Untangling my fingers from her messy locks, I gently pull out of her and step back to discard the condom. While I tuck mycock away, I hear her climb down from the countertop and the rustling of her dress.
Her ex is long gone.
I glance at her, watching as she fixes her dress while avoiding my gaze.
Nervousness wafts off her in waves.
My fingers flex to touch and soothe her before I realize I’m not her boyfriend. It’s not my job to take care of her and the last thing I need is to tangle myself with yet another woman whose heart belongs to someone else.
When she lifts her gaze to mine, I harden my expression into indifference. Stepping to the sink to wash my hands, I say without looking at her, “You should leave before someone else walks in.”
I see her body go tense from the corner of my eye.
She stands there in confusion or shock from the sudden change in my demeanor, but when I don’t spare her a glance, she takes the hint. Stumbling back, she runs out of the restroom.
And I just know, this might have been herfirstno-strings-attached sex, but it’ll also be herlast.
Chapter Ten
Arya
(Two months later)
“Hold that pose,” the yoga instructor says in a soft, hypnotic voice. “Inhale deeply and close your eyes as you slowly let it out.”
I listen to her as I stretch my back and look up at the ceiling. My muscles sigh in glee at the burn. While my mind is devoid of troubling memories.
This part of the day is when I’m truly at peace. All thanks to Anaya dragging me here one morning after the night I…
Nothing.
Not going there.
The gist is that I love beginning my day with a session of yoga before I get busy in the hustle and bustle and the stress of work. Being gone for months, my colleagues came in like vultures and threw themselves a backyard sale for my clients. I can’t blame them because I would’ve done the same.
Being a publicist is a competitive space, and not for the faint-hearted. It’s a good thing I enjoy a challenge. Returningto the office and basically starting from scratch to build my reputation has been the biggest one. Radha wasn’t kidding when she warned me that I’ll be under a lot of scrutiny.
The biggest advantage I have is the fact that I love my job, including handling clients who often throw tantrums. Nothing beats fixing their problems because it shows how levelheaded and capable you are.
To do so, have I turned into a workaholic in the last two months? Absolutely. Burying myself in work is what keeps my demons at bay.
Noor and Anaya expressed their concerns that I’ll drive myself into exhaustion. But I waved off their worries. I’ve found a way to cope with the upheaval in my life. I’m starting to feel more like my old self.
A loud commotion behind my back pulls me out of my musings.
“You made us late,” a hushed voice says.
I exchange an amused glance with Anaya, who is lying on her mat beside me.
Very late, considering we’ve already had a five-minute break & the class will be over soon. They might as well have skipped it entirely.
“This is abduction,” a second voice hisses.
The first girl scoffs. “You came here of your own free will.”
Why do they sound vaguely familiar?
“You lured me with the promise of free food. Actual food, Iris. Not the bland healthy crap I saw in the break room.”
