Priya gave a small nod. “Of course you are. Let me guess. The book deal is next?Eat, Pray, Meow.”
“Who has time to write, Pri? Unless it’s a memoir for Lady Whiskerbottom.”
“She’ll sell more copies than you.”
“No doubt about that.” Brooke snorted. “Okay, I’m being summoned by her royal highness. Say hi to Ethan for me, will ya? And tell him to keep his shirt on. I don’t need to be ambushed by fifty shades of my brother every time I check my feed.”
“Bye.” Priya grinned as she ended the call.
A second later, her phone buzzed again.
“Priiiii!” Deepa’s voice sang out when Priya answered.
“Hey. What’s up?”
“Oh, nothing much,” Deepa drawled. “Except my oldest sister getting her groove on—with Ethan frickin’ Knight.”
Rubbing her temples, Priya cursed her lack of foresight. Of course Deepa would put two and two together, too, just like Brooke. “Oh god,” she moaned, as another thought hit her. “Please tell me Mumma and Puppa haven’t caught on.”
“Don’t worry, they’re not exactly screen-obsessed, so you’re in the clear. But now I get why you wanted them to visit Vinod Uncle. Such a dutiful daughter. ‘Please go. Don’t worry about the fire. Everything is under control.’ Everything except the fire in your pants, Pri. There’s a five-alarm blaze going on in their absence.”
“It’s a long story, Dee,” Priya explained. “We kind of had a connection back in the day.”
Deepa gasped. “Oh my god, what? And you’re only just telling me now? I have posters of him in my room.” She paused. “Wait, is he going to be myjiju?”
“Calm down. He’s never going to be your brother-in-law. And for the record, I never saw this coming.”
Deepa tried to muffle her laughter, but a snicker escaped.
“What’s so funny?” Priya asked.
“ ‘Coming attractions’ just got a whole new meaning.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Dee.”
“Okay, okay.” Deepa’s tone shifted. “We have to make sure Mumma and Puppa don’t find out. This is actual visual proof of Ethan in your bed for the whole world to see.”
“God, you’re right.” A wave of dread washed over Priya. “And it’s out there forever.”
“Look, I only figured it out because I know your room.”
“You and Brooke.”
“Okay, that’s just two people. And we’ve got your back. Mumma and Puppa aren’t on social media, so chances are they’ll never see that photo.”
“You’re right,” Priya replied. “That makes me feel a lot better.”
“I still don’t believe it. You and Ethan Knight,” Deepa marveled. “Oh shit. Mumma’s coming! Gotta run. Bye!”
Priya hung up and leaned back with a sigh. As she set her phone down, it rang again.
“Seriously?” she groaned.
An unknown number flashed on the screen. She ignored it, but the caller rang again. Priya’s heart sank. Had someone tracked her down? A gossip columnist? A tabloid writer? The ringing resumed, sounding even more insistent.
Priya stood and switched her phone off. As she walked away from it, a series of sharp knocks rattled the front door. Creeping to the window, she slowly pulled the curtain aside and was greeted by a face pressed up against the glass. Priya screamed and leaped back. The man held up a package with a courier logo. Letting out a shaky breath, Priya opened the door.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” the man said as Priya signed for the package. “I called the number on the slip several times because nobody was answering at the funeral home, so I thought I’d try my luck here.”
