Vegas to Varanasi (Fortytude Series Book 1)

by Hickman, Shelly

  “And this is her daughter, Carly,” Kiran continues.

  “Nice to meet you both,” Christine says. “Well, I guess I should probably get back to my sister.” She looks at Kiran, her head down slightly, and lightly touches his arm. “It was good to see you, Kiran. Take care.”

  He meets her eyes for a brief moment and nods.

  The lights in the lobby go down, indicating intermission is almost over, and we head back to our seats.

  Once the performance resumes, I don’t bother asking Kiran if he’s okay. It’s not like we can talk about it now anyway, so I just look at him and hold his hand, squeezing it. He gives me a small smile.

  After the concert concludes, we wait in the lobby for Jason. Carly grins at me nervously, and it’s cute to see her so excited about a guy. Kiran, on the other hand, looks as if he can’t get out of here fast enough. I’m pretty sure he’s keeping his head down, in hopes of not seeing Christine a second time.

  “Can I get you something at the bar?” I ask. “Since we didn’t get anything at intermission?” Maybe a drink will calm his nerves.

  “No, I’m fine. Unless you want something?”

  “I’m good.”

  Finally, Jason comes out wearing his street clothes, and Carly rushes to meet him, then purposely slows, as if she doesn’t want to appear too eager. He’s very tall and thin, possibly a foot taller than Carly, with dark, moppy hair. She would kill me for saying so, but he could easily be a member of One Direction. He bends down to kiss her cheek, and she absolutely glows as she grabs his arm and leads him over.

  “Jason, this is my mom, Anna, and her boyfriend, Kiran.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” he says, shaking our hands.

  “The show was wonderful,” I say. “We really enjoyed it.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.” He drapes his arm around Carly. “Carly and I were gonna grab a bite. Do you wanna join us?”

  I look to Carly to see if she wants us butting in on her date, and she raises her eyebrows expectantly. Then I turn to Kiran. “Do you feel up to joining them?”

  “Of course!” He frowns, as if he’s not sure why I would think otherwise.

  “Okay,” Jason says. “Meet us at the Hard Rock then?”

  ***

  On the car drive over, Kiran is quiet and he turns up the music on the stereo. I take this as a sign that he doesn’t want to talk about running into her.

  “How did you like the concert?” I ask.

  “I loved it,” he says enthusiastically. “What about you?”

  “It was great. Loved all the movie music.”

  “They didn’t happen to play the Austin Powers theme, did they?” he jokes.

  I give him a closed-mouth grin and shake my head. “No.”

  “Carly seems to really like her new guy.”

  “Yeah, she does.”

  He begins fixating on the stereo, obsessively changing the stations before we can even hear what’s on them. Turning the volume down, I ask gently, “Are you okay?”

  He throws a quick glance my way. “I’m fine.”

  “So... did everything go okay with Christine tonight?”

  “It was fine.”

  I look out the window, and he covers my hand with his. “I don’t want to talk about it right now, okay? Let’s just enjoy dinner.”

  Conflicted, I’m not going to force him into a conversation he wants no part of, but I don’t want him thinking I’d easily disregard the event like it was nothing. “Sure.”

  I haven’t been to the Hard Rock Café in years and had forgotten how noisy it is, making it necessary to raise our voices at dinner. Knowing that Jason is a senior, I’m curious to learn what his plans are after graduation, but I’m going to make an effort not to be the stereotypical mom of the girlfriend.

  “How long have you been playing the violin?” I ask.

  “Since I was six.”

  “Wow, that’s some dedication!” I pluck a potato skin from the appetizer plate we ordered. “I suppose most musicians start pretty early. You’ll have to treat us to a solo sometime.”

  “Sure!”

  Carly eyes him with affection. “He’s very talented. I never really cared about the violin, but the first time he played for me...” She turns to Kiran and me. “I was impressed.”

  Kiran and I exchange smirks.

  “How did you guys meet?” Kiran asks.

