Naya flushed. “I did.”
“With who?” Annika suspected she already knew.
“Ravi Shah.” Naya tried and failed to suppress her giddy smile.
“Another guy your mom set you up with?” Annika grinned. Naya was the “good” one. She was the one who was in law school and loved cooking and met the boys her parents suggested for her. Naya was well on her way to marriage, career, children—all the things that shouted “My parents did a fabulous job raising me!” Forget the fact that she hated law school (and the law, for that matter). What she really wanted to do was join the Peace Corps. She was attending law school to attain her law degree, fulfilling her parents’ requirements, and then she intended to join the Peace Corps. She had said as much to her parents.
They were ignoring her.
To say the setups were less than successful was an understatement. But Naya dutifully met them all.
Annika walked to the door, with Naya following her. This was perfect. She could concentrate on Naya’s latest disaster to take her mind off Daniel.
“Let me guess. He’s a doctor who still lets his mother dress him?”
Naya shook her head. “No, that was two months ago.”
Annika locked up and handed her car keys to Naya. “A lawyer who expects you to work and do all the housework.”
“Anish, three months ago.” Naya smiled. “But he is a lawyer.”
Annika mock groaned as Naya opened the car door and sat in the driver’s seat. Annika got into the car and studied her cousin. There was something different about her. The smile. It was...real. Plus, she was biting her bottom lip. Annika narrowed her eyes. It was hard to say in the darkness, but she could have sworn that Naya wasblushing.
“You like him!” It came out as more of an accusation than anything else, really.
“He’s...nice.” Even if Naya hadn’t giggled in that moment, her huge smile and definite flush would have given her away.
“You like him,” Annika repeated, smiling at her cousin. “He’s more than nice. You know he’s Urmila-auntie’s son?”
“Yes, I know.”
They didn’t know much about Urmila-auntie; she wasn’t in their parents’ closest circle of friends, but both of their mothers always talked about how kind she was, and they totally coveted her wardrobe.
“Are you seeing him again?”
Naya nodded, that grin still on her face. “He’s cooking for me.”
“He cooks, too?” Annika widened her eyes. “Does he know that you like to bake?”
“Well, he’ll find out tomorrow when I show up with my famous rose truffles.”
“You meanourfamous rose truffles.” Annika poked Naya with her bandaged hand as they pulled up to their apartment. Both girls loved baking. Annika couldn’t really cook to save her life, but baking cookies, and her specialty, chocolate truffles, was how she relaxed, an outlet for her creativity. She and Naya particularly liked mixing Indian flavors into the items they baked, and the rose-flavored chocolate truffles were by far their favorite.
“Not like you’re making them with that hand,” Naya teased.
“Well, I’ll supervise.” Annika grinned.
They walked into their apartment, each lost in their own thoughts. Naya headed for her room and turned back to Annika. “What’s the deal with you and the hot NP?”
Annika shrugged. Daniel clearly had no business being in her room that night, so why was he, if he wasn’t a crazy person? In any case, Daniel had lied to her, so the slight ache in her heart when she thought of him walking out of the bar had no bearing on anything.
“He might make a good rebound guy or something? You know, until you’re ready to settle down?”
Annika flinched. Which was unreasonable, because Daniel wasn’t going to beanykind of guy. But the implication was clear: he should not be the guy she settled down with.
“Although,” Naya continued, “he could be psycho.”
“Even if he’s not, he lied to me.” She didn’t get that creepy-psycho feeling from him, but lying was a deal breaker. If nothing else, she had considered him a friend—though the truth was, she hadn’t really wanted to simply be his friend. So she’d let her guard down and had maybe the most amazing kiss she’d ever had. She licked her lips, still longing to have a taste of him, but then berated herself for being so weak. No, there would not be a rebound guy for her, but it would be a while before she forgot that kiss. “Deal breaker.”
