by P. G. Van
“It probably reminded them of your twin. Reyan told me once that she was very sweet.”
“I know but c’mon, they just have to look at me once and know I am not sweet.”
Annie laughed and said putting her arms around me, “You are a very sweet person. I would argue with anyone who said you aren’t.”
“Very sweet, but I had an overdose of their sweetness. I had people bring me coffee or water, just like that.”
“What?”
“So it was weird that I was at the poker table the other day, and I told myself I should take a drink of water after that round and whola…a minute later Mrs. Singhal is handing me a glass of ice-cold water.”
“Okay, that’s not weird…well it’s weird but it’s not weird when moms do it.”
“Exactly my point, these are the things that have been making me all suffocated and irritated.”
“What else happened?” Annie asked as if she was intrigued by the water episode.
“Well, there was this table card episode.”
“Details, Vinnie,” Annie urged.
“So, apparently Mrs. Singhal…” I paused when Annie raised her hand and stopped me and said, “Stop calling her that. Can you please call her mom or at least mother. It’s wrong to call her like she is your teacher.”
“Fine,” I said rolling my eyes and added, “So, the mother…err...she has very good handwriting and Rahul had asked her to write about two hundred table cards for the reception.”
“What? Two hundred handwritten cards?”
“I know.”
“So when…the mother told me she had to start working on the cards, I offered to help not knowing that Rahul had wanted it specifically in her handwriting,” I said shaking my head.
“The grooms can be so needy sometimes, “ Annie snorted and added, “So what happened?”
“Well, I just started writing in my cursive writing that I used to write with on the Starbucks blackboard and the one in the bar at the entrance.”
“Okay and?”
“Reyan’s mom shows up and stands behind me watching me write those cards.”
“What were you doodling, Vinnie?” Annie giggled.
“Nothing!!”
“So what was she shocked about?”
“Turns out the mother and I have the exact same handwriting, and the mother knew about it.”
“How did she know?”
“Reyan told her it was my handwriting on the blackboard when she had come to see me at the bar last week.”
“You have the same handwriting as her, you write like her, you look like her.”
“I don’t look like her.”
“Oh my god, Vinnie, you do. You and the mother are the only ones I know with eyes that dark that glow.”
“You make me sound ominous now,” I teased.
“Vinnie, this is awesome. This should help you build a connection with her.”
“Annie, we don’t have to build connections, they happen, just like how you and I connected. All you had to do was walk up to the bar counter and tell me your name.”
Annie laughed throwing her head back and said wiping off the moisture at the corner of her eyes, “You are darn right!!!”
“You see what I mean…just too much for me to handle and to top that off, the mother said she has a surprise for me today.”
“What kind of surprise?” Annie asked adjusting her outfit.
“I have no idea. All I know is that this house is going to be taken over by a hundred women tonight for a ladies’ night out.”
“It’s not a made up event, Vinnie, it’s one of the pre-wedding events.”
“I can’t wait for Reyan to be back tomorrow.”
“I doubt if you’ll see him anytime before noon tomorrow.” Annie winked.
“What? He told me he’ll come get me in the morning.”
“After a night of partying? Not happenin sista!!”
“He is a dead man if he doesn’t show up at six in the morning.”
“God help him,” Annie teased getting up from the bed to grab her clutch.
“I’ve kinda gotten used to carrying these outfits.” I observed looking at myself in the all black fitted cropped blouse, a full length skirt in black and red abstract pattern, and a sheer red and black bordered scarf.
“That outfit makes you look so hot. Reyan would have ripped your clothes apart just like he did with the other blouse.” She giggled holding on to the doorknob ready to leave and join the party downstairs.
“You promised to never talk about it.” I fumed and added, “It’s too bad I couldn’t make up another story. I thought about it but nothing stuck.”
“You two are so cute.”
“Hey, you just said I looked hot, don’t insult me by calling me cute,” I taunted.
Ten minutes later, Annie and I made our way downstairs to join the group of women of all age ranges. There were a group of tween girls huddled around a table gossiping and giggling, and one of the girls looked up at me and her face went pale.
“Oh that’s right, another thing I didn’t mention to you is half the people that don’t know I am the twin, think they see my dead twin and have those expressions,” I whispered leaning towards Annie.
“That’s just hilarious and stop talking about your sister like that,” Annie warned.
“Annie, I really don’t feel a thing for anyone except empathy about losing people you love to an accident.”
“I don’t know what to say, Vinnie. I want you to be happy and you know I will support you blindly.”
“I know you will and…” My voice died when I saw a familiar woman dressed in a beautiful saree walk through the double doors of the main entrance. I watched in shock when the mother approached the woman and hugged her warmly.
“And what?” Annie prompted looking at me.
“Annie, that’s my aunt…what is she doing here and oh my god, she looks so pretty,” I managed to utter.
“And it looks like the mother knows her. How do they know each other?”
Meg entered the room a minute later wearing the exact same outfit that I had on that night.
What the fuck? Is this my surprise?
