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

Page 17

by Leah Kay


  They walk over to the poker room and notice both Mark and Claire participating in a tournament, bringing her wish to be alone with Nathan to reality, yet leaving her with a choice to do the right thing.

  Turning towards Nathan, Isha tries to excuse herself. “I have to stay back for Claire.”

  “A best friend’s job is never easy.” Nathan smiles noticing her reluctance to hang out with him alone.

  On an impulse, he looks into her eyes and asks, “Take a walk with me?”

  Warming up to his earnest eyes, Isha finds herself nodding yes to his sincere request, silencing her practical side advising her to do otherwise. They walk across the street onto the bridge along the lake in utter silence feeling completely vulnerable in each other’s presence.

  Taking a seat on a bench under a lamppost facing the lake, Isha breaks the silence. “Mind if I ask you something?”

  Misinterpreting the silence during their walk, Nathan worries if he has made a mistake. Relief washes over him as Isha initiates a conversation. “Please do,” he replies.

  “Do you still think I look just a tad more than nice tonight?” She teases him to calm the growing nerves between them.

  Laughing at her persistence, he says, “You are a pain!” as he looks at her fondly.

  A brief moment later, he says sincerely, “Thank you for snapping me out of my foul mood earlier in the week.”

  “Mind if I ask what caused it?”

  He takes a deep breath. “Are you sure you want to know?”

  Nodding her head, she turns towards him to listen.

  “My marriage might be over,” he says, looking away from her. Isha notices the hurt in his eyes and wishes she hadn’t asked.

  “Sarah isn’t willing to negotiate, I let her down. I let Lily down.” Nathan strips his walls down and bares his deep hidden regrets to Isha.

  Witnessing his pain and agony, Isha’s heart goes out to him. She learns more about the downfall of his marriage, brought on by two individuals who grew apart as the years went by. His maturity during a state of despair stuns her as he continues to be kind towards Sarah, assuming all the blame for being unable to help her and failing miserably at giving Lily a happy home.

  “It’s not over yet. Sarah still has a few more months.” Isha tries to cheer him up.

  “Being with your family made me realize how much I miss having a home.”

  “You may still have it all, Nathan.” Isha continues to have hope for his marriage.

  “I have been fighting for so long, I don’t remember what hope looks like anymore,” Nathan replies dejectedly.

  “Perhaps you can fight for Lily?” She speaks to his conscience.

  Her words align him with his purpose. It has always been about Lily. He sighs deeply. “You are right. She deserves a good home,” Nathan replies, trying to muster some strength for what lies ahead of him. All of a sudden, he realizes that he completely took over the conversation and made it about himself. “I am sorry. I am sure you wish you were dancing instead of listening to my sad story.”

  “Just a bit.” Isha tries to lighten the mood.

  As they share a laugh, sitting next to each other on this chilly night, he feels helplessly drawn to her. Her ability to read his mind and the ease with which he can open up to her makes him increasingly aware of his growing feelings towards her. Rising from the bench, he turns around and faces her with his hand out, asking for her hand in return. With nerves overtaking her senses, she gently places her hand in his and rises to her feet.

  With his other arm lightly wrapping around her waist, he pulls her close. “Your wish is my command,” Nathan whispers as he sways her softly under a canvas of thousand stars.

  Leaning his cheek on hers, he hums a tune, swaying her along. His breath on her neck raises every hair on her body while the warmth of his body radiates through her. A mix of pleasure and fear pulses through her veins as she closes her eyes and loses herself in his arms. He brings them to a stop and waits for her to open her eyes.

  The moment her vulnerable gaze meets his, he lets go of her hand and cradles her face. “You look incredible tonight.”

  Pressing his hand to her cheek, she slowly removes it and turns around to hurry back to the casino.

