“There’s no need to rush back,” Priya said quickly. “The power’s out in the apartment, and there’s nothing you can do until the reno crew arrives.”
“Mr. Ethan is okay?” Puppa asked. “No issues at the coach house, right?”
“He’s fine. We—”
“Priya! The food!” Mumma shrieked. “Did you move it to the fridge in the coach house?”
Mumma’s priorities were always clear. First, her daughter. Second, her high-profile tenant. And a very enthusiastic third? Her homemade food. Priya’s list was, however, a little more streamlined at the moment. She watched as Ethan finished another set of push-ups, his muscles flexing with each slow, controlled movement. A light sheen of sweat clung to his skin, catching the light.
“Beta,” her father said, “how did you cope with no power in the apartment last night?”
“I…uh…I stayed at the coach house.”
“Suuu?” Mumma, Puppa, and Deepa squawked like a chorus of parrots over the speaker.
Priya recoiled from her phone, mentally face-palming herself. The mere mention of spending the night in the coach house with Ethan was enough to send her parents racing home, tires squealing. What was she thinking? Oh wait. Shewasn’t. No brain cells were firing today.
“I slept on the sofa bed,” she improvised.
Ethan paused mid-workout, one eyebrow lifting as he looked over at her.
“At least you had the sense to use the sofa bed,” Mumma said. “You know better than to let a guest take the sofa bed. And Mr. Ethan isn’t just any guest. You give that man anything he wants.”
Priya met Ethan’s eyes across the room as he toweled off. He shot her a wide grin, daring her to argue.
“Power or no power, you can’t stay at the coach house,” Puppa said. “I’ll see if I can buy a backup generator on the way home. We’ll make do until things get sorted.”
Priya heard Mumma say something to Puppa, their voices dropping into a hushed conversation.
“Deepa?” she asked. “You still there? What’s going on?”
“Okay, listen.” Deepa’s voice dipped to a low whisper, the kind that meant drama was incoming. “Remember how I said Vinod Uncle set up a meeting so Mumma and Puppa could meet that guy for you? Well, if they come back early, they’ll miss it. That’s what they’re discussing right now.”
“You havegotto be kidding me.” Priya pinched the bridge of her nose. “I told them I’m not interested.”
“You know how they are, Pri. They’re not giving up that easily.”
“Well, they can do what they want,” Priya muttered. “But I have no interest in meeting—”
“Dinesh,” Deepa filled in with a snort. “Vinod Uncle sent afull report…birth date, height, weight, job…honestly, it’s like a résumé.”
“I don’t care who Vinod Uncle’s parading in front of them: Dinesh, Ramesh, Nilesh, Paresh…it’s not happening. But thanks for keeping me posted.”
“You know I’ve got your back,” Deepa replied. “Besides, whatever happens to you is just a preview of what Megs and I will have to face too. We’re in this together, Pri.”
“Priya, beta,” Puppa returned to the phone. “Mumma and I are in a bit of a bind. Vinod Uncle and Poonam Auntie have taken time off for us. If you truly don’t need us at Moksha right now—”
“It’s totally fine,” Priya said, cutting him off. “Go to Vinod Uncle’s.”Go meet this Dinesh guy. Have chai, have theplas. Just don’t come back yet.“Everything is under control here.” Her voice wavered as Ethan closed the gap between. He was all heat and muscle, his nearness clouding her thoughts.
“Are you sure?” Puppa asked, then, with a trace of worry. “And Mr. Ethan? Will he be leaving, since Moksha isn’t usable right now?”
Priya froze for a beat. She hadn’t even considered that Ethan might go. She turned toward him, a twist of unease in her stomach. He met her eyes and gave a decisive, almost teasing shake of his head.
“He hasn’t mentioned leaving,” Priya replied, unable to hide the smile in her voice. “But you can call him yourself to confirm.” Her breath caught as Ethan’s fingers slid under her sweatshirt.
“Okay, then. And send me the photos of the fire. I’ll see if our insurance will cover it.”
Priya’s eyes fluttered shut as Ethan’s hands slipped beneath the waistband of her jeans.
