Chapter Two
Iris was out of her seat the minute the clock hit five.
Penn laughed, lounging languidly in their chair. “I think that’s the first time you’ve ever been so eager to get out of this place. Should I be worried we’ve done something to upset you?”
Iris smiled and shook her head, but, before she could reply, Barrett stopped whatever she was doing and said, “Iris has plans tonight.”
Iris shot her a look as she pulled her coat on and gathered her things.
“Oh?” Penn looked between the two of them with raised eyebrows. “Anything exciting?”
A heavy sigh tried to wrestle itself from Iris’ body.
She’d purposely avoided telling Barrett what it was.
Not because she was worried Barrett might follow her or show up there or even remotely care what she was doing, but on principle.
Barrett was annoying, and Iris wasn’t required to tell her colleagues about everything she did outside of work.
However, now, Penn was asking and their relationship was a lot less… antagonistic than whatever she had going with Barrett.
“Just a friend’s birthday,” she said quietly, slinging her bag over her shoulder and heading for the door. “I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
Barrett laughed. “Could have told me that earlier, princess.”
Iris didn’t acknowledge the comment, simply nodding in Penn’s direction as they wished her a good night, barely suppressing their usual, knowing expression.
They’d once checked with Iris whether Barrett’s little pet name bothered her.
She’d appreciated the check-in but she’d been absolutely mortified trying to explain that, while it was weird, it didn’t actually bother her.
She’d never sat with it long enough to really dig into why that was, but she was painfully aware that she knew the answer.
Down in her bruised little heart, she knew exactly why she’d never told Barrett to stop calling her princess.
A cold wind whipped around her as she stepped out of Burrow and into the bustling street.
She was glad and lucky that she both lived near work and that the bar they were going to for Anya’s birthday was nearby.
However, she was technically having to walk in the wrong direction to go home first. That was fine, though.
It was why she was leaving exactly on time.
She checked her phone over and over again as she marched down the city streets, climbed the stairs to her apartment, deposited her work things, changed, and raced back out the door.
She’d specifically promised Jemma she would be on time and, even if she’d always been planning that, it was a matter of pride now.
As it happened, Iris hadn’t needed to worry. When the bar came into view, so did Jemma, walking along the same street in the opposite direction, clearly having come from the subway.
Iris hadn’t been expecting her to arrive alone. After the phone call earlier, she’d definitely been picturing Jemma arriving with her mystery woman. She didn’t have much time to dwell on that thought, though, as Jemma caught her eye and started running at her.
“I’ve got you now,” she squealed as her arms wrapped around Iris’ body. “No escaping. You’re stuck here for the entire night.”
Iris furrowed her brow. “Did you wake up on a different side of the bed than usual today?”
Jemma laughed. “No. I’m just glad you’re here, and you can’t leave now that you are.”
The words shot panic through Iris, familiar and ancient.
She shook her head. Jemma didn’t mean it like that.
Iris was just sensitive to people telling her she couldn’t leave places, that she was trapped.
But that wasn’t what was happening. They were in public, heading to a bar.
Leaving whenever she wanted was absolutely still on the table.
“You do know,” she said, extricating herself from Jemma’s grasp, “that it’s Anya’s birthday, not mine? Shouldn’t she be the one you’re most concerned about showing up and staying to celebrate?”
“She’s on the way.”
“And I’m already here. What difference does that make?” Iris allowed herself to be pulled towards the bar in question.
“It’s Anya’s birthday. I knew she’d show, but you… you never know.”
It wasn’t regular for Iris to miss her friends’ birthdays. Sure, she went out spontaneously less frequently than the others, but birthdays? They were planned, she was present. Jemma wasn’t making sense.
Iris concentrated on relaxing the muscles across her back before asking, “So, where’s your date? I, incorrectly it seems, assumed you’d be arriving together.”
Jemma giggled and leaned into Iris’ side before leading them through the door and into the bar. The movement soothed something in Iris. This was the Jemma she knew.
They headed to the staircase down into the subterranean bar, and Jemma unleashed Iris from her grasp but walked at an awkward angle to be able to look back at Iris. “She doesn’t get out of work until later, so we decided she should just meet us here once we’ve all got the party started.”
“Makes sense,” Iris murmured, her eyes pulled in a million directions as she took in the bar.
Exposed brickwork, archways, a fantastic flow to the space, and perfectly placed lighting. It was beautiful and moody, sexy and welcoming. She dragged one hand along the wall, confirming that the bricks were real. They were. Gorgeous design.
“Jemma! Iris!” Em’s familiar voice called, and Iris turned to see a group already gathered at a table, settled into the plush chairs. The place was a far cry from the bars she’d celebrated friends’ birthdays at in her twenties.
Iris hugged her gathered friends. They were acting perfectly normally, thankfully.
At least, they were until she’d picked a seat and was examining the cocktail menu on her phone.
“So,” Em said, leaning in to nudge Iris, “Jemma told you she was bringing someone?”
Iris watched the way the flickering candlelight danced in Em’s eyes. “Uh, yeah. She called to talk about it earlier.”
“We’re all so glad you’re okay with it.”
