Dev gave her a haughty look. “I doubt anyone would touch me.”
Ah, to be so confident. “Sir, that level of protection only works when you’re in a place where people recognize you or your name. I’m not sure how many of the two hundred people in this town are watching foreign soap operas.”
He gave a slight dip of his head in acknowledgment. “May I stay here?”
“With me?” That gave her a thrill. He wouldn’t be the first person to watch her work, but he’d be the first one she noticed while she was working. “Ummm, sure.”
“I have a script I need to read, for next week’s shoot.” He reached into his bag in the trunk and pulled out a sheaf of papers. “This will keep me busy.”
“I feel bad you came all this way to read.”
“I like reading. I mostly wanted to get out of the city with you. It doesn’t matter what we’re doing.” He met her eyes.
She was struck with a sudden wave of shyness at his blunt honesty, and she wanted to lower her gaze, but she couldn’t. Instead, she cleared her throat and grabbed her tripod. “Well, in that case, enjoy your reading. I’ll be rightdown there, closer to the water.”
Jia stopped a few steps away and turned around. Dev was watching her, she was gratified to note. “I’m glad you came with me, too.” And then before she could succumb to her nerves, she hustled away.
IT WAS Agood thing Dev had brought the script with him. Not because he was reading it, but it was good camouflage for observing Jia.
He’d watched almost every YouTube video she had up by now—hundreds of them, thank God they were relatively short—but watching her shoot one was a whole new experience.
She’d set up her camera and sat with her legs folded on a beach blanket. Behind her was an empty doorway someone had erected on the sand, framing the water. The wind caught the tail end of her long head scarf, and it flew behind her like a flag of yellow against the deep blue sky. Her blousy shirt was the same shade of sunshine, and her shoes matched. The colors flowed over his brain, soothing any ragged neurons and synapses.
He stretched his legs long. It had been a long time since he’d sat idle somewhere, not counting work. It was calming here, with Jia not far away and the still water. There were installations in the water, too, a mailbox and a swing set.
He contemplated the swing, and the way it reflected on the water. It made him sad, that swing. Perhaps because there was only room for one person, not two.
They’d had a swing set when he was a child. His parents had set it up in their backyard. It was weird, their house had been small, but Dev’s world had felt bigger then. There had been no expectations about what careers they might enter, no press salivating over their missteps or triumphs, no one pitting brother against brother on metrics that didn’t matter. He’d pushed Rohan on that swing. If he listened carefully, he could hear his little brother squealing with joy.
Was that his breathing coming harder and faster? The sudden wetness at his eyes stunned him, and he sat up straight. What was wrong with him?
“Dev?”
Pull yourself together. Men don’t act like this.His father had drummed that into him. He’d been a kind father, but not one to tolerate his sons weeping over an injury that wasn’t fatal.
“Dev?”
Horror ran through him, mingling with panic. No, no. The only thing worse than spiraling out was having Jia see him so weak. He opened his mouth to assure her he was fine, but nothing came out.
Her beautiful heart-shaped face came into view. Were the faint freckles across the bridge of her nose natural or makeup? He hadn’t noticed them before.
Jia’s small hand came to a fluttering rest on his shoulder. “It’s okay,” she said, confident and calm. “You’re having a panic attack. I’ve seen this before.”
He shook his head frantically. He wasnot. He’d tell herthat as soon as he could speak, too.
“Match my breathing.” She inhaled loudly, then exhaled.
Automatically, without conscious effort, he mimicked her, and she nodded. “Tell me something you feel.”
Dev took another deep breath, then another. His hand groped for hers on his shoulder and he squeezed.
“Good,” she said, like he’d spoken. “Now tell me something you see.”
“You,” he wheezed. Truly, it felt like there was no one else.
His breathing gradually regulated, growing calmer. His heartbeat slowed from the gallop it had taken off on. He squeezed his eyes shut, though he didn’t want to stop looking at her face. As if she knew his struggle, Jia moved to sit next to him, plastering herself against his side. Dev dropped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her tight, something he would have never dared to do under normal circumstances.
When he felt more like himself, he opened his eyes, and was immediately hit with a truckload of mortification. What on earth had just happened?
