Boxset: Destiny Decides.. & Destiny Embraces..

by P. G. Van

  “You guys are so cute,” I said smiling and asked, “What do you want to know?”

  Ann got excited and said, “We are all dying to find out why and how you pushed Nick into the pool.”

  I bit my lip unable to contain my laughter and said sheepishly, “It was an accident.”

  “Hmm…You are not a good liar you know?” Ann said smiling and added, “Nick, of all people, would never fall into the pool accidentally.”

  I looked at her and said, “I don’t understand.”

  Ann giggled and said, “Growing up, it was Nick that would push everyone into the pool, and Sam and I made so many plots to do the same to him but he never fell for our traps,” and added, “It was his thing and would boast about it.”

  I laughed remembered his expression as he went into the pool and said, “That explains a lot.”

  “Now you see what I mean?” Ann asked smiling.

  “Yes, I do,” I said and added, “He was going to throw me in the pool first, and I made a big fuss so he let me go and then I pushed him into the pool.”

  “Yay, finally,” Ann said standing up dancing around like a little girl and added, “It’s too bad I did not witness it.”

  “Now I know why Mr. B appreciated the fact that I pushed him into the pool,” I said thinking back at Nick’s dad’s comment.

  “Oh yes, Nick pushed dad into the pool a million times,” Ann said wiping off the moisture from her eyes.

  “I now have to keep an eye out so I don’t get thrown into the pool,” I said warily.

  “We have your back now, Sameera,” she said giggling and added, “And you are Sam’s and my hero.”

  “You are too funny,” I said looking at Ann.

  Ann laughed and said, “I can’t believe I missed the classical dance the other day and oh,” she paused and reached forward to give me a hug and said, “I cannot thank you enough for how Ma is now. Nick tells me it was something about the dance that got her excited and completely ditched her worries.”

  “You are welcome,” I said looking at her and added, “I am glad she enjoyed it.”

  “Please take care of your ankle because I would love to see you dance,” she said with excitement and care in her voice.

  “Absolutely. Hopefully, very soon,” I promised.

  She smiled and softly asked, “How are things with Nick and you?”

  I blushed and said, “Except for the fact that I pushed him into the pool, we are doing great.”

  Ann smiled and said, “He is a great guy, and I am just not saying that because he is my baby brother.”

  “I know, Ann,” I said smiling.

  “He would talk about you every now and then, but in the last year he was a completely different person until he saw you,” Ann said her voice filled with sadness and added cheerfully, “I am so glad you guys found each other.”

  “I feel very blessed that Nick went through all the trouble to get in touch with me,” I said taking in a deep breath.

  “You have no clue how much trouble he caused for Srini and me,” she said smiling and shaking her head.

  “I knew Srini was part of the hunt, but I had no idea he had pulled you into this,” I said with surprise in my voice.

  “Yes, long story short, he demanded that my team work with Srini to set up a search algorithm that looks through the databases of schools and colleges in India to find out more about you,” Ann said breathing out loud.

  “When did he tell you about the search?” I asked Ann curiously.

  Ann laughed and said, “He told me after he stormed into my office one day after I tried to set him up with a friend’s friend. He went on and on about how he has been working with one of his friend’s in India to find you, and that he was getting frustrated because the girl I set him up with was messaging him and annoying him.”

  I blushed and said, “My sister was pretty upset about the search episode and left the room when Nick told us last night.”

  “Were you upset?” Ann asked softly.

  “I was taken back but not upset. Nick would not have done what he did if he didn’t feel so strongly about me. I am glad he looked for me.”

  “That is so sweet,” she said smiling at me and added, “I actually told him that he needs to brace himself for the aftermath, but I am glad you were not upset. Another thing that you may want to keep in mind is that Nick is a master at match making.”

  I looked at her with a confused expression and said, “I don’t understand.”

  “Nick was the one who set me up with my husband,” she said smiling and added, “The best birthday gift Nick ever gave me.”

