Chapter 46 Ivy
Ivy
I’m scattering grilled peppers on top of a bowl when the kitchen goes silent. Alex must have stepped in here. The staff have been beside themselves all morning. I was afraid it would negatively affect our efficiency, but if anything, it’s helped.
Alex’s arms wrap around me before I have the chance to turn. I set down the food, take off my gloves, and back us up from the food prep area. He places a kiss on my neck and holds me tighter.
“When will you finish up here?” he asks, nuzzling into the side of my face.
“We close at two, and I’ll likely be finished by three.”
“Can I pick you up then and take you somewhere to rub your feet, and feed you?” He turns me around to face him, keeping his arms firmly around me. “And kiss you like I really want to.”
Thankfully, he’s keeping his voice low, but the kitchen staff are openly staring. It’s too late to care at this point. I slide my hands up his chest, and around his neck as I go up on my toes and press my lips to his.
“As long as the kissing can be first,” I say against his lips.
“Hmmm … we’ll see how things go.”
I push against his chest and smile.
“Fine, the kissing can be first. Whatever you want, darling.”
“I like the sound of that,” I say. “Now get out of here. You’re so distracting.”
He pulls me to him and kisses my cheek. “Fine. But I’ll be counting down the minutes until three.”
When Alex left, I thought time was going to drag, but I got in the zone. I enjoyed putting bowls together and greeting my regulars—including Fran Randolph and her Bible verses. Before I knew it, the restaurant was closed, and we were cleaning and preparing for tomorrow.
Alex came in through the back entrance at three o’clock on the dot.
He leaned against the kitchen doorframe, arms crossed, watching me double-check everything was turned off and ready for tomorrow.
As soon as I locked the door, he took my hand and led me to the passenger seat of his SUV, which, come to find out, is not a rental.
He drives me ten minutes down the road to a beautiful white farmhouse. I imagine sitting in a rocking chair, drinking lemonade on the porch. A picnic table under the trees. Alex opens my door for me—because he insists I wait for him to do that—and he takes my hand and leads me toward the house.
He pulls his keys from his pocket as we step onto the porch, and he unlocks and opens the door. “Welcome to my new home.”
We step inside, and I’m greeted by a beautiful old staircase, and what looks like well-kept original wood floors.
“I can’t believe you bought a house. Here.” My eyes are wide as I take in all the beautiful character that’s been preserved. It has arched doorways. Arched doorways!
“I know there is more for us. Trust me when I say this is absolutely what I want.”
“I trust you.” He gives my hand a little squeeze because he knows the gravity of those words. “And I love it.”
“It needs a little work.”
“Well, you know a good contractor.” I raise my eyebrows, and he narrows his eyes at me. “Tom accidentally spilled the beans a couple of days ago.”
He nods. “So … were you … upset? Or … happy?”
“I landed on happy, although I’m not sure what I was going to do about it. Then you showed up, and I think I’ll just show you how happy I am.”
“Oh really?” His grin is as wide as I’ve ever seen it. “I didn’t do it for any sort of reward. But I think I’d like to collect. What are you thinking?” He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
I put my hands on his chest and push him until his legs hit the sofa, which appears to be the only piece of furniture in the house, then I push him down.
“I’m quite enjoying this so far,” Alex says. Something about his voice and accent hits my ears just right, making me shiver. I climb onto his lap, and his smile disappears as he gazes at me intensely.
I take his face in my hands and place a soft kiss on his lips. “Thank you, Alex,” I whisper against his lips, where I stay as I slide my hand back into his hair.
He wraps his arms around me and tugs me closer. “Have I told you I quite fancy you?”
I lean my head back to catch his beautiful blue eyes with mine. “You’ve mentioned it.”
“If you don’t hear it from me a million more times before this life is over, I will have failed.”
I bring my lips back to his for a moment, that turns to minutes, that turns to I don’t know how long, then I whisper in my best English accent, “I quite fancy you too.”
He throws his head back in a laugh, then brings his hands to my face, his fingertips playing softly in my hair. “I love you, darling.”
I sigh. “I love it when you call me darling. Honestly, I think when you started that … that's when I started being unable to fight the pull toward you.”
He puts his arms back around me and gives me what can only be described as a sassy look. “For me, it was seeing you in your new dresses for the first time.”
“Be serious!” I swat his arm and smile.
“I truly don’t know. My feelings came hard and fast, but they were also a slow build.
I knew when I met you, you were someone special.
I knew at the pool that I was desperate for more of you.
I knew on the gondola that I wanted to try with you, that the pretend thing wasn’t working for me and never had.
And when you sang karaoke, I knew that I would stay with you, no matter what it took, for as long as you’d let me. ”
“Alex, I never wanted you to have to give anything up, and it looks like that’s exactly what’s happening. And all I’ve done is gain.”
“I’d been itching for a change for a while. I did what I wanted to in Hollywood, and now I’m over it. I don’t long for fame or money. I still want to create, but I have a plan for that. It all starts with the box.”
“Oh my gosh! I forgot about the box. What was in it?” I move off Alex’s lap to sit beside him, and he pouts.
“It was full of my grandfather’s World War II things and letters he exchanged with my grandmother.”
“Wow. I can’t wait to see it all.”
“I wish I had brought it with me.” Alex twirls one of my curls around his finger. “I’m writing a screenplay. A love story set in World War II. And the good thing about screenplay writing is I can do it anywhere. I mean, I’ll have to travel some, but mostly, I could be here.”
I launch myself at Alex and pin him to the sofa. I kiss him until I hear something and turn to find the Parkers standing there with shopping bags.
Did they buy throw pillows?