Page 35 of Home for the Holidays

She leaned back, seemingly considering Iris’s question. “Okay, yeah, that would help.”

“I do get to ask, though, why do you keep apologizing?” As Iris’s question ended, her drink was delivered. Her eagerness got the better of her as she picked it up and took a healthy sip. The bartender was eyeing her, an apprehensive look on her face. Iris groaned in appreciation and took another taste of the bitter and the sweet. “Yeah, that’s a good one.”

“Thank you.” The bartender beamed. “Heidi, babe, want me to move your drink down here?”

Heidi’s eyes went wide as she stared at the bartender. “Yes, please, Sandy.”

Sitting this close to Heidi was causing nerves to flare deep in the pit of her stomach. After forcing herself not to down the entire drink, Iris took a deep breath. “So, tell me, Heidi, why do you keep apologizing to me?”

Heidi’s pensive stare was confusing. “I don’t know if I should say anything yet. Is that okay?”

“Um, sure.” Iris narrowed her eyes. “You are a very intriguing woman, do you know that?”

“Intriguing, hmm?” Heidi’s eyebrows raised the tiniest of amounts, and the corner of her mouth quirked upward as if she found this entire display amusing. “That’s a peculiar compliment.” She reached forward and placed her hand on Iris’s arm. “I’m assuming that it is a compliment, right?”

Her touch, coupled with the adorable expression on her face, only fueled Iris’s determination, but sadly, the only response she could muster was nodding her head.

“Tell me how you met Zac.” Heidi removed her hand then proceeded to delicately move her drink. The dark liquor swirled around an ice ball in what had to be an old-fashioned. Iris was captivated by her, by her slow and deliberate movements. And when she sipped the drink? Her lips pressing against the glass, the liquor touching her mouth, the way she held the sip in her mouth for one beat, two, before she swallowed.Jesus. Iris was going to need a defibrillator.

For some reason, knowing she drank bourbon made her that much hotter.What the hell?“We met at an insemination party in SoHo.”

Heidi’s eyes widened as she sat her glass down on the bartop. “Excuse me?”

Iris rolled her lips together and nodded. “You heard me correctly. Our friend Kara…Yeah, she threw a party. It waswild.”

“The party was wild?”

“Oh, no, the party was a total snooze fest. Just the whole idea was wild. We both felt so out of place, so we left and got margaritas together. The rest is, well, history, I guess.”

“How long have you lived together?”

“Been together for six months, lived together for about three of them.”

“And he moved in with you?”

“Yes. He moved in with me.” Iris’s pits were sweating. “What’s with the inquisition?”

“Just wanting to get to know the woman my son brought home.” Heidi’s choice of words was interesting. “Sandy, can I have another?” she asked after she finished the rest of the dark liquor. She gently sat the empty glass on its coaster. “I’m going to tell you something, Iris, and I want you to listen to me. Okay?”

“Considering that I’m going to order about three more of these, you’re fortunately going to have a captive audience. Not sure how much of it I’ll retain, but cheers.” Iris lifted her index finger toward the bartender, and Sandy nodded her agreement. “Tell me whatever you want.”

Heidi’s laughter that followed was sexy as hell, as was everything else about her, including how her beach waves looked so touchably soft. She had changed, yet again, into a burgundy sweater, this one with a deep V-neck that showed off her ample cleavage, a pair of super-cute, ripped jeans, and black booties with a pretty high heel. She wasn’t wearing her glasses anymore either, and without the distraction, her makeup looked flawless.

Wait.

“You changed and showered or something,” Iris ventured, “because your hair is different. And you are wearing different clothes.” Iris stopped herself and let out a small gasp when the realization hit. “Were youmeetingsomeone tonight?”

Heidi cleared her throat as her eyes flitted toward the bartender. “Uh, no, not necessarily.”

Iris looked at the bartender, then back to Heidi, and then to the bartender again. “Wait a second…”

“You know I’m no longer married to Zac’s father, right?” Heidi waited for half a second before she continued. “We got married young. Way too young. And then we moved to Paris together because why not, right?” Her laughter was so lovely. “I had Oscar and Adrien while we were there. It felt like we were babies, and here we were having babies. So strange. But things were good. Really, really good. Then they weren’t good. And we had to come home because raising kids there was becoming a strain on us. At least that’s what we told everyone. We weren’t going to have any more kids, and then I ended up pregnant with Zac, the day before I was supposed to go in and get my tubes tied.” She stopped as Sandy delivered her new drink. The look Sandy gave her was very interesting. Iris made sure to make a mental note. Heidi took a sip and set it back on the coaster, her nimble fingers, nails completely void of polish, traced the rim of the highball glass. The faint, blue veins on the back of her hand made Iris’s throat ache. “I have no idea why I’m about to tell you this, but Iris, I’m a lesbian.”

“I’m sorry,” Iris said. “You don’t think I put together that you’re into women when you had your fingers in my vagina and your tongue in my mouth?”

Heidi let out a loud laugh, then covered her mouth. “Fair, fair,” she said from behind her hand. “I just wanted to be sure we were on the same page.”

“Oh, I’m on your page. No worries.”

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