Chapter 6
Chapter
Six
IRIS
The bar is loud and completely packed, but it’s trivia night. When Max and I took over, I convinced him it would be a good idea to do occasional drinks after work with some of the employees from the office. It helps boost morale when the employees feel like bosses are approachable.
On one of our nights out, we stumbled upon a trivia night.
It was extremely competitive and brought us together as a team in ways work never could.
We knew we found our thing. Now every two weeks we get together with whatever Williamson Group employees are available and hang out while flexing our useless knowledge skills.
Max hates it. With a passion, but he never tries to skip it.
For him, outings like this are like nails on a chalkboard.
Still, he comes. For me. He knows how much things like this mean to me and how important they are for the team.
Nights like this prove that he’s more than just the boss in the corner office.
It reminds them that he’s human and not a cold CEO.
“How did you know that a shrimp’s heart is in its head?” Emmett asks.
Max shrugs. “I honestly don’t know where I picked that one up at.”
“It’s just so fucking random,” Emmett says while shaking his head.
“Yeah, well, it’s a good thing he knew, otherwise we would have lost that round.” I tease.
“Touché,” Emmett says, lifting his glass.
Annabelle leans into my side. “Don’t look now, but there is a guy at the table to our right who keeps checking you out.”
My eyes dart to where she said, and sure enough, a guy is staring right at me with a group of his friends surrounding him. He offers me a smile, which I return.
“He’s cute,” Annabelle teases.
Max shifts on his chair next to me, brushing my arm.
I don’t have to look over at him to know he’s uncomfortable with the conversation.
In the past, I would have assumed it was because there was a spark between us, but now I know the truth.
He doesn’t like me like that. It’s more likely it’s his social anxiety not liking the topic.
“What two musicians had an encounter with a bat while on stage?” the host asks.
“Ozzy Osbourne,” Max and Emmett say in unison.
“There was another?” Annabelle asks.
“Yeah, Taylor Momsen. She’s the lead singer of a rock band, but you might know her as Jenny Humphrey from Gossip Girl,” I tell them.
“Wait, are you telling me that the girl who played Cindy Lou Who in The Grinch is a rockstar?” Annabelle says in disbelief.
“Yes, and a bat bit her on the thigh while she was performing on stage,” I tell her.
“Are you sure?” Andrew, another guy from the office asks.
“Positive.”
They submit our answers, and sure enough, we are the only ones to get both answers correct.
“Fuck yeah.” Andrew and Emmett high-five.
“Good job,” Max says quietly.
“Thanks.” I shoot him a smile.
“All right, everyone, let’s take a quick fifteen-minute break. When we come back, we’re diving into sports,” the host says.
Erica groans. “I hate it when they ask us shit about sports.”
“Hey, some of us prefer it when they ask us those questions,” Emmett teases her.
“Rub it in, jock,” Erica tosses back.
“Admit it, you were totally a band kid, weren’t you?” Andrew teases her.
When she gives him the middle finger, we all laugh.
“I should go to the bathroom, but I don’t want to get up,” Annabelle says as she rubs her pregnant belly.
“Yes, you should. We don’t need you bouncing mid-question because the little one is pushing on your bladder,” Emmett says.
“One time. It happened one time!” she protests.
I go to take a sip of my drink before I realize it’s empty.
“I’m going to grab another one,” I tell everyone as I hop off my stool.
“Are you sure? If you just wait, the waitress should come back around soon,” Max tells me, looking nervous.
I know he doesn’t want me leaving him alone with people. It’s part of his social anxiety. It’s good for him, though. Besides, I will be only steps away.
“Positive. It will be faster if I just go to the bar,” I tell him.
“Want me to come with you?”
I shoot him a smile. “I’ll be fine. It’s right there, not even ten steps away.”
Max grumbles but stays put.
Smiling, I shake my head as I walk away.
That man hates peopling so much that he hates the thought of being left alone with a group of coworkers for five minutes. I have no idea how he got through life before I came along.
“Can I get another vodka cranberry, please?” I ask the bartender.
“Sure, coming right up.”
He takes my glass and grabs me a new one. Leaning on the bar, I watch him make my drink.
“Excuse me, but I just have to tell you how beautiful you are,” a man says from next to me.
I look over and see the guy who was looking at me earlier.
“Oh, thank you,” I tell him.
