Page 6 of The Deal Breaker
Maybe that explained why they hit it off and became friends so quickly. People called him a partier and a player, but he’d shown her only kindness and compassion. Yes, the guy acted over-the-top, but that was likely a defense mechanism to mask his loneliness. She’d been lonely, too.
Which was why when Henry told her he wanted to make someone jealous at Dash’s New Year’s Eve party, she’d agreed to kiss him. More than once, even.
There’d been no spark or heat. Not surprising, since they were nothing more than friends. But the kiss had been pleasant.
Maybe he wanted to visit to tell her his plan worked. She hoped that was the case. Henry gave so much of himself to people and to charities. He deserved to live happily ever after.
Iris yawned. She just wished he would get here. Staying up was becoming more difficult by the minute. She wanted to change into her fleece pajamas, crawl into bed, and sleep.
According to the clock on the bookshelf, it was eight after twelve.
Still early for eight billionaires playing poker on a Friday, but late for a housekeeper who needed to be up in the morning to clean up their mess. She’d occasionally worked for many of them at parties, but none were as needy as Dash, who relied on her to do everything for him.
Always had, even before he became so successful.
But not for much longer…
She plopped onto the overstuffed love seat. That was why she was so tired tonight.
Normally, she had an endless supply of energy, but the weight of her decisions these past weeks pressed against her shoulders like hundred-pound bags of flour. Preparing the food and drinks for the poker game had exhausted her. More than once, she’d leaned against the counter to rest for a few minutes.
Dash hadn’t noticed.
Once upon a time, he would have and asked her what was wrong. They’d been best friends, and they’d made a deal that was never supposed to change, but it had. Slowly over the years, she went from being both his friend and employee to his domestic help. Iris did her job so well, she’d become invisible to him.
The familiar pain in her heart intensified.
He was all she had, but only two things mattered to Dash now—his company and Raina.
It was time for Iris to break their deal.
Put herself first.
Move on.
Start over.
She swallowed a sigh. Making new friends wouldn’t be easy, but she would do what it took to create a new life on her own. Dash had created a family with his friends. That was what she wanted, too. If only she hadn’t waited…
But her friendship with Dash had been enough, so had taking care of him.
Until it wasn’t.
His preferring to hang out with billionaires and intellectuals shouldn’t surprise her. She wasn’t like them or Raina, who was smart and beautiful and funny and designed the video games Dash loved so much. Still, Iris had believed that didn’t matter to him.
But it had and did.
Dash spending Christmas with his girlfriend had been the wake-up call Iris needed. Okay, it had been more like a punch to the gut. He’d known she would be alone for the holidays, but he hadn’t called or texted. Not even on Christmas Day. And when she’d placed her gift to him under his tree, she’d realized he’d truly forgotten her.
Fifteen years of friendship.
Of growing up together.
Of good times and bad.
Of death and divorce.
All forgotten so he could travel to the East Coast with a woman he’d been dating for three months.
