Ivy's Twisted Vine Redux (53 page)

“Where are my grandsons?” Liz asked impatiently.

“With their
other
grandparents. Ivy’s gone to make some last minute changes to her wedding gown with her bridesmaids.” Nicola wanted very much to sound unconcerned with Ivy and her whereabouts but his mother could see through the facade.

“So, she’s going to marry the other gentleman?” Liz was very disappointed.

“Ma, it’s what we all want.” Nicola gripped the rail with aggravation. “Ivy and I are just friends. We have an ongoing relationship, because we have children together. Past that, she’s in love with Grey, and I’m in love with life.”

It was a harsh statement to make, but inside, Nicola needed to hear himself say it. Ivy was in love with Grey, and he was out of the equation. Reality gave him strength to push on and live on without looking back or asking what if. Plus, there was Madison and Adam to think of. Grey had given him no trouble about seeing his children as much as he wanted as long as he stayed away from Ivy. For now, that was a very good reason to stay away.

“We made reservations at the Peabody Hotel,” his father said looking at his watch. “We had better get there and check in first before we go to dinner.”

“Yeah, I was just about to remind you guys,” Santo said looking at his watch as well.

“You weren’t planning on staying at the Peabody too?” Nicola asked Santo.

“Yeah, I didn’t want to impose on you.” Santo read his brothers eyes. Could that be freedom?

“It would be no imposition. You’re more than welcomed to come and stay with me anytime.” Nicola invited happily.

“What about your company? I wouldn’t want to get in the way.” Santo knew about his brother’s promiscuous ways.

“My guests are few and far in between now and then only with an appointment. Come on, it’ll be fun.”

“Sure, why not.” Yes! Santo thought to himself. Girls! Girls! Girls!

“Well, why didn’t you invite your father and I to stay,” Liz asked meddling with her son as she slid on her Armani glasses.

“Because, I figured you two would want a little quality time together.” Nicola winked at his father.

“Please, your father and I spend quality time no matter where we are,” Liz scoffed.

“It’s what keeps the magic in the marriage,” his father said nudging Santo.

“Honestly, pop, we don’t want to know,” Santo said shaking off the thought of his parents having sex. “The things people tell their kids.”

***

After lunch, Nicola dropped his parents back off at the hotel to get some rest and took his brother to his place to settle in for his stay. As usual they had hundreds of things to talk about including Nicola’s new love interest, Rachel. He didn’t have pictures of her yet, but he had arranged for her to meet Santo later in the week. It occurred to Nicola as he pulled up in front of his home that his brother had never seen where he lived and had no idea of how he lived, so it was up to him to give the right first impression. For once, he felt inferior. His brother lived in a mansion in South Beach and here he was comfortable in a three-bedroom condo with barely enough room for him and his new sons. Opening the door, he took a deep breath and smiled.
Grin and bare it
, he thought to himself.

“Welcome to casa de Agosto,” Nicola said turning off his alarm. “I’ll show you around, and then you can make yourself comfortable in the guest bedroom.”

“Sure.” Santo put down his bags. “Well, it looks nice from what I’ve seen so far.”

“Please, this is a bachelor’s pad and probably the wash room of your house.”

“Like you couldn’t have the same,” he said half grinning. “You still have an interest in marketing?”

“No. I follow it from time to time through Ad week magazine and some other stuff, but mostly I’m too caught up in criminal justice.”

“And you didn’t get a degree in criminal justice?”

“Nope. I guess at one point, I really thought that I would return home, even after I had told pop that my place was here.”

“Well, he still thinks that your place is in Miami, but he respects what you do here. For that matter, we all do.”

“Yeah, well, enough about me. Come on; let me give you a tour so I can wrap up being the thoughtful host.” Although it gratified Nicola to here such distinct approval from his brother it made him feel a little uncomfortable to have the spotlight shining on him.

“So what does a single man like yourself do on a Saturday night?” Santo asked hinting to his brother that he hadn’t planned on being pint up his entire stay.

