Tanya got up along with him. “Thank you for giving me company on a boring Friday evening.”
Neil simply smiled and touched her cheek lightly. “My pleasure.”
Tanya swallowed “Good night.”
“Ritwik is back next week.” Neil’s quiet voice cut through her thoughts. She stiffened and looked at him. “Time to ask him out for a date? Now that you have found yourself?” His look almost dared her to defy his statement.
“D..date? I don’t know.” Tanya looked at him, her gray eyes filled with worry.
“C’mon, you can do it.”
Tanya bit her lip, still unsure. “Ca..can I, I mean we, go for dinner tomorrow? I want to, you know, not look like a fool in front of Ritwik.”
Neil almost looked torn between silence and words. Finally, he nodded, before he turned towards the door. “Cafe Zurich, 8 PM tomorrow. Take a cab. I will drop you back.”
Back in her room, Tanya sifted through her new wardrobe. Finally, she settled on a rose-colored wrap dress. The whole of Saturday she had had a very weird sensation in her stomach. Finally, after 6PM, she had a leisurely shower followed by a neat blow dry. She dabbed on some iris-scented perfume before slipping on a sexy pair of underwear. Tanya almost blushed as she wore the satin bits of nothing. Almost immediately, she recalled Neil’s words from the other day.
Rousing herself from her daydream, Tanya quickly got into her dress. The v-neck and the belted waist perfectly suited her figure. She added a Monique lace-up stiletto in pink to go with her dress. Tanya reached the place right on time. “Hi, I have a guest waiting for me. Reservation under the name Neil Grover.”
Themaître d' led her to a cozy-looking table that was tucked away in an alcove. Tanya’s step faltered momentarily. The place and the table looked too cozy for a simple dinner with a friend. She mentally sighed and walked to the table, where a dapper-looking Neil was already seated.
He stood up as she walked towards their table. “You look good.” Neil hugged her briefly, before pulling her seat.
Tanya was suddenly overwhelmed by his attention, the woody scent of his cologne teasing her nostrils. “Thank you.” Strangely, she felt tongue-tied and unsure, even though she saw him every single day. She noticed he was being the perfect gentleman, without teasing her or passing a single, sarcastic remark at her expense; and, she didn’t know how to handle this Neil.
“What do you want to have? Something to drink?”
“A mocktail, please.” Tanya didn’t want to drink alcohol when she was already feeling lightheaded.
Neil simply raised a brow, although he said nothing. He ordered them drinks and appetizers, before looking at her once again. His gaze turned dark when he looked at her properly; he knew he would have definitely made a move on her had she been single, available.
“Am I doing okay so far?” Tanya noticed his scrutiny and asked him the question, her gaze wide-eyed and curious.
Neil’s lips twitched. “More than okay. And, I see that you have chosen to listen to my words of wisdom.”
“Huh? What do you mean?” Even without the glasses, Tanya looked cute with her concentrated frown.
Neil chuckled at her expression. She could put on even a skimpy bikini, but with every thought displayed on her face, and the way she blurted out whatever came to her mind, she would always be more cute than sexy. “I meant my parting advice the first night we went out.” His voice was soft, his eyes glittering with something deep and dark.
At that instant, Tanya realized what he meant. Surely not...that?How did he know about the satin lingerie?Blood rushed to her hairline and her mouth turned dry. “I think you’re just saying that to unsettle me. You wouldn't know.” Tanya barely sounded convincing, even to herself.
In response, Neil simply raised a brow. “You know I am right.” His eyes were almost burning through her. At that moment, the waiter came in with the food and drinks, interrupting whatever he was about to say next. “Eat.” Neil’s quiet voice prompted her to lift the fork. His face hardened when he noticed Tanya’s hands shake in the process. After that, he seemed to shut out all emotions, going back to his usual, detached mode. “So, how do you plan to bring up your interest to Ritwik?”
“I..I would probably tell him how much he has meant to me these past years.”
“And take him right back to your childhood days?” His accompanying smirk irritated Tanya to no end.
“Is that a problem?” Tanya tossed back her glossy hair, making Neil’s eyes run along her long tresses.
“If you want the man to finally see you as a sexual being, please take my advice. Do not bring up your high school days when you were in pigtails.”
Tanya gasped in angered disbelief. Oh, the nerve of this man!
“Hear me out.” Neil put up a hand. He knew a storm was brewing up behind her pretty face. “When you meet him, you should wow him with the outward changes. Be confident, mysterious. At the end of the date, you could perhaps offer him a nightcap. Be...seductive, I’m sure with enough efforts from your side he’d get the hint.” Neil finished with a shake of his head.
“I don’t have anything mysterious. I mean, he possibly knows everything about me already.”
Neil sighed. “Sometimes you can be so dense! I wonder how you managed to finish your business degree with honors.”
