Chapter 2 #2
A part of me wants to stay longer. Unfortunately, I have another uncomfortable situation to deal with in a couple of hours. A long overdue conversation.
I don’t think I’ve been this nervous since…
well, ever. News of Cary’s engagement spread through our friend group and at Carina Cove pretty quickly once Thea posted it on social media and tagged Cary.
Plenty of our employees follow him and had no issue telling everyone they know.
It saved me from having to announce it, but I was also blindsided by the news.
With everyone talking about it openly, Iris found out before I could tell her. I’m sure no one meant to hurt her feelings, especially with the engagement coming so soon after their relationship ended, but they weren’t taken into account either.
To avoid rubbing more salt in the wound, I held off on telling her I agreed to go to Indigo Hill for a month to work alongside her ex and the fiancée he cheated on her with before I join them at the altar as his best man to watch them get married.
And now it’s five months later.
Every time I got close to telling her, something came up, or I got overwhelmed feeling like I’m betraying our friendship, or she seemed happy, and I didn’t want to fuck it up. I can’t hold off anymore, my flight leaves in three days, and she still has no idea.
I invited her over for a movie night, hoping to lay the foundation and give her a comfortable place to land once I tell her.
She’s over Cary, has been for a long time now.
I think she always knew it wasn’t meant to be, but it didn’t make the betrayal hurt any less when she found out just how much he kept from her.
I was so fucking furious. Of all the people he could choose to hurt, Iris should have been last on the list. The girl is walking sunshine underneath her resting bitch face—which she’s oblivious to—and ice queen facade—which she’s very aware of.
Since their break up, we’ve gotten even closer.
She knows I’ll always be Cary’s friend, but she also knows I’m not afraid to call him on his shit when he’s done something wrong.
She might not spend nights crying on my shoulder anymore, but she isn’t fully healed from the relationship. I’m not sure she ever will be. It’s been a year and a half, and she’s still swearing off any and all relationships. She also disappears any time he’s in town, like this past week.
And I get it, I really do. I can’t even judge her for avoiding relationships because I don’t entertain them either, but I’m at least still having sex.
They might be terrible lays I only pick up because they resemble East in some way, and yes, it’s something I need to discuss with a therapist, but at least I’m not sad and celibate.
Tonight is the night I rip off the Band-Aid though. I just hope she isn’t too pissed I’m leaving her for a month. I’m wiping my clammy hands on my jeans when I hear a knock at the door, the oven going off at the same time.
“Coming,” I yell as I rush for the pizzas, sliding on oven mitts in a rush. “Fuck—fuck!” I say, narrowly burning myself in the process. I throw the mitts off and skid around the kitchen island. “Coming!” I yell again at the sound of the second knock.
As I swing the door open, Iris pushes through. “Can I just have a key already? You’re way too slow.”
Rolling my eyes, I shut the door behind her. This isn’t the first time we’ve had this conversation. “I don’t give out keys to my apartment, Iris. Not even to you.”
She pushes out her bottom lip, pouting at the answer she expected. “I’d still call or text in advance,” she argues.
“So then what’s the point in having a key?”
“I’d feel special.” She drops onto the couch.
“Okay, well, maybe we find a different way to make you feel special since it’s not happening. How about a mug with your name on it?” She makes a pathetic noise as I walk back into the kitchen, grabbing the pizza cutter. “You hungry?”
A muffled, “Moderately,” comes from the living room area.
“Stop being dramatic, and come in here,” I say as I place two slices on a plate.
She walks around the corner but stops in her tracks once she sees the pizzas.
“Sethy, is that my favorite kind of pizza that you loathe the smell of and never let me have, or are my eyes deceiving me?” Before I can answer, her whole face drops.
“Wait… should I be concerned?” she asks, narrowing her eyes at me.
“Concerned? No. I do have something to talk to you about though.”
“So…” A deep breath escapes her like she’s preparing for the absolute worst. “You’re buttering me up—great.”
“Just go sit down, I’ll bring yours over. But get the beers before you do.” Grabbing another plate, I place three slices of my cheeseless pizza on it. She’s right though, I do hate the smell of hers.
The grocery store down the street sells pre-made pizzas, even a cheeseless one, surprisingly, and Iris loves them.
What she loves even more is that Bruce, the deli manager, put hers on the menu after she requested pineapple be added to her BBQ chicken so many times and in front of so many people that they started requesting it too.
