“Oh. So handsome,” she said.
I was speechless, even when Sunny glanced at me for some sort of indication to the direction of this entire thing.
His shock had worn off by now, and his face had returned to its usual stoic expression, which had somehow, at some point, slowly evolved into a charming look. He smiled, showing teeth…how had I never noticed those perfect teeth before? Oh, yes, because he didn’t smile at me like that. Well, he had amazing teeth and an amazing smile that had Diya and Mummie silent. Silent! Did he know what sort of power he wielded? What great responsibility came with great charm?
Charm and Sunny weren’t two things I’d ever associated before, but they paired seamlessly when he not only generously conversed with Mummie, answering the beginning of what was sure to be a long line of biodata inquiries to be followed by his family, religious and cultural background, how often he prayed, if he had a house and where, the number of children he planned on siring, and his blood type. And he did so…in Gujarati…in that Denzel voice.
Every ovary in my body was popping, every excited hope in my sister went off, and every prayer my mother had ever uttered was being answered.
Damnit.
Diya gave me a look that pretty much said, “You better lock him down with a ring. Don’t wait for him to propose!” Plus a hefty dose of, “Damn, sis. Get. It.”
Sunny’s Gujarati was fluid and far better than my, what we called, village Gujarati. I sounded uneducated and from the poorest villages when I tried to speak my parents’ language because, well, our family was from a poor village. He leaned in on his elbows, hands clasped, giving in to the auntie whims my mother was throwing at him, and laughed.
Something warm spread through me, seeping into my gut and deeper into my bones. I had to shut that down quickly because this wasn’t real and I would have to deal with the aftermath later.
Finally stumbling out of my stupor, I grabbed Sunny’s hand and yanked him away. I pushed against his back as Diya and her phone followed me, Mummie scowling and crying, “Ay! Where are you going?”
“We have time-sensitive plans!”
“Prevent the mossing!”
“Talk to you later! Bye!”
I didn’t release Sunny until we were speed-walking halfway down the street. I was still tugging him behind me. He was actually chuckling.
“This isn’t funny!” I belted.
He laughed so hard that his eyes squinted up and the sun glinted off his canines. “What goes around!”
Sexy canines? What was happening?
I had to stop staring at his mouth, but there was so much goodness to behold. He could absolutely destroy entire worlds with that smile.
“What does she mean by ‘mossing’?” he managed to ask in between all that amused chortling.
“She thinks I need to move forward in life at a faster pace or my stagnation will lead into me devolving into moss.”
When Sunny found his composure, he nudged my shoulder with his and said, “I guess we’re both in it now?”
“I had no idea what to say,” I confessed, my face too warm to be considered healthy.
“You froze. With a deer-in-the-headlights look. I’ve never seen you like that.”
I groaned as I texted Diya to calm down. I’d typed out that we weren’t dating, and this was all a misunderstanding, but then she replied with a: Guess I won’t have to bug you to get out during your stay and Mummie will leave you alone. At least until you get home.
Hmm. Maybe this wasn’t a total disaster? I’d explain to them later and add that their current and previous prodding and pushing me into being more extroverted and finding a man had led me to this falsehood. Yes. Sounded like a great plan, which started with no one breathing down my neck for once.
Fine. Ruse extended.
Twelve Sunny
While we walked toward the meeting point, I checked my phone for any sort of update from my sisters, just in case something had happened between now and the last time I’d checked in. Their updates were enough to ease my worries and be in the moment. A moment that involved Bane standing beside me at the front courtyard water fountain waiting for the others to come down.
“Your sister and mother seem nice,” I commented, meaning to be sincere, but somehow, the words came out as a filler to cut through the silence.
“Thanks. They are.”
More silence.
Bane’s shoulder deflated as she turned to me. “Okay. We need to get some things straight if your friends are going to believe this. My family desperately wants to believe that I have a boyfriend, but your friends are probably more intuitive. Especially when we look like strangers together.”
I pulled my hands out of my pockets. “Better?”
Her brows went up. “Should I call one of my lovers to show you how it’s done?”
Something rancid nipped at my gut. The idea of Bane having other guys on her was…nah…it couldn’t be jealousy. It had to be disdain. “How many do you have again?”
“Not important. Just play the part. You need them off your back and I just want some peace. But also, this is a little fun, showcasing some acting skills.”
“If you say so.”
“I think you like messing with people, too.”
“I’ve given no indication to lead to such an assessment.”
“You were so wonderful with my family.”
