Iris dressed for her father instead of dressing for class, which meant she’d stand out, but it couldn’t be helped. He expected her to make him proud, with no expense spared for her to look the part of his daughter.
And honestly, she didn’t mind dressing up for him. Of the zillion things he wanted to change about her, asking her to dress the part of a fashion model was fine. He bought her super-expensive nice clothes, so he got to see her in them. Seemed fair.
The limo waiting outside her last class didn’t surprise her, but the fact he was waiting outside of it and not inside, on his phone, might have been a first. Okay, so he waited outside when she was in elementary school, but she didn’t think he had since then.
But then, instead of hugging her in welcome, he said, “I checked your medical records and you aren’t dying. Your grades seem fine. I’m a little worried you arranged a weekend so you could drop a hammer, but I can’t find it. Please, if there’s bad news, tell me now. Don’t keep me in suspense.”
She squared her shoulders. “I deserved that. I don’t think I’ve called you unless I wanted something in a long time, and I’m sorry for my part in that.” She met his gaze and held it. “The truth is, I hear other kids talking to their parents, sharing their day, asking for advice, celebrating an accomplishment. There’s no doubt you’re there for me when I need you, and that has to mean you care about me, right? I mean, either you love me, or you just need the world to think you’re a great parent, and I want to think it’s the first, and if it is, then why can’t we, you know… talk? Spend time together. Share things. Like each other? Isn’t that what’s supposed to happen after you get past the teen years?”
“I’d never thought of it like that. I mean, I know you’re twenty-four, but I think I’ve been waiting for you to graduate and join the workforce before I acknowledged you as an adult, and perhaps that wasn’t quite right. You’ve matured in the past two years. It’s too bad you had to get kicked out of the good colleges we could get you into, but you’ll have a diploma, at least.”
“I screwed up. You’re right. I was so caught up in fighting you, it never occurred to me to stop banging up against your rules. And then…” She looked at the limo. “Can we do this inside, maybe?”
He stepped to the side, opened the door, and motioned her in. “Of course. You look nice today.”
“Thanks.” They sat facing each other, and the car moved into traffic. “I spent years fighting you and everything you stood for, but in recent years, I think it’s possible I’ve gone out of my way to be the daughter you wanted to see, and I’m not sure that was the answer, either. So, maybe this weekend we can get to know each other all over again?”
He lifted his brows. “Almost sounds like a big reveal? What is there about you I don’t know?”
“Nothing big. I’m not coming out as trans or gay or anything. I don’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend. I haven’t started going to church. I’m just me, Daddy. I hope you can love the me I’ve grown up to be.”
“Oh Iris, I do love you. I’m sorry if…” He ran his hand over his face. “I’m pleased with the choices you’ve made over the past year and a half. I wish you hadn’t made bad choices in the years preceding them, and I won’t deny I was disappointed by those choices, but I’ve never stopped loving you.”
Iris let her eyes fill with water but didn’t let them quite reach the point of tears. Her father needed to see her emotions, but he wouldn’t appreciate a crying a female.
“I’m glad you recognize that I’m not a screw-up anymore. I know you want me working down the hall from you once I graduate, and I have it on my list of possibilities, but I hope you’ll be open to eventually talking to me about other options. If and when I come to work for the company, I’d like to do so with my own chops, you know? I want people to know I got the job because I deserve it, not just because I’m your daughter.”
“What other options are you considering?”
He didn’t look pissed, so she took the plunge.
“I have contacts in the world of professional photography. I’ve been to so many social functions with mom, and even photo shoots. I got to know a lot of people in the industry. I’d like to refresh some of those contacts and work my way into the field — behind the camera, not in front of it, though I acknowledge I may need to get in front of it to get my name and face back out there. Eventually, I may work for the company’s advertising department, or perhaps just contract with them, but I’d like to do it because I’m good at my job, and I can offer value with my shots and ideas.”
He sat back, considering. “This isn’t a flash-in-the-pan of an idea. I know I’ve discounted it before, but it keeps coming up, and you’ve filled in most of your electives with classes in your preferred field. Your business degree will stand you in good stead throughout your life, but perhaps we should look at acquiring a degree in your chosen field as well?”
Iris smiled. “I’ve been considering it. It won’t take too many more classes. I’ve already talked to an advisor here and at UT about it.” While he seemed agreeable, she may as well take this to the end. “I wrote up a business plan, of sorts. I’m old enough to handle social media now, and it’ll help me get my name and work out there. If you don’t mind, maybe you can look it over this weekend? It isn’t terribly involved, just a bit of a blueprint to try to get me from being the daughter of someone famous to someone known for her own deeds, but without needing a scandal to make it happen. That isn’t our way.”
“No, it isn’t. I’ll look over your plan, certainly. You have an appointment at your favorite dress shop in the morning, before they open, so you can choose a gown for tomorrow night, and they’ll have time to handle any necessary alterations. It occurs to me, you might begin your social media journey to show you choosing your gown. This way, when you post about attending the gala, there will be even more interest. They’ll see the gowns you didn’t select in the morning, but won’t see the one you chose until you post from the event.”