  Watching Isha hurry towards the casino after letting her go from his arms, Nathan waits till she makes it back inside safely. Walking back towards the hotel his heart is filled with fear and hope. Fear of his growing connection with Isha. Fear of what this would do to his imploding marriage to Sarah. Fear of disappointing Lily. Fear of ruining Isha’s marriage. Beyond it all, a small hope of whether this is all meant to be. Safe to say, his small hope has no chance of survival with his fears around. Lying in bed, he wonders if it is alright to hope for another shot at happiness. Looking back at his life, he tries to think of the last time he felt alive, where life wasn’t just another day of regrets and responsibilities. Lily has been his only ray of sunshine in an otherwise monotonous world. All of that changed with Isha. She is starting to give him hope accompanied by painful consequences. Part of him wants to piece himself back together and make his life count again. However, his cynical side convinces him that he does not deserve another chance, especially with someone like Isha, who has her whole life ahead of her. Lost in this internal debate, he dozes off during the early hours of the morning.

  Isha’s eyes well up on her way back to the casino at the thought of Liam. An emotional distance is beginning to form between them as her undeniable connection with Nathan grows stronger. All her attempts to stay away from Nathan have only brought them closer to each other, and she has begun to care for him. She finds happiness in seeing him smile, it hurts her to see him in pain, and slowly she is losing the battle of keeping her true feelings towards him locked up in a box, deep inside her heart. She felt at home in Nathan’s arms tonight, and a sliver of hope is beginning to take life inside of her. A hope that would destroy Liam. Feeling immensely guilty about her feelings and the shame that accompanied her actions with Nathan, Isha finds it hard to get some shuteye.

  Next morning, the travel team of four meet at the pier to take a scenic boat ride on Lake Lucerne to Viztnau, followed by a cogwheel train to the top of Mt. Rigi. Mt. Rigi is known as the queen of mountains, and since they have just one leisure day built into their itinerary, they want to make the most of it and go on a day trip to the most beautiful snowcapped mountain surrounded by three lakes. Mark made a few local friends at the poker tournament last night and learned quite a bit about Swiss culture in the process. Although his poker game suffered, he came out of the night feeling culture rich. He insists on teaching the rest of them a few things as they take off on a scenic boat ride. On the other hand, Claire won big and takes immense pleasure in rubbing it in Mark’s face.

  Having slept poorly last night, both Claire and Isha sit next to each other and take a nap as the boat makes its course towards Vitznau on the beautiful Lake Lucerne. Mark and Nathan step outside onto the deck to take in the breathtaking view of the mountains and enjoy a hot cup of cocoa. A little while later, both Claire and Isha step out onto the deck feeling refreshed after a power nap. They join the men and enjoy the stunning view of Mt. Pilatus as they catch up with each other on their nights. After docking at Vitznau, they make their way to the train station to take the historic red cogwheel train on a steep mountain climb to the top of Mt. Rigi. The train moves at a slow pace and makes several stops along the way, giving them plenty of opportunities to take in the beautiful scenery along with stunning views of the lakes. They pass an elegant chapel nestled in the mountains and witness a local playing the alphorn—a traditional musical instrument used to shepherd cows from the pastures into the barn. Hopping back on the train, they ride it to Kanzeli, a popular viewpoint on Mt. Rigi with panoramic views of green pastures and blue lakes and the mountains providing a magnificent backdrop. The stress of last night begins to wear o
ff as they spend the day on a tranquil mountain taking in the slow lifestyle of the population living in towns nestled in the meadows.

  Walking back to the cable car station, they take the final ride to the top of Mt. Rigi. Stepping out of the train, they cross the tracks towards the edge and are immediately welcomed by the majestic views of the mountains. A beautiful juxtaposition of the mountains and the sight of the clouds below them takes their breath away. Planning to catch the sunset in a few hours, they take the flight of stairs to the only restaurant available at the summit for an early dinner.

