“I’ve been at your house. That bathroom door is basically see-through,” Amy told me. “You’re sending it. No risk, no reward. And this is going to be a big reward.”
“Take photos for those of us who need to live vicariously through you!” Grace said, blowing me a kiss.
Against my better judgment, I hit send on the photo then stuffed the garlic knot into my mouth and waited.
And waited.
“Well,” I said, cutting myself another slice of pizza so I didn’t cry. “That was a terrible idea.”
33
Ivy
Itossed and turned all night. I kept thinking about Evan and about how it would feel to have all that muscle and sinew against me, his cock in me. Then my thoughts would take a nosedive when I remembered he had still not responded to my text. I checked my phone again then finally threw the covers off in the early morning.
I still couldn’t figure out what had happened. Evan had been blatantly flirting with me, had gone down on me. How could he just not respond to my text? Did he think it was a weird picture? I looked at the picture again. It was definitely weird. Evan was probably used to sexy supermodel types with tasteful erotic photos, not someone who took a picture with her dinner.
“What does it matter? You don’t even like him,” I chastised myself as I dressed. “He’s self-absorbed and obnoxious.”
But it was embarrassing. And to make matters worse, I had to see him that afternoon for the catering taste testing. At least we wouldn’t be in his apartment this time and would be meeting in the shared kitchen space Elsie rented.
Elsie:Uh, bad news…the power’s out at the shared kitchen space.
Ivy:Imogen is going to go ballistic if we cancel!!!
Elsie:Don’t worry, we’ll have food. The stoves are gas. Just, we need another place to meet instead of here.
Ivy:I’ll arrange something.
Shoot. I had been hoping to have the buffer of being in a public space when I had to face Evan.
“You don’t have to meet in his penthouse,” I reassured myself as I texted Mika.
Mika, unfortunately, did not come to my rescue. As I read her message, I cursed our lack of an office space.
Mika:Evan says we can meet at his condo.
Ivy:We could come to yours or Imogen’s so you don’t have to travel.
Mika:Errr if we have it at my place my family will never leave. I need an escape plan. Evan’s always good about kicking people out when he’s done with them.
Of course he is, I thought angrily as I gathered my wedding-planning materials for the meeting and headed out the door.
“How’s your boy toy?” Mrs. Russo asked as she came up the stairs.
“I’m going to see him now,” I told her.
She wolf whistled.
“Not like that! For work.”
“Don’t worry about being too loud when you have him over here next,” she told me conspiratorially. “I’ve finally sold my condo.”
“You’re moving?”
“To Harrogate! I’m going to be working at my friend Ida’s sex toy company, Bath and Body Twerks. You know, I’d been thinking about the idea, but then I was made an offer I couldn’t refuse and sold my condo! I found a great little cottage in Harrogate. There are lots of old working-class men there, you know. They have strong hands!” she said and winked.
Thinking about Mrs. Russo’s leaving was enough to distract me as I took the train to Evan’s penthouse. The meeting was at three. Normally, I liked to arrive early, but on this occasion, I cursed my professionalism as I stood outside the door. It was fifteen minutes until three. Elsie had texted me that she was on her way. I was not going to spend that time existing in an awkward silence with Evan.
