The Love Game

Tyler entered her townhome before she reconsidered. “Thank you.”

She extended her hand for his coat, then hung it in her closet before leading him farther into her home. “What can I help you with?”

She’d cranked up the heat, which explained those short shorts despite the cool air outside. The savory scent of well-seasoned chicken accompanied Tyler through her living room and into her dining room. His gaze followed Iris as she crossed the entrance to her kitchen.

“Am I interrupting your dinner?” Tyler watched her stop in front of her stove and turn up the burner under the skillet.

“As a matter of fact, you are. Have you eaten?” Iris picked up a knife and a carrot that lay beside a bowl of salad on the counter. From a CD player on the other end of the stone surface, Alicia Keys was singing about someone’s smile.

“No, I came here straight from the office.” Tyler’s stomach growled as he watched Iris slice carrots into the bowl.

“I’m not making anything special. It’s just chicken salad.” She spoke with her back to him. “But there’s enough for two.”

“I don’t want to put you to any trouble.”

“Then we should’ve had this conversation at the office.” Iris turned off the stove. She opened an overhead cabinet and pulled down two large bowls. “Since you’re here, have a seat and tell me how I can help you.”

Tyler pulled out a chair from under the matching mahogany dining table and settled onto it. “My father asked about the launch’s progress this afternoon. He brought up having associates drive to the center again.”

“That’s not a good idea.” Iris carried two tall glasses of ice water to the dining table.

“Agreed.” Tyler spotted navy blue mats in the center of the table and slid them into place. “I took your advice and told him I wanted to succeed or fail on my own.”

“What did he say?” Iris returned to the kitchen.

“He agreed. Then he asked to see my speech for the employee launch.”

“I’d like to see it, too.” Iris came back with two bowls of chicken salad. She set one in front of Tyler, then took her seat with the other. “It’s due Monday.”

“I’m having trouble with it.” Tyler inhaled the savory scent of the chicken. His mouth watered.

“Most of your presentation is a demonstration of the game.” Iris forked up her salad. “How much of it have you written?”

Tyler hesitated. “None.”

Iris froze with her fork halfway to her mouth. She lowered her hand and faced him. “You told me you were working on it.”

“I am. I just haven’t written anything down.”

“It’s been two weeks. If you were having trouble, you should have said something before.”

She was right. “I’ve been busy with the game’s testing and modifications.”

“You were also supposed to be busy writing this speech.” Iris rose from the table. “Excuse me.”

Tyler watched her leave the room, then heard her footsteps as she went upstairs. Where was she going? What was she doing? He stared at his salad. Tension had a negative effect on his appetite.

Iris returned minutes later with a writing tablet and a ballpoint pen. She laid the materials next to Tyler before reclaiming her seat. “This will be a working dinner.”

Tyler uncapped the pen. “Where do I start?”

“Where do you want to start?” Iris chewed a mouthful of salad. She would have made a tough teacher, the type students dreaded because she wouldn’t give an inch.

“How about, ‘This is a proud moment for Anderson Adventures’?”

Iris’s dark eyes glazed over. “May I make a suggestion?”

“Please.”