The Kane Cross (Cross 1)

8 - Night out

Ivy sighed as she popped in her ear buds. She should have gone to the law library, but the age appropriate law students made her feel old. Twenty-seven was vastly different from twenty-two. The younger students probably had more sex. Sex. Ivy used all her mental power to cram her brain with legal cases to squeeze out her memories of sex.

Ivy couldn't think about sex when she saw Tate later. She had forgotten to tell her mother she wouldn't be home for dinner, so she popped her ear buds out and groaned.

Her mother yelled, "Maybe if I didn't have to do all the work around here."

"I work on Saturdays, six days a week to support your spending."

"My spending!"

"I don't spend a hundred bucks at the craft store."

Their argument was like a recording played over and over for as long as Ivy could remember. She would rather stay single than have a marriage like theirs. Putting her buds in to drown them out, she texted her mother instead. Concentrate. Block it out. Did her parents ever have passion? Would Ivy ever feel it again?

The house was quiet when she set out to see Tate. Ivy had been to the Back Bay apartment twice before. It was supposed to be for the newly married couple to start their life together.

Tate greeted her with a quick hug. Ivy looked for signs of unhappiness. Her friend's skin glowed and her smile looked genuine. "Are you going to tell me how you really are?"

"It's weird. The embarrassment is tough to swallow, but I don't miss him. It's like the spell I was under wore off."

"I saw the tabloids. They did a number on him." It took close to two weeks after the wedding day, but the news leaked with photographs of Duncan and the girl.

"Someone who was in Vail leaked those photos, but I don't want to talk about it." She motioned toward the cream sofa. "Come in. Sit down."

Ivy kicked off her shoes. The decor was cream with splashes of color, but the rug matched the sofa.

Tate poured red wine at the counter. "Tell me, how was Aspen?"

"It was peaceful." Tate handed her a glass. At her house, their wine glasses were all one size and came from Walmart. The larger glass was like the ones she drank from with Baxter. "I'm afraid I'll spill." She froze as Tate swirled her glass and sniffed the wine before finally taking a sip. Memories of large hands holding the glass.

"Don't worry. The jerk would have stained the place in a week. I heard Baxter showed up at the house."

"About that, who has a five-bedroom ski house?"

"The Kane's do. My brother didn't say much about meeting you."

She felt her voice shake. "He drank scotch and worked the whole time."

"He said the same thing. You studied a lot."

Ivy focused on her friend. "How was the warmth? You have a nice tan."

Tate looked at her own arm. "I made it a spa week."

"Did you meet any men, um." Ivy coughed. "To get what's his name out of your system?"

Tate waved her perfectly manicured hand. "A girl doesn't kiss and tell."

Ivy laughed. That line could be her personal anthem.

"You flew home with Kasper and made an impression on him."

"He's too young for me. Besides, I'm not dating material for your brother."

"Just as well, Kasper doesn't date. He hooks up. You aren't that kind of girl."

Ivy busied herself drinking her wine. "This is good."