Ivy's Twisted Vine Redux (25 page)

Kit’s story was nothing extraordinary. She was an implant to the city by way of Paris. Her company had relocated to her Memphis over ten years ago, but when they went out of business, the college grad had no one in Paris to return to. So, down on her luck, she opted to use her physical assets to make a good living for herself.

Grey had always been smitten with Kit. She was beautiful, intelligent and bold. Her accent and insatiable sexual appetite made her his own little erotic treat. Although he was extremely attracted to her and grateful of her choice to be an exotic dancer, he often wondered why she didn’t exercise more of her intellect. They had found themselves in numerous conversations over the years where she was well informed of issues even beyond his understanding. However, he never urged her to pursue jobs in better fields. To loose her as a late night
booty call
would be a crime and a shame.

Excited that he had not missed the show, Grey sat back in the booth, crossed his legs comfortably and sipped on his drink debating whether or not to take Kit home tonight. It was never her decision, because she never said no to anything. It was, however, his decision, and it was now weighing heavily on him. With Ivy pregnant, he did not have anyone to fulfill his most ambitious needs, but he questioned his choices. As the lights dimmed and the DJ announced to the gentlemen to prepare themselves for the entertainment extravaganza of the evening, Grey put his worries to rest. After all, he didn’t have to make a decision right away.

The entire room became silent, and the lovely Kit walked out on stage in her wintergreen velvet knee boots and matching cat suit boldly cut to expose her ample breast and buttocks. Her body swayed like a dexterous feline as she walked down the catwalk, and as she made contact with each man in the room, her light green contacts sparkled. Smiling, she kicked her leg up to cue the music, fell down into a Chinese split and rocked erotically on the floor. Letting her hair fall down to her waist, she waited until she heard the men scream like lust-driven cavemen before she lifted her head and began to move around erotically teasing her audience.

Kit stood up and danced over to the clear, illuminated center pole where she quickly wrapped her legs around the cold acrylic beam and spun around allowing the phallic symbol to rest tightly between her legs. Holding on tightly to balance her body, she licked her lips and shook her breasts watching the crowd go wild. As her foot hit the ground, she looked across the room where Grey was sitting in his usual booth. Smiling slyly, she tore off her suit and revealed her wintergreen thong and shiny green tassels. Grey laughed. He loved that she was so excited by the audience. Lifting his glass to salute her, Grey whistled at the young nimble vixen as she picked up a bottle of baby oil. She always gave a damned good show.

**

Nearly fully dressed, Kit joined Grey at this booth almost an hour later where he had already ordered her favorite drink. Hugging him before she sat down, she took her drink and quickly gulped it down.

“Hello, Mr. Wonderful. I wasn’t expecting to see you here this evening,” she said lighting her cigarette.

“I had a little free time.” He wished that she didn’t smoke. It was the one thing that made her imperfect. He struggled to breathe between her drags.

“Well, it’s good that you did come. Tonight is my last night,” she said proudly exhaling another puff of her cigarette in his direction. She knew that he didn’t like the smoke, but she enjoyed watching him squirm.

“What?” Grey was surprised at her decision. He thought that she loved her job. “Are you going to another club?”

“No. No one else in Memphis can afford me. My son is getting older, and I know that pretty soon he’s going figure out what I do, if someone doesn’t tell him first. His father has been holding my job over my head for years now. So, I’m quitting and moving closer to him in Atlanta. I have enough saved to start fresh. Maybe I’ll open a small business or something.” She felt close enough to Grey to give him a thorough explanation. “I’m out of the exotic dancing business. Besides, I’m nearly a millionaire.” She wiggled her nose at him and put out her cigarette.

“Well, what can I say? I’m proud of you.” He looked down for a brief moment. “I’ll miss you, but I am proud.”

“Oh,” she said taking his face in her hand. “I’ll miss you, too.”

“So how do you plan to celebrate your last night as an exotic dancer?” He had made his decision.

“I don’t know. Why? Do you have any suggestions?” She already knew what he was talking about. She lifted her high-arched brow at him and smiled.

“I have a few things in mind,” he said rubbing her leg softly.

“You sure that you want to do this?” She looked down at his hand on her thigh.