He’s not a bad-looking guy. His smile is charming even.
“I’m not a photographer or anything, but I can definitely picture us together,” he says with a cringe on his face.
“Does that really work on women?” I laugh.
“I don’t know, you tell me?” He laughs nervously.
“Thank you,” I tell the bartender before turning back to the guy, with my drink in hand. “I don’t know, the night is still young.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Max staring right at me.
Move. Come over here and tell the guy to fuck off. Tell him I’m not available.
Only he doesn’t, but I didn’t really think he would. He has been so calm about me wanting to date. So when he stays in his chair, glaring right at the scene unfolding in front of him, I am not even disappointed.
You know what? Fuck him.
“I’m Clint,” he tells me.
I take his hand and shake it. “I’m Iris.”
“Are you from around here, Iris?” he asks.
“You could say that.”
We talk for a few more minutes, my mind back on the table of employees who I am more than aware are staring at us. Especially a pair of brown eyes I still dream of. When Clint asks for my number, I give it to him. Willingly.
Then I walk away, rejoining my group before the next round of trivia begins.
“Damn girl, get it!” Erica claps as I approach the table.
“He is hot,” Annabelle says, fanning her face.
I roll my eyes and smile as I sit back down next to Max.
“Stop it.” I can’t help but feel bashful.
“I didn’t know you were on the market, Iris,” Emmett says.
I shrug. “I like to keep my options open. Now tell me, what did I miss?”
“Just Annabelle telling us she’s thinking about moving out of the city,” Emmett says.
Annabell nods. “Yeah, I think Charlotte has me convinced. The daycare she uses has an opening around the time I’m due.”
“That would be nice. You’ll have to let me know when you decide,” I tell her as I try not to squirm under Max’s stare.
I can feel the anger radiating off of Max, but I don’t understand why. I give him a confused look as the host starts up the trivia again.
This man is a conundrum. I told him I wanted to be a wife and have children. I told him I was going to date again. I gave him every opening to tell me that he wanted to be that man for me. He didn’t, so why is he so mad right now?
Is it just because I left him alone for longer than I said with employees that he has known for years? Or is this one of those territorial things where he has had sole access to me for so long that he doesn’t want to share me with others even if he doesn’t want me the same way I want him?
Either way, it doesn’t matter to me anymore. I am determined to be happy and have the life I have always wanted.
He can either get on board, or I’ll build my life without him.
Why does that feel so scary?
MAX
“Bye guys, see you tomorrow!” Iris calls out before slipping into the car.
“Bye!” everyone yells back.
I shut the door when I know Iris is tucked safely inside and then round to the driver’s side and get in.
I can’t help but sigh when I shut the driver’s door.
Silence. Sweet, sweet silence.
Then Iris giggles.
I crack an eye open and glare at her. “Why are you laughing?”
“I’m sorry, but your reactions at the end of nights like tonight will never get old.”
Her little laugh makes me fight a smile. I love hearing Iris happy.
“I fucking hate peopling,” I mutter as I turn on the car, trying to pretend to be mad.
Truth is, I would submerge myself in a crowd of thousands for her if that is what it took to make her happy. So even though my social anxiety rides me hard every time we come out on these nights, I do it because the smile on her face is worth it.
She is more than worth it.
“I know, but you’re so good at it,” she teases.
Huffing, I start to drive. I’ll give Iris credit, her happiness has brought my jealousy from before down a few pegs, but I still feel it under my skin every time I think about the guy she spoke with tonight.
That fucking asshole had the audacity to hit on her when she was with me. I mean, with us, but in my head, she was with me. She sat next to me. She leaned into my touch when I threw my arm over the back of her chair. For all he knew, we were dating, and yet he still approached her.
To make matters worse, she flirted with him. I saw the way she smiled at him. The way she leaned closer as if to hear what he was saying better. I even saw her touch his forearm. Not only that, but she gave him her phone number. It killed me to sit there and watch her type it into his phone.
I wanted to snatch the phone from her and throw it at the wall. Instead, I feigned interest in the conversation at the table even though I wanted to die in that moment.
My hands squeeze the steering wheel.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watch Iris smile down at her phone.
Is it him? Is he already texting her? Trying to win her over?
Desperate. He has to be desperate if this is how hard he’s coming onto her.
Then again, it could be that guy she had dinner with. What was his name again? Parker? Paul? Preston? Peter?