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The day was spent in preparations for the memorial. Lydia flitted about Honey Pot gathering supplies and delegating orders. Ines checked in on the hour. But there was never anything else she needed to attend to other than her fiancé and Jake’s cousin.
Lydia, Flora, Ivy, and Miss Jacqui had everything all under control. Flora guarded Scout while Ivy helped spruce up the house. Miss Jacqui organized seating as she bossed Grant around, having him set up tables and move furniture. Ivy barely got more than a peek at Grant as they hustled to complete their jobs.
Maude Santiago and her assistant, Stefan, arrived to cook at 2 pm. They draped each table in their signature linens, staged the buffet, and arranged the placement of the platters before the first dish hit the ovens.
Ivy worried over the night's attendance. Surely, there wouldn’t be more than twenty people arriving to pay their respects to a man no one really even knew. She wanted to ask Grant what he thought about the situation but couldn’t pull herself away from work.
Lydia arrived to pick her up at 5 pm. She waited in the library as Grant went to fetch Ivy.
He caught her on the landing. Her face was pale.
“What is it?”
“I just saw something I know I definitely wasn’t supposed to see,” she said.
“What?” Ivy shook her head refusing to discuss it. “Come on, show me.”
She led Grant, with great reluctance, down the hall toward the guest bedrooms. Ivy held her index finger to her lips and Grant hushed at the unspoken command.
Voices laughed, muffled only by the double doors to the visitor suite. The bedroom door was ever so slightly ajar. Ivy had left it open upon retreat. She didn’t want to disturb the party entertaining themselves in the guest bathroom.
Grant slowly pushed the door open and slinked inside the room. A suitcase lay open on the bed. Bill’s belongings spewed out of it and across the floor.
“Bill’s staying for the week,” Grant said. Ivy trailed close behind Grant. “It’s no big deal.”
The laughter intensified. Then whispering ensued. Bill’s voice was the loudest of both the speaking parties. But Della’s nasal twang was unavoidable.
“What is she doing in here?” Grant’s eyes bugged and the color left his cheeks. His expression mirrored Ivy’s. Ivy shrugged and motioned back to the bedroom door.
“Let’s go.”
Grant shook his head. “I don't think so. I want to know what Della is doing in there with Bill.”
“You really don’t,” Ivy said.
“My aunt deserves to know.”
The bathroom door knob rattled. Grant jumped into action and shoved Ivy under the bed. She gagged on dust bunnies and stifled a yelp. Grant slid in beside her. Footsteps from the bathroom soon followed.
Ivy wanted to close her eyes to make her hiding more complete. Like being a little girl and hiding under the sheets from the dark. But she knew it would be silly to do that in this situation. She needed to record whatever happened and be prepared to run should the need arise. Grant scrunched in closer. Their shoulders overlapping, both of them slowed their breathing.
Someone sat on the bed above them.
✽✽✽
Downstairs Lydia helped Maude Santiago. “Do you know you’re linens are upside down? They don’t look bad that way but I wonder if you’re aware.”
Maude nodded. “I don't feel our logo is especially appropriate, given the circumstances.”
Lydia grabbed a business card from the tiny dish next to the napkins. Con Fuego - Fire up Your Night was scribed in an O. A wreath of flames encircled the restaurant’s name.
“Oh, I see.” Lydia smiled at Maude. “Thanks for being so proactive.”
“I’m happy to help.”
✽✽✽
“Not much longer.” Della’s voice was the first to crack the silence. Ivy guessed she was the one sitting on the bed. Bill’s feet clonked across the room, at a thoughtful pace.
Not soon enough. Not if you said you’ve seen him in town.”
“I said I thought I saw him. I don't know for sure. I didn’t go up and start a conversation.”
“Did he recognize you?”
“I don’t think so. I’ve changed a lot over the last few months. Hair, weight, some new nips, and tucks. I doubt he gave me a second look.”
“That would be impossible.” Bill’s voice held its gentle rhythm but its tone sounded edgy. This didn’t feel like Professor Barnaby from the other day. Ivy shivered. Had Bill always sounded so slimy? Maybe that’s why Ivy was having all those flashbacks? Part of her was picking up on the hidden vibe of the creepy side of Bill.
Grant placed a caring hand on top of hers. His eyes smiled confidently into hers. Cheering her on and calming her down at the same time. Ivy didn’t know how he did it. She marveled over Grant’s uncanny way of reading her. She wondered what else he knew about her that she hadn’t yet said.
Della giggled flirtatiously. Grant blanched. His face flamed. Ivy guessed he was reacting out of concern for his aunt. “That was a compliment. Are you sure you’re feeling alright?”
“Better than ever.”
Della’s high heels dangled just below the bed skirt. Ivy wished she could inch further under the four-poster but she’d have to roll over Grant to get any farther away from Della Strap. “So, when are you going to tell them?”
“Tonight, I’ll announce it after my speech.”
“Try not to look so happy about it. Ines isn’t an idiot. She’ll figure it out,” Della’s voice oozed with flirtatious threats.
“You worry about you. I’ll worry about the rest. You almost slipped at the hospital.”
Della let loose a lazy sigh. Her shoes walked closer to Bill’s. “Can you blame me? It was so creepy. Him just lying there and you standing right next to me. No one thought anything of it.”
“Let’s hope not.”
Della and Bill’s shoes were almost touching. Ivy couldn’t imagine them being any closer without the rest of their bodies touching. Grant’s lip shook but it wasn’t fear or sadness. He was ticked.
“What are you wearing, tonight,” Della said with seductive interest.
“Will you knock that off,” Bill said, taking a big step backward toward the hall. “I guess I’ll ask Ines’ nephew to head over the apartment and grab my suit.”
“Which one?”
“I’ll let him choose. He’s got decent taste.”
“Tell him to pick out one with a bow tie. Bowties are cool.” Della laughed. Her happy was too loud and pronounced. It didn’t sound like joy. More like disguised hostility. Bill didn’t return the bubbly laughter.
“Now come on. Let’s get back to everyone else before they notice.”
Della’s heels clicked out of the room and Bill’s feet followed. One of them pulled the door closed. Grant and Ivy laid there a while longer and listened for their footsteps to fade.
Ivy wondered if her heart was beating so loudly because she was so afraid or if it was going wild from being so close to Grant. She didn’t know which option she preferred.