Page 42 of Who Pissed Off Ivy Dell?

“That’s actually a better name for the winery itself. Vintage is a wine term.” I don’t know why I feel the need to tell him this as if he doesn’t know. “Unless it’s too casual for what you had in mind overall.”

“Formal is the furthest thing from my vision. Maybe Vintage Vibes is a better name. Guess I’d have to drop Vineyards. That might be too much alliteration.”

“Yeah. Vintage Vibes is enough. You don’t really have to declare the vineyards.”

“And that means I can use Ivy in the wine names. I could name my first two releases Wild Ivy and Desert Ivy. I like it.”

“You don’t have to include Ivy at all.”

“But I want her included.”

I realize our friends are all still staring at us, watching this very personal conversation unfold. “If you insist on naming a wine after me, you could at least call it Classy Slut.”

“I’ll put that on a t-shirt.”

Everyone laughs. Wolves howl. They’re far away, but the wind carries the sound. It can fool you, make you think they’re closer.

“Why do you need the Sparrow’s Song sign?”

“Everything’s not about need. Sometimes, you just want something.”

“Well, I want that one.”

“I already called dibs.”

“If you had a screen door, I’d slam it.”

“I’ll put one in for you at the winery. We’ll call it the Ivy Slammer.”

Everybody laughs again. An owl lifts off from the roof. It’s too high to touch us, but we all duck a bit when we hear the rush of its unseen wings.

Some things are inherently scary, even when you know there’s probably no danger.

Jensen

All About Trust

I was shocked whenIvy offered to be the first one to be tattooed tonight, but I’m even more shocked that she’s going through with it.

“Okay,” Josephine says. “Moment of truth. Where are we doing it?”

Ivy points to my favorite kissing spot, just inside her hip bone.

“Ooh, how intimate,” Josephine teases. “And what am I putting there?”

“A cactus blossom. Looks like they might not bloom before I have to leave. The one I love in Tawny’s painting may the only one I get to see, and I don’t think I can buy it. I might need to be more conservative with my money for a while. Yellow.”

“I love it. Just the flower or do you want it on a cactus? A vignette, maybe?”

“No. Just the flower.”

“Take off your pants and let’s do this.”

Ivy hesitates. I know she hadn’t considered that she’d have to take off her pants. For as uninhibited as she is in private, she’s not about to strip down to her underwear in front of Dice and Cujo. I open a drawer and take out a pair of pajama pants with a drawstring waist. “Here. These should work.”

“Thanks.” She goes to my bathroom to change.

“For a girl who grew up in a bikini, she’s awfully shy about her body,” Josephine says as she sets up her tray.

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