Chapter 2: The Interrogation

Chapter 2: Chapter 2: The Interrogation

A soft smile lingered on Iris’s lips as she continued staring at the navy-blue gift bag resting on her desk. Even now, she found herself imagining Jason’s expression when he opened it. He would probably blink in surprise first, then laugh that quiet laugh of his before insisting she had spent far too much money on him.

He always did tha, he never cared about expensive gifts. But she cared about making him feel special.

Just as she had on every birthday, every Christmas, and every anniversary since they had started dating.

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and leaned back against the headboard.

"Well, Mom, don’t worry. I’ll call you later tonight and tell you how everything went." Iris said.

"Oh, you most certainly will," Sophia replied without missing a beat. "I expect every single detail."

Iris laughed. "I had a feeling you’d say that."

"And if things become...particularly heated..." Sophia continued, her voice dropping into a mischievous whisper, "...I can even give you a few pointers beforehand that’ll make the night more memorable."

Iris didn’t wait for the pointers. "You know what? I gotta go. I’ll call you later, okay? Bye mom, love you!"

She disconnected the call with a frantic thumb, leaning back against her headboard to let her heart rate settle. She sat in the silence for a moment, breathing in the scent of vanilla candles and old textbooks.

The phone buzzed again. This time, the screen read ...Dad...

Iris answered immediately, her voice brightening. "Hey, Dad."

"Morning, princess. Happy birthday." Daniel Carter’s voice was a calm harbor compared to his wife’s storm.

"Thank you, Dad."

"Well, I could have called you earlier, but your mother threatened an immense and slow, agonizing death if I called before her. So I had to wait."

Iris burst out laughing. She knew the hierarchy of the household; Daniel was the captain, but Sophia was the admiral of the fleet.

"Thank God you obeyed her." Iris continued laughing so hard she had to wipe tears from the corners of her eyes.

"I should probably thank you for saving me from a five-thirty wake-up call."

"Oh, trust me. Preventing that required negotiation worthy of international diplomacy."

She laughed again. "I owe you one dad."

"You absolutely do. And your mom mentioned you’d be back this weekend?"

Just then, there was a gentle knock on her bedroom door and without waiting for permission, it creaked open.

Zoey leaned inside with a steaming coffee cup balanced carefully in one hand.

She had already changed into high-waisted jeans and an oversized hoodie, her chestnut hair tied into a messy ponytail that somehow looked effortlessly stylish.

Spotting Iris on the phone, she smiled brightly before silently mouthing,

Morning.

Iris smiled back and gave her a small wave.

Zoey responded by lifting the coffee cup toward her like a peace offering before quietly leaning against the doorframe.

"Yes, Dad. I felt bad about missing the school break. My jobs just took up everything."

"I understand, huni. You were working hard to save up, but..." Daniel cleared his throat, a telltale sign that the conversation was shifting. "I’ve got some bad news."

The smile faded from Iris’s face. "What happened?"

"I don’t think I’ll make dinner this weekend while you’re home. I’m going to be buried in work."

A flicker of disappointment crossed her features. She had been looking forward to a quiet family meal before the chaos of the new semester began. "Oh."

She hadn’t realized how much she’d been looking forward to seeing both of her parents until that moment.

She had imagined spending Saturday curled up on the living room sofa while her mother cooked far too much food and her father complained about eating enough to feed an army.

Now that picture quietly dissolved.

"I’m sorry, Princess. Grant Enterprises moved their annual work meeting forward," Daniel sighed. "Apparently, the CEO decided to attend in person. That’s incredibly rare. I’ve only seen Mr. Grant twice in two years."

Iris leaned back, her curiosity piqued. "I’ve heard he’s incredibly young."

"For a CEO, yes. Your mom saw his picture once and I haven’t heard the end of it since." Daniel snorted.

From the background, Sophia’s muffled voice drifted through the line. "I merely repeated what everyone says!"

Daniel laughed.

"Apparently, half the female employees forget how to breathe whenever Mr Grant walks into headquarters!" Sophia shouted, louder now, clearly within earshot of the phone. "And the men straighten their ties feeling intimidated by him!"

"Traitors," Daniel muttered dramatically and Iris laughed, the sound echoing in the small room. The antics of her parents were a constant, comforting loop.

Daniel sighed. "I have never witnessed a man intimidate people simply by entering a room."

"So he really is that impressive?" Iris asked curiously.

Daniel was quiet for a moment before answering. "I’ve met a lot of executives, but i’ve never met anyone who commands silence the way Mr. Grant does. There’s something about him.... something that makes you want to obey him no matter what."

Something about the way he said it made Iris picture an impossibly confident man walking through towering glass offices while everyone instinctively stepped aside.

She smiled to herself. "He sounds intimidating."

"He is."

"Well..." She stretched her legs over the side of the bed. "I guess I’ll celebrate with you both another weekend."

"Yes princess. But don’t worry, we’ll make it up to you," Daniel promised immediately.

"It’s okay, Dad. I understand."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. No worries."

Daniel’s voice warmed. "That’s my girl. I’ve got to go, princess. I love you."

"I love you more, Dad."

The call ended, leaving Iris in a contemplative silence. For several long seconds, Iris simply stared at the dark screen in her hand and a warmth settled in her chest.

No matter how fragmented her schedule became or how many hours she spent scrubbing coffee machines and shelving books, her parents were her anchor.

A bittersweet smile settled across her face. She wished her father could make it home. But life happened.

