Boxset: Destiny Decides.. & Destiny Embraces..

by P. G. Van

  “Yes and why is that bad behavior?” Nick teased.

  My cheeks started to burn up just from the memory of his mischievous gesture on that day.

  “How did you know it was me?” I asked remembering that he had slowed down right next to my car.

  “Well, I recognized your car. Nethra picked up Srini from work a few days before,” he said smiling.

  “I am sorry, I didn’t recognize you,” I said softly looking at him.

  “Hi there, sorry to interrupt. Can I get you a drink?” the waitress asked interrupting Nick.

  “Yes, please, I would like a mango mojito,” Nick said and looked at me and asked, “Can I get you a drink Sameera?”

  “No, thank you. I am good,” I said looking at my drink that was more than half full.

  “Would you like something to eat?” the waitress asked Nick.

  “Oh, yes. Give me a minute, please,” Nick said and started looking at the menu. I watched him as he asked the waitress questions about a few things on the menu and noticed how charming he was; he wasn’t the teenager I once knew.

  He was ordering a few light dishes for the table, and as I started to process the series of events that happened in the last thirty to forty minutes, I realized that Nick’s manner was very casual and composed, but his eyes conveyed something completely different.

  The way he looked at me was making my stomach knot up exactly like the time I saw him on his bike. The fact that I was unable to decipher what his eyes were conveying was what was bugging me.

  We spent a lot of time together when we were kids back in India and were best friends. Nick was sent to India by his parents, who lived here in U.S. at that time, to live with his aunt’s family to bond with the family in India.

  We ended up being on the same team on most of the events at school. We spent a lot of time together until he moved back after high school. We promised to keep in touch but a series of unfortunate events led to a complete shift in our lives.

  “How is your mom, Sameera?” Nick asked in a soft voice.

  “She is great and very lucky to have my stepdad in her life,” I smiled.

  “I didn’t hear about your dad until after you all had moved to live with your grandparents. I am so sorry,” he said sympathetically and very slightly moved his arm around me while still resting his hand on the backrest of the sofa.

  “Thanks Nikhil,” I said looking at him.

  “Nick, please,” he insisted.

  I smiled and said “Okay, Nick. Please call me Meera then.”

  We chatted about how I had moved to California with my mom and stepdad while Nate stayed back in India to finish her undergrad.

  “I was a sophomore at Santa Clara University when my stepdad got an offer to be the head of the department for cardiology at a major hospital in Dallas. My mom and dad didn’t move to Dallas until Nate moved to California,” I said smiling at him.

  Nick looked at me for a few seconds without saying anything and in a deep coarse voice said, “I am so glad you moved to California.” He reached forward and gave me a brief warm hug.

  Nate and Srini returned just as the waitress was bringing out our food.

  “Perfect timing, guys,” Nick teased.

  “Nate, I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about Nick,” I complained.

  Nate laughed and said, “I didn’t want to ruin Nick’s plan.”

  We enjoyed the authentic Mexican food that Nick had ordered, and the combination of the various dishes that he ordered were very interesting. As we were finishing our dinner, the lights dimmed further, and I noticed that the mariachi band was getting ready to play.

  “Ohh, wow, how cool,” Nate said with excitement and leaned against Srini to enjoy the Mariachi.

  Nick stretched out and got a bit closer to me resting his feet on the ottoman in front of him.

  “I guess Nick is camping out here tonight,” Srini said looking at the way Nick was settling in.

  Nick smiled at him and said, “I would love to do that if they play all night.”

  As the mariachi started playing, the atmosphere suddenly changed from a laid-back mood to a highly charged mood. The integration of the stringed instruments gave everyone the much-needed energy to party all night. The band alternated between high energy and relaxing music.

  As the band was playing a very poetic song, I felt a very slight pull on my hair as if it was stuck between something. I was leaning on the backrest of the sofa, and cane material caught one of my locks. I ignored it at first and ran my fingers through my hair continuing to enjoy the soothing music.

