LOS ANGELES
IVY RIVERA APARTMENT
Ivy settled next to Ace on the couch and turned on her laptop. “I have taken a million of pictures of him throughout the years. I have some on my system at the office – but mostly I carry this around whenever I am away from Leroy.” She explained.
“Do you have to be away from him a lot?” Ace asked.
“Not that much, when Leroy was younger he always travelled on location with me. You know how it is to be a film producer and at times director and a photographer. But now that he is in school, he stays with nanny Vanessa whenever I am busy. The old lady you met the other day, she is a good friend of mine. So she helps look after Leroy.” Ivy answered as she clicked her passcode on the laptop.
“How long are you always away when you are busy with work?” Ace asked. He was simply trying to get more about Ivy Rivera.
“Well mostly I am usually gone only a couple of weeks or until the movie or photoshoot ends. And at times I am always gone for months at a time depending how long the filming will take.” Ivy responded, her fingers moving swiftly on the keyboard.
“For how Long have you been working as a film producer?” Ace Clark asked.
“The truth is I am taking a break from filming because Leroy needs me in his life at this time. He is growing so fast so I have to always keep a close eye on him. I am working on just being a photographer at the moment but I have been doing filming for close to four years now and as a photographer.. I think six years. I have produced and directed some movies with great producers that made good hits like *love* *me* *again* that movie was incredible I can’t believe it took months for us to shoot and end the movie. Leroy was younger then so he went with me to Italy and Paris where we shot the movie.” Ivy narrated as she swiped off the old page.
“You have those pictures here? I do love to see them.” Ace shifted closer to her.
“Yes.” She clicked a few buttons then turned the laptop toward him. “A picture of us on the beach, at the location. Leroy had great time.” Ivy smiled happily as she looked at the picture.
“I can imagine from him giggling in the picture. Where else has he gone with you?” Ace Clark asked as he took his turn to keep swiping picture.
“Australia – My first job as a movie producer we had to travel to Australia to shoot the movie there. My neighbor got the job for me. His name is Leroy Wilson – you should know him? He is a popular film producer.” She took the laptop from him and searched for Leroy Wilson’s folder. She made a documentary on him saved on her laptop.
“I am not sure but his name rings a bell.” Ace Clark mumbled.
“He’s also Arthur’s friend. Actually Leroy introduced me to Arthur Young.” Ivy found the folder and unlocked it with a passcode. This documentary means so much to her because the man in question did her a great help. “Leroy won three oscars as a movie producer before he died.” She slide on more pictures of Leroy Wilson.
“He is dead?” Ace Clark double clicked on a photo to zoom it closely.
Sadness clouded Ivy’s features. “Yes.. Leroy Wilson died three years ago. But before his death he made sure he introduced me to every movie writer and stars in the industry he knew so that whenever they want to get their story filmed I will be the best person to for the job. Leroy would always say that it is the best he could for me and all the more reason why I named my son after him. He was my inspiration.” Their hands brushed each other when they both made an attempt to click on the keyboard. She looked up at Ace. “Sorry..” she withdrew immediately as if his touch had burned her.
“This Leroy must mean so much to you.” Ace muttered, judging from the loads of Leroy Wilson pictures in this folder. In some pictures they looked like a complete family, Leroy Wilson must have been close to his son or more like a father to him. Ace saw a picture of Leroy Wilson carrying little Leroy on his shoulder by the beach. For a moment Ace wished he was the one in these pictures and it reminded him of how much fun he had missed in raising his child. “How did you get to meet Leroy Wilson.” He exited the folder and went back to viewing Leroy’s pictures.
“I met Leroy Wilson in a town close Winslow.” Ivy replied.
Ace slide for more pictures and she waited for Ace to comment but he was engrossed in the pictures of Leroy as a baby.
“Back then when I found out I was pregnant, I had to leave town. My mom heard it when I was telling Emily so she got mad but I couldn’t wait for my dad to find out too or for gossip to start if I stayed a bit longer. I had to leave although I did not have much money on me but it was the best option.” Ivy narrated while Ace looked at her.
“In the small town I stayed, I met Leroy at the bar where I worked as a waitress, he was on vacation in that town. Along the line we got talking and he found out I was pregnant and homeless. He had to let me live in his house, the one for his guests. I looked after it for him anytime he was not around.. for I think six months.”
Ace Clark didn’t say anything, he just let out a sigh trying not to meet her gaze.
“So after sometime when I had saved enough from my minor jobs, Leroy Wilson advised me to move to Los Angeles to continue my studies.” Ivy paused to looked at Ace but his gaze was fixed on the laptop.
“How many months old was he here?” Ace pointed to a picture of chubby looking Leroy.
“He was just five months and If I remember correctly it snowed really hard that year so we had been in our house for close to a week. Actually I got sick along the line because of stress.” Ivy answered.
“You got sick? What about Leroy?” Ace asked with a worried look on his face.
“Yes I got sick but Leroy was fine and it was no big deal. Leroy was young so I wasn’t sleeping well coupled with my works day studying so I got run down. In the end I made it through, I studied and worked at the same time. After Leroy Wilson helped me get settled in Los Angeles I got my first film production and not long after that everything had fallen into place in the next couple of years.” She noticed the pitiful look on Ace expression but he looked away quickly back at the laptop.
Ivy Rivera didn’t need or want anyone to feel sorry for her or for the girl she had been because she was quite proud of the woman that girl had become.
“To be honest, my first year was tough and hard. You know.. I was young and broke and had no idea of what I was doing. And I tried so hard and failed at many things almost everything but I am grateful that everything worked out fine and me and Leroy.”
Ace Clark didn’t say anything, so Ivy glanced up at him, expecting him to share a smile. Ivy forehead creased in confusions “Hey! What’s wrong?” She took the laptop from him and dropped in the empty space next to her.
Ace lips were tightly pressed together, tears welled up at the corners of his eyes that was also filled with so much pain. He didn’t say a word, he just simply pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her neck.
“Ace? What’s wrong?” Ivy wrapped her hands around him.
“Ivy.. Ivy… Ivy…” A tear slipped down his right cheek. “Thank you for having him, for taking good care of him when I wasn’t present in your life.” His voice failed off.
“Hey you don’t have to thank me.” Ivy pulled back to look at Ace and she was surprised to see the tears. “You don’t have to cry or feel bad for not being there all these years. I am good mom so I can’t neglect my son.” She reached out to wipe his cheek with her fingertips.
Ace shook his head. “I really regretted leaving that morning without talking to you. I should have at least woke you up or even drop a note but none of this options crossed my mind. I was so scared of my father that’s why I had to leave in a rush.” He sniffed and held her hands in his large one.
“Believe me, I understand you.” Ivy said in a low tone looking deep into his beautiful eyes.
“I have nothing but respect for what you have done with Leroy. And I am really sorry.. for you raising him alone and going through what you went through. I am sorry.” Ace apologized and kissed her hands. “Thank you very much. And I want nothing than to be with you and Leroy.”
Ace Clark expected Ivy to say something after his big confession but she didn’t may be because there was nothing to say. He mused. So instead Ace lowered his mouth to hers in a kiss that was so sweet it took her instantly to the first time he had kissed her at the beach house.