AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER 5:
Ivy
Taking the subway back to my uncle’s house, I can’t help but think about George. Part of me wanted to let him drive me home, but I didn’t want to chance Owen seeing him drop me off. He hasn’t asked me anything since the first shoot (the only one, as far as he knows), but I know he would disapprove of me continuing with the project. It’s going to be hard keeping the news about Annie Leibovitz to myself, but I’ll have to. He’ll see that as a distraction from my studies…my real potential career and the one I should be focusing on.
There’s something else, too. I like George…reallylike him. When we were at the park, everything between us was so easy, but with a subtle undercurrent. I’m probably imagining things. After all, he is a handsome, powerful man. What could he possibly see in me? I’m not sophisticated like all the women I’m sure he’s used to meeting. I’ve barely been outside of the borough of Brooklyn with its middle-class culture. Manhattan seems like another world to me, full of rich and urbane people...a place I visit and watch, but I don’t belong. No. George would never be interested in someone like me. He’s just being nice.
When I enter the townhouse, my aunt is waiting for me in the kitchen. She looks up from the magazine she is reading when I enter. “Good! You’re here. How was breakfast with your friend? Who was it you said again? I just remember it’s someone I’ve never met.”
I want to crawl under the table in shame, hating myself for lying about my plans this morning. I wish I could tell her, but I know she would tell Owen. “It’s was just a friend of mine from class,” I reply evasively.
Cynthia gives me a perceptive look. “Is everything okay?”
I need a better poker face. “I’m just a little tired.”
“We don’t have to go Christmas shopping if you don’t feel like it,” she offers.
I shake my head. “No. This is our annual tradition. I’m not about to bail.”
“Good,” my aunt says as she stands up, grabbing her purse. “Let’s do it!”
***
As I leave Annie Leibovitz’s studio that Tuesday, my hands are shaking as I dial George’s cell phone. The day has been incredible! At first, I had been so starstruck that I could barely speak. She immediately put me at ease, though. Watching her work had been an experience, seeing everything through her eyes. I showed her my photos of George. She had laughed, saying that I had managed to capture the person she knew and not just the image. “You have a real talent,” she told me. “I see now why George spoke so highly of you.”
“Hello,” George’s voice answers on the other end.
“George, it’s Ivy. I just finished up my day with Annie,” I stammer excitedly.
I start to tell him about it, my words tumbling over each other, but he stops me. “Ivy, why don’t we meet for dinner, and you can tell me all about it? That might be more productive.”
The thought of seeing him again makes me smile. “That would be great. Where should I meet you? What time?”
He suggests meeting at a restaurant overlooking the Rockefeller Plaza ice rink and Christmas tree. “After all, it is Christmas.” I can hear the smile in his voice. “My meetings are finished for the day, so I can meet you now if you are available.”
I immediately agree, hailing a cab. George is waiting for me at the entrance when I get there, and we take the elevator up to the restaurant. The waiter shows us to a table near the vast expanse of windows. I can’t take my eyes off the view. The sun is almost set, and the tree is lit up, dazzling in an array of colors and lights. Skaters are dotted along the rink, tiny moving figures below. “It’s stunning,” I say in awe.
George smiles at me. “I thought you would like it.”
The waiter arrives and takes our drink order. “You know, I’ve been to Rockefeller Plaza at Christmas, but it’s always been to skate and catch a bite at one of the eateries below. I’ve never seen it from up here. I guess I’ve always been used to the cheap seats.”
He folds his arms on the edge of the table, leaning in. “So, tell me all about today with Annie.”
I describe everything, talking animatedly. “She was incredible. Hearing her describe how she looks at people, how she reads them…how she tries to bring their true selves out for everyone to see. I showed her the pictures I took of you. I hope you don’t mind. She said it was refreshing to see her friend and not just the businessman in the pictures.”
“Annie’s been a longtime friend. She knows me well,” George replies as he takes a sip of his wine. “That’s a big compliment coming from her.”
“Have you had a chance to look at the photos from the last shoot?” I ask him after our waiter takes our order.
“I looked at them the very minute I got them. They’re perfect.” He laughs. “I showed them to Anita. She liked the ones you took when I fell. Those were her favorites.”
“Did you give her copies?” I ask curiously. “If not, I can send them to her.”
He looks at me, suddenly seeming a bit paranoid. “You wouldn’t, would you?”
“Nah,” I say with a laugh. “I’m just messing with you…kinda.”
“I am using a couple for the Christmas newsletter, though. I particularly like the one with the dog.”
