She forced a smile, popping a little chicken into her mouth. “You got it perfectly right.”
“Does it bother you when other people eat rubbish around you?” Daksh winced as he thought of all that he’d shovelled in since he’d met her. In his defence, there weren’t fine dining meals available in the rainforest.
She grinned. “No, it doesn’t. Sometimes it’s a little hard, but mostly I’m fine. Although your capacity for it has amazed me.”
“I like to go for broke.” Daksh grinned back, pleased to see her face lighten up. “I’m assuming stress makes it worse.”
Her smile dimmed a little. “It does.”
“Is it work?” he asked, keeping his voice casual.
Vedika nodded. “A deal that I am working on, a large one, was through. The signing was meant to go through today. But I got stuck here and now, strangely, there is one document missing. They need to re-sign and they’re raising questions…” She sighed. “It’s a mess. If I was in Mumbai, I’d be at their office getting it all sorted. Now, I have to rely on others and it’s not the best.”
“Others like my brother?” Daksh popped another piece of dry, tasteless chicken into his mouth. His heart was doing a staccato, irregular beat in his chest as he watched her. She wore soft, old cotton shorts and a t-shirt. It was nothing like what you’d expect the Thakkar heir to wear for the night. Her hair fell in a soft, gleaming, slightly damp waterfall to her waist, framing her small, thin face.
She looked sweet, innocent, and virginal. Everything he wasn’t.
Vedika smiled widely at his question, her eyes lighting up. “Your brother is the one who introduced me to the Managing Director of Banlay. They’re college buddies. He’s the reason I even have this feather in my cap.”
Now his heartbeat pounded in his ears, a steady call of alarm.
“Your brother changed my life, Daksh,” she said, her sweet voice cutting through his rising tension. “He’s been so patient, so calm, so anchoring in the middle of all my stress.”
Now, why did those words cause bile to rise in his throat? “Do you mind if I use your restroom?” he asked abruptly.
Vedika looked a little startled by his tone but she nodded. Daksh dropped his container on the table and walked into the tiny attached bathroom, shutting the door behind him for a modicum of privacy.
He gripped the edge of the washbasin’s countertop and stared at himself in the mirror above it. Wild eyed, hair dishevelled, chest heaving, he looked like a madman. He felt like a madman. What was wrong with him?
He pulled out his phone and sent Ashish a message.
What’s the deal with Banlay?
He shut his eyes, breathing slow and deep as he fought to regain control of himself. He was just concerned, he reminded himself. For her, for his brother, and for everyone involved…Ashish’s reply vibrated against his hand and he glanced at it.
What the fuck is it to you?
Your fiancée is stressing, bro.
She’s always stressing, bro.
Daksh frowned at that last comment. Yes, Vedika wasn’t the most relaxed person in the world but there was still an edge to Ashish’s text that didn’t sit right with Daksh.
Exhaling hard, he put his phone aside. He splashed water on his face, hoping the chill of it would work on his fevered brain. Dabbing his face dry with the towel, he took one last look at himself. He’d been in here too long, he thought. He better get out there before she freaked out.
Daksh stepped out of the restroom just as a knock sounded on the room door.
“Expecting someone?” he asked Vedika, surprised.
She shook her head with a small smile, slipping past him to open the door. He watched as she signed the slip for the server, before stepping back to let him into the room to place the tray down. The man set it down, wished them a goodnight and then left.
“What did I miss in the order?” he asked curiously, automatically taking mental notes for next time.
Vedika raised the cloche on the plate with a flourish. “Ta da!” she whisper yelled.
Daksh’s gaze fell to the lobster on the plate.
“They didn’t have tandoori grilled lobster on the room service menu. So, I ordered butter garlic lobster. I hope I got it right,” she said anxiously.
