by Renee Hart
“Not really,” Arjun admitted.
“What’s wrong?” Chleo’s stomach jumped a bit. Arjun wasn’t really looking her in the eye. Instead, he was unpacking spring rolls and samosas from the white paper bag that Chleo had taken from his mouth and put on the edge of the counter.
“It’s not that something’s wrong…” Arjun said slowly. He pronounced each word like he was trying to be careful in case any of them broke. “It’s that something unexpected has come up.”
“Oh dear. You have a love child,” Chleo said. She was joking…mostly. She wanted to read his face to see if she was anywhere near the ballpark.
“Cute,” he chuckled. “Wrong, but it does involve family.”
“You know you can tell me anything right?”
“I know,” Arjun said. He let out a sigh that sounded more like a hiss of a kettle that had been taken off of a stove.
“Ok, brace yourself…but…my mother is here.”
Chapter 4
“Is he serious? I can’t believe he hasn’t told his mom about you!” Jessica seemed almost angrier about the situation than Chleo. It was Petey’s day off and Chleo and Jessica were alone in the store. They each got a day off during the week, and the day depended on who called what day from the week before. Chleo was leaning over the counter when she filled Jessica in about the whole morning.
“I was too speechless to really do anything about it. When he said his mom was coming, I got kind of excited. And then he told me that she was nuts…”
“How nuts is nuts?” Jessica interrupted. She gesticulated with one hand before resting it under her chin. Her other arm was in front of her chest and balanced the elbow of the arm that now held her head with curious anger.
“His words were like the mother from Bend It Like Beckham without the hope of comic relief,” Chleo said. She made air quotes when she spoke his part and deepened her voice. “And then when I asked how long she would be in town for, and if I could meet her. He said maybe it wouldn’t be a good idea.”
“Asshole,” Jessica growled and shook her head to show that she was very unimpressed. Her voice was low, and she was conversing more to the situation than to Chleo herself with that remark.
“Yeah. We ended up eating very little, and then stuffing the leftovers in my fridge. I rushed to take a shower, and when we got in the car, we barely spoke. I didn’t wanna come off as a nag, but I wanted to know why it was he hadn’t told her about me. I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt that maybe he wasn’t ready to tell his mom, but there was this part of me that thinks he’s ashamed of me,” Chleo said. She bit her lip halfway through her last sentence. It wasn’t something she was comfortable saying, even to her best friend.
Jessica’s glassy blue eyes gleamed and softened when she listened to Chleo speak. She went from upset with Arjun to the consoling best friend that Chleo needed.
“There’s no way he could be ashamed. He’s crazy about you. I’ve seen it myself,” Jessica said. “He probably just doesn’t want to hurt the two most important women in his life.”
“That’s a sweet way of looking at it actually,” Chleo said, feeling a bit better. She didn’t want to mention that Arjun had 2 older sisters, so she was definitely fourth on that list. It would have made her laugh to say it, but she wasn’t in the mood to make jokes just then.
“It’s strange though. He doesn’t want to hurt us, but in a way he’s hurting my feelings by making me feel like I’m not good enough, and he’s hurting his mother by not being honest with her. And he’s hurting himself because he’s not opening up and saying what needs to be said,” Chleo said. She looked outside one of the large glass windows, lost in thought.
“See, that’s good. Next time you see him…tell him that.”
“I don’t know when that’ll be. She’s gonna be in town for two weeks. He didn’t exactly say that he wasn’t going to see me, but he said he’d be spending a lot of time with his mother. I wouldn’t want him sneaking over just to see me,” Chleo said. She seemed like the more rambunctious one, even when she and Jessica were 15, but Chleo was certainly the more level headed one. Jessica joked and called her ‘mama bear’ a lot because Chleo took care of everyone’s feelings and tried to avoid stepping on anyone’s toes.
“I say you go right over and meet her,” Jessica said.
“He’s gonna get mad.”
“What? No way! It’ll be bold and passionate,” Jessica’s mouth transformed into a defensive O.
