She should have learned from that experience. Should have stopped dreaming of an impossible future with him. Instead, she’d made the same mistake again.
After releasing her from the hug, Ankita had entered distract-my-best-friend-so-they-don’t-feel-sorrow mode. She’d ordered a pizza, extra cheesy, and found a made-for-Netflix rom-com that was somehow even cheesier.
Both had soothed Meghna’s worries and taken her mind off things until the end of the movie, when the main character walked down the aisle in a big, poofy white dress. Ankita had shot her an apologetic glance, but Meghna had barely noticed, her anxiety returning as bright and hot as a flame.
That would soon be Julie. Walking down the aisle to Seth. And Meghna would have to watch it all happen. Just a few steps away. Right up in the action. In front of a crowd. She’d have to compose herself. Monitor her expressions. She wouldn’t even be able to look away.
And then she’d have to go to the reception all alone. Sure, shecould bring Ankita. Or find some guy on Bumble to take. But she couldn’t imagine that would be any better than going alone. Seth would probably know it wasn’t a real date. Wasn’t a real relationship. He’d figure it was just some plus-one who’d shown up to keep her company. After all,hehadn’t loved or cared about her that way. Why would anyone else?
Meghna tossed her phone back on the nightstand and turned on the lights. If she was going to be up this early, she might as well try to do something productive with the time. She brewed a cup of coffee, grabbed her laptop from the couch, and climbed back into bed, propping an absurd number of pillows behind her.
Time passed quickly, and an hour and a half later she found herself engaged in one of her favorite pastimes: perusing WikiHow articles for wisdom. She was currently in the middle of one titled “How to Plan a Bachelor Party.” She had started with “How to Stop a Wedding” and “How to Tell Your Ex You Still Have Feelings for Them,” but had quickly dismissed the advice there. They all started with the recommendation that she speak with Seth about her feelings. And if she was brave enough to do that, she would have done it years ago. Besides, he seemed happy. She wouldn’t be the one to ruin that for him.
No, she was resigned to her current situation. The wedding was only three months away, and if she was going to do this, she needed to get started. She pulled up “How to Be theBestBest Man” and read through the list:
1.Select location and activities for bachelor party
2.Get fitted for a suit or tux
3.Write and deliver the best man’s speech
She stopped reading and dropped her head back with a groan. She hadn’t even thought about giving a toast. She opened a new tab in her browser and was about to search “How to Write a Best Man Speech”when the top right corner of her screen flashed with an incoming FaceTime call. She didn’t recognize the number and she couldn’t imagine that anyone she knew would try to call her at six-thirty in the morning. She ignored it and went back to her search.
She had just started skimming a sample wedding toast when her phone dinged with a text message.
Hello Meghna,
This is Karthik. I hope you are doing well. I’m sorry I called so early, but I have an urgent matter to discuss with you and would prefer to do it face-to-face. Please call me back if you are free or let me know some other times you would be available for a video call.
She read the message. Then read it again. She couldn’t believeKarthikhad been the one calling. But the message sounded just like him: cold, to the point, and exacting. She was tempted to ignore him. It would serve him right. After all, she didn’t owe him a conversation. She pulled the speech back up and tried to read it, but her mind wandered. Why had he reached out? What could possibly be so urgent? Why did it have to be face-to-face?
She thought it over for a second, then reached up to wipe the remnants of last night’s acne cream off her chin. She wouldn’t be able to relax until she found out what he wanted. She shook her hair out of the bun she’d slept in and checked her appearance with the computer camera. Passable. She’d looked better, but it was too early for her to get out of bed for any reason. She smoothed the worst of the frizz with her hands and tucked her curls behind her ears. Before she could think too much more about it, she called him back.
He answered immediately, his face filling the screen.
“Meghna,” he said. “Thanks for returning my call.”
She blinked. When they’d met in person there had been a normal amount of distance between them, but now they were eye-to-eye, just inches apart. Only separated by a screen. She hadn’t mentallyprepared for this. And how was it possible that he looked even better than she had remembered?
She forced her gaze away from his face, trying to focus on something other than his warm brown eyes, the sharpness of his jaw, the surprising fullness of his lips. She took in the diplomas hanging on the wall. His white button-down shirt. The large windows that showed a hint of the skyscrapers behind him.
She frowned. “Are you already at work?”
“It’s an hour later over here,” he replied.
“Right,” she said. “An hour later. So, it’s seven-thirty?”
“Yes,” he said.
“Do you normally start work at seven-thirty?”
“Sometimes,” he said. He seemed to notice where she was for the first time. “You’re in bed.”
“Yeah. A normal place to be this early. At least for some of us…”
His mouth tightened. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
“No, it’s fine. I’ve actually been up for a while. And I live close to work so I am not in any rush. Besides, you said it was urgent.”
