Page 24 of Stealing Iris

Carol stops, mid-step, and I’m halfway to putting some chips on the rack. “That’s me,” I say, eying the cap and light-blue T-shirt. Who could be looking for me?

“Delivery fromBomberos.” He pulls up a thermal bag, setting it at the end of the packing area of Carol’s register.

“Oh.” I move over as the sound of thick Velcro being pulled apart echoes in my ears. He brings out a plastic bag with Bunny’s café logo and places it in front of me. A smile tugs at the corner of my lips. I can only think of one person who would do this.

“And a note.” He holds out a Post-it. “He sent the message for me to deliver, but all I have to write on is a Post-it pad. I hope you can understand my writing.”

I brush my hands against my smock before I reach out for the yellow square, my pulse skipping a beat.Thinking of you. Would have sent flowers but figured you’d prefer this. Enjoy. D.The smile stretches my lips as warmth spreads across my chest. “Thank you.” I hear the cheesiness in my own voice. I can only imagine how I sound to them.

“Thankyou,” the delivery guy replies with a grin. “Your guy’s a hell of a tipper.” He picks up his bag and leaves while I bring the note to my chest.

“What does it say?” Carol asks, bouncing on her tiptoes. She might be more excited than I am.

Even though it wasn’t Dante who put the words on the little note, I want to hide it away. It should be private. Knowing Carol, she’ll never let this go, so I hand over the Post-it, reluctantly.

“Thinking. Of. You.” She separates out each word, squeeing as I work the tie on the delivery bag. The scent of meaty goodness, along with something else, escapes as I pull open the bag. I take out the first plate, carefully pulling the tab loose. It’s my favorite, ham and egg tacos a la Mexicana. He remembered. Again, I’m hit with a bout of cheesiness. “Would have sentflowers,” Carol continues. “Wow, girl, he’s soooo sweet.” She grabs my shoulder as she goes back to the note. “But figured you’d prefer this.” The second plate is enchiladas, like those I picked up for Carol last time.

“I think this is for you.” I hand her the plate, stopping her before she goes on.

“Whaaat?” Carol’s eyes widen. “He sent something for me, too?” She takes the plate, her expression turning dreamy. “Awww. You gotta hang onto this guy, Iris.”

I laugh to myself. How can I hold onto him when I don’t even know where to find him?

It’s a full second before I notice Olga walking around us, heading toward the back. She shows up every now and then, with no clear reason and for no particular amount of time. Of course she would choose today, at this precise moment, to make an appearance. How did we not hear the front door slide open? Maybe because we’re both acting like teenage girls passing notes in the classroom.

There’s no way she missed the whole episode. While she didn’t acknowledge us, other than checking out the plates, she glares at me before turning her nose up as she keeps going.

“Ugh,” Carol whispers. “I didn’t see the wicked witch.”

“Neither did I.” And this will likely make hell that much hotter for me.

*****

IRIS

It took a few hours, more than she’s ever spent in the store, but she finally corners me when I go to clean up.

“Conrado said you were gone when he got here on Tuesday. Where were you?” she demands, her knuckles landing on her hip.

It’s been months since I left for lunch—or had a real lunch. Usually I grab a bag of chips, or I’ve taken to where I’ll open a pack of hot dogs and a loaf of regular bread I can keep in the back, so I have something to eat the entire week without raising suspicion. “I went out to lunch.”

Narrowing her eyes, she moves into my personal space. “With who?” she shoots out. Now that’s a question I hoped to avoid.

“A friend.” I don’t offer more because I don’t really want Conny knowing he came by, much less what happened after.

She snorts. “Is that friend a man? The same one who sent you food today?”

“I don’t know how that’s any of your business,” I snap, plopping the mop into the sink.

She pushes at my shoulder, turning me around to face her. In this light, the wrinkles around her eyes and mouth are more pronounced. When Dad went missing she fell apart, which made me doubt what I always believed about her. Though now that time’s passed, things have changed. Gone is the woman who was crying and scared, gone is the woman is who sat staring at the ransom money we’d gathered, angry at the world. She’s given up on him, and she’s dropped the pretense of caring about me. “Don’t think you can suddenly start acting like some little ho,” she snaps. “You’ve been rolling around with a man. Don’t deny it.”

My nostrils flare, and my body goes rigid. How dare she say such a thing? Clearly it hasn’t been important when her son is pinning me down on the desk. Conny’s threat looms over me, so I bite my tongue to keep from mouthing off. I swish the mop in and out of the sink while inside I’m shaking with suppressed anger. “Even if I am, it’s none of your concern, Olga.”

“Don’t lie to me,pendeja.”

“Hey!” Conny shouts, as he comes through the door. “What’s with all the noise?” His chest thrusts out, in that tough-guy stance he’s gotten to using lately. Though there isn’t enough of him to even stretch out the wife beater.

Olga juts her chin at a smug angle now that her darling son has come to the rescue. I can’t let her take over the conversation because I’ll end up on the wrong side of the story. So I do what I promised myself I wouldn’t. Squaring my shoulders, I focus on Conny and jump in, feet first. “I was just talking to your mom about Dante coming by the store the other day and—”

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