by P. G. Van
“This is good progress, but you need to find someone you know so you can show you are able to treat someone you know personally.”
“Got it. Thank you, Dr. Gitlin.”
Mantra left the room with mixed feelings. She was happy her professor didn’t trash her work, but the very memory of her sister’s misery made her sick to her stomach.
She pulled out her phone and dialed her sister’s number.
“Sloka, which day are you off this week?” Her sister worked crazy hours and got a day off every other week, and Mantra wondered if her schedule made her situation worse.
“I don’t have a day off this week, but we can catch up for lunch sometime. What’s up?”
“I will do my best to help you and Rajeev… but I’m in no way certified…”
Her sister didn’t let her finish. “Thank you, Mantra.”
“I won’t be able to see you until next week, but I want you to think real hard about what I’m about to tell you.” Mantra took a deep breath.
“What?”
“Mom and dad will tell you that you are crazy to do this, but this may help save your marriage.” She felt her stomach twist.
“What is it?”
“You need to get out of your crazy schedule and stick to a regular schedule and not work as many hours as you do now.”
“I don’t work crazy hours… I’m…” Her sister sounded defensive and didn’t let her finish.
“Sloka… I’m not saying you shouldn’t work or have a career, but when things are not working well, something has to change. If you want things to get better, you need to let go of a few things… at least for a short time.”
“I hear you. I will think about it.”
“Come home over the weekend. We can talk.”
“I’m going out of town this weekend. Are you off on Wednesday next week?”
“Where are you going?”
“Out.”
“Where are you going?” Sloka insisted.
“I am going to a fundraiser with a friend.”
“Boyfriend?”
“I said friend, Sloka… friend.”
Her sister laughed at her annoyance. “A friend who is a boy?”
“A man, yes.”
“I knew it… who is this man?”
“Someone I work with… are you off next Wednesday?” She couldn’t let her sister get carried away.
“Yes, I am off, and I want to talk about this man.”
“No… we will talk about you. Meet me at Red Jack’s for drinks,” Mantra said.
“Oh no, I’m off, but I’m in Monterey for a conference.”
“Sloka… do you see what the problem is here? Rajeev is not the only reason for this situation.” Mantra couldn’t help but point out.
“Okay… okay… can you meet me in Monterey? You can stay over with me at the hotel.”
Mantra wasn’t sure if she wanted to drive for two hours to see her sister but knew she had to start working with her. “Okay, send me the details. I will see you next Wednesday.”
She hung up the phone and stared blankly thinking about Yash. He was not her type, but something about him got her excited.
She may have been bullied into going to the fundraiser, but she was looking forward to the event. She was going as his date and didn’t know what to expect.
She needed to put some reins on the undeniable attraction she felt for him and manage to get through the weekend.
Chapter 10
It was cold and dark when she stepped out of her apartment on Saturday morning. Mantra pulled the hoodie over her head and walked toward her car carrying her overnight bag.
She spent the night tossing in her bed unable to fall asleep. She could not figure out her own emotions. She felt antsy about the trip and didn’t know what she expected. Yash was not the kind of man she would date, but something about him made her want to rip his clothes off.
He was sinfully sexy, and the way his eyes scanned her, she felt naked. It was as if he saw right through her and knew exactly how she felt, and nobody had ever made her feel so vulnerable.
Fifteen minutes later, she pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant next to his SUV. It was a few minutes before four. She texted him and waited in her car.
Yash neither responded nor showed up in the parking lot.
“What an ass… I’m sure he’s still sleeping.” She threw her phone on the seat and rested her head on the seat. She took a deep breath and shut her eyes.
A moment later, a small knock made her open her eyes. She looked right into penetrating eyes. Her heart kick-started, and her skin tingled as usual. She managed to smile as she opened her door.
“Good morning.” He handed her a travel mug.
“Thank you.” She took a sip of the drink and almost spewed it out. The liquid was hot and tasted like coffee, but it was strong, and strong wasn’t a strong enough word to describe it. It gave her a zing making her wonder what kind of coffee was in the mug.
“Oh… I think that’s my drink.” He took the travel mug from her and placed another one in her hand.
“What the heck is that?” she asked still recovering from the jitters the one sip gave her.
“Too strong for you?” He chuckled.
She shook her head and opened the back door of her car to reach for her bag.
“I’ll get your bag. Tell me if you like your drink.” He reached for her bag and tossed it in the backseat of his SUV along with his bag.
She took a sip of her drink, and it tasted like hot water. “What is this? I taste nothing.”
“Still under the influence of my drink?” he asked as he slid into the driver’s seat.
“What is that drink? It tasted like coffee, but I’m wondering if it is real coffee.”
The edges of his mouth twisted up. “It’s just strong coffee. My kind of coffee.”
He took a sip of it and placed the mug back in the cup holder. She watched him relish on the sip, and something rumbled inside her. The dim light inside the car showed the stain of her lip gloss on the rim of the mug and just watching his lips closing in on the stain made her nerves feel raw.