“And what if she hates me and really is a total bitch?” Chleo complained.
“Then stand up for yourself. You don’t have to be rude, but you really care about him, and he cares about you. He’s just being a nitwit right now,” Jessica’s arms flailed. With her ginger hair and arms moving about the place, she looked a bit like a woman on fire. “Or…”
Jessica paused her arm flailing and gave Chleo a slow devious smile. She only got that smile when she was planning on doing something bad.
“Where’s he taking her? We can spy on them and find out the kind of person she is so you can meet her and be the perfect girlfriend!” Jessica said with her eyes wide. She said that entire sentence in one breath.
“You’ve been watching too many Sex and the City reruns,” Chleo grumbled.
“There was a marathon on E! on Sunday,” Jessica admitted. She put a hand behind her head sheepishly and scratched. “But still. You’re Carrie Bradshaw and you need to meet Big’s mom! You just need to be willing to sneak into that church! I’m even your Miranda. I have the red hair and blue eyes too! See, this is fate.”
Jessica was getting way too excited about this.
“Let’s not forget that Carrie and Miranda caused a huge scene at the church and Carrie and Big broke up soon after,” Chleo pointed out.
“But they eventually got married,” Jessica retorted. She was being hopeful, and she didn’t feel like backing down.
“Yeah, but not until the movie. And he left her at the altar the first time,” Chleo replied dully.
“Sheesh. Maybe you’re Miranda.”
“Possibly,” Chleo said and let out a sigh through her nose.
“Ok, that can be good. I always liked Miranda,” Jessica said. She hushed her tone just a bit so that she came off as more sympathetic. “I mean, your situation can be Carrie, and your personality can be Miranda, but right now what you need is some Charlotte hopefulness and Samantha confidence.”
“Wow,” Chleo said. She blinked rapidly. Chleo leaned over and rested her head on Jessica’s shoulder. “I’m so glad I have you...you’re the only one who gets and puts up with me.”
Jessica stayed silent. She knew Chleo was trying to lighten the mood.
“Can I tell you something?” Chleo said after a moment.
“Shoot,” Jessica said.
“Arjun and I haven’t had sex yet.”
“Heh?” Jessica sounded like a wounded old dog. It wasn’t a word in any decipherable language. She was completely and totally bemused. “Wadaya mean you haven’t had sex…look at him! Look at you? It’s been three months. That is so unlike you.”
Jessica kept sputtering like a broken faucet with water flying every which way.
“Is he the wait til marriage type?” Jessica continued.
“No. It was me actually. I didn’t want to go jumping into things. I wanted to wait to be sure about him,” Chleo said. That made Jessica silent. Even though it was unlike her best friend, Jessica felt a little proud of her. Chleo could be fickle, especially when it came down to musicians. But even though Arjun was a vet who was also in a jazz band, Chleo had stuck to her word and was going to wait until she was ready.
“How is he taking it?”
“He’s been great about it. He really respects my boundaries and I don’t feel pressured at all,” Chleo said. “I hope his mother isn’t so scary that it’ll drive me away from him.”
Jessica smiled and patted Chleo’s puffy hair. Chleo sank her head just a little bit lower onto Je
ssica’s shoulder.
“I don’t think that’ll happen. But tell him how you’re feeling. You’re not ready for sex, and right now he’s not ready for you to meet his mom. I don’t think either of you should pressure the other one. Just keep with the open communication, and your weird bucket list stuff. Because I think you guys have a really good shot at all of this.”
Chleo wasn’t expecting Jessica to say all of that. There was only half of a snide remark and there had been no mention of how great her marriage to Alfie was.
“I know. And it’s so weird that I don’t even know her but I want to win her over and get her approval. I want her to be ok with the fact that her son is dating me. I just need for everything to be perfect right now,” Chleo said. It was usually Jessica who could open up and be vulnerable, but now with her head on Jessica’s shoulder, she just wanted to talk all of her feelings out to her before saying all she felt that she needed to say to Arjun.
