‘I’m sure they are,’ Steven replied smoothly. ‘Mia, would you like to come with me?’ He turned, holding Mia firmly by the arm. Looking like she was about to burst, Mia let herself be led away. I knew I was the subject of the discussion taking place between the two. Mia gesticulated angrily while Steven tried to calm her down.
‘Sorry about that.’ Finn turned to me. ‘Mia doesn’t trust…outsiders.’
‘That’s okay. I understand,’ I said heavily.
‘Let’s get outta here,’ Will said and Finn nodded.
I looked at Mia and Steven from the corner of my eye. Steven had stopped talking to her and Mia was looking at me with a puzzled expression. The venom in her eyes was gone. I turned away wondering what Steven had said to calm her down.
***
The next morning I rang Jaya and briefly mentioned Finn. She seemed happy enough to meet him, but insisted it be at the Singh family home, with her mother and father present. I hesitated at this. Wouldn’t she want more privacy? Jaya calmly refused. I had an inkling of her motives. I knew Jaya wanted the meeting to fail. But there was no use forcing it and I had to reluctantly agree.
I spoke to Roxanne about it later.
‘I might have found a potential for Jaya.’
‘That sounds promising,’ Roxanne said.
‘I think it is. They both have something in common.’
‘Besides turning into animals at the full moon?’ Roxanne smiled.
‘They’re both strangers to their worlds. That might not necessarily be the best thing to have in common, but I think that’s a start,’ I reflected.
At least, I hoped they would.
***
That night I was meeting Megan and Neha for dinner. We went to our favourite Malaysian Laksa place up the road from where I lived. My phone beeped in mid-conversation. It was on the table so I looked at it. It was a message from Will.
I really suck at dates. First, a failed sushi lunch and then a were-interrogation. My bad. Can I make it up to you by taking you out to dinner?
I smiled at my phone.
‘And what, pray tell, is this message that has made your eyes dance like that?’ Neha asked impishly.
Megan looked up from her mouthful of Laksa soup. ‘Oh could it be library boy?’ She smirked.
I spent the rest of the night telling them about the events of last night, including Will’s involvement. They were both just as surprised as I was. And once I started talking about Will, I found it hard to stop.
***
The next morning, when I walked into the office, Roxanne informed me that I had just missed a call from Mr Singh. It was 9:06 a.m. I made myself a cup of tea and went to my desk to ring him. Just then, my red desk phone rang. It still gave me a little start when it did. The whole thing seemed to animate. I picked it up.
‘Jaya says you have found somebody for her to meet.’ Mr Singh’s voice echoed excitedly out of the receiver at me. ‘Why didn’t you call me first?’ I could almost hear his frown.
‘Mr Singh, I think it’s best that I discuss this with the client first, it helps maintain confidentiality.’
‘Okay okay. Even though I am her father.’ His tone was meant to make me feel guilty. ‘So who is this boy?’
‘He is a nice young man I met,’ I hesitated, I didn’t know whether to discuss the were-meeting, but thought Mr Singh would know about it already, ‘at a meeting in South Melbourne.’
‘Oh did you get in touch with Steven?’ he asked indifferently.
‘Do you know him?’
‘Everyone in the were-community knows him. Well done, Shalini, it’s not easy to reach them. They rarely trust outsiders.’ He sounded impressed.
‘Yes it was an interesting night,’ I said.
‘Jaya has told you we would like to meet this boy in person?’
‘Yes she did,’ I decided to broach the subject of privacy, ‘and I was hoping that their first meeting could just be between the two of them.’
Mr Singh snorted. ‘What would be the good of that? No they will meet at our house. She can make him some tea and samosas and he can see if he likes her.’
Could tea and samosas really be the best first steps to love?
‘Are there any others you have lined up?’ Mr Singh continued.
Gees how many did the man want? ‘No, just the one at this stage,’ I said demurely.
‘Well it would have been nice for me to look at a few options.’
I frowned. ‘Look at them?’
‘Oh you know, look at the length of their hair, their feet and ankles and check for deformities and the like.’
‘You-you mean like a line-up of men?’ I stammered. Had I understood him correctly?
