Xanadu XOXO (Ticket to True Love)

by JB Schroeder

  He wasn’t especially worried about marching to anyone else’s timeline. So it had taken him a while to figure out the right path. So what? Money and security would follow talent, given enough hard work and enough time. That was what he was concentrating on.

  “Ask her out anyway,” Rita said. “Women like to know you’re willing to fight for them.”

  Jonah saw a gleam in her eye. Ho-whoa—apparently, now that Jake and Jeremy were both married, her sights were set on him.

  “Kalpani’s not your average woman.” Instinctively, he knew that pushing Kalpani would only send her running. His best bet still was to bump into her and hope he could finagle spending more time with her.

  One thing was for certain, though. If she gave him half a chance—even the smallest opening—he’d be all over it.

  15

  Without even trying, Kalpani had found out Jonah’s new schedule from her contractor. Now that she knew it, she couldn’t get it out of her head.

  She forced herself to stay away at first, but as she finished up with her last client Friday evening, she decided it was time. Maybe dropping off Jonah’s fleece—instead of looking at it folded on the front seat of her car every day—would put last weekend behind her.

  Kalpani grabbed a lint roller and tried to get hours’ worth of hair bits off her black shirt, then pulled her long sweater, purse, and coat from her locker. She popped into the bathroom, used mouthwash, and reapplied lipstick—and pretended it wasn’t because she might see Jonah.

  By the time she reached Xanadu, the upstairs light to Jonah’s little room was dark. The tension of anticipation released, and her shoulders dropped.

  She shook her head. She’d said she didn’t want any drama after the fact, and beyond one short text message, he’d honored that. He’d seemingly let her walk away. So, what the hell was her problem?

  She clutched his fleece tight with one arm and stuck her key in the door as she turned the handle, but it suddenly swung open. She lost her balance, tumbling inside.

  Strong hands grasped her upper arms and her body ended up flush against—

  Jonah.

  Her heart leapt, and a big smile erupted on her face.

  Jonah grinned back, and his eyes twinkled. “You missed me after all.”

  Then his lips were on hers, and she forgot to breathe, let alone her pretense for coming tonight.

  She slid her hands into his hair. He lifted her up, then set her down again further inside. He yanked out her keys and shoved the door shut. They never stopped kissing.

  Her keys hit the floor with a clang, and he slid his hands over her back, along her waist, up her ribs. Then her breasts were in his hands and she could admit it—Waheguru—she’d missed him.

  He feasted on her neck, and she moaned then slid her hands up under his flannel shirt. His skin was warm, his muscles were hard, and she remembered exactly how beautiful he was when undressed. She unbuttoned his shirt as fast as she could. He backed her against the wall, pushed one of her breasts up and out of her bra, and sucked her nipple through her shirt.

  She gasped and rocked her pelvis against his thigh. Once, twice—he sucked hard—and she was riding him, already racing toward—

  He grabbed her hips, stilling her. He kissed her, then laid his forehead against hers. He was breathing as heavily as she was—why was he hitting the brakes?

  “Have dinner with me.”

  She blinked.

  “Don’t get the wrong idea,” he said. “I want you”—his eyes fastened on her lips, and she thought he might kiss her again—“more than ever. But I also want you to know that I like you, and not just this.” His thigh pressed between her legs, emphasizing the point.

  “Just making sure I have this right,” she said. “You want to forgo sex.” She slid her fingers ever so slowly down his chest and grabbed the waistband of his jeans, dipping her fingers inside. She was gratified to see his every muscle twitch under her touch. “To have dinner?”

  “With you. Right now.” Jonah’s jaw clenched.

  As badly as she wanted him, maybe it was just as well. Did she want to christen Xanadu with fast and furious sex right here in the entryway—the first place she’d soon see on a daily basis? Better, perhaps, to be reminded of hugs and kisses—although that didn’t do justice to the passion they had just experienced.

  He was looking at her so intently that she couldn’t make herself say something flip.

