Page 9 of Irresistible Little Ivy

I let out a low whistle. “Wow. I didn’t know that.”

“We raised a lot of money this year, Caleb. Thanks in no small part to your efforts.”

Shifting back on my heels, I exchanged a smile with my boss. He owned Rawhide and had a heart as big as anyone I’d ever met. Some people might think the owner of a sex positive resort would be sleazy, but Derek was anything but. A genuinely decent guy, an old-fashioned gentleman, and a shrewd businessman with a strong moral compass. I was glad I was working for him.

This Spirit Week charity thing was one of his babies, and all the proceeds went to a great causes like Rawhide University’s Scholarship program that grew larger every graduating class. This year, in addition to the usual charities, Derek was supporting a small apartment complex that housed kids who had aged out of the foster system and were attending the University of Montana or the nearby community college.

Pride filled me and I answered him honestly as I said, “My pleasure.”

Derek picked up his thick sheepskin jacket and shrugged it on. “Stop by the front desk. They’ll give you your welcome packet and make sure you are registered for the classes you wish to take. I may have put a star next to a few that I think you should take. Heard a pretty redhead might be in them.”

Blinking hard, I stuttered out, “I will. Um, thanks. How do you know she’s a redhead?”

“I watched the security tape.” He smiled at me, his eyes filled with warmth. “Could feel the chemistry between the two of you through the cameras. I’ll be interested to see how things go.”

“Thanks, again,” I said as my excitement grew. “You really did me a solid. I had no idea how I was going to find her.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I merely gave you an opportunity to attend two of the same classes tomorrow as Ivy. The rest is up to you. I truly hope you enjoy yourself, and I want to remind you, as of midnight you’re on vacation. No more working. Just have fun.”

“I’ll try,” I said as he hustled me out the door.

CHAPTER 3

Ivy

Despite my earlier exhaustion, after I’d taken a shower and eaten a delicious chef salad, I woke up after only an hour’s rest.

Lying in bed, I glanced at the clock and sighed when I saw it was barely nine. If I went to sleep now I’d be awake well before dawn. Flicking through the hundreds of channels available on the big screen on the wall, I put it on a twenty-four-hour weather channel and tossed the remote on the thick teal comforter of my bed. Turning on the brass lamp next to the bed, I grabbed the goodie basket that had been waiting for me on the side table when I’d arrived in my room.

The big, white wicker basket was covered in iridescent cellophane that obscured what was inside. It crinkled loudly as I placed it before me. A bit of excitement tickled in my belly and I embraced the sensation, allowing myself to feel joy over small things. Growing up without much, I appreciated the little touches that other people might not notice. Like the Rainbow Bright-themed name tag and the pretty velvet, peach bow.

After working at the bow for a minute, I finally got it off and pulled the cellophane back. My gasp of delight was real as I took in the bounty before me. The basket was filled with an amazing amount of retro toys, fashion, and jewelry. And I do mean filled. I let out a little squee as I picked up the brown and gray Pound Puppy stuffie with its big, sad eyes.

I hugged it to me, my eyes closed as my inner child squealed. I’d wanted one of these so bad, but we hadn’t had the money. My mom had barely been able to feed us. She’d tried and gotten me a cheap knockoff from K-Mart, and I’d loved it, but to have my coveted childhood toy in my arms took me to a new level of happy.

Crossing my legs and placing the stuffed dog in my lap, I dug back into the basket, pausing only to put on the jelly bracelets that were so neon they appeared to glow against my pale skin.

The vacation had cost a pretty penny, but Rawhide had so far exceeded all my expectations. My two-room suite looked out over a snowy landscape, revealing a rough natural beauty that was completely foreign to me. I’d been in snowy climates before, but all the places I’d visited had been cities. The view I had of a vast plain of snow fading into a forest was like something out of a fairy tale.

To look out and see such intense stillness, broken only by the wind, made me extra grateful for the gas fire burning merrily away in a river-stone fireplace setting.

I opened a box wrapped in fuchsia paper, then gasped. It contained all the vintage 80s perfumes I’d seen featured in old commercials. Yes, I watched 80s commercial compilations because they were funny. Many of them had not aged well, in often hilarious ways.

But the perfume commercials were something else. A gorgeous woman in lavish furs riding through a snowy Central Park on a magnificent horse. She is everything glamorous and so New York. Waiting for her is the ultimate cowboy. Hat and all. Or the one with a now famous actor in his undies. Meow.

I giggled as I came across a sampler of sex toys, putting them aside for the moment.

A round tube shape caught my eye and I jerked back. “No way.”

It was my favorite sticky sweet, flavored lip gloss that I’d adored in high school. They’d discontinued it years ago, and I missed them. I could afford top-of-the-line makeup now, but nothing can compare to the peach- or strawberry-flavored lip gloss I’d loved. The jelly bracelets on my wrist glowed faintly as I picked the tube up and read the fine print. Disappointment filled me. This was a recreation, not the original formula. And they said improvements had been made.

Meh.

My shoulders hunched as I now screwed off the cap without much interest.

The sight of the familiar white roller ball renewed a flicker of appeal. One of the things I’d loved about the gloss had been the slightly rough feeling of the roller ball against my lips. I gave the bottle an experimental squeeze, grinning as the goo inside came up and coated the ball. The scent of strawberries hit me and I took in a deep breath.

It certainly smelled the same.

---