No kidding. Let the youths drive cross-country while murderers chased them.
They came to stand next to their car. He opened the door for her, but stopped her when she was about to climb in. “I have a question. You owe me one, remember?”
“What do you mean?”
“That game we played. Chance. I won a round.”
She leaned against the Escalade. “Oh. Right. Ask.”
He cleared his throat. Was he nervous? Why was he nervous? “Would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow?”
Her smile was slow, but blinding. “Yes.”
“There’s a restaurant I like, in Santa Monica. And then we can go for a walk on the beach. I’ve really been thinking about going to a beach lately.” Krish thought about lying out on the sand with Sejal, and it sounded better than anything else he could imagine.
“Oh, hey. So have I. Except I had a dream the water swallowed me.”
“I’ll keep you safe. There’s a bar I like around there, too.”
She narrowed her gaze at him. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll hustle you?”
He batted his lashes. He might be too old to be fleeing for his life, but in this moment, he felt very young indeed. “Hustle me out of... my heart?”
Sejal rolled her eyes and smacked him on the shoulder, but he caught the small smile on her lips. “Ew, gross.”
“No hustling. But we can jump into bed after, and you can show me all your tricks there.”
“Deal.” She put her hand out, and he took it. “Why do I feel like I’m always making deals with you?”
He pulled her in close and kissed her neck. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure we both come out on top this time.”
Epilogue
One Year Later
“This is your card.”
Aarthi shook her head, her face already smug. “It is not.”
“Oh, dear.” Sejal frowned at the card, then snapped her fingers. “I must be confused. Do me a finger and check under your chai.”
Krish’s mother frowned at her. “There’s no way.”
“Just check!” urged a giddy Rhea Auntie. She was the perfect audience member, captivated and ready to believe. Aarthi, on the other hand...
The woman picked up her saucer and muttered a curse. “What the hell.”
Sejal slid the card out and flipped it. “Thisis your card.”
Rhea clapped. “Well done, Sejal. Truly, you are magic.”
“Magicians are reverse pickpockets,” Aarthi grumbled. She hissed when Rhea bumped her shoulder into her.
“Don’t be such a poor sport. Compliment your kids, remember?”
Aarthi pasted a smile on her face. “That was excellent thievery, Sejal.”
Sejal didn’t mind the lackluster backhanded compliment. She was glad Rhea and Aarthi were getting along, even if it was in a goofy, odd-couple way. They’d met for the first time a few months ago, while visiting at Sejal and Krish’s home in DC. Well, Aarthi had been visiting. Rhea, as she occasionally did, had simply shown up on their doorstep.