  During their dinner, the team learns that Nathan’s daughter Lily will be joining him next week to explore Philadelphia. Isha loves the sparkle in his eyes when he talks about Lily. There is a sense of pride in the way he speaks of her, and it is apparent to anyone that Lily means the world to him. Throughout their dinner, she inquiries about Lily’s hobbies and interests and makes several suggestions about a few other things they could do together with Claire and Mark seconding her suggestions. They wrap up their dinner just in time to catch the sunset. A short walk later, they reach a decent spot along the edge of the trail to watch the sunset. As they plop down on the ground, they watch the sun go down in pristine elegance, casting its golden rays upon the clouds and slowly disappearing behind the horizon where the heaven touches the earth. The wind picks up the chill with the sun’s descent drawing Isha close to Claire as they lean on each other.

  After watching a magnificent sunset, they walk back across the tracks to take the last train down to Vitznau. As the train approaches the station, Isha runs to the bathroom before going on an hour-long ride down the mountains. She hurries towards the bathrooms and notices a long line ahead of her with only two stalls available to use. Hoping the women in front of her will be quick, she waits in line for a few minutes. Right when it is her turn to use the bathroom, she receives a text from Claire. “Hurry up. We are all on the train.”

  Isha quickly uses the bathroom and hurries back to the station and notices the light turning green signaling the train is about to start its descent down the mountain trail. Nathan, waiting on the platform for Isha, hollers at her to hurry up. With seconds until departure, Isha makes it back on to the train and Nathan climbs right behind her to make sure she isn’t left behind. Being the last train from the summit, the train is packed with passengers leaving no room for Nathan and Isha to make their way towards the front of the carriage to join Mark and Claire.

  Isha takes her phone out to text Claire. “Made it on the train. Nathan and I are standing in the back.”

  “Thank God you guys made it! We were worried.”

  Putting her phone away, Isha tunes out the chatter of the fellow passengers and takes in the view of the countryside at dusk with twinkling lights coming from the residences dispersed throughout the mountains. Nathan experiences a strange feeling of contentment standing next to her in such a beautiful setting. Both of them struggle to start a conversation and continue to remain silent in each other’s presence, wishing for the time to stand still. Their thoughts get distracted by the squeal of a little girl sitting a few seats away from them. Isha follows the child’s gaze and finds a couple of sky lanterns floating through the sky. Grabbing Nathan’s arm out of sheer excitement, she points them out to him. Isha has had a thing for sky lanterns since she was a little girl and feels nostalgic at the sight of them tonight in this serene setting as they billow their way towards the mountains. Isha shares her fond memories of releasing lanterns with her mom at their lake house with Nathan. He finds her energy electric and slowly all his fears come crawling back. However, this time his small hope for a second chance comes in stronger, taking an equal stand against his fears. Their moment gets interrupted as the train makes a sudden stop during a steep decline. The train conductor instructs the worried passengers to stay in their seats while he makes his way to the front of the train to speak with the driver.

  As the rest of the passengers look towards the front of the train to see what is happening, Nathan reaches for Isha’s hand, interlacing his fingers with hers. Isha holds his hand tightly as she continues to stare outside with her heart beating frantically in her chest.

  Taking a deep breath, his eyes meet hers. “I want you to meet Lily.”

  With adrenaline coursing through her veins, she asks, “Are you sure?”

  “She is my world … she needs to know you.”

  Chapter 14

  Dilemma

  Liam waits eagerly in the arrivals area for Isha, dressed up in her favorite white shirt with a bunch of white daisies. After taking care of an event on Saturday night for work, he was exhausted and didn’t get a chance to take her to the airport for her flight to Switzerland. Wanting to make up for it, he arrives early and waits for her. It has been lonely without her at home and this time while she has been away he has not engaged in any activities that would upset her and has acted more responsibly.

  Dragging at snail’s pace through immigrations and customs, Isha picks up her bags and walks out into the arrivals area. A knife slides into her heart locking eyes with Liam who looks so happy to see her, blissfully unaware of her growing feelings for Nathan. She hurries into his arms, submitting to his embrace and breathes through the aggravating guilt brought on by his many soft kisses. They pick up Claire and drive down into the city. Isha remains quiet for most of the drive while Claire fills Liam in on the details of their trip. Gathering that Isha may be tired, Liam doesn’t press her. After dropping off Claire, Liam drives home with Isha.