And if there was one thing both of her parents had taught her, it was that love wasn’t measured by how often people were physically present.

Sometimes it was measured by seven o’clock birthday phone calls....even when they completely ruined your chance of sleeping in.

She laughed quietly to herself. Her gaze drifted toward the doorway where her flatmate stood, one shoulder resting against the frame while lazily cradling a steaming cup of coffee in both hands. A mischievous sparkle dancing in Zoey’s hazel eyes.

"Morning, Zoey."

"Morning, birthday girl. I take it your parents have already performed their morning ritual of calling to make sure you’re still breathing?"

"Yes." Iris climbed out of bed, her bare feet hitting the cool floor before she walked toward her wardrobe.

"As if my mother would ever let my birthday pass without launching a full-scale interrogation."

Zoey chuckled. "That sounds about right."

Iris began scanning the clothes hanging neatly inside her wardrobe before suddenly pausing.

She slowly turned around, folding her arms across her chest in what was supposed to be an intimidating stance.

Unfortunately, the oversized pajamas and hopelessly messy bed hair ruined the effect completely.

"How," she asked suspiciously, "did my mother know I was celebrating my anniversary with Jason tonight?"

Zoey blinked once then twice.

"She pretended not to know, but I know her enough to know that she was pretending. Mom never forgets things easily."

Zoey took a slow sip of her coffee, her expression a mask of innocence. "I don’t know."

"Zoey!"

"I have absolutely no idea."

"Zoey Natalie Brooks."

Zoey let out an exaggerated sigh of defeat before raising both hands.

"Alright, fine! She called me." Zoey grinned. "And I swear, your mom could be a global star if she starred in a CSI movie. The woman is a detective. She didn’t even ask; she just...knew...and then pressured me for the details."

Iris laughed so hard she had to hold onto the wardrobe door. "You’re right. That sounds exactly like her."

"I honestly think she missed her calling."

"What should she have been?"

"A detective."

Zoey took another sip of coffee before pointing dramatically at Iris. "Forget medicine. Your mom belongs in the FBI."

"You’re not wrong."

"I swear, if someone committed an international crime, Sophia Carter would solve it before breakfast."

Still laughing, Iris shook her head. "Mom has always been like that. Once she decides she wants to know something, the entire world might as well surrender."

"Exactly."

Zoey’s grin slowly widened into something far more mischievous.

"And right now, her latest mission seems to be making sure her daughter doesn’t graduate from Emerald Heights University still a virgin."

"Oh, my God..." Heat immediately rushed to Iris’s cheeks. "She actually said that to you?"

"Yep and more than once."

Iris buried her face in both hands. "I can’t believe her."

Zoey laughed. "Honestly, I’m beginning to think she’s more invested in your love life than you are."

Iris groaned dramatically before lowering her hands. "Well..." She hesitated and a shy smile tugged at her lips. "...she’ll probably be happy to know that after tonight, I won’t be a virgin anymore."

Zoey nearly choked on her coffee, her eyes widened in shock at Iris’s words.

"Wait..."

She stared at Iris for several seconds before breaking into the biggest grin imaginable.

"No way. Finally! It was almost time. Jason has made it clear with his actions towards you that he’d like to be intimate with you. But you’ve always chickened out everytime."

Iris nodded, suddenly finding the floor incredibly fascinating. "I’ve been thinking about it for a while now. I know that I’ve been unfair to Jason in that regard. And... I think I’m finally ready to do it."

Zoey set her coffee on the desk before walking over to her.

"Well am happy to hear that. But Iris..." Her voice softened. "Are you doing this because you’re ready? Or because you think Jason expects it?"

The question lingered in the room. Iris thought about it carefully before answering.

"I love him Zoey." She smiled to herself. "We’ve been together for three years." She glanced toward the elegant gift bag resting on her desk. "And I trust him."

Her fingers unconsciously twisted together. "And... I think taking that step together feels right."

Zoey studied her friend’s face for another moment before finally smiling. "Then I’m happy for you."

She nudged Iris’s shoulder playfully. "But if that idiot hurts you, I’ll help your mother bury the body."

Iris laughed. "I’ll remember that."

"You’d better." Zoey picked up her coffee again. "Now quit standing there daydreaming."

She nodded toward the wardrobe. "Vanessa has already texted me twice asking if we’re still alive. If we’re late meeting her for the pre-game drinks before your dinner, she’s going to have an emotional breakdown."

Iris smiled as she reached into the wardrobe and carefully pulled out an outfit. "Well I told Vanessa about me and Jason tonight, so I don’t think she’ll have an emotional breakdown. She’ll be grumpy but she’ll be alright."

"I can’t believe you told her first and not me, but it’s alright...I understand. You’ve both been friends since high school I understand."

"Am sorry Zoey." Iris apologized.

"It’s ok. Don’t worry am not mad." Zoey said. "Have you made the reservations for the restaurant and the hotel both you and Jason will be staying?"

"Yes I have." Iris said, her smile growing.

Zoey’s eyebrows shot up. "Look at you. I didn’t think you had it in you."

"Neither did I." Iris said and began pulling clothes from the closet, her mind drifting back to the watch.

She could almost see Jason’s face when he opened the box. He was the type of man that rarely bought things for himself, always insisting there were more important expenses to think about.

She wanted to give him something timeless.....something he could wear every day and remember this anniversary by.

The thought made her heart flutter, tonight wasn’t just another date. It felt like the beginning of a new Chapter in their lives.

For the first time, Iris found herself imagining what forever with Jason might actually look like.