Poison Ivy

Chapter Eleven: He was so charming

- Two consecutive updates? What's the catch? No catch, just boredom, really, and I'd really like to hear your feedback. Also, I want to thank every reader I've gained, I hit 1k yesterday... that was a nice experience and it means a lot considering this is my first real story on this site. Thank you all. ~Talia. xoxo. -

PS. Penny to the side. --->

"This note was dropped in for you," Penny said handing me an envelope - with my name scrawled across the front of it in black spiky letters - and the sign-out book. "Apparently it's urgent." She added.

I nodded, scribbling my signature and time in the book before slipping it back across to her. "Who dropped it off?"

"They told me not to say, said it'd be more romantic if I didn't." she giggled, before waggling her eyebrows suggestively. "Such a charming admirer, Ivy."

I arched an eyebrow at her quizzically, before turning the envelope over, and running my finger underneath the seal, trying to be patient about it. But of course, I'm not patient, so a minute later I was ripping it open and pulling out the folded slip of paper tucked inside. I eyed it cautiously, wary of its contents, before unfolding it, scanning it and staring down at the words in disbelief.

"Is he serious?" I scowled and looked up to see a Penny that was practically bouncing in her seat. It was sort of bad that that annoyed me to the point where I wanted to stride around and pull the lever on it, lowering the chair out of view behind the desk. "What does it say?" she asked eagerly, leaning across the reception desk to see. "He wants you to call him? Aw, I don't get to know why." She pouted.

I would have laughed had it been another situation, but it wasn't, so I didn't.

I'd bet he was wearing a satisfied smirk as he handed his note over to Penny, knowing all too well that it'd anger me that he had even bothered to do so, let alone asked me to call him. He left his number as though he expected it to happen, too.

It wasn't just a joke, he was actually serious.

"Are you gonna call him now? You can use the office phone." Penny suggested, her tone conveying hope and I sighed, shaking my head.

"No, I don't think I'll bother at all." I replied and she stood, her mouth agape slightly before pointing at the note.

"But he told me it was urgent, and he was so charming." She protested.

"He's a jerk." I stated, scrunching the note up and stuffing it into my jacket pocket.

"But... he told me I was pretty. A jerk doesn't just tell people they're pretty if they're jerks." She pointed out and I refrained from rolling my eyes.

Just like me, Penny was an intern, though she was a year younger. She had been here a month before me and whilst she was good in her field of work, which was answering the phone and forwarding calls, she was not the most intelligent girl that I've met. Not that she was completely stupid, more so that she was naïve and saw things simply. She took things at face value, and didn't quite understand the concept of wit either. I pitied her, really, she'd been strung up by such a simple compliment and he no doubt had her forever wrapped around his little finger, which was no good for me, because if he chose to annoy me, he could do so through Penny by leaving notes just like the one I had received today.

Sighing, I stuffed my hand in my pocket, reaching to pull out the scrumpled note.

I flattened it out and placed it on the desk, holding my hand out for the office phone.

Penny smiled brightly before picking it up and passing it across the desk as much as she could with its cord stretched stiff.

"You'll have to use the code 019 before dialling his number." She said, happy that she got to listen in to my side of the conversation.

I was thankful that it was only my side, and that all she would hear was what I wished her to. I could control how myself and Andy's discussion would go and she'd be none the wiser. 

I dialled the number Andy had left for me and prayed that he didn't pick up.

No such luck. On the third ring the tone cut off and I heard shuffling before his voice aired a preoccupied hello.

"Hey, Andy... it's me." I mumbled in return and his tone immediately brightened.

"Hi, me."

"Oh, fuck you. Ivy. It's Ivy."

"I knew that, Poison." He laughed, before continuing. "I didn't expect you to call so soon. I thought you'd at least leave me waiting a few days." I could tell he was smirking.

I sighed, playing with the phone cord. "Yeah, well, I thought it best to get this over with." I swallowed, already regretting the words I said next "What do you want?"

"What makes you think I want something?" he asked and I raised my eyebrows confusing Penny in the process.

"You left a note with my work's receptionist asking me to call you, what makes you think I'd think you didn't want something?" I retorted and he chuckled, making the phone crackle a little.

"You're a bright one, not like that receptionist..." he trailed off and I snorted.

"Yeah, well I'm calling you from work and I'm using the reception phone, so could you make this quick?" I said, making him aware that Penny was stood with me.

"Oh. Well I have your number so I'll call you back later." He replied and I frowned hard.

"You have my, how-"

"I have my ways, Ivy. Don't doubt that."

I didn't. "What do you want?" I repeated.

"You." His voice took on a flirtatious, dangerous edge. "Panties around your ankles, bent over my kitchen table..."

"What the fuck, Andy-"

But he'd cut me off.

"What'd he say?" Penny asked as I placed the phone back on its holder.

"Oh, nothing." I ground my teeth together. "Penny, do you know how he's got my number?" I questioned and she smiled sheepishly.

"Well, yesterday he came in and asked to see you, but you and Mike were busy sorting paper work so I told him to come back at five and then he..." she trailed off and I stared at her expectantly, waiting for her to go on. "He uh, asked for your number instead and I was about to tell him it was part of company policy not to hand out staff information then he turned all alluring and I just melted looking into those blue eyes, I mean, have you saw how blue they are?" – yes, yes I have, ugh – "I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have but it's not like he's a stalker, you know him from doing two interviews with him and he was just really... charming." She finished, hesitantly looking up at me.

"It's okay." I sighed, running a hand through my hair. Even though it really wasn't.

"You're not mad?"

I am.

"No, I'm not mad," I lied. "I know what he's like." And I'm not surprised you fell for his charisma... just as I had the other day.

- Silly, naive Penny, she makes me smile with her innocence. :') I'm proud of how her character turned out, and though she doesn't have a major role in the story, she will appear from time to time to lighten the mood with her simplicity. (Emily, this is not the character I was telling you about, there's another to come. x'D) ~Talia. xoxo. -

PS. ---> Ashley just ships Cashley is all. I thought this was a partially appropriate video considering it's theme, though I've not written any Andley so, yeah, fun~!