“There’s a bottle of soda in your hand,” Anil said. “No one said it was going to be analcoholicdrinking game. A round of Never Have I Ever is a great way for me to get to know all of you better.”
Kamila beamed. “I love Never Have I Ever! That’s it. I’m going to have to go ahead andinsist.” She turned to Anil. “I want to learn all your deepest secrets.”
Rohan cleared his throat and Nicole whispered something into Asha’s ear.
“I’ll play,” Maricel said, picking up her glass from the table. “I played this in school.”
“Rohan, you’ll play, too, right?” Kamila asked.
“Course he will,” Anil said. “Right, old friend?”
Rohan didn’t look enthused. Actually, he looked as annoyed as Jana. This was what Kamila had been afraid of—Jana’s sour mood was contagious.
“C’mon, old man.” Kamila said. “Loosen up a bit.”
“Fine,” Rohan said. “But let’s keep this surface level. No personal questions that people might not want to admit. And anyone is allowed to bow out at any point with no pressure to keep playing.” He may have glanced at Jana there, but Kamila couldn’t be sure.
“Of course,” Kamila said. “This is supposed to be fun.”
“Okay,” Maricel said, “I can go first.”
Kamila grinned. “Remember, everyone, take a sip of your drink if youhavedone the thing Maricel says she’s never done.”
“Never have I ever”—Maricel bit her lip—“been in a limousine?”
Pretty much everyone took a sip of their drink.
Kamila groaned. “My turn. I’ll think of something more daring than that.” Rohan narrowed his eyes at her, but she ignored him. She tapped her fingernails on her wineglass while thinking of something to say.
“Difficult to find something you’ve never done?” Asha asked, teasing.
Kamila giggled, then turned to Anil. “Don’t listen to her. There are plenty of things I haven’t done.” She narrowed her eyes and quirked her lip. “But plenty I’m thoroughly experienced at, too.”
“I know something Kamila has never done,” Jana said. “Refrained from flirting with every man in a three-meter radius.”
Wow.Jana was reallynotplaying nice anymore. Why was she suddenly taking their secret feud public? Kamila opened her mouth with a retort when Maricel interrupted.
“I think that’s a double negative. Are we allowed to do that?”
“No, we’re not,” Kamila said, glaring at Jana. “Okay. Never have I ever…” She looked at Rohan, smiling. “Shared a passionate kiss in the rain.”
There. Success. Rohan turned pink. Asha and Nicole each took sips of their drinks. As did Maricel and Jerome, but not Tim. Kamila herself didn’t take a sip—there wasn’t much that would make her go out in the rain, let alone kiss in it. Not when she spent so much time on her hair.
Rohan didn’t drink, either. Such a shame. That was a little heartbreaking.
“My turn,” Anil said quickly. “Never have I ever…hmmm…What can I really challenge you with?” He winked at Kamila. “Never have I ever…been involved with someone already in a relationship with someone else.”
Wow. Kamila’s head turned sharply to Anil. That waspersonal. Clearly, he wasn’t following Rohan’s rules.
But Kamila was curious…Who here had been in a relationship with someone already taken? Kamila had never—not knowingly, at least. She looked to see if anyone took a sip of their drink.
Anil smirked but didn’t drink. Neither did Rohan, Dane, or Maricel. Tim and Jerome smiled knowingly at each other and sipped their drinks. Weirdly, Nicole also sipped her wine, which made Asha laugh. Kamila made a mental note to get her friends to spill the tea on those sordid details another time. Jana had an expression that was even more irritated than normal. In fact, almost…pained. Anil was watching her.
Holy seersucker.Thatis what had happened in Tajikistan. Jana had an affair with a married man, and Anil knew about it. Maybe that close friend going through a divorce Anil spoke about—Jana’s boss? Was it possible that her fling with Bronx Bennet wasn’t a one-off and Jana the Great was still fond of other people’s men?
Kamila snorted, eyeing Jana’s obvious anger at Anil’s statement. She hadn’t said anything after Jana’s hair, gossip, or flirting comments, and after what had happened when they were teenagers, she was entitled to a slight dig here. “Really, Jana? Still playing the other woman? I figured you would have grown out of that since high school.”
Jana blinked at Kamila, then stood suddenly and put her drink on the table. “I’m leaving. Sudden indigestion.”
