Perfection

by Melissa Koberlein

  Iris told him about her exchange with Steel, which led to her telling him about their past. Her skin crawled as she recollected her time with Steel at Bio-Core. She reviewed her stored files over and over and convinced herself that she’d only been with Steel for training, but there was a part deep down that knew that wasn’t entirely true. Through it all, Adam’s expression remained stoic, and he didn’t interrupt.

  “So there it is,” she said. “I’m a terrible person.”

  “No you’re not.” Adam sighed and drew her into his arms. She rested her head against his chest, listening to the strum of his heart. Blood pumping. Almost human. “I know you think you had a choice, but I’m sure you didn’t. Everything about that facility and those people was planned. Even times when you thought you were making your own decisions, they were pulling the strings. You need to forget your past because it isn’t who you are now.”

  She sniffed and sat back. “What am I going to do about Steel? He keeps getting inside my head like a virus.”

  Adam narrowed his eyes. “You’re going to leave him to me.”

  “But—”

  “No. I got it,” Adam said, smiling. “Besides, don’t you have a fashion show to pull off?”

  Gage

  Dixon’s was buzzing. Sloan, Mazy, and Evie were huddled just outside the door. They rushed to Gage’s car when he pulled up.

  He lowered his window. “Hey guys, what’s going on?”

  Mazy grabbed the side of the car. “Steel was here. He and Iris got into it in the parking lot.”

  “He was sitting with Shannon and some other girls,” Sloan added. “They looked very chummy. Then Iris went outside with Steel.”

  “Where’s Iris now?” His stomach clenched.

  Mazy shrugged, her brows knitting together with worry. “We don’t know. She took off running and left her phone on the table.”

  Where would she have gone? Before he could contemplate too much, his phone chimed.

  ADAM: Iris is with me at Jack’s. She had a rough night and needs a ride home. Are you around?

  Gage sighed, relief washing over him. He texted that he’d be there in a few minutes and glanced up at the girls. “She’s with Adam. I’m going to pick her up and take her home. Evie, do you need a ride?”

  “No, I have a ride with my mom later. I’m going to hang out with Adam for a bit. With all this craziness with the fashion show, we haven’t spent much time together.”

  “Okay. I’ll take her phone.” Gage smiled inwardly. He didn’t want to be rude, but he did want to be alone with Iris.

  Mazy handed it to him, and he headed to Jack’s. She was outside with Adam, waiting for him. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying. His chest tightened as she slid into the passenger seat, her eyes cast down.

  “She’s okay.” Adam leaned on the open door. “Mostly just shaken up.”

  Gage glanced between them and reached for her hand. “Hey.”

  “Thanks for taking me home.” She kept her hands clasped firmly in her lap, her eyes focused on the floor.

  He pulled back his hand.

  “Hey, remember what I said.” Adam grazed her shoulder. “Don’t worry.”

  Iris nodded, and Adam shut the door.

  Gage put the car in drive and took off. He didn’t want to push her, so he put on some music, hoping it would help to settle her nerves. They didn’t speak all the way back to the Graysons. He parked in front of their house and turned the car off then shifted in his seat toward her.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.

  “No. I mean, yes.” Iris sighed and turned toward Gage. “I’m mostly embarrassed. Adam didn’t tell me he texted you to take me home.”

  “Oh.” Fair enough. “You don’t need to be embarrassed. Steel is an asshole.” Gage looked out the dash window and muttered under his breath, “I still can’t believe we’re related.”

  “I know.” Iris sniffed and dabbed her pink nose with a tissue. “So, it’s kind of complicated.”

  Every fiber in his being wanted to scoop her up in his arms and never let go. He hated Steel for hurting her like this. He could only imagine the things he must have said for her to be this upset.

  Iris took a deep breath. “I—”

  Gage stopped her with a kiss. She tasted salty from her tears. He cupped the back of her head and trailed a few kisses across her tear-stained cheek and whispered, “Don’t. You don’t need to say another word. It doesn’t matter.”

  “But I—”

  He pulled back and gazed into her violet eyes. “It doesn’t matter.”

