Page 23 of Behind Frenemy Lines

Charles

Loretta came out after me. “What’s up?” She hadn’t seen Kriya.

CG: “I have to nip out for a second. You carry on.”

Paused in the portico when I got out, looking around. Couldn’t spot Kriya, though she’d only had a few seconds’ head start. Couldn’t have got far. But which way would she have gone—towards the main road, or away?

Attendant in a grey suit said: “Can I help you, sir?”

CG: “I’m looking for my—” Got stuck on how to refer to Kriya. Date? Most accurate, but misleading. Friend? Felt presumptuous. Colleague? Baffling. “I’m looking for someone. A woman in a green dress? She would’ve just come out.”

The attendant pulled a sympathetic face and jerked his head towards the main road.

So Kriya had scarpered, I thought. But as I went in that direction, I saw what had been hidden from me when I was in the portico.

There was an alcove in the side of the building, with discreet wooden doors leading to a lift.

Kriya was leaning against the wall in the alcove, crying.

Not in itself a shock. Thought that was what was going on. The violence of her distress was what was shocking. She didn’t even clock me.

What would I want, if I were her? To be ignored, left to it, given the chance to pull myself together.

But was that true? Wouldn’t want to see just anyone. But if it were Kriya, it might be all right if she came and said the right thing to me.

No point arguing with myself. I wasn’t about to return to the hotel to knock back champagne with the cosplayers while Kriya was out here, upset.

CG: “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Kriya started. Looked up and saw me. Shook her head.

She was struggling to speak. Opened my mouth to say, It’s all right, don’t worry about it, let’s get you inside, when I heard someone shout:

“Kriya!”

Guy had come out of the hotel. Looked like a wedding guest—in a suit, face vaguely familiar. Kriya couldn’t see him from where she was standing, but she stiffened at the sound of his voice.

Kriya: “It’s Tom.” Panicky, like a cornered animal, the whites of her eyes showing. “I can’t let him see me, I’m a mess. What do I do?”

Kriya was shielded for now, but the guy—Tom—would see her if he came this way, and there were only two directions to choose from. He’d definitely spot her if she tried to leg it.

Could see him addressing the attendant. Attendant looked torn, couldn’t help glancing in our direction. Tom caught the look and started over.

CG: “He’s coming this way.” Could I step out and misdirect him? What would I even say? Nothing to see here, guv, move along now—

Kriya, in a strange, urgent voice: “Charles, can I kiss you?”

My head whipped around. “What?”

She put her arms around me and pressed her lips to mine.

Kriya’s lips were soft, slightly tacky from her lipstick. Her hair grazed my face, ticklish.

It wasn’t a real kiss, or a real embrace. Kriya wasn’t doing anything with her mouth other than resting it against mine. She was holding her body away from me, the way one does when colleagues from overseas offices insist on hugs. Or worse, air kisses.

But Kriya wasn’t one of those colleagues, none of whom I’d wanted that close to me. I didn’t mind it with Kriya.

“Didn’t mind it” was understating it. My body didn’t know the kiss wasn’t real, and it was extremely excited about this development. And the smell of Kriya’s hair, and her breath on my face, and the flutter of her eyelashes against her cheek.

Despite the distance between us, I could feel her trembling, very slightly. Cooled me down a bit. I patted her on the back, gingerly.

Kriya laughed against my mouth. Sounded more like a sob than I would have liked, but when she pulled away she was smiling, though tremulously.

She whispered: “Is he still there?”

I could hear footsteps retreating away from us. Sneaked a look out of the alcove. Tom was disappearing through the revolving door. The attendant stood by, stone-faced.

CG: “He’s going back into the hotel.”

Kriya: “Thank God.” She collapsed against the wooden doors. “I’m sorry for lunging at you. I couldn’t face talking to him. It was the only thing I could think of.”

Nodded, mute.

Kriya looked at me, concerned. “Are you all right? I’m really sorry.”

CG: “There’s no need to apologise. It’s fine. I understand why you did it.”

Good idea, really. Don’t know why it didn’t occur to me.

Realised I was staring at Kriya’s mouth. Adjusted my gaze, fixing it on a point two inches above her left shoulder.

CG: “Who was that guy?”