  “Oh, it was in the student union,” Jason says shyly. “Took one look at those blue eyes, and I was done for.”

  This guy is good. The two of them gaze at each other all moony-eyed, and I am not at all used to this. I have never seen Carly act so, I don’t know, girly. She’s got it bad.

  “Carly told me you guys recently went to India. That must have been amazing.”

  “It was.” I put my hand on the inside of Kiran’s upper thigh. “In fact, I kinda wish we were still there.”

  He grins to himself, and then at me, before draping his arm around my chair.

  Good. I at least got a genuine smile out of him.

  And tonight I intend to remove all thoughts of Christine.

  Thirty-Three

  After dinner that evening, Kiran takes me to his house for the first time. I know that he lives in Desert Shores, but I didn’t know that his house actually sits on one of the man-made lakes.

  “No. Way. Your house is on the water!” I say as we pull into his garage. “You never told me it’s on the water.”

  “I feel like I should apologize for never having you over before now.”

  I shrug. “You took me to India. I think that more than makes up for it.” We enter the house through the inner garage door. “Besides, I like having you in my bed.”

  He turns around, puts his arm around my waist, and kisses me. “I like being in your bed.”

  The house is very open, with high ceilings and a spiral staircase. However, it’s not ostentatiously huge, which is not what I would expect for a house in this neighborhood. From what I can tell, this place is probably a couple hundred more square feet than my own.

  Dark hardwood floors and woodsy tones, accented with deep reds, make up the front portion of the house. Travertine tiles of differing dimensions, laid in no particular arrangement, cover the floors of the kitchen and family room, which look out onto the lake through large windows.

  Walking to the French doors leading to the back patio, I take in the view. “Now you’ve done it. With a view like this, I won’t be leaving.”

  “Hmmm. I think I’m okay with that.” Kiran heads to the kitchen and pulls down a couple of wine glasses from the cabinet. “Have a seat outside and I’ll meet you.”

  I step outside and sit down on one of the patio chairs. Now August, the heat is still grueling during the day. However, this late in the evening, the temperature is perfect, and the lights reflecting on the water from the houses on the lake make for a breathtaking scene.

  Bringing a bottle of wine with him, Kiran sets our glasses on the table and pours. He seems more like himself, not agitated like he was when we left the symphony, so I decide to leave it alone for now.

  We spend an hour enjoying our wine and each other’s company. My muscles are slack and my limbs loose, feeling the effects of the Merlot. Kiran sets his glass on the table and leans back in his chair. “I know you’ve been waiting for me to tell you what was said with Christine tonight.”

  I nod slowly. “I have, but I’m not going to needle you into talking about something you don’t want to.”

  He laces his hands over his stomach and hesitates a few moments. “So, I’m standing in line at the bar, and I see her, two lines over.” He rubs his mouth, his features rigid. “I have no desire whatsoever to speak with her, but figure I’m pretty safe. She’s not going to recognize me, right?”

  One, I’m surprised he wouldn’t want her to notice him; I would have thought it highly gratifying for him to have her see how great he looks. Two, did he really think the woman he was engaged to wouldn’t rec
ognize him just because he lost weight?

  “I keep my eyes at the front of the line,” he continues, “and I hear her say my name.” Although his posture is relaxed, his fingers wrap tightly around the arms of his chair. “Then she goes on about how good it is to see me...” With a sour chuckle, he shakes his head, and yet, there’s a flash of sentiment in his eyes.

  He lifts his glass, taking a couple of long sips, and says nothing more. I wait, because I’m not sure if there will be more. His silence lingers.

  “Well, maybe it was my imagination,” I begin, “but, she appeared genuinely sorry.”

  “Yeah.” Looking out to the lake, he presses his lips together into a thin line. “I’m sure.” His arm hangs low to the ground, swirling his glass in small circles, before he finishes off his wine.

  “Anyway, she congratulated me on my success, with the weight loss, of course,” he says with a touch of bitterness. “We talked a little about our work, and that was about the time I saw you.” He shrugs. “It wasn’t a very in-depth conversation.”