‘Well not exactly.’ He hesitated. ‘Okay yes, maybe a few more options to choose from. What if this one has a deformity?’
‘Shouldn’t Jaya be the judge of that? If they get along, it shouldn’t matter,’ I managed to stutter.
‘Oh like fall in love and all that?’
I smiled, sensing Mr Singh’s disdain. ‘Yes and all that.’
‘Young people these days place too much importance on love and romance. You know these stories of imprinting haven’t helped. Completely false! Weres are not mindless animals that will just imprint and find true love like hapless pups.’
I was silent. Mr Singh continued, ‘Anyway, one will have to do for now. Do you know what form he takes at the full moon?’
I remembered Finn’s discomfort. ‘I’ll let him discuss that with Jaya, it’s really not my place to say.’
‘Hmm.’ Mr Singh didn’t sound happy, but I refused to say anything further. ‘Well they can meet this weekend. You can come to the house earlier and do the introductions when he arrives,’ he said.
Great. With the addition of myself into the introductory meeting, the romance factor would plummet to minus two. It was currently sitting at zero.
‘One more thing,’ Mr Singh said quickly, ‘how tall is he?’
‘Oh I’m not sure but he seemed a good height,’ I said. What now?
‘How do we make sure he is taller than Jaya?’
‘Make them stand next to each other and measure?’ I joked.
‘That would be too obvious,’ Mr Singh said testily.
Oh and checking his ankles for deformities wouldn’t be obvious?
‘I have an idea. We have outdoor roller blinds on the veranda outside the house. I will pull up the third one from the left to Jaya’s height. You make sure that this boy passes under that blind as he comes onto the veranda. If he has to bend to get in, we know he is taller.’ Mr Singh sounded pleased with his quick thinking.
‘Wouldn’t it be easier to just ask him how tall he is?’ I asked practically.
‘We don’t want to offend him. This boy could be our future son-in-law,’ Mr Singh said seriously.
‘I’m sure he won’t mind.’ I was sure he wouldn’t.
‘No, no, just bring him in through that section of the veranda. Third from the left it will be.’
It was best to shut up and agree. ‘Okay. Is there anything else?’
‘Not that I can think of, but I will be in touch closer to the day. It should be Saturday. Jaya is usually home on the weekends. I’ll leave my address with your receptionist.’
Click. The phone went dead.
Finn didn’t seem overly concerned about the family meeting when I called him later to talk about it. He asked if this was the culturally appropriate way to do it. I had to say yes, because it was. Though I thought it completely old-fashioned and unnecessary.
‘Oh I’m not fazed by it. Bring it on. It will be an interesting experience if nothing else,’ Finn said good-naturedly.
‘I’m glad you’re taking this in the right spirit.’
‘Hey they want to make sure I’m legit right? And not some joker you found in a back alley in town.’
He asked me about Jaya, but I admitted to little knowledge about her. This is why people went on dates,
instead of meeting at houses with families in tow!
‘Oh that’s okay, I’ll find out about her myself,’ Finn reassured me, ‘if she is worth knowing.’
‘Great.’ I was relieved.
‘I’m just fascinated about doing this the other way round. Usually I meet the parents when things get serious, not right at the start!’ He chuckled.
After I spoke to him I felt a sense of trepidation for the weekend and the meeting between Finn and Jaya plus me plus two parents plus who knows, the entire clan?
Chapter 28
The Singh household hummed with preparations for Finn’s appearance when I arrived on Saturday morning. I was greeted at the door by Jaya and we both walked into the house. It was beautifully decorated, with classical Indian Mughal miniatures lining the corridor. We walked into the living room, a light and airy space with rugs on the floor and large patio doors that swung out into a small back yard, with a large wooden table and colourful cushions strewn on chairs. The air smelled like incense and spices. It made me feel hungry.
Jaya and I chatted for a while, before I followed her into Operation Headquarters, also known as an Indian mother’s kitchen. I noticed there was enough food being prepared to feed five armies of hungry canapé eaters. Jaya’s mother, Anamika, distractedly introduced herself to me. She was a petite, slender woman with flawless olive-coloured skin. I could see where Jaya inherited her good looks.
