Caught, Rian glanced away immediately, thankful for his staff having shown up with their meal just then. But try as he might, he couldn’t stop his ears from turning red.
Kaya almost screamed in glee. She had never seen Rian look at a woman like this, ever. Like he was afraid, in awe and completely enthralled by her, all at once.
Having met her now, she could see the allure. Aditi was vivacious, friendly, and sweet-natured; perfect for Rian, who was so soft at heart and lonelier than he’d ever admit. She could smell a love story brewing and the only thing better than writing romance was witnessing it.
With dinner drawing to a close, and a popular night club just down the block from his restaurant, the group of friends made plans to continue their evening out with a change invenue. They made their way to the exit when Rian was stopped by his manager. Whispered words were exchanged, and Rian’s smile dropped.
“Everything okay?” Aditi inquired. She could sense the tension rolling off him, but had no idea why.
“Yeah, just business,” Rian answered. “Why don’t all of you go ahead?” he said, opening the door for them as if he couldn’t wait to usher them out. “I’ll join you in a bit.”
Before anyone could protest, he turned and stalked away, steeling himself for what was to come.
18
Mother Dearest
Rian
Rian had been havingthe best evening in a very long time. The thought had come to him, and he’d acknowledged it.
He shouldn’t have, because now he was certain that he’d jinxed himself.
He should have been with the people who had made him smile and laugh all evening.
Instead, for the good part of an hour, he’d been stuck in the VIP room of his restaurant with Leela Shetty and her friends, enduring a mind-numbing discussion about their wealth and connections. It was no different than a dick measuring contest and nowhere near as subtle as they hoped.
Worse still, this dinner was clearly a matchmaking attempt. He cringed, unable to smile at the young woman that Leela pushed to sit closer to him.
Sonia Dasavi, the only daughter of construction magnate Madhav Dasavi, was stunning. If one liked pouty lips pumped withfillers, a sharpened nose, and boobs that had magically changed sizes thrice in that many years, then Sonia would fulfil that fantasy.
Her purchased perfection in addition to her daddy’s name made her a catch in their social circles. She was exactly the kind of woman he tried to avoid however, having witnessed an unattractive personality behind that picture-perfect face. Unfortunately, she’d decided that she was enamoured with him. When Rian had proved too evasive, Madhav Dasavi, unable to deny his precious daughter her wishes, had approached Leela.
Which led to him being paraded by his mother like this relationship was all but certain. Mr. Dasavi had commented multiple times about everything that Sonia would inherit from him. Her husband would be a lucky man, he’d announced, giving Rian a meaningful glance.
It was rich people talk for dowry, he realised. Mr. Dasavi was leveraging his wealth to buy his daughter a husband of her choice, and his mother was salivating at the thought.
He may as well have been a product for her to sell, he scoffed internally, shifting away when Sonia leaned in to surreptitiously brush her chest against his arm. She shot him a coy look from under her lashes, one end of her mouth tilted suggestively. It was all Rian could do to suppress the shudder of repulsion that zipped through him.
With a murmured apology, he got up from his seat, only to have his hand held by his mother.
“Ah, my wonderful son! Look at him, ladies.” Leela smiled, her lips stretched wide over bright teeth. She winked at Mrs. Dasavi and nodded at Sonia, putting on the usual act of a good mother who adored her offspring. “He gets his looks from me, doesn’t he?”
Mrs. Dasavi giggled while Sonia gave him a once over like he wasn’t wearing clothes. Ignoring them, he leaned down to speak to his mother in a low tone.
“That’s enough. You’re drunk.”
“That would require you to have something decent in this shitty little place,” she murmured, her smile belying the contempt in her words.
“You have had your chance to show off. I will get on with my evening,” he said, unwilling to take the bait and get into an argument in front of the Dasavis. He straightened and wished everyone a good night, making an expedient exit. He was halfway across the rooftop of his restaurant when he heard the furious clacking of heels behind him.
“Rian!”
Knowing that she would make a scene if he escaped without facing her, he turned, waiting until his mother reached him.
“You can’t leave! I brought them here to meet you! Go, entertain them,” she demanded, her features twisted in annoyance. “Show them how charming you can be!”
“No,” he hissed, refusing to be led back inside and be bartered for a few million rupees. He’d be expected to live his life like a pet dog if he married a woman like Sonia. “I’m not your fucking show pony.”