Page 13 of Pillow Talk (Rally Romance #1)

‘You don’t have to do this, you know,’ his father said without looking up from the document he was analysing.

‘I’m okay,’ Sen replied.

They were in the firm’s conference room analysing documents for a criminal case his father was working on.

His father put the document down on the table and looked at Sen. ‘I’m serious. Why do you want to work this case? You gave up criminal law.’

Sen didn’t look up from the document he was pretending to read.

‘I didn’t completely give up,’ he replied.

‘Senthil, you did. Can you just tell me what’s going on?’

Sen put down the document and faced his father. ‘I just need a distraction.’

‘From what?’

Sen rolled his shoulders back. He’d been sitting for several hours.

‘Senthil, tell me from what?’

‘Dad, I need to feel alive.’

His father observed him over the rim of his reading glasses before asking, ‘Does this have something to do with Shona Shah?’

Sen’s eyes widened. ‘What makes you say that?’

His father shook his head. ‘You thought I didn’t know that you’re dating Shona Shah?’

Sen coughed. ‘I’ve never dated Shona.’

‘Okay, seeing Shona, in love with Shona, having a relationship with Shona…I don’t know what your generation calls it,’ his father replied.

Sen shook his head. ‘Dad, you’re off the mark. Shona and I are…were just friends. She has nothing to do with me wanting a distraction.’

‘Then why are you talking your grandfather’s ear off about her?’

Sen choked. His father pushed the water jug to him.

‘Don’t look so surprised. My father is not old and senile. He told your mother and I that you were obviously in love with Shona,’ he said.

Sen shifted in his seat. ‘Mom knows?’

His father nodded.

‘But there is nothing to know. I am not in love with Shona.’

‘So, you didn’t spend every waking hour of your summers with those two girls because you fancied one of them? You didn’t ask about Shona whenever you called home from school?’

Sen ran his hand through his perfectly styled hair.

‘Dad, they were my only friends in Rally,’ he answered.

His father was in lawyer mode. ‘And now? No friends? Is that why you spend so much time with Shona?’

Sen looked away.

‘Dad! Our closest friends got married to each other. Of course we had to spend time together ahead of the wedding, and when we all meet,’ he argued.

His father’s eyes shone. Sen knew that look. His dad was going for the jugular. ‘So, Samuel and his wife, newlyweds, are there when you’re at Shona’s apartment almost every night?’

Sen’s eyes were as big as saucers. He was speechless.

His father laughed. Loudly.

Sen just stared at him. His father pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his eyes. He tried to control his laughter. He stopped, took a breath and began to speak again.

‘Senthil, what are you doing?’

Sen sat back. ‘I don’t know, Dad.’

‘How about starting by admitting that you’re in love with her?’

Sen’s eyebrows furrowed. ‘Who are you and what have you done with my father?’

His father shook his head. ‘Sen, we’ve never ever got involved in your dating life.

And believe me there have been times when your mother wanted to wring your neck.

Senthil, some of those women…gold diggers.

Anyway, I’m guessing you can’t go to Sam for advice because you and Shona are hiding your liaison… ’

‘Dad, you know too much. How do you know all this? This is insane,’ Sen interrupted.

‘I have my sources. Now, I’m here to give you advice. Tell me what’s going on.’

Sen stood up. ‘It’s getting late. You’re right, I don’t want to do this. Can we pack up and leave?’

His father nodded.

‘Senthil.’

‘Yeah, Dad?’

‘You didn’t say something back then, but you should say something now.’

Sen looked away.

Shona was on her way to Who’s Brew, a quaint coffee shop on Main Street. In a town where everyone knew your business, she was surprised that no one confronted her about leaving the shop.

She looked nothing like the girl she used to be, wearing sneakers to work.

She was in tailored black pants, an off-the-shoulder top and shiny black heels.

She was meeting Felicity. The wedding planner had called the day before to say she urgently needed to speak to her about something important.

Shona told her she could meet at her office, but Felicity wanted to come to Rally.

Shona entered the coffee shop and spotted Felicity at a table next to the window. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a tight bun and she wore a vintage, black and white polka dot dress.

‘Shona, this is such a cosy coffee shop. I love it,’ Felicity said, as she stood up to hug Shona as if they were old friends.

The waitress came over and took Shona’s order – a café latte.

‘I’m so excited and nervous about this,’ Felicity began.

Shona raised an eyebrow. ‘Nervous?’

‘I’m nervous because I don’t know how you’ll react.’

Shona was starting to get nervous too.

‘Oh Shona, don’t look so scared. It’s nothing bad.’

