Has her prince in her sights. How can she change the mindset of her friends?
*************************
The first drop of the freezing liquid hitting her neck and
rolling down the collar of her shirt shocked her into immobility. The book
bopping her on the head and the deluge of water immediately following had her
jumping up and down in dripping amazement.
“Oh, Ivy, I am so sorry.”
Bernard placed the arm load of books on a dry step and
proceeded to try mopping Ivy down with the hand full of paper towels. Pulling
the shirt away from her body, Ivy grabbed his wrist with her free hand to stop
his movements. The physical effect of his fingers brushing her breast
definitely not one she wanted him to come in contact with.
“Damn, I’m really sorry about that and the cursing in your
presence.”
His apology sounded so sincere, but the heat in his eyes
burned her. Letting her know he was well aware of her feelings.
Clearing her throat she tried to change the subject.
“Do you always carry so many pieces of paper towels around?
Makes me wonder if you….” Pausing and raising her head from her efforts of
soaking some water from her shirt, Ivy caught the tail end of Bernard’s smile
just before he lowered his head and reached down to retrieve his books. She
laughed, a little relieved to know parts of her dream were reciprocated. “Did
you really mean to wet me like this?”
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“Oh no,” Bernard self consciously chuckled along with her.
"well not as much as this for obvious reasons.” With a nod of his head, he
indicated the appearance of her hardened nipples, literally naked through the
sheer material of her thin white shirt. “Honestly, I’d thought a few drops
would have fallen on you and then I could have played the hero and offered you
drying materials, and afterward we would have a full conversation instead of
the cursory ones we have inside the building. Unfortunately, when I turned the
corner at break neck speed, trying to catch you before you drove off, I stopped
short at the sight of you on the bottom steps and the water sloshed out of the
glass. Stupid me trying to keep it from tilting, dropped a book, reached for it
and the glass tilted anyway and here we are.”
Ivy, standing with mouth opened, listened intently. She was
infatuated and the fact he knew her name and had gone through such ridiculous
tricks to get to know her, made her care less how he met her, but so glad he
had finally taken the initiative.
“Are you okay? Are you in shock, Ivy? You haven’t said a
word or changed expression in the past two minutes." Bernard snapped his fingers
in front of her face.
"Yes, I’m fine. Kinda glad actually, I was sitting her
trying to figure out how to ‘casually’ bump into you and now it’s done. We
can’t go out for a cup of coffee with me looking like an advert of a contest.
Can we set a date for a rain check?”
“Yes, of course. Give me your phone and I’ll put in my
number. That way you can call me whenever you’re ready to set the date.”
With an ease that kept her calm, Bernard took the cell from
Ivy’s slack fingers, tapped his number in, returned her phone and was stepping
back before she could react.
“Now, remember, Ms. Ivy Gardiner I’ll be waiting.” And with
that he turned and walked away. Whistling as he went.
Sighing deeply, Ivy held her hand to her chest and giggled
like a kid promised a coveted gift. If it all worked out, he would be exactly
that, tall, very dark, dimpled, courteous, Bernard. The fantasy she’d purposely
kept tucked away from the critical observance of her cousin, Carmella and their
friend, Lillie-Rose and didn’t want to be ridiculed as a hypocrite. After all
they’d spent their youth promising themselves they would do the chasing and the
choosing of their prince. Refusing to lie around like a pampered sleeping
beauty chewing on apples, being chased around by dwarfs, and waiting for a
prince to rescue them.
Well, she was older now, love had shown its beautiful face
and as far as she was concerned she had her prince in scope. If it took her to
find her friends their mates so they would all have a happy ever after, so be
it. She would write their story and then squeeze them into their scenes.
~
Bernard whistled all the way to his car, the act, more as a
means to calm his rapid heart rate than to entertain himself. He’d watched Ivy
for months of Sundays not to mention the nights of the singles’ meetings. She
was usually surrounded by her two friends or hanging with various female
members of the congregation so he never approached her. Until he realized,
every time he looked in her direction she was smiling at him. He decided to take the bull by the horns.
Sitting behind the steering wheel he smiled in anticipation at the
sudden ringing of his cell. Without glancing at the caller id, he answered the
phone; laughter in his voice. By the end of the conversation, he was beating
the wheel in frustration. His job was sending him away for a month and it would
be a while before he would be able to get to know Ivy. Closing his eyes in a
moment of frustration before starting the ignition, he comforted himself with
the belief everything would work out.
********************
Check out the interviews of the characters at IN THE CHAIR:
http://theinterviewedcharacter.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_25.html
The Guys- YOU CAN LEAD A HORSE TO WATER
The Girls: GRAB YOUR GLASS SLIPPERS
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