Although currently, Mrs Singh looked red faced and flustered.
‘I think the batter is too runny,’ she fretted to Jaya. ‘They’re not frying properly.’
I could see perfectly round mini potato balls lined on a plate. A bowl of spiced chick pea flour batter sat next to it. There was a batch deep frying in oil on the stove.
‘Maybe add some more flour to the batter?’ Jaya suggested helpfully.
‘I don’t have any more in the house! And there’s no time to buy some more. This is a disaster,’ her mother declared dramatically.
‘I’m sure it’ll be okay if we have nine instead of ten dishes to serve,’ Jaya said rolling her eyes at me.
‘Don’t make fun of your poor mother,’ Mrs Singh chided. I immediately felt like a naughty child.
‘Can I taste one?’ Jaya asked, as she watched her mother pull the crispy cooked batch out of the oil and onto a kitchen paper lined plate.
‘Okay, and you can test the seasoning.’
Jaya bit happily into a juicy little potato ball. She frowned. ‘They taste a little bland, Mama.’
‘I don’t want to put chilli in them. The boy is an Aussie, and you know what they’re like. They can’t handle too much chilli.’
‘Hmph,’ Jaya said. She looked at me and said pointedly, ‘This Finn guy is already leaving a bad taste in my mouth.’
I picked up a little potato ball and popped it in my mouth. She was right, they tasted totally insipid.
‘By the way you will be in charge of tea making tonight,’ Jaya’s mother added, looking at her.
‘But I don’t want to!’ Jaya protested.
‘This is non-negotiable. You can make it for Finn and us and bring it out on a tray,’ Mrs Singh said curtly.
‘You know we’re not re-enacting an old Hindi movie, don’t you, Ma?’ Jaya laughed. I had to smile too.
‘This is not a joke. It’s a nice gesture. Plus it’s the Indian custom,’ her mother said firmly.
‘But Finn doesn’t know about our customs, so it won’t matter. He won’t be expecting it,’ Jaya pleaded. She looked at me, her eyes asking me to come to her rescue. I really wanted to stay out of this, so I looked away.
‘But I expect it from my daughter! You can’t just rush into the room and introduce yourself. This way you will have a chance to walk gracefully into the room, be lady-like, offer him some tea and then sit down. It is the polite thing to do.’ She refused to waver.
‘Fine,’ Jaya said grumpily. I noticed her stare intently at the canister full of chilli powder that her mother had omitted from the meal.
They both remained quiet and I stood around awkwardly. When would this day end?
Ten minutes later we were rescued by the appearance of Mr Singh. He asked Jaya to help him with something outside. I followed her out of the kitchen quickly.
‘What are you doing, Papa?’ she asked as we walked onto the front veranda. Mr Singh stood under the awnings.
‘Adjusting the blinds,’ he said tugging at one that looked like it was refusing to budge. ‘Come here and hold this one while I roll it down.’
Comprehension flashed across my face as Mr Singh looked severely at me. I dared not open my mouth.
Jaya stood mutely and held it while he tugged. It came down in one smooth movement and stopped just shy of her head.
‘It must have just been stuck,’ he said sheepishly.
Stuck my arse! I knew exactly what he was up to.
‘Come let’s go inside and get ready,’ he said hastily. ‘Shalini, would you like some tea?’ He shooed us back into the house.
***
At exactly two p.m. I saw a car draw up outside the Singh house. It was a charming cobalt blue Volkswagen beetle. I was sitting on the front veranda chatting with Mr Singh. Jaya and her mother were in the house. I recognised the driver immediately.
I sprang out of my chair and waved. Mr Singh stood up next to me.
‘Go on, bring him in,’ he said bossily to me.
I hastily walked across their front lawn and went to greet Finn. He was wearing a light blue collared shirt and khaki pants. I noticed a considerable amount of effort and styling gel had gone into taming his shaggy brown hair. Even as he stood in the street, the light breeze threatened his precision combing.
‘Ready?’ I asked as he walked up to me.
