Bourbon & Chai: A Slow Burn Forbidden Romance Novel, Set in Philadelphia.

by Leah Kay

  It is almost time for Liam to come home and her pies need 10 more minutes to be done to perfection. She pulls out the vanilla ice cream from the freezer to let it thaw for a little bit. She runs upstairs to change into a long, strapless chiffon maroon dress, one of Liam’s favorites. Her olive skin looks radiant in maroon, and the fitted bodice is sure to make her man smile, perhaps more than smile. She runs a brush through hair and wraps her long silky hair over one shoulder leaving the other bare.

  Her phone beeps with a message from Liam. “Be home in 10, baby.”

  Perfect.

  Liam walks into a dark living room to no sign of Isha. Leaving his bag in the hallway he checks his phone. “Meet me on the rooftop.”

  With a cocky grin, he makes his way up there. It’s a cool summer night with a stunning view of the city. The smell of the jasmine breezes through the space and candles flicker in the glass vases on either side of the daybed. On the bed, a wooden tray sits with two pie plates, small bowls of vanilla ice cream and rolled up napkins. He grins seeing that she finally used her EZ pockets. An ivory cable knit throw lies towards the end of the daybed.

  Leaning against the parapet wall, under the string lights, is his beautiful wife holding two glasses of wine. The gentle night breeze is displacing her hair from her shoulder revealing a slender neckline. She is beaming watching her husband take it all in. Dressed in charcoal gray pants and an untucked white shirt, he looks dreamy to her. He walks up to her and takes the wine glasses from her and places them on the floor. Moving in closer, he runs his hand through her hair, holding her face in his palm with his fingers wrapped around her neck, and kisses her passionately. She returns his passion, keeping him close to her with her hands wrapped around him.

  In a quick motion, he picks her up into his arms as she wraps her legs around his waist. Kissing her, he walks over to turn off the string lights and then gently places her on the daybed. She moves the food tray to the end table and scoots back to make room for him. Unbuttoning his shirt, he reaches for her face and continues to kiss her, his mouth making its way to her neck while his hands reach underneath her dress to remove unwelcomed obstructions. She undoes his pants, and he pauses for a brief moment to undress, climbing back on top of her with his fingers quickly making their way between her thighs. She moans as he continues to tease her while his mouth moves further south from her neck. She clings on to him with her hands holding his neck. She catches her breath as his fingers release and lets out a deep moan as he enters her. She wraps her legs around him with her fingers digging into his broad shoulders. They enjoy the cozy night satiating each other, and, after a breathtaking climax, they both lie on their backs catching their breath. He leans forward to grab the throw at their feet and covers them both with it. She rolls onto her side and snuggles into the nook of his chest with his arm wrapped around her, holding her close, forgetting all distractions. He kisses her forehead and gently runs his fingers over her back. Immediately, she is transported back to her dream where Nathan’s fingers draw circles on her back, successfully ruining her post-coital bliss.

  “Will you feed me those pies now? I am starving.” Liam’s voice brings her back to the moment.

  The following morning, Nathan lands in San Diego to surprise Lily for her debate competition. He takes a cab to the place he has called home for the last 16 years. Pulling up to the house, he experiences a wide range of emotions. On the one hand, this place is full of Lily’s childhood memories. Her first steps, first bicycle ride, first swing, numerous water balloon fights, and her precious garden amongst many other things. But this house also reminds him of a young marriage with a lot of promise that lost its soul along the way. Nathan had been working for six months at Genex when they found out they were pregnant. He was over-the-moon happy to become a father and he was determined to raise their child in a beautiful home with a yard as opposed to the small apartment in downtown they were living in at that time.

  Nathan and Sarah started dating when they were 18; they were the quintessential teenage sweethearts. Nathan majored in chemical engineering at USC and Sarah was a fine arts major at the same school. During his senior year, Nathan was fortunate enough to land an entry-level engineer position with sizable income at Genex at their Carlsbad location. Due to the economic downturn, Sarah struggled to land a job in the area. Post-graduation, with nothing but big dreams in their eyes and pure zest to make it, they moved to a small apartment building in Carlsbad so that Nathan could begin his professional journey at Genex. The first few months of living together as adults with responsibilities felt like a dream. They were so in love. Being successful meant a lot to both of them. They both shared a passion for life and were determined to be ideal partners for each other, nurturing their aspirations. Sarah continued her job search while working part-time at a local gallery.

  Although it wasn’t planned, they were beyond happy to learn that they were pregnant. Sarah’s parents weren’t thrilled with the idea of their daughter becoming pregnant out of wedlock and they were also concerned that she may be too young to begin this journey. However, at 23, Sarah could not have been more confident in herself or in her love for Nathan. Since they were just starting out in their lives together, spending money on a big wedding seemed like an unwise choice to both of them. Instead, they chose to use their savings as a down payment for their future home.

  And so, with both their parents and few close friends as witnesses, they tied the knot at the courthouse downtown and exchanged vows to declare their love for one another and solidify their commitment for life.