“Um, there are a few clubs I frequent. Then, there is the Peabody place, which is great to catch a movie and Beale street of course. We can to the Tacky Jack’s Taco Shack on Poplar. If you like martinis, we can go downtown to Swig. It’s really what you want to do man?”

“What about gentlemen’s clubs? Even in Miami, they talk about this place here called the Black Tie.” Santo licked his lips. “I’m here to have a
good
time. I don’t give a damn about movies and dance clubs.”

“Yeah it’s famous worldwide. I go there too from time to time.” Nicola didn’t want to lead on about the Black Tie being his second residency.

“Well, let’s go tonight. I feel like shelling out a couple of dollars to see a few nice young women get extremely friendly.” Santo rubbed his hands together. Girls! Girls! Girls!

“What time is it?” Nicola asked looking down at his watch.

“Almost five. Why?”

“I’ve got to call and make reservations for us.”

“You mean you have to have reservations to go to a strip club.”

“
The
strip club in Memphis, man. Every Saturday night it’s packed to capacity.”

“Damn, are the women that fine?”

“Well, let’s just say that your first experience at the Black Tie will definitely be like no other.”

“Good, I can’t wait. You just don’t know how long it’s been since I had a little extra-curricular activity in my life.”

“You mean you came all the way to Memphis to have a fling. Hell, you could have gotten that in Miami.” Nicola laughed and grabbed his brother’s bag to show him his bedroom. “Wait. Scratch that last statement. You can only get Memphis women in Memphis.”

***

Grey sat quietly across from Ivy watching her enjoy her dinner at their favorite little hangout, Side Street Grill. Sitting out in the open air, they both enjoyed the breeze and company of other professionals having cocktails and smoking cigars. Inside a great band was playing and a few people frolicked happily on the dance floor.

Ivy had made plans to spend the evening with Grey after she was fitted for her dress with her bridesmaids and Trina, but he had made plans to be alone. It was a clear, hot Saturday night and he still had the urge to be with his friends and enjoy a good weekend of carefree fun. However, the closer they got to the wedding, the less time he had to himself, which pissed him off more than Ivy would ever know.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Ivy asked trying to talk over the band.

“I don’t know. I just don’t have anything to say.” He looked away visibly annoyed.

“Well you’re acting like something is wrong,” she said recalling his attitude all evening.

Grey rolled his eyes and looked down at watch before he replied. “Well, it’s not.” He knew that his response would hurl Ivy into a fit and it would only be minutes before they were forced into a heated argument.

“Bullshit,” Ivy said wiping her mouth with her napkin and throwing it in her lap. “If you didn’t want to be with me tonight, then you could have just said so.”

“Look, I don’t want to argue with you okay.” But in actuality, he did. He wanted her to get so upset that they would be forced to leave the restaurant. Maybe then he could convince her that she was just being emotional and after all of their needless arguing she should just go home. Then he could make it to the Black Tie before they canceled his reservations.

“You’re so predictable,” Ivy said waving her hand at the waiter.

“I beg your pardon,” he said looking a little confused.

“Don’t ‘
I beg your pardon’
me,” she said as the waiter approached.

“Can I help you, maim,” the waiter said cordially.

“Yes, I’d like the check now, please,” Ivy said demandingly.

“Yes, maim” the waiter said looking at Grey. “Right away.”

“What are you doing, Ivy” Grey asked while Ivy looked through her purse.

“I’m making this a little less painful for us.”

“What do you mean?” Grey’s frown crinkled his eyebrows.

“Do you have other plans, Grey?” Ivy squinted at him, wiggling her nose.

“What?”

“
Other plans
? Have you made other plans with someone else for tonight?” She was tired of playing games with him and intended to end this little charade immediately.

“Well honestly, yes. But they are for much later. They won’t affect us.” His words fumbled out, as he was unprepared for her sudden outburst.

“You’re right, because our time just ended. Next time, you should try just being honest instead of pouting like a little girl.” She threw a twenty on the table.

“Look, we don’t have to….”

“Save it,” Ivy said throwing her hand up in his face.

“Well at least let me give you a ride home,” he said uncrossing his legs.

