Page 28 of Quarterback Sneak

“When are you getting married? Sam asked.

“Halloween, because it’s the night I said yes to a date. Aaron used to work here as a bartender. I still remember the first time he hit on me. I shot him down. As you can probably tell, he’s not the type to give up.”

This could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the situation. From what Ivy disclosed to him, it was the latter. “Obviously, you relented.”

“Three years ago on Halloween. We had a costume party and I had a flat tire. Aaron drove me home. When he asked me out, I said what the hell. And we’ve been together ever since.” She palmed her cup and her ring clanged against the side. “And now we’re getting married.”

“Well, congratulations on your engagement. I’m sure your family will be ecstatic.”

A frown marred her forehead at his words.

“I don’t have any family left.”

He gave himself a mental kick. Ivy had told him Beth’s tragic story and he’d made a big blunder by dredging up the painful subject. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s all right. You didn’t know. They’ve been gone for a while and I’m used to it. The Turin’s are my adopted family and I’m sure most of them will be happy for me.” Sam sympathized with her predicament. His mother’s subsequent denial of Patrick’s behavior had lost all of her friends and many of her family members had disowned her. If it hadn’t been for his grandfather and his tenacious nature, she’d have been alone in her misery.

“Everyone but Ivy, that is.”

He nodded and swigged his coffee. The liquid burned its way down his throat. Keep your mouth shut and listen, don’t comment, don’t commit to a side.

“Aaron isn’t her favorite person ever since he got into an argument with Ivy’s—” she stopped to take a drink from her mug, her face hidden from view by her bent head.

Ivy’s what? Ex-boyfriend. Something inside him rebelled at the knowledge before he tamped it down.

“—managers. It’s not like her boyfriends have been saints.”

“Has she had many boyfriends?” he asked before he the inappropriateness of such a question hit him.

“A few. Didn’t she tell you about them?”

“No, I never asked.” He hadn’t wanted to know at the time, nor was he keen on learning about the guy now. “Sometimes ignorance is bliss.”

“And sometimes it’s suicide to bury your head in the sand and pretend it doesn’t exist. Ivy is under the misguided impression that I’m blind to his faults. I’m not. Isn’t that what a relationship is about? Loving someone, faults, and all?”

Sam found it ironic she’d such a pragmatic outlook on the situation. Perhaps Ivy was wrong about Aaron. Had Sam allowed his preconceived notions, tainted by his memories of Patrick, to blind him to the truth? Or perhaps his hunch was right and Beth was like his mother, a good woman who fell for the wrong guy and now she was trapped in some fantasy that with enough love, she could cure him.

His phone buzzed and he pulled it from his pocket, glad for an excuse to avoid further discussion on a very painful topic. “I have a meeting I can’t miss.”

* * *

Ivy entered the kitchen, her temples throbbing from a dull stress headache. Removing her chef’s hat, she went to the sink and splashed water on her face. The photoshoot was finished and the crew was in the process of breaking down the equipment. She patted her face dry and inspected her reflection in the mirror. Between the photographer’s demands, the critic’s perpetual bland expression as he sampled the food, and Alice trying to gather information about Sam, she was ready for the day to end. Unfortunately, lunch was right around the corner.

“Well, how did the critic seem? Did he mention anything?” Beth wiped her hands on a bar towel as she came from behind the line.

“Not to me. Of course, we won’t know how he liked the dishes until we see his segment. He tasted the food here and will do the voice-over in the studio.” From Beth’s terse expression, her friend was still mad at Ivy about last night. On one level, she had every right to be. If it were another man other than Aaron, Ivy would have been thrilled. Whether she approved or not, Beth was her best friend. She’d been there for Ivy through the nightmare of Kevin and when the pieces fell for Beth, Ivy would be there for her. “I’m sorry about last night. I should have never accused you of being drunk. I know you’d never let me down. Am I still in the wedding?”

Beth’s tense frame loosened and she nodded. “You’ll be my monster of honor.”

“No way. You’re really planning on the Halloween thing?”

“Shit yeah. Who wants a boring white wedding? Unless I decide to go as the bride of Frankenstein.” She tapped a finger to her lip. “You know, that might be kind of fun.”

“You are so odd.”

“Well, you can go traditional when you get married.” Beth reached for the last ramekin of crème burlee from the cooler. “And just from today alone, I’d label him a keeper. Not every man would agree to cook for his girlfriend after her monumental screw up. Imagine, spilling juice all over your dessert on one of the most important days of your career.”

“I don’t need to imagine, I lived through it. Thankfully, Sam has some experience in a kitchen, enough to follow a recipe.” Ivy grabbed a spoon to taste the custard. “The dessert thing was unfortunate, but fixable. Considering the way the film crew devoured the sample, my perfect boyfriend did a good job.” She took a bite and as it melted on her tongue, the flavors began to expand, subtle spices, familiar yet different.

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