Page 61 of Isolated
Though that was such a relief, it still stunned me. “I’m still trying to figure that one out.”
“You’re not alone. All the women in my family are just as puzzled.”
“Just the women?”
She grinned. “My dad and my grandfather are just proud of my focus on my career and those accomplishments. Though they won’t come right out and say it, I suspect they feel much like my mom, grandmother, and my sisters. They won’t push for it to happen, but I think they all believe I’d be married by now.”
I was intrigued. From where I stood, Iris was gorgeous, funny, and confident. I could see what made her appealing, but I wondered if the things I found so charming about her were the same for her family. “Is there a reason for that?”
Before she could respond, our server returned with our dinner salads. When he walked off, Iris picked up her utensils, set them on the edge of her plate, and draped her napkin across her lap. As she reached for her fork, she answered, “Part of it might be that I’m getting older. I’m thirty-one now, so time’s ticking. But I think the biggest reason they expected it is because of who I am.”
“Who you are?”
Nodding, she revealed, “I’m the kind of girl who gets lost at the beach.”
I tipped my chin up and out to one side, my curiosity piqued. “Is getting lost at the beach a euphemism for something?”
“Nope.”
“You got lost at the beach?”
“I did.”
“I’m so confused. What happened, and what does this have to do with your family thinking you’d be married by now?”
Her eyes brightened. “I like to talk to people. And I’m the kind of girl who can make friends just about anywhere I go. When I was eight, we took a vacation to the beach. On our second day there, I had my whole family panicking for over an hour. I guess they’d gotten distracted by my sisters, and when they looked up, they couldn’t find me.”
My fork was halfway to my mouth when she stopped speaking. “Where were you?”
“I’d gone for a stroll down the beach with another family.”
“What?”
“The daughter had the most beautiful collection of sea glass,” she declared proudly. “I’d only ever collected shells, so I wanted to see some of the pieces she’d gathered. They were stunning.”
I shook my head slowly, doing my best to hold back my laughter. “So, you left your family terrified while you checked out a sea glass collection?”
She tipped her head slightly to one side and shrugged. “You would have needed to see the collection to understand my fascination. And anyway, it all turned out fine in the end. I’m still here. I’m just not married.”
“Then I guess that only leaves me with one question…”
“What’s that?”
“Have you not found anyone you were interested in dating recently?”
“I wouldn’t say that.” When I offered no response beyond a questioning look, Iris took a sip of her drink and set down her glass. “I’m the kind of woman who will talk to just about anyone, but I like to think I’m rather traditional when it comes to dating. I might like a guy, but I won’t be the one to make the first move.”
And to think I’d been waiting for months for her to give me some sign at the gym that she was interested. If it hadn’t been for what happened with her emails at work, it’s unlikely we’d have been on this date right now.
But now that I knew how her mind worked, I’d be able to act accordingly while moving forward. I’d have no problem taking the lead, if that’s what she needed, what she wanted.
“Oh, I wish I would have acted sooner.”
“I wish you would have, too.” I couldn’t miss the gleam in her eyes. “I spent so much time crushing on you, and I swear, all I thought you wanted was to be my gym buddy.”
If it wasn’t for the fact that Iris was sitting across from me with such happiness and seduction in her expression, I might have allowed the regret I felt to consume me. I was a private investigator, and somehow, I hadn’t noticed that Iris had a crush on me for months.
Months.
