Chapter 4
IVY
He stayed on my mind all day, and he even appeared in my dream.
I knew I might’ve crossed a line by hugging and kissing him, but I couldn’t help it. I had been wanting to do it for a while now, and earlier this morning, it felt like the right moment. He hadn’t pushed me away. Hadn’t told me not to get too close.
No, he enjoyed it. He did give me a small warning, but it wasn’t one he took too seriously himself.
After sleeping for a few hours in the morning, and then getting some chores done in the afternoon, I finally got ready for trivia night at Barkley’s. Ruby was in her room, and since we always did our makeup in front of her large mirror, I headed over to her bedroom with my makeup bag.
“Hi,” I said as I stepped into her room.
“Hey. You totally missed out last night,” she said with a smirk.
“We kept getting drinks from those guys, and Carly had the funny idea of sending them a round of shots. But instead of Vodka, we made the bartender put in water. They drank it, and didn’t even realize it was just water.
They were so wasted.” She laughed at her story.
I chuckled and sat down on the floor next to her in front of the mirror. “Guys are so weird. What else did I miss out on?”
We both started to do our makeup while Ruby told me everything that happened while I was hanging out with Will in the studio. As fun as she made it all sound, I was glad I left once I’d had enough. That night in the studio with Will had felt incredible, and I wanted to do it all over again.
“I still can’t believe you dipped out early,” Ruby said, applying mascara. “I miss when we used to be the last ones standing.”
I only ever stayed because of her. To make sure nothing would happen to her. Last night, though, I knew she’d get home safe with Lenny and Carly around.
“I just wasn’t feeling it. Needed a rest.”
She gave me a look in the mirror, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. But then she nodded and moved to the next subject.
We finished our makeup, and when we were finally satisfied with our faces, we bundled up and headed out into the cool night air toward Barkley’s.
The bar was already buzzing when we got there. Groups huddled over trivia sheets, and the unmistakable scent of old wood and fried food was in the air. We spotted Lenny near the back, holding a half-finished beer and waving us down with the other.
“Look who finally showed up,” she grinned as we approached. “I’ve been here alone, fending off creeps and holding this table like it’s a sacred altar.”
Ruby rolled her eyes and slid into the booth before me. “You’ve been here for ten minutes.”
“Ten minutes too long ,” Lenny said dramatically. “Also, I already signed us up as Trivia Newton-John . You’re welcome.”
I laughed and took the seat beside her, heart thudding a little louder now that we were settled in.
Lenny turned to me. “You okay? We missed you last night.”
Ruby glanced at me, too. I could feel both of them looking, waiting.
I hesitated. “Yeah, I’m fine. There’s uh…something, though.” There was no smooth way to say it, no casual way to deliver the bomb I was about to drop.
“I uh…” I cleared my throat. “I might’ve invited someone.”
Lenny blinked. “What kind of someone?”
“Like a guy someone?” Ruby added, already leaning in. “Ohmygod. Did you meet up with someone last night when you left?”
I furrowed my brows. I didn’t really meet up with him. It wasn’t planned. But I did hope to meet him at the studio.
Pressing my lips together, I waited a moment before telling them. “I invited Will.”
Lenny tilted her head. “Will who?”
“Professor Novak,” I said, only confusing them more.
They frowned at me.
“Our art teacher ?” Ruby said, her voice half a gasp, half a laugh. “You invited him here?”
“To trivia night?” Lenny added, looking between us like she wasn’t sure she heard right.
I nodded slowly. “Yeah.”
“Is this, like…” Ruby trailed off, eyes narrowing. “Is he the reason why you left early last night?”
“No,” I said quickly. “I mean…kinda. I wanted to go home, but then I remembered him saying he would be at the studio all night. So I went too.”
“Ivy, girl, don’t tell us you’re secretly dating Will Novak.”
I looked at Ruby’s wide-eyed and amused face.
“Definitely not dating,” I stated with a nervous laugh.
“But there’s something ,” Lenny added.
“I guess…”
“Holy shit.” She looked at Ruby and they both grinned.
“That’s kinda hot. I mean, he’s hot. And you two have, like, so much in common, so…I get it.”
I bit my lower lip. Ruby’s words made my heartbeat settled a bit. Their reactions were better than I hoped. Then again, they’d support anything I did. Well, maybe not everything. But most things.
“He’s smart, and they keep asking these stupid art history questions. So, maybe it’s a good thing you invited him,” Lenny said. “I want to win tonight. First prize is a gift card to that fancy restaurant next to the country club. Wait…if we win, will you bring Professor Novak too?”