“Why would I not be?”
“Oh, you know, these things can be wicked awkward.”
“Meeting your friends’ partners?” Iris scowled.
Sure, if the partner was particularly awkward, she supposed the whole meeting would be, but she’d never really experienced that.
She hadn’t enjoyed all of her friends' partners equally over the years—that was simply part of being human—but meeting them had never been this much of a production before.
Em laughed and rolled her eyes. “Not in general, but, you know, in this situation. It’s good, though.
It wouldn’t be fair to hold Jemma back and she’s really happy, and you just have to get over these things.
Can’t keep letting everything be about you when it starts messing with other people’s lives, can you? ”
Iris blew out of a breath. That was a fairly cynical take on a friend’s birthday party. If there was ever a time when everything should be about one person, it was probably their birthday party. “Tonight is about Anya…”
Em grinned. “Right. And we’re all going to have the best time celebrating her.”
“Totally.”
Iris didn’t have any more time to think about the odd conversation because it was at that exact moment that Anya walked through the archway opposite them and Jemma practically leapt out of her seat in greeting as Em yelled Anya’s name even louder than she’d called Iris’ and Jemma’s.
Iris wasn’t certain this was the kind of bar for yelling—that was much more suited to those bars she’d spent her twenties in—but nobody said anything and Anya looked delighted.
And, honestly, Iris was simply glad to move on from another incomprehensible conversation.
She’d have to check if it was a full moon today.
Perhaps that would explain everyone behaving so bizarrely.
Anya smiled widely at Iris as she made her way through the barrage of hugs and into Iris’ arms. “Thank you so much for coming! I’m so glad to see you.”
Iris laughed. “A popular sentiment today. But Happy Birthday!”
Anya pulled back and Iris got a better look at the new design she’d had carved into the shaved half of her head. “What?”
Iris waved a hand but still explained. “Jemma… She called me before work, incredibly insistent on me being here. We arrived at the same time and she made a big deal out of me being here and… being unable to escape.”
Anya’s brow furrowed. “I’m glad you’re here, but you can leave any time you want.”
“Thank you.” Her words were a thick balm to the tension in Iris’ chest. “I assume she’s just nervous because she’s bringing someone tonight.”
“Oh, she’s not here yet?” Anya glanced around the rest of the bar, obviously attempting to locate a stranger in their midst.
“Nope. She arrived alone. Apparently, the date doesn’t get off work until later, so she’ll be joining then.”
“Well, she’s a braver woman than I am, wandering into her date’s friends all alone.”
Iris laughed. “You’re more than brave enough to do that. And, hey, you’re the one who agreed to have a stranger at your birthday party. You never know who it might be.”
“Oh, good point. I definitely should have asked more questions.”
“Don’t worry,” Iris said, her hand rubbing Anya’s back soothingly, “I got the feeling Em knows her, so she’s at least approved by two members of the group.”
Anya shot her a look. “First, I’m not surprised Em knows. Secondly, that doesn’t mean much. She’d give the seal of approval to anyone so long as Jemma liked them.”
Iris’ mouth opened and closed. There was no arguing that. Jemma and Em had been best friends forever and, if there was one person they could count on to indulge them in anything they wanted, it was each other.
Anya laughed. “You see my point.” Her hand found Iris’. “Now, let’s get drinks. I hear it’s my birthday, after all.”
Iris went willingly. She might not have known Anya as long as Jemma and Em had known each other, but, if there was one person she could count on above all others in her friend group, it was Anya.
Their names might not be as cutesy together as Jemma and Emma, but Iris secretly preferred it that.
She didn’t need to sound like twins with her friends.
Once Anya was with them, settled between Iris and Em at their table, Iris found herself relaxing. Nobody asked strange questions or threatened not to let her leave, and she was having a fantastic hour catching up with everyone.
Still, a small part of her couldn’t help wondering what the woman who would sit in the solo vacant chair would be like.
Jemma enjoyed dating, she did it a lot, but she seldom introduced the people she was dating to the group.
Em probably met them, but they didn’t attend group events.
Often, they’d only learn about her dates as people who had happened to her weeks ago.
That she was so quickly smitten and introducing the current woman to everyone was deeply unusual.
“You’re definitely taking inspiration from this place, aren’t you?” Anya asked, catching Iris taking in the room again.
She laughed. “Guilty as charged. You can’t take architects anywhere.”
Anya smiled. “If it bothered me, I’d have stopped taking you places years ago. Can’t wait to hear about how my birthday inspired your next project.”
“I’m right in the middle of stuff, so it’ll be a minute, but I’ll keep you posted.”
“You better—” Anya’s expression dropped in a way that twisted Iris’ insides, and, even in the low light, the way the color drained from her face was obvious. “Oh, shit.”
Iris turned to see what had prompted such a reaction and instantly felt her stomach turn over, goosebumps race down her back, and her own face drain itself of color.
It all made sense. Jemma’s call, her energy outside the bar, all of it. Em’s comments hadn’t been about Anya making her birthday about herself. They’d been about Iris.
Because Jemma was dating Iris’ ex.