Iris smiled. Her father understood marketing. Not only that, but this meant he wasn’t against her plans. He was willing to help, which she’d never, ever expected.
“That’s perfect, Daddy. Thank you. I’ve outlined the parts of my life to keep private, and the parts I don’t mind sharing. Public events are already out there, so they’re open season. I’m not seeing anyone, and I’m not really in the market for a boyfriend, but if I get one, everything will be private for a few months, at least, and I’ll only go public with any parts of our relationship he’s comfortable with me sharing.”
“I hope you eventually find someone, but I’m not in a hurry for you to do so. You need to be established and happy, fully comfortable with who you’ve grown into before you settle down. So many people make the mistake of thinking their soul mate will grow and change with them. If you’re grown and settled with yourself, it’s easier to find a mate who’ll be around for decades.”
“Is that what you did with mom?”
“Yes. I chose someone I knew would be the perfect partner in life for me. I know people thought I chose a trophy wife, but she was everything I needed in a partner.”
“Is there any hope of finding the men who kidnapped and killed her?”
“The FBI and the DOJ both assure me that while the case has gone cold, they haven’t closed it. If any clues arise, they’ll put the team right back on it. I’ve also hired a private firm to search for more clues. Every six months, an investigator goes back over the case and re-interviews witnesses.”
“I don’t want to talk about her death online, but I probably should on the anniversary of it. I’ll have to see how things go. Common sense tells me I should let you know before anything about her goes live, and I know that’s what you want, but...” she blew out a breath. “I’d rather communicate directly with Drake Security, so I don’t have to bother you with it.”
The limo pulled to a stop and he nodded. “You have the team leader’s cellphone number. Feel free to set up
a group, so I see what you send him. I’d like to be kept in the loop, but you’re mature enough to communicate directly.” He looked out the window. “I believe we’re here. I figured a light tapas lunch would be nice before we play tourist.”
Chapter 11
By the time Iris dressed for the gala Saturday evening, she was almost waiting for something to go wrong. She’d had a great time choosing a gown and shoes that morning, and then the day riding with her father had been like something out of a dream. He’d even arranged for them to go skeet shooting after they rode.
She met her father in his study, and his smile told her he was pleased.
“You’re even more beautiful than your mother. Let’s get one of the staff to take a picture of the two of us, so you can post it. Where would you like to take the shot?”
“You don’t do social media. Ever.” He’d forbidden family and friends from posting any image of him on their feeds. There was also a company-wide policy against it at work.
“I’m aware, which means your picture of me will garner even more attention, and will help you generate some buzz.”
“Thank you. Seriously. I’m touched.” She scanned the possibilities in her mind. “If we want to do it for buzz, a picture in front of the Lamborghini should do it, but that seems a bit crass. Maybe in front of the waterfall in the foyer? Or, no. Personal, but without risking security.” She thought back to Danny’s kitchen, and how it was the heart of his home, and realized their industrial kitchen was the opposite. What was the heart of this home? Did it even have one? Her father spent most of his time in his home office, and her mom had spent most of her time in their bedroom or in the workout room — or in the forbidden castle turret. Iris had mostly stayed locked in her own castle turret when she was home from school.
Okay then, something outside. As soon as she thought it, she knew the perfect spot.
“The weeping willow tree by the pond, but it’ll have to be soon, while there’s still enough light.”
In the limo on the way to the gala, Iris told her dad, “Someone in my economics class sat with me when I ate the other day. She lives in an apartment off campus, and she mentioned having to eat cheap because her electric bill was higher than she expected. I realized I have no idea what people pay for electricity. So, I spent more time than I’d like to admit researching what the average person makes for various occupations, and then researching basic budgets — what people pay for rent or mortgage, groceries, electricity, insurance, gas, and other things I’d never considered needed to be paid for.”
He lifted a brow, probably wondering where she was going with this.
“I’ve realized, at various points in my life, how privileged I am, simply because I’m your daughter. In some ways, I think not understanding how everyone else lives might be a little bit of a handicap, so I’m glad I did the research. It’s given me a new respect for the life you’ve given me. I’ve hated it at times, it’s true, but you’ve done your best.”
“There are going to be a number of eligible bachelors in attendance tonight.”
Iris laughed and smiled, but shook her head. “No arranged marriages, or even arranged dates. I’ve dated enough to understand your point about needing to marry someone of my station, else I can’t know if they’re in love with me or my money.” She blew out a breath. “Mom wasn’t rich, and I realize the rules are a little different when you’re a model, but things worked out okay for the two of you.”
“Please don’t tell me this weekend has been so you can tell me you’re in love with a pauper.”
She shook her head. “I don’t need them to be rich, but I need whoever I partner with to be successful. Whether this means goals reached or money earned… Until I find him, I won’t know the answer to that. The point is, I hope you’ll trust me to find my own romantic entanglements. I’ll need to respect him as well as love him, and that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be rich, but I think it means there has to be something unique about him.” She took a breath. “I’m making better choices now, right? Can you trust me on this, too? I’m honestly not in the market for a boyfriend right now, so I don’t expect it to come up anytime soon, but I want you to be prepared for me to find someone who fits me, and that will probably mean he won’t come from your acceptable list of bachelors. They’re all too…” she wrinkled her nose, “pretentious. They’re assholes and jerks and… no thanks.”
