Mrs. Anderson.

Ivy lifted her head and looked over at Val. “What do you mean?” She asked when the other woman commented on her being a terrible liar. “I am not a terrible-” Then Val said something that made her take pause. If it wasn’t just sex, then that meant.. She shook her head. “I- I can’t. I don’t. I couldn’t.” Or could she? Did she? There was a sudden racing in her chest that sobered her up. “It… wouldn’t matter anyway. C-come on. Let’s.. go dance.”

Ivy thought about Val’s words and while they made sense and there was always that possibility, she couldn’t find herself believing it. Jon wasn’t like that. He was a good man who was loyal to a fault. He’d said awful things to her and maybe it was because she’d been too clingy after they slept together. “It’s fine,” she said finally, faking a smile. “It’s not like there was anything more going on there than sex, and even then it was just that one time.” She shook her head and sat up, reaching and downing another drink. “Just sex.” She said it as though she was trying to convince herself more than Val. 

Ivy leaned into Val’s embrace and let out a breath she’d been holding. She knew Val was right. Stevie and Stephan had always been there for her and helped her.. but so had Jon. He’d been a part of her family and her life since she was young. After the other night, she felt like they were getting somewhere new and it had felt good. “Yeah,” she said in a small voice. “I guess. I just never expected that from him. We were so close and then all of a sudden, he wants nothing to do with me. It’s not like him.” After a small pause, she pressed her lips together. “I knew there was a chance nothing could happen there. If my dad found out, he’d kill both of us. But I guess I liked getting to find out what could be there.” Finally she shook her head. “But it was just sex. Which is fine, I mean. Why wouldn’t it be?”

Ivy waited a minute before having another drink. She wasn’t going to need much more, of that she was sure. She hadn’t drank in a long time so she’d become a pretty serious lightweight. Setting the empty glass aside, Ivy brushed her fingers through her hair and tried to pretend like she wasn’t as hurt by it as she was. “He.. I don’t know.. Everything kind of just changed.” She started, looking out towards the crowd. “We were hanging out, testing the waters with each other, really. He was supposed to come to the show opening night and then he wasn’t there.” She shrugged. “I texted him and he was saying that he had more important things to do, kind of just brushed me off there. Then last night he showed up after a show.” She became silent then. She hadn’t wanted to relive it but there it was. “He basically told me to fuck off and leave him alone, in not so many words. I know it’s stupid to be upset about that. We weren’t dating or anything but we’ve been so close for so long. Hearing him say that all I am is a hot fuck with daddy issues pretty much punched me in the gut.”

“Oh my God, I need to drink a lot more if we’re going to talk about private dance shows for my father,” she said with a laugh. Ivy pulled out her phone, checked the screen to see if there were any calls but as soon as she saw it was blank, she put it away. She really wished she didn’t feel so disappointed that it was empty. Val’s question drew her attention up and she felt her cheeks flush. “Hmm? Yeah. Yeah, it’s..” Ivy looked across at the other woman and had a realization. She couldn’t talk to Stephan or Stevie about this. The only other person she went to didn’t want anything to do with her. “No. Not really.” Her thumbnail trailed the bottom of her shot glass. “Jon and I had a- well, not really a fight but.. we’re not talking, to say the least.”

@sultryvalentina

Ivy downed the second shot selfishly, knowing that she wanted and just how much it took her to get there. “I was just imagining the look on my fathers face if I took you home tonight and told him you were drunk and dancing on the top of a bar.” Ivy knew Val wouldn’t end up doing it but the imagine was amusing enough. She smiled and hoped it appeared genuine though she felt anything but. After a few minutes, Ivy took her third shot, wishing the burn would scorch out anything that felt bad. It wasn’t working yet. “We should probably dance though. Maybe once the floor empties a little. The last thing I can handle right now is some stranger groping me in the middle of a sea of people,” she said, eyes passing over the crowd as she emptied her glass.

“Or we just celebrate us finally getting a girls night out.” It should be odd that Ivy didn’t want to toast to the show since she’d worked so hard to get where she was but her heart just wasn’t in it tonight. It hasn’t been since- well- no need to bring it up. No, Ivy just wanted to get drunk and hopefully find a reprieve from the thoughts and feelings that were racing through her head and heart. She held up her shot glass to officially toast, “To no husbands, no boyfriends,” no Jon, “and since Coop has Simon all weekend, no kids. Just us being the hottest and drunkest women in here.”

“You know you don’t have to do that. With how much I sing all the songs around the house, I’m sure I could replay the whole thing for you.” Lowering in the lush seat, Ivy looked out at the crowd before being distracted by what Val said. “You’re an Anderson, and Anderson’s can hold their liquor,” she smirked. “Don’t worry. I’ll drink what you don’t.” She wanted so desperately to get the memories from the previous night out of her head. This night was supposed to take it away. The show was supposed to take it away. Her dinner with Stephan was supposed to take it away but nothing did. When the drinks came, Ivy took one of the shots, downing it before reaching for a second. The first would just get her started. “How are the kids?”