Kriya: “My ex-boyfriend. He’s dating Hayley’s childhood best friend. Turns out he was dating her for about a year before he broke up with me.”

CG: “Shit.”

Kriya dug around in the tiny bag she was carrying and took out a tissue, dabbing her eyes with it.

“I just found out. I was chatting to the new girlfriend and she didn’t realise who I was.

I didn’t realise who she was, until I saw Tom.

” Wiped her eyes. “I feel so stupid. I should have seen it coming. He moved to America last year. We talked about me coming along, but he said, let’s see how it works out first. Guess he wanted to try out his new life before committing. ”

Her voice broke. She crumpled the tissue in her hand. “Sorry. You don’t want to hear all this.”

Didn’t know what to say. So I said what I was thinking:

“Those shoes must be uncomfortable to stand around in.”

Kriya blinked. Looked down at her feet. “They’re fine. They’re pretty comfortable, for heels.”

Her toenails were red. Was it creepy to stare at her feet? I’ve got feet, too. My feet aren’t as good, though. Tore my gaze away, to be safe.

CG: “But you could probably do with a break. Do you want to go get a coffee and sit down somewhere?”

Kriya hesitated, glancing at the hotel.

CG: “Not in there. There’s a good café around the corner.”

Kriya gave herself a little shake. “You should be at the wedding. Loretta and her family will be wondering where you are.”

CG: “You’re forgetting Loretta’s family have met me. They’ll assume I’ve holed up in a room to check my emails. That’s what I used to do at all the family gatherings—without the emails. It wasn’t Chinese New Year unless I was off in a corner, hiding from everyone else.”

Kriya laughed. I felt like a superhero.

CG: “It’s only a couple of minutes away. We’ll have a coffee and come back. No one will notice.”

Loretta would probably approve. Stealing Kriya away was definitely what she’d think I should be doing.

After a pause, Kriya nodded.

I turned, but Kriya said: “Wait first.” She produced a packet of wipes from her bag. “Hold still.”

She reached out and smoothed a wet wipe across my mouth.

Froze. Poor old body sat up and begged like a dog.

Kriya was close enough that there was a real risk she might hear my heart trying to hammer its way out of my chest. Her touch was firm as she stroked my lips once, twice. A third time.

Was going to stroke out myself if this went on for much longer. Shied away.

Kriya: “I think I got it all.” Showed me the wipe, smeared with a plummy red. “Thought you wouldn’t want to be seen with lipstick all over your mouth.” She grinned.

CG: “Yes. No. Of course.”

Heart pounding as though I’d been sprinting. Stupid heart.

Caf é was quiet. We sat on a banquette in a narrow back room, with scuffed wooden floors, worn rugs, and tiny coffee tables with hairpin legs. Like having coffee in somebody’s living room, but more uncomfortable.

Wished café had seen fit to have normal tables and chairs. It was awkward perching on one end of the banquette while Kriya perched on the other. Because it was warm and we’d dressed for the weather, we didn’t even have coats to pile up between us.

Was acutely conscious of her: the warmth coming off her skin, the fragrance she was wearing.

It was that fake kiss, that was the problem. Couldn’t unknow what it felt like. Body wanted it to happen again. Brain knew better, of course.

At least the coffee was good. Kriya got a cappuccino, with chocolate on top. I had a black filter coffee.

Kriya: “Sorry about all the drama.” Looked rueful, but calm. “I haven’t done a great job as your date.”

CG: “It’s not really a job. More of an imposition. If I’d known your ex was going to be here…”

Kriya: “How could you have known? It’s for the best. I might never have found out about Tom cheating on me, otherwise.

I heard he was seeing someone new, but I had no idea about the timeline.

” Stared down at her drink. “Alexis—the new girlfriend—she said they were dating long-distance before he even got the job in America, when he was still in London. We were living together at the time.”

CG, with feeling: “What a bastard.”

Kriya laughed. Wasn’t a happy laugh. “Right?” She put her hand up to her face, as if to shield it. “I’m so stupid.”

CG: “You weren’t stupid for trusting someone you love—loved.” Was the past tense correct? I wasn’t sure.

Kriya shook her head. “Things weren’t great for a while, even before he moved overseas.

