This flash fiction was inspired by one of my favorite songs, Iowa, by Dar Williams. And it’s another snippet about Ivy – a character in an upcoming story. Again, I have no idea if this will make it into the book, but the first bit of flash fiction involving Ivy is here if you’d like to read it. You can also read the song lyrics or give the song a listen, too.
“I think I’m going to switch to women.”
Tasha raised her eyebrow at Ivy before refilling their wineglasses. “You know that’s not how it works, right?”
Ivy slumped back in her chair. “Well, it ought to. I switched from pop to water. I’ve gotta be able to ditch guys.”
“I’m sure you can ditch guys,” Tasha said, spreading some sort of fancy, organic goat cheese on some sort of equally fancy, organic cracker. “But have you ever felt attracted to a woman before? And before you ask, no, drunkenly attempting kiss me on the cheek and hitting my lips doesn’t count.” She paused and took a bite of her cracker. “Unless it turned you on.”
Ivy shook her head and sighed. “No. But I’m beginning to wish it had.”
Tasha laughed. “I’d love to be your passport to the dark side and all, but getting involved with another woman, doesn’t mean an easy relationship. Didn’t you see Lauren and Katy at the wedding?
Ivy’s cheeks colored and she shook her head. Once she’d fulfilled her bridesmaid duties, the rest of the reception had been a blur followed by the worst hangover of her entire life.
“Oh, that’s right. I’m pretty sure that’s when you were locked in a bathroom stall “altering” your dress,” she said, making little air quotes and everything.
Groaning, Ivy laid her head back against the back of the chair cushion. “Poor Charlotte. Between me and Lauren, and Caleb’s bitchtastic little sister, she had the worst behaved bridesmaids in the history of ever.”
“Hey now,” Tasha said, taking a sip of her wine. “I was the picture of model bridesmaid behavior.” Her smile turned a little brittle around the edges. “Have you talked to Charlotte and Caleb since they got back?” Her gaze dropped to my bare ring finger. “I mean, do they know, yet?”
“No. Not, yet. I already feel like an asshole lying to them about why Justin wasn’t there.” But really, what was she supposed to say? Congratulations! By the way, my fiancé just dumped me, but happy honeymoon to you!
Tasha scowled. “Justin is the one who should feel like an asshole.”
“Yeah, well…” She shrugged and swallowed hard refusing to shed any more tears over him. At least, in front of anyone. “His timing definitely could have been better.”
Sympathy shown in her friend’s eyes, and Ivy had to look away. Busying herself by grabbing a handful of crackers, she said, “But, I need to talk to her soon–I don’t want her to pay anything else on the dress. I still need to cancel the order. I’m stuck with mine, though. It’s paid off already.”
“What are you going to do with it?”
She shrugged. “Put it in with Justin’s stuff and let him deal with it?”
“He still hasn’t gotten his shit out of the apartment, yet?”
Ivy shook her head. “He’s got ’til Saturday at noon. If it’s not gone by then, I’m donating it.” It had been three weeks, and continuing to have his books on her shelves and his toiletries in the bathroom felt like living with the ghost of a relationship. Or worse, it felt like he might come back.
“I’ve got that day off. I’ll help you haul the stuff out.”
“That would be great. If it’s still there on Saturday, the PS4 is yours if you want it. All the games, too.”
“Is it wrong of me to hope he continues to be a giant douche?”
Ivy forced a smile. “Nope, not at all.”
She needed to get over it. Over him. She needed to stop driving past the big farm house–the one with the winding driveway bordered with forsythia and lilac bushes that exploded with color every spring. She needed to stop driving past the place they’d always said they were going to live–past the life she thought they were going to have.
The “For Sale” sign was gone, anyway. Someone else had already bought the place, and she needed to stop doing the emotional equivalent of staring through the windows at the life she and Justin were never going to have.
Be sure you check out the other stories by clicking on the author’s names.