by P. G. Van
“Just thinking of how much fun it would be to watch you with the reality TV drama.” She put her hand on his cheek when he hugged her from behind.
“I have learned to ignore the drama as long as I don’t have to partake in it,” he growled.
“It’s going to be so much fun.” She winked.
“Really?”
“Yeah… I think so.”
“Are you ready to go hang out with the crew?” He tightened his hold on her.
“Yes, let’s go. Are we going to Stefan’s place in two different cars?”
“Nah, we can take one car. You will ride with me.” He nuzzled into the nape of her neck.
She giggled feeling the prickle on her delicate skin. “Veer, move it.”
They both headed downstairs in the elevator.
“I’ll call a cab.” She pulled out her phone.
“I got it.”
“Cool… Veer, we were supposed to get off at the lobby level.”
He hushed her and led her out of the elevator by her hand and led her to a familiar looking car. She stopped when she saw the familiar ‘B’ on the car and the elderly man behind the wheel. “This is your car?”
He smiled holding the door open for her. “We’re going to be late.”
She got into the back seat of the car and scooted to the other side and waited for him to close the door. She leaned close to him and whispered. “This was the car that picked me up from my mom’s house for the pilot launch party.”
“Yeah,” he whispered back, tauntingly matching her tone.
“Why did you send your car for me?”
“Because I wanted to.”
“This isn’t making sense… Stefan was the one who sent the car, and if he knew this is your car… what does he know?” she asked.
“Stefan is my best friend, too… I told him we were on a date when you and I got kidnapped.”
“Does he know about us?”
“Nope. He knows I’m trying real hard for you.” He chuckled.
“Veer, I feel bad about not telling Stefan.”
“I told him how I felt about you because he asked me, and if he asked me if you and I were together, I will never lie to him or anyone else.” His tone was firm.
She smiled and nodded in agreement. “I’ll play hard to get.”
“And I’ll keep pursuing you… I love the idea of a secret affair… never had one.” He pulled her close to him.
Stefan lived in a huge house right outside of San Francisco, and it took them almost thirty minutes to reach their destination. The party had started by the time the car pulled into the driveway. They both parted ways without another word as they entered the house that boomed with music from the top-most floor and laughter from the three levels of the house.
Stefan inherited the place after his parents passed away in an accident, and he made it his home even though it was too big for one person. He was more than happy to be the host for any of the parties, even in college.
Ariya went straight up to where she knew she would find Stefan while Veer was surrounded by the new crew members who seemed eager to meet him. He was used to that kind of attention and knew how to handle it without getting annoyed or overwhelmed. He had confessed a few days back that his ego took a beating when Ariya didn’t drool all over him when she walked in on him in a towel that first day.
“Stefan,” she smiled, putting an arm around him as he hugged her.
“I’m so glad you made it… I hope the ride here wasn’t too bad,” he said, almost cautiously.
“You’re kidding, right? My ride was in a super fancy car.”
“You doing okay?” Stefan’s voice softly asked.
“Yeah, super excited about working with Veer. He is so much fun to work with,” she said, cheerfully.
“Good. He is a good guy, just…” His voice trailed off when she started laughing.
“Stefan, are you trying to set Veer and me up?” she asked and saw his face go pale.
“Oh no… I need to make sure you guys get along just like you did during the previous assignment.” Stefan recovered quickly.
“We’ll be fine and…” She stopped when someone called out for Stefan.
“Oh good, Dominic’s here.”
Ariya turned to look at the blue-eyed man ascending the steps and walked over to them. “Stefan… my man… good to see you, and who is this lovely lady?”
“Dominic, this is Ariya… Veer’s photographer, and Ariya, this is Dominic, Melanie’s photographer.”
“Ariya, such a beautiful name. Well suited for a beautiful woman like you.” Dominic shook hands enthusiastically.
She gave him a cool smile. “Good to meet you, Dominic.”
“Dom, please. What does your name mean? Ariya like the lioness?”
She laughed at his question and humored him a bit. “It’s lion goddess.”
“Wow… perfect name for you.” Dominic talked to her, completely ignoring Stefan who stood less than a foot away.
“Dominic, have you talked to Melanie yet?” Stefan’s attempt to get Dominic to stop crowding around Ariya was cute, but she didn’t need to be rescued. She knew Stefan felt the need to protect her and also keep her from being with other men, especially when he knew his best friend was interested in her.
“I met Melanie a couple of times last week.” Dominic was unable to distract himself from Ariya.
“You should meet Veer,” Ariya chimed in, and Stefan nodded in agreement.
“I agree. Ariya, would you mind introducing Veer to me?” Dominic was smooth. She could tell the attractive man was finding it hard to believe that she wasn’t fluttering with joy at the attention he was giving her.
“Stefan, I’ll take Dominic to Veer.”
“Yes, you should,” Stefan almost growled making her want to laugh, but she bit her lip and led Dominic down to the lowest level where she saw Veer last.
“Dominic, is this your first reality TV show?”
“Ariya, please call me Dom. Please.”
“Okay, Dom. Is this your first reality TV show?”
