“Like I said before, being her friend would do wonders. She has a couple good friends, but one lives across the country now, so that leaves just one in town. Well, aside from her cat—Iris would be annoyed if I failed to consider him her friend.” I’ve never had many female friends. In college, I talked to a lot of girls, but I would not actually consider them friends—well, not in the way Kai is suggesting, at least. “I’ve been worried about her.Don’t get me wrong, she is resilient and damn strong, but that girl has trouble leaning on others.”
As if on cue, Iris and Joy appear back at the front desk, giggling about something together. Ironically, she is leaning into Joy, forcing me to suppress a smile. Kai shoves me and I barely feel it. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that.
“Thanks for letting us stop by. We should be good to go for now! Next step is scheduling tours to see our venue for the ball,” Iris says. “Would you want to come along?”
“I can be there. As you can see, the shop isn’t too busy these days.” I motion toward the emptiness surrounding us. She frowns in response to that comment.
“We’ll try our best to help with that.” Iris perks up. “In the meantime, maybe put that record player to use and play a fun vinyl to set the mood because the vibes are off in here right now.”
“The vibes are off? I’m wounded, Iris.” I cock a brow, resting my hand over my heart, as Iris gazes at me with a mischievous glint.
“Well, we’ve got to get going,” Iris says. Joy walks outside, waving goodbye on her way out. Before stepping outside, Iris turns back, coyly smiling. “I’ll be in touch, Jasper.”
Embarrassingly, I gulp.
I could get used to hearing her say my name.
Thirteen
Iris
“Ican’t believe you’re going out tonight. To a party. With actual people,” Lena teases while taking a sip of her apple cider. “I can’t remember the last time you went to an event you weren’t involved in planning.”
Lena and I haven’t been talking as often recently. She has been busting her ass at her new office in Georgia, and as a workaholic myself, I can’t blame her. Between balancing work and spending quality time with her girlfriend there,ourquality time has decreased significantly. So, the little moments spent FaceTiming mean a lot to me now.
“You and I, both. Callie asked me at the most inopportune time. I know if I wouldn’t have been multi-tasking, I would’ve saidimmediately no.” I stare at myself in the mirror, evenly applying my moisturizing primer to my bare face, bracing my skin for what’s to come. Screw it. If I’m going to a party, I’m going all out.
I glance back at my phone to see Lena relaxing on her couch—I keep my phone propped up against my vanity so Lena and I can continue talking as I apply my makeup. My mom never took the time to teach me how to do makeup, but that did not mean she didn’t want me to wear it. In fact, my momtoldme to wear makeup throughout my adolescence, claiming my imperfections needed to be hidden at all costs. My dad never stepped in to correct her, leading me to conclude they both felt the same on the matter. So, I caked my face in foundation and concealer daily throughout high school and most of college. Now when I apply makeup, I can’t help but think of her.
“So, how has the fundraiser planning been going so far?” Lena graciously disrupts my train of thought.
“It’s been great, honestly. I’m just waiting for the ball to drop at this point because it feels like it’s been going a little too smoothly, you know?”
“I’m happy to hear that.” She pointedly looks directly into the camera. “I don’t know if you’ve heard this recently, but I’m so proud of you.”
Who knew such a simple statement could make someone feel so good? Lena isn’t overly emotional, so hearing these words come out of her mouth feels indescribably good.
“Ugh, I wish you were here, Lena.” I peer into the camera at her, feeling a wave of emotion hit me. Instantly, I look up, waving my hands at my eyes to prevent tears from cascading down my cheeks. “I just applied foundation, so I’ve got to stay strong.”
We both cackle and proceed to catch up about everything, from our crazy work lives to our current fall coffee orders. As we talk, I delicately continue to apply my makeup with as much precision as possible. After blending my foundation, concealer, and contour, I begin to work on my eyes. I use matte neutrals as the base alongside an iridescent golden shade on my lid. Once I finish the shadow, I put on black mascara, lengthening and volumizing my lashes. Mascara is my favorite part of any makeup look—it’s the one step I hardly ever skip on a day-to-day basis. Now, it’s time for tonight’s magic touch—highlighter.
I know highlighter isn’t as popular as it once was, but tonight’s look absolutely requires it. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. I brush the shimmery golden shade onto my upper cheekbones, then paste some stick-on golden gems to my brow bone and temples. Settling on a nude glitter gloss, I complete the look with setting spray, then look at Lena for final approval.
“It only took five hours, but I’m finally done,” I joke. “What do you think?” I angle my face upward, downward, left, and right, then cross my eyes for Lena.
“One word: flawless,” she says resolutely. “Let me go get Tina! I’ve got to show her your look, she’ll freak out.”
Lena and Tina—yes, they’re so perfect their names rhyme—have been long-distance dating for years. Lena ultimately chose to look for job opportunities in Georgia where Tina lives so they could finally move in together. They’ve been living together for several months now, and it’s safe to say it’s going well. Tina comes into frame and immediately drops her jaw.
“IRIS.” She gasps. “You’re such a babe!”
“Means a lot coming from you!” I exclaim as Tina and Lena lean in toward each other. I’ve never seen Lena so at ease. I’m endlessly happy for her, if not a little envious of the peace they must feel.
“Well, I’ll let you guys go.” I grin. “Thanks for getting ready with me, Lena. Miss you always.”
“Miss you too, friend. We’ll talk again soon. Have fun and be safe tonight, okay?” She uses a serious tone. We conclude the call, then I turn on music. I find myself feeling excited about the party for the first time since agreeing to go. Now, I just need to change, then I’m good to go. Fingers crossed my introverted self can pull off pretending to be an extrovert tonight.
Callie picks me up late—attending a party I have no part in planning means I can arrive leisurely. She is also known for being notoriously late herself. We stroll into the high school gym to see it’s no longer a gym at all—it’s an exotic dark garden. A thin layer of mist shrouds us, and I gaze around the room to see it’s entirely shadowed in dark, shimmery sheer curtains complete with flowers of every species. White lilies with black tips, black roses, daisies, and tulips surround us all. Satin onyx tablecloths lie atop each round table, paired with lacy white table runners. Immediately, I survey these items, trying to estimate the costs, when suddenly, a pitchfork interrupts my thoughts.