  “Really? Nick is the reason my sister and Srini are together. What is your story if you don’t mind me asking?” I asked her, my voice filled with excitement.

  Ann looked at her wedding ring fondly and said, “Couple of years ago on my birthday, Nick asked me to take the day off and he would take me out somewhere. On my birthday, he told me that he was not well, and I had to drive him to his doctor’s office. The doctor is now my sweet husband.”

  Ann and I chatted away for I don’t know how long, but as I was talking to her, I realized that Nick was the epicenter of the family and he is the glue that kept the family together and yet he didn’t live with his family. I wondered how it was to live with a huge family. I wondered if I could be part of a joint family, and my initial thought was that I would thrive in such an environment.

  “So, have you guys talked about getting married?” Ann asked interrupting my thoughts and sent shock waves through my body with her question.

  I blushed and shook my head smiling.

  “You do know it’s coming, right?” Ann asked with excitement.

  “I don’t know if we are there yet, and also it’s too soon to think about marriage,” I said my voice barely audible.

  “Not for you two, and I won’t be surprised with anything that Nick does at this point,” Ann said smiling and added rolling her eyes, “I won’t be surprised if he comes home one day and tells us that he got married over the weekend.”

  I laughed at the scenario she described and said, “I doubt if he would do that, he loves you all very much.”

  “Well, I don’t trust him to tell us so I am counting on you to tell us if you do something like that,” she said coolly.

  “Ann, stop,” I said turning crimson.

  “Believe me Sameera, I have a feeling that it would happen in a very adventurous way,” Ann said in a suspicious tone and added with confidence, “My baby brother is done chasing silly girls.”

  I smiled and looked at her beaming at me.

  “Did Srini and Nethra pick a date for their wedding?” Ann asked with excitement.

  “Srini wants to talk to my mom and dad before they pick a date, and my mom and dad are planning to visit us in a few weeks,” I said, excitement building in my voice.

  “How exciting,” Ann said and added, “You should have Nick meet your parents too.”

  “Yes, I was planning to ask him but have not had a chance to ask him yet,” I said and Nick responded, “Ask me what?”

  Ann and I both were startled as he suddenly spoke.

  “Nick,” Ann complained and said, “You need to stop doing such creepy stuff.”

  “What are you two geniuses discussing?” Nick asked as he bent and planted a kiss on Ann’s cheek. Ann punched him lightly on his abdomen and said with pride in her voice, “Ahh, yes, we were discussing about how the master of the pool ended up in the pool.”

  I laughed looking at him, and Nick slowly walked over to the side where I was sitting and sat down next to me. He smiled at me planting a kiss on my forehead and said, “Yes, the day has come where I hand off my pool crown to Sameera.”

  The three of us looked at each other and started laughing. Ann spent more time chatting and left to go to lunch with her husband.

  “Now what?” I asked Nick after Ann left.

  “Well, what do you want to do?” he asked placing his index finge
r under my chin.

  “I want to go home,” I said and paused as Nick raised his eyebrow with a sarcastic smile on his face.

  “Nick, please take me home. I will let you carry me up the stairs,” I whined.

  Nick’s expression changed from the sarcastic smile to a grin. I realized that he at first thought I was referring to my old apartment and smiled to myself with surprise that I was referring to Nick’s San Francisco apartment as home.

  “Yes, baby. I will take you home,” Nick said taking the back of my hand and kissing it.

  *****

  A few hours later, we were in Nick’s garage getting ready to go to San Francisco when Ann and her husband showed up.

  “Sameera, you are able to stand up now?” Ann asked with surprise as she walked towards us in the garage. Ann and her husband had pulled into the garage next to Nick’s garage at the family residence.

  “Like I said, it wasn’t as bad as Nick made it look,” I said smiling as she approached me and put her arms around me.

  “Why aren’t you staying?” she asked me and added looking at Nick smiling, “Sameera and I were bonding so well.”

