Page 21 of Finding Wonderland

“I see them,” Vera said with an eyeroll.

“They’re stunning.” Cameron adjusted Vera’s breasts, making her cleavage more pronounced. “And Isla is going to love them in this dress.”

Vera felt herself blush as she twirled around in the dress. She did look damn good, there was no denying that. And her breasts were one of her better assets. Why shouldn’t she flaunt that?

“What time is it?”

Cameron glanced over at the clock on the nightstand. “Six thirty.”

“Shit. I need to be going. I’m meeting Isla at seven.”

After finishing getting ready and saying goodbye to Cameron, Vera drove downtown and parked her car near the bar. She checked her hair for the third time since she’d gotten into the car to verify it still looked perfect. It did, but that didn’t stop Vera from checking one more time—just in case—in the rearview mirror.

Straightening her dress, Vera stood near the entrance of Straight to Ale. The pub was a local favorite and seemed like a reasonable first date for them. It was casual, but the booths allowed for intimate conversation. She hoped Isla would like it.

If she ever showed up.

Vera resisted the urge to look at her watch after waiting what felt like ten minutes. The last thing she wanted was for Isla to see her checking the time when she arrived. But with each passing second, Vera was working herself up into a frenzy.

What if she changed her mind? What if she doesn’t want to go on a date with me? What if she felt trapped last night and felt like she had to say yes to my invite?

She had an uncanny ability to work herself into an anxiety spiral at the drop of a hat. Vera hated that about herself.

Relax, she kept telling herself. She’ll be here.

Stealing a glance at her watch, Vera saw it was fifteen past the hour. Something was wrong. But just as she started to spiral again, she saw Isla rounding the corner.

Isla looked tired, as if she hadn’t slept well or was sick. She was wearing an oversized sweatshirt and sweatpants, which Vera wouldn’t have considered dating clothes but she didn’t know Isla’s style. But it wasn’t until she got closer that Vera could see she had been crying.

“Isla,” she went to her quickly, “what’s wrong?”

“I’m so sorry.” Isla covered her face, seemingly embarrassed. “I tried to call you at home but you had already left. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

Vera could feel her heart beating in her throat. Was Isla okay? Was something wrong with Mason? It was the only thing on Vera’s mind.

“Are you okay?”

“No,” Isla sadly laughed as she threw up her hands, “I’m not.”

Vera was at a loss of what to do. Going into the bar seemed like a bad idea, but she didn’t know where else to go. All she knew was that she needed to get Isla somewhere away from everyone.

“Come on.”

Taking her hand, Vera led her across the street toward the pathway that ran along the cove. She found an empty bench and motioned for Isla to sit down. Vera wiped the tears away from her eyes with her thumbs and gently caressed her cheek.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Isla sighed and shrugged. “My life is a fucking mess.”

Even in the dim glow of the street lights, Vera could see the sadness plastered on Isla’s face.

“So, I told you a little about my other daughter, remember?” She didn’t wait for Vera to answer. “Well, her dad signed her up to work on some new TV show and last night I saw a commercial for the show.”

“Aww, Isla.”

“She was in it,” Isla let out a sob before trying to compose herself. “I just sat there watching TV for hours, waiting for it to replay so that I could see her again.”

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