Ivy's Twisted Vine Redux by Latrivia Nelson (books to read for beginners .TXT) 📕

“For someone that’s been in a relationship for eight years with the same guy and not gone on absolutely one outside date this is very intimate.” Ivy smiled nearly breathless from her pour out.

Nicola laughed silently shaking his head in amazement at Ivy. She was a real piece of work. Green as money and probably as tight as grandma’s grip.

“Five years?” Nicola said as he looked down in his empty bottle. “Damn, Brooks do we know anyone down at the precinct that’s not married that’s been in a relationship five years?” He tried to slip out a sly burp.

“Hell no,” Brooks said getting up out of his chair and grabbing Trina by the hand. “My own parents weren’t married for five years.” It was clear exaggeration, but he would go along with his partner for face sake.

“Where are we going?” Trina asked grabbing Brooks’ hand and giving him a mischievous look.

“I need to show you something.” Brooks kissed Trina’ neck. “We’ll be back. You two can keep each other company.” He pointed at Ivy and Nicola.

Ivy looked up alarmed. She did not want to be left alone with this…Neanderthal, but alas her cares where in vain. Trina did not even look Ivy’s way. Too involved in what Brooks was whispering in her ear, she walked out of the room with his arms wrapped around her waist. “Ivy, grab a beer,” Brooks said pointing at Nicola.

“So, it looks like they left us in each other’s care,” Nicola said trying to break the ice with Ivy at Brooks’ queue. Finally able to direct his full attention to her, he stared at her for a long moment before setting down his now finished beer.

“How many of those have you had?” Ivy asked trying to ignore the strong vibe of sexual attraction coming from him.

“A twenty-four pack maybe. Don’t worry. I’m alright.” Nicola grabbed her hand softly and caressed it. She didn’t even know that he was looking at her nails. He hated to see women with chopped up, brittle nails. Most men usually had a physical pet peeve that they harbored for women. Nails were his. A woman that couldn’t even keep her hands up didn’t usually hold his attention for too long, but Ivy passed the test.

“Don’t try to put the moves on me just because your partner is in there about to get some, and you feel left out.” Ivy pulled her hand away and hoped that her response would break Nicola’s concentration on whatever he was thinking about.

“Did I ask you for some? No, I did not. Someone is a little too presumptuous.” He smiled impishly. Maybe she wasn’t as green as she appeared.

“In the last five minutes, you have put your hand on my leg once, caressed my hands and looked at my breast at least ten times. I hardly think that presumptuous is the word I would use. No, I think the best word would be precautious.”

“Tell me about it.” Nicola took a long breath and looked around the room. She definitely was no bimbo, which was bad for the mood he was trying to set. How in the hell was he going to get laid debating adverbs? He looked at her and smiled, and casually she smiled back. He was almost unsure of how to come at her now that she had just given her sexual harassment speech.

“So, you’re on the new Narc-TACT squad,” Ivy said changing the subject. She had evidently scared him. He was beginning to turn red.

“Yeah. I’m a Special Ops lieutenant. Why? Are you interesting in going out for the MPD? If so, let me know so that I can fill all vacancies to my department right now.” He yawned and looked at his watch. The night was getting away from him. He needed to make a move on this girl or get into some of the other action in the den.

Ivy laughed aloud for the first time since she had met him. Maybe she was being a little too uptight. “I’m sorry,” she said trying to relax. “I wasn’t trying to be mean before. Can we start over?” Taking his hand, she put it back on her knee.

Nicola smiled. “That’s more like it,” he said playfully. Moving his hand away, he tried to regain his composure and at the same time mellow out on trying to push up on her. Besides, slow and steady could win the race.

“Back in the day, I graduated from Memphis State before it was University of Memphis. I majored in marketing.” He would play on her turf a little and impress her with something that she didn’t know. “Then, I went back and got my MBA a few years later.

“Really.” Ivy’s face lit up. “Why didn’t you pursue it?”

“Well, I was torn at first. I had debated going back into the family business. But I loved law enforcement more. So, I pursued it.” He could see that she was impressed. That was all that he needed. She is an intellectual type, attracted to brain of a man. Okay. Cool, he thought to himself. Now, he knew her angle. It was smooth sailing the rest of the way.

“It’s best to go for your passion when trying to identify a career. You can do that kind of work for free.” She was unknowingly eating out of the palm of his hand.

Nicola looked down at his watch. “Yeah, I agree…small talk is always hard for me. So you’ll have to excuse me if I’m not the best at it.”

“No, I understand. I’m not really used to it either.”

“Obviously. You’re nearly married.”

“No,” Ivy said shaking her head. “I’m not.” Nicola had hit a nerve, and it hurt.

“But Trina said that you were engaged.” Nicola knew perfectly well that she and her fiancé had broken up, but he just wanted to hear her confess it with her