Minefield of Mirrors

-20-

With full-on insecurity, Iris stepped into the restaurant, fully hoping that Thomas would have forgotten that she had given in about meeting him. He got her on a weak moment with her nickname. Even though she had done the same to him to convince him to leave the bar and get upstairs to his hotel room, it was still a dirty move.

Her eyes scanned the room and she noticed the blond guy sitting at a table next to the window. His head lowered, staring into the cup of black coffee that was standing in front of him. Fuck... He remembered.

After a deep sigh, her legs moved towards the table. With every step she took, her heart started to beat louder and louder inside her chest. Why would she do this? Why would she even let him get to her again? What if after this meet-up she would only be more confused about this whole situation? And then adding this whole unexpected thing with Mick this morning to it all. Her confusion would skyrocket high today.

Thomas looked up as she dragged the seat opposite him backwards so she could sit down.

'Iris...' He said softly.

He looked terrible. It almost looked like he didn't sleep at all, even after all the alcohol that he had put into his body yesterday evening.

'Thomas.' She said coldly, not giving him a hint of all the nerves and fear that were rushing inside her.

A waiter quickly arrived at their table to take Iris' order, and not much later there was a cup of tea standing in front of her. She always started her day with a cup of tea next to her breakfast. Yet, this morning she wouldn't be able to get any kind of breakfast into her mouth. No, she was way too tightened up for that.

'I didn't expect you truly to be here.'

Thomas sighed and leaned with his elbows forward at the table. 'Of course, I would be here. It was the only moment you would let me talk to you.'

The boiling water inside Iris' glass turned darker as the tea leaves spread their taste and colour. Iris moved the bag up and down and removed it when it was as dark as she liked. If she could only take the plug out of this conversation so quickly and easily as well.

'So, tell me what has been on your mind. Skip all the small talk.'

'It would be so much easier if we could just start talking about how we both are doing.'

Iris crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. 'But that's not how this will go. Tell me why you needed to talk to me so desperately or I'll get up and walk away.'

A smile appeared on his lips. 'Didn't know you got so fierce these last couple of years. I like it.'

Iris moved back with her chair and was ready to get up until he immediately spoke up to stop her from walking away. 'No! Iris, I'm sorry. Just give me one chance.'

The pleading look in his eyes made her sit back down. She had been tolerant. This was truly going to be his last chance.

He folded his hands in front of him. 'Look, I...' He started. 'It all comes down to the fact that I regret how things ended between us. I didn't want us to end in that way.'

'Well, it's kind of late for that, don't you think?'

Iris looked as he squeezed his eyes and rubbed in them before he moved his hands away again. She even noticed some frustrations in his moves.

'I know, it's just... I lied when I sent you that text, okay? I got afraid.' He shook his head and lifted his eyes to her again. Regret filled his eyes. 'We had something special going on Iris, we both felt that. I was just too much of a coward to see that. I thought we were doing fine by that time and that we would just see where things would go. I didn't want to rush things too quickly. But when you asked me that question...? I freaked out.'