Sally sniffled and wiped the back of her hand under her nose. “I know. I want to compromise, but every time I try to talk about it, I get angry and then he gets worried and says he’ll do whatever I want. When I say, okay, we’ll figure something else out, he says he doesn’t want me to be upset, so he will keep the travel going. The thing is, I miss him and I want him to be home, but every time he is home, we are fighting. Half the time, I don’t even know what we’re fighting about. I’m just so emotional all the time about everything.”
Maureen looked directly into Sally’s eyes. “Listen, this is what you need to do right now. Wipe your eyes, go to the bathroom, and clean yourself up. Go outside to the terrace, put your arms around your husband, and tell the boys thanks for coming, but it’s time to go home. Claire and I will clean up here, so after we leave, you guys can sit down, relax, and have a proper conversation.” She bent below Sally’s dropped chin so she could see her. “Okay?”
“You’re right,” Sally said, looking up at her two best friends and smiling. “What would I do without you guys? I’ll go right now.”
Claire watched her best friend head upstairs with a puzzled look on her face. This interloper didn’t seem like Sally, at all. Something was going on with her, and she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
19
Sally – The Eavesdropper
Sally wiped her hands on the damp towel. She had washed her face twice already and still hadn’t gotten up the nerve to go outside and end the party. Tod hadn’t wanted to have this dinner in the first place; he loved his friends, but he wanted Sally all to himself. He would be leaving again tomorrow on another trip and made reservations for dinner for the two of them. She had accused him of being selfish, he’d countered with the same, and they'd ended up having the same argument they’d been having for weeks.
She knew she was stubborn about the subject, but she had a feeling their business was on the cusp of something amazing. Just a few more of these trips and every gallery in the US would know Tod's name. After that, she could start working on the international angle. When was she was going to tell Tod about the London invitation? A wave of nausea swept over her. It was so overwhelming that she quickly shifted to lean over the toilet, but the feeling passed.
Sally knew Maureen was right: what they needed was time alone together. She headed toward the heavy, iron door that led to the back terrace on the upper level. Tod had propped the door open with a potted plant, so he didn’t accidentally lock them out, and Sally could hear his voice. She paused at the stressed tone and stopped to listen. She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but now she was.
“I don’t know, guys. I miss her, like an ache in my gut, you know?” Sally felt her face flush. Tod was talking about their fights with his friends. She had no right to feel threatened—she told Claire everything—but she couldn't help feeling sad. “I hate being alone on the road. This wasn’t what I wanted when I married her. I wanted Sally. Isn’t that why you become someone’s partner, so you can do this life thing together? It’s like she’s decided she wants to divide and conquer, only I don’t want to do either. Am I dumb?”
Stephen chuckled, “I’m with you, Tod. I couldn’t wait for Maureen to quit that asshole company and come work with me. It’s awesome working together. I know it’s not an option for most couples and some would hate it, but I want Maureen around all the time. She’s my best friend.”
“Exactly,” Tod said, “and Sally’s my best friend! I don’t think I ever wanted anything in my life as much as I wanted her, and then she was mine, and now it feels like she's has slipped away again. It’s like she doesn’t need me to be her husband, only her brand.” Sally sucked in her breath. That was a terrible thing to say—an insulting thing to think! How could he think that? “Sorry, guys, I don’t mean to be a downer. I’m sure we’ll figure it out. It just seems to be consuming our lives right now, and I want my old life back.” There were a few seconds of silence. Sally was about to move away when he spoke again, “How’s the Nandita situation going, Satish?”
Satish sighed, his frustration evident. “She called me yesterday and wants me to sponsor her for a sibling visa. She said she'd just stay here illegally until it comes through.”
“What did you say?” Stephen asked.
