Iris
My second weekend dating Callum wasn’t quite as enjoyable as my first. We saw great sites, dined in amazing places, and made love with a fiery passion, but since I’d barged into his office on Friday, there’d been a tension there. I had to wonder if the man standing in his office was Seamus, that ex-friend he’d been so upset about. But no matter how I tried to bring the subject up, he dodged it. He was tender with me but haunted, and I hoped that I hadn’t done anything to make things even more awkward with his former friend. I’d been extra careful at work since then. We still had dictation sessions, but I was well aware now that I had to always call him Mr. O’Brien in the office and not just assume he was alone at his desk when I walked in.
Things were still fine between us, but I felt like I’d let him down.
I was mulling over these thoughts on campus. I had taken a long lunch on Friday to think hard over what I was doing, how to make things up to Callum. Hell, how to get him to open up more to me. Basically, I was moping and in a huge way, so I wasn’t paying attention when a redheaded girl sat across from me and started chomping into a slice of pizza.
“You’re Iris Kilshimer, aren’t you?”
I looked over my shoulders and frowned. “That sounds kind of ominous. Are you from Interpol? Maybe the Dublin police? Something where you could tell me, but then you’d have to kill me?”
She laughed with a deep, throaty chuckle that oddly seemed vaguely familiar. “Nothing like that, Iris. My name’s Symone O’Brien. You work for my dad, and frankly, Dad admitted last week that you’re dating. Small world, but we’re both on campus here, and I wanted to get a feel for the lass that was making my dad so happy.”
I frowned. “I don’t know if that’s true. I think I made a huge mistake a week ago barging into the office and shooting off my dumb mouth. He’s not mad with me, but he’s distant because some guy named Seamus saw us.”
Symone rolled her eyes. “Mr. McCartney is like Dad’s frenemy. Known each other forever, have rival companies, but Dad never quite cuts him loose since they’ve known each other forever. I say big bloody deal. Mr. McCartney basically encourages all my dad’s worst habits. Since you came along, he’s been happier, and the last thing he needs is to embarrass himself like he used to with a new blonde every weekend and tons of tabloid articles. I’m just glad the ‘Bad Boys of Dublin’ seem to be parting ways.”
“I just wish I hadn’t blurted things out in front of Seamus McCartney then. It sucked.”
Symone shrugged. “Don’t think too hard about him. I never do. He’s a bottom feeder, and Dad just felt too close to an old friend for too long. Just cause you’ve known each other for a long time doesn’t mean you’re friends… or that it’s still a good idea. I mean, break the habit, you know.”
I nodded and sipped my soda. “You’re, uh, quite effusive.”
“Thank you! But we don’t have much time to chat and do the girl power thing.”
I frowned. “We don’t?”
“No because tonight is the night on the Dublin social scene. You had to know about the masquerade ball my dad is planning for most of the city?”
My stomach churned, and my mouth went dry. He’d been planning a huge ball all this time and never mentioned it. All the files I’d been getting him to sign for Mrs. McCabe, well, she’d just called it a charity engagement.
Symone sighed. “My dad is hopeless with actual dating. He hasn’t done it in decades cause the last person he really cared about charming was Mom.”
“If he didn’t mention the ball, and I’m not invited, then maybe I am the flavor of the month whose expiration date is coming up.”
“No, of course not. If I know Dad, and I do, he probably worried about being too public with you, even with the masquerade theme. Besides, you think I can’t Google things, Iris?”
“Um?”
“You’re Seth Kilshimer’s daughter. Google told me that, and a quick look at Mom and Dad’s wedding album reminded me exactly who that is. He’s probably more scared of getting you in trouble with your father and made the decision not to invite you, but I have the perfect mask for you, the perfect way to obscure your face. Dad will barely recognize you once I’m done, let alone nosey reporters or even your dad if he got an image or two from the bash on the web.”
“But what if Callum…what if he doesn’t want me?”
“Lass, he’s been singing badly around his apartment. He never sings. He was always only about business. But he’s happier now, like a burden’s off his shoulders. As long as he’s sure he can protect you and keep your reputation safe, he’s definitely interested.”
“And you’re playing cupid? I can’t believe you’re cool with this. If my dad had a new girlfriend who was younger than I was, I’d be angry.”
“I’m not completely Zen about it, but I’ve been so worried about him, about how lonely he’s been, and how he’s been burying it in the complete wrong way. I’m not one hundred percent comfortable with this, but I care about him, and he’s smiled more in the last few weeks than he had since Mom died. That matters to me.” She smiled and set her half-eaten p
epperoni slice down. “But no more talk, Cinderella, we have to get you to the ball!”
***
I stood by the full-length mirror at Symone’s small flat near campus. It turned out that she lived a life matching any struggling grad student most of the time. Her fiancé was out currently, which was actually nice because it gave her time to dress me up. Between her and Allison, I was so fortune to have my own team of fairy godmothers. Of course, if Symone were right, and Cal wasn’t actually cooling toward me, then I’d have to up my game. I’d have to learn to be the glamorous woman of the world I was supposed to be to serve as a CEO myself. I’d definitely need to learn better makeup skills.
Symone chuckled as I smoothed down the soft satin of my dress. “Here, let me help you with eyeliner.”
“Come on, I’m not hopeless.”