Minefield of Mirrors

-37-

It was April the sixth, the Wednesday before the Australian Grand Prix when Iris's doorbell rang. She put down the book she was reading and got away underneath the blanket that was keeping her warm on the couch. With firm and quick steps, Iris walked towards her front door. Why was anyone disturbing her while she was in the middle of the best part of the book? The main characters were finally admitting their feelings towards each other and Iris was dying to find out how the male character was going to act like with his commitment issues.

She swung the door open and saw someone standing with a gigantic bouquet of flowers.

'Is this Miss Jansen?' The flower girl asked.

'Yes, it is.' Iris said with her eyebrows almost raised high to the ceiling. Why were there flowers?

Right away, the girl moved the flowers towards Iris. 'Amazing! These flowers are for you.'

Iris took the bouquet in her hands. 'Oh... Wow... Thanks...?'

'Oh girl, I wish I had a lover that could give me flowers like this. Have a nice day and enjoy them!'

The yellow flowers took Iris's breath away. They were just freaking gorgeous. 'Thank you! You have a nice day too!'

Once the flower girl walked back to the van that was standing still on the side of the road, Iris walked back into her apartment and closed the door behind her. Her eyes already spotted a little card between some white flowers and she suddenly couldn't wait to read what was written inside that card. Her family didn't know she was taking a month off and was full-time back in her apartment, so it couldn't be from them. Judy knew she was back home and was about to visit her this weekend, which meant it wasn't from her either.

Then whose was it?

Impatiently she grabbed a vase from one of the cabinets, filled it with water and put the gorgeous flowers inside of it. She had only been gone for one and a half weeks and no one within the team knew her address, except Christian. What was going on?

Her fingers clasped the little card and took it from between the flowers. A simple drawing of a flower was on the front and eagerly to find out who sent them, Iris opened the card.

I want to hear your mind thinking again. It's too quiet.

M

It was a simple text, but Iris knew right away whose flowers it was. Max. How on earth did he find out her address? Why would he even send her flowers? And why did they have to be this deadly gorgeous?

Her mind went back to the moment he had wrapped his arms around her when she wasn't feeling well last week.

A rumble went through his chest as a chuckle left his mouth. 'Oh, Iris... You are definitely not feeling well. And you're even making me sick of my worries right now.' His hand stroked over her back. 'Promise me you're returning to the hotel for the rest of the day.'

'I can't...'

'Promise me or I'll personally take you there and miss practice two because of it. Because I would if that means you're going to take it easy.'

Another flashback danced in front of her eyes as she just stood there with the little card in her hands.

Max looked at her with an expression on his face like, "are you serious"? 'And four, even when you are silent, you can just hear your brain working over hours of all the thoughts inside that head of yours. You are just noisy Iris. Admit it already.'

For a moment, Iris was flabbergasted. How did this guy already notice all these things? 'Looks like someone was watching over me like a hawk.'

He leaned closer. 'For sure I was. You were irritating me like hell, so I had to pay attention to find a way to silence you.'