“I don’t know, but it doesn’t look good,” she said, eyeing Debbie as she washed some cups.
This didn’t feel right. I finished my closing duties, walking by the office slowly, hoping to hear something, but it was too quiet. There was no reason for me to stick around. Iris and I had kept our relationship a secret because we didn’t need anyone saying shit or assuming anything. Knowing these catty women, they would make a big deal out of nothing.
I took off my apron, sitting down for a moment, hoping to catch Iris before I left. We drove here separately, but we were going back to my house after this. That was where Nash was waiting for us. It had been almost a week since the rodeo, and he was finally doing better. The bruise on the side of his body was still gruesome, but his mobility was better. He didn’t have to rely on us to help him move and he had a better range of motion.
The door to the break room opened abruptly and Iris walked in, pissed. I opened my mouth to say something, but she shook her head. Fuck, this was bad. She opened her locker and I did the same getting ready to leave when I noticed she was taking everything from her locker.
He fucking fired her.
I got up quickly, pissed off, about to give Joe a piece of my mind when Iris grabbed my arm.
“Not worth it,” she said. “I just want to go home.Please.”
I took a deep breath before nodding, grabbing her hand and leaving the break room, not giving a damn who saw us together. Debbie grinned as she saw us, her smile faltering when I glared at her and she saw us holding hands.
“You need anything, you let me know, Iris,” Mindy said as we passed her.
“Thanks, Mindy,” Iris said, walking over to her to give her a hug.
“You too, Beau, you need anything let me know. We got to stick together when we got the Barbie mafia thinking she can do whatever she wants,” Mindy said loudly.
I chuckled. “Thanks Mindy. See you in a few days.”
Debbie was staring at us as we left, but we didn’t give her the time of the day or the reaction she wanted from Iris getting fired. I know it was that jealous bitch who got her fired, but if Iris didn’t want to make a big deal, I wasn’t going to either.
When we got home, I helped her out of her truck, grabbed her overnight bag and led her to the door. She was quiet, but didn’t seem too upset, but Iris was the master of hiding her emotions.
I pushed her against the front door, kissing her softly at first, then more desperately wishing I could make things instantly better for her. The door abruptly opened and I tried catching Iris before she fell. Nash was quicker than me, thankfully.
“Where the fuck have you guys been?” he snapped. “I’ve been calling for the last half hour and?—”
“They fired me,” Iris interrupted him, hugging his middle.
I grinned loving that he was worried for us.
“What the fuck?” He looked up at me for confirmation.
I nodded, walking into the house, scooting them out of the way of the door.
“Why the hell did he fire you, Petal?” He led her to the dining room, sitting her down as I grabbed us all a beer.
“Honestly, I don’t fucking know,” she sighed, running her hand through her hair. “He talked about me getting along with the girls and how when I’m working, there is always discourse and after that, I knew I was going to get the can.”
I handed her a beer, and she chugged it immediately.
“Oh, fuck him, he knows it’s always those fucking girls that start shit,” I said, sitting next to her taking a long drink of my beer.
“Do you want to fight it?” Nash said, sitting on the other side of her.
“Not really,” she said, looking at her beer bottle. “I was thinking on the way over here it was probably for the best. I was getting tired of working there and maybe this was a blessing in disguise. I miss working the farm, so maybe this is my sign to go back to the farm or maybe I can work at the ranch. The farm hasn’t really felt like home but__”
“Well now, you have a lot of time to figure out what you want to do,” Nash said quickly, as a look of panic crossed his features, but he schooled his expression quickly.
“You’re right,” Iris sighed, running a hand down her face. “I’ve been saving, so I don’t have to decide right now. I need a shower desperately and to get out of these clothes.”
“If you need any help, I’m here,” Nash said, still looking uneasy. “I have another rodeo, maybe you can come take your mind off things.”
“You just enjoyed getting laid before a ride,” she chuckled, chugging the rest of her beer. “Are you joining me?”
