Page 64 of The Deal Breaker
“Found it.” He returned with a plastic container, removed the lid, and held out the contents—Tony’s leftover desserts—to her. “Have one.”
“Bossy.”
“You do the same to me,” Dash said a beat later.
Okay, he was right. She took a pink-colored mousse in a chocolate cup with a peppermint swirl candy on top. She studied the color and consistency before biting into it. The peppermint filled her mouth, followed by a more bitter chocolate flavor. The combination worked well together. Iris swallowed. “Delicious. Thank you.”
He pushed the container toward her. “Have another.”
“I’m good. Thanks.”
Dash set the container on the table and then leaned back. “Did you have fun today?”
“Yes.” She’d enjoyed herself more than she thought she would. “The games were good.”
He studied her as if she were data his company mined. “You were quiet.”
She wasn’t used to him noticing her.Be careful what you wish for.“I usually am.”
“Not with me.”
“What can I say?” Iris joked. “You bring me out of my shell.”
“I want you to feel comfortable around them.” His concern sounded in voice and shown on his face. “I don’t think you were. Not the entire time.”
Guess he was changing because he usually wasn’t so perceptive. At least, not with her. “I tried, but I’m used to serving, not being served. I kept wanting to refill glasses and pick up plates. That’s who I am.”
“It is. And you’re good at it.” He put his arm around the back of the couch and angled toward her. “It’ll get easier the next time.”
She gulped. “Next time?”
“Watching the Super Bowl at Kieran’s house.” Dash’s face practically glowed. “I want you to come with me.”
That was unexpected. Iris understood being invited because she was staying here. That was the polite thing to do, but going to someone else’s house seemed odd. He’d never asked her to do that.
She wondered if this invitation was out of politeness or pity. She hoped not the latter. “I move into my apartment on the first, so I won’t be staying here.”
“So?” He spoke as if it wasn’t a big deal, which confused her more. “Friends hang out.”
Friends did that, but she hadn’t told him the other reason she hadn’t been comfortable today. Being in the kitchen cooking and keeping the buffet full meant she socialized little. Watching the game with his friends, seeing the happy couples with their touches, kisses, and glances, had made her want that, too.
In ways she hadn’t wanted in a long time—years.
Weird when she was about to make her dream of finishing culinary school a reality.
“Yes, but…” She peeled more of the label off the bottle.
Dash took the beer from her hand and set it on the table. “Please talk to me.”
She hunched her shoulders. “It’s embarrassing?”
“Given I’ve made a fool of myself in front of you at least a hundred times more, this will even the score a little.” His voice was lighthearted and playful.
She appreciated that. Now, it was her turn. “I don’t think I want to spend another day with so many couples who are madly in love. They are nice, and the PDA isn’t off the chart, but it reminds me what’s missing from my life. Why do that to myself?”
Dash leaned toward her, his arm falling around her. “Is that what you want?”
Iris sighed, as if exhaling her hopes and dreams could make them come true. “I’ve always wanted that in one form or another. Happily ever after, remember?”
