“I have work to do tonight.”
“Yeah, about that,” he said, sitting up. “Imogen has saved a gift bag from the past twenty weddings she’s been to. She also included a catalog of what she likes and hates in each. She’s worried that after the flower debacle,” he said, making air quotes, “you haven’t been listening to her and what she needs for this once-in-a-lifetime super-special event.”
“Oy!” I said, looking into the boxes Evan had dragged into the condo. They contained gift bag after gift bag. Some of them included monogrammed candles or other trinkets; others contained beautifully decorated but clearly stale cookies. Every single item had a little color-coded tag bearing notes from Imogen.
“She also wants all of that back,” he warned, “so don’t let Fergus in it.”
“Of course.” I gestured around. “Where in the apartment could I store all of this?”
Evan shrugged. “Do you need some shelving?”
“No I don’t. I need a whole new apartment,” I said in exasperation.
“Funny you should say that!” Evan grinned at me. “It ties into the surprise I have planned.”
“Does it include you leaving my apartment?”
“You wound me,” he exclaimed, clutching his chest.
“Then what is it?”
“It’s a surprise, Ivy,” Evan drawled. “You have to wait and be surprised.”
He held out his hand. I was still in my coat and had my shoes on.
No excuse not to…
“Come on, Ivy, let me impress you.”
20
Evan
Ivy slipped her small hand into mine.
“Excellent. I have my car downstairs.”
“You mean the unimpressive car?” she said.
“You mean the car that you were so totally impressed by but refused to show it,” I corrected as Ivy locked the door behind us.
I was satisfied to see Ivy’s eyes widen slightly as we approached the luxury sports car I had parked down the street. I slid across the hood. “You totally think it’s cool.”
She raised an eyebrow. “I would have to drive it to give an educated opinion.”
“Whoa, whoa!” I said, hugging the car protectively. “No one drives it but me.”
“Why?” she countered. “Because if someone else who is a better driver sits behind the wheel, the car is going to know exactly what it’s missing?”
“Is that a subtle way of you saying you’re hopelessly attracted to me?”
Ivy rolled her eyes and opened the passenger door.
“I was going to get that for you,” I protested.
“Don’t bother.”
We were at the tail end of rush hour, and traffic wasn’t that bad as we zoomed across town.