  I rest my chin in my hand and continue to watch him, when he turns to look at me. “Come here,” he says softly and smiles. I stand and place my glass on the table, and he pulls me onto his lap.

  Quietly, we gaze at one another, and he searches my eyes.

  “What?” I ask.

  “I wonder if you would still feel the same about me... if the weight ever returned.”

  Talk about a loaded question! One I know he wouldn’t ask if he hadn’t had a few drinks. It’s a question I’ve asked myself a million times, and I would like to think there’s enough depth to me that it wouldn’t make a difference. The way I feel about him now, I can’t imagine feeling any other way, no matter how he looked.

  “That all depends,” I say lightly. “Would you still possess your bedroom skills?”

  He responds with a small smile. “Let’s say yes.”

  “Then it’s a no brainer.” We laugh, and I play with the tips of his hair at the base of his neck. However, I realize I probably didn’t respond with the level of sincerity he was seeking, and I cup his face with my hand. “I would still feel the same about you.”

  This conversation has gotten far too serious and dark, and my only desire now is to lift him out of his funk. I decide to initiate a change of topic and mood, by doing something I’ve been considering since we got here. I believe I’ve consumed a sufficient amount of liquid courage.

  “Do you happen to have an iPod dock inside?” I ask.

  His forehead wrinkles and he tilts his head. “Yes.”

  I stand up and hold out both of my hands to him, which he takes.

  “Where is it?” I ask once we’re inside. He heads to the media center in the family room and opens a cabinet, while I retrieve my iPhone from my purse. After I connect my phone to the dock, I point to a leather chair at the other side of the room. “Sit.”

  He narrows his eyes, but does as I say.

  I navigate to my playlists and select “Boom”, a flirtatious and sexy number. As the song begins to play, I turn up the volume, move to the music and warn, “Now remember, I’m not a professional.”

  He nods, offering an amused grin.

  The only way I’m going to get through this striptease is if I do it playfully. I do not do Marilyn Monroe sexy!

  Slowly lifting my hair off my shoulders, I swing my hips as I sing with the song. I can actually sing pretty decent when I have the record to accompany me. However, my acapella voice is definitely lacking.

  Channeling my inner Kim Basinger a la Nine and a Half Weeks, I slink my way closer to him, and seductively roll my shoulders as I unbutton my blouse. I cannot believe I’m really doing this, but watching his bashful adoration, it is so worth it!

  I shimmy out of my skirt, and he places his hands on my hips as I move before him in my bra and panties. I am so glad I chose to wear my cute Victoria’s Secret ensemble, instead of my usual boring nude bra and random pair of underwear.

  “He make my heart go...” I pat my hand to my chest. “Boom, boom... He make my breath go...”

  Kiran tries to pull me in, but I push away from him and wag my finger, shamelessly teasing him. He lowers his head and chuckles, then looks up at me, eyes sparkling.

  I continue singing and dancing, in no way taking myself seriously, and slowly rock my moneymaker with every boom, boom. By this time, I’m trying not to laugh. I must look totally ridiculous. He leans his elbow on the chair, covers his eyes, then impishly peeks through his fingers at me and grins. My God, he’s killing me!

  Circling him, I run my hand across his shoulders, up his neck, and tousle his hair. Coming around the other side, I nip at his earlobe, making him wriggle in his seat. When the song comes to an end, I’m standing between his legs, directly in front of him, and I wish I could forever capture the look of appreciation on his face.

  “That was the most adorable yet sexy thing I have ever seen,” he says, his voice husky. Then he kisses my stomach.

  I squirm as his lips touch my skin. “I’m not sure how sexy it was, but I’ll settle for adorable.” It surprises me how willing I am to crawl out of my comfort zone, if I think it might bring him joy. “That smile is all I was shooting for,” I say, chucking him under the chin.

