Page 30 of The Deal Breaker
She did. This was…weird. In the past, they’d eaten in front of the television, never at the table. And what was up with the flowers? “You’ve gone to a lot of trouble for takeout.”
“You deserve it for all you’ve done for me.”
The doorbell rang.
As she went to stand, he touched her shoulder. “I’ll get it.”
He headed to the front door.
What was going on? Dash wasn’t acting like himself. The forks and knives were in the correct positions. Usually, he resorted to paper towels because those were easier than finding the cloth napkins.
A minute later, he returned. “Dinner is served.”
Dash placed each of the containers on the table, and she opened them. He grabbed two bottles of beer from the fridge, removed the caps, and set one in front of her.
“A toast.” As soon as he sat, he raised his bottle. “To new beginnings and old friends. Forever friends.”
Even though this Dash was nothing like the friend Iris had grown up with, she tapped her beer against his and drank.
He offered her a spring roll. “How did the apartment hunting go today?”
“I filled out an application for one. I’ll find out if I get the place on Monday.” Warmth rushed through her “It’s small, but has everything I wanted.”
Dash’s smile faltered for an instant before it returned. “I hope you get it.”
“Thank you.” She appreciated his sincere tone. “I’m crossing every appendage.”
“I’ll do the same.” Dash spooned white rice onto his plate and then passed her the container. “If it falls, let me know. My portfolio could use an investment property in downtown that had a guaranteed renter.”
Her lips formed a perfect o. She couldn’t believe he would do that for her. Not after the way he acted last night. Needing a minute, she added rice to her plate. “That’s sweet of you to offer, but why?”
His gaze went from the yellow curry to Iris. “What do you mean?”
“Last night, you weren’t happy I was leaving.”
“I’m sorry.” He bit his lip. “You caught me off guard, and I overreacted.”
“It’s okay, but this is a big change.”
“It is.” A sheepish expression formed. “I screwed up. I was being selfish when you told me you were quitting, only thinking of myself. Things haven’t been the same between us for a while now, and that’s my fault, but I want you to know I support you.”
She appreciated his being so forthcoming. On New Year’s Day, he’d muttered an “I’m sorry” before handing her a check. He never explained why he hadn’t called or left a gift. Which was typical Dash—avoid confrontation at all costs. But that was then. No need to dwell in the past.
“Apology accepted. I’ll take all the support I can get.” Dash wasn’t the most self-actualized person around. He could be rather clueless at times. That told Iris he likely had help seeing the situation more clearly. “You talked to the guys, didn’t you?”
He nodded. “They set me straight this morning, but Henry and Brett weren’t there. I…didn’t invite them.”
Of course Dash didn’t. She should have realized that might happen. “I asked them not to say anything until I had a chance to talk to you myself, so they were honoring that request. They didn’t go behind your back to help me.”
“It felt like they did.”
Dashiell Cabot might be one of the smartest and wealthiest men in the world, but the geeky teenager whose wavering self-confidence took a big hit with his parents’ divorce still called the shots sometimes.
She reached out and covered his warm hand with hers. “Henry and Brett helped me because you’re their friend. It had nothing to do with me.”
Dash straightened. “Really?”
“Yes, really. They knew you’d want to make sure I was okay.”
