Chapter 18 Iris #2
“Uh, you too,” I say, feeling a little blindsided, and Daisy giggles.
“Sorry, Iris. I wanted you to meet my friends, because I think they could help with your… situation.”
Heat crawls up my neck as the three women smile at me. “My situation?”
But before they can answer, footsteps on the stairs draw my eyes to the back of the basement.
A man appears—tall, bearded, and covered in tattoos.
Like, covered. They snake down his forearms and onto his knuckles, others peeking out his collar to wrap around his neck.
I’d put him in his mid-forties, and he’s attractive, in a rough, leather-jacket-wearing, motorcycle-riding kind of way.
For a second I wonder if he’s Poppy’s dad, until he speaks.
“Baby, dinner’s almost—” he stops short when he sees the four of us.
“Oh. Didn’t realize you had company.” He smiles at Daisy and Violet, the kind of smile that lights up his face, softening his rough edges.
“Hey, guys.” Then he directs that smile at me, stepping forward to extend his hand.
“Hi, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Wyatt, Poppy’s husband. ”
Oh. Wow.
I shake his hand, stealing another glance at Poppy to reassess her with this new information. This guy is her husband? With an age gap that large?
Then I realize I’m staring, and glance back to find Wyatt watching me with amusement.
Shit. Does he know what I was thinking?
But he simply smiles. “Why don’t I bring you ladies something to drink?”
Poppy brushes her hand across the tattoo on his forearm—some kind of flower. “Thanks, honey.”
Wyatt looks at Violet and Daisy. “White wine for you,” he says to Violet, “and red for you?” to Daisy. They both nod with a smile. These two obviously come here a lot. “And what can I get you, Iris?” he asks me kindly.
I pause, thinking of the gin and tonic I mentioned to Daisy. It’s been a crazy day, and a new social scene with people I don’t know is exactly when I’d like a drink to take the edge off, to at least make me feel like I have some social skills, but I could never ask for that.
“Gin and tonic, right?” Daisy says with a smile, and my face heats.
“Water’s fine,” I mumble, but Wyatt shakes his head.
“I can make a gin and tonic. With lemon?”
My lips part in surprise. “Oh. Uh, yes, please? If you’re sure?”
He nods. “No problem.” Then he turns to Poppy, dropping a kiss on her forehead. “No alcohol for you, baby, but I’ll make you something nice.”
She lifts her gaze to the ceiling, but she’s smiling. She’s clearly used to being doted on by Wyatt, and I’m mesmerized as I watch the two of them together. Not only because he’s so obviously smitten with her, but because he’s so much older.
Like Aidan.
Poppy releases a contented sigh as her husband leaves the room, then turns to me, smiling knowingly. “He’s older than you expected, right?”
Fuck.
I cringe, pressing a hand to my hot cheek. How could I have been so blatant?
But Poppy laughs, and the other two join in.
“The thing is,” Daisy murmurs, leaning in close, “we’re all in the same boat.”
I glance among all three women, puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“We’re all married to much older men,” Violet says easily, inspecting her split ends.
My jaw falls open. “Really? How much older?”
“Wyatt’s seventeen years older than me,” Poppy says.
“There are nineteen years between me and Wes,” Daisy chips in.
“We’re eighteen,” Violet says, raising her hand.
My head spins as I glance between them. How is this possible? Did they all meet on some sort of silver foxes dating app, or something?
Violet laughs, reading my thoughts. “It’s a coincidence, but we’ve all helped each other through it.”
That same sensation of envy nudges me. Not only that they’ve all found such loving relationships—with hot older men, to boot—but that they’re clearly close friends. I can’t imagine how nice it must be to have that support.
Poppy turns to me, smiling. “Daisy said you’re in a similar situation.”
I choke out a laugh. My situation is hardly similar to theirs. They’re married to the loves of their lives, while I’m… what? Masturbating in my boss’s office?
Jesus.
Daisy’s face grows worried. “I’m sorry. This probably feels like an ambush. I just… wanted you to know you’re not alone. We’re here to listen and offer advice, if we can.”
I let my breath out in a long stream. “That’s sweet,” I murmur.
Violet looks from the others to me. “Look, you’re probably feeling a little put on the spot. You don’t have to share anything, okay?”
I swallow, nodding. That’s a relief.
“But you can ask us whatever you like,” Poppy adds. “If that might help.”
I ponder this, my gaze straying around the room as I do. It lands on the cupcakes sitting on the counter, and Poppy laughs.
“I almost forgot!” she says, picking up the tray. “Daisy said you liked them.”
“Love them,” I correct. She holds the tray out, and I watch the other two select a cupcake before taking one of my own with a smile. “Thank you so much.”
“Of course.”
She leans back against the counter, peeling the wrapper off a red velvet cupcake and licking her fingertips. Now that I’ve got something in my hands—something else to focus on—I feel myself relax a little more. I realize how much I want to share with them and take a deep breath.
“He’s my boss,” I mumble, refusing to let myself look at the others as I speak. “Well, my father owns the firm, and we both work for him, but I’m Aidan’s assistant…” I shake my head. “It’s complicated.”
Violet hums in agreement.
