Ivy's Twisted Vine Redux

by Latrivia S. Nelson

  He stood over the sink watching the hot water cascade over the black marble and yawned profusely. Washing his face, Grey thought back to the previous night and debated on whether or not Nicola had truly drove him home. The whole notion was sort of hard to swallow. The guy he hated more than anyone else in this world was slowly gaining some of his respect. Maybe he could trust him? Maybe he was wrong about his intentions? Okay, that wasn’t happening, but it was a square gesture all the same.

  Peeling his clothes off of his body, he stepped into the shower to think further on the situation before church. He couldn’t miss service this Sunday. Today was Men’s Day at Tennessee Boulevard Pentecostal Church, and he had to be there to support his father, who was a guest speaker at eleven o’clock.

  After a thorough cleansing, a hot breakfast and a little television, Grey headed out of his house clean-shaven and dressed immaculately in a black tailor-made Jones New York Suit with white dress shirt and tie and his favorite black Ralph Lauren dress shoes shining to perfection.

  By memory, Grey drove through the quiet streets of Harbor Town trying desperately to remember how Ivy had gotten him to Nicola’s house the week prior. He didn’t call first or even think through his decision to visit him on such a short notice. If he had thought it through, he may have changed his mind. Spotting Nicola’s truck, he pulled into the drive and looked down at his watch. It was still only eight o’clock in the morning. Nicola was surely still asleep.

  Walking to the front door, Grey could slowly feel his heart moving up into his throat. He had every reason to be nervous and every reason to feel stupid, but it was too late to walk away. Pushing himself to get pass his emotions, Grey quickly rang the doorbell and stood back anxiously awaiting a reply. Minutes later the door opened slowly and a man in black silk boxers and a black tank top opened the door.

  “Can I help you?” Santo asked peering at Grey through his blood shot eyes.

  “Yeah, I just wanted to come by and talk to you for a minute. I hope it’s not too early.”

  “What time is?” Santo looked down at his watch. “It’s already eight?” He was stunned that he had slept that long. He was normally an early bird.

  “Yeah, it’s eight,” Grey said confused by Santo’s strange reaction to him.

  “Well, come in. You must want Nicola. I’ll get him for you,” he said opening the door wider.

  Grey walked in and looked back at Santo. “You’re not Nicola?”

  “No, I’m his twin brother Santo.” Santo offered his hand. “And you are?”

  “I’m Grey Henderson…Ivy’s fiancé.” Grey instantly thought of the children. This was just one more secret that Ivy had kept from him.

  “Oh,” Santo said shocked. “Okay.” He stared for a long minute before excusing himself to get Nicola. “Well, isn’t’ that something,” he said recalling Ivy’s disposition the previous night. It was a good thing that he had interrupted Nicola the night before or Ivy may have still been there on the couch with his brother. “I’ll be right back,” he said to Grey trying to repress a huge grin.

  Opening the door to this brother’s room, Santo looked back once more before he went in and closed the door. This was more action he had seen on the home front since his big decision to marry his brother’s ex-girlfriend nearly ten years ago. Walking over to the bed where Nicola lay snoring lightly, he nudged his leg.

  “Nicola, wake up,” he whispered. “Nico.”

  “What?” Nicola said without opening his eyes. “What the hell do you want this early in the morning? You know I’m still mad at you for that shit you did last night.”

  “You know, you really aren’t a morning person,” Santo said watching the slits of his brother’s eyes finally open, his coal black eyebrows arched in frustration.

  “I’m just in a bad mood. Can’t you tell?” Nicola shifted slightly.

  “Well, that’s been going on for thirty years.” Santo sighed. “Look, I told you that I was sorry about last night, but you did tell me that you weren’t going home with a woman.”

  “Yeah. Did you wake me up to tell me this or what?”

  “No. Actually, you have a visitor.” Santo sat down on the bed.

  “Ivy?” Nicola sat up quickly.

  “Close but not cigar. It’s Grey.” Santo tried to repress his smile and the overwhelming need to laugh.