  To have and to hold from this day forward,

  for better, for worse,

  for richer, for poorer,

  in sickness and in health,

  to love and to cherish,

  till death do us part…

  Nathan opens the front door with his keys and walks into a sterile living room with no sense of warmth, a home that turned into a house during their marriage, an artless décor that Sarah preferred so she wasn’t constantly taunted by her lack of a career. He makes his way to the guest bedroom, drops off his suitcase, changes into a pair of running shorts and a T-shirt and heads out for a quick run in the area. Listening to Phish, he runs through his neighborhood, remembering countless memories he collected over the years. He runs pasts the local carpenter’s shop where he spent many weekends learning skills he needed to fix his house. When they bought the house, it was just a two-bedroom and one-bath simple house on a nice-sized lot, a fixer-upper that fit into their budget. Over the next several years, Nathan fixed the house one room at a time, starting with painting the interiors, building a small guest bath on the first floor and building a wooden tree house for Lily to play in. Now, it is a fully renovated three-bedroom, 2.5-bath house with a garage turned office den complete with a serene garden area.

  Nathan returns to the house after his run and hops in the shower. Around 4:00 p.m. he drives to the school to pick up Lily. She bolts towards her dad at the sight of him in the parking lot. Happy tears trail down her cheek for his thoughtful surprise. “You are the best dad in the world.” Just about everything in his life feels worth it hearing her say those words to him.

  Before she can get carried away, Lily asks meekly, “Does Mom know you are coming?”

  Understanding her concern, he responds calmly, “I talked to her this morning.”

  Trying her best not to bombard him with questions, Lily presses on. “Will you be staying with us?”

  “Stop worrying about me. Your mom and I are adults. Besides, it is my home too.” He places his hand on her shoulders to reassure her before driving them back home.

  Grilling steaks in the backyard patio, he catches up with Lily on her choice of topics for the debate competition. At 5:00 p.m., Sarah walks in with a few canvases in one hand and keys in the other and is immediately welcomed by the smell of a grilled steak. Dropping off her things in the foyer, she walks
over to the patio and sees Lily on the hammock engaged in an animated conversation with her dad.

  “Hi,” Sarah says, stepping out of the kitchen and onto the patio deck.

  Nathan turns around. “Hey! Welcome back.” He leans in to give her a hug.

  She holds him briefly and realizes that she missed him. He has been her world for the past 20 years. Not seeing him every day has felt strange to say the least. In addition to that, it has been challenging starting a new job after 16 years. Granted she asked and wished for these changes, but she was having a very difficult time navigating it all.

  Nathan sets the table for the three of them to enjoy their dinner on the patio like they used to, catching up on school, work, politics, world affairs and many other subjects. He has never been a fan of digital distraction driven dinner. He enjoys getting to know his daughter, her thought process and helping her grow into a powerful woman through engaging conversations. He is proud of the vocal, driven and talented girl she is becoming. After cleaning and putting away the dishes, Lily retreats to her room to get on with school work giving Nathan and Sarah a chance to connect.

  Nathan walks up to Sarah with a glass of wine. “Want to join me on the patio?”

  Sarah smiles and obliges. They sit across from each other in complete silence as they enjoy their drinks on a pleasant California night.

  “How is your job going?” he asks, breaking the quiet spell, eager to learn more about Sarah’s new job at the local art gallery downtown.

  “It’s been interesting,” she replies meekly.

  “Interesting, good?” he presses on.

  “Just interesting.”

  “I am proud of you for trying.”

  Mistaking his praise for condescension, Sarah says in a low tone, “Wouldn’t it be easier to say you were disappointed in me up until now?”

  “Not this again, Sarah.” He is certain people always hear what they want to hear irrespective of what one has to say.

  “Have a good night, Nathan. Thanks for sleeping in the guest bedroom.” Sarah takes off with her glass of wine.

  Letting out a heavy sigh of regret at his fractured marriage, he follows Sarah to apologize to her, except she closes the door behind her. Having no intention of disturbing Lily, he picks up his keys and goes for a drive. Taking the road up to the coast, his thoughts wander. It wasn’t his intention to come off as condescending. He wants her to know that he is genuinely proud of her. But it dawns on him that years of damage can seldom be erased overnight. Fresh pain from Sarah almost erases Isha’s unreasonable cold behavior towards him. His thoughts of despair are interrupted by his phone.

  “I am sorry for being a brat to you. Forgive me?”

  Almost.

  Chapter 7

  Miss me yet?

  Although Lily has some teenage awkwardness to grow out of, with her brown shoulder-length hair, blue eyes and long legs, she bears a close resemblance to her dad. After their morning run together, they stop at a Starbucks located a mile from their house.

  Grabbing a cup of coffee on their walk back home, Lily inquires, “You haven’t talked about Looney Tunes recently.”

  Truth be told, he hasn’t responded to Isha’s text from last night. With Sarah’s continued standoffishness combined with the weird dynamic of their marriage at the moment, he hasn’t had a chance to think about much else. Now that Lily reminds him, his mind drifts back to her.

  “She continues to be looney with me.”

  “Have you asked her why?”

