Page 26 of Iris
Chapter Eight
My alarm doesn’t go off. I'm woken up by Igor, near my ear, singing a terrible version of ‘Let’s get it on’. When I roll to get away from her, I notice I'm alone in bed. I sit up and look around the room. Igor is on the nightstand, just finishing the last few notes of the song.
“Glad to see you’re up,” Igor slyly says. “Your horizontal tango buddy is downstairs. I assume he’s attempting to make you breakfast, but everything looks burnt.”
Warmth floods me as I hurriedly pull on my uniform for the shop. I leave my hair down since I can put it up once I’ve opened the store. When I walk into the kitchen, I'm able to see what Igor is talking about.
Dorian is standing in front of the stove, his lips pursed as he focuses on the eggs that he is scrambling in the pan.
“Did you add a little bit of milk?” Wrapping an arm around his waist, I look at the other food on the counter with only a little bit of a wince. Most of the food is so burned, I can’t really tell what it used to be.
“Milk? Is that the secret to perfect these damn annoying things that come out of a chicken’s ass?”
Igor is on the countertop. She bursts out laughing, her leaves shuddering around her. “Chicken’s ass? That’s a good one! I’m stealing it.”
“Um, I don’t think that’s quite how that works, but, yeah. A little milk makes them super fluffy. Add a little cheese at the end. It’s really good.” Stepping around him briefly, I take out the milk carton. “Just pour for a second.”
He does as I say, making it look elegant even if it's just pouring milk. Is that a vampire thing? I hand him the shredded cheese when he gives the milk back.
“Just a handful of the cheese.” I take the bag back and close the fridge.
Dorian’s brows are drawn down as he focuses solely on the eggs. My heart thumps loudly within my chest. The vague outline of the spell that has brought us together is almost nonexistent now, yet, I can’t imagine being without Dorian. This feels, in all intents and purposes, right. Something is missing, but I already know what it is. My other two mates.
“Done!” Dorian crows proudly as he plates the eggs with a flourish. “Breakfast is served, my lady!”
He looks so proud of himself, the first time I’ve seen him look so carefree, that I don’t care about the small eggshells as I eat what he has made me. He’s made it just for me.
We sit at the small bar as I eat. He has pulled out his laptop. The silence is comfortable, only interrupted every now and then by Igor mumbling to herself about numbers of tanks and rifles. I'm not going to ask. If she is taking over the world, I’ll have no part in it. Plausible deniability.
It isn’t long before I check the time and sigh. it's time to open the shop.
“Uh oh. Sounds ominous.” Dorian looks up from his laptop with a soft smile. “Back to the real world for us, huh?”
“That’s what it seems like.” Not that I have any urge to do so.
“Don’t worry. You have your date with Noah tonight. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. I’ll text you, lovely.” Dorian leans over and kisses me.
Oh boy, is it a kiss. His tongue just dominates my mouth and all I can do is clutch his shirt and hang on for the ride. When he finally lets me up for air, he is smirking.
“Have a good day at work, love.” He packs up as I unsteadily get to my feet.
“That was unfair. I will have revenge.” I point at him with one hand as my other clutches the corner of the counter.
His laughter sounds out as he walks out the door. “Promises. Promises.” The door closes behind him.
“Oh, I think you’ve met your match with these mates of yours, Iris.” Igor cackles. “This is the most entertainment I’ve had since that hive of bees made themselves at home in your closet.”
“Don’t think I don’t know who was responsible for that.” I glare at her as I grab my keys. “I’ll be back after I pick up the pastries from Buttercups.”
I remind myself I need to check on my new seedlings when I get back. Hopefully they are doing better than they were the other day. I’ve never had that happen before.
Most of the plants I use my magic on bloom healthy, happy, vibrant, and usually bloom overnight. Some, like the tree that I'm going to start work on in two days for the dance, will take several days. It will take a lot of my magic, so it's easier to get the smaller plants done first.
The ride to Buttercup’s is uneventful. Which means I have a lot of time to think about what is going on. For the most part, I'm happy, excited, and a lot nervous.
This is an exciting time. I know that. But, if I'm being a little old fashioned, I'm also looking forward to actually getting to know each man. What makes them tick. I need to find out their pet peeves for Igor.
Buttercup is quiet when I pick up the pastries, breaded cinnamon twist knots for the day. She’s made several bags of candied flies to last Igor a few days. When I try to make conversation, I can tell it's straining for her.