  I felt a similar tug again, and then it hit me that Nick still had his hand behind me. It was a weird thought to begin with, but I wondered if Nick was playing with my hair.

  I took a deep breath to stop myself from overreacting. Granted, I had long beautiful soft and silky hair, but people don’t get to touch my hair. If it were any other guy, I would have definitely reacted but the guy who was toying with my hair was Nick, my best friend. He was my friend in spite of the fact that Nate, Srini, and Nick were in the same class.

  As I wondered if he was playing with my hair, I moved very gently to pull my long locks together and gathered them to drape my hair over my shoulder and my chest. It was at that point, piercing through the music, I heard Nick groan in protest. I turned back slightly to look at him with mischief in my eyes. I heard him catch his breath and saw an enigmatic look in his eyes. The look in his eyes set my heart on fire, and I took a deep breath and smiled at him to ease the tension that had built up between the two of us. I looked away from his deep dark eyes with great difficulty.

  The mariachi played for about twenty minutes, and the crowd cheered on as the band wrapped up their show. I looked at the time, and it was almost ten. The night was still young, but I had an early morning Bollywood workout class that I needed to instruct.

  “Nate, I am going to go home now,” I leaned forward and told her in a soft voice.

  “I can take you home if you would like. Nick and Nethra can hang out here,” Srini offered.

  “No, I’ll hail a cab. It’s a hassle to leave now and come back and find parking,” I assured Srini.

  “Sameera, I can take you home. I need to go home too,” Nick chimed in grabbing his jacket.

  “Nick, that’s alright. You just got here. You should stay,” I said smiling and started to gather my purse and my cardigan.

  “I will take the cab money and the tip too if you let me take you home,” Nick said mocking me.

  “Very funny, Nick,” I said sarcastically standing tall in my cowboy boots.

  “I am serious Sameera. I just got back from a long trip late last night, and I should really be catching up on some sleep,” Nick insisted and stood up. He was at least four inches taller than me in spite of me being in my heels.

  “Okay. If you must take me home,” I said smiling and added, “Let’s go.”

  I hugged Nate and Srini goodbye and headed out of the tequila bar with Nick leading the way. Nick and I left the tequila bar just after ten, and people were still lining up to get in.

  “I am pretty sure Nate and Srini will be sitting across from strangers at this rate,” I giggled.

  As we stepped away from the area warmed by the heated lamps, I suddenly felt the chill in the air and put on my cardigan. Nick stopped at the crosswalk and gently took my hand in his as we crossed the street. The simple gesture warmed me up, and I felt like I no longer needed my cardigan.

  Nick walked a few inches ahead of me casually holding my hand and looked comfortable in his motorcycle jacket. The dress shirt he had on was partially tucked in adding much more spice to his outfit. He had broad shoulders and the right muscle mass for his height; me, being in heels, didn’t really matter with Nick as he was still towering over me. As we made our way hand-in-hand through the crowd in complete silence with me walking just a few inches behind him, gave me the opportunity to admire his physique and how well he carried himself.

&n
bsp; Nick parked in a not-so-well-lit area of the parking lot so it took him a second to figure out where exactly he parked. He directed me towards the parking sign and as we walked up to the parked vehicles, it suddenly hit me that he rode his motorcycle to meet us. My stomach started to form the familiar knots again from the memory on New Year’s Eve. I wondered what was it about that day and that incident that made me flutter.

  His motorbike shone like a knight in the dim light, and I looked at the pure performance piece with open admiration. I just stood and stared at the bike while Nick pulled open the passenger pegs and handed me the passenger helmet.

  “Nick, this is the coolest bike ever,” I complimented.

  “Thanks Sameera. I did catch you drooling over my bike a few weeks ago,” he teased with the widest grin possible. That grin showed off his delicate dimples. I caught my breath every time I saw him smile at me with such pure joy. I was pretty sure my lungs had collapsed, as I was just not able to breathe.