“We fought a lot at first. It’s funny…” I huff a laugh that sounds anything but humorous.
“We hooked up before we even knew who the other person was…” I tell them about Aidan being so sweet in Marco’s, how he became Work Aidan in the office.
How he changed over time and we grew closer, how I suspect Work Aidan was a front to keep me at bay, to deal with feelings he didn’t want to have.
How, despite how wonderful he’s been to me, he’s made it clear nothing more can happen between us.
And as I speak, I think of the agonized look on his face when he told me he didn’t regret what we did today. When he murmured God, I wish… but couldn’t bring himself to finish the words.
But I’m pretty sure I know what he was going to say. He wants this as badly as I do, he just has more reasons to hold back.
I mean, I get it. I am a lot younger than him, a fact that’s probably further exaggerated by me being the daughter of his boss.
And as for Dad… I’d be mortified if he discovered my feelings for Aidan, let alone what we did in his office.
I know Aidan has a lot more to lose—his potential partnership at least, his job at worst—but I don’t want to give my father yet another reason to say I’ve fucked everything up.
It’s likely that he wouldn’t even blame Aidan, that he’d take one look at the situation and say, “Jesus, Iris, how could you do this?”
As I wrap up my story, a sound on the stairs makes me turn, and I glance over to find Wyatt with a tray of drinks. I cringe, hoping he didn’t overhear. Yes, I’m in a similar position age-wise as the others here, but it’s also different. My situation is so messy.
Much like the rest of my life.
Wyatt hands me my gin and tonic with a kind smile. I take it gratefully, letting my gaze follow him as he gives Violet and Daisy their drinks, then hands an elaborate cocktail to Poppy. She takes a long sip, giving him a grin as she rises on her toes to press her mouth to his cheek.
“Even without alcohol, this tastes good.”
“Of course, baby,” he murmurs, squeezing her waist. “I need to take care of you.” Then he lowers his mouth to her ear, whispering something I can’t quite hear, but I’m pretty sure I pick up the words take even better care of you and later.
I drop my gaze, wanting to give them privacy. But more than that, wanting what they have for myself. I want a man who takes care of me, makes dirty promises, and adores me more than life.
And I want that man to be Aidan.
“You know,” Poppy murmurs as Wyatt heads back upstairs, “Wyatt told me nothing could ever happen between us.”
Daisy nods in agreement, sipping her wine. “Weston did the same.”
“Kyle too,” Violet chips in.
Huh. I take a sip of gin and tonic, processing this.
“If he’s a good guy,” Poppy continues, “he’ll put up a fight. Especially as your boss. Workplace romance with an older guy in a position of power is a minefield. He’ll be terrified of taking advantage of you.”
I recall Aidan’s words again—You work for me. You’re young, and I should be the one setting boundaries—seeing them in a new light.
“But it’s not like that,” I tell them, thinking about how I’m the one who kissed him, who started things in his office today. It was me who made the first move in Marco’s, before he even became my boss.
“Of course it’s not,” Daisy assures me. “We know that, but it doesn’t look good from the outside, does it? And with your dad there too…”
I frown. She’s right. It’s bad enough I’m Aidan’s assistant, but with Dad keeping a watchful eye on everything? It’s a bomb waiting to explode.
“But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth fighting for,” Violet says firmly. “You need to make it clear he’s not taking advantage of you. That you want it, and you’re grown enough to decide for yourself.”
Poppy gives a vehement nod. “Wyatt was worried about my age.” A wicked smile slants across her lips. “But I showed him I wasn’t some little girl, that I was a woman who knew what she wanted.”
“Most importantly,” Daisy adds gently, “if you think he feels the same as you? Don’t give up.”
“But…” Poppy scrunches her nose. “Maybe don’t do it at work.”
I take a long sip of my gin and tonic as I listen, surprised I’m relaxing in their company.
The gin is helping, sure, but it’s the people, too—genuine, kind, welcoming.
Not only are they not judging me, they’re openly sharing their own experiences.
They want to help. After a lifetime of other women being nice to my face and gossiping behind my back, or just being outright nasty—the girls from high school spring to mind—it’s strange to feel women gathering around me in support.
Strange, but nice. So nice I wonder if we might even become friends.
“Thanks,” I murmur, voice catching. “This has helped a lot.”
Daisy pulls her phone from her bag. “What’s your number?”
I smile, telling her, and a second later there’s a buzz from Poppy’s phone on the counter, followed by Violet’s and mine. I pull it out to find a new group text chain.
“Now you can text us anytime you need,” Daisy adds, smiling.
My chest fills with warmth as I glance around the circle. Not only at how friendly they are, but at the tiny seed of hope beginning to sprout somewhere inside me.
I know Aidan feels what I do. I see it in the way he listens to me, hear it in the words he won’t let himself say, feel it every time his gaze meets mine.
I understand why he won’t act on it in the office, and I won’t push that.
I’ll focus on being professional, doing my job, showing him I’m invaluable. He’ll respect me more for it.
And while I don’t know how to get past what’s in our way, how to convince him to let something happen between us, after talking to Daisy, Poppy, and Violet, I do know one thing.
I’m not prepared to give up on him.