“I’m not going home.” Ivy watched him mouth drop in shock, which made her feel on top of the world. A woman that was predictable was expendable. “If you need me, I’ll be on Beale
with my friends
. So you can go on and do whatever you had originally planned to do without disrupting my life.” She waved him off, pushed her seat back and waltzed off leaving him alone.

Without looking back once, Ivy disappeared in the parking lot across the street. And for a moment, Grey was seriously taken aback. Had he just witnessed a transformation in the woman he was about to blindly marry? Had she really just saw clear through all of his relentless bullshit? For a moment, he wanted to run after her and apologize, but he knew this game. It was just feed her ego. Instead, he paid the check and headed in the opposite direction confused and a little intimidated, but ultimately glad that he would still be able to go out as planned.

***

Beale Street was packed to capacity with crowds of people screaming, singing, dancing and drinking. It had often been referred to as a little French Quarter with the jazz, blues, rock and R & B music floating out of the clubs on to the sidewalks. It was the only place in Memphis where color, creed, religion and sex didn’t matter. Everyone came together under a drunken haze to let loose and have fun enjoying the world’s best barbeque and city’s best entertainment. Police officers on horses patrolled the area, and religious fanatics protested on the corners with their signs and bullhorns. Drunken women fell over off the side of the street exposing their bare bottoms. Thugs hung out on the east of Beale Street and Preps hung out on the western end. Visitors intermingled between both groups taking pictures and buying roses off of vendors.

Taking in the sights, Ivy inhaled the smoke of the freshly cooked meat and sounds of the world that she had left behind nearly a year ago to transform herself into a mother and soon-to-be wife. Walking freely through the crowds in her black silk strapless dress and black strap up sandals, she drew attention as she held on tightly to her cocktail purse. With her hair swinging freely down her back and her face made up, she almost felt out of place with masses in jeans and t-shirts. But she was determined to have a good time. Walking up pass the line of people waiting to get into one of the more poplar clubs on Beale, Club 152, Ivy hugged the bouncer and proceeded in with a V.I.P stamp.

“Hey, Ivy over here,” one of her bridesmaids screamed as she walked pass the bar.

“Hey, girl,” Ivy said nearly exhausted from the crowd.

“Hey, we didn’t think that you were going to make it.”

“Well, there was a slight change in plans.”

“Either way, we’re glad that you’re here. “

“Where is Trina?” she asked sitting down on at the small black booth with the rest of her friends.

“Trina is on her way. It must have been a while since you got the chance to go out?” her friend said examining Ivy’s outfit.

Without further explanation of why she was so overly dressed, Ivy just looked up in agreement. “Yeah, it’s been a while.”

“Well, we are definitely going to give you a wonderful homecoming tonight,” her friend said wrapping her arm around Ivy. “Tonight, it’s about you!”

“Tell me about it,” Ivy said laughing as she took a shot of vodka.

***

On the other side of town, Grey pulled into the crowded lot of the Black Tie and looked at his watch. His friends had already taken their seats and were probably already watching the show. Taking the handful of twenty-dollar bills from his wallet and placing them in his glove compartment for fear of naked pickpockets, he sprayed his cologne and headed inside. He could hear the music coming from inside as he walked down the red carpet to the VIP line and showed his platinum card to the Bouncer.

“Good to see you again, Mr. Henderson,” a petite black woman in a sequence black dress said as she opened the door for him

“Thank you, Miriam. It’s good to be back.”

As he walked through the coat check, a woman took his sports coat and gave him a ticket. Opening another the door the main hall, he inhaled the familiar aroma of thick cigar and cigarette smoke mingling with many perfumes and natural feline odors that was a signature scent at the Black Tie. Home, he thought to himself while admiring a naked vixen dancing on top of the bar. He was surprised to find, however, that only two of the six men that were supposed to meet tonight were at their reserved table.

“I hope I’m not too late,” he said sitting down in the leather-secluded booth.

“Not at all. Nobody showed up.” Mattock said turning up his small shot of peppermint schnapps.