  “Okay.”

  Jonah smiled, although he still looked serious as all get out as he released her hips. He buttoned his shirt; she tucked herself back into her bra. He held her gaze, heat still emanating between them.

  “Where to?” she asked.

  He scooped up her keys. “Do you have a favorite? Indian, maybe?”

  She shook her head. “It never compares to my mom’s.”

  “Don’t I know it. I haven’t even bothered since you brought me those samosas.”

  They exited the building, and as soon as she put a foot to the cement stoop, she landed on something soft.

  She bent and retrieved Jonah’s fleece. “Look what I dropped on the way in. I wonder how that happened.”

  “It was quite a greeting.” His eyes twinkled and he tossed it inside.

  The bigger restaurants were jammed with Friday night crowds, so they decided on take out from Little Bangkok and returned to Xanadu to eat it.

  Soon there would be benches and pillows in the front windows and a couple of chairs to match. Right now, there was Jonah’s single chair upstairs or a metal ladder. The floor was dirty and dusty. Jonah laid the fleece down on the floor in front of the receptionist’s desk and insisted she sit on it. He returned from upstairs with a big sheet of brown craft paper and spread the food out on it like a makeshift picnic, then he sat beside her.

  “Your jeans,” she said.

  “They’ll wash.”

  They leaned their backs against the reception desk and talked as they ate. Jonah asked about her family, how she knew she wanted to be a stylist, and about her plans for the salon. He talked some about Sohel, then said, “I want to show you something.” Jonah went upstairs and returned with a sheaf of papers.

  She looked at the first page and knew. “Sohel’s will.”

  “Go to the end,” Jonah said.

  “He never signed it.” Her heart lurched. “It was supposed to be yours, at least in Sohel’s heart.”

  He nodded.

  “That’s… I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I only wanted you to know why I was so thrown when you first showed up here. I’d made Sohel a promise to carry on for him. I thought I’d be doing that.” Kalpani reached out and squeezed his hand. He squeezed back and smiled. “I think Sohel would be okay with the way things are turning out.”

  She leaned over and pressed a firm, lingering kiss to his lips. “Thank you for saying that.”

  They returned to their meal, and she asked if he’d heard from the honeymooning couple and how his art sales were these days. And he explained why he’d taken so many photos at the wedding: he hadn’t yet given Jeremy and Darcy a gift, and he wanted to do a series of small pieces with their special people as a keepsake.

  “I love that idea,” she said. “Darcy will, too.”

  Everything new she learned about Jonah cemented what she’d already learned. He was a good guy: loyal, caring, and thoughtful. She smiled again—and then realized she smiled a lot in his presence.

  They had kept the lights low, and with the front windows still taped over, it was like they were cocooned in their own little world. Just like last weekend, she found herself wishing it didn’t have to end.

  Per their usual Saturday morning routine, Kalpani and Darcy walked from their yoga class at Exhale to 21st Street Coffee and Tea. Darcy and Jeremy had taken only a short honeymoon because Jeremy didn’t want to be away from the club too long while they were still instituting so many changes. In fact, they hadn’t told their wedding guests, but they’d actually staye
d in True Springs a few more days, renting a cottage on the outskirts of town and hiding out, just the two of them.

  “We had groceries delivered ahead, then farm-fresh milk and eggs in the mornings so we could just stay in bed and—”

  “Don’t say any more.” Kalpani held up a hand. “Now that you are married, I don’t think I’m supposed to be privy to the nitty-gritty.”

  Darcy laughed. “Don’t go all prude on me now. It was plain as day where you were headed last weekend.”

  “What do you mean?” Kalpani turned as if she were perusing the menu. In reality, she and Darcy knew the offerings here as well as they knew their own refrigerators.

  “Tell me you didn’t sleep with Jonah,” Darcy said.

  “Shh!” Kalpani bugged her eyes out at Darcy.

  “Okay, fine,” Darcy whispered. “But seriously.” She watched Kalpani’s face carefully, but Kalpani couldn’t keep the corners of her mouth from turning up.

