SHOULD I TELL HER?

"Should I tell her?" Wilder paces in front of the TV Casey is watching while Casey trying to catch a sight of the football match going on.

"Tell who what?" Casey trying to wave Wilder out the way.

"Are you even listening to me?" Wilder picks up the remote in spite of Casey protest and turns off the TV.

"Dude, the hell?" Casey throws his hands up.

"I need your help," Wilder sits with his friend, who is supposed to be of support. He has been thinking about it all night, he was going to tell her last night in the car that he is crazy about her but macho Cole showed up.

"You don't need my help." Casey turns to his friend, knowing he won't get back to his game until he rids his friend of his absurdity. "What you need is the cool off, rest in the jacuzzi and sleep." Casey pats his friend.

"Cooling off isn't going to change my feelings for her." He hates that his friend isn't taking him seriously. He waited years back then and he doesn't want to wait anymore.

"So what do you want to do?" Casey spits "Tell her you love her and what? She leaves her husband, her family, and be with you?"

"That is delusional." Casey finishes.

"She is not happy with him." Wilder defends why he wants to speak up now.

"Oh please, no one is truly happy in a marriage. Maybe for a few years and the remaining, they endure each other for their kids." Casey lets go of his friend's shoulders.

"Your parents are happy." Wilder counters. Mr. and Mrs. Richards have been married for 35 years now and they seem to be in love every day.

"That's 5% of the 95 percent," Casey explains. "Plus they are the ones that got me this fucked, believing in love and shit."

"You sound bitter, I need positive Casey back." He nudges his friend.

"I really think you should leave things the way they are," Casey mutters to his friend.

"I can't," Wilder wishes he can but if there is a chance for Ivy and him, He will take it.

Wilder stands up, "Wish me luck." He calls as he walks towards the door.

"Good luck." He yells after Wilder as he opens the door. "You are going to need it.

~~~

"Whoa, someone's glowing." Megan takes a seat across a smiling Ivy, who's wearing an orange sundress. They are to have lunch outside near the pool as planned this morning.

"Of course I am," Ivy throws a strawberry in her mouth.

"Spill the beans." Megan stares at her friend in anticipation.

"What can I say, is it the mind-blowing sex, or pillow talk..." Ivy stops purposely in suspense.

"With Cole?" Meghan seems less interested, picking the strawberry from the bowl.

"Of course with Cole, who else?" Ivy rolls her eyes.

"So you guys are good?" Meghan is trying to be happy for her friend but she knows Ivy's happiness is going to be for a short while. Things don't get fixed overnight.

"Yes," Colour shoots up Ivy's face, a light shade of red on her cheeks.

"So you guys talked about all your problems overnight?" Megan trying to wake her friend up, it takes more than a day to fix what's been broken.

"We are still working on it." Ivy already getting defensive.

"As he gave you a good reason why he asked for an open marriage?" Megan continues to question and it's pissing Ivy up.

"As I said, we are working on it." The smile on Ivy's face is already gone.

"What about Wilder?"

That name Ivy has tried to stop thinking about, she doesn't know why it's hard. She has gotten what she wants.

"What about him?" Ivy pretends not to be affected by the name called.

"Come on now, don't tell me you are that blind?" Megan rolls her eyes dramatically. "He loves you."

Ivy freezes, trying to process what she just said. Her heart beating as she thinks of the possibility but nothing comes to her.

Ivy laughs out, hitting the table a couple of times to catch her breath. "Very funny," Ivy says between her laughs.

"There is no Wilder, he is a friend. We both had fun together and he helped me and now it's done." Ivy assures Meghan but deep down it's an assurance to herself. "Plus I am returning the favor by finding him a woman ."

"A woman? You are playing Cupid?" Now it's Meghan time to laugh

"Yeah, he helped me make a list and stuff." Ivy tells her all about the list and it's contents.

"Ivy?" She calls on her friend. "It sounds like he is describing you." Meghan is sure that she is right.

"You sound like a lunatic." Ivy comments.

"You are playing blind." Meghan scoffs.

"What do you want me to say, hmmm?" Ivy glares. "If he does love me, which he doesn't, nothing will happen. I have a family, which I am working on. I can't drag myself along with my daughter into an unpredictable fantasy with an unstable man-boy." Ivy finishes.

"Man-boy? I think you are describing Cole." Meghan spits, "You are being really stupid, things are not going to change with Cole. Your marriage is becoming a joke."

"Says the woman who hasn't been married, at least I am bold to get into one." Immediately Ivy says these words, she wanted to take it back.

"Wow, how long have you been wanting to say that?" Meghan stands up, from the concert of her eyes she spots him.

"I am sorry, so sorry," Ivy says regretfully.

"Don't worry, we both heard you loud and clear." Meghan walks out.

Ivy pauses, "Both?" She asks herself, confused. Immediately she turns her head and there he is, Wilder, standing behind her.

"Shit."

~~~~

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Casey yells at the blonde-haired woman with bold red lipstick on whose standing outside their hotel room.

"Nice to see you too." She smirks, pushing Casey out of her way. She looks around the untidy hotel, beer bottle everywhere, and pizza cartons. "Where is he?" She drops her bag on the mini-kitchen counter.

"He doesn't want to see you." Casey follows trying to stop her from seeing Wilder.

"I doubt that." She stops as when she spots the pitiful creature, emptying another bottle of beer.

"How bad did he make a fool out of himself?" She folds her hands, as she shakes her head.

~~~~~

~~~