Page 79 of Sliding Into Love
Laura blinked, nonplussed.
Music echoed through the stadium, breaking the tension.
Until Ivy’s phone rang. An unknown number. She answered with her heart in her throat.
“Ivy, hi, I just wanted to let you know I received your paperwork, and everything is all straightened out.”
The voice was familiar, but she hadn’t even received an email from the school with her paperwork yet, how could they have gotten it back?
“Sorry, who is this?”
“Nayomi Harrison. Sorry, this is my cell, not my office phone. I’m on the way out, but I know you were worried, so I wanted to let you know ASAP.”
“Oh.” Relief washed over her at the same time as irritation. What the hell was taking the school so long? “Thank you. Have a good night.” She tried to keep her tone even; Nayomi wasn’t the problem.
“Is everything all right?”
Ivy let out a rough exhale, explaining the whole ordeal again. “I got a one-line email last week, reminding me that my application would expire in thirty days if nothing happened. So, there’s that.” She took a sip of her soda, crunching on a piece of ice.
“Too bad everyone I know on the school board retired.” Laura patted Ivy’s arm affectionately. “Maybe a donation would help move them along.”
“Ethan said the same thing. It’s good to know I can hit you both up for fundraisers in the future,” she joked.
“You think he’ll want us around in the future?”
“I think that’s something you’ll have to work out together. But I think he’s willing to try if you are.” She wondered if Laura knew how lonely Ethan had been as a child. His background wasn’t the same as Jase’s, and it wasn’t her place to share either of their stories. But she hoped Ethan and his parents were able to sit down and hash out their past, for better or worse. So many things remained unsaid between them.
Then Ethan was at bat, and as he settled into his stance, Ivy appreciated the curve of his rear in those tight white pants, the width of his shoulders. His jaw worked as he chewed, and he puckered his lips slightly to snap the gum between his teeth.
Breathing out a sigh, Ivy daydreamed about those lips and imagined the ripple of his back muscles as he swung the bat for a foul.
With the swivel of his hips, Ivy got an intense visual of him swiveling those hips intoher,and she sighed again, biting her tongue to keep any more noises from escaping.
“I remember the early days,” Laura said, raising one eyebrow. “Jimmy in those pants…well… you get it.”
Ivy let out a squeak at being caught ogling him by hismother.
“Don’t be embarrassed,” Laura laughed. “I know exactly how you feel. Jimmy and I were intense in our younger days. Did you know— well you wouldn’t because we never told Ethan. But remind me one day to tell you all about why you should never use stadium seats for,” and she paused to peer at the kids, “ah, adult activities.”
If Ivy had been drinking, she would have sprayed it halfway across the field. As it was, she gaped at Laura before breaking into a howling laugh.
“I’m surprised,” she said.
Ivy, panicking, ran through everything she’d said in the past hour. Nothing embarrassing came to mind, though.
“If I were you,” Laura continued, “I’d be asking for all the dirt on Ethan. Embarrassing stories, baby photos…”
“Oh! I…” Ivy trailed off, uncertain how to explain. “Did Ethan tell you about me?”
“Not much. Why?”
Ivy held her breath for a moment.
“I was in foster care for most of my life. I don’t have any photos or embarrassing baby stories, so I hadn’t considered them.” Laura’s face blanched, and her eyes grew wide. “It’s okay,” Ivy added hastily. “I’m…okay. I just…didn’t think about it.” After a few moments of silence, she added, “I wouldloveto hear embarrassing baby Ethan stories though. And pictures! I bet he was the cutest baby.”
Laura’s eyes shuttered before she blinked, offering Ivy a bright smile.
“Of course! I found a few I thought you might like to see.”