  “Sameera wants to go,” Nick said shrugging his shoulders and added, “plus, I am not too thrilled with my sister and girlfriend getting together to plot against me.”

  Ann and I looked at each other and giggled as Nick gave the two of us the stink eye. Nick and I said our goodbyes to Ann and her husband on our way out after Nick had Ann’s husband do the final check on my ankle. Ann teased him mercilessly as her husband checked on my ankle per Nick’s request. I realized that nothing would make Nick back down on his borderline annoying care for me. My heart glowed every time I saw him wince at my reaction to pain as Ann’s husband applied pressure at various locations to check on the sprain. Nick had me sitting in the passenger seat of the Range Rover as my ankle was being inspected. He stood with his hands on the passenger door, and I saw him gripping the door to keep him from fidgeting.

  It was mid-afternoon by the time we left the family residence and on our way to San Francisco. Nick looked fashionable and charming as usual in his classic slim-fitting dark jeans and a cobalt blue cashmere sweater. He was wearing a pair of sunglasses that I had not seen before that made him look hot. I admired his chiseled profile through my lashes, my lust to take my lips to his was getting stronger by the second. I clasped my palms together hoping to get a grip over my emotions.

  “Sweetheart, are you okay?” Nick asked as if he sensed the emotional eruption inside me.

  “Yes,” I said my voice weak without looking at him.

  “Are you in pain?” he asked as he changed lanes to move to the right most lane. When I did not respond, he took the next exit that happened to be an exit to a vista point off the beautiful highway. He pulled into a parking space and turned to look at me concerned. I clicked my seat belt open and literally pounced on him taking my lips to his. I heard him moan deep inside as I dug my tongue through his lips and pulled him closer to me with one hand around his neck. I ran my other hand along his back creating pressure points with my fingertips. He gently removed the sunglasses off his face and put both arms around my waist lifting me off the seat and pulling me onto his chest. The console between the two seats served as support for me to rest my body.

  Nick pulled me onto him, and I stretched out my legs on the console as I sat on Nick’s lap being worshipped by his lips. He had flattened the driver’s seat to the point where I was laying on him flat as he traced his lips down my neck. I moaned tightening my grip on his neck as his fingertips reached my hardened nipple and drew tantalizing circles around it.

  “Nick, I...” I said as he grazed on my neck, and I trailed off, as I could not keep my voice steady.

  “I know my love, it’s hard to keep your hands off me,” Nick said his voice filled with self-satisfaction.

  I laughed and put my palms on Nick’s cheeks to look at him and said, “I agree,” and kissed the sharp edge of his nose. I hugged him resting my chin on his shoulder. My breathing was ragged and my heart was pounding against my chest. I lay on his chest in the driver‘s seat trying to understand why I had the sudden need to be close to him and feel his lips against me when he was merely a few feet away in the car. It was not like me to be irrational and out of control.

  “Ready to go?” Nick asked a few minutes later in a gentle voice nuzzling my hair.

  “Nick, I don’t want to be away from you,” I whined and added, “and you have been very distant all day today.”

  Nick laughed and said, “It’s hard for me to be away, but your ankle.”

  “My ankle is fine,” I said looking at my ankle that was resting on the passenger seat. “Since you took this exit, we might as well take a walk,” I added sitting up in his lap.

  “Taking a walk maybe pushing it for today, but we can go sit on that bench. I will see what I can do about me being with you the rest of the day,” Nick said winking at me.

  “Okay, let’s go sit on the bench and do something that a normal couple would do,” and added for clarification, “like hold hands and enjoy the beautiful view.”

  Nick laughed and teased, “Your wish is my command, my lady.”

  Nick helped me walk to the cement bench that was a few feet away from the car sitting me down and went back to the car to grab his phone. When he came back a few minutes later, he had his sunglasses on, and I smiled and said looking at him, “Those sunglasses look good on you,” and looked away as I felt the pink tinge crawling back to my cheeks.