“Ok, now you just went from Miranda, to straight up Charlotte,” Jessica said still chuckling and patting Cheo’s head.
They sat there for a while just holding each other, until a customer stepped into the door of Any Blooming Thing.
Chapter 5
“Do you want to go for an adventure tonight?”
Chleo was already home and stuffing her face with some of the leftover Indian food from that morning when Arjun called her. Luna was buzzing around of course, always seeming to be present if food was involved. She wiggled in between Chleo’s feet and rubbed her side against her leg.
“Where to?” Chleo’s voice was calm. She didn’t want to act like she’d been as hurt as she was by what he had said to her earlier.
“Well, number 28 on my bucket list is to go to a hotel and pretend to be some hoity toity person who made reservations that the hotel lost. We’d just have to be convincing enough to get a room, or at least get a complimentary drink.”
Chleo started to smile, and stopped herself like it was even possible for Arjun to see. She liked that he was adventurous and silly.
“I notice that my bucket list involves fun ways to get over my fears, and yours tend to involve fun things to do that are illegal,” Chleo said.
Arjun chuckled over the phone.
“That may be true. What do you say?”
“I say you should maybe ask your mother’s permission before going out so late.”
“Ouch, that stung a bit…” Chleo had meant for it to. “But I guess I deserve it. Even if we don’t go out, is it ok if I come by to see you for a bit?”
Chleo told him it was ok. They got off the phone after Arjun told her that he’d see her in half an hour.
Chleo sighed and went over to the freezer. She took out a pint of ice cream, and shut the freezer door in search of a big spoon in her drawer of utensils.
“I sure hope it’s not gonna be a long night, Lulu.”
The little cat stuck her nose in the air to smell what Chleo was holding, and meowed softly.
*
“Did you eat all of that today?” Arjun asked when Chleo opened the door for him.
“So what if I did?” Chleo said. Her voice was jokingly defensive. She wanted to see if he was going to say anything about her weight. She was beautiful and chubby to complement that her best friend was tall and thinner. She and Jessica used to be the same height and weight when they were in high school. Now the only thing that was similar about them was wild curly hair, though Jessica’s was much shorter, and she had bigger curls.
“I guess I’m a bit disappointed you didn’t let me know so that I could get one of my own,” Arjun said. He always had the perfect answer for things. He never made Chleo feel anything less than wonderful, and he never saw her weight as a negative thing. She was happy and active and her health wasn’t being affected by her weight. She came from a long line of chubby women, and she knew that it was hereditary.
Arjun stepped toward Chleo after he shut and locked the front door behind him.
“May I?” he asked. He didn’t want to overstep any boundaries in case Chleo was still upset with him. She nodded and he gave her a warm kiss on the cheek. Chleo’s heart danced against her rib cage, and she could feel goosebumps forming on her skin.
“Hello Luna,” Arjun waved down at Luna. She blinked once and then strolled away and into Chleo’s bedroom. She wasn’t in the mood for sweetness and cuddling.
“My mother was beginning to drive me up the wall,” Arjun said when they got into the living room. He sat down on the couch, and Chleo curled up beside him and snuggled in close.
“Where did you say you were running off to?” she asked.
“I told her I was meeting someone, and she does this eyebrow raise thing that’s like accusing you. It’s like a spell. She expects me to tell her everything. I’m her youngest and the only unmarried one, and with the hair, she’s pretty convinced that I’m gay.”
Chleo couldn’t help but laugh at that. Arjun’s mother sounded like quite a few parents she knew from her mother’s home country of Jamaica. Chleo hadn’t dared tell her mother about the times she explored her sexuality during and after college.
“You laugh, but it just troubles me. I don’t want to force her on you. She means well, I guess. She just can’t mind her business,” Arjun said wrapping an arm around Chleo.
“She actually sounds a lot like my mom. She always seems to know everybody’s business and is always checking in more for her sake of finding things out than your sake of seeing if you’re ok,” Chleo said.
“Our moms would be friends then.”
“Maybe. But I know my mom would like you. Especially because she knows about you, and knows how you make me feel.”
