Page 58 of The Strawberry Patch Pancake House

Before Archer could answer, Kira, Annie, and Noah landed at their table with a tray of shots.

‘You two looked way too serious over here,’ Annie said with a devious grin. ‘But we have the antidote!’

‘Shots, really?’ Iris asked. Post-meeting drinks did not usually include shots, but apparently, they were going big tonight.

‘Iris, we are on the fourteenth consecutive month of winter,’ Kira said. ‘We need to drink.’

‘Makes sense to me,’ Archer said, grabbing a shot and tossing it back.

Kira and Annie cheered.

Iris took a shot.

And at that point the night got a bit fuzzy.

* * *

‘You can cook when you’re drunk?’ Iris asked, delighted by this prospect. They were back home, and pancakes seemed like the perfect thing to cap off this night. She was starving after her dance-off with the aerobics ladies.

‘Of course I can,’ Archer said, still cocky even in his inebriated state. He looked even messier than usual, his hair flopping over his forehead, his eyes sleepy. But he was quicker to smile now, and Iris liked that a whole lot.

‘You have a dimple,’ she told him as he mixed the batter.

‘I know.’

‘It’s cute.’

He smiled bigger. ‘I know.’

‘God! You are so cocky!’

He laughed, too loud for the time of night. Iris shushed him. ‘Don’t wake Olive! Isn’t one of us supposed to stay sober? For like emergencies?’

Archer paused in his mixing, considering this. ‘I might be a really bad dad.’

For some reason, probably tequila-related, Iris found this hilarious. Archer stared at her in surprise but then started laughing again, too.

‘Sorry,’ Iris said between giggles. ‘I don’t think you’re a bad dad at all! I’m definitely a shit nanny, though. You should probably fire me.’

‘Maybe. Then I could finally fuck you.’

Iris froze.

Archer froze.

They stared at each other until Iris started laughing again. ‘Oh my God, Archer. Did you really just say that?’

A flush had worked its way up his neck. ‘No. Let’s pretend I didn’t.’

‘Okay, we’ll pretend that you don’t have the hots for me.’

‘You have the hots for me, too,’ he said, pouring pancake batter into the pan.

‘So maybe I should quit soIcan fuckyou.’

‘Jesus, Iris. Don’t say things like that!’ He looked like he was in physical pain now and Iris couldn’t stop giggling.

‘I’m sorry! But this is getting ridiculous!’