Sen’s eyes widened. ‘Since when?’
MrShah fidgeted with a nearby rack of high-end socks.
‘She quit exactly two weeks ago,’ he replied.
Two weeks.That means she quit two Fridays ago, the first night I stayed over. And she never told me.
‘I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll be on my way,’ he said and waved to MrShah.
When he stepped outside, he pulled off his tie and shoved it in his pocket. He undid the top button of his shirt. His pulse was racing and he gritted his teeth.
Behind the wheel of his car as he pulled out of the parking, he asked himself if he was wrong to be furious that Shona didn’t confide in him. No strings attached. But he thought they’d moved past that. How could she not tell him something so big? He didn’t know what he was going to do, but somehow he ended up parked outside Shona’s apartment block. He jumped out of the car and took the stairs two at a time.
He didn’t ring the bell. He knocked. Loudly.
He heard her footsteps approaching the door.
When she opened, he registered the shock on her face, shoved his way past her and slammed the door behind him before she had a chance to invite him in.
He turned around and kissed her. The kiss was carnal. This wasn’t Sen kissing Shona, his fling. This wasn’t Sen kissing Shona, his friend. This was Sen kissing Shona the way he always wanted to. She grabbed his collar to pull him closer. The kiss deepened and he picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he backed up against the door.
‘Senthil,’ she whispered.
Sen stopped. She called him Senthil. He looked at her. Sweet, complicated Shona. He carried her to the bedroom and his lips crushed hers again.
They were on their backs. Silent. Their breathing was the only sound in the room.
‘What was that?’
Sen didn’t answer her. Instead, he got out of bed and went to her bathroom.
After a few minutes, he returned but didn’t get back into bed.
Shona tried to figure out the look on his face. It was thunderous.
He stood there in his boxers with those angry eyes on her.
Shona shifted in the bed.
‘What’s up?’
What else could she ask?
‘You tell me,’ Sen replied. His eyes were still laser-focused on her face.
Shona stretched her arms, got out of bed and began to get dressed. Sen hadn’t moved.
Once her shorts and T-shirt were on, she ran her hands through her hair. Still, he didn’t move.
She turned to him.
‘Okay, is this one of your lawyer moves?’
Sen didn’t answer.
‘Fine. I didn’t think about how you would feel when I allowed Jeremy, the boring psychologist, to chat me up at the bar on Monday. I’m sorry, but in my defence, Anni made me do it.’
Sen didn’t budge.