“I’m going to tell her no. I’ve been pushing her to go back to India so she can rebuild her relationships with our parents, but I’m also thinking of Claire. I’m not as lucky as you both; Claire and I got engaged just as Nandita entered our lives. She has been living with us for four years, and Claire has been…” He thought for a moment, “Well, Claire has been Claire.” Sally caught herself nodding. “She’s been patient and accepting of the situation, but my wedding gift to her was finding a way to ensure we would be alone. That’s why we found Nandita an apartment, and that’s why, since she didn’t get into school, she must go to India. I don’t want Claire to have to worry about being a parent anymore.”
Sally felt herself get teary at Satish’s admission. Claire thought he was worried about Nandita when, truthfully, he was more worried about her.
“Heavy shit, guys,” Stephen said. “Tod, you need to get more of this sangria going if we are going to keep having this kind of conversation.”
Tod and Satish both laughed and Sally could tell that was the end of their guy talk. Men didn’t need to beat a dead horse—they said what they needed to say and they moved along.
She stood in stunned silence. Tod thought he was only her brand and that she didn’t care about how they used to be? Of course she did! She wanted their non-fighting relationship back as badly as he did. The brand comment had shaken her, but she had to admit she had played a part in giving him that impression. Was it time to bend a little? Maybe there were more important things than Tod’s career. Maybe she should back off. The problem was she wasn’t sure if she could. How long would it be before she got itchy to re-start her project? Could she be happy with just the gallery and nothing else? Would it be enough?
She didn’t know. All she knew was that she wasn’t going to end the party now—they would know she had been listening. Sally crept back down the stairs to the girls in the hopes that they would be able to help her figure this out.
20
Ravi – The Coffee Date
Ravi sat in Small World Coffee waiting for Nandita to arrive. He’d been there for a while, and his mug clattered gently on the table as he tried to control his shaking hands. Why was he so nervous this time? He knew why: because, this time, it was different. This time, he hadn’t been directed to a designated place at a designated time. This time, he wasn’t just doing as he had been instructed.
He hadn’t stopped thinking about her since yesterday—he had even woken up around 4am and had been unable to go back to sleep. Ravi wished he was as confident and independent as she was, and then he could escape this hopeless situation. It was these qualities more than anything else, even her beauty, that attracted him to her. He wanted to be like her, but could he do it? The two impossible choices were tearing him apart. He could continue with his assignment, convince her to go back to India, and never see her again, or he could break a promise and ruin his parents’ lives. He couldn’t live with that. There was a third choice, of course, to tell her everything, but he would risk her eternal hatred, and he couldn't live with hatred. All he knew was that he had to see her again. He could try to convince himself it was only because he had a job to do, but he knew he would be lying.
He watched Nandita as she crossed in front of the window, her skirt blowing in the summer breeze and her hair pulled into a tight bun away from her neck. She pushed through the door, caught his eye across the room, and broke into a huge grin. His coffee mug clattered again.
She dumped her purse on the floor next to her and scootched into the chair next to him, the legs squeaking across the hardwood floors. “What did you get?” she asked, pointing at his mug. He had both of his hands gripped tightly around it, not wanting her to see him shaking.
“Just a drip coffee,” he said. “I’m always afraid to order the fancy ones.”
Nandita laughed, “What do you mean you’re afraid?”
“I’m scared of ordering them—I feel like I’ll get it all wrong. Those baristas give you dirty looks if you don’t know how to put it all together.”
She got a cute, little line on her forehead as she pulled her eyebrows together in a tiny frown. “You’re a funny guy,” she said. “I can’t figure you out.” As she pushed her chair out and leaned over to get her purse, he jumped up from his seat.
“No! How rude of me. Let me go. What would you like?”
Nandita smiled, her eyes sparkling. “I’ll take a grande iced sugar-free vanilla latte with soy milk, please.”
Ravi smiled back. She was funny, too. “I’m not sure they use the term ‘grande’ in this shop, but for you, I’ll ask.” He steeled himself and headed to the counter.