“What the fuck? Is this your surprise?” Annie whispered echoing my thoughts.
“I have no fucking idea, let’s go find out.”
I walked towards my aunt and Meg with Annie struggling to keep up with me. Meg saw me as I approached them, and her face burst into the brightest smile I had ever seen on her face.
“Vinnie, I love it!!! Thank you Preethi Mami (aunt) for the matching outfits.”
Meg is calling her Mami?
“You’re welcome, Meghan!! I am glad you like it. I wanted you and Vinnie to have matching outfits for tonight.”
“How do you guys know each other?” I asked putting on a fake smile.
“We met last week at home. Reyan’s mom and Preethi had come over to invite Meg and me for the wedding and all the other parties.”
“Why didn’t you guys tell me?”
“I wanted this to be a surprise for you, Vinnie,” the mother said softly.
“I’ve never seen you in a saree Mami, you look beautiful,” I cheered putting my arms around her. I had seen my aunt as a ravishing call girl when she was in the escort business but never realized what a classical beauty she was until I saw her in a saree.
“Thank you baby. Did you hear that Meg?”
“You look weird in that saree mom,” Meg retorted.
“Did Reyan take you to Mami’s place?” I asked for confirmation even through I know he was the only link and both women nodded smiling.
He is a dead man even if she shows up at six in the morning.
“Why don’t we go join the semi-drunk women?” the mother suggested, winking at my aunt.
I let my aunt and the mother walk ahead of us and grumbled, “I don’t like the sight of this.”
“What do you mean?” Annie asked and Meg leaned in to get the scoop.
“What’s wrong with that, Vinnie?” Meg chimed in and Annie nodded.
“I don’t want her becoming Mami’s besty and have Mami tell me how I should call her ‘mommy’. Not happening!!” I growled.
“Vinnie, Preethi Mami is so sweet.”
“Exactly what I was worried about. You see what I am talking about Annie?”
“For once, I don’t Vinnie. The poor woman lost her daughter and husband in one accident and is just grateful that Reyan rolled off the highway in the middle of the night.” Annie said hi-five-ing with Meg.
“You guys are being ridiculous. I am gonna go break up those future BFFs, and it looks like Reyan’s mom is one of the contenders,” I grumbled.
“Do you really want to mess with your boyfriend’s mom?” Annie giggled.
“I have no choice.” I walked away from the two giggling girls and went to take a seat between my aunt and the mother.
“You guys are having too much fun. What are you guys talking about?” I asked pasting a smile on my face.
“Should we tell her now or should we wait for Reyan to be back?” my aunt asked winking at the mother and Reyan’s mom.
“We should tell her. I am sure she is itching to find out what we are talking about,” the mother chimed in.
“Vinnie, I finally have investors and someone willing to market my products.”
“Oh my god, Mami. Really?” I shrieked hugging my aunt.
“Yeah baby, Preethi and Seema are my investors and Reyan is going to take care of marketing.” My aunt planted a kiss on my forehead and added, “The most exciting time of my life.”
“Mami, no,” I said my voice barely audible.
“What is it Vinnie?” my aunt asked picking up the strain in my voice.
I ignored my aunt’s question and turned to look at the mother.
“Do you think you can win me over with all these things?” my voice was a whiplash.
“Vinnie, what are you talking about?” the mother asked softly.
“We don’t need investors who are not passionate about the products my aunt produces,” I said and added looking at my aunt, “Mami this is a bad idea.”
“Vinnie, what is going on?” Reyan’s mom asked and added, “Preethi and I have always wanted to get into the food industry, and we see this as a great opportunity. Why do you think we are not passionate about it?”
“Because everything I have seen the past few days is a ploy to get me to accept you as my mother, and I am telling you right now that is not happening. You can’t just give me up and then come looking for me when you lose your favorite child,” I said in an elevated voice grabbing more than a handful of women’s attention.
“Vinnie, get a hold of yourself,” my aunt warned.
“No Mami, I have tried really hard this past week to do the right thing, but I just can’t get over the fact that she didn’t care for me until the accident.”
“That’s because I didn’t know you were alive,” the voice of a grieving mother cut through my bullshit.
“What?” I gasped.
She looked at me in silence and when she finally spoke her voice was strained, “I was told that your were a stillborn, and they didn’t want me to see you.”
Reyan’s mom put her arm around her. She looked straight at me ignoring the mumbling in the background and said softly, “I didn’t know you were alive until two years ago. I thought I had lost you at birth.”
“Vinnie, are you okay?” Annie asked looking at me, and I just stared at the woman in front of me feeling the pain from her tears down in the pit of my stomach.
“I don’t believe this,” I uttered.
“It’s true, Vinnie. I know what Preethi went through,” Reyan’s mom chimed in.
“Your father didn’t tell anyone about how he had sent you to your mom and dad the day you were born. Nandi died at the spot of the accident, but your father fought for his life just so he could tell me about you. He wanted me to know that you were alive.” Her voice was calm but stern.