  “What the hell does he want?” Nicola laid his head back on his pillow and rubbed his aching temples.

  “To talk to you. Evidently. Hey, maybe he wants to duke it you with you? Maybe he knows about last night?” Santo chuckled.

  “You are really enjoying this aren’t you?” Nicola asked looking over at Santo excited as a five-year old boy on Christmas morning.

  “I’m just watching in total fucking awe,” Santo said yawning. “Man, I miss being a bachelor.”

  “Oh, it’s just great,” Nicola said sarcastically as he threw his pillow at this brother.

  Still half asleep Nicola walked into the living room unsure of what Grey wanted to say. Did he know about Ivy’s little trip to his house last night? Did he know what they had nearly done? Going straight to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee, Nicola looked at Grey for a moment before speaking.

  “What’s wrong,” Nicola finally said coming to conclusion that there had been an accident.

  “Nothing. Look I know that it’s early, but I need to talk to you.”

  “Sure. Would you like some coffee?” he asked holding up the pot.

  “No thanks.”

  “Well, I’m gonna have some. Come on in and have a seat,” Nicola said pointing at the kitchen table.

  “Thanks.” Grey walked over and sat down at the table.

  “You look a lot better than last night,” Nicola said retrieving a cup from his cabinet.

  “I feel a lot better, too. Actually last night is the reason that I’m here. I wanted to thank you for what you did. I know that you and I haven’t been on good terms from day one, but we both know that under other circumstances we wouldn’t have had any problem with each other.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Nicola said pouring the coffee. What was he getting at?

  “But what you did last night was really…commendable.” Grey searched for the proper thing to say. “And I appreciate it.”

  “No problem, man. I’ve been there,” Nicola said sitting down at the table. This guy came all the way over here to tell me this, Nicola thought inwardly.

  “Yeah, well it seems like lately I’m always there.” There was a brief silence.

  “So, is that it? Nothing else?” Nicola waited for an explosion.

  “One more thing. I want to invite you, Rachel and your brother and what ever other family you have here to the wedding and festivities. I want to go into this marriage with good blood between us. It’ll be good for all of our families. Good for the children. So, what do you say?” Grey paused.

  Nicola felt short of breath and set down his coffee. As he looked away, he could see Santo out of the corner of his eye standing in the living room stupefied, mirroring the same look of bafflement that he had on his face. So, there is a catch, Nicola thought.

  “Look, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Nicola said stretching. He didn’t want to mislead Grey, as easy as it was to do. He knew that he still had feelings for Ivy even if she had rejected him. Plus, this was asking too much of any sane man.

  “Well, we’ve all moved on. This is the way to put it all behind us. Enough with the bad blood. I want to end this war, including that crap about Trina. It was weak of me to threaten you with that. I was just in a difficult place, pinned in a corner really.” Grey reasoned with Nicola without pleading, trying to be the bigger man.

  “What about Ivy? Does she feel the same way?” Nicola thought of their fight the night before.

  “I wouldn’t be here if she didn’t” Grey said lying. “In fact, it was sort of her idea as well… a united front. She just wants to be happy, you know. And nothing would make her happier than
having you and your family at the wedding to close this chapter of our lives.” He crossed his legs as he tried to close the deal.

  “I see,” Nicola said pouring his coffee. Thinking back to the night before, it all made sense to him now. Ivy wanted him to see for himself that she was moving on and leaving whatever they had behind. “Well, if that is what she wants, then I’ll do it.” I’ll show her.

  “Great,” Grey said feeling accomplished. “Well, I’ll send over a schedule of the activities and your invitations.”

  “Alright.” Nicola peered at him untrustingly.

  “Okay. Well, I had better go.” Grey stood up and straightened his suit.

  “Yeah,” Nicola said standing up as well.

  “Nice meeting you, Santo.” Grey said before he headed out of the door.

  “Likewise, Grey,” Santo said smiling at Nicola.

  As Grey closed the door behind him, Nicola sat back down in the chair and sighed. “Ain’t that something,” Nicola said sipping his coffee. “I wonder why Ivy didn’t just tell me herself.”

