Page 29 of Paparazzi

“She said she had something to do, but I know it was a lie to get out of going... She seemed almost angry, and I can’t understand what the hell I said to set her off.”

“You have to ask her to clarify. Contrary to what men think, women do not get angry for no reason. Maybe you didn’t notice, but you did something that bothered her.”

I think about the conversation with Iris. “No, I’m sure I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“All the more reason you should go and clarify with her.” Lilly seems determined on this point.

“And tell her what? Sorry I set you off, but I don’t know where I went wrong?”

“Well, would you rather leave it like it is, without some explanation?”

“It’s not like I can go knock on her door every freaking day like some kind of madman. I’m already ridiculous!”

Lilly rolls her eyes and shakes her head disappointedly as my friends burst out laughing yet again.

I, on the other hand, can’t relax. This evening opened my eyes to one thing: I put my heart in Iris’s hands when I started pursuing her and didn’t even realize it. I’m terrified that one day she might crush it and throw it away, leaving me broken hearted. I couldn’t stand it, not again.

Literally twenty-four hours ago I left this exact apartment, and now here I am, a perfect idiot, holding two coffees, home-made cookies, and a supermarket bag filled with any food I could find. I hate it when Lilly gets all caught up in ‘things have to be solved.’ Easy for her to say—she’s not the one who had to come up with an idiotic excuse to show up here today, having no idea where to start. Iris might yell at me, kick me out of the house, tell me never to show up here again. Hell, she could call the police to escort me to the nearest asylum, but I don’t care. Yesterday I wanted to take her out to dinner, today I’m demanding a meal with her.

I breathe deeply and knock, and it takes longer than usual for her to open it. When she finally does, I’m half turned toward the hallway, ready to change my mind.

“Okay, I see you more than my best friend lately,” she says with a smile, giving me room to enter.

Her face is smiling, not tense. She’s not doing a happy dance seeing me, but she doesn’t seem to want to tear my eyes out either. She’s not mad at me anymore, which gives me hope. I immediately find myself with the cat between my feet and almost trip to the floor. She smiles and raises her hands in a completely innocent way.

“You’re the one who attracts animals. He doesn’t do this with me.”

“I suspect this is all a scheme to kill me and make it look like an accident. Maybe he’s taking revenge for the show he had to watch yesterday,” I observe, puzzled as he walks through my legs rubbing his muzzle.

Iris giggles and I look up just in time to see her eyes shine, and a sincere smile. I could watch her for hours. “Probably.”

I raise the bag in my hand and put it on the kitchen counter while she looks at me curiously. “Before you start freaking out like you did for yesterday’s dinner invitation, let me explain, okay?”

Iris lowers her eyes, blushing, and nods. Perhaps she’s regretting the way she reacted at invitation. “Okay, but I didn’t freak out. Let’s be clear.”

“You didn’t even turn around when I left. You were so focused on an empty shelf you wouldn’t talk to me.”

She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms over her chest. “Of course, you’re touchy. You take everything personally.”

I laugh, but I avoid fighting back.

She continues: “However, I want to apologize for my reaction yesterday. You took me by surprise, and I felt overwhelmed with feelings. I’m not used to certain invitations, and I got scared.”

“I swear, I replayed the conversation in my head a thousand times, and I couldn’t understand why I pissed you off,” I confess.

“I wasn’t angry, I was overwhelmed with emotion, and when that happens, I keep people at a distance because I don’t know how to handle it. I’m not good with people, especially people I don’t know very well.”

I nod, understanding her point. “So, you weren’t mad at me.”

“No. I was pretty mad at myself because I wanted you to stay, but I didn’t know how to tell you I didn’t feel like coming to dinner.”

I nod and smile, reassuring her I’m not angry. “I went to the supermarket to get you something. Last night I wanted to take you out to dinner, but you didn’t want to. I understand. My friends scolded me and told me I acted like a lunatic. But I really want to have dinner with you. So I went to the supermarket and, not knowing what you particularly liked, I grabbed more or less what I saw here in the house...plus, I added some things I like and would like you to try.”

I hope she understands my explanation for the groceries. I actually noticed she doesn’t have much to eat in the house. I get the impression she’s struggling to make ends meet.

Iris looks at me surprised, opens her mouth a couple of times, trying to find the words, but then closes it. She peeks inside the bag and then looks up in disbelief. “You went to the grocery store for me?” she asks, like it’s a heroic gesture.

I swear I don’t understand this girl. I invite her out to dinner, and she practically freaks out and shuts me out. I show up at her house with groceries, and she almost starts crying with gratitude.

---