While he was waiting for her order, he watched her surreptitiously. As she texted, he wondered about the rest of her life. He had asked a few pointed questions to his email contact, but he hadn’t gotten any answers—only dates, times, directions, and admonishments. Did she have a boyfriend? Did she have a crowd of noisy, booty-short-wearing girlfriends who went clubbing together on the weekends? She didn’t seem like the type, but who knew?
He brought her drink back to the table and put it in front of her. “So, is that something you usually order, or was it solely a challenge?”
“I don’t even know what it is. I just strung a bunch of words together,” she took a sip, “but, mmm, it’s good.”
Ravi laughed and sat in front of his plain, old drip coffee. Her proximity activated his nerves again, so he decided not to pick up his coffee, in case she noticed the clattering. He wrapped his hands together in his lap instead.
“So, do you have a lot of friends here in Princeton?” he asked. She sipped greedily at her drink; he smiled at her enjoyment.
She shook her head. “Nope. Just moved here a week or two ago, but friends are overrated anyway.”
Ravi nodded, “Agreed. I have Tammy, and she’s enough for me.”
She stopped slurping her drink and considered him carefully. “Okay, that’s weird. I know why I don’t have friends, but what’s your deal?” she asked. “You look like you’d be the most popular guy in the room.”
He felt his heart speed up at her compliment and shrugged. “People have never taken to me. I guess I can be a bit serious.”
“I doubt that. More likely people are intimidated by you. I certainly wouldn’t approach you in the hallway, that’s for sure.”
Ravi couldn’t figure out what she meant. Why would people be intimidated by him? Did he still make her nervous because of the stalker thing? He thought he had convinced her that hadn’t happened. “I’m not sure why I would intimidate you. You don’t seem afraid of much. Besides, I asked you first. Why are friends overrated?”
She put her giant coffee cup down on the table in front her and leaned back in her chair. “Because I had one, once, and she was a disaster.”
“You’ve only ever had one in your whole life?” He held his breath as he waited for her answer.
“Of course not. I had tons in India. I’m talking about since I arrived in the States.”
“Okay. Disaster how?”
“Oh, she had problems—lots of them. She tried to avoid her problems by running away, and she dragged me along with her. We almost got into some serious trouble, but my family saved us. Those are the only people I need: my family. She came to live with us for a few weeks, this friend. I think my brother’s fiancée thought she could save her, or something, but believe me, she couldn’t be saved. Because that period of my life didn’t go the way I planned, I made some rules: no friends, no men, and no distractions. I have goals, and sometimes other people just get in the way. I have my family, and that’s enough until I’m well on the path I want to be on.”
Wow, Ravi thought, so much to unpack there. He went for the obvious. “You told me you ran away, though, to America. What problems were you avoiding?”
Nandita was silent for a few minutes. She looked around the coffee shop, as if searching for an answer, and smiled at a toddler in a stroller who waved her pudgy, little hand in their general direction. “I told you yesterday, didn’t I? My parents wanted to control my life. They had their plans for my life and I had mine. They didn’t quite match up.”
“So, are you on your path?” he asked. “The one you want to be on?”
“Not yet, but I’m working on it,” she sighed. “I wanted to go to Princeton, but…” he was surprised to see tears pool in her eyes and threaten to spill over. “It didn’t work out. Now I have exactly six weeks before my visa runs out, so I’m trying to find a job.”
The tears made him ache to reach out to her. “Couldn’t your brother get you a sibling visa?”
She nodded and lifted her napkin to pat at her eyes. “He could, but it takes too long. I’d have to stay here illegally, which means I wouldn’t be able to get a job and he’d have to support me. I’ve asked him, but he’s a pretty straight guy and I don’t think he’ll agree to break the law, however stupid I think the law is.” She sighed, and he saw the tears pool again. This was so tough for her.