  She nodded and pressed her lips to his, and the world melted away.

  18

  Runway

  Iris

  Iris woke with a newfound resolve—no one and nothing was going to stop her from making the fashion show a complete success. She tossed the covers back from her bed and leapt into action. When she was ready for the day, she knocked on Evie’s bedroom door. “Are you awake yet? I want to get started early.”

  Evie groaned. “I hate you right now.”

  “I’m sorry you hate me, but can you do that while you’re getting ready?” Iris pressed her hand against the door.

  “Fine,” Evie replied.

  Iris waited until she heard Evie’s feet hit the floor and then headed downstairs. Mac and Serena Grayson were in the kitchen making breakfast together. It was a common occurrence for Saturdays. The smell of cooked bacon permeated Iris’s one-track CPU and left her salivating. Serena was stirring some scrambled eggs around in a pan. Mac was by the sink, pouring a cup of coffee.

  “Good morning.” Serena smiled at her from the stove.

  “Morning.”

  “Big day today, huh?” Mac took a sip of his coffee and glanced up at Iris.

  “Yes.” Iris inhaled, excited.

  “Well, I won’t be able to make it, but Serena will be there. Won’t you, babe?” He walked over and kissed her on the temple.

  “I wouldn’t miss it, and I plan to purchase something you made. That is, if there’s something for my age?” Serena raised her eyebrows.

  “Oh, yes, there will be. Dalia made sure that we had a variety of styles and colors for a diverse age group.”

  “How thoughtful.” She glanced at Mac, pursing her lips.

  “Honey, you’re always young and beautiful to me,” he said.

  “All right, all right. Sit down. These eggs are ready.”

  There was no sense in waiting for Evie since she didn’t eat breakfast other than coffee. Iris couldn’t understand it. Breakfast was her favorite meal of the day. Plus, she liked eating breakfast with the Graysons. They were super nice, and Serena was an especially good cook. When they were finished, Evie whirled through the kitchen, grabbing a to-go cup of coffee with extra cream and sugar.

  “Well, come on, Iris. Up and at em,’ right?” Evie kissed her mom on the cheek and waved to her dad before heading out the back door.

  Mac and Iris looked at the dishes. Serena waved them off. “Just go.”

  Dalia was a ball of nerves when they got to the store. The caterers had messed up her order and brought the wrong hors d’oeuvres. The chairs weren’t in the right place, and one of the models was sick. Luckily, Mazy was a morning person too. She was already interceding and fixed all the problems. Iris admired her. She was a born leader.

  Now it was time to focus on her charge—checking and double checking that each girl knew exactly what to wear and when. After a grueling afternoon of last-minute sewing adjustments and broken straps, she was ready. The show would start in an hour.

  A large curtain hung in front of the back room, framing the runway. She stepped out onto the walkway to assess the store. Adam and Derrick were set up on one side in their makeshift DJ booth. Chairs were lined up in rows on either side of the stage. There was a table set up toward the front of the store with refreshments. People dressed in black pants, crisp white shirts, and black bow ties were readying trays to offer the guests. Th
ey expected about a hundred people, many of them tourists drawn to the show for the atmosphere, but there would be some locals supporting Dalia’s too.

  The front door opened, and Gage and Luke walked in. Her stomach fluttered. He’d gelled his hair and wore a stylish gray suit with white tennis shoes. Very trendy. She smiled at him and waved.

  He stepped up on the catwalk and met her halfway. “Not that I mind, but I feel overdressed.”

  Iris looked down and laughed—she was wearing a robe. She touched the lapel of his blazer. “You look amazing.”

  “Thanks.” He smiled, reaching for her hand as he glanced around at the store. “The place looks great.”

  Her fingers tingled under his, sending tiny little shockwaves of pleasure up and down her arm. “Yes, thank you for your help with building the runway.”

  Luke jumped up on the catwalk to join them.

  “Hey, Iris, nice robe. What’s back there?” He pointed to the curtain.

  “That’s where the girls change.”

  “Do you need a bouncer?” Luke raised his eyebrows mischievously.

  Iris did a quick search for the term bouncer. “Um, no. I think it will be okay.”