“If you’ll promise to give the pretentious assholes a chance, and not discount them simply because they come from money. It seems to me, that’s just another form of discrimination.”
She shook her head. Her father obviously didn’t fully understand the definition of discrimination, but she understood his point. “Agreed. Okay.”
“Also, I’d like to meet anyone who makes it past the tenth date with you.”
“Why ten?”
“Just a number I pulled out of the air.”
“I don’t think I can make that promise. What if I agree to let you meet them when the time is right? It might be the sixth date or the thirtieth, but when I think it’s time to do the meet-the-parents thing, I’ll make it happen.”
“I hope you’ll at least talk to me about him by the time you reach the tenth date.”
“And if you start dating someone kind of serious, I’ll hear about her, too?”
He shrugged. “We’ve never really had that kind of relationship, have we?”
“No, but do you want us to? I mean, for years, I heard edicts about what I could and couldn’t do from my security team. I haven’t tried to spend the night with anyone in…” Her turn to shrug. “But if I start dating someone, you have to know it’ll happen, right? Do you really want a twenty-four-year-old virgin? I mean, really?”
“You haven’t been a virgin since—”
“Since I was sixteen years old and I snuck out with Derrick Beauchamp in Monte Carlo during fall break.” She didn’t want him to bring Danny up. Didn’t want his memory sullied. She hadn’t had sex with him back then, no matter what her father wanted to believe.
His eyes nearly bugged out of his head. “Beauchamp? Really? That’s most distressing. I thought he was a stand-up young man.”
“He was strung out on coke most of the week, Daddy. He planned it so he could straighten up during scheduled family times. He would’ve been the worst choice on the planet. I mean, he was good for a first time because he certainly knew what he was doing, but he’s just someone to have fun with. He isn’t relationship material.” First time. Second time. Ninetieth time. In truth, Iris lost track of how many times they had sex that week. It’d been quite an introduction to the carnal pleasures to be had with a naked playboy.
The tips of her father’s ears turned a deep crimson, and he looked out the window. “I appreciate that you feel comfortable sharing with me, but it’s possible there are some things I don’t need to know.”
“The point, Daddy, is that you’d have married me off to him in a New York minute if I’d been interested, but he was a horrible choice. You liked him so much, you even let us spend the day on the yacht by ourselves.” Where she’d snorted coke for the first time. “I want you to trust my judgement when it comes to future suitors. Please.”
He nodded. “I’m not sure I can make promises either, but I’ll at least keep it in mind.”
“Thank you.”
The gala was a veritable who’s who of the Birmingham upper class, along with some notable names from Atlanta. She lost track of how many men she danced with — most of whom she already knew, but a few new faces popped up, including a famous rapper from Atlanta.
Iris and the rapper posted selfies of the two of them to their social media accounts, and before the night was over, she’d gained nearly a hundred thousand more followers.
The rapper and three other men asked her to join them in various activities after the party, but she told them all that she was in town for the weekend to spend time with her father. She exchanged contact information with several of them
, but on her end, it was more about networking than any possibility of a future date.
Part of her wanted to screw one of them just to get back at Danny, but she was trying to make better decisions.
McGyver shouldn’t have set the alarm so he’d be notified when Iris showed up online, but once she started popping up Saturday night, he couldn’t stop watching.
And it wasn’t just her account. Everyone else seemed to want to post her picture, and that damned dress made her look untouchable and yet sexy as fuck.
An ice princess in her spicy red dress.
But he knew her smiles, knew her expressions, and while she was clearly having fun with the men she danced with and talked to, she didn’t let her walls down.
He was a little surprised to see several pictures with Iris and her father, and her smile for him had her walls partway down. As pissed as he was at the man, it was good to see his Blueberry happy.
Once the gala was over and no new posts had been made for at least an hour, he found Kendra’s number and texted her with a request for a call back when she had some time to talk.
Five minutes later, his phone rang. “I have a request I can’t ask over the phone,” he told her. “I can come to you, if you can give me five minutes.”
“I’m at the downtown Billiard Club, working security because they’re short staffed tonight, but I should be able to take a ten-minute break.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes. Thanks for seeing me.”
The place was packed, but his nose led him straight to the beautiful vampire. She was taken and he wasn’t interested, but he still couldn’t deny her allure. Statuesque, strong willed, and intelligent — just like Iris. His type, minus the vampire part.
“Someone from my past has come back into it, and I need to be up front with her about the werewolf thing before we get too far into this. It’s going to be bad enough I never told her before, so I need to jump the gun and tell her early this go ’round.” He crossed his arms and uncrossed them. “I also need you to bite her and do whatever you have to so you’ll be able to find her anywhere. Her mother was abducted and held for ransom, and I guess her kidnappers got nervous at some point or something, and they killed her before they went to the exchange. They’ve never been caught. Her dad’s a billionaire, and she has constant security, but…”
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