“No. That’s just Seth. I’m an engineer.” Eric paused. “Did Meghna not mention that? She’s the one who told me to talk to you.”
Huh. She’d never brought it up to Karthik. “What field are you in?”
“Biomedical.”
Karthik jolted as he felt an unexpected stab of jealousy. Paul had been providing regular updates on the robotics project the biomedical team was working on, and though Karthik had feigned disinterest at first, he hadn’t been able to resist the temptation to check it out himself. The robotic arm was impressive. Stunning. And for a second, he had let himself imagine how exciting, how fulfilling, working on a project like that must be.
But those kinds of thoughts were pointless. He would never work in a field so close to his father’s.
“We have a great biomedical department at my company,” Karthik said. “I can put you in touch with someone.”
“That would be great.” Eric smiled. “Thanks.”
They turned back to their meal, but as the dinner continued, Meghna grew more and more agitated. She fidgeted in her seat and twisted her napkin in her lap until Karthik placed his hand over hers.
“Are you nervous?” he asked quietly.
“Yeah.”
“About the speech?”
She swallowed. “Yeah, the speech. But also…”
“Also?”
She shook her head. “It’s nothing. We’ll talk about it later.” She flashed a wan smile, then turned to finish her dinner.
He ate the rest of his meal absentmindedly, distracted as he counted down the hours remaining. The night was passing too quickly. Soon their fake engagement would be over. He imagined she’d be relieved. Once Seth’s wedding was done, there would be no reason for her to lie to her parents anymore. But for him…He looked over at Meghna. This was likely the last meal they’d ever share. The last time he’d sit next to her like this. The last time he’d get to pretend that she was actually his.
The clinking sound of a spoon hitting glass interrupted his thoughts. He squeezed Meghna’s hand one more time, and she squeezed back before straightening in her chair. It was time for the toasts.
Meghna stood up, the words from her carefully prepared speech running through her mind. She’d committed it to memory and fully intended to use her theater experience to deliver it. It was perfect. The right blend of humor and sincerity. But none of it seemed right anymore. She caught a glimpse of the “happy couple,” and some of the tightness in her chest eased at the encouraging look on Julie’s face. Meghna scrapped the speech and just started talking.
“Seth and Julie are an incredible couple,” she said. “And being around them, witnessing their relationship, has taught me so much. I used to think that love was about the butterflies. That swooping feeling you get in your stomach. The way your heart floats the first time you see ‘the one.’ But we all know that those feelings can fade. Sometimes people aren’t who you thought they were. Sometimes first impressions are wrong.
“These days, I’m more interested in the quiet kind of love. The kind that takes time. And effort. And patience. The kind that sneaks up on you. Slowly. It builds and builds until you suddenly realize thatthisis the person you want to turn to when things get bad.Thisis theperson you want to call when you get good news. They’re the one you want to share every high and low with. Even when they frustrate you. Or confuse you. Even when they’re nothing like the person you thought you were supposed to end up with. They probably challenge you in ways you never wanted. Or change the way you look at certain things. They might even be the only person in your life who calls you on your shit.” She paused as a few couples chuckled, exchanging knowing glances with each other. “And maybe you get angry about it at first. Or defensive. But they so often end up being right in the end. Because they know you. Therealyou. Better than anyone else.”
She lifted her drink, turning to face the bride and groom. “So, let’s raise a glass to Seth and Julie. Seth, I think we all know you’ve found that person in Julie. And Julie, I hope you never stop calling Seth on his shit.”
The room laughed, and the sound of clinking glasses filled the air. Julie raised her champagne flute toward Meghna, giving her a wide smile and a conspiratorial wink before knocking her glass meaningfully against Seth’s. He let out a laugh, but there was a glint of fear in his eyes as he looked at his new wife. It was clear that he’d gotten the message.
She sat back down, and as Julie’s maid of honor started her speech, Meghna allowed her thoughts to wander. Though her toast was finished, she had a much more nerve-wracking talk ahead of her. She peeked at Karthik. He was politely listening to the maid of honor, and Meghna took advantage of his distraction, running her eyes over him appreciatively.
He looked…dapper. There wasn’t any other word for it. With his crisp lines, clipped words, and composed expressions, he appeared almost out of time. Like he’d stepped out of a black-and-white movie. A classy, solemn leading man.
Meghna’s hands itched with the urge to run her fingers through that perfect hair. She just wanted to shake him up. Disorient him until she saw a hint of the relaxed Karthik that hid under the surface. Sure,he seemed chic and poised, but he was a pressure cooker, and she wanted to see him let off a little steam. Maybe help him let off a little steam.
A mischievous thought struck her, and she slid her foot out of her shoe, running her toes up the side of his shin.
Karthik jumped, looking over at her with surprise. Meghna hid a smile, smoothing her expression, trying to look as innocent as possible.Play with me,she tried to telepathically communicate. She gave him a quick wink to drive the point home.
His brow furrowed in confusion, and a sting of disappointment singed Meghna as he turned away from her and continued listening to the end of the toast. Everyone clinked their glasses for the last time, and Meghna lifted hers toward Karthik.
He raised his glass in return, tapping it against hers, but for some reason he wouldn’t meet her gaze. His eyes bounced around, looking anywhere but at her. The disappointment in her stomach grew, but she tried to shrug it off.
“You know you’re supposed to make eye contact when cheersing,” she told him teasingly.
“Hmm,” he replied.