“Why would you say that?” Grey became suspicious. Kit never questioned him.

“You haven’t been around for a while. I thought that maybe you and Ivy had gotten it together. I’d hate to be the reason that you relapse.”

Grey removed his hand and sat back in the booth. Casually, he put his arm behind her. “Ivy’s pregnant.”

“Pregnant?” Then news came as a shock to Kit and at that very moment she was very happy to be leaving Grey Henderson behind her.

“Yes, pregnant. So right now, I’m playing Mr. Nice Guy and trying to be there for her, as well as, planning for a wedding and make this new merger at the office happen. Plus, I’ve got graduation in a few months.” He ran his finger down her arm. “I need to release some pressure.” He moved closer and gave a sly smile. “You’re the only woman capable of making that happen.”

“Uh huh,” Kit said lighting another cigarette. “You mean that I’m the only woman available.” She had a thought and grinned. “Damn, you’re the second guy I know that is dealing with pregnancy issues. Something must be in the water.” Laughing she put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

“Well, you can guarantee that I won’t be drinking anymore of it,” he said looking at her. “What do you say, Kit. Do you want to be with a soon-to-be married father on your last night?” Temptation had taken over.

“
Oui
, I think I do,” she said taking his hand. “Let’s get out of here.”

Grabbing his keys, Grey followed closely behind her as they walked towards the coatroom. While he opened the door for Kit, Nicola walked in with Brooks and several off-duty police officers. Surprised, Nicola looked up in the middle of laughing and choked at the sight of the two.

“Damn. What are you up to, Grey?” Nicola asked smiling at Kit. “Hey, Ms. Kitty,” he said instantly making the connection. Either they really did have the same taste in women or there was a serious shortage of the opposite sex in Memphis.

“Hello Nicola,” she said flirting with the prospect of coming back to the club after she left Grey to say a goodbye to him as well.

“You two know each other?” Grey asked without taking his eyes off of Kit.

“Yeah, we know each other,” Kit said unconcerned with the situation. She didn’t see what the big deal was, yet. Grey had always known that she indulged in multiple lovers. Why should this one be any different?

“Grey, how’s Ivy?” Nicola asked taking off his coat. “How’s the baby? You know, she and I have that doctor’s appointment in the morning.” He left little room for response but an endless gap for interpretation. Nicola blew smoke from his cigar and looked over at Brooks.

“Ivy is fine. Good of you to run my errand in the morning. As you can see, it will be a long night. I can’t be expected to be up at the crack of dawn,” Grey said sarcastically. He felt anger in him unlike any he had ever felt before.

“For all we know, it isn’t your errand to run in the first place,” Nicola said hearing Brooks laughing behind him.

“Well, now that we know that everyone is doing fine, we should be going now,” Kit said grabbing Grey by the arm. “Nicola, it was nice seeing you again.” She wasn’t sure if Grey was aware that Nicola was a police officer, but the look in their eyes reflected a harmful malice that would soon be unleashed if they did not go their separate ways.

“Have fun,” Nicola said condescendingly as he walked off.

“I plan to,” Grey said walking out of the door.

**

Scuffling through the winter darkness and the sleet and snow, Grey and Kit drove silently listening to 101.1FM soft jams on the radio. Allowing his mind to race, he tried to picture how Nicola and Ivy had gotten together. For the first time, he could see the two in a passionate embrace and her calling out
his
name. He could see her lips moist with his kiss…Nicola’s body pushing into Ivy’s in a violent synchronic motion. He could see her smile in ecstasy as Nicola emptied himself into her.

Pressing his foot down on the accelerator, Grey felt his stomach twist into knots.
The bastard probably got Ivy pregnant on purpose
, he thought as he pulled off the expressway onto his exit. There were only two men in the entire world that had tasted the sweet nectar of Ivy’s embrace, and he hated like hell that Nicola was the other.

Pulling into his driveway, Grey stepped out of his car and slammed the door as hard as he could. Kit opened her door softly, stepped out and leaned against the car.

“Was this a bad idea?” Kit asked softly. By now she had put together the pieces of Grey’s disturbed little puzzle and decided Ivy was face who had launched a thousand ships. A little Helen in the making. She was glad to be leaving before the gates of Troy fell.

