Compromising Positions

Mina thought about it-how Cinzia hadn’t seen him for two days, how Giovanni hadn’t talked to him, how he hadn’t been at the offices for the final museum arrangements.

“He flew to Miami?” She looked at Ivy and got a nod in return.

“Good! I’m glad to see that brain hasn’t completely melted in the Italian sun.” Ivy leaned forward. “He arrived on my doorstep Saturday afternoon.”

Saturday afternoon?

“But that means he left first thing Saturday morning!” Wheels within wheels began turning in her head. “Why would he have done that?”

Ivy pulled the throw pillow off the chair behind her and threw it at Mina.

“Because he loves you, you moron!”

Ivy was yelling. Ivy never yelled. Ivy was always calm and cool and collected-the voice of reason in a world of idiots.

“But he was kissing someone else!” The words came out in a cry, her pain almost palpable. “I saw them, Ivy-with my own two eyes! They were in his office, up against his desk. She was practically in his lap!”

Tears welled up in her eyes.

“I can’t do that again, Ive. I can’t. It was bad enough with Ethan-I didn’t really love him, I know that now, so the hurt of him cheating on me didn’t last. But Marco? I …”

Her voice faded away and Ivy slid forward to kneel on the floor at her feet.

“You what, sweetie?”

Mina knew the look on her face. She wasn’t going to let her out of it.

“It’s different.” Silence filled the space between them. Mina twisted her hands together, and Ivy clasped hers around them.

“It’s different because you actually love him.”

The words were said softly, but they hit Mina like a hammer. Her heart slammed painfully in her chest, and her breath was uneven.

“I can’t…” she whispered, begging Ivy to understand, but Ivy was relentless.

“You have to.” Her hands tightened and she forced Mina to look at her. “You have a chance-a beautiful, terrifying chance-to fulfill every dream you’ve ever had. A true happily ever after! All you have to do,” she raised a finger, tilting Mina’s chin, “is trust him.”

She made it sound so easy-trust him. Like she could just flip a switch and all her worries would disappear.

“It isn’t that easy.”

Ivy gave her a serious look. “It is, actually. He’s out there waiting. He wants to explain. Hell, he explained to me, and I believed him, and I don’t even know him.”

She stood up.

“I’m going to open that door, and you are going to swallow your pride and your fear and you are going to sit and listen to what the man has to say. If, after that, you still don’t believe him I will drop the subject and never revisit it. If, however, you do not listen to him, I swear on my black cashmere trench coat that I will make every day of the rest of your life an utter misery. For both of you!” She stabbed a black-manicured finger at Giovanni and he retreated as far as the couch would let him. “And don’t you think I couldn’t do it.”

“You’d better listen to her, Mina mia,” he said, a glimmer of his old twinkle lurking in his eye. “I don’t think either of us would survive very long with this virago after us.”

Ivy nodded once in satisfaction at his agreement, and then turned back to her friend.

“You’ve run away from him twice, Mina,” she said, rising from her chair. “I don’t think you’re going to get a third chance. ”

Mina stared at her. Ivy was the one person she had always trusted. Scary smart, hard-working, and snarky, she hid the biggest heart in the world under seventeen layers of black. She was no one’s fool, and had said, “fuck off” to more than one pretty face, but she wouldn’t steer Mina wrong if she could help it.

“You believed his story?” Her voice was soft but steady, and Ivy nodded. “I did.”

Mina stood up and straightened her shoulders.

“I guess I’d better to talk to him, then.”

As soon as the words escaped she wanted them back. Her bravery was tissue thin, but fear pressed down on her like a mountain. Her heart was beating erratically, and her hands were shaking. Marco was sitting outside, waiting-something he didn’t do well at the best of times. Fifty feet separated them-fuck, the streets here were so narrow it was probably more like twenty-but she wasn’t sure she could make it.

Ivy was standing across from her, watching her closely. Probably getting ready to trip her if she ran.

She is in for a world of payback. Mina met her gaze and Ivy smiled. “I’d like to see you try it, Hemingway. I can outplot you seven days a week, and you know it.”

Mina laughed in spite of herself. “Yeah, but you know me. Queen of Ignoring the Obvious.”

She stepped forward and gave her a quick hug. “Thanks. No matter how this works out.” She looked down at Giovanni and said, “Keep an eye on her, okay? There’s no telling what kind of trouble she’ll get into now that she’s here.”

He looked up at her, his face serious again. “If you want me to go out…”

Ivy poked him, “Stop that! She doesn’t need you sticking your big nose in the middle…”

Mina turned away from them, letting the squabble fade away behind her. One step… two… It seemed to take forever to reach the door, but she finally made it. Blood pounded in her ears and she forced herself to take a deep breath and open the door.

The street looked so normal-apartments and cars and a fat orange tabby cat sitting on the patio wall watching her suspiciously.

Yeah, I’m not sure why I’m here either, bud.

She walked down the three steps to the street and saw him immediately.

He was standing in a beam of sunlight, leaning against the bumper of a low-slung Italian sports car she didn’t recognize. His eyes were fixed on her and her breath hitched in her chest at what she saw there.

He looked wonderful and terrible, his dark eyes full of longing and anger, and she wondered if she looked as conflicted as he did.

She forced herself to put one foot in front of the other, every instinct screaming to turn and run the other way, and before she thought it possible she was beside him.

They stood there like there for what seemed like forever. She soaked in his scent, the heat of him so familiar and comforting that she had to fight the urge to lean into him to let it thaw the ice that had swallowed her for days, and she wondered that she’d ever thought she could have abandoned that feeling forever.

“You haven’t been sleeping.” He sounded accusing and she shook her head. It was pointless to deny it. “No. Not much.”

More silence. She looked up at him and made herself speak

“Thank you for bringing Ivy here.” It wasn’t what she expected to say, but it was true. Marco looked at her, and she could see him trying to gauge what she was thinking. Good luck with that, her inner voice mocked, if you figure it out, make sure to let us know.

“It was no trouble,” he said stiffly. “I was returning and there was more than enough room.”

Mina sighed. This wasn’t working.

“So, the only reason you brought her along was because you had extra carry-on space?”

Marco looked frustrated, a tinge of red creeping into his skin. “Of course not.” Irritation clipped his words and she could tell he was angry. “I thought,” he looked down at her, “you might need a friend.”

The bitterness in his voice surprised her. He expected her to believe that the only reason he brought Ivy was for her? And what about why she needed a friend? Was he going to address that? Anger masked heartache, and she lashed out.

“Sure. I get that.” Mina stepped away a fraction and nodded sagely. “The best lever is the one that’s already in place, right? You bring someone I care about and let them make your excuses for you. Perfect.” Sarcasm oozed from every pore. “Well, we all knew you were a master manipulator, but it’s good to see that you haven’t lost your edge.”

Marco growled low in his throat and Mina had a moment to gloat over drawing first blood before he grabbed