  Darcy mouthed, Oh my God.

  They ordered, and as soon as they had peeled out of their winter coats and sat, Darcy said. “Since he’s now my brother-in-law, I don’t want details.” She squished her eyes shut as if blocking out the thought. “But I need—you know—details.”

  Kalpani shook her head.

  “Fine. Just…I know how you are. One date, one night, whatever, and you prefer to move on. But you and Jonah actually seemed really in sync.”

  Kalpani leaned back in her chair with a big rush of breath. “We were. We are. I don’t know.”

  Darcy raised an eyebrow over her coffee cup.

  “Your wedding festivities were like some fairytale date. And then that night? Let me just say wow.”

  Darcy buried her face in her hands but recovered quickly.

  “I hadn’t seen him again until last night, when I bumped into him at the salon.”

  “What’s he doing at Xanadu?”

  “Working. Remember his equipment is upstairs in storage? Except he’s actually using the computers and printers. At first, it was on the sly at night, but I gave him the green light so… Anyway, last night. He was leaving as I was arriving to check on things, and…”

  “Oh my God,” Darcy said, eyes wide. “At the salon?”

  “No! We grabbed dinner. Very casual.” Darcy definitely didn’t need to know about the hot and heavy start to the evening.

  Darcy shook her head. “And?”

  “And it was nice. Perfect, really.”

  Darcy clapped her hands.

  “No,” Kalpani said. “Don’t do that.”

  “Why? It’s exciting.”

  “Uh-uh, it’s not good.”

  “Why not?” Darcy looked truly baffled.

  “Because I don’t want to like him. I don’t want a man. I don’t want to be tied down.”

  Darcy said, “From what? Speed dating every weekend? Jumping out of planes? Jetting off to Club Med?” Kalpani cocked her head to the side, and Darcy made a face back. “You pretty much work all the time, do yoga a few times a week, and visit your family.”

  Darcy wasn’t wrong. But she was missing the point. “I’ve told you before. I’m never going to marry.”

  Darcy stared at her. Finally, she said, “I’m not sure why spending time with someone you enjoy automatically equates to him handing you a ring made of cement blocks and chains.”

  “It always ends up there. Everyone wants that. I really like Jonah—too much. It feels extra wrong to lead him on, when I know I’ll break it off in the end.”

  Neither of them had begun to eat yet, so Darcy cut her quiche and transferred half to Kalpani’s plate, then did the opposite with Kalpani’s scone. Kalpani’s appetite had fled suddenly, but Darcy broke off a corner of the scone and nibbled.

  “So,” she said, “you don’t want to bother because you assume this will go all the way, and he’ll undoubtedly want to get married someday?”

  Kalpani rubbed her eyes. It sounded so stupid when it was put like that. But she had her reasons.

  “You know,” Darcy said, “it is possible that he dumps your conceited ass before you have a chance to crush him.” She winked and popped a bite of scone into her mouth.

  Kalpani laughed. Darcy hardly ever swore, but when she did, it was usually with great effect.

  “Listen, I’m hardly any expert on any of this.” Darcy leaned forward. “But did you ever consider that just maybe it’s okay to let something run its course? And okay to not make it a big deal? If you like Jonah and he makes you feel good, hang out with him.” She shrugged. “If you stop liking him, break it off.” Another shrug. “It doesn’t have to fit into one of your goals.”

  “You make it sound so easy.” A surge of excitement or maybe hope bumped around inside of Kalpani. She squeezed her knees together under the table.

  “Exactly my point. Maybe this could just be easy.”

  Kalpani had been fighting the desire to see Jonah since the wedding, but what Darcy said made a lot of sense. Was Kalpani grasping for an excuse to keep seeing Jonah? Or had Darcy just given Kalpani some much-needed perspective?

