ONE
Iris
Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Las Vegas,I keep saying to myself. I’m the world’s worst liar, and I just know that if I’m not careful, I’m going to mention New York City when I talk to my dad. He thinks I’m going to Las Vegas to visit my best friend from school, who left Star Falls the year before graduation, a little under ten years ago. He also thinks this is an annual trip.
Fact is, I haven’t seen Stephanie since she left. But she’s a very convenient cover. I’m actually headed to New York City, on my own, like I do every year, to watch the opening night of the new season of the New York City Ballet.
“Iris?” Dad calls.
“In here,” I say. We’re coming to the end of strawberry season, and we have a minute before pears and watermelons are at their peak. But my September weekends away always come with a little more scrutiny than I’d like. I hate lying. But, even more, I hate to make my dad and brother feel guilty, which is why I don’t tell them where I’m really going.
He stands in the doorway to the makeshift office I have off the barn. “I just saw Donna on the way back from the delivery to the Club.”
My stomach turns over at the thought of what Dad’s going to say next. No one apart from me knows I’m headed to New York, but I’ve thought for a while now that our neighbor, Donna has… powers. Possibly mind reading. Kidding, not kidding. It’s part of the reason I avoid her at this time of year.
“Oh, how did it go at the Club? Did they like it?” We’ve just started supplying a local private members resort with fruit. Most stuff we sell through wholesalers, but the Colorado Club approached us just after they opened about supplying them direct. It’s nice to be able to cut out the middleman. It’s not big business, but it all adds up.
“Donna said Stephanie’s in town.”
My entire body freezes, and I have to remind myself to breathe.
Stephanie.
My best friend.
The one I’m supposed to be going to Las Vegas to visit tomorrow.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I knew hearing Donna’s name wasn’t a good thing.
Why in the hell is Stephanie in town? She hasn’t been back here since she and her family left nearly a decade ago. So much for her being the perfect cover.
“Stephanie?” I ask, trying to buy myself some time to come up with an explanation.
“Yeah, Stephanie, who moved to Las Vegas. Why is she here if you’re about to go and visit her? Does it mean you’re not going? I didn’t want to say anything, but we could do with an extra pair of hands around here.”
There’s no way I’m going to miss my trip. There aren’t many things I get to do without my brother and my dad. We all live together. We all work together. But once a year, I have my trip to New York all for myself. Now that I’ve finally finished my correspondence course and gotten my high school diploma—ten years late—my annual trip is the only thing I have that’s not about my family and Wilde’s Farm. I’m not giving it up.
“Oh, Stephanie Gardener. No, I’m not going to Las Vegas to see Stephanie,” I say. If Stephanie is in Star Falls, I have no idea how long she’s staying. And I leave tomorrow for New York. If she’s still here, my entire story falls apart.
“What are you talking about?” he asks. “You’ve been going to Las Vegas to see Stephanie for years now.”
My brother scoots in under my dad’s arm and plonks down in the visitor chair wedged in between my desk and a pile of old crates that I really need to find a home for.
“What’s going on?” Bray asks.
“Doesn’t Iris go to Las Vegas to see Stephanie, that girl from school, every year?” Dad asks.
“She’s going tomorrow,” Bray says.
Dad nods, pleased that someone’s agreeing with him, and they both look at me.
“We go to Vegas together. Stephanie lives in Arizona. We meet in Vegas. But she can’t make it this year. Family stuff.” I’m babbling. Words are just spewing out. I have no idea if any of them make sense.
“So you’re going on your own?” Bray asks.
“What are you doing in Vegas on your own?” Dad asks. “Are you gambling? You know the only person who wins is the house,” he says. “You may as well just march up to the owner of the casino and give your money straight to him.”
