Page 31 of Five Things I See in You

They both joined this team without knowing anyone, and now they’re part of the same family.

Before the toasts, Paula approaches Iris and says something quickly in her ear, holding her wrist. Iris rolls her eyes but nods.

“Okay,” she says, getting to her feet with her glass in hand.

“Man, I’m no good at this, just so you know. And Paula just told me not to cry, so we’re already off to a bad start,” she announces, making half the table laugh. “Boss, since I joined this club, I’ve barely seen you smile. Not even when we won the league. This year, you’re up to almost twice a week. I’ve been counting, don’t think I haven’t. Mireya, take care of the boss. She’s been yelling at us less this year. And, well, that’s it. I love you both. That’s all,” she finishes, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

She sits down and tries to act as if she hasn’t been crying while Paula squeezes her knee beneath the table.

“You did good,” Paula whispers.

“Yeah, I know. I was born to give speeches,” Iris jokes, her voice still catching a little.

By sunset, Noa and a few other players have kicked off their heels and are walking barefoot, their shoes dangling from two fingers.

“Your feet will thank you,” I tell her.

“My feet, yes. My dress, not so much,” she says, pointing at the hem, which is beginning to turn brown.

I smile and brush a strand of hair off her face. She closes her eyes and leans into my touch. A scratch from her last game, not quite healed, peeks out beneath her sleeve.

“I’m supposed to act like there’s nothing between us today, and I’m terrible at it,” I admit.

“Pretty much everyone knows. Iris isn’t great at keeping secrets,” she reminds me with a laugh.

As the sun sinks lower, Tina takes over as DJ and cranks up the music. Part of the soccer field becomes a dance floor, filled with Mireya’s current and former teammates and half of Aura Valley. Paula dances with Iris. A little farther away, Zoe and Tessa spin around with Wesley. Jade tries to follow the steps she’s learned with the same concentration she brings to everything, but dancing doesn’t come as easily to her as soccer. The results are disastrous.

We join them, keeping things discreet, her hand on my shoulder and mine at her waist. Even so, Iris tells us to leave a little room between us as she passes.

“I’m stealing her for five minutes,” she tells Noa, taking my arm and leading me to the bar, where she puts a beer in my hand without asking.

“Iris, I don’t think you’re in any shape to ride back to Seattle,” I remind her.

“Man. Stop being my psychologist for five minutes,” she protests. “Paula will ride the bike back, or maybe we’ll stay here tonight. We haven’t decided. By the way, my sessions with Valeria aren’t the same. But don’t tell her I said that.”

“I promise.”

“You look good,” she says, turning the beer in her hand without drinking. “Better than ever. And I’m really happy for you. And for Brit too, obviously.”

She makes a little toasting gesture toward the dance floor, where Lina is trying to teach Noa a few steps, then squeezes my hand once. Quick and firm, like almost everything she does.

***

We start gathering our things around eleven, when only the usual crowd is left finishing their last beers at the bar. Tina turns down the music. Someone begins stacking the green chairs. Paula leads Iris toward a nearby hotel with an arm around her waist.

“I’m driving tonight,” Noa says, taking my car keys. “You’ve looked half asleep all afternoon.”

I don’t argue. I sink into the passenger seat and rest my head against the window as the lights of Aura Valley recede behind us.

I’m asleep as soon as we reach the highway.

Chapter 20

Noa

I’m watching Iris talk to Jordan at the bar when Lina takes my hand and pulls me onto the dance floor.

“One, two, three. Again,” she counts quietly, looking very serious, her eyes fixed on my feet.