“Thank you, and no I’ve worked a few celebrity shows but nothing like this one.” He shrugged.
“Ariya!” She heard Andy call her from one side and saw him head toward her.
“Andy! How are you?” She smiled as he put his arms around her.
“I’m fantastic! Psyched about our new adventure.” Andy was passionate about what he did, and the drama he tried to create was his way of offering something new to the audience. She knew it annoyed Veer, but she knew why Andy was the way he was at the shoots.
“Andy, this is Dominic, Melanie’s photographer and Dominic, this is Andy, our director.” Dominic shook hands with Andy.
“Andy, have you seen Veer?”
“Yup, he is in the billiards room,” Andy said.
When they started to walk away from Andy, he leaned closer and whispered, “Can I get you to call me Dom?”
“Sure, it’s going to take some time to get used to calling you a different name from what I was first told.” She told herself never to call him Dom.
Dominic talked nonstop as they went downstairs to find Veer. Veer was in the middle of a snooker game with guys she had not met before. He was just about to take a shot and looked up at her when she walked in making his heart flip with joy.
She introduced herself to everyone and left Dominic to do the same. She didn’t sign up to be his babysitter, she only offered to introduce him to Veer.
“Veer, this is Dominic…” Veer completed the sentence for her. “Melanie’s photographer.”
“Veer… so glad to meet you. Now, I have a question for you. Did you know your name rhymes with beer?”
Ariya had to control herself from rolling her eyes at Dominic.
“It does, doesn’t it.” Veer laughed unhitched by the sarcasm in the other man’s voice.
“Yeah… I hope it doesn’t mean ‘beer’ in Indian.” Dominic laughed, and Veer laughed with him
, but it annoyed Ariya.
“Veer means warrior, a strong and brave one.” Her tone threatened to sear Dominic.
“A lion goddess and a warrior. Indian names are so cool,” Dominic said almost sounding dejected.
“I like it better that my name rhymes with beer.” Veer laughed easing the moment.
Dominic bumped his fist with Veer before turning to look at Ariya. “Should we go back up and get a drink and hang out by the pool.”
Ariya smiled at him. “I don’t mind getting a drink, but I’d rather stay here.”
“Okay, I’m okay to hang out anywhere as long as I’m hanging out with you.” He flashed a cheesy smile to match his statements.
“Dominic, come play with us,” Veer invited him to join the game.
“No, not my kind of a game.” Dominic brushed Veer’s invitation away, and that annoyed her.
“I’d like to join, Veer. Will you teach me how to play?” She batted her eyelashes at Veer making sure Dominic noted her behavior. Dominic was drop-dead gorgeous with his tanned skin, bright blue eyes, and dark hair, but she found his mannerism to be downright annoying.
“Teach you?” Veer raised a curious eyebrow almost questioning her intentions.
“Yeah, I’ve never played this game. I’d like a lesson.” Her tone was casual.
“I can teach you,” Dominic offered when Veer silently stared her down.
“It’s okay, Dominic. I don’t want to impose when it’s not the game you like to play.” She smiled at him and turned to walk away from the men to stand next to one of the camera guys she worked with in the rainforest.
Andy and Stefan walked into the large room just when Ariya is being coached by one of the guys on shooting pool. She took one of the guys’ spot for a few turns and played against Veer. She made good use of her ‘beginner’s luck’ and scored on every shot and enjoyed the dart-like looks Veer threw her way.
On her final shot, she stretched her hand and focused on the ball, but the hair on the back of her neck stood up distractingly. She knew Veer was boring holes into her back, but she did not move.
“Stefan, is this party going on for two days? Can someone tell Miss Dev she is taking forever for her turn,” Veer growled from behind her.
She straightened her back and looked at Veer for a moment before looking at Stefan. “I didn’t know there was a limit on how long I had to focus.”
“There is no limit. Veer doesn’t want to lose.” Stefan laughed winking at Veer.
“That’s right.” Ariya smiled, turning to look at Veer.
“You can’t beat me, Ariya. You need to hand your cue back to your buddy for him to win.” Veer smiled at the young man who let Ariya play his game.
“Show him, Ariya,” Andy cheered from one corner of the room making a hush fall over the room.
“Ariya, you can do it,” another cheer from another crew member came from another side making her laugh. More people seemed to be spilling into the billiard room as a result of the cheering.
She laughed shaking her head and enjoying the high-energy moment.
“Bring it on, Ariya, show me what you can do.” Veer winked, playfully making her breath hitch. He challenged her to a friendly battle.
Ariya and Veer went head to head on it, and she was surprised her beginner’s luck was still keeping her alive. She had never played billiards before that day but played golf in elementary and middle school and wondered if that was what helped her make the shots.
After a few rounds, it came down to the last shot, and she needed a perfect shot to win. The crowd cheered making her laugh, and she wiped her sweaty palm on the side of her jeans before holding the Cue in position. She stretched over the table, aiming at the ball. Moments passed, but something didn’t feel right, and she knew the shot would be no good if she took it.
A moment later, she felt movement behind her, but she did not move and then she felt him. His fingers grazed over her bent elbow, lifting it slightly and adjusting the placement of her Cue over her finger.
