Play It Safe(101)

I heard someone call, “Ivey.”

My head came up, my fingers around a package of bleu cheese (see? they had everything at Plack’s) and I saw Cecily in the company of a girlfriend bearing down on me.

Shit.

Gray and I had gone into town a couple of times to have a beer at The Rambler so I had the opportunity to get updated on gossip. Not to mention, being together for two weeks, Gray and I had time to talk with each other.

I knew what had happened to his trees. I knew what had happened to his horses. And I knew that Gray (rightly) suspected Buddy. And I knew this freaked me out but I sensed Gray needed me to keep it together. Someone was poisoning his horses; he didn’t need to worry about me.

I also knew that Buddy and Cecily got married about a year after I left. I further knew they had two children, both girls. And I knew that Buddy had gone from loan manager to branch manager and now he was Vice President of the four branches of the bank that were in the next county. So I knew (but had not seen) that Buddy and Cecily lived in a “God awful monstrosity” (Janie’s words) on the eastern outskirts of Mustang opposite Gray’s ranch. They lived large for Mustang and didn’t hesitate lording it over the entire town.

In other words, they weren’t popular…still.

Now I saw that I’d been right those years ago about what would befall the woman Bud Sharp took as wife.

Cecily had had six years of marriage and two children with Buddy Sharp but she didn’t settle into life, marriage and motherhood with any kind of security and definitely no contentment. She was ten pounds underweight and looked gaunt. Her hair was styled in a fashion that was becoming but trendy and I knew with one look it took her at least a half an hour with a roller brush and a hairdryer to pull it off. She was made up and her clothing very nice (not, I was gleeful to see, as nice as mine). But it didn’t suit her simply because she wore it with a desperation that I didn’t think she knew anyone could see but was obvious to me.

She worked out a lot, probably watched every morsel that passed her lips and likely never left her home without her fancy clothes, her hair done and her face put on.

She was either terrified Buddy would cheat on her or knew he already did and she was terrified he’d find one he liked better than her. He’d scrape her off, leave her high and dry with two kids and she’d spend the rest of her days in Mustang running into Buddy and her younger, prettier replacement.

I liked this. I knew liking it might make me a bitch but I also didn’t care.

And knowing all this with one look at Cecily who had a bitchy look on her face like she was preparing to crush me and was looking forward to it, I was ready for Cecily.

Then again, this was where being an ex-Vegas showgirl came in handy. Even if I didn’t know this about Cecily, I’d still be ready.

“Heard you were back,” she stated, her, her girlfriend who was weirdly avoiding looking at me and her cart coming abreast of me.

“Yup,” I stated the obvious.

She did a head-to-toe with sneer on her face that she didn’t have it in her to commit to because she couldn’t quite bite back the envy.

Then her eyes came back to me. “Nice shoes,” she drawled and I kicked back a foot and rounded an ankle.

“Thanks, my ex-lover bought them for me. I love them,” I replied chirpily.

“Gray’s not gonna be able to keep you stocked in eight hundred dollar shoes,” she remarked, still sneering.

Yes. Envy. She knew exactly how much they cost and she didn’t have anything like them because Buddy might be a bank VP but he was no millionaire like Lash.

I grinned. “That’s okay. I have, like, a hundred pairs. I think that’ll last me awhile.”

Red started creeping up her cheeks and I glanced at her friend who was still strangely avoiding my eyes.

Weird.

My attention went back to Cecily when she crossed her arms on her chest.

I’d scored two points and, still, she was settling in.

Shit.

“Sure no one has told you but you should know, Gray’s been busy while you’ve been gone. Very busy.”

Bitch.

I knew what she meant, it couldn’t be missed.

Gray had had women after me.

It sucked but I knew that Gray hadn’t remained blindly devoted to the memory of me even while thinking I’d never be back. Cecily was right no one had mentioned it, including Gray. And I was glad he didn’t because I didn’t want to go there. He was a man, all man and no way he would remain celibate, devoted to his hand like I was to my vibrator. I made the decision I made not to put myself out there again. Gray had needs, needs he’d see to and I didn’t know if in quenching them he’d attempted to open his heart and make a go with someone else.

What I did know was that even if he did, he didn’t succeed so when I came back, he was available for me.

And that was all I needed to know.

“I find it fascinating that, twice, I’ve been in your company and, twice, you’ve felt it’s your duty to inform me about Gray and the women in his life. All this while, back then and still now, you’re with Buddy. I mean, obviously, since he’s giving it to me and I like it…a lot,” I leaned in on those last two words to add meaningful and deserved emphasis, “I know how good he is. But you, a married lady, all this attention to my man? My guess is, you liked it a lot too and you miss it. What? Does Buddy not do it for you? Have you been pining for over seven years for Grayson Cody?”