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"No problem and I have to admit that I’m curious," she says. "Being a writer makes me naturally curious." She smiles.
A server comes to get our order. I’m too nervous to eat anything and I order plain coffee. I’ve had too much coffee today but it's been that kind of day. Ivy orders coffee and a grilled chicken sandwich, reminding me of my dinner with Jace. I'll miss such simple normal days.
Ivy folds her hands on the table and looks at me. "So, what's going on?"
I inhale deeply and exhale. This has got to be the most nerve-wracking thing I've ever done. I remind myself that it's going to be the second most nerve-wracking. I have to face Jace as well and watch his handsome face crease and then disintegrate with heartbreak. I can't think of that now. If I go down that road, I'll lose my nerve and not do the right thing with Ivy.
"Where do I start?" I'm thinking aloud. "Okay. First of all, I'm not really a personal assistant. I'm a magazine writer." I swallow hard.
Ivy's face becomes a mask. I can't tell what she's thinking or feeling.
"I was sent by my magazine to work undercover at The Anderson Clinic to see if I can uncover malpractices."
Her mask slips and she looks horrified. She covers her mouth with her hand.
"The reason I'm telling you this is because a couple came forward last week with a story about the clinic. Mike and Susan Clark." I pause to give her time to digest what I just said.
“Oh, my God,” Ivy says and my heart goes out to her.
The server comes with our order and I take a sip of my hot coffee. It burns my throat as it goes down but right now, I don’t care. Ivy sips her coffee too, but I notice that her hands are trembling.
“Because I’m already working undercover at the clinic,” I continue when the server leaves, “my editor gave me the assignment to interview them, which I did on Saturday.”
Ivy’s eyes darken.
“If I didn’t, someone else from the magazine would have done it,” I say. “And if my magazine didn’t interview them, another publication would have.”
“Does Jace know all this?” Ivy finally asks.
I shake my head. Pain spreads across my chest.
"Why did you come to me?"
"I guess I wanted to give you some form of warning because it's your story. It's unfair for you to find out when the story goes public on Saturday."
She lets out a hiss. "The issue comes out Saturday?"
I nod. "I had an idea and I want to know what you think about it. But first, I want you to understand that I won't publish or write anything that you told me in confidence."
She starts shaking her head even before I finish.
"Hear me out first. I know you're worried about the clinic and believe it or not, that's my concern too. What if you also told your story? Give your point of view. Show that everything worked out perfectly and led to your happily ever after. That will surely soften the blow for the clinic."
Ivy narrows her eyes as she looks at me. "I can't believe I believed that you had never written before. That writing was too good for a newbie."
Shame comes over me and I look away, unable to meet her gaze. "I'm sorry but I couldn't tell the truth. I was undercover and that's what journalists do."
"That’s what journalists do, is it? Jace is in love with you," she says quietly. "How can you hurt him like this?"
“I love him too…”
Ivy gives a short snort of laughter at that.
"I never meant us to go this far. I thought it would be a short affair and when my time at the clinic came to an end, we'd go our separate ways."
"Do you know that he wants to propose to you?" Ivy asks.
She hasn't listened to a word I've said.
