Remembering Ivy

by Claire Kingsley

  “He’s William,” I finished for him.

  “Yeah,” he said. “I don’t know what it is about that guy. At first I just wanted to help him get settled. He was so distracted by… well, you. He hardly paid attention to anything else. I didn’t know what was going on with him—if he’d lost his memory, or if he was hiding from something. But then I got to know him. He’s a good guy. Whatever his story really is, I didn’t want him getting tangled up with the authorities.”

  “And now he models exclusively for you?” I asked.

  James nodded.

  “You pay him fairly for that?” I asked. “Seems like no one would know if you didn’t.”

  “Look, I think we’re both on Team William,” he said. “But if he says it’s okay, you can look over everything.”

  “Sorry, it just seems like the wrong person could take advantage of him.”

  “Yeah, I know. That’s part of why I do all this.”

  I glanced around at the paintings again. “Do you think it’s possible he’s right? That he doesn’t have a past? He just winked into existence with all this stuff in his head?”

  He shook his head. “At this point, hell if I know. I didn’t think Ivy was a real person, but apparently I’m looking at her. So who knows about the rest of it.”

  We talked for a little while longer. He asked me what I did for a living and a few more questions about the paintings. It wasn’t long before William returned carrying a grocery bag. He set it on the counter and started pulling things out.

  “I didn’t realize you knew how to cook,” James said.

  “YouTube,” William said with a shrug. “You can learn anything on the Internet.”

  James didn’t stay long. I helped stir the risotto while he went over William’s finances. Then he packed up his briefcase and left.

  William came up behind me and slipped his hands around my waist. Leaned in and kissed my neck, just below my ear. “Will you stay another night?”

  The sparkling tension between my legs was back. I turned and pressed my lips to his neck, then grazed his skin with my teeth, earning me a low groan deep in his throat. “I’d love to.”

  Questions

  William took me home the next morning and helped me clean up the mess. We went through my house, sorting and putting things away. Whoever had broken in had stolen the usual things thieves target—mostly electronics and other items they could sell. It looked like they’d gone through drawers trying to find cash or jewelry. Fortunately, I didn’t have any of that at home. My dad had given me my mother’s wedding ring, but I kept it in a safety deposit box, along with all the paperwork from my dad’s estate.

  I had to go back to work, but William insisted on staying the night with me. I certainly wasn’t going to argue. I came home that afternoon to find him installing a new back door. I hesitated in the doorway before he heard me and watched him work. He was so sexy. There was something about a man who was good with his hands.

  He’d also installed cameras at my front and back doors, as well as motion-activated lights. He showed me how to access the camera feeds from my phone, and he could check them from his too. That made me feel a little safer.

  He went home, but between the cameras, the lock he’d installed on my back gate, and Edgar, I felt safe. I did have trouble sleeping, but it wasn’t due to fear. I missed him—missed the warmth of his body next to mine. The feel of his arms around me, his lips on my skin.

  The next day at work I was still busy catching up. I had papers to grade, which was always time-consuming, and a number of my students stopped by my office asking for help on their latest assignments.

  Mid-afternoon, a man appeared in my doorway. He was dressed in a nondescript polo and slacks. “Are you Ivy Nichols?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m Eric Andrews from Homeland Security Investigations.” He pulled out his wallet and flashed his ID. “Can I speak to you for a few minutes?”

  I closed my laptop, not bothering to disguise the confusion on my face. “I suppose so. Is something wrong?”

  He came in and closed the door behind him, then pulled up a chair on the other side of my desk. Leaning back, he pitched his fingers together. “Do you know a man who goes by the name of William Cole?”

  A sick feeling wormed its way through my stomach. “Yes.”

  “What can you tell me about him?”

  “I’m not sure what you mean,” I said. “Is William in some kind of trouble?”

  “I’m just looking for some basic information,” he said. “Do you know where he lives?”

  “Yes,” I said, and he raised his eyebrows, gesturing for me to continue. “He has an apartment near Westlake.”

  “How long has he lived there?”

  “I’m not sure,” I said.

  “What about family?” he asked.

  “He doesn’t have any family.”

  “None?” he asked. “Are you sure?”

  I sighed. “Yes, I’m sure. And I’m the same. I have no living relatives. It happens.”

  “Has he said anything about having moved recently?” he asked. “Do you know how long he’s been in the area?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What does he do for a living?” he asked.

  “He’s a model,” I said.

  “Does he have an agent?”

  I didn’t want to get into the intricacies of his arrangement with James. “I don’t really know. Have you talked to William?”

  “Does he speak any foreign languages?” he asked.

  “Not that I know of. Can you tell me what this is about? Has William done something?”

  “That’s what I’m trying to find out.” He stood and pulled a business card out of his pocket, then set it on my desk. “Just in case.”

  “Just in case what?”

  “I apologize for being vague,” he said. “Sometimes that’s the nature of my job. Keep that. If you need to call me, don’t hesitate. Thanks for your cooperation.”

