to play hard to get once I chased you down? You evidently don’t know the rules to the game.”

“And what game are we playing?” She smiled cleverly.

“When I was a little tyke, we used to call it, catch a girl get a girl.” He offered his hand again.

“My name is Kit.” She shook his hand this time acknowledging the attraction between them.

“Well, it is very, very nice to meet you Kit. You know today is my birthday, and I think I just found my present.” Nicola knew that any woman in her right mind would have walked off immediately totally disgusted with his cheap antics, but he could tell that Kit would stay. She was that type of girl.

“Today is really your birthday?”

“Honest,” he said crossing his heart. “And I would love for you to go out with me tonight.” He watched her carefully now reading all of her body language. She would definitely say yes.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t birthday boy. I’m working tonight.”

Visibly pouting, he smiled revealing his undeniable dimples. “Oh well, I guess it’s my loss.” Inside, he knew that she would reschedule.

“But,” she said moving closer to his chest. “You can come and see me at work tonight if you like, and we can celebrate your birthday afterwards.”

“Sounds like a plan. Where do you work?” It was pathetic that he was so good at this pitiful game of cat and mouse, but someone had to play it.

“I work at the Black Tie Gentlemen’s Club. Have you ever heard of it?” She watched his face light up as men usually did when she told them about her profession.

“Have I heard of it? Miss Kitty, I am a preferred VIP customer.” His chest stuck out a little. “But I don’t recall seeing you there.”

“They call me Masquerade,” she said proudly. “Now, do you remember me?”

“Oh yeah, you’re amazing in that little kinky green costume. I hardly recognize you without your Mardi Gras mask,” he said picturing what she looked like on stage.

“No, you just don’t recognize me with clothes on.”

“That too,” Nicola said amused. “But I have to tell you, I don’t think it’s fair that I’ve seen what you can do, but you haven’t seen what I can do.” Was she a smart enough girl to read between the lines?

“Well tonight we’ll just have to do something about that. Won’t we?” Touching his lips with her index