  He looks up at me, his eyes mischievous. “Are you sure that was all you were shooting for?” He presses his lips to my body once more, and slowly peels off the rest of my clothing. With the lights on, in front of the large, uncovered windows looking out to the lake, we make love in his chair. Normally, I would be completely neurotic about the idea that someone outside can possibly see us.

  But not tonight.

  Thirty-Four

  A month passes, and Julia and I meet for Starbucks on a Monday evening.

  “Hey, it’s my turn to treat,” she says as I start to pay.

  “Not if I have a gift card.”

  The place is busy tonight, so our usual spot in the corner with the cushy chairs is taken, forcing us to sit on the barstools at the long table in the center of the shop.

  “How’s married life been treating Kat?” I ask.

  “It’s going good, I guess.” She swipes some crumbs off the table. “They’re both working their tails off. Kat trying to get the salon off the ground, and Jacob working his day job and finishing up grad school.”

  “That’s why God gave us more energy when we’re young. So we can accomplish all that stuff.” The barista calls out our order, and I go get our drinks.

  “How about you?” Julia asks when I return to the table. “Any more drama with David? What’s going on with him?”

  “I think he might be doing better.” I pull the lid off my cup and pour a packet of sugar into my latte. “A few days after I’d sent him those contact numbers, he called to tell me he’d made an appointment to start seeing a therapist.”

  “That’s great!” Julia’s eyes widen.

  “He also started dating someone recently.”

  “Really?” Her voice is full of intrigue. “Did he tell you this?”

  Our usual chairs open up. Julia and I look at each other, grab our drinks, and hurry over before someone takes them.

  “At first, Carly told me,” I answer.

  “Carly’s still pretty tight with him then, huh?” She takes a sip of her coffee and some of it drizzles onto her blouse. “Ah, damn it!”

  “Here.” I hand her one of my napkins. “They talk about once a week, and they met for lunch once. She and David have always gotten along.”

  Julia blots at the stain on her shirt. “So, he’s not said anything to you about it? About this woman he’s dating?”

  “After he’d told Carly, he did. I’m not sure if he was afraid to say something to me about it, given how they met.”

  Julia looks up at me and raises an eyebrow.

  “The woman he’s seeing is a therapist.”

  Dropping the napkin on the table, she rolls her eyes. “Not his therapist, is she?”

  H
er reaction is the same one I had when I learned that bit of information.

  “Thankfully, no. Apparently, she and his therapist work out of the same office. They started talking while he was waiting for one of his sessions, and she discovered he wrote December Sky, which she read and loved.”

  I still find it strange that a therapist would choose to date a patient in her practice, even if it wasn’t her own. It doesn’t seem like the best idea to me, but whatever. Julia must be thinking the same, because she just shakes her head.

  “I know. It’s kinda weird.” I shrug. “But... David is very charming and likable when he wants to be. I can understand it a little. I mean, imagine if you read some book that you thought was amazing, and you had the opportunity to hang out with the author. I can see how a crush could develop.”

  “Oh, I can definitely see it. It doesn’t seem very professional, though.”

  Tilting my head, I scrunch my mouth. “Um, do you not remember how David and I started dating? Believe me, he can be a persistent little shit.”

  Julia laughs. “That’s right. I’d forgotten. But I’ve always known you were unprofessional.”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  Leaning back in her chair, Julia folds her arms and smiles. “Things still good with Kiran?”

  I lower my eyes and purse my lips. “Yep.”

  She squints at me. “Why did that not seem like a very convincing yep?”

  “No, it’s good. It’s just...” I look up and sigh. “That night he ran into Christine. I think it really did a number on him. He seems different since then.”

  “Different how?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe it’s just in my head.” I pull on a lock of my hair, again thinking back to the question he asked me that night at his house. “Kiran asked me something that has really been bothering me.”

  “What?”

  “He wanted to know if I would feel the same way about him if he ever got heavy again.”

  Julia frowns, and I think maybe she’s wondering if I gave him the wrong answer. Because, of course, there should only be one correct answer to such a question.

  “I told him yes!”