  “After last night, maybe she felt guilty.” Santo reasoned. “Man, could you imagine the chaos this morning if I hadn’t disturbed you and Ivy, and Grey showed up this morning. He would have…hell, I don’t know what the man might have done if he pulled up and saw his fiancée’s car in the driveway at the crack of dawn.”

  “Everything happens for a reason.” Nicola wiped his tired eyes. “I’m just ready for it all to be over, man.”

  “Even still, are you sure that you just want to hand her over to Grey?”

  “Hand Ivy over?” Nicola chuckled. “Ivy’s the one with all the control. Besides that she’s pissed at me for not telling her about you.”

  “Women get over being pissed. Believe me, I know. I’ve been married for ten years to a woman with constant irrational mood swings.” Santo yawned.

  “Look at us. We aren’t kids anymore. And I’m tired of the rat race. I want a real relationship, Santo. I want what you have, what my father has. I want to joke at the possibility of cheating on my wife, but not mean it.” He sipped his coffee. “The strip clubs, the random women and the games don’t do it for me anymore. I’ve done it long enough…too long. But now that I’ve changed who I am inside, it’s like I still can’t find happiness.”

  Santo ignored Nicola’s sincere pleas in his hung-over state. “I wish that I had a little…variety. You’ve got a legal whorehouse of beautiful women at your discretion. You’ve got Ivy, who is hot. I didn’t believe how hot until I saw here, but…wow. Then, I’m sure that Rachel is just as beautiful. What else could a man want?”

  “Peace,” Nicola said softly. “Peace.”

  ***

  It was as though Grey had slapped Ivy with a wet rag across her face when he told her the news of the Agosto family’s attendance to her wedding festivities. She stood holding one of the babies and trying to grasp a breath for her own to reply. Blinking every once in a while she watched him explain his reasoning. She couldn’t raise her voice because they were at his parent’s house, hardly the place for a harsh word against Mrs. Henderson’s wonderful youngest son. But she thought the words in her mind. Clinching her teeth as a guest walked between them through the hall, she finally spoke.

  “Why would you invite this man to our wedding?” she asked as she realized that the baby was sucking on an empty bottle. “What is going on in your head?” She removed the bottle abruptly and shoved it into the Grey’s chest.

  “This wedding is a perfect opportunity to squash this quarrel between us.” Grey looked around to make sure that no one could hear them. “You know what…let’s go into the study.”

  “So people won’t here me scream at you.” Her eyes narrowed.

  “So people won’t be in our business.” He ushered her in to the room quietly.

  Walking into the dim study that hid itself away from the afternoon sun with its dark heavy burgundy velvet drapes, Grey closed the door behind him. He leaned against the doors and propped his foot up leisurely. Placing his perfectly manicured hands on her bare shoulders and looked her in her eyes.

  “I think that it’s a good decision. Will you just back me on this?” he said almost in a clear crisp whisper. “To change our minds now, after inviting him, would show great signs of weakness.”

  “What would make you think that it’s a good decision?” she asked in an equally low tone searching his eyes for just one clue. Had the man gone insane? Did he know about last night?

  “People need to see that we have an understanding and that you and I are going into this marriage without outside interference.”

  “Was this one your father’s political schemes?” she said looking around the room.

  “Of course not. This was all my idea.” He spoke proudly of his decision. “The family doesn’t even know yet, but I’m sure that everyone will love it. I wish you would see how this new position places us in the public eye. Right now, we are a laughing stock. Everyone knows about the baby and Nicola, but if we use this to make a statement, there will be nothing to laugh at and no one to talk about.” His voice became firm as he looked across the room at the portrait of his family. “I make a formal statement of intention to run for Congress the day after we marry. This union will secure my seat. People need to know that I have my home in order.”

  “So this is about your campaign?”