  “Seriously?” Gage smirked and shook his head at Luke. “Come on, let’s see if Adam and Derrick need any help.” He leaned over and kissed Iris. “See you after the show?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Should I say ‘break a leg’ or ‘good luck’ in this situation?” Gage asked.

  Iris blinked a few times for a quick search. “I don’t think it matters.”

  “Okay, then, good luck.”

  “Thanks.”

  After the boys left, Sloan, followed by Shannon and the rest of her posse, showed up. Sloan put a finger in her open mouth and made a gagging sound, rolling her eyes toward Shannon. Iris grinned. She couldn’t agree more.

  Dalia came up behind her on the walkway, putting her hands on her arms. “We did it.”

  “We sure did.” Iris covered Dalia’s hand with her own.

  “I’ll never be able to thank you enough for all your hard work.”

  “I should be thanking you.” Iris turned. “If it wasn’t for you, I never would have discovered my love of fashion.”

  Dalia looked around the store and then back to Iris, her eyes glassy. “The place looks gorgeous, and your designs are perfection.” She blinked a few times and fanned her eyes. “Okay, okay. No time to be sentimental. We can do that after the show. Now, we’ve got a show to run.” She looked past Iris at the girls who had just arrived. “All right, girls, let’s move. We start in less than forty-five minutes.”

  Iris peeked out from the curtain, sensing the excitement from the front of the store. There were lots of people talking, champagne bottles were being uncorked, and the delicious scent of the baked apple canape permeated the store. Mazy said it was the best thing the caterers offered. Iris nodded up at Adam, who smiled. He and Derrick planned some eighties’ alternative for the event. She turned back around. The girls were standing in line, ready to go. Her heart was close to bursting as she admired each article of clothing she and Dalia created. One by one, she did one last examination of the girls, shifting a strap here and pinning a gap there.

  “Blue Monday” by New Order started playing, signaling that it was time for the show to start. Iris faced the curtain as it slowly pulled back. The first group of girls were modeling casual wear. She tapped each one on the shoulder, indicating it was their turn to walk. One by one, they made their way up and down the catwalk.

  Iris was last in line. She stepped into the light and strode down the catwalk, her skirt swaying with her hips and cropped sweater hugging her in all the right places. She’d done her research on runway modeling and was confident in how to make her outfit stand out. She paused at the end of the catwalk, pivoted, and headed back. Her heart was racing by the time she made it back to the curtain.

  She took a deep breath and focused on the second collection. The girls had changed and formed a new line.

  “Same pace. Go,” she said.

  Iris went to the back to make her wardrobe change. Next up was winter wear. This was what they hoped would be their biggest sellers for the tourists. Again, the girls walked up and down the catwalk, Iris taking the last walk of the collection, wearing an asymmetrical wool jacket and denim leggings.

  Finally, the last change was for formalwear. This was her favorite line. Between Evie’s champagne silk dress, Mazy’s mauve lace pantsuit, and Sloan’s emerald sequin tank mini, the audience ooh-ed and ahh-ed. Shannon even looked pretty in her violet sleeveless dress. Iris, once again, was up last. She wore the dress Dalia made for her—ice blue chiffon, long-sleeve sheer top with applique beading. It was the most beautiful dress she’d ever seen. Her skin tingled under the silky fabric. After she walked up and down the runway, she summoned the rest of the girls who were still wearing their evening wear. They went back out on the catwalk together for one last walk and then headed backstage. The girls were abuzz, chattering about how much fun modeling had been. Then Dalia’s voice sounded over the loudspeaker as she instructed the audience on how to place an order for any of the clothes they liked.

  The girls changed back into their own clothes, and truth be told, Iris was sad to see her evening dress go. But she’d also designed an after-show dress that wasn’t too shabby. She headed back out to the front of the store to find Gage. Adam was still playing music, and most of the guests were eating and chatting about the designs. She scanned the crowd. Where was Gage?

  The next thing she knew, arms encircled her waist causing her to jump. But when his lips kissed the nape of her neck, she relaxed.

  “You looked amazing,” Gage murmured.