‘Then just tell me,’ Shona replied, laughing.

‘I snooped. Well, not really snooped because it’s in the public domain. I looked at your business page on social media.’

Shona was confused and then embarrassed. ‘Felicity, I know it’s not up to scratch. It just hasn’t been updated in a while. My friend Anni is a marketing guru and she used to manage it, but she got married six months ago and we’ve all been busy.’

‘No Shona. It’s not that. I’m actually impressed. I snooped quite far back and found a picture of a wedding dress you designed and sewed,’ she explained.

Shona’s forehead wrinkled, remembering the only wedding dress she’d designed.

‘If I recall, that was about ten years ago. It was part of my assignment at college. It wasn’t ever worn. Just a college thing. What about it?’

Felicity took a deep breath and exhaled. She was dramatic, sophisticated and a little eccentric.

‘Okay, here goes: one of my brides wants it.’

Shona was definitely confused.

‘What do mean she wants it?’

Felicity pulled out her thick diary. ‘Maddie is getting married in six months. When I was snooping, I printed some of your pictures. Maddie saw the picture of the dress on my desk, fell in love with it and wants it.’

Shona shook her head. ‘That’s ridiculous. I don’t even know where that dress is.’

Felicity wasn’t giving up that easily. ‘You can make another one.’

Shona wasn’t convinced. ‘It’s outdated. That dress was made at least a decade ago.’

‘No. It’s timeless and that’s exactly what Maddie wants.

Shona, listen… I know I’m springing this on you but Maddie is the daughter of a tycoon.

They move in social circles that we haven’t even heard of – that’s how exclusive it is.

But Maddie isn’t one of those rich bridezillas.

She’s actually quite sweet. And I wouldn’t be pushing for this if she wasn’t someone who deserves the dress of her dreams.’

The waitress appeared with Shona’s latte. She smiled her thanks and gratefully took a sip.

‘And this dress is her dream dress? Felicity, you’re asking me to create a wedding dress!’

Felicity nodded. ‘Yes, Shona, I am.’

Shona didn’t reply.

‘Do you believe in fate?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Shona, still trying to get her head around what had just happened.

‘I didn’t know you a couple of weeks ago. When a bride mentioned the veil she saw on some influencer, I just brushed it off because brides want everything they see. But something made me call you. I don’t usually beg someone to work with me. I believe we met at the right time for some reason.’

Shona sat back. If only Felicity knew that she’d actually saved Shona. Without her, leaving the shop would have been a disaster for her income stream.

‘I’ll do it.’

Shona put a carton of eggs in her trolley and ambled towards the cheese and dairy section.

After her meeting, Shona had remembered she needed to stock up on groceries, so she popped into the local supermarket, still dressed up like a city girl.

When she rounded the corner, she bumped straight into Sen, looking casual but immaculate as always,in jeans and a T-shirt. A quick glance at his shopping basket convinced Shona he was shopping for a party.

She didn’t know whether she should greet him or walk away.

He looked her up and down, and then his eyes lingered on her bare shoulder before he looked at her face.

Neither of them said anything. Shona started to manoeuvre her trolley away when he spoke.

‘Hello, Shona.’

‘Hi.

‘How have you been doing?’

‘Good and you?’

‘Good,’ he replied.

Shona was about to say something when a leggy beauty with the most stunning face she’d ever seen popped up next to him.

‘Hi,’ the woman said cheerfully.

Shona squeaked a greeting and backed away.

She threw a block of cheese in her trolley and practically ran to the checkout, where she paid without looking over her shoulder, as tears formed in her eyes. Grateful that she had only one bag to carry, she grabbed it and left.

She was halfway back to the apartment with her eyes on the ground when she realised that she was truly alone.

She had no one to share her news with about the wedding dress.

She stopped along the sidewalk and looked around Rally’s Main Street.

The aroma of mutton curry being cooked at the Spice Inn filled the air; Bobby was hanging out her decoupage sheets in the window of Hobby Shop; Malcolm at the pet shop was shooing curious kids out of his store…

She knew this street like the back of her hand.

And yet for the first time in her life she felt out of place, like she didn’t belong.

Like no one loved her. Actually, who did?

Right now, she couldn’t think of one person who even liked her.

‘Let me guess: Shona?’

‘Shut up,’ Sen hissed as they drove away from the grocery store.

‘That was awkward and pretty spectacular,’ she pressed.

Sen clenched his jaw.

‘Granddad was right. She is beautiful,’ she went on.

‘Kaavi, are you ever going to shut up?’