  He walked out of my office, leaving me bewildered. What had just happened? I slid the business card across my desk. If you need to call me, don’t hesitate. Why would I need to call Homeland Security about William?

  The things I didn’t know about William pinged through my mind. He said he had no past—that nothing came before last year. I knew something had to have come before, but what? Who was he? James had said he had no documented identity. No birth certificate, Social Security number, nothing. I hadn’t pushed him for details about his past, but what was going on that Homeland Security was involved?

  I got up and shut my door, then called William.

  “Hi, Ivy,” he said.

  Just the sound of his voice eased the knot of anxiety in the pit of my stomach. “Hey. I’m sorry to bother you in the middle of the day.”

  “No, you’re never bothering me.”

  “Something odd just happened.” I walked over to the small window and looked out.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Yes, I’m fine.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked. “Are you at work? I can be there in twenty minutes.”

  “No, I’m okay, you don’t need to come,” I said. “But someone from Homeland Security was just here. Do you know anything about that?”

  “No,” he said. “What happened?”

  “A man came to my office and asked me questions about you.”

  “About me?” He sounded genuinely confused. “Did he say why?”

  “He wouldn’t tell me,” I said. “He asked what I knew about you. If you had family. How long you’ve lived in the area. What you do for a living. That kind of thing.”

  “Did you answer his questions?”

  “Yeah,” I said.

  “Good.”

  “I was thinking… James told me you don’t have any identification. If that’s true, they might think you’re in the country illegally. Although someone would have had to report you for Homeland Security to be investigating.”


  He was quiet for a moment and when he spoke, his voice was different. Harder. “You’re right, they probably think I’m here illegally.”

  “Could someone you work with have reported you?” I asked. “Obviously it wasn’t James. Is there anyone else who would have done this?”

  “No, it wasn’t James,” he said. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”

  “Don’t worry is a ridiculous thing to say when I just had a government agent in my office questioning me,” I said. “Of course I’m going to worry.”

  “I know,” he said, his voice back to its usual nonchalant tone. “I’ll talk to James and we’ll get it all sorted out.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked. “Do you have a way to prove who you are?”

  “James and I will come up with something,” he said.

  “This could be serious,” I said. “I can’t imagine they investigate any random tip they get. William please, if there’s something I need to know…”

  “I’ve always been honest with you,” he said. “I don’t have anything to hide.”

  “No, I don’t mean I think you’re not telling me the truth,” I said. “I’m just wondering if there’s something going on that I don’t know about. I’m just worried about you, that’s all.”

  “I know. I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding,” he said. “James and I will get it all straightened out. I’m really sorry you had to deal with that.”

  He sounded so sure, although I sensed an undercurrent of anger in his tone.

  “It’s all right,” I said. “Just… be careful.”

  “I will,” he said. “Can I come over tonight? I miss you.”

  “I miss you, too,” I said. “Yeah, I’d love it if you came over.”

  “Good,” he said. “I have a photo shoot tomorrow afternoon. Do you want to come with me?”

  “I’d love to, but I don’t want to be in the way.”

  “You won’t be,” he said. “And mostly I’m just looking for an excuse to spend the night.”

  I laughed. “You don’t need one. I want you to.”

  “I like hearing that,” he said. “Okay, baby, I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

  “Bye.”

  I put my phone down, still feeling unsettled. I hoped William was right, and he and James could get this sorted out. I was getting more of a sense of why James had decided to take care of things for William. His existence was complicated, and I could imagine what William would say if he were to be questioned. He’d tell them everything. I didn’t think he had a dishonest bone in his body.

  But in this case, I was worried the truth would only get him in trouble.

  Partial

  James’s studio was in a loft in south Seattle. It was open and airy with high ceilings and large windows, the space filled with curtains, backdrops, lights, camera equipment, and props.

  There were a number of people there, and everyone looked busy. James waved when we walked in, more in acknowledgment than greeting. He was speaking to a tall woman in a blouse and slacks. A man in a striped shirt and tight jeans was busy hanging things on a rack, and a young woman with her hair in a ponytail scurried around, looking frazzled.

  Another woman, this one with a bright blue pixie cut, greeted us with a smile. “Hey, William. Good to see you.”

  He smiled at her. “You too. Jade, this is Ivy.”

  Jade held out her hand and I shook it. “Jade, hair and makeup. Nice to meet you.”

  “Hi,” I said.

  “Let’s get you ready,” Jade said to William. “Ivy, you can just hang out. There’s a chair over here. We have drinks just through that door. Bathroom is that way.”

  “Thanks.”

  I followed them in and Jade led William to a vanity with makeup and hair supplies. Everyone else kept working in the background. I took a seat off to the side where I could watch.

  “Go get your hair wet for me, big guy,” she said to William.

  He obviously knew the drill. He disappeared through a door and came out a few minutes later, shirtless, toweling off his wet hair. Jade got to work, putting in hair product and blow drying. She gave him a slightly fuller version of his usual careless style. It looked great.

