2. Ivy
2
IVY
“Hi, Ms. Winter!”
Naomi Allen may have been sixteen and working her first job as Whiskers Vet Clinic’s junior receptionist. But to me, she would always be ten, trying to lead the class in a mutiny against fractions.
“Hi Naomi,” I greeted her, closing the door firmly shut behind me and shivering off the blustery windchill.
“Have you read the latest Runeweaver Knight yet? Can you believe?—”
I shushed her quickly. “No spoilers! I’m a third of the way through.”
Naomi scraped her nails over her face and let out a silent scream.
“I’ll finish it soon and we can discuss,” I laughed.
“ Thank you ,” she moaned.
It was rewarding to see the nudge I had given her towards epic fantasy had grown into a full blown addiction.
“Did you forget your pet?” Naomi’s forehead creased as she glanced down around my feet, looking for a furry companion. “ Do you have a pet?”
I grinned. “No, but class 5W is about to get several.”
Her eyes rounded with surprise. “No way! That’s why you’re the best, Ms. Winter. What are you?—”
“Ivy! You made it!”
I’d heard him speak at the last town meeting but I did not remember him sounding so… lush. A husky baritone that strummed something fundamental within me.
James strode out of the exam room, his appearance even more devastating than his voice. He filled out his blue scrubs like they were designer threads and probably missed his calling as a runway model. His hair was thick and dark, in a slight wave up from his forehead and rounded glasses framing expressive brown eyes. A single dimple adorned his left cheek.
He was a beta, the most common designation. But there was absolutely nothing common about him.
“Here I am,” I said, tucking my hair behind my ear nervously.
“Come with me.” James flicked his head towards the consulting room. “The computer’s in here.”
Was I allowed to be alone with that blinding smile without a chaperone? I gave Naomi a wave goodbye and followed James into the office.
James settled himself easily into the swivel chair and gestured for me to sit at the chair beside the desk. As he leant back casually and steepled his fingers together at his waist, my eyes dropped to his exposed toned forearms.
These are the second pair of arms you’ve stared at today, Ivy. What’s the matter with you?
“Seal emoji. That was you, wasn’t it?”
My eyes shot back up to his face, hoping he didn’t notice my detour. “Yes. Rome would like you to know he didn’t have an aneurysm,” I informed him seriously.
James threw his head back, rewarding me with a laugh that was genuine and bright. “It’s good that you told me, it was a very real concern of mine,” he teased.
His manner was so open, inviting me into his world. I didn’t really want to start discussing fish just yet.
“How are the two of you settling in?” I asked quickly. Was that a silly thing to ask? They’d been here for several months now. “I know Starlight Grove is barely a blip on a map compared to New York but?—”
He let out a sheepish huff. “Do you know how Rome and I met?”
I shook my head.
“We were waiting in line for a croissant.”
“That’s a cute way to?—”
“For two hours.”
“Oh.”
I couldn’t imagine anything worse.
James seemed amused by how badly I was hiding my thoughts. “We chatted almost the entire time and by the time we got to the front of the line there was only one left. Made sense to split it.”
“Was it worth it?”
“Yes. Definitely.” He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, suddenly shy. “But not because of the croissant.”
I inhaled sharply, feeling my heart expand.
Would I ever find a love like that?
“Point is,” James continued, “Rome and I are happy to find a home where a two-hour wait for a viral croissant is not a thing.”
“I’m glad,” I said softly.
His scent was subtle — all beta scents were — but suddenly the whispers I’d been picking up didn’t feel like enough. Hot chocolate with a hint of marshmallow. It was such a tease, a mug passing by in the hands of a waitress for someone else. I wanted to hug it between frozen hands, lift it to my lips and let it warm me from the inside out.
God, imagine our scents together.
Imagine our scents with Rome’s.
I got the briefest flash of how that would look — clashing lips, an escaped whine and whitened knuckles — and swallowed hard.
Inappropriate, Ivy! So inappropriate!
There was a loose yarn between my fingers, accidentally yanked free from my sleeve. When did I do that?
James’ jaw was tense, a stillness in his limbs reminiscent of a beast poised to strike.
And then it was gone and the dimple returned.
“So…ready for Fish 101?”
I left with a stack of printouts with meticulously detailed notes of recommended fish and a list of reasonably priced accessories that worked with my budget. James even scribbled out a classroom feeding schedule and gave me tips on how to best involve the children in the maintenance.
“Just name one of them after me!” was all he said when I thanked him profusely.
I was determined to find the prettiest betta fish possible in order to do him justice.
The image of a beautiful swirling fish wearing tiny glasses popped into my head. I pulled my scarf a little higher around my face to hide my goofy smile.
After leaving Whiskers, I’d driven to Main Street, needing to stop at Mariposa Market and pick up a bottle of wine before heading to dinner with my parents.
I’d lived in Starlight Grove my entire life, but the way she adorned herself for winter would never lose its magic. Wreaths of various sizes and gaudiness hung from doors, neighbors trying to outshine each other like male birds seeking a mate. My steps slowed to a stroll despite the brisk early evening air, admiring the fairy lights and paper snowflakes that had gone up in shop windows. I stopped in front of the toy shop and giggled at the felt mice wearing Christmas sweaters, positioned like they were hard at work setting up the display.
A plaintive meow drew my attention. Felix slunk out from around the corner and stretched himself up, pressing two cotton-white paws on the window edge. His little pink nose squashed on the glass and left a heart-shaped mark behind.
“They’re not real mice, Felix,” I explained. “Won’t be a good mouthful.”
He blinked golden eyes at me.
“Yes, I’m very sure,” I assured him.
Felix was a fixture in Starlight Grove. A riot of black, white and orange fur. His imperious attitude masked how good a listener he was.
I didn’t want to call him a stray. He was far too majestic for that.
Felix was just…ours.
Plus he was invaluable at town meetings for settling debates when our mayor Stanley droned on for too long. We liked to think of Felix as our mayor too, to Stanley’s great consternation.
“Have you picked your house for tonight?” I reached down and gave his head a scratch. “Not yet? You can come with me but I’m visiting my parents first.”
Felix scrunched his nose with distaste. I shouldn’t have said that. Mom and Dad’s chocolate labrador was in love with Felix and it was a torrid one-sided affair.
“Oh, he’s not that bad!” I recalled the way Teddy had chased Felix through my parents’ yard and winced. “Ok, maybe for you he is,” I conceded.
The sky was darkening quickly, the amber glow of the streetlamps illuminating the rain-soaked sidewalk. My pale cheeks were already ruddy from the cold. “Well, don’t stay out here too long. Alright?” I instructed him, sticking my hands even deeper into my pockets.
My reflexes barely kicked in as Felix barreled towards me without warning.
“Oof!”
I struggled to hold him and maintain my balance as he scampered up my front. He nuzzled his head into my neck with such an aggressive, burrowing motion I squealed.
It was sadly the most action I’d gotten in years.
“Sorry, you do want to come with me after all?” I wheezed as his big bottlebrush tail batted at me.
Then he was gone, like a demented poltergeist, leaving me flustered and confused.
“What on earth…”
I stared down at my woolen coat, now covered with cat hair. I sighed, brushed the orange, white and black off me as best I could and continued on my way.