by P. G. Van
She shook her head. “I can’t be a friend. I am an advisor, and we are designated to be mothers and brothers for that reason.”
“That doesn’t work for kids. Monica is a child who is not on good terms with her parents, so how would it help if she is calling you Mom?”
She batted her eyes before rolling them. “Don’t rub salt into my wound. I see your point.”
“So, can we get to know each other better?”
She shook her head. “We are not here to become friends. I cannot be friends with everyone I work with.”
He stood up and took a couple of steps closer to her, knowing it was time to make the move he had planned. “I need to feel close to the person before I can open up. The only person I had was my girlfriend, and I lost her, and that’s when I… I can’t sit in this facility and talk about what happened. I need to be out on a date or having a drink to be able to talk. If you can’t be my friend, be my girlfriend.”
She went silent on him when he expected her to immediately say no to being his girlfriend and agree to be his friend instead. It seemed like the best option for him at that moment to get her to talk to him.
But it was her turn to surprise him. “Fine. Whatever helps.”
“What? You agree to be my girlfriend?” There was no hiding his shock.
“Emotionally-connected girlfriend.”
He smiled. “Interesting. You are one dedicated coach.”
She nodded and stood up. “This actually works better. I am willing to meet with you outside the facility if it helps with your state of mind. During the day, I will work with Monica.”
“Works for me except for what would I be doing all day?”
She stood up, smiling. “Take the time to reflect on yourself. Meditate. Relax. Sleep. Do what makes you happy.”
“What if I get bored? Look, there is no television, and I have no internet connection here,” he lied.
She nodded and thought for a moment. “I can arrange to get internet for you if you meditate for at least an hour every day.”
“What do you mean by meditate?”
“Have you ever meditated?”
He shook his head, and she smiled in response. “If you master the art of meditation, you will need no coach or facility.”
“Really? And you are going to show me how to meditate?”
“Sure.”
“Interesting. Let’s give it a try.”
She smiled, and he noticed a new sparkle in her eyes. “Find a spot where you can sit comfortably for an hour.”
“I can’t sit on the floor.”
“Doesn’t have to be on the floor. Pick a chair.”
He looked around the small living space and picked one of the plush chairs in the room. “How about here?”
She nodded. “That works. Now sit with your back straight, shoulders relaxed, and hands in your lap.”
He followed her instructions. “Now what?”
“Close your eyes.”
He smiled. “And?”
“Stop talking and thinking.” She smiled, looking at him roll his eyes even with his lips shut. “Breathe, slow and deep.”
Samraat closed his eyes, but he had no intention to meditate. He was excited about the progress he was able to make with her in just one morning. Now he needed to spend time with her, make her miss her family, and convince her to go back to India with him. Then, his job would be done.
“Stop thinking, Samraat.” Her voice interrupted his thoughts.
“What? I am not thinking.”
“Hold still. I can help ease your mind.” He felt her presence as she moved closer to stand behind his chair. “I am going to give you a light facial massage to ease your thoughts.”
He nodded fully intending to continue thinking about his plans, but the moment she touched him, right in the middle of his forehead, all thoughts evaporated from his mind. All he could focus on was her, her gentle touch, the sweet floral fragrance that filled the air around him, and most of all, the soft sound of her breathing.
Naina continued to run her fingers over his forehead, down to his temples before sweeping them over his cheeks and bringing them back to the middle of his forehead. As she continued to gently massage his face, there was no thinking, and he heard his heart beat rapidly in his chest. Just as he was getting used to her strokes on his face, she switched the pattern of running her fingers which caused him to inadvertently groan deeply.
He felt her fingers falter as they swept over his face as if in response to the sound he let out—a groan from the sheer pleasure he felt. He suddenly became aware of her heavy breathing that was soft and barely audible when she started the massage. He froze.
“Relax,” she said as if sensing the subtle shift in his manner, and he noticed the shakiness in her voice.
She kept stroking his face. He could not withstand it anymore, and his eyes flew open to find her looking at him. Their eyes locked for a moment before she ran her fingertips over his eyes, forcing him to close them. “You will learn to meditate. Focus on your breathing.”
Her touch was triggering all kinds of sensations within him. Before it made him hard in certain places, he began thinking about things that would be a turn-off. Nothing was helping, and when he knew there was nothing to stop him from feeling the novel sensations, he opened his eyes and moved his face away from her hands.
“Thanks, that was refreshing.”
“You are welcome.” She smiled, walking over to the couch where she had placed her bag. “I will see you at five this evening for basketball. I will make reservations for us to go out tomorrow night. We need to return before midnight, or else we will not be allowed back into the facility.”
“Okay. That works.”
“See you later.” She turned away from him but stopped when he called out to her.
“When we go out tomorrow, remember that you are participating in my girlfriend experience. Look the part.” He wondered if that would infuriate her. To his surprise, she let out a chuckle.
“Meditate.” She smiled.
Samraat watched as she walked to the door and left without another glance in his direction.
