Page 3 of Pillow Talk (Rally Romance #1)

‘Good morning. I just finished a meeting and was heading back to the office when I spotted you.’

Shona looked at her watch. The store opened at 9am and staff had to be there an hour before. It was 7.45. How early had his meeting been?

He interrupted her thoughts.

‘You really take this orange thing seriously,’ he teased. She frowned, unsure how to interpret his mischievous smile as his gaze fell on her chest.

Shona looked down. Oh no! She was wearing the wrong shirt. The words ‘Let me be your Fanta-sea’ stretched across her breasts.

‘I have to go back to change. Oh no! she looked at her watch. She was cutting it fine but she couldn’t go to work in a tee that Anni had bought on her bridal shower weekend away.

‘Get in. It’ll be quicker by car,’ Sen said.

As she slid into the passenger seat, she took in the image of Sen, hair perfectly styled and wearing a grey suit, crisp white shirt and a ridiculous orange tie.

As soon as he parked the car, she leapt out, ran up the flight of stairs to her apartment and, at the door, impatiently searched her bag for her keys.

‘Damn it. Where are you?’

She eventually found them and, as she opened the door, she noticed Sen casually walking up the stairs.

‘Why did you get out?’

He didn’t answer and followed her into the apartment.

Shona ran to her room and opened her closet.

‘Oh no!’ She stared at the heap of clothing.

Sen came up behind her. ‘So, what are we looking at?’ he asked, surveying the heap.

‘What are you doing in my bedroom?’ Shona demanded.

‘I’ve been in here more times than I can count. What difference does it make?’

She shot him a disapproving glance. ‘You’re not supposed to see this side … my stuff,’ she said.

He smirked. ‘Stuff?’

‘Oh, Sen. What am I going to do? I don’t have another orange shirt,’ she wailed.

Before he could reply, she raced to the dining room.

Sen followed casually, with a hand in his suit pants pocket.

Shona searched in a box of fabric and pulled out a black piece with a tiny orange floral print. She slid her phone out of her pocket, sent a text and pulled off her top. She sat at her machine and quickly sewed the strip of fabric over the slogan on her tee.

Sen stood mesmerised.

In no time at all, she jumped up and put on her T-shirt. ‘Always comes together in the end,’ she said triumphantly.

Sen was dumbfounded.

‘Sen, let’s get out of here. I texted Aruna. She said she’d buy me some time so I can be a few minutes late.’

Sen followed but just before they left, he grabbed her hand, pulled her to him and planted his lips on hers. It was different from the other kisses they’d shared. This one was not leading to anything. This one was saying something else. Neither of them knew exactly what.

They got into the car without saying a word. Sen looked at Shona as she buckled her seatbelt. Something had happened in her apartment. He couldn’t explain how he suddenly felt.

‘Are you going to drive?’

He snapped out of it and started the car.

When he parked in front of the store, Shona jumped out before he could get to her side to open the door.

‘I think I may come in,’ he said.

‘Why?’

‘To buy a suit.’

‘Firstly, the store opens at 9am and, secondly, you don’t shop here. Come to think of it, why don’t you shop here? You wear suits to work,’ Shona said, eyeing his ridiculously expensive designer suit.

Sen didn’t answer immediately. He looked around. Shah he’d been completely spellbound.

By their second date he was already making enquiries about opening a medical practice in Rally.

Sen was happy for his friend, but he was even happier for Anni, because she deserved the unconditional love and stability Sam offered her.

‘What are you doing here anyway? Don’t you have patients to see?’ Sen asked.

‘The locum comes in on Fridays. I came to see you because I need advice.’

When he heard the serious tone in Sam’s voice, Sen discreetly closed the door to his office so they had some privacy, then sat down to listen, giving Sam his full attention.

‘You know Anni is not a risk taker. She plays it safe. She’s afraid to venture out of her own backyard.

But she hasn’t travelled like us. I want her to experience new places.

I know she’s always wanted to go to Paris and I want to take her there for her birthday next month, but she’s so afraid that her life here will fall apart if she leaves for a few days,’ Sam explained.

Without thinking, Sen replied, ‘I’ll ask Shona for her input tonight.’

Sam’s eyes widened.

‘Tonight? Why are you seeing Shona tonight?’

Sen wasn’t known as a sharp, cut-throat lawyer for nothing. ‘I have to pick up Granddad’s suits,’ he lied.

Sam’s demeanour softened again.

‘Okay. Because I don’t want you messing around with Shona. She’s all Anni has left in terms of family. The four of us gel together. Sure, when both of you find partners, we’ll welcome them into our circle. But I know you – you don’t date and you’ll break Shona’s heart,’ Sam warned.

Sen should have been offended but he knew Sam was right. He didn’t do relationships. But he couldn’t ignore the surge of jealousy when Sam mentioned the possibility of Shona finding a suitable partner.

‘Have you spoken to Anni? Told her how you feel?’

Sam nodded. ‘She says I won’t understand.’

Sen ran his hands through his hair. ‘She’s right, you know,’ he said.

‘To some extent, yes,’ Sam replied.

Sen shook his head. He stood and walked to the ceiling-to-floor window.

He looked at the city below him and thought about Rally, the small town where everyone knew your name and business.

It was nothing like the city Sam had grown up in.

Sen’s office on the top floor of a high-rise building gave him a bird’s eye view of people rushing about their business.

No one smiled at anyone. They didn’t even greet one another.

In Rally, you couldn’t walk a couple of steps out of your front door without someone stopping for a quick chat.

Sam would never truly understand what life in Rally was about or how his wife had grown up. But he had to at least try to explain.

‘To more than just some extent. Sam, look around. Look at us. We grew up with silver spoons in our mouths. Anni grew up with an abusive father, who left when she was five, and a drunk for a mother, who sold her prom dress – which the Shahs had bought for her because her mother needed her next bottle. Life has been tough and she’s afraid that she won’t fit into your world.

She’s afraid that she may embarrass you,’ he said without turning back to look at Sam.

‘Damn, Sen. I never thought about it that way. And how do you know about all of this?’

Sen turned to look at him and walked towards his desk. He removed his jacket and hung it over a coat hanger on a nearby stand.