“And how do I make you feel?” Arjun whispered. He gently raised her chin with one of his fingers. He didn’t look at her though; he was seeing her through his touch. She closed her eyes and smiled at the way her body was leaned up against him and the way his fingers caressed her cheek. He was always so gentle with her, just as he was gentle with the animals at his clinic.
“Like that…” Chleo whispered back.
“Does this mean you’re not upset with me anymore?”
“I was never actually upset with you. I was upset about the situation and a bit disappointed,” Chleo said. She normally wouldn’t have admitted her feelings right away, but she liked that they had always been honest with one another.
Arjun sat up a bit in the couch so that Chleo’s head was no longer snuggled up against his shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him. He was looking down at her with his dark brooding eyes. His hair was covering some of his face, but he had pulled the rest of it back in a messy bun.
“Talk to me,” he said simply. The way he was looking at her made Chleo nervous. It was like he was trying to figure out her thoughts just by the way his eyes were fixated on her. She took in a deep breath and exhaled while she closed her eyes again for a minute. She needed to collect her thoughts. There were so many things on her mind, but she could only think to say one thing:
“Are you ashamed of me?”
Arjun was quiet for a very long time, but he was bold enough to keep his eyes on her. He didn’t look away or sigh or get exasperated by the question. His focus moved between her eyes and her lips and he turned to hold her face with one hand.
“There is nothing about you that I am ashamed of.”
His voice was low and steady. He wanted to be as reassuring as he possibly could be.
“I’m just not sure how to tell my mother about you. It always took me a long time, no matter who it is that I’m dating. I always wanted to be sure about the person, and I know that I’m sure about you…”
“You’re sure?” Chleo breathed. Her eyes were still closed, and now her stomachs were in knots.
“Yeah,” Arjun said. He made a noise that sounded a bit like a sigh and a laugh. It made Chleo warm all over, and her stomach fluttered even more just by hearing his voice. “Chleo, if I don’t love you now, I know
that I will soon.”
Chleo’s eyes fluttered open to match the fluttering of her insides. She searched his face and brushed a bit of his hair away so she could see him more clearly. Now was when he was trying to look away. He was very clearly nervous now, and it didn’t seem like an easy thing for him to say.
“Did…did you just say you love me?” Chleo asked. She couldn’t help but have a goofy grin on her face. It was adorable to see him so shy now, and since he wasn’t the romantic type, it was even better to see him this way.
“I mean, I feel like I’ve loved you for a long time, I just didn’t know how to say it.”
That made Chleo straighten up on her couch.
“I’ve been wanting to tell you too. I was just worried that I was moving too fast, or that you may not feel the same way,” Chleo said. She still wasn’t used to being vulnerable, but the words came easily to her. Being with Arjun was the easiest kind of love that she had ever felt, and it made her heart almost fly out of her knowing that he felt the same way about her as she did about him.
“We were both feeling the same thing and worried about the same thing,” Arjun said. It still fascinated both of them just how in sync they were.
“We fit,” Chleo said and giggled. She was on cloud 9. She was sure about him too, and she couldn’t believe that it took a debate about Arjun’s mother that brought them to this point. She almost completely forgot about his mother; she was too busy feeling excited that this gorgeous man cared about her as much as she cared about him.
“I suppose we do,” Arjun laughed. He still seemed a bit shy, but he looked so happy.
“I also suppose I need to stop being worried about my mother and introduce her to the lady in my life.”
“I’m looking forward to it. I hope we get along.”
“I’m sure you will. You’re very easy to love,” Arjun flashed her a smile and she almost melted.
“So are you,” she purred. Arjun bit his bottom lip.
“Do you still want to go on an adventure tonight?” he asked. That caught Chleo off guard. She had to be mindful that sappy romance wasn’t his thing. His romance was being close to her and enjoying each other’s company by learning and making each other laugh. “I thought we could live up to our Bonnie and Clyde personas and swindle some wealthy hotel owner into giving us a room for the night.”