“Of course, she will. Especially if he helps us win.” Ruby grinned at me. “What happened at the studio last night?”
“Nothing,” I exhaled, nervous laughter slipping out. “We painted. We talked. Then he walked me home around five in the morning. I kissed him on the cheek,” I added quickly. “It was innocent.”
Ruby and Lenny both made the exact same face: equal parts shock, amusement, and a dash of you go girl.
But before either of them could respond, I saw Will stepping into the bar, looking as handsome as ever. He scanned the bar like he wasn’t totally sure what he’d walked into. He wore a navy blue sweater under a black coat, and when his eyes moved around the bar, they finally met mine.
He smiled.
Lenny leaned in, whispering, “Okay, yeah. He’s hot. But this is still insane.”
“We’re gonna need food. And maybe shots. Does your boyfriend drink?” she asked with a teasing grin.
“I don’t know,” I said, then murmured, “and he’s not my boyfriend.”
“Hm, not yet. We’ll make it happen somehow.”
Ruby giggled, nudging my side just as Will started weaving through the crowd toward our table. My stomach flipped. I couldn’t tell if it was from nerves of excitement. Or both.
“He looks a little too cool for trivia night,” Lenny said, sipping her beer like she was watching a movie. “Like he belongs in a loft with jazz music and expensive wine.”
“Or a moody gallery opening,” Ruby added, leaning closer. “God, Ivy, you so have a type.”
I ignored their teasing and sat up straighter as he got closer. Will gave the three of us a polite nod before settling his eyes back on me.
“Hey,” he said, voice low, like it was meant just for me.
“Hi,” I replied, trying to sound casual and completely unflustered. I failed.
Will glanced around the table. “Hope I’m not crashing.”
“Not at all,” Ruby said, her voice way too cheerful. “We could use the help. Art questions are our downfall. Most times, at least. Ivy here knows quite a lot too.”
“You are exactly the kind of man we need,” Lenny added, scooting over and gesturing for him to sit beside me.
He chuckled, then shrugged off his coat and slid into the booth, the space between us suddenly feeling much smaller than it had a second ago.
Ruby raised a hand to get the server’s attention. “We’re gonna need a round of something. Beers? Or…” she looked at Will. “Do you drink, Professor?”
I hated that.
Tonight, he wasn’t a professor. He was Will.
Just. Will.
He smiled politely. “Beer’s fine. Thanks.”
I could feel Will glancing at me while Lenny and Ruby talked to the server. I kept my eyes forward, but looked at him when he asked, “Who chose that name?”
He pointed to the sheet on the table.
I chuckled. “Uh, Lenny did. She’s pretty creative. And funny.”
“Trivia Newton-John. That is pretty damn funny.”
Lenny must’ve heard him say that, so she turned her head and grinned at him. “Thanks, Professor.”
God, I really needed for them to stop calling him that.
“Please, call me Will.”
Lenny’s grin widened, and she gave me a knowing look. “Will do.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, hoping he wasn’t feeling too out of place. After clearing my throat, I turned to him and said, “Thanks for coming.”
“Of course,” he said softly. “Wasn’t sure if you were serious.”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d actually show.”
“I couldn’t say no. You asked.”
My heart did that annoying flutter again.
Ruby returned her gaze to us just in time to catch the tail end of whatever look was passing between us. She smirked.
“So, what exactly did you two paint until five in the morning?”
Will raised an eyebrow in amusement. Clearly, it didn’t bother him that I told my friends about last night. Still, I needed for him to know that they would never tell anyone.
“You can ignore them. They won’t tell anyone though.”
He chuckled, placing a hand on my thigh, giving it a tight squeeze. “I figured I was walking into some friendly interrogation.”
“Oh no,” Lenny said. “This isn’t friendly. This is full-on investigation mode.”
He narrowed his eyes, glancing between them, then turning to me. “Should I be worried?”
I smiled, a little embarrassed, but warmed by how calm he was. “They’ll get bored eventually.”
“Never,” Ruby said.
Will laughed again, then leaned back in his seat just as the trivia host’s voice crackled through the speakers, announcing the first round.
He kept his hand on my thigh as I looked at him, meeting his gaze. Although it was loud around us, the most comforting silence came up around us. Our eyes stayed on each other, and the moment felt like forever before he moved his hand away from my thigh.
He gave me a soft, reassuring smile, and though I already missed his touch, I knew it was for the better.
The first question went up on the screen, and we both turned our attention to it.
“Surprise, surprise,” Lenny muttered, shaking her head at the notoriously tricky art history question that always came up first. She turned to face us, her brows raised, and her expression full of expectation. “Do you know the answer?”