Page 19 of Ivory's Familiars

Ivory flinched guiltily. Her problem with her looks didn’t come from an arsehole ex as Libby assumed. And truly, she didn’t mind the face she’d chosen to help hide her away from the world – she really wasn’t that vain or self-obsessed. What she hated was the constant lie. She hated that no-one ever saw the true her. She wanted to be able to look at her friend and see her through her own unique violet irises. She wanted those three men to look at her face and see her real cheekbones, fantasise about her real lips, and dream about stroking her real hair. It wasn’t self-doubt she felt, but longing.

“You’re right, Lib,” was all she could say.

“Damn right I am. Now, have any of them made you feel cheap or like a temporary romp between the sheets?”

Ivory sighed, “No. In fact, they’re saying all the right things.”

“Then why don’t you listen?” Libby asked, earnestly.

“It’s not that simple,” but she was wavering …

“So make it simple,” Libby had an answer for everything.

“They’re here to do a job. Even if I allowed something to happen, they’ll be moving on as soon as my freak stalker is caught. I really don’t want to be some weekend fling – not with them.”

“Well now, that’s interesting. I know for a fact you haven’t minded being a weekend fling in the past. There must be something different about them.”

There was. Ivory didn’t know what, but there was definitely something about the trio that drew her in. They made her want and they made her need. For the first time in her life, she felt … lonely. Never before had she felt her life was lacking in any way. She was happy – as much as she could be while hiding her true nature. She had a home, a business, friends. She had lovers when she chose and she went on vacations. But ever since meeting the three men, she had begun to feel like she was missing something – something she couldn’t name. It bothered her and it also made her yearn. Not wanting to admit any of that out loud, she asked instead;

“Why are you pushing this so much?”

Libby frowned for a moment before answering, “I just want to see you happy, Ivory. You’ve been so good to me – giving me this job when I had no references. You …” she paused, seemed to choke up a little, “… really have been a good friend to me.”

Ivory slung an arm over her shoulders, rubbing it in comfort, not sure why the other woman was being so sentimental, but appreciating it nonetheless, “You’ve been a good friend to me too. If it weren’t for you, I’d probably be some kind of weird old pub owner with three cats and a cactus collection.”

Libby laughed, “You do have a tendency to become a recluse if I don’t prod you.”

Ivory knew she did – it was just a part of her nature. She was independent and treasured her solitude but she also enjoyed being social. Sometimes she would forget that – until Libby reminded her by taking her out.

“If you’re not willing to listen to me or to them – even when we’re all saying the right things – listen to your gut. Trust your instincts. Please?” Libby asked.

Ivory nodded, “Okay, okay. I’ll go with my gut.”

“And your loins. Go with them too,” Libby added, causing them both to dissolve into hysterical laughter. She really was a gem, “And remember; why choose if you don’t have to?” Lib added with a wink.

Ivory simply shook her head, glancing in the direction of her ‘bouncers’. They must have felt her eyes on them for all three of them stopped talking and looked up as one. Whoa, talk about potent. Three sets of eyes in varying shades of jade pinned her to the spot and she swore she could hear her own heartbeat as it began a frantic rhythm. She was so hyper-aware of them at all times. It didn’t help that they had all upped their ‘flirt with Ivory’ agenda. Not only did it include steamy looks and playful banter but they had also started touching her. Just casual touches, light brushes of their arms against hers as she walked past, hands meeting as she passed them their morning coffee.

As she watched, Seth jerked his head in a ‘come here’ gesture. She looked behind her, pretending to look for someone else. When she turned back around Seth was pointing at her and then pointing at the ground in front of him. She mimed an amazed, ‘who me?’, clutching her hands to her chest. They all looked surprised at her antics and the warm pleasure she saw on their faces made her feel like a real heel. Had she been such a hard-case that some lame miming made them happy? Man, she really was a bitch. Well, no more, she decided, picking her way through the crowd in their direction. She was going to open her mind and take a chance on this once in a lifetime opportunity.

“Ivory!” Lib yelled from behind her. She paused, looking back to see her crazy friend holding up two fingers on either hand and crossing them over each other. She didn’t speak but Ivory had no trouble reading her exaggerated lip movements,“Hashtag, why choose?”

Ivory shook her head, refusing to be baited and refusing to smile as she wanted to – she really shouldn’t encourage her.

“Did she just hashtag you?”

Ivory glanced up, her breath catching in her chest a little when she saw Seth’s smiling face directly in front of her, “Ignore her. She’s nuts.”

“She’s fun,” he retorted.

Well, she couldn’t dispute that.

“Are you done for the night?” Ronan asked from her left.

“Yes. Libby, Lee, and Craig are working close tonight.” It was eleven now, and she had been working for twelve hours.

“Good. I’m starving,” Seth expelled a pent-up breath.

Vaughn rolled his eyes, “You’re always starving.”

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