  Upon entry into the house, Liam drops off Isha’s bags on the floor and takes his wife into his arms. “I missed you.”

  Isha continues to struggle with this intimacy and the crushing pain that follows due to her remorseful actions with Nathan. Blaming her moodiness on the long flight, she excuses herself to freshen up and promises to see him in 30 for dinner. With the water running over her back, she loses herself in her thoughts. Throughout the flight, she attempted to squash her feelings for Nathan but they have taken a firm root in her heart and she feels weak in their command. Her logical side tries to convince her of the heartbreak awaiting her if she presses on this path with Nathan, while another part of her trivializes her reactions and convinces her that what she is experiencing towards Nathan is pure empathy. Truth is that her deep-rooted connection with Nathan is beyond her own comprehension, but Liam doesn’t deserve to be a casualty of this “cosmic joke”.

  During dinner, Isha remains mostly quiet reminiscing about simpler times and racking her brain as to how things got to where they are with Nathan. Days of stressing about work, weight gain due to eating too much junk food to nursing a hangover on the weekend all seem to pale in comparison to her current struggle. She questions herself as to why she couldn’t say no to Nathan when he danced with her or the time when he held her hand. Never having once made conscious plans for crossing the line with him, Isha realizes that she somehow loses all sense of responsible behavior while he is around and reminds herself that she can still be in control starting now. She has no reason to go along with his plans for meeting Lily. She can still politely decline and walk away from it. Mustering her guts to do the right thing, she relaxes on the couch watching reruns of CSI with Liam joining behind her. Isha snuggles into his chest and Liam wraps her in his arms resting his chin on the top of her head.

  “Did you hear Gracie is pregnant with twins?” Liam catches her up with the latest news amongst their friends.

  “I didn’t. That’s exciting!” Isha replies.

  Plopping a quick kiss on her head, Liam gushes, “You will make a beautiful pregnant woman.”

  His plans for their future scorch her vocal cords, and she replies with a silent nod.

  “Mom has been talking about it as well…”

  Isha swiftly turns around hearing Liam talk about starting a family for the first time. “Are you ready for this?”

  He smiles, brushin
g his fingertips across her cheek. “I don’t think so. It’s a good thought for now. But I would very much like a mini Isha at some point.” He gives a quick peck on her temple.

  Rolling her head back to meet his lips, she says, “I’d like to know when you find out.”

  With a gentle kiss, he smiles. “You’ll be the first to know.”

  Wrapped in her husband’s arms and discussing their future together gives Isha a much-needed dose of reality. Her careless actions could cost her everything she worked so hard to build and letting all of it go for Nathan seems like a senseless plan to her. It may take her some time to wean off her connection with Nathan, but she can at least try not to encourage it.

  Lily is beyond excited to join her dad and sightsee in Philadelphia. She purchases a travel guide on the city and bookmarks all the things she plans to do during her stay. While in the city she also plans to check out a few schools in the area since she is getting ready to apply for colleges next year. She has been looking forward to seeing her dad’s place, cooking meals with him, going for walks around the city and somehow meeting Looney Tunes in person. Looney Tunes has become a recurring guest in their daily conversations, and Lily is smart enough to read the growing friendship between her dad and Isha. However, she struggles with asking her dad about wanting to meet Isha and not make it seem obvious as to why. With a full itinerary at hand and a sly request to go with it, Lily eagerly awaits her dad’s arrival later tonight. Nathan lands in San Diego to pick up Lily before flying out to Philly next week. He is aware that Lily is old enough to fly by herself, but she continues to be his little girl and his strong urge to keep her safe prevails.

  Nathan walks into the house late in the night and takes caution not to make any loud noises that could wake up Sarah or Lily. Leaving his bags in the guest room, he takes a quick shower, changes into an old T-shirt and shorts before grabbing a beer from the fridge and relaxes to an old game of college football.

 

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