Page 9

Chapter eight

Stepping Up

Karma

“No sex.” Evie points a finger at me. “Don’t forget the rules.”

I study myself in the mirror. Should I wear my hair down or up? “You told me about steps, Sis. You never said anything about rules.”

“Same difference, carnal .“ She grabs a hairbrush from the bathroom counter and tackles my wavy mane. “When it comes to finding a romantic partner, there’s three things you’ve gotta do. Choose. Pursue. Commit.”

I take the brush away from my bestie. “Are you sure about this? Doesn’t it seem kind of old-fashioned?”

Evie puts a hand on her hip. “Do you like this guy or not?”

“I do, but—“

“But nothing. If you like him, then it’s time to prove it. Tonight is all about pursuing your man.”

Yeah, I guess she’s right. Usually, I’m pretty go-with-the-flow—what’s meant to be will be—but for someone as amazing as Josh, I need to step up my game. “Tell me what to do, Fairy Godmother.”

Evie holds out her hand palm up, and I put the brush back in it. As she works the tangles out of my hair, she gives me some advice. “Get him to talk about himself. Ask about his family, his hobbies, whatever. Act like a gentleman, hold his hand… show him that you’re boyfriend material. But whatever you do, remember this— keep it in your pants .”

“OK, OK,” I groan. “I get it, no sex. Can you help me find something to wear?”

We shuffle through my belongings, picking out a few feel-good favorites: a soft gray tee with a mandala graphic on the front, brushed jeans in a dusty teal blue, a beaded boho bracelet around my wrist, and small beaded rings in my nose and ears. Add a little product to my hair, and I think I’m ready to go.

After getting the stamp of approval from Evie, I hurry out the door. The last thing I need is to be late. I hope Josh likes Plant-based Planet . Their menu is pretty eclectic—they even have a few good Indian dishes. Then again, how would I know what real Indian food tastes like? It might be horrible compared to what he’s used to. I’ve got one shot to impress my dream guy. What if I blow it on a crappy dinner?

I spend the short walk to the restaurant thinking about everything that could go wrong. Awkward conversation. Spinach stuck in my teeth. Waiting on the curb for hours while Josh ghosts me. What happened to my positive vibe? Is the stress I’m putting myself through for this date even worth it?

I turn the corner and stop short.

Holy shit. It’s totally worth it.

Josh is standing in front of the restaurant, glowing like there’s a spotlight on him. Everything I love about the way that he looks—his eyes, his smile, his slender frame—has somehow been turned up a notch.

“Hey, Josh.” I brush a kiss across his cheek. “Wow, you look incredible.”

He bites his lip to hide a smile. “Thanks. So do you.”

We stand there and stare at each other for a minute, neither of us saying a word.

“Um, are you hungry?” I finally ask. “This place makes great kimchi tacos.”

Josh glances at the restaurant, then back at me. “Actually, my stomach feels a little jumpy. Do you think we could go for a walk first?”

“Yeah, no worries,” I tell him. Placing a hand on the small of his back, I guide him to a nearby park. Stars blink into view in the evening sky as we stroll down a tree-lined path. A gentle breeze rustles the leaves overhead while the low hoot of an owl echoes in the distance. “So, tell me about yourself, Josh. I want to know everything about you.”

He shrugs his shoulders. “What’s there to say? You already know the basics—where I go to school, my plans for the future.”

“Tell me about where you’re from,” I suggest. “I’ve always wanted to travel to India. What’s it like there?”

A sudden grin spreads across Josh’s face. “Well, that depends on where you go. In the south, there are tropical rainforests. In the north, there are glaciers. It’s a desert climate where I come from in the northwest, except for during the monsoon season. India has a little bit of everything, from rural villages to modern cities.”

“Kind of like America, I guess.”

“Except that the United States is three times bigger than India by land, but we’re three times bigger than the U.S. by population.”

Whoa. I did not know that. “What’s it like in the town that you’re from?”

He gives me another quick grin. “Jaipur isn’t just a town. It’s the capital city of Rajasthan, with over three million people. I think you’d like it. There’s always something to do there—whether it’s visiting the famous Palace of the Wind, touring the ancient Monkey Temple, or shopping at the futuristic World Park Mall.”

“That sounds amazing,” I tell him. As we step into a small courtyard with a bubbling fountain in the center, we stroll towards a secluded bench beneath a tree. “Hannah Harbor must feel pretty small in comparison.”