“Why didn’t he say something in all those years?” I asked unable to stop myself.
Your father didn’t have the courage to tell me about your existence and kept combing India for your mom and dad until someone finally told him that they had left the country. He suffered twenty-one years with his own guilt stinging him every time I published a book with your name.”
“I’m…I’m sorry…I…”
“You don’t need to apologize, Vinnie. I am glad this came up, and you know I didn’t come looking for you just because I lost Nandana.”
I hid my face in my palms and mumbled, “I am sorry, I shouldn’t have…”
I felt the warmth from her embrace and knew it was her. I didn’t have to open my eyes to know who was wiping off my tears. I didn’t need to look into her eyes to know how much pain she endured, and yet it took me this long to acknowledge that she is my mother.
“I need some time for myself,” I whispered and left the party area and headed upstairs to my room. I locked the door and stood with my back to it.
A new mother was told that her child was a stillborn and the mother kept her alive through her work, her twin that spent time together in the womb changed her name, and then a father who lied to a mother because of a superstition. He was the one I should be angry with, the man who let me go. The man picked me to give away because he was convinced I was the evil twin.
Chapter 24
I woke up to the sound of the bedroom door opening and said, “Annie, I really don’t want to talk now and how did you get in? I am pretty sure I locked the door.”
“It’s my room you know, I have the master key,” Reyan’s smooth voice shook me awake.
“Reyan,” I called out and instantly felt his arms wrap around me securely.
“I am so angry with you right now, I want to kill you.”
“I know baby,” he said planting a kiss on my forehead.
“Go away,” I barked, pushing him away.
“Please don’t push me, you know I don’t like it.” He came back to put his arms around me.
“Do you have any idea how pissed I am,” I said wiggling out of his hands and pushing him away.
“Baby…that’s strike number two. I didn’t come all the way from Vegas for this.” His voice had a hint of anger, but I didn’t care.
“I didn’t ask you to come,” I said and pushed him away for the third time and rasped, “Don’t touch me.”
He grabbed my hands by my wrists and held them firmly behind me with one hand. He was angry. I could tell just from the way his breath fanned my face, and I knew he was exercising a lot of restraint.
“Get a grip, Vinnie,” his voice was gruff.
“Reyan, why the fuck didn’t you tell me everything? I…” I broke off when I felt his lips on mine with a crushing desire. He was angry about the way I behaved, and I was pissed about everything.
He continued on with the punishing pressure on my lips holding my wrists together while I fought my inner desire to give in and be consumed by the pleasure that kicked in. The thrill of being dominated by a virile man triggered an unknown level of lust in me, but I managed to nip it in the bud. I raised my knee instinctively to crush him but he was quick to grab my knee and with his free hand pushed it aside opening me up.
My gasp was lost against his lips when he dug his arousal into my mound and moaned when his palm cupped my ass to press his hardness deeper into me. I was outraged and aroused by the range of sensations I felt. The burn on my wrists only made me hotter for him, and his arousal awakened my nub, but the pressure on my lips made me want to claw his face off.
I moaned against his lips objecting to the roughness, and he eased the pressure on my lips but dug his fingertips into my bottom making me pool between my legs. I gat
hered the strength to pull back my lips from him only to take them back to his with an unbounding urge to suck his lips.
He let go of my hands as if in reaction to the shift in pressure on his lower lips, and I ran my fingers through his thick hair and took his lower lip between his teeth.
He groaned grasping me by my hair when I reached for his hardness, leaving a trail of kisses along the side of my neck.
“Who the heck said you could get your mom and my mother to invest in my aunt’s business,” I rasped opening up my neck to him enjoying the nipping and biting.
He mumbled his response against my neck sucking on the skin like he wanted to taste my blood.
“Reyan…” I growled letting go of his hardness to sink my nails into his neck and shoulders.
He brought his lips back to mine flattening my back on the mattress, and I gasped as he increased the pressure on my lips and dug the length of his arousal along the length of my craving cave of lava.
“I know you want to rip my face off, but you are too wet to do that to me,” he groaned.
My body rocked with the tremors ripping through it just with the surface tension he brought on my mound teasing me with his hardness. He was large, the largest I had been with, and he seemed to get deliciously bigger every time he made love to me.
“Yes,” I moaned.
“Yes, what?” he growled running his fingers along my inner thighs. I arched and lifted my hips to invite him in unable to wait any longer.
“I am angry so don’t make me wait,” I warned, wanting him and needing him so badly I thought I would die if he didn’t enter me that very second.
“Oh, I love it baby, you are so hot!!”
I let go of his hair and reached down to find the bulge that threatened to rip through his dress pants. I flattened my palm over his erection and stroked him over his pants.
“How dare you go behind my back and make deals with my family?” I growled, running my tongue along his cheek not letting go of his throbbing virility.
“Fuck you,” he groaned against my skin running his fingers through my hair.
I gathered my strength and pushed him off me to go on top of him. I used my body weight to flatten his back on the mattress and looked down at him running my bottom in circles over his arousal.