  “I don’t think I can.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because when it comes to work, she is fine. Outside of work, she gets looney.”

  “This is so strange, Dad. How does she look?” Feminine curiosity sure does start at a young age.

  “She is fine, I guess.”

  Unsatisfied with her dad’s poor description, she asks, “What’s her name?”

  “Why?” Nathan shoots her a quizzical look.

  “Can I please have her name?”

  “Isha Turner.”

  “And she is from Philadelphia, right?”

  “Yes, and what are you up to?”

  She takes out her phone, opens Facebook and types her name. And voila—there’s her profile picture.

  “Dad! She is gorgeous!” Lily exclaims, going through her pictures. “The guy she is with is pretty good looking too.” Nathan doesn’t necessarily enjoy the latter part of her compliment.

  “Did you try ignoring her back?” Lily suggests, turning into their street.

  “And why would I do that?” Nathan doesn’t quite follow her train of thought.

  “You tried being nice to her; try ignoring her next time, perhaps it will lead you somewhere.”

  “Perhaps you should stop advising your dad on how to handle his direct reports,” he finishes with a smack on her arm.

  Isha and Claire grab a table at Sabrina’s café after a successful Pilates session. Isha is supremely eager to hear about Claire’s date from last night. Throughout their friendship, Claire has opted for a no-commitment lifestyle when it comes to dating and relationships after she was led to believe that love doesn’t last at a very unforgiving age. As a young girl, she believed her parents were the happiest couple there ever was. When they divorced each other and her father moved out, it blindsided her, impairing her judgment when it comes to relationships. And as time passed, she stayed far from commitments to shield herself from any emotional attacks. Isha, being an ultimate optimist and Claire’s loyal cheerleader, continues to have hope that one day someone will love Claire so immensely that she will have no choice but to surrender.

  “Tell me everything!”

  “Well, her name is Molly Jones; she is an associate at a law firm in the city, went to Drexel, very pretty and seemed um … nice.”

  “I am intrigued…” Isha waits for Claire to go on.

  “We already made plans to see each other again,” Claire adds meekly.

  “Second date already! I am impressed.”

  “She could see through me, you know. I am not sure if that’s a good or bad thing. We talked for hours last night. I was opening up to her with ease; the whole thing was just effortless. By no means am I putting pressure on something so new. But I am hopeful.” Claire is stunned hearing her own revelation.

  Isha has been waiting for Claire to experience a passion strong enough to sweep her off her feet and feels a glimmer of hope watching her light up talking about Molly.

  “Fingers, toes, body crossed for this one,” Isha says, feeling hopeful for her best friend.

  By noon, the community hall is filled with parents, teachers and other students. Nathan sees Lily on the stage along with other semifinalists taking their seats before the debate competition commences.

  Sitting alone in the last row, he takes out his cell phone and sends Lily a text. “Good luck, Lily! You will be amazing.”

  He watches her read her text and seconds later his phone beeps. “Thank you!”

  With a big smile he replies, “Look up.” He stands up in the back row and waves both his hands to get her attention. Lily grins ear to ear seeing her dad in the crowd.

  “You got this, show them what you got.”

  They both put their phones away and wait for the competition to start. Lily does an incredible job of defending why schools shouldn’t be allowed to track students purely based on their academic level and how that creates unfair segregation at a young age. Nathan beams with pride watching his daughter defend her opinion with conviction and she receives a huge round of applause from the crowd for a job well done. The rest of the semifinalists complete their rounds and judges consolidate their scores while the students wait in eager anticipation to see who made it to the finals. Fifteen minutes later, the chair of the Speech and Debate program announces three students who are progres
sing to finals, Lily being one of them. Nathan shakes his fist in the air as a sign of victory and watches Lily maintain perfect composure as her name is announced.

  Nathan plans a celebration for her at Vigulucci’s restaurant with a stunning ocean view. After a challenging conversation, he convinces Sarah to join them as well. Dressed in blue jeans and a white T-shirt paired with her favorite converse shoes, Lily joins her dad, who is already waiting behind the wheel. She pulls her hair up into a ponytail, highlighting her sharp cheekbones with tiny freckles and her delicate blue eyes. Around 6:30 p.m., they swing by the gallery to pick up Sarah before heading to the restaurant. The hostess seats them on the patio, boasting a beautiful view of the beach with a picturesque sunset. Sarah’s red curly hair comes to life as the bright orange rays of sunset dance off of them.

  The sight of her at this moment takes Nathan back to when he first saw her. With her pale complexion, sun-kissed freckles on her cheek, light brown eyes complete with dancing red curls, he had never seen anyone more beautiful in his 18 years of existence when he noticed her on his first day of college during orientation and knew he wanted to be with her. He chased after her, trying to impress her with his boyish charm. She resisted him for as long as she could until she fell head over heels in love with him. Nathan is the smartest guy she had ever known. He talked about making it on his own, traveling the world, having a big house to raise his family and he worked harder than anyone his age. She fell for him, for his dreams, for the way he made her feel, for the way he inspired her to be better and for the man she knew he was going to be.