“I didn’t apologize,” she said, making eye contact. “I thought there was a strange man entering my hotel room. Hit first, ask questions later. I’m a woman, alone in a dark room, and someone enters silently, without turning on the light or announcing himself—”
“Why would I announce myself to what I thought was an empty room?”
“Why wouldn’t you turn on the light?”
He met her gaze and found himself looking into familiar brown eyes he hadn’t seen in decades. Odd sensation. “I was tired from delays and work and I wanted to sleep in what I thought was my empty room.” He threw a glare at his friends.
She sipped her polluted coffee. “There is nothing I need to apologize for.”
“I’m bruised all over.”
“I’m a black belt. You’re lucky nothing is broken.” Nimita glanced at his friends. “Enjoy your day.” She started to walk away but nodded at the paper. “That’s yesterday’s paper.”
“I like the comics in the Sunday paper.”
She shook her head at him like he was a nuisance and walked away.
Honestly, an apology wouldn’t kill her. Though he hadn’t ever bothered to apologize to her, even when he’d had fifteen years to do so.
“Wait—Nimita!” Vishal called out.
What was his friend doing? Let her be on her way. She was a weapon.
“I got you,” she said, handing her phone to Vishal. “Give me your number.” He did as she asked and handed it back. She tapped away at her screen for a moment, then said, “There.” Vishal’s phone dinged. “Everything you need to know.”
Why was Vishal giving Nimita Chaudhary his phone number? What was going on? And why did Roshan seem to care so much?
“What the hell, Vishal?” Roshan asked.
“She’s a flight attendant,” Karan said as if that explained everything.
“Okay,” Roshan said as Vishal elbowed Karan in the ribs as if to silence him.
“She knows her way around Hawaii,” Karan said, either oblivious to Vishal’s attempts to shut him up or doing a good job pretending to be.
Roshan narrowed his eyes at Vishal. Okay, thatdidexplain everything. “She just gave you an itinerary, didn’t she?” He narrowed his eyes at his friends. He flicked his gaze to Nimita, who shrugged enigmatically. “You were supposed to already know that stuff. You were supposed to plan. That was the deal. I pick the place. Karan does flights and rooms. You do sightseeing and food.”
He paused and turned back to Nimita. “Wait, flight attendant? I thought you did biomedical engineering at Purdue?” He tried to sound like any other person in their graduating class. Everyone knew where everyone else had gone to college. Didn’t they?
She sighed, leveling him with a look that was usually reserved for nosy aunties. “I did.”
“Then why are you a flight attendant?”
She shrugged. “BME didn’t work out.”
“I had a bunch of huge cases come up…” Vishal tried to defend himself. “And anyway, I’m sure Nimita gave us everything we need to know, huh?”
“She shouldn’t have to pay for the room then,” Roshan said.
“She’s not. Chill,” Karan said.
She cocked a half grin which somehow lit up and softened her face all at once. “I appreciate that. But I can pay—”
“A deal is a deal,” Roshan said, being sure to glare at Vishal.
“Heisgrumpy. Now I remember.” She shared a smile with Vishal, and something ugly stirred in Roshan.
“You would be, too, if you’d had the you-know-what knocked out of you,” Roshan said without looking at her.
