Page 27 of The Deal Breaker
“That’s not a bad idea,” Adam said to Mason, who beamed from the compliment.
Kieran nodded. “A supportive friend would do that.”
“I bet Laurel Worthington would decorate the place for you, too,” Blaise added.
Brett’s wife was an interior designer who had worked on several of their homes.
“I can do that.” Except for the timing. “The only problem is Iris has to move out Thursday.”
“Pay cash and demand a quick closing,” Adam suggested.
Mason nodded. “She could stay in a hotel or with you if you loan her a car.”
Dash ran over the idea in his head. “Buying a place would mean I could make sure she’s living somewhere safe. Unless she finds an apartment today, this will work. Thanks, Mase.”
Mason fist-bumped him. “You’re welcome.”
But there was still one problem. Dash leaned back in his chair. “I just hate Iris won’t be working for me.”
“We can’t have everything,” Adam joked.
“Though we can have most things,” Mason quipped.
Money, however, couldn’t buy what Dash wanted most. Still, if Iris lived in a place he owned, that would give them another reason to see each other.
“Now that you have a plan, eat and then you can take a nap in the guest bedroom,” Wes ordered. “You shouldn’t have driven over here as tired as you are.”
The others laughed.
“Lawnmower parent,” someone across the table muttered.
“Be careful or we’ll start calling you Dad.” Fighting a yawn, Dash pulled his plate toward him. He picked up the bar and bit into it. The sugary sweetness and maple icing blended perfectly together. The way he and Iris once did. They would go back to being best friends. He would make sure of it.
And he had a feeling this plan might help get them to where they used to be—inseparable.
CHAPTER SIX
Fighting the urge to shimmy her shoulders, Iris wiggled her toes inside her suede boots. As she stood in the second-floor apartment, anticipation flowed through her.
Talk about perfect.
Smaller—more like a studio with a sleeping alcove—than a one bedroom, but the kitchen had been updated with appliances, cabinets, and countertops. The hardwood floors, crown molding, high ceilings, and picture rail gave the place character. The well-kept building was only two blocks from the culinary institute. So many plusses. The biggest negative was the communal laundry room was in the basement. Although, that would give her extra reading time each week. But…
The couch with throw pillows, the masculine bedding, photographs on the wall, and other items around the place told her someone lived here. The listing hadn’t given a move-in date but said “ready soon.” That could mean anything.
“When will the apartment be available?” she asked.
The manager, a woman named Candace with frosted hair and a wide smile, checked the paperwork she had with her. “On February first. Not quite three weeks.”
Three days would have been better, but Iris would take weeks over a month or longer. That would cost more than she’d wanted and make her budget tighter, but she preferred this apartment to the one she’d lost to water damage and the others she’d seen yesterday. All she had to do was find a place nearby or close to public transportation. Not ideal, but doable.
She glanced around again, imagining where she would put furniture. Why was she hesitating? This was exactly what she wanted. “I’ll take it.”
The woman’s smile spread, deepening her laugh lines. “I knew this unit would go fast. You’re the first to see it.”
“A friend told me about the listing. It must have been right after it went live when I emailed you.”
Iris hadn’t been able to sleep after talking to Dash, so she’d heard the notification from Henry’s text and clicked on the link he sent. She hadn’t wanted to wait for him to wake up to look at the place so took the earliest appointment offered.