  “Do you know where our apartment is?” I asked Nick.

  “Yes Ma’am,” he mocked.

  “Here put this on over your sweater,” Nick said as he took off his motorcycle jacket.

  “Nick, I will be fine. I am not cold,” I said shaking my head.

  “It’s for safety, Sameera. I don’t want to be attacked by your sister later,” he mocked and put the jacket over my shoulders.

  “It’s a little too big for you, but it should serve the purpose,” Nick said as I pulled the zipper pull half way up.

  Nick sat on the bike, put away the parking stand, and started the motorcycle. I forced myself to take a deep breath as I put on the passenger helmet that Nick handed to me.

  “Nick, I am so excited to ride on this bike,” I said with excitement as I adjusted the straps on the helmet.

  Nick laughed and scooted a few inches forward for me to have enough room to sit on the passenger seat. As I sat on the passenger seat, I felt like my legs were going to be dangling all along. Just as I was wondering where I would set my feet, Nick turned back, reached for my knee, and showed me where to put my foot. I managed to find the foot peg on the other side. The foot pegs were placed so my legs would be at a certain angle that automatically made me bend forward and lean on Nick.

  I placed my purse in front of me and placed my palms flat on my knees so I could support my torso without having to lean on him.

  “Ready?” Nick asked as he put on his helmet.

  “Yes, I am,” I spoke through the helmet foam.

  Nick started to move and then halted again. With his feet supporting the bike upright, he quickly reached for both my wrists at the same time and pulled both my arms around his waist. As he pulled my hands around his waist, I literally ended up falling on him.

  “Nick?” I objected my voice muffled.

  “It’s safer if you hold on to me tightly,” Nick said in a muffled voice though his helmet visor. I managed to nod, as I could not find my voice to respond.

  As we pulled out of the parking lot, I could feel the sheer power of the bike from the outside in and my heart was uncontrollably pounding inside me. I hoped he couldn’t feel the thumping in my chest through his motorcycle jacket. I took a few deep breaths to calm my heart.

  A few seconds later, I was fully aware of what my palms were feeling through the thin dress shirt Nick was wearing. I could feel his flat and tight abdomen and that sensation warmed me inside and out. The ten-minute ride on the bike transformed me to a foreign zone where I felt no sensation and lost all awareness of my surroundings. The masculine cologne smell that was radiating from his jacket and what my palms had in reach was all I could think about. I was barely breathing as we rode through the calm sub-urban streets.

  Nick pulled in front of the apartment community and stopped at the bottom of the staircase that led to our apartment entrance. As the four-stroke engine idled, Nick took off his helmet and said, “And we are here in one piece.”

  With great difficulty, I released my hold around his waist and gently hopped off the bike.

  “Ohh no,” Nick said sounding frustrated putting the parking stand on the bike.

  “Nick, what is it?” I asked concerned as he got off the bike.

  “I think I left my phone at the tequila bar. I need to call Srini. Can I borrow your phone please?” he asked smiling.

  “Absolutely,” I said and pulled out my phone from my compact purse.

  I looked at Nick as he dialed a number. He looked at me while he waited for the call to connect. I looked away and smiled to myself as my heart started to beat faster again, and I suddenly started to feel a faint rumble in my chest. I put my hand on my chest and looked at Nick almost in shock.

  Nick laughed looking at my expression and said, “I hear my phone.” I looked at him as my mind went blank with the continued rumbling in my chest.

  “Ahem, I would like my jacket and my phone that’s in the jacket back please,” Nick said taunting me.

  I laughed aloud at the realization that the buzzing in my chest was his phone going off, and I wasn’t having heart problems.

  “I didn’t want your cool jacket in the first place,” I mocked right back.

  He took the jacket from me and put it on him--it fit him like a glove. I was pretty sure the jacket was stitched on him while he stood tall and handsome.

