by Parker Paige
And right now, she just wanted to lie next to him, feel his presence, and feel at home with Lee Travis.
Blue Ivy arrived at work early on Monday, wanting to put the pieces back together, and most of all to express her gratitude to Lillian that she still had a job. Not being the ideal employee for the last three weeks, she was appreciative of Lillian’s patience. She gave Blue Ivy a second chance, and she wanted Lillian to know just how much she appreciated it.
Though she continued to wear her new clothes, she resumed wearing her hair back in a bun. That was how she liked it, simple and out of her face.
That afternoon, Blue Ivy and Laura ordered takeout for lunch and sat in the lunchroom. The subject of Camina would come up, that being the sole topic of discussion at the office. But Blue Ivy had talked about it enough, and it was time to put it behind her.
Laura bit into her sandwich and glanced across the table at Blue Ivy. “I must say, I do miss the red hair. It was so pretty on you.”
“Well, maybe one day I will color it again,” Blue Ivy said. “But for entirely different reasons.”
“Have you noticed how creepy it is around here? I can’t imagine what it’s like for the men to use the facilities after what happened to their colleague.”
Blue Ivy dreaded visions of the men’s room and the events that transpired there, not many days ago.
She sipped on her iced tea and did not say much.
“I went to see Camina,” Laura said.
“Oh. How is she?”
“She looks okay. Even though I know what she did was totally wrong, a part of me feels really bad for her.”
Blue Ivy nodded. “Me too,” Blue Ivy said. “And I keep asking myself why she did it, and I don’t get it.”
“We talked about it,” Laura said.
“What did she say?”
Laura shook her head. “She just snapped. It was as simple as that. You know she really thought Bruce would leave his wife and marry her. I guess we all have our breaking points.”
“Yeah, but murder?”
“Think about what you just said, Blue Ivy.”
Clueless, Blue Ivy peered at Laura.
“Didn’t your father snap one day, kill your mother and then himself?”
Blue Ivy thought back. “Yeah, he did, but my father had an illness, he was manic depressive and was on medication for a long time. What’s Camina’s excuse?”
“That’s what I’m talking about. She just snapped.”
Sunday afternoon Blue Ivy removed the obituaries from the mantel and stored them away in her drawer. She had held on to them long enough and believed that they were holding her back.
In the kitchen, she prepared a spaghetti dinner for Lee. Though she was no Martha Stewart, she wanted to do great things for Lee and not only because he treated her so well, but because he deserved it. For long enough, she postponed wearing the watch that Lee gifted her, wanting to wait for a special day. That day finally arrived. It was this day, the day she planned to spend with Lee Travis.
While Lee was in the front room looking over the books on the shelf, Blue Ivy slipped into the bedroom and snagged the watch from her dresser drawer. She buckled it onto her wrist and returned to the kitchen.
Lee soon followed her into the kitchen and buckled down on the bar stool at the counter.
While the water boiled for the spaghetti, she poured Lee and herself some juice after having done away with her days of Chardonnay, at least for a few days anyway. She seated herself across from him, studying him carefully. His nose was buried into the book in front of him. This was a sweet man with so much to offer, and despite being previously engaged to her sister, despite him being shorter than she was, despite everything, he was all hers, and not because she chose him, but because he had already chosen her.
She didn’t think there would ever be days like this, days when she would be this happy, this contented. Things truly did get better in time, she thought as she continued to stare at Lee, admiration in her eyes.
Lee seemed to sense her eyes perusing him and he glanced up. “What did I do?”
“Nothing. I was just wondering?”
“About?”
“About that clock that you gave me. No one ever gave me a clock before, and I was just wondering why. Why a clock of all things?”
“Did you look at the inscription?”
“There’s an inscription?” she asked him.
“There’s an inscription.”
Blue Ivy raced into the other room, grabbed the clock and returned to the kitchen. She then turned the clock over and written in really tiny scripted words, which Blue Ivy read aloud, were the words: “Just a matter of time before you’ll be mine.”
