Book 1: Echoes Of The Past

Chapter 5 - Payback's A Bitch

**1pm**

Ivy finished up the report she had been working on and messaged Jess to say that she would be down in just a second and to wait in the foyer for her. She picked up her bag and left her room, walking down the hallway to the lift when her phone rang.

"Christ Jess, I'm coming as fast as I can." Ivy muttered to herself, rummaging around in her bag, trying to find her phone. She eventually found it and looked at the display screen.

'Shannon'

She frowned. What was with this guy? Why was he suddenly acting, or trying to act like they were best buddies? He literally despised her those 7 years ago when she was with Jack. He was always putting her down, finding ways to embarrass and humiliate her and was generally an all-round dick to her.

As far as she could see, nothing should have changed. Except that she was no longer with Jack and Shannon was a part of a multi award winning, global band. And yeah. He had changed and not just in how he was acting towards her. In appearance as well; he looked good. Damn good.

For some reason, she felt guilty for thinking that way about him, like she was almost cheating on Jack; or something to that offset, which was stupid. They hadn't been together for over a year now and she hadn't really done much dating since. Wait! Dating!? Where had that thought come from? She shook her head and answered Shannon's call.

"Hey Shannon."

"Hey Ivy, are you up to much?"

"I'm about to meet Jess to go through the contract for your music video."

"Oh right. About that. I don't know how comfort-" He was cut off by Ivy telling him that she'd call him back later after she'd had her lunch with Jess.

'How comfortable you may be, possibly filming semi-naked.' He cringed, muttering to himself, finishing his sentence he had been in the middle of saying when she cut him off.

**Lunchtime**

Ivy and Jess were sat in a Bistro around the corner from Ivy's office building. They had placed their orders and come to sit down at a table.

"So, what else is new?" Jess asked Ivy taking off her coat to hang on the back of her chair and also hanging her handbag from it.

"Jess. Why did you give Shannon my number?" Ivy sighed coming to sit down opposite her.

Jess frowned. "Oh, should I not have? I-I just thought that since you two would be working together, you'd need it. Plus, he asked for it. He seemed really concerned about you last night Ivy. Are you going to tell me how you know Shannon and I assume his brother? Because it's pretty obvious he seems to know you."

Ivy sighed deeply. "It's a long story."

"Oooh. So, you do know him! Now I need to hear about this. He's a fucking babe Ivy, and his brother, well, let's just say I wouldn't turn down a threesome if they offered."

Ivy rolled her eyes at her friend. "They were both good friends with my older brother growing up. Shannon hates me. Well, he seemed to back then. I-I don't know what's with the sudden shift in mood now."

"He hates you?"

"He made my life hell Jess. When Jack and I were together he found any excuse to ridicule me, berate or embarrass me. Any chance, he took it. I never found out why and neither Bryce nor Jack ever did anything about it.

"That's seriously weird. He wouldn't leave you alone last night after what happened."

"I know. Then he called a cab for me and insisted on paying for it. We got in a huge argument about that. I said I didn't need his charity now that he was some famous rockstar. Then I got home to this!" Ivy fished out her phone and scrolled to find the message that Shannon had sent her last night; including the part where he'd asked her if she'd like to grab dinner with him sometime, and showed Jess.