  16

  Jonah wasn’t sure what had changed, but Kalpani had joined him at Xanadu the last three evenings. On Monday, she’d texted out of the blue to see if he’d be there. He was—and wasn’t about to leave if she was on her way. When she arrived, they went down the block to Pho Van for a casual dinner. When they’d later locked up Xanadu, he’d given her a very thorough goodnight kiss. It’d about killed him to stop there, but he was wary of pushing her too far, too fast.

  They planned to meet Tuesday, then Wednesday…and by Thursday, Jonah realized that seeing Kalpani each evening had become an expectation rather than a hope.

  That evening, she pounded up the stairs to his cramped work area before he even had a chance to wrap up.

  “I have to talk to you.” She wore yoga pants and her puffy coat and had her hair in a sloppy bun on top of her head. Somehow, she looked both hot and adorable—and very serious.

  “Okay.” Jonah felt a wash of worry.

  “I saw that new piece of art you put up at that place next to the winery. The really big one? It has a sold tag already?” Her words rushed out and her eyes were bright.

  He smiled. Of course, he knew exactly which one she’d meant: a large piece emphasizing a forceful black swirl and bursts of black flowers enhanced with red and purples on a white background. He’d added some sparkling silver after printing to give it a little more life. This one represented the fierce power and beauty of a strong woman—not that anyone would know that but him. “You like?”

  “I love it. It’s stunning.”

  “Excellent.” Jonah grinned.

  “I want to buy it.”

  “You can’t.”

  She raised her chin. “I’ll pay double.”

  “You can’t.” Jonah laughed. She really did love it—this was perfect.

  Kalpani pressed her lips together then grabbed his arm and tugged him to the stairs. “Come with me.”

  She dragged him all the way to the front of Xanadu and turned him to face the reception desk.

  “Look. Can’t you picture it right here? For every person who walks in the door to see?” She looked hard at him.

  He tilted his head, pretending to consider it.

  Kalpani tried again. “Can’t you just print out another one?”

  Jonah shook his head. “It’s one of a kind. The owner isn’t going to want it duplicated.”

  Kalpani crossed her arms over her chest. “I want the name of the owner, then. I’ll have to convince them to sell it to me.”

  “That won’t be a problem.” He wrapped an arm around her and tried to kiss her, but she pushed against his chest.

  “Why?”

  “Because the owner is you.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I created it for you, Kalpani Desai, owner of Xanadu. For that very spot.” He pointed to the wall she’d made him look at. “I was worried you might not
like it, though.”

  She looked at the ceiling, muttering, “Durga, a little help, please.” Then, with a calming breath, she looked at Jonah. “Why in the world is it in that window, then? With a sold tag, no less?”

  “It’s a departure for me, so I wanted to see if people responded. You know, to see if I should do a line in a similar vein,” Jonah said. “The sold tag is because I didn’t want to risk them selling it accidentally.”

  A smile grew on Kalpani’s lips and she pressed her hands together at her heart. “It’s really mine?”

  “Now will you kiss me?”

  She rose on tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. He could feel her smile in the kiss.

  “Wait.” She pulled back. “We need to finish this discussion. What do I owe you?”

  “Nothing,” he said.

  “Come on. You could get— Well, I don’t know what, but a lot of money for it.”

  “It was always meant for you, as a gift for your grand opening.”

  “Jonah…”

  “If it makes you feel better, consider the fact that you saved me loads of rent by allowing me to continue to work upstairs,” he said. “But I didn’t do it to make us even. I did it because I wanted to. You inspired that piece of art. It’s been yours from the beginning.”

  He reached out and undid her topknot, then pulled the strands through his fingers. “But I knew I was missing something and couldn’t finish it until I got it just right.”

  “The colors in my hair?”

  He smiled, thinking back to lying naked and sated with Kalpani in True Springs. “Yes.”

  Kalpani’s eyes glistened. “Thank you.” She wrapped her arms around him, and he hugged her back. “How long do you need it to stay in the window?”

  “Until you are ready to hang it,” he said. “So sometime after the place is painted and before opening day.”