Lakshmi refocused on Tina. “Sure. It’s in the storage closet. I can show you.”
Tina’s lashes lowered. “Oh, you don’t have to take the time. I can find it.”
“Not a problem.”
Jia waited a good three seconds after the coast was clear before she muttered. “Should we lock them in that closet together so they can work stuff out or are we going to haveto watch this dance for the next ten years?”
“Jia!” Rhiannon shrugged. “There’s no lock on that closet, or I’d say yes.”
Jia chuckled. She’d only been around Tina and Lakshmi together for a small amount of time, and their chemistry was blazingly obvious to her. She might be wary of Lakshmi, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have her ships.
Rhiannon reclined in her chair. “Are you guys ever going to make peace?”
“Who, me and Lakshmi?” Jia tossed up her hands. “I’m happy to make peace. I’m extremely peaceful. She thinks I’m an airhead.”
“Because you act like an airhead around her.”
“If people want to assume the worst about me, why shouldn’t I annoy them with it?” Jia tried to keep her tone light, though it hurt to know how many people in her life regularly dismissed her. “If they think I’m useless, then I’m not going to try to change their mind.”
“I don’t think Lakshmi thinks that.”
Ehh, yes she did. But Jia didn’t want to argue with Rhiannon over her friend.
“In any case, as someone who used to struggle with herI’ll show ’emreflex, maybe try dialing it back a hair here or there. You don’t have to be so reactive to everything.”
Okay, that might be some good advice. Jia had worked hard at growing more mature over the last year or so. “I’ll try.”
“Good. Now, are you seeing this guy again anytime soon?”
“Yeah, tonight.”
“Wow. Isn’t that excessive for a fauxmance?”
“It’s when we both have time. And we do have to learn about each other, or how will we fool my family?”And I want to see him again.
“Hmm. Yes, of course. There are no other ways to get to know each other.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means I’m worried about this convoluted plan of yours,” her roommate said gently.
“It’s not convoluted! It’s very luted.”
“That’s not a word.”
“It’ll all work out fine. I trust Dev.”
“Why?”
Jia opened her mouth, then closed it again. Why did she trust Dev? It was the same question he’d asked her, and she still couldn’t come up with a perfect answer. The first time she’d met him, he’d cracked her heart, and the second time he’d tried to pay her off.
“Jia?” Rhiannon prompted.
“I have a good feeling about him. It’s weird, I feel like... like I know him.”
Rhiannon’s lips thinned. “But you don’t.”
“Oh, I know.”