He wasn’t happy. I just didn’t want to see it.

We met at university, we were together for thirteen years.

I mean, I loved him. I told myself it was his job, he wasn’t fulfilled at work.

Then this US role came up and he wanted to give it a shot.

I thought, who am I to hold him back, you know?

I wanted to be supportive.” She fumbled in her bag for another tissue, blew her nose. “Sorry.”

Found myself saying: “My dad was convicted for fraud, when I was a kid.”

Kriya looked up, startled.

I was equally surprised. Never told anyone before. Don’t even talk about it with people who know, like Loretta.

Kriya: “Really?”

CG: “He embezzled funds from his company. It was a family business, owned by his cousin. It was messy. He got a fine and prison time, but he ran, he left the country. My mum and I didn’t know where he’d gone or what had happened to him, for years.”

Kriya’s eyes were huge. “Oh my God, Charles. That’s terrible.”

CG: “My mum got the worst of it. He’d spent her savings, racked up all this debt she hadn’t known about.

I was lucky, my uncle agreed to keep paying for my education until I turned eighteen.

After that, I managed to cover university myself, with loans and so on.

But it took my mum years to pay off my dad’s debts. ”

Kriya: “Oh, Charles.” She touched my arm.

Had to exert myself in order not to recoil. Didn’t want her to get the wrong idea. It was simply that that kiss had primed my body to read too much into any touch from Kriya, however fleeting.

CG: “No matter what, my mum would never blame my dad. It drove me wild, how she’d make excuses for him. She keeps worrying about him to this day, even though he remarried and had a second family.”

Kriya: “That must have been so hard on you.”

Wasn’t wrong, but that wasn’t the point.

CG: “I didn’t mean to make this about myself. I only mention it because… I hate how my mum defends my dad. But in a way I admire it, too. She’s not ashamed of the fact she cared about him. She doesn’t think it makes her stupid. And it doesn’t.”

Kriya’s eyes were soft. “She sounds amazing.”

CG: “She drives me bonkers. But yeah.” Paused.

“I’m sorry about not covering the drinks at the pub.

You know, with the work experience lot. My dad needs a lot of help still.

With the wedding and everything, money’s been a bit tight.

But I should have said, if you don’t mind waiting, I can pay you back. ”

Kriya: “Oh no, don’t be ridiculous. I said I’d cover it. It wasn’t a problem. Have you been worrying about that all this time?”

Didn’t answer. Didn’t have to. Felt like she was looking right through me.

Kriya: “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have put you on the spot like that.

I know what it’s like to have family to support.

My parents need help as well. And it’s harder when they’re far away, right?

” She shook her head, rueful. “That’s a learning for me.

You shouldn’t assume you know all there is to know about someone. ”

Kriya smiled at me—a real smile, though there was a bittersweet twist to it. “At least you become nicer the more I learn about you. The opposite of Tom.”

Felt a glow at the compliment, though I wasn’t sure how I felt about the comparison with her ex-boyfriend. Bastard or not, she’d loved him. Thirteen years together, she’d said. I couldn’t imagine she was over him yet.

Not that it was any of my business. Nothing to do with me.

CG: “I could knock him over the head? Have an accident with the racquet? Though there’s probably an upper limit to the amount of damage a badminton racquet can inflict. It’s a pity Loretta isn’t into a golf anime.”

Kriya laughed. “I appreciate the thought, but no.”

She downed the last of her coffee, putting the mug back on the coffee table. I stared at the shelf of fancy coffee beans across from us, so my conscience couldn’t accuse me of watching her swallow.

Kriya: “We should get back to the wedding.”

Had been thinking about this. “You don’t have to. I can tell them you’ve had an emergency and had to leave.”

Kriya: “Oh.” She considered it. But after a moment, she shook her head. “Thanks. But I’d rather go back. Loretta and Hayley have been so hospitable. It doesn’t feel right to run out on them.”

CG: “They wouldn’t mind.”

Kriya: “Maybe, but I would. Anyway, I don’t want Tom to think I’ve run away because I’m scared of seeing him.” Raised her chin. “ I haven’t done anything to be ashamed of.”

A spark glinted in her eye. Made her seem more like the Kriya of every day. It was reassuring.

CG: “If you’re sure.”