His brows rose knowingly.
“Tell me, Nilay…” she turned towards him and crossed her legs.
“Ask me, Ritu,” he aped her, looking incredibly obnoxious and handsome in the early morning light with that weird, amused, softened, annoying mood.
“At 41, do you derive petty pleasure from middle school jokes?”
“When it is in front of you,” he grinned. “Absolutely.”
Don’t make me feel special. Please.
“How is it that you are an obnoxious diva with your staff and a toddler with me?”
“Talent. Some say I was born with it, others believe I picked it up along the way. I would like to believe I honed it.”
Don’t make me laugh. Please.
“Why do you not like your body?” He asked her, and succeeded in making her choke back on that laugh. Her smile began to die and he snaked an arm around her waist. She gasped as he hitched her close — “After all that we did last night, don’t even think about me not liking it.”
“You are deluded if you think my body was made to please you.”
“It was made to hold your lovely biting personality but it pleases me nonetheless.”
Don’t do this. Please.
“I don’t have body image issues, Nilay. I like how I look. Maybe a few kilos down would make it better. But it’s not bad at this point either.”
“Then why stiffen whenever it comes up?”
She gazed away from him, at the rising sun outside the window.
“Ritu.”
“I know, you will say I am not answerable to you after one night. And you have still made me do everything by saying that.”
He chuckled. And his mouth pressed to her cheek. She was surprised at the affection of that gesture. Ritu looked at him.
“Whatever your reasons to stiffen when your body comes up, whatever your beliefs or assumptions… as a man who designs clothes for women’s bodies and now a man who knows yours intimately, I can say this with authority that I am smitten by every curve, every dip, every line. If my opinion matters at any point to you, replay these words.”
She nodded.
“Now come here, Doctor. That half of my kiss is still left,” he tugged her over and into his lap.
“We said one night,” she warned him before his lips could capture hers.
“Until we bathe, the night is not over.”
“I can agree to that.”
————————————————————
Bathing happened late that morning. In fact, it happened way past midday, minutes before they were supposed to leave for the airport. Nilay went to meet his team without a bath, in a fresh pair of clothes and a spritz of perfume. Ritu couldn't stop grinning at his singleminded effort to keep last night going, even as he spent a good hour and a half reviewing rushes from yesterday. She also appreciated his hospitality in ensuring that she was well-fed, comfortable and entertained with Netflix, mainly so that she would stay in his room and not escape to hers.
She was finally stepping out of her room with her duffel when she found him standing there, hands empty as always. One of them reached for her duffel, the other for her waist.
“Nilay.” She warned.
“They already think you are more than my friend. No harm in playing it up.”