She pushed her knees together tightening her hold on the mug in her hands and took a deep breath. Her senses were on high alert, and every whiff of his musky cologne she breathed in did something to her. His every breath was playing like loud music in her ears, her eyes wanted to turn and fixate on him, and her skin tingled like he was touching her.
She took a deep breath and let out a curse word.
“You okay?” he asked without taking his eyes off the road.
She couldn’t talk. She was worried she would kiss him if she opened her mouth.
Ridiculous. What the heck is happening?
She gulped down a few more sips of the drink in her hand, but it offered no relief. Her mind wanted more. She wanted the drink she had tasted earlier and wanted it coated with his taste.
“Mantra.” His words rang in her ears making her jump.
“Yash, stop the car.” She placed her coffee mug in one of the cup holders and fisted her fingers in anticipation.
He pulled the car over to the side of the road. Her breath was coming fast, and she had no control over her mind when she clicked her seat belt open and leaned to her side to take her lips to his.
After the initial surprise, his lips softened, and she tasted him. His taste perfectly blended with the fresh coffee. He ran his hand over the nape of her neck and dove deeper into the kiss.
She moaned cupping her palm on his cheek unable to control the moment. His tongue wandered touching every corner of her mouth, and she opened up to the delectable invasion.
His fingers gripped her hair pulling her back to drag his lips along her jawline. “Mantra…”
Her name sounded so erotic on his lips that it sent a jolt of energy through her body—enough to shake her up. She abruptly pulled away and sat back in her seat, her face turned away from him.
“I’m sorry, I
don’t know what got into me.” She couldn’t get herself to look at him.
“Hey… look at me.”
“I… I’m sorry… just don’t…” She felt his fingers on her chin. She shut her eyes tightly unable to look into his eyes.
“Hey…”
She kept her eyes shut hoping he would leave her alone, but the next moment, she felt his lips lazily graze on hers. Her breath hitched, and she could not move away. Her treacherous body had her mind thinking it wanted more, more of him.
“I don’t like being left hanging.” His voice was gruff, and his breath felt warm on her skin.
“It was a bad idea. I shouldn’t have…”
“I’m not sorry you asked me to pull over.”
She pulled back and opened her eyes to look at him. The end of his mouth was twisted up, the mysterious spark in his eyes making him irresistible in the dim light of the car.
“Yash, this is a bad idea. I do not want any of this, and if you…”
He hushed her and looked away. Without another word, he put the car in gear and got back on the road.
She shut her eyes and let her head rest on the window. She was very aware of him but forced her mind into a suspended state hoping the awkwardness would melt away like it was a dream.
*****
The sunlight hit her in the eyes, and it took her a moment to remember the weirdness from earlier that day. Her eyes were still shut, but she knew he wasn’t where he was before she dozed off. His masculine scent lingered in the car, but it wasn’t moving.
She opened one eye, a tiny slit to see what was going on. The car was parked on the side of the road by a beach. She sat straight up from the seat that was reclined all the way back and looked around.
The beach was empty except for a group of people gathered around someone. She squinted and noticed the men on the beach had cameras and lighting equipment.
She pulled out her phone and saw it was almost eight in the morning. She checked her location, and they were almost halfway to their final destination.
Yash had to be around somewhere, hopefully not too far. She sent him a text.
Mantra: Are you around?
A couple of minutes passed but no reply. She started to get anxious and dialed his number. He answered after many rings.
“Is this sleeping beauty?”
“Not cool,” she snapped.
“If you are all caught up on your sleep, come join me.” His tone was playful.
“And where might that be?”
“To your left, walk toward the group holding the cameras.”
“Oh, you are one of those people?”
“Yes… there’s coffee here.” His words were very casual, but something about the way he said it made her catch her breath.
“Okay.” She hung up without another word.
She stepped out of the car and pulled her hoodie over her head. It was a chilly morning, and she wondered what his business to attend to was on the beach.
As she walked closer to the group, she heard the dull whirring of an engine. She looked up to see if there were toys flying in the air, but as she got closer, she realized it was a more powerful engine.
A motorbike.
The small group, so it had appeared from afar, was a group of almost twenty people who were all gathered in a circle with their focus at the center.
She was only a few feet from the group when she noticed the motorbike and then through the clearing between the men, she saw him.
She swallowed a gasp of air at the sight in front of her. Yash was on the bike, sprawled lazily, his white dress shirt fully open, his rock-hard abs on full display.
She shivered at the cold, but something deep inside her ignited. Her mouth went dry when their eyes met.
“Need a moment, guys,” he announced getting off the bike. He walked toward her as she stood frozen in the sand.
Yash came to a halt less than a foot away. “Hey.”
“Hi… is this why we had to leave early.”
“Yeah, part of the job. I should be done shortly.”
“That’s okay, I’m in no hurry,” she managed to say in spite of the sight in front of her. All she could think of was to run her fingers on the clear lines defining his chest.
“They have a decent breakfast spread if you are hungry.” He pointed to a small tent with a table set up with food.