“Now take the shot.” His breath was warm in her ear.
She took the shot without moving a muscle and watched in amazement as she pocketed the last ball, winning the game. She straightened her back and let out a victorious growl. On impulse, she turned around and put her arms around Veer. “Thank you!”
She let Veer go and hugged the young man who let her play his game. She looked at Veer sideways and enjoyed the looks they exchanged across the room.
The fact that he helped her win over him gave her a new level of confidence in their relationship.
Chapter 17
Ariya rolled in bed and felt the hammering in her head get worse, making her groan.
“Baby, are you okay?” Veer cuddled from behind pulling her closer.
“Veer, how many shots did I do last night?”
He let out a chuckle. “Hardly any.”
“You let me win last night, you are such a good boyfriend.” She kissed his cheek making him smile.
“Can’t let my hot girlfriend lose even if it was with me.”
She smiled, wrapping her arm around him, enjoying the warmth. “I had fun last night. I enjoyed being single with my boyfriend in the room.”
“Sicko,” he teased.
“It was such a fun party. I never had so much fun at a work event.”
“Me neither.” He smiled looking at her, his face inches away from hers.
“How did you go from taunting me for taking too long to take a shot to helping me win?”
“I was getting hot looking at your butt stuck out in front of me. All I could think of was taking you right there on that table.” He dug his fingers into her soft flesh at her waist, making her moan. “And when you were about to take the shot, I knew you would miss it… I couldn’t let that happen. If you lose to me, I get nothing, but if I help you win… I’m the hero who gets the girl.”
She laughed. “You are such a silly man, but I love every bit of the silliness.”
“I love that, too.” His voice was a low rumble.
“I liked what we did last night. We did good about keeping our personal and professional lives separate.”
“I want you to punch that Dominic guy if he annoys you too much,” Veer growled.
“My boyfriend can punch him.” She laughed.
“Yes, he can, but you don’t need your boyfriend to rescue you.” He took a bite of her bare shoulder making her yelp.
She pulled back to look at him. “Did I throw up in your car?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged.
“How many shots did you down?” she snuggled into his chest.
“I didn’t, I just watched you enjoy yourself.”
“I usually don’t drink more than one drink, but last night… I… I didn’t feel the need to watch my back.”
“Yeah?” he inquired like he wanted to hear her say more.
She nodded, smiling. “Because I had you... my hero.”
He smiled feeling the warmth inside his chest and kissed her gently. “I’m just your boyfriend… but I can be your hero, baby.”
“You can be anything you want, just not on the set,” she joked.
“You are my awesome photographer on the set. I feel bad for Melanie.”
“Melanie is nice,” she said, remembering the easy conversation she had with his co-star at the party.
“I haven’t worked with her before.”
“She seems nice and almost innocent.”
He smirked and did not say anything.
“Okay, what was that for?” She looked at him suspiciously.
“Nothing…”
“Veer, I’m not your photographer, I’m your girlfriend.”
He looked at her for a moment before responding. “Melanie is more of an actress than an animal doctor.”
“Huh?”
“The sweet innocence is the part she is playing for the reality TV show.” Veer’s voice was soft.
“No, she is genuine.”
>
“She. Is. A. Good. Actress.” He laughed.
“How do you know?” She felt the need to defend Melanie.
“Her role in the show is to create drama… she is paired with me for the romance factor that is required for the show.”
Ariya gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. “What?”
He nodded, smiling. “The script says she needs to be attracted to me and flirt with me, and since I refused to be part of it, she is going to be heartbroken at the end of the show.”
“What? That’s sad.” Ariya sat up in bed.
“Don’t worry, she’s got a sweet deal to be the Bachelorette for the next season.”
She smiled. “Good for her.”
“You know Andy would get a kick out of featuring us on the show… I would love to flirt with you.” He pulled her back to him.
She laughed, letting her head hit his chest. “I want this to be our secret until we finish the show. I think it’s best that way.”
“What, I don’t get to show off my girlfriend until the show is finished?”
“You can take part in the script if you want a girlfriend on the screen,” she teased.
“Nah, Melanie needs the Bachelorette more than this one. I have to let her be heartbroken.” He smiled pulling her to him. “I want my girlfriend all to myself.”
She laughed. “Your girlfriend needs clothes. Can we go to my place?”
“Sure.” He nuzzled her neck taking in a whiff of her sweetness.
*****
Later that day, Ariya was in her bedroom at her apartment, and Veer was on the phone in the living room talking to his parents while she packed clothes for the week. She heard her phone go off in her pocket and scrunched her nose when she saw a number she didn’t recognize flash on her screen.
“Hello,” she answered tentatively.
“Ariya, it’s Dominic. How are you?” He sounded enthusiastic.
She hit the speaker button and placed the phone on the chest, so she could keep packing. “Hi, Dominic.”
“Did I catch you at a bad time?” he asked, politely.
“No, I can talk.” She wondered who would have given him her phone number.
“It was nice to meet you last night. It was fun.”
She smiled. “Yeah, it was.”