“No,” he said quickly. “The last thing I want right now is to be alone.” He looked at her for a moment, and then walked to his side door to turn off the alarm. “Come on. I’ll fix you a nice drink, and we can keep each other company,” he said trying to remove the frustration from his voice. He reached out for her little hand and pulled her gently into the house. He dare not ruin his chances for sex tonight. It was the one thing that might relax him.

Kit took off her coat, set it on the counter and kicked off her stilettos falling back to the earth gravitational pull at a petite four feet ten inches tall. She yawned a little as she observed her surroundings for the hundredth time. The dimly lit kitchen was warm and cozy illuminated by nightlights and perfumed with the smell of cinnamon. A picture of Ivy on a picnic blanket sat under a magnet on the stainless steel refrigerator haunting the room and Kit’s presence. How she hated to be reminded constantly that she was the other woman, especially with Grey. He was so powerful and so dominating.
It must be nice to be his real woman
, she thought as she turned towards him.

“You do love…cinnamon,” she said only inches from his chest and looked up at him.

“Can I fix you that drink later?” he asked quietly pulling off her blouse and holding her so close she could feel the heat of his body through his clothes.

“You can fix it in the morning,” Kit said kissing his lips. She felt him unsnap her bra.

“How do you know Nicola?” Grey pulled away for a moment thinking again of Ivy’s deceit.

“How do you think?” Kit raised her brow. Her arms were still around his slumping wide body. “Since when did my love life become important to you as long as I use a condom?”

“
Love life
? Do you love him?” Grey asked hoping that she did. She could then be pawn in his game.

“Don’t be silly. Of course not.” Kit smiled. “Is Nicola Ivy’s friend? Is that what all of this is about?” Her eyes narrowed. She couldn’t ever recall seeing Grey jealous of anyone the entire time that she had known him.

“Yes.” The thought infuriated Grey further.

“Every woman is allowed one mistake, you know.” She rubbed Grey’s back. “Maybe you should excuse her for this one, considering…”

“Come here.” Grey pulled her to him again and rubbed through her black mane. “Tonight, I’m going to take all of my frustrations out on you, since you feel so much pity for Ivy.” He pulled her by her hair angrily and bit at her neck.

“Good. Remind me to thank her later.” Kit kissed his chocolate mouth deeply trying to commit his every taste to memory.

Picking the little woman up, Grey carried Kit up to his bedroom with visions of Nicola carrying Ivy. Pissed off, Grey threw her on his bed and tore off the rest of her clothes.

“You want me to be your bad little girl?” she asked sucking on her bottom lip and completely turned on by his wrath.

“Yes.”

“Then…hit me,” Kit insisted as she scratched his back.

“What?” Grey was confused. Abruptly, he stopped. The pain of her razor sharp nails ran through him.

“I know that you want to do it; I can see it in your eyes. Besides, I like it. Hit me,” she said naked and breathing heavily as she played with herself.

With only his slacks on, Grey regained his composure and stood back. “Kit, I’m not into that,” he said denying the urge to follow her bizarre instruction. Besides the very grotesque reality of voluntarily assaulting a woman, he knew he was far too angry for that type of foreplay.

“A little pain goes a long way, but if you are afraid, let’s try something else,” she turned around on her knees. “Let’s do something really…unspeakable,” she said pulling a condom from his nightstand drawer.

“Like what?” Grey said still aroused by her body as he watched her tease him. “You sure as hell can’t hit me.” He grinned slyly.

“I’m sure Ivy doesn’t allow you to do
everything
you would like to do to her.” She knew that he would read between the lines.

“No,” Grey took the condom from her. “She doesn’t allow me to do half of things I would like to do to her.”

Kit’s smile was gone. She wanted him so badly, not be with him one night, but to be with him forever. It was the only reason that she never said no to his requests. She could not deny him only because she loved him so. “If she really loved you, she’d do anything to keep you happy. I know that I do. And don’t say that you don’t want to do this. You’ve joked about it far too often. It has to be your fantasy.”

“Gentlemen don’t necessarily ask such a thing of the woman he plans to marry. But…I am also an opportunist and when a good thing is offered….” His voice was low and eyes were full of mad lust.