Page 47 of 40 and Flirting (with Disaster)
She should’ve known her exit would be noticed. She hadn’t been inside the restroom more than two minutes before Lily and Claire followed suit.
“Hey, girl!” Claire said. “What’s going on?”
“We can tell you’re troubled, Iris,” Lily said. “You know you can talk to us. What’s got you upset?”
Iris turned from the mirror with a heavy sigh. Leaning back against the countertop, she crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s Krista.”
Lily and Claire exchanged a knowing glance.
Iris took a moment to explain what had happened before the council meeting the other night, as well as what Jamie had explained to her about his talk with Krista and following her to her car shortly after. Her friends nodded along, murmuring sympathetic sounds as the story unfolded.
“Wow.” Claire gave Iris a sympathetic smile. “It looks like she’s a little more entrenched than you’d hoped.”
“I know you were thinking maybe things were getting better,” Lily added.
“I was hoping.” She pushed her bangs back from her face. “I mean, at least we’ve gone from her pitching a fit in front of my apartment to a whole day at Jamie’s without an outright explosion. It seemed like a sign of progress. But this…” Iris felt tears burn the backs of her eyes. “I just don’t know how to get through to her.” She blinked hard. “Not that it’s gonna stop me from dating Jamie, but it’s hard knowing your child doesn’t approve.”
“Not to mention having her follow you around town, judging you for the least show of affection,” Lily said.
“Exactly.” Iris turned back to the sink, started the cool water, and gathered some in her cupped hands before splashing her face, hoping the shock of the temperature would push back her tears. She braced her palms on either side of the sink and stared at her friends in the mirror. “It’s the only thing marring this time with Jamie, and I really want to enjoy it. I don’t want this cloud hanging over me.”
“I wish there was some way we could help,” Claire said.
“I do too,” Iris agreed, “but like I told Adam, this is up to Krista. If she doesn’t want to change her attitude, no one can force her.”
“But you can limit how much she is allowed to affect you,” Lily pointed out, always the voice of reason. “Boundaries are good for anyone, but especially for someone causing you this much heartache.”
“I’m afraid I’m about to be pushed to that point,” Iris said.
Or maybe already had been. She knew she couldn’t allow Krista to keep doing this, but the idea of distancing herself from her daughter was an arrow to her heart. And it wasn’t just about having Jamie in her life—she wanted him in her life, but this was also about Krista allowing Iris to make her own decisions without judgment. Her daughter refused to listen, and that meant in the very near future Iris would be forced to limit contact in order to have the freedom and the calm that she wanted in her life right now.
Back at their table, the men were joking and toasting each other with wings that, from the steam rising from them, had apparently just arrived at the table. Iris took her seat next to Jamie. He turned to wrap an arm around her shoulder.
Leaning in, he nuzzled her neck. “Are you okay?”
The soft words had that tingle returning to the backs of her eyes. “Not really.”
Jamie eased back until their eyes met. “Do you want to go?”
“No.” She shook her head. “No, I don’t want to ruin the night.”
“I don’t have to spend the night at the pub for it not to be ruined.” He ran a thumb along her cheekbone. “Anytime I’m with you, that’s a win.”
She looked deep into those green, green eyes and saw honesty there. “Okay. I’d really like to go. I need some quiet time with you.”
The words with you brought a flare of gold to his eyes. “I am more than happy to arrange that.”
Jamie excused himself and went up to the bar to pay their tab. He came back a few minutes later with a to-go order of wings. “Dinner for the road.” His grin was hungry, for wings or that alone time she’d mentioned, she wasn’t certain, but she knew which one would be better to distract her. “Ready?”
“Yes.” Relief filled her as she stood up from the table. “I enjoyed seeing you guys.”
“You take care, Iris,” Claire said.
“Call us if you need us,” Lily added. Iris nodded and entwined her fingers with Jamie’s, allowing him to lead her out the door.
The parking lot of the Drunken Otter was half light, half shadow by this time of the night. Jamie had parked in a corner, and now he escorted her to his car with sure steps.
Iris breathed deeply, taking in the summer air, focused in on Jamie’s fingers entangled with hers, his steady breath as he walked beside her, the scent of his cologne filling her lungs. And with each step she added another brick to the wall between the worries in her mind and thoughts of her lover. As they rounded the car toward the passenger side, she used their grip to tug him to a stop. “Jamie.”