  The man in the striped shirt brought William over to the rack, then handed him a stack of clothing. William disappeared behind a curtain. A minute or two later, he emerged looking like a rugged mountain man in a plaid shirt, jeans, and boots. With his strong jaw and thick hair, he looked the part.

  James got him set up in front of a white background. I guessed that the tall woman was the creative director. She conferred with James and then he started shooting.

  It was fascinating to watch. James spoke in a calm voice, directing William’s poses. He looked so natural, not like he was posing at all. I had a feeling that was why this designer liked him. He was beautiful, there was no question about that. But his easygoing nature made him look like a man who was completely comfortable in his own skin. He projected an air of quiet competence. Like he knew exactly how to use every inch of that exquisite body.

  I happened to know he did.

  They changed backgrounds and adjusted the lighting. After a while, William changed into different clothes—a short-sleeved shirt and dark pants—and came back out.

  James gave him some direction and then took more pictures. William’s eyes flicked over to me and I caught a glimpse of that enigmatic smile.

  “Brilliant, give me more of that,” James said.

  William looked at me again, this time grinning enough to show his dimples.

  James glanced at me. “You need to bring her more often. I never get this expression out of you.”

  After a while, James had William take a break while they put together a different set. Then it was time for Jade to touch up his hair, and another wardrobe change.

  He came out from behind the curtain dressed in nothing but black briefs. At first I thought they hadn’t given him the right clothes for his next set of pictures, but James motioned him over.

  “They want some shots of you in their new underwear line. I’m not sure if these will make it into production, since they usually use you for other things. But we’ll give them some good options.” James fiddled with something on his camera, not really looking up. “I’m going to need you partially erect for this. Sorry, I know it’s cold in here, so that makes it a little more challenging.”

  William glanced down at himself and looked up again. I nibbled on my lip to keep from giggling. I felt like I had the maturity of a twelve-year-old for wanting to laugh. Although even in the chilly space, I thought he filled the underwear out quite nicely. But James knew what he needed to get the right look for the shoot.

  “You can step behind the curtain.” James looked over at me and raised his eyebrows. He nodded toward the curtained-off area. “Maybe this will go faster if you help?”

  My mouth dropped open, but I quickly closed it again. Oh my god, he wants me to…

  “Oh, sure.” My cheeks flushed hot, so I quickly joined William behind the curtain before James could see me blush.

  William grinned at me.

  “Did you know he’d have you pose in underwear?” I asked, keeping my voice low.

  “James probably told me, but I don’t usually worry about it,” he said. “I just show up.”

  “Well, this is… I don’t even know. They need you…”

  “Partially erect,” he said, his tone amused.

  I took a deep breath. I was not such a prude that I couldn’t get my boyfriend hard, even with people on the other side of a thin curtain who knew exactly what we were doing. He watched me step closer with that little half smile on his lips.

  “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” I asked.

  “Isn’t that the point?”

  I looked up at him and our eyes locked. My hand wrapped around his cock and I squeezed lightly. It was enormously satisfying to feel him respond, his cock growing beneath my touch.

&nb
sp; He didn’t need to be fully erect—in fact, that was probably a bad thing—but his cock felt so good in my hand. My mouth watered, and I decided to take a chance and do something very unlike me… and very unexpected. I pulled his waistband down and lowered myself onto my knees in front of him.

  His eyes widened as he watched me take the tip of his cock into my mouth. I sucked it gently, then swirled my tongue around.

  “Oh fuck, Ivy,” he said, his voice low.

  Once I started, I didn’t want to stop. I took him in deeper and pulled out, sliding his thickness in and out of my wet mouth. Looking up, I met his eyes. He watched me with awe, his eyes unfocused, his lips parted.

  I held his shaft and ran my tongue around the ridge of his tip. He shuddered and groaned. I knew I should stop. I couldn’t finish him now if he was supposed to stay partially hard. So I slowly pulled back and released him.

  Licking my lips, I pulled the waistband back up. Or tried to. My little stunt had worked too well. The top of his thick erection stuck out past the underwear.

  He shook his head, as if to clear it, and took a deep breath. He had to adjust his cock so it was at least contained by the black fabric. I stood and brushed my hair back.

  “You ready, William?” James asked.

  Meeting my eyes, he grinned and shook his head again. “Wow. That was fun.”

  “Sorry,” I said. “I got a little carried away.”

  “I didn’t mind,” he said, his voice amused. He took another deep breath, glanced down at himself, and shrugged. Then went out to the set.

  I peeked around the curtain.

  James was still adjusting something on his camera. He looked up and blinked. “Oh, shit. Uh… I guess we’ll wait a minute for that to… That’s… wow, okay.”

  Part of me was embarrassed. But I had to admit, I felt a little bit proud of myself. William met my eyes and shrugged again.

  James moved some things around and checked his equipment again. Looked back at William. He was still filling out those briefs more than partially. Everyone seemed to run out of things to do. They stood around, tapping feet and checking the time. Looking everywhere except at William.