Rishi’s phone buzzed almost immediately.
“Yes,” he said.
“You owe me big time for this, Rishi,” Raashi told him.
“You mean you got something for me.”
“Of course, anything for you,” she replied.
Actually, it was plain luck that one of the prior reservations had been canceled just when Rishi had called requesting for a table.
“You’re my favorite girl.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere, Rishi,” Raashi quipped, laughing. “Tell me where you are, I’ll show you to the table.”
“I am right behind in the crowd, towards the entrance, near the bar.”
“Alright, walking towards you,” Raashi said, disconnecting the call.
“OK, we got it,” Rishi told them.
“Good,” Sameer said. Natasha didn’t say anything, but Sameer could see her lips set in a straight belligerent line.
Raashi made her way through the crowd, smiling and greeting many people on the way. As she neared the entrance, she spotted Rishi a second before she saw Sameer standing next to him. She did a double take on seeing him and her heartbeat slipped into an uneven rhythm. Get a grip, Raashi told herself. She walked towards them, only to realize that he wasn’t alone. Natasha was standing next to him, her hand tightly intertwined with his.
For four days she hadn’t heard from him, hadn’t seen him. She had hoped she wouldn’t have to meet him again. But here he was looking handsome as ever in blue jeans and a black shirt, his sleeves casually folded, looking straight at her. Their eyes metand she saw his eyes light up, as he took her in from head to toe. Her expression faltered for a second, but she quickly masked her features and put her social smile in place as she walked towards them.
Sameer had spotted her long before she’d caught sight of him. He could see the pleasant smile she was showering on her patrons. He also noticed how she stopped by to chat briefly with several of them. Dressed in black and gold, she looked like a million bucks. Her skinny black cutout jeans fit her snugly. They were tucked into stiletto ankle boots that made her look taller than usual. She had teamed these with a shimmering gold spaghetti top that made her warm complexion glow in the lights. Her lips were painted a bright red adding to the stunning effect. Thick gold earrings dangled from her ears. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders in loose, long curls.
Damn! She looked good. He saw her smile at Rishi but saw the smile waver for exactly a second as she caught sight of him and Natasha. And then immediately the smile was back on her face as she came closer.
“That’s Raashi, isn’t it? What is she doing here? That woman seems to be everywhere,” Natasha complained.
“Excuse me?” Rishi said.
“I wasn’t talking to you,” Natasha said.
“But you were talking about a friend of mine,” Rishi stated.
“I didn’t know you were friends with people like her. She’s a waitress for heaven’s sake, Rishi!”
“Didn’t you ever learn that you have to respect people, no matter what they do for a living?” Rishi asked. “Besides, she’s not a waitress. She owns this restaurant. In fact, she owns The Nox group. And if I were you, I’d watch my mouth around her, unless you enjoy being thrown out of restaurants.”
“Sameer! I can’t believe you’re letting him talk like that to me,” Natasha lashed out.
Except, Sameer wasn’t listening. In fact, he had barely heard a word. He hadn’t even realized that his brother and Natasha were arguing. He was completely and undividedly lost in watching Raashi float towards them, her hips swaying slightly, her bold red lips parted in a smile, her hair flowing, her warm complexion glowing golden in the lights. His stomach fluttered and his heart sped. Oh, God...how she made him wish for things he didn’t want...things he didn’t need...and yet his heart refused to slow down from its lightning fast pace.
Natasha nudged him, squeezing the hand that she was holding, pulling him close towards her. He blinked and looked at her, confused by the questioning expression on her face. He hadn’t a clue what she had asked him.
Before he could make an inconsequential reply, Raashi reached them.
Rishi went forward to hug her. “Hi, there! How are you Raashi?”
In her ear, he whispered, “Thank you for doing this for me. Otherwise, Madam here would have never have let me hear the last of it.” He looked pointedly in Natasha’s direction.
Raashi couldn’t help but laugh. Rishi was really cute but very wicked.
Watching Raashi and his brother interact, Sameer removed his hand from Natasha’s and approached her.