‘Ready as I’ll ever be. I’ve never been so nervous before a date,’ he said.
‘Well maybe that’s because it’s not really a date.’ More like an inquisition.
We walked up to the house to the waiting Mr Singh. I remembered just in time about leading Finn through the third roller on the left. I scrambled over to Finn’s right and manoeuvred him to it. He ducked to walk under, and Mr Singh beamed.
‘Good to meet you, Finn,’ he said with an outstretched hand.
‘Nice to meet you too, sir.’ Finn smiled apprehensively and shook his hand.
Mr Singh led the way inside.
‘You have a beautiful home,’ Finn said politely.
‘Oh my wife and Jaya are responsible for it. I’m told I have no eye for such things.’ Mr Singh chuckled.
We reached the living room and seated ourselves on the comfortable sofas. Finn perched on the edge of the large sofa seat.
‘So, Finn, Shalini did not tell me much about you.’ Mr Singh looked at me reproachfully. ‘Who is your family?’
‘Oh I’m originally from a small town near Orange in New South Wales, it’s called Carcoar.’
‘I haven’t heard of it.’
‘I’m not surprised, it is a very small town, with an even smaller were-community. My parents moved to Sydney when I was about four to be closer to the Berowra Waters pack.’
‘Oh good, so your family is wolf?’
‘Predominantly yes,’ he hesitated, but before he could continue, Mrs Singh came into the room. She had changed into a lovely light grey cotton dress and looked much less stressed than she had in the kitchen.
‘Hello, Finn,’ she said pleasantly.
‘Oh hello, Mrs Singh.’ Finn stood up and smiled.
She sat down on the sofa next to her husband. ‘Please do sit down. Call me Anamika.’
Finn looked a little abashed as he sat. ‘Ah, I was just telling Mr Singh that you have a beautiful home.’
‘Thank you. But it’s mostly Jaya’s work. She has the magic decorating touch.’ Her eyes twinkled.
‘Great,’ Finn said.
‘So my boy,’ Mr Singh said affably, ‘you were telling me about your family.’
I knew there was little conge
niality behind this question. For him this was crucial. Finn answered in a good natured way. He deftly skirted around the issue of his own “transformation”. Why was he so touchy about it? There was so little I understood about all this.
The three of us chatted for a while. I began to wonder where Jaya was. I hoped she hadn’t changed her mind and made a run for it!
Chapter 29
The conversation in the living room was progressing nicely. Finn was well mannered and jovial and Mr Singh warmed to him. Even Mrs Singh looked like she silently approved. Just as I wondered again about Jaya’s whereabouts, she walked into the room, very demurely, with a tray full of teacups. Finn watched her intently, with a bemused expression.
Jaya placed her teacups around the table. She served Finn last and I saw a slight smile as she gently positioned the cup in front of him. She placed a sugar bowl in the middle, then sat gracefully on the sofa opposite Finn. He smiled shyly at her. Jaya’s parents watched them both. I inwardly cringed at the whole uncomfortable situation.
‘Hi, Finn, nice to meet you,’ Jaya said with a confident smile. She seemed blissfully unaware of how attractive she looked in her turquoise linen top, her lustrous black hair framing her delicate features. When she moved her head, long green and gold earrings danced around her ears. I was sure Finn would be dazzled.
‘Hi,’ Finn managed to say. I watched him closely. He was certainly displaying signs of bedazzlement.
‘This is what we call ah, the Indian tea ceremony,’ Jaya said pointing to the teacups and bowl of sugar.
Finn listened to her seriously.
‘Don’t be ridiculous, Jaya, there is no such thing!’ Mr Singh said sweeping up his cup. ‘Don’t let her fool you, my daughter is quite the prankster.’ He looked at Finn.
Finn laughed and relaxed. After that, conversation flowed freely. Jaya looked like she was enjoying Finn’s company. That was a good sign. Jaya handled herself elegantly. Finn seemed a little jittery.
We were chattering away, happily talking over each other loudly, but stopped abruptly when Finn coughed and spluttered loudly into his teacup.
The Lost Souls Dating Agency Page 11