Page 40 of Up In Smoke

Ivy hadn't cared. “At least the business is doing well and will hopefully stick around.” So far she was enjoying having a spa nearby.

In a short while, they were both on the tables, face down, half covered with sheets, and getting hot rocks placed on their backs.

“I've never had this before,” she told Jo.

“It's super weird, but I love it.” But when the masseuse left them alone, Jo spoke up. “I just noticed the tattoo on your back is ivy and lilies.”

It was too good of an opening, Ivy thought. So she dropped a bit of a bomb. “I have thirteen brothers and sisters.” Well, shit. “Actually, only twelve now. I found out last month that my oldest brother died a while ago.”

“One of those deeply Christian fundamentalist families?” Jo didn’t gasp at the number of brothers and sisters, or the fact that Ivy’s brother had passed and she hadn’t been notified. She shouldn't have been shocked that her best friend had figured her out. Over the years, no one else had. Maybe she'd been too wild or too closed off, but it felt good to be understood.

Ivy nodded. “They kicked me out when I was sixteen and I haven't had contact with anyone since. Lily was …”

She couldn't quite bring herself to say it. But Jo nodded, one hand coming out, and Ivy accepted it for a quick grasp of understanding.

Lily had been everything. Lily had been the one who understood her like no one else ever had, or ever would. Lily had been the one that Ivy would have bet everything on being here with her now. So her betrayal had cut the deepest.

“You don't have to tell me.” Jo comforted her, seeming to recognize the scuffling in the hall meant that someone was coming back to them and that Ivy wouldn't necessarily want to share her story with everyone.

“I will. You should know,” Ivy said. “We should plan a slumber party. You bring the ice cream and I'll tell you the whole sordid story.”

Jo nodded. “I'd like to hear it.”

Ivy knew it wasn't that she wanted the gossip. Jo wanted to know more of her friend. But as she looked over, she saw her friend had slowly turned her head and was looking at the door.

Too many people were walking down the hall, making noise, and making Jo frown. “Why haven't they come back for these rocks?”

Ivy had to admit that hers weren't that hot anymore.

Jo sat up abruptly, the rocks falling to the bed and a few clattering to the floor as she did it. Ivy turned her head, but even with the noise her friend had just made, still no one came to their door.

Jo exhaled oddly as Ivy slowly turned, looking the other way. Unlike her friend, she wasn't simply willing to sit up and toss the rocks away. She had no idea if they were expensive and she cared.

“Ivy! Get up!” Jo snapped at her.

Ivy did as she was told. The odd sensations nagging at her suddenly becoming clear as she did.

She saw and smelled it. Even as Jo said the words, dread curled low in her stomach.

“There’s smoke coming in under the door.”

Chapter Thirty-One

“At least this is good,” Ivy said as, together, she and Jo headed for the bathroom that was attached to their massage room.

Jo was already inside, making short use of the supplies.

There was a shower in here in case anyone wanted to wash off the oils.Perfect. Ivy followed suit, grabbing one of the big fluffy bathrobes and climbing into it. It wasn’t just covering her nakedness, it would protect her from the fire that was clearly beyond their door. The only question was: how far beyond?

Jo turned on the water and shoved Ivy in first, ever the firefighter.

“Sweet Jesus!” Ivy yelled. It was freezing.

But Jo was quick to point out that she'd be thankful for the cold in just a few minutes. Grabbing another large bath towel, Jo shoved it over Ivy's head and let the water soak it, too.

“You'll breathe through that one,” Jo told her as they switched places, Ivy now dripping onto the floor.

As she glanced out into the main room, she saw the smoke still curling in from the hallway. With another towel in hand, she stole a little of the water from Jo before heading out and stuffing it under the door.

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