  Grey’s voice rose. “No, this is about my entire life.” He saw that his tone startled her. Calming down, he began again. “I love you, but you made a stupid decision with this guy, and everyone that has worked so hard to get me…us here shouldn’t have to take the fall for it.” He walked across the room to gain distance as he became agitated. “Ivy, you have to see how this looks.”

  “I do,” she finally said feeling lowly, unaware that this was Grey’s design for her.

  “Then you agree with me that we need to take some action together.” He said preparing to close the deal.

  “If you feel like we should…” her voice trembled as she tried to keep from crying.

  “Good.” He turned and smiled at her. “I knew that I could count on you for this.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three: Decisions

  Chapter 33

  DECISIONS

  “They’ve all lost their minds,” Sadie said to Madison who drove silently up to the entrance of the Peabody Hotel.

  “I couldn’t agree with you more Sadie, but we have to think of Ivy.” Madison kept his opinion brief in hopes of neutralizing the volatile situation.

  “I thought we raised her better than this. She’s just running up behind Grey like a little lost puppy. I told her last night what I’m starting to think of him, and she already knows what I think of his parents. The amazing thing is that Nicola is going through with all this, too.” Sadie took a breather.

  “Well, it’s obvious that he loves her, too. He’s just doing what’s best for his children.” He placed his free hand over Sadie’s. “Try to put your feelings to the side for her sake. I know, with you, it’s not easy. But just for tonight…”

  “You would walk through hot coals for that girl,” Sadie said as the valet opened her door.

  “And you wouldn’t?” Madison said giving an exhausted sigh.

  “Not when there is a better option for the both of us,” Sadie concluded her rant with a roll of her eyes and got out of the car.

  ***

  After Grey told his father of his plans to make peace with Nicola, they decided to have a formal gathering at the Peabody Hotel to bring the Henderson, Winters and Agosto family together for dinner. The Agosto family accepted to support Nicola and meet the opposing team. And no one in the Winters’ family took the news well, but accepted it, as they had to support Ivy during her time of desperate need.

  Emerald tried to back out of the dinner at first, but Trina’s persistence made him change his mind. They had arrived just moments before Sade and Madison and had been escorted to the small dining hall where everyone was waiti
ng. With a bit of a tug and a few hard stares, Trina had gotten Emerald to be sociable while in public. He, however, still had a great deal of hate towards his soon-to-be brother-in-law and a lot of anger towards Ivy for taking him back.

  “You know, regardless of how you feel about Grey, you need to be on your best behavior tonight,” Trina whispered softly in Emerald’s ear.

  “I am already being as nice as possible,” Emerald said smiling. “It’s bordering on ass-kissing.”

  “Just remember that this was Grey’s idea and not his whole family’s”

  “That’s what Ivy told you, but you don’t actually believe her. Do you?”

  “Yes, I do. Ivy is my best friend. She wouldn’t lie to me.” Trina rubbed her stomach.

  “Are you alright?” He held her arm gently realizing that he had upset her.

  “I’m fine,” she said looking sternly at him. “Just please, behave tonight for her sake. Believe it or not, she’s been through a lot.”

  “Alright,” Emerald said giving in to his new wife’s pleas.

  Mayor & Mrs. Henderson stood outside of the ballroom with the Shelby County Mayor, Maynard Werner discussing the upcoming NAACP gala that was supposed to the opportunity for Senator Henderson to formally endorse Grey for the seat in the House of Representatives. It had been perfectly strategized for nearly a year by his local heavy monetary supporters and backed by all of the top democrats in the region. Senator Henderson had a proven track record and his support of Grey would push him into the seat with little opposition.

  To Mayor Henderson, this wedding was a perfect time to get his name back in the newspapers and get his son out of the strip clubs. To Mrs. Henderson, however, this wedding was the worst thing that could have ever happened to her youngest child, and she had made occasion to tell him so several times. Clearly marriage would prove to the public that he was a stable figure, but his choice was key. Ivy Winters wasn’t exactly the woman that she had in mind for Grey. There were hundreds of other women his age more socially recognized with more under their belt and more to offer the family. She just never thought that the two would make it this far, especially after Ivy’s latest stunt.