He even named it The Iris. I tell her he’s flirting, she says he’s just nice and knows good pizza.
I set our plates down on the table just as she’s opening my beer for me.
“Okay, spill. I can’t enjoy my food until I know what’s going on.”
Another thing about Iris, she’s a down-to-business kind of woman. She doesn’t like to beat around the bush and always tells it how it is. It’s probably why we get along so well.
Clearing my throat, I push my plate away just enough to rest my elbows on the table. “Right. So, you know Cary’s wedding is coming up.” Her eyes shift down for a split second, her mask slipping with it. “Sorry, I know it’s not something you care to talk about.”
She shakes her head. “It’s fine. Yeah, I know. And I know you’re going. None of this is new information, Seth.”
“Right. But what I didn’t tell you—what I’ve been meaning to tell you is he asked me to come a little earlier, before the wedding weekend.
” I’m probably making this into a bigger deal than it needs to be.
“They’re expanding the restaurant and distillery.
Apparently it’s been in the works for a while, but the timing was never right.
They uh… they want me to help with the project.
I honestly don’t know why, but Thea, of all people, asked for me personally according to Cary. ”
She doesn’t say anything, just stares at me for five full seconds before responding, “Expanding how?”
“Oh, a bed-and-breakfast, I guess? I don’t have all the details, I didn’t ask many questions.”
She brings her beer to her mouth, taking a large gulp before setting it back down and turning in my direction. “So how long will you be gone?”
This is the part I’ve been dreading, well… one of them. “A month.”
Her eyes widen. “A month?”
I nod. It was the same reaction I had. “Yeah, I guess there’s a Jack and Jill party I’m supposed to help plan too? I’m not really sure.”
She picks up her pizza, taking a bite. I’m dragging this out and making it more uncomfortable for both of us. Deciding to just tell her and hope for the best, I blurt out, “I leave in three days.”
Iris chokes on her pizza.
Okay, so maybe I should have waited until she was done chewing. “Fuck, are you okay?”
“Three days?” she coughs out. “And you’ll be gone for a month? Why the fuck am I just finding out about this?”
Fair. Totally fair. I really wish I’d brought this up sooner. “I’m sorry. I kept trying to tell you and then deciding it wasn’t the best time. But I kind of… ran out of time.”
She grabs the napkin beside her plate, wiping at the BBQ sauce near her mouth from the near-death experience I just caused. “And you thought you’d soften the blow with pizza?”
“You were really excited when you saw it,” I point out with a laugh.
“Yeah, until you ruined it.”
“A bit dramatic. I’m sure the pizza tastes the same.”
She takes another bite, trying her hardest to seem like she isn’t enjoying it. “I guess thanks for not waiting to tell me til you’re boarding your flight. What am I going to do without you for a whole month?” she whines. “No job, no best friend. I’m going to end up getting a cat.”
Wiping my hands on my napkin, I glance at her. “That’s the other thing I need to talk to you about…”
She gives me an incredulous look and I’m now thinking I should have bought more than pizza to appease her after this.
“I was wondering if maybe you’d want to jump in as interim manager at Carina while I’m gone—”
“Seth—” she says, trying to cut me off.
“No, let me finish.” She huffs but doesn’t interrupt me again.
“You’ve been dragging your feet looking for a new job.
Honestly, I think you want out of distribution.
Despite your history with Carina Cove, you love the restaurant, I know you do.
And you’re the only one I trust to run it.
Plus, it should be easy since Travis is on top of the kitchen, you’ll only have to worry about the front-of-house and the bar.
And if you have any issues, Travis can help.
” She gives me a bored look. “Go ahead,” I say with a wave of my hand.
“Do I get access to your spreadsheets?” she asks, leaning forward with her elbows on the table and her chin propped on her intertwined fingers. I knew she’d be interested.
“I’ll make you copies,” I counter.
“Control freak.”
“That’s not the insult you think it is.”
She sighs heavily, leaning back in her seat.
“So is that a yes?” I hedge, not sure if I can fully relax just yet.
“Fine. But the pay better be amazing.”
I huff a laugh, and as I’m taking another bite of my pizza, I say, “Oh, I need you to take me to the airport at 6 a.m. on Wednesday too.”
Then I duck as she flings a piece of pineapple toward me, laughing as she does.