I nodded, trying not to flinch as Camilla kissed my cheek.
I was starving and irritated after the lunch was finally over. I wanted to text Ivy, but then, what if she had seen the pictures? I needed an explanation that wasn’t “I sold your home out from under you, and I’m trying to fix it by pretending to get back together with my cheating ex.”
Sebastian was waiting for me in my office when I returned.
“Dude,” he said.
“Unless you brought alcohol with whatever complaint you’re about to launch my way, I don’t want to hear it,” I told him, unbuttoning my jacket and slumping onto the couch.
“It’s not a complaint, it’s an intervention,” he said flatly, pulling his phone out of his pocket and shoving it in my face. “You’re getting back together with Camilla?”
There, on a known gossip site, was a picture of me and Camilla. She was stroking my cheek and trying to feed me a bite of food.
“Fuck. Ivy’s going to kill me.”
“Ivy?” Sebastian asked incredulously. “You’re cheating on Ivy with Camilla?”
“Fuck, no, dude!” I said, jumping up and pacing around my office. “I fucked up. Like I really fucked up.”
Sebastian shook his head slowly as I relayed the issue with the land deal.
“That’s why I try to avoid getting wrapped up in the Svenssons’ business deals,” he said. “Just tell Ivy the truth like an adult. If you really feel bad, offer her money for a new apartment.”
“I can’t do that! She’ll hate me. She’ll think I did it on purpose. I’ll lose her forever,” I protested. “She’s the best thing that ever happened to me. I’m going to fix this. If she finds out, I’ll lie and tell her it was all Camilla’s doing. She already doesn’t like her.”
“I don’t think you’re in the right headspace to go from a failed almost-marriage to a relationship. I thought this was going to be a casual thing with Ivy,” Sebastian said, running a hand through his hair.
“Yeah, so did I.”
38
Ivy
“Um,” Sophie said when I curled up in a fetal position on the booth seat at the restaurant.
“Don’t judge me!” I wailed. “I’ve had a terrible day.”
How could my mother be here in New York, in my life? It was awful. What was Evan going to say? It was cringey the way she flirted with him. He was probably going to dump me because my mom was so horrifying.
You two had sex; it’s not a relationship.
Elsie patted me sympathetically. “I know this probably wasn’t how you wanted things to go.”
“I’ll say,” I said, sitting up.
“We ordered you a drink already,” Brea said, her tone worried as she nervously embroidered pearls on a veil. “We have more drinks lined up.”
“Thanks. You’re good friends.”
“We’re here for you,” Grace said, offering me the basket of French fries.
“Yeah, I just can’t believe my mother would do that, you know? I mean, it’s a whole new level of insane, even for her,” I said, swiping a hot fry in the garlic aioli.
My friends seemed shocked and exchanged nervous glances with each other.
“Uh, your mom did what now?” Amy finally asked.
“She’s here in town, working for Imogen. I thought that was why you all called the emotional-support alcohol-and-French fry meeting?”
