She was rather attractive; young, sharply dressed, exactly what he was looking for. Smart too, probably, the self-confidence with which she carries herself giving away that she’s a lot more than what meets the eye.
He listened to her attentively – for her career. He’d guessed; she looked like someone to value her independence… Too bad.
“Iris, it’s a pleasure to meet you. What exactly is the field you work in? —- Why don’t you order yourself a salad, hm? You can eat while we talk. I’m pretty sure you’ll be very fascinating to talk to. Exactly what I need right now. You want to keep me company for the rest of the night, it’s going to be fun.”
Iris knows somewhere in the back of her mind that she needs to get up. There’s something unsettling about this man and the way that she seems to obey him. She squints at him; investigative mind kicking into gear. It’s got to be him but she can’t figure out how he’s doing this; subliminal messages, maybe?
‘You know my name but I don’t know yours,’ she asks, trying to school her features into a polite smile. She didn’t want to tell him she’s a journalist and...she didn’t but as quickly as the bout of freedom comes it is tossed out the window when she suddenly gets a ravenous craving for a salad of all things.
Iris watches him more closely now; it’s him. It’s definitely got to be him. She nods vigorously. ‘I want to keep you company,’ she says, unsure if it’s because she’s intrigued by this creepy little man who makes her stomach churn with distaste or because he said so.
“What, don’t you think he looks adorable?” Kate leans down, ruffling Lucky’s hair. The poor dog looks completely baffled, standing there in a purple winter coat, a purple hat on his head, and purple boots on his paws. “He’s adorable, look at him, he loves it!” She beams up at the person, curls bouncing as she stands up to her full height.
His smile was frozen on his face, a forced half-smirk that didn’t reach his eyes. Dinner forgotten on the table as he leant forward, raised eyebrows. He dreaded the company as much as he dreaded the loneliness, and his decision wasn’t a hard one to make.
“ Sit down. Have dinner with me.
What’s your name? What are
you doing in the city? ”
Iris doesn’t understand why she sits down with this virtual stranger and begins talking but she does-in fact, she wants to. He’s an older gentleman; rather scrawny and wearing a false smile that chills her to her bones.
‘I’m Iris West,’ she says, furrowing her eyebrows. ‘I moved here from Central City for my career.’
It’s a short little hallway leading to her living room and Iris has filled it with as much welcoming items as she can as she figures it is like the gateway to her home.
She’s got a shoe-stand (cheap and rickety, a bargain at a charity shop) which she’s left a small plant and a childhood photography of her dad and herself eating ice cream while staring happily at the camera on top of.
There is also a metal coat hanger screwed into the wall, for Iris it’s a very ugly feature but she’s learnt to live with it. It was there since she’s rented the place and it now adds a certain familiarity to her surrounds.
She also managed to install a mirror (Girl power! It was very heavy after all); this she considers a must. As a reporter, image is everything and she has to make sure she’s looking her best whenever she steps out the door.
Living Room
TV is a must. Now only does she use to to catch up on all the latest news but Iris has a guilty pleasure of binge watching shows. Especially when she’s off from work with nothing much to do and no story to investigate, curled up on the couch with microwavable popcorn is the best thing to do.
The sofa is an warm welcoming red, matching the pale and beige colours of the surrounds walls, but it’s lumpy as hell. She’s had to bare her chafe for now but she’s saving up to buy a new one; there’s a beautiful leather one she’s had her eye on for a while. It’s a little out of her price range but she thinks she can make it work.
Dining Area/Kitchen
Her dad bought her the dining set and made her promise to invite him up for Christmas and Thanksgiving. Secretly, Iris would rather go back home. The kitchen in the West home is so much more bigger and spacious and she feels like she can peacefully cook a meal there.
Since moving to NY, Iris hasn’t actually been cooking that much. She’s finding it hard to balance everything but she misses her home cooked food and is actively trying to make time for her cooking.
Balcony
Now here’s a area that she hardly ever uses. Once in a while she will head out and try to write there but despite sounding like a romantic and idyllic place for writers-it’s actually noisy as hell.
Bedroom
Iris can’t tell you how she managed to fit all of her clothing in the room but she’s somehow managed it. Though always tidy, often in the morning when she’s leaving, her bedroom can be left quite messy.
Bathroom
It’s a little on the small side but she loves it. The mirror above the sink has light bulbs all the way around it so that’s pretty much where she does all her make-up.
Barry walked inside the apartment, looking around before turning to look at Iris as she asked a ton of questions. He couldn’t help but grin as she excitedly demanded to know everything. “It’s over in Chelsea, and it’s crazy small, but it’s great. I haven’t seen any roaches yet.” Barry joked, but was secretly very happy that he hadn’t seen rats or roaches in his living space. “I think I just needed a change–but how’s your job? I saw your article! It was great!” He didn’t want to talk about himself, or the real reasons he’d decided to go to New York.
Iris blanches as she closes the door and turns to face Barry. ‘Oh God! If I ever saw a roach here, I would die and the roach would become the sole owner of my home.’ She furrows her eyebrows, trying to map out where Chelsea is in her brain. ‘Wow, that’s really far from here, Bear. Crazy small? Like ‘Bruce Willis’s apartment in The Fifth Element’ small?’
‘It’s really good and I’m so happy to be working at the Torch. Aww, thank you! Which one?’
She laughed and nodded at the inquiry about Rudolph. Yes, she had heard it. She identified with the troubled reindeer on many levels. He had a red nose, she occasionally had red eyes… A true black (red) sheep. “Yes,” she answered, “is a cute song, and it sends a positive message; to accept those who might be different because we all have a part to play.” She paused for a moment as an idea struck her quite suddenly. “What are you doing right now? There is something I must show you.”
Iris smiles at the interpretation of the song. ‘Ah yes,’ she says, humming the tune. ‘Then all the reindeer loved him as they shouted out with glee, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, you’ll go down in history!’ Iris blinks, surprised but curious. ‘I’m not doing anything at the moment. What do you want to show me?’
He flips his tablet around with the document up, “Here.” It had the story about a company that was selling names of children who were displaying powers to the highest bidder. He of course left out the names of the children, but he wanted it written in a positive light for the kids and cautionary tale for the company itself.
Iris moves forward, eyes drawn to the screen of the tablet. The article is good, subtle but still has the gravity of the situation hitting the reader. She nods approvingly. ‘It’s beautifully written and uou have all the information in the right places. Don’t be stressed, it’s a good story and what’s more it’s going to be bringing to light a disgusting and horrific practice.’
Matt blinked a little, surprised. His eyebrow lifted. “Uh– Well, I don’t know. I’d have to consult with my partner, of course. How about I talk to him and we’ll get back to you, if it’s something you’re interested in? You’ve done some good with the real estate scams.”
Iris nods vigorously. ‘Of course,’ she chuckles, a little nervous about what Matt’s partner would say. ‘...Sorry, I never quite switch off my work brain but I would be honoured to write about such a wonderful ray of sunshine in New York. Ahh, thank you. It was really heartless what those con artists were doing.’
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