Chapter 10 Kiss, Don’t Tell.
“You won’t believe what happened on my way here. So many chocolates and flowers are still in the car but–” she paused, giving her a one over, “A receptionist?! Are you kidding m–Chris!”
She flung her arms around him and he held her in a warm embrace.
“Hello, Amryelsa.”
Ivy’s eyes widened at that.
He calls her full name?! Wow! A lot of wows.
These two must really be an item and if not, then they were probably really close to it by a few steps.
Ivy felt like an absolute unneeded piece in this lovey-dovey moment.
Could she just disappear?
“What are you doing here? I thought you said you had a meeting.” Elsa said, sounding the most caring and careful that Ivy had every heard her sound before.
That meant that she cared about how he viewed her and Elsa had never really given a damn about that before.
Once again, could she just disappear?
“I just finished the meeting.” He guestutered over to the table some distance away. “I was just standing here to make a reservation for tomorrow. Matters are not fully settled yet.”
His voice rumbled, husky low, reminding Ivy about how his pleasure groans had rumbled close to her ears and how that had sent tingles through her body.
For the third time, could she just DISAPPEAR?!
“Oh, that reminds me, where are my manners?” Elsa chuckled, hiding her face behind her small hand almost making Ivy scoff back.
Was she trying to sound like a posh and sane person right now? Goodness!
It almost felt like Elsa was a completely different person.
“This is my friend, Ivy. The one who had to bail on us that day because her mum called. Remember, Christopher?” Elsa signalled to her and Chris turned back his attention on Ivy, his peaceful brown eyes made something in her ignite.
What are you doing Ivy? Say something. Stop being so obvious!
He chuckled darkly, not looking away, like as if he knew how hot his gaze made her.
How bothered she absolutely was.
“We’ve already met.”
Her heart dropped. What was he doing?
“Haven’t we, Ivy?”
Her throat suddenly went dry, her heart racing yet his gaze didn’t move away from hers.
Was he crazy?! What was he doing?!
“You’ve met already?” Elsa’s curious voice snapped her out of whatever trance or spell Christopher’s gaze held her under.
She had never felt so transfixed by someone’s eyes before, so much that looking away had taken all the strength in her.
What was this?
“Yes.” She replied, her voice coming out a little raspy from how fast her heart was racing, although her voice still sounded firm. She looked back at Chris, there was this grin on his face, like as if he knew every single thought going on in her mind, every feeling crossing through her veins and he was ready to mess with them.
“Where? How is it that you haven’t told me?”
“There was really nothing to tell.” Ivy chuckled dismissively.
“Is that so?” Chris arched at her a cocky.
“Yeah, it is so. I met hin- well, they come here for meetings a lot and that is how we met. Through the meetings, nothing private or intimate. So yes–” she looked up at him now, daring to stare into his penetrating gaze just to make her point. Although now, he had a little frown on his face.
“There is nothing to tell.”
What did he expect? That she would say he was her one night stand?! This guy was impossible.
“Chris, we are running late on– oh, you?”
“You’ve met his friend, Jett, too?”
“You are the ‘Mine’ girl.”
This just kept getting worse and worse.
“Mine girl?”
“Was a joke I said one day.” She laughed forcefully.
“I’ve never heard this joke before, how is that even–” Elsa started to ask.
“It was lovely meeting you ladies, we need to go now. Amryelsa.” He nodded to her and she immediately threw her arms around him.
“Thanks for the chocolate.”
“I’m sorry that I couldn’t make it.”
“I understand.” She stepped back with a shy smile.
This was ridiculous.
“Ivy.” He said and she nodded.
“See you around for your meetings.” She grinned, to cover her nervousness.
He smiled subtly and she blinked away before she would trapped in again. Was his gaze affecting only her?
He tucked his hands deep into his pocket.
“See you around, Ivy.”
He left then, meeting his business patners at the door.
Why had that sounded like a promise?
“Sexy greek god, isn’t he?” Elsa giggled. “Amryelsa.” She smiled, mimicking the way he called her name. “Now campare, out of your Handsome man and my Christopher, who is better?”
Ivy slowly sat down tiredly, feeling like her legs were too weak and her tongue was too stubborn.
“Defeat can be hard to admit.”
“What was that?”
“What was what?”
“The acting.”
“Whaaat? You can’t blame me. Did you listen to the way he speaks.”
“And the fake shyness?”This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.
“I will do whatever I must.”
There was silence for a while. The receptionist arrived and Ivy told her to reserve table 7, same time, same people, tomorrow.
“For the business people that made reservation today?”
“Yes, thank you.”
While they went up to have dinner, Elsa kept talking about how wonderful Christopher was, while Ivy just couldn’t get his voice or his gaze out of her head.
He had said he would be coming around, that they would talking again.
Those words made her terrified and excited at the same time.
Was she falling for Chris?
Should she tell Elsa the truth about how she met him and who she knew him to be? What would hurt her the most, the truth or hiding it from her?
They finally settled down to eat and Elsa paused for a while.
“You know what, I was scared when he said he knew you?”
“W-why?”
Elsa shurgged and for the first time in a long time she saw fear flicker in her eyes.
“I like him a lot, Ivy. I’ve never liked anyone as much as I like him. I think I want to be with him, you know, date him. A real serious relationship.”
“That is…” She said, picking her words. “good.”
“I know right. So, I was so scared when he said he knew you because if he had been one of your ex’s or someone important to you. I know how you consider exes but still.” Ahs sighed, obviously worked up about whatever she was thinking.
Another rare sight.
“I was scared that we might have liked the same guy.”
Did she just–?!
“Liked the same guy?” She asked, dumbfounded. Thank God for good mouth grip unless this wine would have been everywhere on the table. “Why would you even think that?”
“I met him at the same club we were looking for you on that wedding day. Remember?”
With a slow nod from Ivy, she continued.
“I realize there might be a possibility that Handsome man was Chris or one his friends. I was really praying that it would be Jett or someone else. Anybody else but him.”
“Oh.” She said cutting into her meat slowly, although at this point, her mind wasn’t focused on the dinner at all.
“I’m so glad that your Handsome man is a completely different person. You don’t know how much this means to me. How happy I am. I haven’t been this happy in a very long time.”
Ivy’s heart clenched, she dropped her cutlery, stretched her hand across the table then grasped Elsa’s.
“I’m happy that you are happy.” Tears glimmered in her eyes. “We should celebrate. Wine?”
With that they poured the wine and cheered.
To Elsa, Ivy’s misty eyes tears meant that she was very happy for her but they were for a totally different reason.
Ivy had made a decision that she knew would hurt her dearly. She had decided to keep the truth a secret, along with standing away from Chris.
She could do this. She would do this.
Anything for her best friend.
Anything for her Elsa.
It couldn’t be so hard now, could it?