“I like it here,” Josh says, sitting down on the bench. “Did you grow up somewhere close by?”

I take a seat and turn sideways to face him. “Nope, I’m from the west coast—and not from a city or even a town. I guess you could call it a conscious community, though everyone just calls it Wilson Woods.”

“Conscious?” He scrunches his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

How should I describe it? “My parents are kind of hippies. When they were students at UC Berkeley, they decided to ‘be the change they wished to see in the world’ . That’s when they decided to start their own community in the California hills. It’s actually a small organic farm, but anyone who wants to work there and live in harmony is welcome.”

“I’ve never heard of anything like it,” he says. “It sounds so peaceful.”

I roll my eyes and laugh. “Peaceful, maybe. Quiet? Never. I’ve got seven siblings and, even though some of us were adopted, everyone’s loud and crazy as hell. My parents thought it would be a good idea to give us all unusual names. They wanted to ‘inspire us to live a conscious life’ .“ I make quotes in the air with my fingers.

“Is that you’re called Karma?” Josh asks. “I wondered why you had such an Eastern name.”

“Yep, that’s it,” I tell him. “Why did your parents name you Josh? Is it short for the Hebrew name Joshua?”

He shakes his head, settling into a corner of the bench. “No, my name is just Josh. It’s a Hindi name that was given to me years before I was born. You see, my grandmother had a vision—“ His voice cuts out, his face frozen in mortification.

“Go on,” I encourage him. “What was her vision about?”

Josh looks down at his lap, then back up at me. “I don’t want you to think that I’m superstitious. My parents are both doctors. My brother and sister have doctorates, too. We’re scientists ,“ he insists.

“That’s cool,” I say, “but so are visions. Can you imagine looking beyond the veil of time and space? Some people call it ‘transcendent wisdom’.”

“My father wouldn’t.” He frowns. “But, if you really want to know… Nani dreamed that my mother would marry a king and that they would be blessed with three children. In her vision, the youngest child was ‘filled with the energy of a divine fire’ . She said I should be named Josh.”

Wait a minute. “ Did your mother marry a king?“ He’s not saying what I think he’s saying, is he?

A fleeting smile crosses his face. “Sort of. My father’s surname is Malik, which means ‘King’ in Hindi—so my grandmother was right, in a way.”

Thank god. It’s one thing for me to try to act like Prince Charming, but it’s another to date a real prince. “And did your parents have three kids, like she predicted?”

Josh nods his head. “My brother, Siddharth, is the oldest. He’s a social scientist with a doctorate in anthropology. My sister, Pradnya, is a medical researcher—just like both of my parents. Then there’s me, ‘the stargazer’ . They say that I’m preoccupied with space. That’s why they call me Junoon.”

“What does Junoon mean?” I ask.

“Roughly translated, it means obsession.” He cringes. “Though, in my defense, who wouldn’t be obsessed? The universe is fascinating!”

“I think you’re fascinating, Josh,“ I tell him. “I love that you’re a Child of Fire.”

Josh ducks his head, holding back a smile as he scoots closer to me. “I like you, too, Karma.”

Hell yeah! Our date is going better than expected. “So, if Junoon means ‘obsession’, what does Josh mean?”

He bites his lip, looking at me through his long lashes. “Oh, um… it means passion.”

“Hold on a minute.” I do the math in my head. “Josh Malik, are you saying that you’re the King of Passion ?”

“Maybe I could be, with a little help,” Josh says as he slips his hand into mine.

Our palms press together.

Our fingers entwine.

Electricity sizzles where our skin connects.

Oh my god, Evie was right. What could be better than romance? Josh Malik is touching me. Josh—the King of Passion. Holy shit! Dreams really can come true!

I squeeze his hand, and he squeezes mine back. We gaze into each other’s eyes as night falls. Whatever doubts I had at the start of the evening are burnt to ashes by the fire between us.

I know what I have to do. I’ve got to step up my game and pursue Josh for real—no matter what it takes. I’ve gotta be romantic, sweep him off his feet, prove to him how much I really like him. If I have to give up sex to show him how I feel, then that’s what I’m gonna do. For the rest of this date—or the entire summer—I’m gonna ‘ keep it in my pants’ .

It can’t be that difficult… Can it?