Lee smiled. “I know it’s corny, but it’s from the heart.”
“This is so sweet. I can’t believe this inscription has been there all along, and this is the first time I’ve seen it.”
Blue Ivy set the clock on the kitchen table and began cutting the green peppers and onions for her spaghetti dinner.
“You know, you don’t have to do this,” Lee said.
“I don’t have to do what?”
“Cook for me. I know it’s not your forte. We can always order out.”
“You’re not afraid of my cooking, are you?”
“Well, now that you brought it up.”
After they shared a good laugh, she was intrigued and wanted to know everything about him. “Lee, you have a really wonderful relationship with your father, but I have never heard you say anything about your mother.”
Lee closed the book in front of him and Blue Ivy witnessed the discomfort on his face.
“You don’t have to tell me,” she said.
“No, I don’t mind. My mother wasn’t ready to be a mother. I was what you call an unplanned pregnancy, and she didn’t want to be tied down. So she left.”
“Really?”
“I hardly ever think about it, so you see there’s not much to say about her.”
“Where is she now?”
Lee shifted his eyes away from her and didn’t answer.
“Is she alive?” Blue Ivy asked.
“I’m sure she is.”
“Did your father tell you that?” she asked.
“Not exactly, but I can read between the lines, and I already forgave her for it, a long time ago.”
She and Lee were so much alike. After wasting so much time with the crying, suffering and the acting out, finally, she met someone who understood her pain, who loved her despite everything, and she refused to waste any more time. Things could change in an instant, which they had for her. But for this moment, she was glad to be who she was. And after all she endured, she wouldn’t change a thing.
“I want you to listen to something for me,” she said as she led Lee into the front room. Lee remained silent as he eased down on the sofa, with a curious look about him.
Blue Ivy stood at the entertainment center and slid the Bee Gees CD into the disc player. Soon the sounds and words of the magnificent song, I Just Want to Be Your Everything echoed throughout the room. Lee’s eyes gazed up at Blue Ivy, mesmerized.
He had once played that same song for her, but the true essence of the words belonged to him, possibly written with someone like him in mind.
Blue Ivy seated herself next to him on the sofa and grasped his hand into hers, all the while sharing a warm smile. With her eyes locked in with his, she discovered that this was where she wanted to be, in the presence of Lee Travis, and nowhere else.
With the mellow sounds emanating throughout the room, she scooted closer to him and was practically in his lap. He was that someone, not necessarily the someone she searched for all of her life, but that someone she was grateful to have found, that someone who brought her to this place of happiness, contentment and peace.
It was strange how much had changed since Blue Ivy turned thirty, and not necessarily for the worst, but for the absolute best.
Later that evening, Blue Ivy was
fast asleep in Lee’s arms when she was awakened by a voice from the other room.
It was Sandy.
Filled with delight and anticipation, Blue Ivy slid from underneath Lee’s arms and escaped into the next room.
“Blue Ivyeeee?” the voice called out.
The voice was coming from the bathroom. As soon as Blue Ivy stepped before the bathroom mirror, a ravishing image of Sandy appeared. Gold earrings dangled from Sandy’s ears and her curly red hair was even curlier and more beautiful than ever.
“Sandy, you’re back,” Blue Ivy said with delight. “I thought you were gone forever.”
“That’ll never happen.”
“Well, where were you? I called to you day after day. Did you not hear me?”
“I heard you,” Sandy said. “But I knew you had things to take care of, and I wanted you to do it all by yourself.”
“Thanks, Sandy. I guess you know everything that happened, huh?”
“Yes, and I must say, I am very proud of you.”
“You are?”
“Yes, very much. So how does it feel to be thirty?” Sandy asked her.
“It’s the best. The absolute best.”
* * *
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Table of Contents
Praise for The Ghost of Blue Ivy
Copyright
Other Titles
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7
Episode 8
Episode 9
Episode 10
Episode 11
Episode 12
Episode 13
Episode 14
Episode 15
Episode 16
Episode 17
Episode 18
Episode 19
About the Author
Book Club Discussion Questions