Naina went to the staff quarters to her assigned room and shut the door behind her. She leaned against the door and placed her palm over her chest, feeling the thudding in her heart. She ran her fingers through her hair, pulling out the hair tie that kept her hair pulled into a ponytail.
“What the heck was that?” she mumbled to herself, unable to process her bodily reaction to a low, deep sound he made as she massaged his face. What she heard somehow sent shudders through her.
“Stop it. This is silly. He is my patient, and I am his coach.” She closed her eyes, but she could not wipe away the image of the man’s face, his chiseled features, but most of all, the compassion in his eyes when he held Monica in his arms while he consoled her.
“Stop,” she yelled, shaking her head in an attempt to shake away the recurring images. She knew she had to talk to her best friend, so she could knock some sense into her.
Naina knew her bestie was away with her boyfriend, and she was not going to get a reply anytime soon, but she sent the SOS text message anyway.
Chapter 7
The next day, Samraat eagerly waited for the time to leave the facility with Naina. He didn’t know where she was going to take him, but he had a set of questions to ask, specifically the ones that would trigger memories of her father in hopes she would open up to him. There was no guarantee she would want to see her father immediately with the memories, but he hoped to know what made her run away without a trace, literally.
When Mr. Sharma told him that his daughter made sure to destroy every picture of herself as if she never wanted him to find her by using her pictures, it surprised him. He had promised to get a photo of her to Mr. Sharma after that night, just so he could see an image of his daughter. He tried to obtain a picture from the surveillance cameras at her apartment or the facility where she worked, but he could not ge
t a good one. His only option was to hack into the government records to get the picture on her ID card or driver’s license, but that was one thing he had promised himself he would never do, knowing that messing with the government was one thing he would not do, ever. It was not worth the risk.
His phone beeped a message and knew it had to be her.
Naina: Meet me in the lobby.
Samraat: Coming.
Samraat picked up his gray sports jacket and walked out of his cabin dressed in a black, slim fit, dress shirt, and light-wash jeans. It was warm, and he knew he would not need his jacket but took it just in case. It felt weird that a woman was taking him out and not the other way around, but he wasn’t complaining. He was glad she agreed to his idea about establishing a connection before he could speak to her about his problems.
As he got closer to the lobby, he saw her as she stood with her back to him, talking to the security guard at the door. She was wearing a cape-like dress that was long and flowy. He was glad she changed out of her orange tunic she wore most of the time.
When she heard the door click, she turned, and Samraat let out a surprised chuckle deep inside, hoping she didn’t hear him. She looked stunning. The way her beautiful eyes held his gaze, he couldn’t help but gawk at her. She smiled like she knew the effect she was having on him but did not say anything.
She turned away from him to speak to the guard. “I’ll try and bring him back in one piece.”
“Have fun, Mother.” The security guard smiled.
“Technically, this is work, but we will try to have some fun.” She smiled, gesturing Samraat to follow her.
Without another word, she led him to the parking lot and unlocked her car. He was surprised to find out that she went to her apartment to get dressed.
“Whose car is this?” The words left his mouth before he could stop himself.
“Why would I be driving someone else’s car, and why are you so surprised to see I have a car?” She started the ignition looking away from him, and he was thankful for not being under her scrutiny.
“Oh… I thought you lived at the facility and didn’t think you had a car.” He was thankful for his ability to think on his feet.
“Yeah, I do spend most of my time at the facility, but I do have an apartment closer to the city.”
“Okay, where are we going now?” he asked.
She smiled, her eyes on the road. “We are heading over to a place where you could have your girlfriend experience, and you can talk to me.”
“Are all girlfriends in Vegas dressed like this?” He ran his eyes over her long dress that had a high neck and full sleeves, adding, “And how are you not boiling in that dress?”
“How come you have your jacket with you?” she retorted, making him chuckle. She looked at him for a quick second before returning her eyes to the road and asked, “What’s so funny?”
“I don’t need it, but I carry it in case my date wants to put it on when it gets cooler at night.”
“You mean your girlfriend?” she clarified, and he wanted to kick himself for not watching what he was saying. Obviously, he sucked at putting on a show.
“Yeah, and I brought it for my girlfriend tonight, but it looks like she won’t need it.” He laughed.
“You never know. Your date might still need it.” Her words held a mischievous tone, setting off more questions in his mind.
“Are you not my date?”
She bit her lip like she was stopping the smile that was forming. “I agreed to a girlfriend experience but didn’t agree to be the one to give you that. We will talk after you have spent time with your date.”
“What? That’s not what I meant.”
“You are going to need time with another woman, so you can stop obsessing about your ex-girlfriend.” She kept her eyes on the road and added, “Don’t worry. I am still responsible to take you back to your cabin tonight.”
“How would hanging out with another woman help us connect?” He knew why she didn’t object to his girlfriend-experience idea in the first place.
“You will see. Just relax. When was the last time you actually took a night off and enjoyed yourself?”