“No, I’m fine.”
“If you can wait, I promise to take you somewhere nice for brunch.”
“That won’t be necessary. I’m gonna go back to the car.”
“Or you can watch me. I don’t mind. I’ve gotten used to it, and it won’t bother me.”
Bad idea because all she could think about was climbing over him on the motorbike.
“I’ll wait in the car.” She smiled weakly and turned away from him and let out a deep sigh. He was drugging the air she was breathing, and that was the only explanation for her body’s response to his presence.
Chapter 11
Later that day, Mantra drove Yash’s SUV into the valet parking line of the resort they were staying at for the night. The ride wasn’t as weird as she had expected it to be after the fiasco in the darkness of the morning. She had offered to drive the rest of the way considering he was up while she had caught up on her sleep.
Their conversations were limited but varied from space to cars to National Geographic to the Oscars. She had never expected to have a decent conversation with him and had dreaded the drive.
“We are here.” She was relieved the drive was over. Her bottom was hurting from sitting all day.
“Thank you for the smooth ride.”
“Anytime.” She beamed before stepping out of the car.
She followed him through the lobby toward the elevators. “Don’t we need to check in?”
“No, we are set.”
“Oh… is this how celebrities check in?”
“You mean they don’t check in?” He let out a chuckle.
“Whatever, I’m not complaining we skipped the line. Am I checked in, too?”
“Of course, you are my guest.”
The burning question in her head was about the room. She had made up her mind that if she weren’t given a room for herself, she would camp on the couch or hopefully a second bed.
Mantra followed him as he walked ahead of her carrying their bags. She pulled out her phone and pretended like she had something important to do as they rode the elevator. Her eyes were on her phone screen, but she felt his eyes on her and did not dare look up.
Yash stopped in front of a set of double doors and held his phone to what looked like a keypad on the wall. “I’ll set your phone to have the access as well.”
“Oh, okay.” She walked past him as he held the door open for her.
Mantra’s eyes widened at the sight in front of her. The hotel room was massive. Even though it was a suite, it seemed more like an apartment. The living area was large and inviting.
“This is nice.” Her eyes wandered the room looking for her potential sleeping accommodations, but there was no bed or couch in sight. The living room had plush chairs, and she was almost resigned to the fact that she would be camping out on one of the chairs for the night.
“Your bag is in there.” She turned to look at Yash shut a door to what looked like a bedroom.
“Umm… I don’t need such a big space for myself.”
“Mine’s bigger.” He opened the door to another room which seemed to be a larger.
“What time do we need to go?”
“Six.” He disappeared into his room without another word.
It was barely thirty minutes after four, and she had enough time to take a nap and go for a walk and get dressed. The bed looked inviting, and the weather was nicer in the afternoon, but she decided she wasn’t going to take a nap or a walk.
She stepped into the bathroom, and her lips curved up. The bathroom was massive with a behemoth tub to one side. She ran the water in the tub and set up he
r personal items. She dropped the bath bomb into the water and slid into the warmth.
She sighed softly feeling her muscles uncoil to the warmth and the soft thumping from the Jacuzzi. The bath water smelled exotic, and all she wanted to do was stay in the water and float to a promising blissful state.
“Mantra.” The voice seemed distant but very familiar. The warmth she remembered wasn’t there, but she was still cocooned in comfort.
Her eyes shot open, and she gasped when she saw Yash standing by the tub looking down at her. He was fully dressed wearing a tuxedo.
“Oh shit, what time is it?” She tried not to jump out of the water in a hurry.
“You have time. Meet me in the banquet hall on the first floor.”
“I’m so sorry I dozed off,” she managed to say, very aware of his eyes lazily scanning the surface of the water.
“You’re fine. I need to go, meet me downstairs. You’ll be fashionably late.” He chuckled before he turned away and left as if he was in a hurry.
She let out a sigh of relief and waited for her bedroom door to shut and then the double doors. Her heart was still thudding so hard it could create more ripples than the jets in the Jacuzzi.
Forty-five minutes later, she scurried toward the banquet hall. She could hear the jazz music playing as she came to the check-in desk.
“Mantra Varma, thank you for joining us. Mr. Birla is at the bar waiting for you,” the friendly woman stated.
“Thank you!” Mantra walked past the grand entrance and came to a halt at the top of a double-rounded staircase that led to the banquet hall.
She didn’t know what she was expecting, but she wasn’t expecting such a lavish banquet hall, and it looked like it was filled to capacity. Large stained-glass windows lined the top half of the wall, and wide plain glass offered a view of the pool that was lit up with a series of lights for the event.
She scanned the crowd for Yash until her eyes fell on the structure with broad shoulders standing by the bar. She could not wipe out the image of him as he stood by the bathtub as she lay naked under the water.
As she slowly went down the stairs, she felt a lot of eyes on her, but they were not the eyes she was interested in. She had picked a plum-colored chiffon dress. The bunched fabric neatly sculpted around her waist while the embellishments on her shoulders added drama as they ran down to the short sleeves of the dress.