She finishes the square and closes her eyes. “Mmm. It’s good. Tart but sweet.”
“Yeah, they’re real tart. Not too good to eat straight from the tree, but they make great jellies and syrups.”
Without hesitating, she picks up another piece and takes a bite. “I like it. Can you get it at the store?”
I press my lips together. “Hmm. Probably not. A farmers market will have it—for the next couple of weeks anyway.”
Her eyes go wide, and she shoots a look at her friends. “We have to find a farmers market.” She jerks her head back to me. “How long are Mayhaws in season?”
“Um,” I swallow a chuckle, “May.”
She looks down at the sandwich square, smiles, and looks back up at me. “I guess that makes sense.” Iris pops the last piece of that square into her mouth and grabs the third. “I really shouldn’t eat this whole sandwich,” she mutters.
“I think you should,” I say.
She shrugs, taking a bite. “Moira would freak,” she says around a mouthful.
I’m starting to think I wouldn’t like this Moira. Which means Nonc was at least right about her. Was he right about both of them?
“What Moira doesn’t know won’t hurt her.” When I say this, both Ramon and Sally turn their gazes on me. Am I just imagining it, or do I see approval in their eyes where there wasn’t before?
Iris finishes the third square and stares at the fourth. I’m still holding the plate in front of her, and I nudge it a little closer.
“C’mon. You can’t let Nonc’s favorite jelly go to waste.” Her eyes flare with alarm, and she picks up the last piece. “You need something to drink?”
Mid-bite, Iris shakes her head. “I have a Vitamin Water in my bag.”
“I’ll get it,” Sally offers, rising. She goes and brings back a bottle of a drink that proudly claims to have ZERO CALORIES!
Iris unscrews the lid and drinks the pale orange liquid. After several long swallows—during which I find my gaze on the delicate motions of her slender throat—she gives a satisfied sigh, caps the bottle again, and looks up at me.
“I’m good. You ready?”
Her question sets me back. “Me? Are you? You were about to pass out ten minutes ago.”
She shrugs. “It happens.”
I look at Ramon and Sally.
“It does,” her PA confirms while Sally nods at his side.
It shouldn’t happen, I want to say. But what business is it of mine?
I look back at Iris. “You sure? We could call it quits for today.”
She gets to her feet, shaking her head. “No quitting. I don’t even know the word.”
Her determination is something I haven’t seen before. My gut twists a little more. She’s not drunk. Or high. And I’m beginning to accept that she wasn’t last night either.
Which means I’m a Grade A Dick.
I clear my throat, not liking the taste this realization leaves in my mouth. “Okay. Back in position.”
While I unlock my phone, Ramon and Iris face each other, and one of his hands goes to her hip while the other clasps her hand. “You sure you’re okay, boss?”
Iris rolls her eyes. “I’m fine. And don’t call me that.”
He scowls down at her. “I only call you boss when I need to remind you to let me do my job,” he mutters low, but I’m close enough to hear every word. “You gotta tell me when you don’t eat.”
I keep my eyes on my phone screen and scroll through the playlist I’ve made for the class, but I’d be lying if I said I’m actually reading the song titles.
“I wasn’t hungry,” Iris whispers.
“Liar,” Ramon hisses. “You’re always hungry.”
“Can we start dancing now?”
I look up from my phone to see Iris’s exasperated gaze on me. I tap my screen at random, and the parlor fills with Bonsoir Catin’s “J'aimerais Sentir Comme Ca Chez Moi.” I almost never play the duet in classes because the lyrics are so raw, but when I made the playlist for today, I didn’t think the California transplants would notice.
Besides, its cadence is great for beginners.
“One-two-ready-go,” I count, and Ramon starts, but just like before, Iris goes the wrong way.
“Dammit,” she curses, looking rattled. “Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.”
I stop the music. “It’s no problem. You’ll get it,” I encourage and then reset the song.
“One-two-ready-and—”
She starts on the right foot this time, and she and Ramon make it nearly to the end of the first verse before moving out of sync.