  “Thank you so much for the ride, Nick.” I leaned forward and put one arm around him to give him a hug. He reached forward to put his arms around me and pulled me closer. He bent down slightly, and planted a light kiss on my cheek and whispered smiling, “The pleasure is all mine. You have no idea how happy I am to see you. Sleep tight.”

  I shuddered internally at the intensity in his voice. I quickly stepped out of his embrace, smiled, and headed up the stairs. I was so shaken that I didn’t think to invite him into the apartment. I turned around as I pulled the apartment keys out of my purse and said “Bye, Nikhil.”

  “Nick, please,” he grinned, and I smiled back.

  Nick waited at the bottom of the staircase on his bike until I opened the main door and stepped in. I looked at him as I was about to close the door, and he waved and then blew me his signature kiss again.

  I smiled and shook my head as he rode off into the night. I stood with my back to the closed door taking in deep breaths. Nick was a great guy and that night, I picked up more than just the plain friendship we had back in India. I wondered if this was how he interacted with everyone, especially women.

  I texted Nate that I reached home and got ready to go to bed. It was very hard not to replay every second of the evening with Nick. I really tried hard to block everything out and sleep, as I needed to wake up early for my Sunday morning class.

  I tossed and turned in my bed and was just settling down when I heard my phone beep. I turned on the bedside lamp and reached for my phone. I had a message but not from Nate. It was from a phone number that I didn’t recognize. I opened the message and it read:

  I had a great time tonight. Sleep tight. – Nick

  I felt my face glowing like a bulb from the inside.

  Me: Me too. Good night. BTW, I was sleeping and you woke me up.

  Nick: Oops, Sorry.

  Nick: How about I make it up to you by taking you to the basketball game on Wednesday?

  Me: Nick, Stop it. I was kidding.

  Nick: I am not kidding. Are we on for Wednesday?

  Me: Are you asking me out?

  Nick: Maybe. 

  Me: Hmm…

  Nick: Ok, Scratch that. I am not asking you out. You and I are going to tag along with Nethra and Srini.

  Me: Why Wednesday?

  Nick: Home team is playing Dallas. I am sure your dad will be thrilled.

  I smiled to myself in surprise that he actually listened to what I had told him about my stepdad.

  Me: I am going to check if Nate can make it and let you know.

  No response. A few minutes later, I got another message.

  Nick: Confirmed. Net
hra and Srini are going. You tagging along?

  Me: Hmm…

  Nick: I can come ask you in person right now.

  Me: Grrr…that’s ridiculous.

  Nick: C’mon.

  Me: OK. Send me the details….later….I am going to bed now. For real. No more texts tonight. 

  I hit send and smiled looking at my phone. He hadn’t changed at all as he was the same old impatient and persistent Nikhil.

  Chapter Three

  My alarm went off at six the next morning, and it took me a few seconds to realize why my alarm was going off on a Sunday morning. I had traded classes with another instructor as I had to stay back late at work on Friday.

  Forty-five minutes later, I was all set to work out with my Bollywood and Bhangra music and dance-loving trainees. Having spent many years learning Indian classical dance, I needed something that would keep me in touch with South Asian dance and music after moving from India. I started as a trainer for the Bollywood Dance Company back in school for fun and some extra cash and have been teaching since. I used to instruct more than one class a week up until a few months ago but cut back to just one Friday class, as I could not keep up with work and the workout schedule.

  I peeked into Nate’s room on my way out and as I had suspected, she wasn’t in her room. She had decided to spend the night at Srini’s townhouse as it is very close to the tequila bar. She was spending more and more nights with him. She had packed a bag of essentials and left it at Srini’s place last week. I really didn’t know how I felt about the sleepovers.

  Srini was a good guy, and I hoped he wouldn’t break her heart. I decided to talk to Nate to make sure everything was good.

  *****

  Nick texted on Tuesday and reminded me about the game on Wednesday. He instructed us to meet him at the Will Call window an hour before the game started. Srini and Nate were going to drive to the arena, and I planned on taking the public transportation from San Francisco to Oakland as driving at that time was not a feasible option.