He could take care of her. The thought snuck unbidden into his head and surprised him. He could skip school for a year and get a job while they waited. He could stay in Tammy’s parent's apartment and pay for her little studio. Yeah, and how would that go down? Not only would he be failing at his job and risking his parents’ future, but he'd also be risking his own.
Get back on track, Ravi. You’ve never let a girl get this far under your skin.
He sat up straighter in his chair, pulled his coffee mug toward him, and cleared his throat. He had to be gentle. “Why not just go back to India for a while?”
“Ha!” Nandita coughed. “Who are you, my brother? I’m not going back there.”
“Why not?”
“Because if I go, there's a chance I'll never come back.”
“What does that mean?”
Nandita stared at him and then said in a clipped tone, “Well, it’s just not something I discuss with strangers.”
Ah. Too far. Ravi felt a wave of embarrassment, followed quickly by a wave of anger. How did she know he wasn’t just trying to help?
“Are we strangers?” he asked. It was so strange to be asking that question. “I guess we are.” He moved his hands to his coffee and swallowed a large gulp, the bitterness burning the back of his throat. No problem there: he was bitter through and through. “It just seems like the sensible thing to do. You still have family there, and they could give you support while you prepare for your next steps. It seems unlikely you'll get a job that will sponsor a visa.”
“How would you know?” Nandita's face flushed in frustration, now he was making her angry.
What did he care? He was a stranger to her and she was a stranger to him. Why would he believe he could have any influence over her decisions? This whole job was a farce, and he was sick of the pretense.
“Look, there’s no point getting mad at me because you have a worthless graphic design degree. Perhaps you should have thought of a plan B instead of throwing all of your eggs in the Princeton basket.”
She gasped and pushed her chair back from the table. “Number one, how do you know I have a graphic design degree? Number two, how do you know I didn’t have a plan B? How long have you been stalking me?”
The stalking thing again! She couldn’t let it go. His anger flared. “I read your resume, remember, and if you’d had a plan B, you wouldn’t be in this desperate situation. I did not stalk you. It was… fate.” He knew it was a mistake as soon as he said it.
She burst out laughing. “Fate, is it? It’s fate that I meet a pompous jerk who tries to tell me what to do with my life while he completely ignores planning his own? Where’s your plan B? At least I’m trying to avoid making
a mistake. You’re trotting off to be a doctor on your parents' command when it’s obvious you’d be an incredible vet. Fate!” She scoffed and flopped back in the chair, folding her arms over her chest.
She was right—of course she was right—but when she exposed his weaknesses like that, it only made him angrier. “You won’t get a job. You're wasting your effort.”
“Look, stalker,” she placed her palms flat on the table and leaned across, only inches from his face. Suddenly, the clip holding her loose bun dropped, and her hair fell, cascading around her shoulders. She ignored it and looked at him with such fire in her eyes that he felt a physical jolt at her level of passion. “There are lots of jobs out there, but maybe I don’t need a job. Have you thought of that? Maybe I have other options. Maybe I have your precious plan B all set up and ready to go. Let me be clear, though: I will not go back to India, so you can drop it, okay?”
Now the pooling tears spilled from her eyes and dripped onto the table between them. He was a jerk—he didn’t want to make her cry. This situation was screwing with his head. He was angry at everyone and everything, but taking it out on her wouldn’t change a thing.
He'd never made a girl cry in his life. She was unbearably lovely with her glossy hair framing her face and her green eyes, wet and flashing. He glanced around the shop before he spoke again. It was practically empty, and no one was paying attention to them. He took the chance of setting her off again, because he needed to touch her; he reached across the table and gently took her hand. The instant connection reminded him of their handshake at the job fair, but such a look of surprise flashed across her face that he quickly withdrew it.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t want you to be upset. I was just trying to…”
“No, it's okay.” She shook her head and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. After reaching down and grabbing her purse, she stepped away, leaving her fancy latte on the table. “I have to go. Thanks for the coffee.”
Uncharted (Jersey Girls Book 3) Page 9