  “Thanks.” Iris grinned, settling against him.

  He grasped her hand and spun her around. “You could be a model for real, you know. New York and all that.”

  “That’s sweet of you to say, but I’ll stick to modeling in Ashwater.”

  Sloan, Mazy, and Evie joined them, with Luke and Derrick in tow.

  Luke put his arm around Sloan. “Who knew you could clean up so nicely?”

  “I’m always clean.” Sloan pushed him off.

  “And you always look good,” Derrick said.

  “Thanks.” She smiled at Derrick. Then she punched Luke in the arm.

  “Ouch. That hurt.” Luke rubbed his arm.

  “You should take a lesson from your brother.” She licked her lips, studying Derrick. “Turns out he’s the charming one.”

  Derrick’s cheeks turned a shade darker, and he stared at the floor.

  Dalia was back on the stage for an announcement. The group turned toward the catwalk. “Thank you all for coming. It means so much to me. I would also like to thank all of you who’ve placed orders for my new line. I’ll be hard at work fulfilling those orders for the rest of the year. I’d also like to thank the girls for modeling.” She pointed to the group of girls. “They looked beautiful. Let’s give them another round of applause.”

  The crowd clapped, and the girls smiled and bowed.

  “I’d also like to thank Iris Taylor.” Dalia looked down at her. “She’s as much a part of this line as I am. If it wasn’t for her, none of this would have been possible. Thank you so much.”

  Iris’s heart felt fuller than it ever had. She placed a hand on her chest and smiled up at Dalia as the crowd clapped.

  “Please enjoy the rest of your evening, and thank you once again.” Dalia stepped out of the light and left the stage.

  “You two are really close, huh?” Gage said.

  “Very.” Tears formed in Iris’s eyes.

  “Hey, did you guys see Shannon? She said she would meet us out here, but now I don’t see her,” Mazy said.

  Evie got up on her tip toes to look around. “Don’t see her.”

  Iris rolled her eyes. Just as well. There was something about that girl that got under her skin, and she was filed in the annoying folder of her CPU.
r />   “Oh wait, there she is.” Evie rolled off the balls of her feet. “And she’s with him.”

  Him? Iris followed Evie’s gaze. Her skin itched. Shannon was with Steel, headed their way. Gage squeezed Iris’s hand.

  “Hey, guys,” Shannon said shyly, her arm wrapped around Steel’s bicep.

  “Nice fashion show girls.” He smirked until his gaze found Gage’s. “Hello, brother.”

  Gage nodded curtly.

  Shannon squirmed next to Steel, her eyes darting nervously. For once, Iris could relate to her—this encounter was excruciating. “Okay, this is super awkward. It would be nice if we could all get along. Steel’s with me now.”

  Steel glanced down at Shannon. “Shan, I told you not to do this.”

  “I know, but sometimes it’s best to just clear the air.”

  “I don’t think this is one of those times.” Evie rolled her eyes.

  “Hang on,” Mazy said. “What did you mean by ‘with you now?’”

  “Don’t worry, darling.” Steel grinned at her. “Your turn will come.”

  Mazy stepped up to Steel so they were inches apart, despite him having another girl on his arm.

  “In your dreams.” She stepped back and crossed her arms.

  Steel arched an eyebrow, amused.

  “Stop. You’re so full of yourself.” Shannon slapped Steel’s chest playfully, attempting to draw his attention back to her.

  Iris’s scalp prickled. He was that and much, much more. Shannon had no idea who she was dealing with.

  “What I meant was Steel and Iris are over. Their relationship is in the past. Now, she’s with Gage.” Shannon squeezed Steel’s arm tightly to her body. “And I’m with Steel.”

  Iris lost her breath and looked up at Gage. No, no, no. Please, no.

  He growled, his eyes steely. “That’s a lie. She would never be with him.”

  Steel glanced down at Shannon and whispered loudly, “I asked you not to say anything.” When he looked back up, he shrugged. “Sorry.”

  “No. You’re wrong. He lied to you,” Gage said.

  “Hey, wait a minute. How did you two even meet? Aren’t you from Canada?” Shannon asked Iris.