Page 38 of Iris Kelly Doesn't Date

What the hell was going on?

She opened her mouth to ask exactly that, but then, as though she was lit abruptly on fire, Stefania dropped a paper bag on the floor, hopped onto the stage, and pulled Iris into her arms.

CHAPTER TEN

IRIS.

Iris was here.

At the Empress.

On stage.

Stevie felt dizzy, embarrassment clouding into her cheeks as she stared at the redhead she’d puked all over just seventy-two hours ago.

The redhead her entire friend group thought she was having sex with.

No, not just having sex with.

Dating.

Iris swam in her vision, and she knew she had to do something. Say something. Before she could really think through it, she dropped the sushi that took her nearly an hour to procure and ran up the stage steps.

Slid her arms around Iris’s waist and pulled her close.

“Please,” she whispered in Iris’s ear.

It was all she could think to say.

Iris was stiff, shocked, as she damn well should be, but she alsosmelled amazing, all ginger and bergamot, the fabric of her light sweater like silk under Stevie’s fingers.

“Please,” Stevie said again when Iris didn’t embrace her back. Which, Stevie knew, was a clear sign she should back off, but desperation to get out of this situation without her entire lie blowing up in front of Vanessa and Adri drove any other thought to the far corners of her mind.

Finally—thank Christ, finally—Iris softened and wrapped her arms around Stevie’s shoulders, but not without a “What the hell” whispered back into Stevie’s ear.

“I know. I’m sorry,” Stevie said. “Just let me—”

“That is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” Vanessa said, her voice floating up from the audience. “Right, babe?”

“Pretty cute,” Adri said, though her tone was decidedly more thoughtful. It jolted Stevie back into reality and she pulled away from Iris.

Iris met her eyes, fire in all that green.

I’m sorry, Stevie mouthed again. She could fix this. Explain it. Iris had tucked her into bed, for god’s sake. Surely she’d understand the need to save a little face in front of an ex.

Stevie cleared her throat and turned to face Adri and Vanessa, her fingers tangling with Iris’s. Iris let her do it, and she felt buoyed by the permission.

“Um,” she said. “So, this is Iris.”

“Yes, we know,” Vanessa said, grinning. “A romantic, if ever there was one.”

Iris snorted, her fingers tightening on Stevie’s to a painful degree.

Stevie laughed nervously. “Yeah, I, um, I had no idea she was—”

“I wanted to surprise Stefania,” Iris said, hand still squeezing Stevie’s. “And I think I succeeded.”

“Oh, you did,” Stevie said, squeezing back. “You definitely did.”