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Chapter 7
Ivy’s rental car jerked to a stop. She was shaking as she realized that she’d almost hit a college kid on Main Street. She tried to tell herself that it wouldn’t have been her fault as the stupid guy was walking backward into the street as he stared up at the soon to be closed movie theater. He jumped when he realized that her car was about to collide with his body. Ivy stepped out of her car, frantic about what she might have just done.
“I am so sorry,” Ivy blurted out.
“It’s okay,” the college guy said.
“You sure?” she queried.
“Still got all my body parts. Think I’ll live.”
And when the college guy laughed, Ivy thought that his chuckle seemed familiar. Perhaps too familiar. She recognized his voice. Ivy took a closer look at the guy and realized that this wasn’t a Hobart and William Smith student—even though he was wearing a HWS T-shirt and covering his eyes with sunglasses. He was only trying to look like a student, but actually he was someone else… Could it be…Griffin?
She was about to blurt out his name when she stopped herself. Was this really how she wanted to meet the actor who was starring in her movie? She wanted him to like her, not hate her. She wanted him to think of her as the esteemed screenwriter of his movie, not the lady who almost mowed him down and took his life away. Now Griffin was giving her a discerning look too. He noticed her out of state license plates on the rental car. Ivy wondered if he might be recognizing her too. But that would be impossible as there were no photos of her on the web. She was just a crazy lady who needed to pay more attention when she was driving. She smiled to herself. Relieved.
But then she remembered when Drew insisted that they upload a photo of her from Sundance onto her IMDb page, which she knew was shorthand for Internet Movie Database. Ivy had been so excited when Drew first revealed that she had her own IMDb page and that it listedWhen Joseph Met Maryin production. Her smiling face was at the top of the web page, beaming out in happiness to all who wondered who she was. She’d been so proud. Too proud. Now she cursed that photo as she wondered if Griffin had gone to the IMDb page about the movie and seen the face of the screenwriter.
Ivy’s mind could go a mile a minute, like a runaway train. A honking horn pulled her out of her reverie. Traffic was building up behind Ivy’s car. She looked nervously at Griffin.
“If you’re okay, then I think I’d better move along.”
“Yeah, before the angry driver has road rage.” He laughed.
“Huh? Oh yeah, ha-ha,” Ivy said. And if she’d had any doubt before about whether or not this guy was Griffin, it disappeared. Nobody talked about road rage except for Angelenos. It just wasn’t something that happened in Upstate New York. This guy was definitely Griffin James.
Ivy rushed to get back in her car. She gave Griffin one last look. “As long as you’re okay…” Her words lingered in the air. He was already rushing up the street, trying to avoid the small crowd that had formed around him.
Ivy closed her car door and as she drove slowly away, she was flooded with memories because they had been stopped directly in front of the old movie theater, the site of her first date with Nick back in ninth grade. It was a revival house. They’d gone to seeNotorious, an old Hitchcock movie. Ivy’s dad had raved about the movie and he’d wanted to join them, but Ivy’s mom had gently put her foot down against that threesome. And so it was that Ivy had her first date with Nick. It had been a magical night. Just as Ingrid Bergman was falling in love with Cary Grant, teenage Ivy was falling for teenage Nick. Ivy’s eyes welled up at the memory, and for perhaps the thousandth time in the past five years, she’d been reminded that she wasn’t completely over Nick. She knew that the best way to push those thoughts aside was to call Drew, her new boyfriend. She tapped her phone.
“Call Boyfriend,” she said. A robotic phone announced, “Calling Boyfriend.” Ivy chuckled as she heard the phone say that, remembering how she and Drew had each changed the name in their phones to reflect their newfound relationship status. She wondered if Drew smiled when her number came up asGirlfriend. Drew picked up.
“Hey, girlfriend.” Drew’s voice emanated happiness. All at once the bad moments of the morning washed away for Ivy. She felt happy again.
“Hey, boyfriend,” Ivy responded. “How’s the Belhurst? You know you’re staying at the swankiest place in town.”
“I know. It’s a castle! I got Griffin settled in. Amari is going to love it.”
“Is she there yet?” Ivy asked.
“Not yet. She just texted. She made her driver pull over when she saw a farm stand. Insisted on getting some fresh corn.”
“I hope she realizes that she’s not going to be cooking at the Belhurst.” They both laughed.
“It’s good to hear your voice. I can’t wait to see you. Naked. You know we haven’t fooled around in a few weeks.” Ivy blushed as he said these words.
“Me too, but we’ve got to keep it on the QT.”
“You sure?” Drew countered.
“Yeah. You’re the big producer. I don’t want people to think that the only reason that you bought my screenplay is because I’m sleeping with you.”
“Wait…that isn’t the reason?” Drew laughed.
“Ha-ha. Listen, I’ve got to pull in this coffee shop now to get some scones for my dad. Can’t go home empty-handed.”
“You’re such a good daughter.”
“You know me so well. See you later,” Ivy said as she ended the phone call.