He went silent when he realized not only the character he was portraying had not have a night off in a while, but also the real him. He had stopped going out on dates knowing he could not get close to anyone.
Samraat took a deep and slow breath, turning away from her to look out the window. He loved the idea of letting go and having a normal life, that he could have someone he could come home to every night.
“Samraat, don’t do that to me. I am counting on this night out to help, so please work with me.”
“Okay. But don’t expect me to talk to her. I want to talk to you.”
“I’ll be right there even when you are with her. She is used to this.” Her tone was extremely casual making him wonder what kind of a set-up she had for him.
“Is this some kind of a three-way date where I am with the other woman and talking to you? You have a dirty mind, Naina.” He laughed and saw the flush that swept over her cheeks.
“Samraat, you are the one with a dirty mind.” She laughed, shaking her head.
Samraat sat back in his seat taking in the joy in her voice. If she were laughing with so much ease, then it meant he could possibly convince her to meet her father, hopefully sooner rather than later.
“We are here,” she announced, turning off the engine and getting out of the car to hand over her keys to the valet attendant.
Samraat was still in shock when he realized she had taken him to a strip club.
“Are you sure you are allowed to take me to such a place?” He let out a laugh and turned to look at her.
His smile froze at the sight in front of him. She walked around the car as she unzipped the cape-like dress to reveal a figure-hugging red dress that stopped just above her knees. The wide neck of her dress showed off her shoulders and long neck.
She smiled at him as if she expected that look on his face as she opened the side door of her car to toss the long cape over the back seat. “Yes. That is the specialty of the wellness center. There are no limits when it comes to doing what is best for healing the residents.”
He looked at her, his eyes drinking in her beauty as she smiled at him. “I might end up borrowing your jacket.”
Samraat smiled, holding her gaze. “You are beautiful. Why do you hide behind those clothes?”
She smiled. “Thank you. Let’s go, your date is waiting.”
“My date is waiting for me at a strip club?”
“Yes.” She walked past him to the doors.
“I am sure it was her idea.” He chuckled, following her down the dark hallway toward where the action seemed to be happening.
“Yes, because she works here.”
“Really, you think a lap dance will help me get over my ex-girlfriend? You don’t think I’ve had a few after she left me?”
She stopped short, making him almost run into her and turned to face him. “I don’t care how many lap dances you’ve had before, but tonight you will do what I ask you to do and answer my questions.”
“Great, now you sound like my ex-girlfriend,” he growled, and she looked surprised at his tone.
She took a step closer. That’s when he realized she had put on high heels, so her mouth was closer to his ear. “Trust me, this will help. Let’s go.”
With those words, she wrapped her fingers around his wrist and led him onto the main floor. She walked purposefully as if she knew exactly where she was going. She walked past the main floor to the back of the strip club and past a set of red curtains. Samraat saw that she had brought him to the private client area.
“There she is,” Naina said, pointing to a young woman with dark hair and blonde streaks in her locks.
“Hey, Cindy, this is my buddy, and it’s his special day.” Naina winked at Samraat and added, “Take good care of him.”
“You know I will, darling. It�
��s so much fun when someone is as hot as your buddy.” The woman purred and started running her hands on Samraat’s chest.
The woman seducing him was hot, but he could not take his eyes off of Naina sitting on one side of the wide couch sipping her drink. The woman leaned onto him, and he could feel the woman’s hard nipples on his chest through the thin material of her dress and his dress shirt, but he kept his eyes on the woman who silently sat to one side.
“Get him a drink, Cindy.” Naina smiled, and the woman poured him a shot of what looked like vodka and brought the shot glass to his mouth.
He took his eyes away from Naina to take the glass from Cindy and tipped the glass toward Naina in a toast. “To a wild night!”
“To a fun night!” She laughed.
Cindy, the dancer, tried her best to entertain Samraat. There was no denying the woman was skilled, but he was not interested in her. He kept his eyes on Naina. Even as Cindy gave him a lap dance, he kept his eyes on Naina, and she boldly held his gaze.
“Why are you doing this?” he asked Naina as Cindy continued to stroke which was having no effect on him.
“Enjoy yourself.”
“I am too drunk to enjoy. Cindy, you got me drunk.” He looked at the woman who had been dancing, swaying, moving her hands over him while she made him take shot after shot of vodka.
When Samraat finally shook his head as the shots of alcohol he took made his head spin, Naina smiled and took out a hundred-dollar bill and handed it to Cindy. “Thank you, Cindy. I’ll take over from here.”
“Are you going to give me a lap dance?” he slurred, and she only laughed, moving to sit closer to him.
“No more lap dances for you. You need to start talking to me,” she said, turning on what looked like a recorder and placing it on the table in front of him.
“What?” Samraat was shocked out of his haze at her words. He wasn’t ready to talk to her, he was too high. She was too hot, and he would tell her anything she wanted to hear or needed.
Chapter 8
“Start talking, Samraat. I’ve already spent a week and a half getting nothing out of you.” She sounded annoyed.
