“I’ve been texting you all day,” Iris said, sipping her beer.
“Oh damn, that’s right. I forgot to look at them.” Claire got out her phone and opened up the OSB thread. There were several unread texts between Iris and Delilah about aplan—mostly Iris demanding one and Delilah responding with nonsensical emojis like a robot and a nineties-era pager. “Sorry. I was caught up texting with Josh all day.”
Iris nodded. “I figured you were busy. Hence our visit.”
“I’m amazed Delilah agreed to come.”
“Oh, she consented rather quickly when I suggested it.”
Claire forced herself to ignore Iris’s tone, and absolutely, one hundred percent,notto look at her friend right now, even while what felt like a huge grin fought to take over her face.
“Ten days left,” Iris said, sipping her beer. “And the next weddingevent isn’t until the bachelorette party two days before the rehearsal, which means we probably won’t see or hear from Astrid until next Wednesday while she spins around like a robot in heels.”
Claire groaned. “I don’t know what to do, Iris. She’s barely spoken to either of us since the dinner at the vineyard.”
“Unless it was about wedding shit. She barely shut up the whole ride home.”
“You know what I mean. Like, actually talk to us. I texted her this morning—just ahey, how are you—and she didn’t respond until three in the afternoon, and even then, it was a thumbs-up emoji.”
Iris’s eyes went wide.
“Yeah,” Claire said. “Anemoji, from the woman who has to spell outlaugh out loudin her texts instead ofLOL.”
“I texted her and got nothing back.”
“This isn’t great.”
“This is what I’m saying.”
“We can’t very well get her talking if she won’t talk to us.”
They both took a slug of beer, then fell into a stressful silence. Claire’s thoughts swirled, too many things at once. A smart person would get very drunk right now, but that would only make her a sloppy, gooey mess around Delilah, which would immediately give her away as a sloppy, gooey mess around Delilah.
“So, camping, huh?” Delilah said as she came back into the room, then stopped when she saw Claire and Iris staring despondently at their beer cans. “Shit, what happened?”
“Astrid, the unfeeling ice queen, happened,” Iris said.
Delilah pulled a face and settled onto a barstool next to Claire, one leg pulled to her chest. “And this is a new revelation?”
Iris glared. “For those of us with hearts, yes.”
“Ris,” Claire said, then glanced at Delilah. “Ruby told you about the camping trip?”
Delilah nodded. “Bagby Hot Springs. Sounds fun.”
Claire nearly choked on her beer. “Hot springs?”
“I take it Josh didn’t mention that part?” Iris said.
“No, nor did my adoring daughter,” Claire said. “I guess I was too busy imagining a bear gnawing my kid’s face off in the middle of the night because Josh left the hot dogs out. I didn’t eventhinkabout boiling-hot water.”
Delilah winced. “So, not so fun, then.”
“I’m sure it’s a blast for anyone other than a man-child in charge of our daughter.” Claire went back to rubbing her temples. She couldn’t deal with this right now. Not with Delilah Green and her tattoos and her fingers and her mouth just sitting here in her kitchen, as though they didn’t make out like teenagers two nights ago.
“I’ve got it,” Iris said, her spine going ramrod straight and her eyes popping so wide, Claire worried they were about to roll onto the counter.
“Herpes?” Delilah said.
