“Do you realise how messed up this sounds?” he interjected.
Aditi watched him with a wry smile, waiting until his hands fell away and he was looking at her once more.
“Bugs, I have had time to think about this. I’ve never had a friend-with-benefits before. But I like you. I’ve been attracted to you for a while and this is just my way of experiencing something without committing to it.”
Honesty, Rian realised, had nothing on Aditi Krishnan. She had admitted to so many things in a single conversation that could overturn any male-female relationship. Somehow, despite this, she had made it sound enticingly straightforward.
“This won't work,” Rian whispered, the voice in his head warning him while the curious tug below his waist pushed him to take a chance that may never come again. Being with Aditi, without commitment.
He could never have imagined a time when the possibility of this existed. Yet, here he was, at the threshold of exactly such an opportunity, terrified of accepting it.
“It won’t work,” he said again, wondering who he was trying to convince because his brain was screaming something while his body and heart were clamouring for the exact opposite.
“Maybe,” she said, turning back to the TV screen and letting the movie resume. “But if you want to find out, you know where I live.”
10
The Ex Hex
Aditi
Aditi glanced around TheMumbai Map,patiently waiting for her date to show up. How did she score yet another reservation? Nanamma. The old lady apparently yielded more power than she knew. This time, Nanamma hadn’t even bothered to inform Rian before calling the restaurant manager and asking them to clear a table for Aditi and her date.
Aditi would have had to be a fool to refuse. So, she’d shown up on time, dressed to impress in a peach-pink wrap dress that showed off her flawless brown skin and accentuated her curvy figure. Aditi felt quite confident that today, she would finally pull off a successful date.
She made herself comfortable in her booth, sipping her spritzer, Kindle in hand; simply enjoying the anticipation of meeting someone new.
She’d caught sight of Rian briefly when he’d passed by her table, a leggy woman with cherry lips hanging onto him like he was her safety net against gravity.
Aditi had had to control herself from scoffing.
He was obviously on a date as well. And unless this woman was the love of his life, it was sure to be a casual one. Like the kind she’d asked from him.
Except, he’d behaved as if she’d demanded his kidney.
Rian’s rejection had chafed at her pride. Seeing him out with another woman, dressed in that powder blue that made his eyes seem like clear skies on sunny days, made her gnash her teeth.
No matter how peeved she was, it seemed like her body was entirely attuned to him if he were in the vicinity. She wanted to throw her complimentary Naan chips at him for having such an effect on her.
Which made the stakes for this evening to be a good one that much higher.
She’d caught him frowning at her, but she chalked it up to the intense discussion he seemed to be having with his lady friend. Fine, she’d decided then, determinedly ignoring his gaze when he’d looked in her direction. She was going to forget that she'd asked him for a fling, and forge ahead with the hope that candidate number twelve would be the man of her dreams.
“Hi.”
Aditi glanced up, the ready smile on her face transforming into a scowl almost immediately. Faced with the man she loathed instead of her date, she wondered if she was praying to the wrong gods. Why else would her ex-boyfriend be standing in front of her, looking for all intents like he’d come prepared to stay?
“What are you doing here?” Aditi asked, surprised when he slid into the seat across from her.
“We’re both here. May as well get dinner. I’ll order.”
“Harish, stop,” she commanded, her voice sharp. “How did you know where I was?”
“I heard you tell Nina,” Harish replied, raising his hand to snap his finger at a passing waiter and ordering a drink for himself. “The nurses have been talking about how you’ve been on a dating spree. Eager to get married, are you?”
“You’re one to talk. Aren’t you engaged?”
“I broke it off.”