  “Thank you and you almost ruined them when you attacked me in the car,” he taunted.

  “I know,” I said biting my lip and smiling to myself.

  “What? You really did ruin them almost,” he said sitting down and putting his arm around me. I rested my head sideways on his shoulder and said to him, “I know and that’s because they made you look so irresistible.”

  “Ahh, good to know. Now I know what shirts and what kind of sunglasses I should be wearing,” he teased as he planted a kiss on my cheek.

  Nick and I sat on the bench for a good thirty minutes enjoying the view of the valley in front of us. The view from the vista point was beautiful with the lake at a distance and greenery in spite of minimal rains during the season.

  “Nick, my mom and dad are visiting us in two weeks,” I said without looking at him.

  “I heard that and was wondering when you were going to tell me,” Nick said laughing.

  “Well, they are coming to meet their future son-in-law and their daughters,” I mocked.

  “What and I don’t get to meet them?” Nick whined.

  “Of course you will Nick,” I said laughing and added, “My mom can’t wait to see you.”

  Nick smiled and asked, “What do they know about us?”

  “I am sure they know every detail because your information goddess is not your exclusive goddess. She treats all her devotees the same,” I said rolling my eyes and looked at Nick as he laughed uncontrollably. When I looked at him wondering what was so funny, he said as his laughter subsided, “Do you think they are also wondering if you are pregnant just like Nethra did?”

  “Nick, stop it,” I said fuming at him and added, “You need to let go of that topic.”

  Nick’s expression went from being ecstatic to a more serious expression; and when he spoke, his voice was deep but calm, “I cannot let go of that thought ever Sameera. I thought I made it very clear that I want to make babies with you.”

  I shivered as he reached out and touched my cheek and planted a kiss on my lips.

  “Nick, please,” I said feeling overwhelmed with what he said.

  “Okay, I think I have said what I wanted to say,” he said smiling and lightening the mood by asking, “Am I still allowed to meet your parents?”

  “Yes, you will meet them Nick,” I said cheerfully.

  “When do they get here?” he asked looking at his watch.

  “They get here in two weeks on Thursday nig
ht and are leaving on Saturday night,” I said with excitement in my voice.

  “I can arrange for their pickup and drop off and will have the limo at their disposal,” Nick said pulling me closer to him.

  “Ohh no, no limo,” I said shaking my head and continued, “I am going to take them around in the car they bought me as a graduation gift.”

  “That’s too much driving for you between San Francisco and the South Bay, Sameera,” Nick said sounding unhappy.

  “Nick, I am going to be in my old apartment when my mom and dad visit us,” I said softly.

  “No, please,” Nick whined and asked, “Why?”

  I laughed and said, “I barely get to see my mom and dad, and they are here for such a short amount of time and stop looking at me like that.” Nick had his sad face on with lips turned downwards and was looking at me with a hope that I would change my mind.

  “Nick, I need to be in Nate’s apartment for the few days when my parents are visiting. You are welcome to join us for lunch on Saturday at the apartment,” I said smiling.

  “I don’t get to see you till Saturday then?” he asked shaking his head.

  “Unless you go back to being the stalker you were, you probably could see me on Friday,” I said mocking him.

  Nick laughed and said, “That would be totally creepy.”

  “So, do you want to talk about what you did after you saw me go to the farmers market on Saturday morning?” I asked hugging his arm.

  “Nothing, I just followed you around the farmers market,” he said feeling embarrassed.

  “I can’t believe you didn’t come talk to me,” I said sounding annoyed and added, “I would have loved to start this journey with you much sooner.”

  “I know. I still kick myself for taking the time to pick the perfect time to meet you, but I just could not take the risk,” he said running his hands through his hair.

  “Risk of what, Nick?” I asked as I remembered he had mentioned it the day before as well.

  “The risk of causing you more pain, risk of you not liking me, and many more,” he said softly.